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Meeting 1- September:
Thursday, 9/3: Why clustering and where are we?
Purpose of clustering: Improving instruction so that we better meet the needs of our ELL and GT students.
Self-assessment questions on iPads
Discussion of first question, “What are your best hopes and worst fears for clustering during the 2012-13 school year?”
Distribution of The Cluster Grouping Handbook: How to Challenge Gifted Students and Improve Academic Achievement for All
Assignments for next time:
Read pages 1-9 in The Cluster Grouping Handbook.
Read pages 25-37 and 63-85 in the green packet.
Meeting 2- October:
Monday, 10/15: Getting to know our clustered students and Using Pre-Assessments
How to find, read, and utilize Advanced Learning Plans and ELL Plans.
Identifying common language in plans.
Dissecting and designing Pre-Assessments
Assignments for next time:
With your partner, create a pre- and post- assessment that you can use with your students prior to next month’s meeting. For the next meeting bring…
10 copies of the pre-/post- assessment
Student results
Read pages 38-56 in the green packet.
Read pages 84-155 in The Cluster Grouping Handbook (Chapters 5 and 6).
Meeting 3- November:Differentiating lessons
Monday, 11/12:
Protocol to examine Pre- /Post- assessments
Lesson designs: Accessing differentiation tools and strategies
Preview of GT conference in Denver
Assignments for next time:
With your partner, design a lesson using one at least one of the strategies examined today or in the readings. For the next meeting bring…
Student work samples from clustered students
Student work samples from non-clustered students
Meeting 4- December:Gifted & Talented Clusters and strategies
Mon. 12/17
Compacting and differentiating curriculum
Presentations and sharing by the attendees of the GT conference
Assignments for next time:
With your partner, design a lesson using one at least one of the strategies presented today. For the next meeting bring…
Student work samples from clustered students
Student work samples from non-clustered students
Reading to be determined.
Meeting 5- January:ELL Clusters and strategies
Wed. 1/23
Sharing our GT lessons
WIDA & English Language Proficiency Standards
ELL strategies
Assignments for next time:
With your partner, design a lesson using one at least one of the strategies presented today. For the next meeting bring…
Student work samples from clustered students
Student work samples from non-clustered students
Reading to be determined.
Meeting 6- February:ELL Clusters and strategies
Tues. 2/26
Debriefing WIDA & CELP
Sharing our ELL lessons
Assignment for next time:
Readings to be determined.
March
No meeting this month(conferences and TCAP testing)
Meeting 7- April:Evaluating the Cluster Grouping Model in American Studies
Mon, 4/15
Protocol on the readings
Successes & Struggles with Clustering this year
What do we want to know from our students? How do we get this information?
Assignment for next time:
Readings to be determined.
Meeting 8- May:Looking ahead
Mon., 5/20
Debriefing student feedback
Planning for the future