American Studies Clustering PLC, 2012-2013

SSHS’s Vision: Utilizing the best teaching practices, we will ensure that our students have the essential academic, ethical and workplace skills and knowledge to be successful in an ever-changing world.

Goals for PLC

• Identify, utilize and share pre- and post- assessment tools in order to gauge what students know and can do.

• Provide targeted, differentiation strategies to use with our ELL and GT clusters in the American Studies and English 9 classrooms.

• Use common language to use when discussing and making decisions around clusters, differentiated instruction, and other aspects of our courses.

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:

  1. Read pages 1-9 in The Cluster Grouping Handbook.

  2. Read pages 25-37 and 63-85 in the green packet.

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:

  1. 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

  2. Read pages 38-56 in the green packet.

  3. Read pages 84-155 in The Cluster Grouping Handbook (Chapters 5 and 6).

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:

  1. 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

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:

  1. 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

  2. Reading to be determined.

January:ELL Clusters and strategies

Wed. 1/23

• Sharing our GT lessons

• WIDA & English Language Proficiency Standards

• ELL strategies

• Assignments for next time:

  1. 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

  2. Reading to be determined.

February:ELL Clusters and strategies

Tues. 2/26

• Debriefing WIDA & CELP

• Sharing our ELL lessons

• Assignment for next time:

  1. Readings to be determined.

March

No meeting this month(conferences and TCAP testing)

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:

  1. Readings to be determined.

May:Looking ahead

Mon., 5/20

• Debriefing student feedback

• Planning for the future