Standardized test preparation with a standards-based mathematics curricula

Reprinted from http://elemath.pbworks.com/EoG-Preparation

EoG Preparation
Drew Polly (drewpolly@gmail.com)

Teachers, Math Facilitators (Coaches), and Administrators-

As i have visited a number of grade level meetings and talked with teachers in North Carolina, one of the concerns using a standards-based curriculum like Investigations, Trailblazers and Expressions is uncertainty about how these curricula prepare students for End-of-Grade tests.

 

If you are teaching with a standards-based curricula, the best strategy for EoG prep is to teach the curriculum well, develop students’ conceptual understanding and where there are gaps in the standards use standards-based approaches to teach those concepts. Consistency is the most essential part of teaching with this curricula. Students in Grades 3-5 do need exposure to EoG-type items. Just be very selective on how you spend your money and your students’ time.

A few resources are definitely useful:

1) DPI has released test items freely available on their <a href=”http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountability/testing/eog/math/” target=”_blank”>website</a>.

Many schools are using these items, changing the numbers to create a pool of EoG items. These can be used intermittently as problem of the day, as homework problems, or occasionally during lessons. Do not over-prep your students to the point where students’ work becomes largely test prep and not guided discovery.

2) DPI’s indicators are also available <a href=”http://mathlearnnc.sharpschool.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4507283&pageId=5051238″ target=”_blank”>online</a>. These indicators provide ample opportunity for rigorous tasks that 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will be exposed to in May.

3) Curriculum-based materials- Investigations has ExamView, published by Pearson, and the other curricula have their own North Carolina-tweaked test prep materials. Be careful to check for alignment and rigor before using them.

4) Commercial items

a) <a href=”http://classscape.ncsu.edu/” target=”_blank”>ClassScape</a>- the only commercial product developed in North Carolina has EoG-like items that align to the standards and a decent level of rigor.

b) <a href=”http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.asp?title=TRMath” target=”_blank”>Curriculum Associates</a>- this material is not North Carolina specific, but has a high level of rigor. Anecdotally, students who do well on these practice tests and materials do well on the End-of-Grade test

c) EoG Coach- the level of rigor is not as high as ClassScape or Curriculum Associates. Anecdotally, there have been cases of false-positives, students do well on these materials but do not do well on the EoG test.

d) SuccessMaker, Study Island and CCC- All of these are programs that can be accurately lumped into the direct intervention category. These programs are all based on the idea that students need repetitive practice and lots of repetition to learn the concepts. These programs may lead to slight increases in test scores, but have a long-term detriment to students’ conceptual understanding, which harms them in later grades.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Drew
drewpolly@gmail.com

Pay for performance scale coming to Charlotte

In his State of CMS Schools Speech, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman laid out a plan to pay teachers for performance rather than years experience and advanced degrees.

This comes as a result of a few studies, mainly the Brookings Institute work that effective teachers in the top quartile of their colleagues could close the achievement gap between below and on grade level children, regardless of ethnicity.

Under this new system teachers that get move their students more than one year of growth during 1 academic year would make more money than their colleagues who don’t make as much growth. Gorman claims it won’t happen without teacher buy-in.

thoughts?

Give them an opportunity…

This morning at the North Carolina Council for Teachers of Mathematics conference, Kathy Richardson provided a PK-2 keynote address about the importance of understanding children’s development of number sense. She talked about her notion of critical phases of learning, i which learners need experiences and time to process and think about their development.

In many of her examples, Richardson discussed students’ understanding of decomposing two-digit numbers into tens and ones and the need for students to see tens as discrete units.

An example would be the idea that the task 8+6, students need to be able to think about the idea that if you have 8, 2 more gets to 10 and you have 1 ten and 4 ones left over, which is 14. Students without this concept, tend to show issues when adding larger numbers.

Students must have an opportunity to work in discovery-oriented learning environments and have time to process the concepts that they are learning.

Assessment…rubrics

In the midst of working with some school districts on creating some rubrics for high-level mathematical tasks. We’ve posted some online using the elementary mathematics Investigations curriculum. Would love some feedback.

Audio Boo

I was asked to do a brief interview with my friend and colleague Dr. Clif Mims. We used Audioboo an app on the iPhone 3GS that will audio record and instantaneously post it online.

Enjoy the interview…

Teaching Mathematics with Power (TMaP) PD

I’m wrapping up a great week with K-4 teachers in Kannapolis City Schools as part of our NC Quest grant, Teaching Mathematics w/ Power (TMaP). It’s been a great week w/ lots of great dialogue among teachers from various schools about mathematical tasks, questioning and discourse.

Here are some resources for those interested.

A National Curriculum?

Interesting thoughts…

Common Core website

Reports published by Common Core about America’s problems in schools

Education week article about content-area organizations wanting a voice

Technology and Literacy- great resources!

I dropped by Day 4 of a workshop for teachers on Digital Literacies taught by my colleague Dr. Bruce Taylor here at UNC Charlotte. His graduate students have facilitated 4 half-day sessions about integrating digital technologies into literacy instruction.

Here is the wiki with resources (PPT slides, videos, links). Enjoy!!

Principal search…creating the ideal Principal profile

One of our Professional Development Schools is going through another administrative change. Last week 16 teachers, administrators, parents and university folk gathered to create a “Principal profile” which describes the characteristics of an ideal school leader.

Of all the categories we were asked to comment on, leadership was the most hotly discussed, in terms of leadership style and relations to individuals.

What type of leadership style is best suited for a high-need urban elementary school? Do incoming Principals need to have experience as an AP or Principal in an elementary school? Do incoming Principals need experience in that demographic? Interesting conversation we started that I’m still working through.

Unemployed Teachers Facing Heavy Competition to find Jobs

From the Charlotte Observer today…

The 1,300 employees axed from the CMS payroll have plenty of company in the region.

Gaston, Union, and Cabarrus county schools are also bracing for hundreds of potential layoffs.

Schools in Lincoln County are planning for the loss of 63 teaching positions, according to the district’s website.

About 70 teaching assistant jobs may be eliminated in Iredell County, a spokesperson told NewsChannel 36.

Kannapolis City has experienced the loss of approximately 20 teachers…

When will this turn around?