In the month of November, Regional Math Specialists Paul Volkert and Cody Osterhout, joined educators from multiple districts for the first ½ day and full-day collaboration sessions that will run during the year. These sessions included 40 teachers from multiple grade levels and districts, including 3rd grade, 6th-8th grade, and Algebra I, for Regional Collaborations and PLCs.
Throughout the course of the year, PLC participants will establish a common scope and sequence, develop and administer shared assessments, and have DDI conversations to evaluate and improve instruction. Teachers participating in Regional Collaboration sessions share instructional strategies & best practices to raise engagement and increase student growth.
Each PLC started with a discussion about the state assessment, focusing in on test items and how they might impact our community's scope and sequence. Common assessments were then made and given to be used to guide the conversations at later sessions. One of the benefits of these groups (at the 3-8 level) is that some schools are administering the common assessments on paper, while others are doing it on the computer. These conversations will help drive instruction in the classroom.
For the Regional Collaborations, groups discussed strategies and practices that have been successful in the classroom and designed plans for future work. Some activities that were done during these sessions included adding resources to their common Padlets and analyzing the unpacking documents for the Next Generation Math Standards and how this might impact instruction. These activities provide great opportunities for teachers to continue to grow their knowledge of the math standards and practices.
Registration is still open for our PLC and RC groups, so please consider registering your staff today!
