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Resources: Texas Performance Standards Project; National Center for Education and the Economy's New Standards; GoQuest; Sandra Kaplan's Depth and Complexity "icons"

Go to the Texas Performance Standards website: http://www.texaspsp.org/

1.      Using the Continuum of Learning Framework for Depth and Complexity: http://www.texaspsp.org/resources/COLEF_Depth_Complexity.pdf

·         What are the 11 concepts of Depth and Complexity included in the chart?

·         Write a short (1-2 sentences) synopsis of each of the 11 concepts.

·         Create a specific activity/project that your students could do correlated to each of the 11 concepts.

2.      Find a task that you could use with your students.  Include the link to that task.  Write a ½ page explanation of what you hope that students will learn from completing the task.

3.      Look at the assessment rubric for your grade level.  Write a ½ page reflection about how using this rubric with students would be beneficial.

Using the  “New Standards” from NCEE, complete the following tasks: (http://www.ncee.org/publications/archived-publications/new-standards-2/ )

1.       Read the introduction for your current level of teaching (i.e. Elementary School Introduction, etc.)

·         Describe “performance standards” and their purpose in the classroom. What “standards” are you currently using with your students? Explain the primary outcome from utilizing these standards.

·         Read the standards for your current content area. What is different from the “New Standards” and the standards that you are currently using with your students?

·         Describe the purpose of the “Work Sample Commentary”. Identify and explain each part of the commentary.

2.      Provide 3 student work samples (one below standard, one met standard, and one above standard) from the same task.

·         What standard was this work evaluated against?

·         What is lacking in the “below standard” piece that is keeping it from standard?

·         What is evident in the “above standard” piece that goes beyond standard?

·         Where in the work reveals student thought?

3.      Create a work sample commentary using an artifact of student work from a current student. Please make sure that your commentary includes the following: the task, standard(s) addressed, conditions of the work, where the work shows thought, and whether the work was below, at, or above standard. Include a reflection describing whether or not this work is an accurate representation of what the student knows, understands, and is able to do; and if it is not, what could be changed so that it is.

Or for those with GoQuest online access:

1.      Find a contest/completion that you can have your students “compete” in this year.

·         What is the link to the contest/competition website?

·         What are your objectives for using this project with kids?

o   What do you expect them to get out of it?

o   What do you expect them to know, understand, and be able to do by the end?

o   How will you know that they achieved both of the above?

2.      Find a SuperStarter project that you can use with your students.

·         What is the title of the project?

·         What are your objectives for using this project with kids?

o   What do you expect them to get out of it?

o   What do you expect them to know, understand, and be able to do by the end?

o   How will you know that they achieved both of the above?

·         How will you evaluate this project?

·         How will you help the students “show off” this project to a real world audience?

3.      Search for SEM or Type IIIs:

·         Find an activity/project that you can do with your students:

o   What is the link to the website?

o   What are your objectives for using this activity/project with kids?

§  What do you expect them to get out of it?

§  What do you expect them to know, understand, and be able to do by the end?

§  How will you know that they achieved both of the above?

o   How will you evaluate this activity/project?

o   How will you help the students “show off” this activity/ project to a real world audience?

Create your own SuperStarter Project within GoQuest.

Sandra Kaplan's Depth and Complexity "icons":
http://www.driddick.com/gate/depthcompicons_files/image002.jpg

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Introduction to the Prompts of Depth and Complexity - Project Linking Learning

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Trainings/Resources
NMSI Laying the Foundation's Pre-AP training for Math, Science, and English and AP Summer Institutes:

1.       For an AP course that aligns with your content area:

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/index.html

·         Read the course overview; what skills are tested on the AP exam?

·         For each skill list something you can do in your grade/content area to help students build that skill

2.       Access that course’s online teacher resources and/or classroom resources:

·         In your opinion, what is the best resource you found?  Why?

·         Create a 5 day AP practice curriculum/lesson plan for your students.  Be sure and include at least 5 practice problems that you create with your grade level/content in mind.

3.      All AP exams include a “free response” section.  By data, this is one of our students’ weakest areas.

·         Find an example of the types of free response questions for your content area.

·         What are at least 3 specific ideas you have in which you could work with your students to help prepare them for this type of writing?

See Math example here: http://www.tealighthouse.org/math/content.php

Or for those with NMSI online access:

1.       Find a progression chart for your content area (under Lessons and Overviews):

·         List the skills/expectations for that concept closest to your grade level

·         For each skill list something you can do in your grade to help students build that skill.  Please be specific with a particular lesson, activity, or project.

2.       Under “Assessments” look through the assessments by course and the posttests for the grade closest to yours:

·         Find a free response question that you can use with your students.

·         What are at least 3 specific ideas you have in which you could work with your students to help prepare them for this type of writing?

3.       Go to the “Forum” for your content and look through the discussions/resources:

·         In your opinion, what is the best resource you found?  Why?

·         Create a 5 day AP practice curriculum/lesson plan for your students.  Be sure and include at least 5 practice problems that you create with your grade level in mind.

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- SAS (Summarize/Analyze/Synthesize) reading/writing response to reading: have students write a one sentence Summarization (what was it about), one sentence Analyzation (what does it mean), and one sentence Synthesization (what is it like).
- Word/Problem of the day
- Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
- Practice:

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It's not too early to start practicing for the new SAT, coming in March 2016. Download the Daily Practice for the New SAT® app and make practice a part of your daily routine. Learn more and download: http://sat.org/scoring.

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Advanced Course Expectations for Level of Instruction

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Advanced Course Expectations for Level of Instruction

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All advanced courses should look different in 3 general ways: beyond the TEKS in depth and complexity, SAT and AP vertical alignment.  All Pre-AP teachers must be trained in advanced content, provided useful resources, and be given enough latitude to plan appropriately differentiated, rigorous, and scaffolded advanced lessons for their students.