2.  Are there common assessments that are used across all teachers in your grade/content area?  Are these common assessments created by your own district or are they purchased?
*Develop assessments based on unit objectives but most are teacher created
*Unit pre-assessments are given to determine areas of need; post-test assesses understanding and mastery
*Unit pre-tests can give guidance to vocabulary that can/cannot be assumed 

UGHS – our major assessment are all common and written by us

 **UGES science materials are from 2000  (due for new series??)
Raymond uses Science Fusion by Holt McDougall-interactive program has online activities to accompany unit objectives
-National Geographic also has a curriculum based on NGSS
***Discussed budgetary needs for consumables with regards to STEM activities

 

2.  Are there common assessments that are used across all teachers in your grade/content area?  Are these common assessments created by your own district or are they purchased?

Currently, most schools have common assessments in their buildings. However, we decided that having common assessments  "district" wide would be unrealistic. However, we do base our assessments on the ELOs that we will be aligning.

 

2.  Are there common assessments that are used across all teachers in your grade/content area?  Are these common assessments created by your own district or are they purchased?

Kansasville-Some are from the book and some are written by the teacher.  We also use STAR Reading exam from Accelerated Reader.  We also use IXL.

Yorkville-There is no common assessment that they give to all students.

Raymond-Use AIMS assessment. Also use the Lucy Caukins test with a preassessment and post assessement test.  Also use IXL.

HIgh School-Have very similar term papers, but do have a common assessment at the end of the term.

UGES-The assessments are common.  They do Reading 21 out of Scholastic.  They make up other assessments based on the stories they read.  They tried Lucy Caukins, but don't have the time to do it.  Are using the 6 traits for the common language tools.  

 
3. What skills in reading, writing, and grammar do the grade school teachers feel students should definitely have mastered by the time they leave middle school?  We want to hold them to high standards, and if we know that certain skills were really targeted, we will do just that.

Common and Proper nouns, capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, writing sentences, supporting your answers based on the reading from the text, recognize figurative language and know the difference between a metaphor and simile, being able to word process correctly, plagiarism

 

4. Is the curriculum differentiated for high-achieving English students in the grade schools? If so, how? We have considered adding a writing prompt for all incoming freshmen to help determine which level of English would be most appropriate for them.  

Some students take the MAPS test and this helps to point which students should be in accelerated English.  Explain to parents that students' scores in 7th grade count toward where they are placed in the high school classes.  

How differentiated-some do WCATY at UGES.  Others try to do some, but find it difficult to do.  

 

5.  As the years have passed, many English teachers agree that getting students to truly read assigned books (and even choice books) is increasingly difficult.  Students often try to "fake" their way through class readings, coming to class unprepared and incapable of passing reading check quizzes or participating in meaningful class discussions. Do the grade school teachers face the same uphill battle when it comes to getting students to read? How are they addressing this challenge?

Yes, the grade schools have this problem.  It seems they are more interested in is there a movie for this?  Use Cloze reading skills.  Start with high motivation books at the beginning of the year.  Orally read outloud with them.  We have annotated sections, done Someone wanted, but so activity.  There have been choice book clubs so they pick something that they are interested in.  You have to understand that there are different reasons to read.  Use lit circles where students get a choice of 6 books to read.  Get more interesting books, more edgy material.  1st Friday of the month is a reading day where they read the first 15 minutes of every single class.  Some read in small groups.  

 

 Learning Outcomes and targets are uniformly addressed at Union Grove Elementary.  Yorkville does not focus on the learning outcomes and targets in as much detail.  We talked extensively about what is taught in each school.  The information provided was useful in understanding where students were at in terms of skills and content. Both schools are one to one, which they love and are shocked to hear that we are not.  

2.  Are there common assessments that are used across all teachers in your grade/content area?  Are these common assessments created by your own district or are they purchased?
Yorkville and Union Grove elementary do not have common courses that they instruct. Therefore, they did not have common assessments that are shared between teachers. Assessments are constructed through test generators provided through teaching resources. Other teachers create their own tests generated from the material that they teach.

-How do you assess student growth and progress? What assessments are utilized?  Are these assessments created by your own district or are they purchased?

1.  Combination of vocabulary and grammar quizzes

And project based writing and speaking performances

2.  Most all assessments are created by the teachers because we all don't have textbooks.
(and we are o.k with that)

UGHS level 1 may be creating a comprehensive final.

-What materials or resources help to guide instruction?

1.  conjuguemos.com
2.  teacher created activities
3.  quizizz.com
4.  Spanish Bee 

Future plans:
Expanded the Spanish Bee

Concordia language village
(combined school trip)

Arrange guest speakers (former student travelers), exchange students, host families

 

 
 How do you assess student growth and progress?
 
Most assessment as a band director is formative; on the spot in pullout lessons and in full band. During lessons, there are also sumative assessments; playing quizzes and tests. Utilizing rubrics and using self-assessment and peer-assessment. 

 

 

 

 What assessments are utilized?
Practice journal (using Google Classroom)
Play tests, Scale tests

Concert reflections
 Solo and Ensemble
 Everyday formative assessments in full band and small-group lessons
 Self-assessments and peer-assessments
 Sectionals 

 

 

 

What materials or resources help to guide your instruction?
School-owned instruments in proper playing condition
 Music Library
 JW Pepper
 Other band directors
 Conferences (WMEA and Midwest Clinic)
 Smart Music
 
 
 

Generating an appreciation for the arts and seeing how it connects to aspects in society are lessons every art student can gain.  Art principles and color theories are basic understandings every student should have.  



HOW DO YOU ASSESS STUDENT GROWTH AND PROGRESS?

Studying projects and giving both verbal and written feedback is something we all practice.  Self-evaluations are also utilized.  Developing fine motor skills as students physically progress in life is also important, especially as it relates to hands-on learning in the arts.



WHAT ASSESSMENTS ARE UTILIZED?

We all practice formative assessments as students work on their projects.  When projects are complete we use a plethora of assessment techniques, including self-evaluations, teacher critiques, and peer critiques.



WHAT MATERIALS OR RESOURCES HELP TO GUIDE YOUR INSTRUCTION?

Art magazines like Scholastic are very helpful to introducing new ideas and projects to the classroom.  Experimenting with different media is a boon to generating student interest as well.  Keeping up to date and incorporating new media is also a great way to create excitement and relevance in the arts.

Assessments/ELOS/

*We all refer to the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards or WMELS

to create our report cards. Academic, social and emotional development 

are all equally important. We shared our report cards with each other. 

Raymond-Report card skills

Yorkville- Report card skills and PALS 

Kansasville- Report card skills and Star Assessments which are all online.

UGES- Report card skills and PALS

We shared and discussed practices and 

ideas for handwriting, parent involvement, 

screening, early entrants, and beginning of the year also. 

2. How do you assess student growth and progress? What assessments are utilized?

Yorkville = >50%ile Tier 2, >25%ile Tier 3
Raymond = >25%ile Tier 2, >10%ile Tier 3
Union Grove = >25%ile Tier 2/3

MAP, AIMSweb, F&P, Words Their Way Spelling Inventories, PALS, Math Recovery, Houghton Mifflin Diagnostic, Go Math Screener, 

3. What materials or resources help to guide instruction?

PRESS, Florida Intervention Center, LLI, Sound Partners, Rewards Program, Journey's Write-In Reader