Data-Based Planning Blog

This blog has been set up as a means of collaborating and communicating progress on discussion points, requests for information and suggestions presented at the data-based planning meetings held November 10 - 24, 2014.  The goal of the blog is to provide a means for sharing feedback, ideas, suggestions, celebrations, concerns and opportunities.  Considering that everyone in this building has precious little time to squeeze in new meetings, taking the blog online provides an opportunity keep up to date with the activities of other grade levels and hopefully, collaborate with one another as we see needs and opportunities arise.

Here is a quick recap of some collaboration that has already begun as a direct result of meeting discussions:

• 5th grade ELA teachers are organizing a small group of students to work with 2nd grade readers during their end of the day DEAR time.  The students, identified by their teachers as meeting or exceeding grade level goals, journey to the 2nd grade wing at least once per cycle to listen to students read out loud.  This return of the popular "Book Buddies" program grew directly out of a request for read aloud support from second grade and a creative problem solving.
• Health and PE teachers are currently reviewing the ScienceFusion programs to identify topics they currently cover during their direct instruction.  The hope is that there may be some content areas in primary-grade science that are currently being covered by Health classes.  The collaboration with Mrs. Bressler and Mr. Purinton may result in opportunities for classroom instruction to dig deeper into other areas.
• Specials teachers received a copy of math vocabulary words to use and reinforce as appropriate during instruction.  As a team, the specialist are seeking to support math learning by using and encouraging same language when applying math concepts to their subject areas.

Feel free to comment and add posts to share ways that you are collaborating with teachers in other classrooms, grade levels and/or subject areas to support the learning of our students in new and creative ways.