Alicia welcomed everyone.

Invitation to start with open questions about the Upper School questions.

Began with Questions:

• Boli provided overview of approach with changes
• Do all teachers attend the training by the college board for AP? (Hugo)
  • Boli - have seen that the teachers who attend AP training they feel it has improved their teaching to all learners
• How do you reach out to faculty assess interest in teaching an AP course? (Hugo)
  • Boli explained that sometimes people have chosen to teach a course and next year will ask teachers
  • Carr provided example of a hiring decision discussion that discussed with a candidate teaching AP courses
• Question about the use of AP Potential - what will be the logic train (Alicia)
  • Will discuss in more detail in the presentation
• Question about the AP Stats course with 25 ready in two sections or one
• Why 117 for 9th grade?
  • Clarified that it does assume some 9th graders retained.
• Why UC Scout if it seems less rigorous than APEX?
  • Boli explained why and the context for why we might use it.
  • Will pilot this summer
  • will pilot the more expensive one
  • Okay to not use if it's not strong?
  • Students have been vocal about not liking APEX so showing an alternative would be helpful to model other options
• Clarified that the new classrooms will be anchored at 28 students per classroom, including the science labs

US Presentations

• Clarification re: schedule - the current block schedule will not change for 2018-19 (Carr)
  • Alicia mentioned that a block schedule will be necessary of they decide to use the sports field or swimming as a class
  • will go to a full-block for 2019-20 (Carr asked about that in her one-on-ones)
• Follow-up from fall CRC meeting
  • key areas for Marlin Hour next steps and GATE
  • use of a DCI will allow their focus on GATE and AP and Intervention Coordinator focusing on intervention
  • use of ANET could support alignment with Middle School
  • Strong candidates in the DCI search
  • Clarified that GATE teacher that this group approved is 5th-9th 
  • Excitement about utilizing ANET for next year?! (Alicia)
•  
• Essential Question Areas 
  • maximizing course offerings and underlining staff retention
  • wanting teachers to have multiple reps teaching 
  • Wants to check assumptions re: staffing along with AP courses potentially for next year
  • What is in the Advisory curriculum?
  • Assumes 5 classes (4 core and 1 Advisory period)
  • Can you minimize the number of preps for newer teachers
  • Questions about what the retention focus (Net Promoters)
  • How to frame the approach to learning
  • brought up the idea of how double-loading PE might help alleviate staffing for some other things that teachers want them to teach
• Assumptions include (focus on science and English)
• Focus on English and Science Approaches
• Robust conversation on proposed staffing positions for 2018-19
• Question about when and how the hard sciences will be reflected in the course offerings
  • reply regarding the overall plan starting 2019-20 when they are back in the refurbished MWA US to teach Physics
• Comment re: AP World History
• Confirmation of which AP courses will be offered
• Which courses are UC Approved?
• Potentially teaching AP Stats versus AP Calculus
• UC Scout could be used for teaching AP Calc if it's not offered

Essential Question re: SpringBoard Curriculum

• Talk about the desire for more book (fiction and non-fiction) in addition to SB
• What could a process look like for re-evaluating the curriculum?
• What are results of what the patterns are from the CCC office or teachers in terms of skills they see
• Evaluate in terms of the SAT and ACT performances
• Doing some advanced SB training
• Could be good to look at outside research
• What is the link between College Board and SB
• Does SB effectively support students who struggle?
• Is SB focused on English and Math?

Committee is approving the courses proposed to be offered for 2018-19.
 

Started at 12:08 pm.

Opening Questions

Any questions about Fall pre-reading document
1. Is SB adpating?
2. PBL for math? Update/chart was helpful
3. Appreciated the summary of the different programming - including ELD.
4. Question about GATE? Only on Saturday?  No, also during the week. Saturdays are a continuation of DTI during the week.

Clarifying Questions for current mtg
1. What are "major work standards"?  Common Core Standards say that there are only a few that are important for each grade.
2. Why is the focus on EL understanding versus all students?  Teachers chose to focus on one area (lowest performing area).  What's best for ELs is best for all students.
3. Key Shifts in math was a helpful document.

Presentation
1. Led with key questions.

• focused on curriculum evaluation process for math in 2017-18
• talking about the CA Common Core Standards versus the Common Core alone
• What does it mean for curriculum to be standards-aligned?
• SB focuses a lot on procedural skills versus a balance of conceptual understanding and application
  • Rigor is a combination of all three
• Used EdReports.org as a tool to evaluate curriculum (SB math 6th-8th) 
• Called SB directly to ask questions; sometimes have taken the SBAC even before they would have gotten to the Major Standards
• Seeing gains in 5th grade with new curriculum (higher than the 6th-8th grade standards)
• Does Math Expressions have 6th-8th curriculum? 
• How hard was it for the 5th grade teachers to adapt to the new curriculum?  Seeing some differences with how teachers are responding more positively with the new curriculum; have more time to think about  how they are teaching it versus what they are teaching;seeing instant success in the ANET results help them get on board
• What has Robyn Fisher thought about the new curriculum?  Math Expressions recommended by her team.
• How will the new curriculums be harmonious in terms of teaching styles (embedded in the curriculum)?  How will having different curriculums for math and English with respect to students and the teachers?  What will be similar will be the common approaches to instruction.
• What will be the approach to adapting the new curriculums with our one-to-one environments for 2018-19? Some advocacy to use both digital and print.  Recommendations is to choose one but make available print for those who need it or want it.
• Should we have a classroom set of devices and allow the students to leave their device at home?
• Should we utilize digital and print or a combo?
• Successes/challenges associated with adapting a digital curriculum? Adapting theory of learning to align with digital approach (student approach and professional learning?)
• Approving a new curriculum for 5th grade and a new one for 6th-8th. 
• Engage NY and Illustrative Math could be the other options.
• Online materials are free.
• Community Colleges have been using online adaptive tests which threw some students who had never done that before.
• Adapting culture for 5th grade for more students and 1/3 of new 6th grade students?
• Highlighted Grade 5 changes. What are the differences between the proposed and current classes?
• Concern about what is the CBBC (Content Based Boost Class) course during DTI time
• Any tension on adding more students to the 5th grade classes (3 more students)?
• Back to the essential question of culture change
• Will have 5 new adults in the 6th grade team...
• Would some cohorts be better supported by having the new 56 students having less changes of teachers with a strong teacher?  How to make sure the new students get paired with the stronger teacher(s).  Hyper-focused.
• What do we know about the 56 new students
• Start with what we do well - inducting new students; partner Upper School students with some of the new MS students 
• This could be an opportunity (being in the same building for a year) to collaborate with one another.

 

Invited to do the Exit ticket online.