Date each entry and put the newest entry at the top of the list.
Notes from 10/27/08
Discussed three main goals for this school year and brainstormed ideas to address each goal. Next meeting will be spent working on the goals in small groups
1. Parent Communication [Eshleman, Remphrey, Landry]
- inform parents in 5th grade orientation with long range plans for courses -- matrix, power point, presentation-- to provide question/answer time
- algebra is building block
- survey kids, parents in advanced track (do they like the pace? do they feel they are correctly paced?)
- math teacher goes with Bruce to 5th grade orientation, PTO meetings for MS & ES to talk and answer questions
- develop video or powerpoint to show and make available on website
- make info go to all math so we all are saying the same thing
2. Retention Materials [Sudimak, Grawe, Bunting]
- revisit basic skills (especially during calculator portion of curriculum) -- how should this look?
- summer review packet
- course specific
- accountability?
- when to give to students? end of year? Aug. 1st?
- course basic skills 'exams' quarterly -- done as worksheets or small packets once per MP?
- Prentice Hall
- materials should help improve students' ability to recognize if answers make sense
- basic skills needs to be consistent across department
3. Course Data [Stump, Kerr, Woodland]
- Changes for 6th into 7th grade Alg? (HS is seeing lots of trouble with these kids)
- Prereq's for 8th grade classes
- Teach or create packet of study skills for advanced kids
- math always easy so don't know what to do with challenge
- put unit in 3B of Algebra 1 prep skills (Ch. 1 - 4)
- breakdown of course 1 - course 2a requirements. Elem. teacher recs a course 1 class but does not know what a course 1 class 'looks' like.
- look at students who moved math classes this school year--is there a trend in their data?
- levels of course 1
- out of saxon math in elem and mainstreamed in 6th grade but never make up material they missed (and are lacking basic math facts)
- communication to elem teachers about what courses are like and expectations
- wish list of skills for incoming sixth graders (could be itemized in summer packet if created)
Notes from 9/29/08
1. Middle School Longitudinal Analysis
a. Honors Algebra?
2. How to teach Study Skills
a. School-wide math website—how/what/where to study
3. Need for Manual/PPT for recs and placements
4. Summer Packets as requirement?
5. 3AB
a. change sequence to follow units rather than chapters
b. compact 1st 2 chapters
6. Algebra Hybrid course in 8th grade for 7th grade (Alg) B students
a. Concerns over waivers into 7th gr. Alg
b. Could algebra hybrid consist of 1.5 years Pre-Alg/1.5 years Alg?
Date each entry and put the newest entry at the top of the list.
Notes from 10/27/08
Discussed three main goals for this school year and brainstormed ideas to address each goal. Next meeting will be spent working on the goals in small groups
1. Parent Communication [Eshleman, Remphrey, Landry]
- inform parents in 5th grade orientation with long range plans for courses -- matrix, power point, presentation-- to provide question/answer time
- algebra is building block
- survey kids, parents in advanced track (do they like the pace? do they feel they are correctly paced?)
- math teacher goes with Bruce to 5th grade orientation, PTO meetings for MS & ES to talk and answer questions
- develop video or powerpoint to show and make available on website
- make info go to all math so we all are saying the same thing
2. Retention Materials [Sudimak, Grawe, Bunting]
- revisit basic skills (especially during calculator portion of curriculum) -- how should this look?
- summer review packet
- course specific
- accountability?
- when to give to students? end of year? Aug. 1st?
- course basic skills 'exams' quarterly -- done as worksheets or small packets once per MP?
- Prentice Hall
- materials should help improve students' ability to recognize if answers make sense
- basic skills needs to be consistent across department
3. Course Data [Stump, Kerr, Woodland]
- Changes for 6th into 7th grade Alg? (HS is seeing lots of trouble with these kids)
- Prereq's for 8th grade classes
- Teach or create packet of study skills for advanced kids
- math always easy so don't know what to do with challenge
- put unit in 3B of Algebra 1 prep skills (Ch. 1 - 4)
- breakdown of course 1 - course 2a requirements. Elem. teacher recs a course 1 class but does not know what a course 1 class 'looks' like.
- look at students who moved math classes this school year--is there a trend in their data?
- levels of course 1
- out of saxon math in elem and mainstreamed in 6th grade but never make up material they missed (and are lacking basic math facts)
- communication to elem teachers about what courses are like and expectations
- wish list of skills for incoming sixth graders (could be itemized in summer packet if created)
Notes from 9/29/08
1. Middle School Longitudinal Analysis
a. Honors Algebra?
2. How to teach Study Skills
a. School-wide math website—how/what/where to study
3. Need for Manual/PPT for recs and placements
4. Summer Packets as requirement?
5. 3AB
a. change sequence to follow units rather than chapters
b. compact 1st 2 chapters
6. Algebra Hybrid course in 8th grade for 7th grade (Alg) B students
a. Concerns over waivers into 7th gr. Alg
b. Could algebra hybrid consist of 1.5 years Pre-Alg/1.5 years Alg?