State of Math at Long (Week 4) Observations

Are We There Yet? A.R.E. (LMS-Customized)

Attached are Guidelines as to Alignment/Rigor/Engagement Expectations for learning and teaching in our West Region. This customized template offers a guideline. It was placed in your boxes (with West Region consent) earlier this afternoon.

Letter to the Math Team (August 9, 2006)

Dear Math Team Members:

Welcome to our 2006-2007 School Year in Houston ISD!

The No Child Left Behind law requires that teachers are highly qualified in their content area(s). Both national and Texas-mandated math standards gain more meaning if and when students, parents, teachers and administrators continually and interactively expand their understanding of math pedagogy, of its updated teaching tools, and of mathematics across all content strands. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are state-of-the-art vehicles for building both vertical and horizontal math content expertise. PLCs allow us to use the data generated by our students to more effectively assess, differentiate, learn, and modify methods to improve our results.

At the Reliant Leadership Institute this summer, Superintendent Dr. Abe Saavedra made clear that Professional Learning Communities (PLCS) were now policy for all Houston ISD campuses. I will work with each of you to develop PLC meetings and trainings that are data-driven, TEKS-aligned, timely, meaningful, productive, and tailored to meet both your individual needs as professionals and our team goals. A comprehensive math PLC revolves around building and updating our mastery of math skills, concepts, problem solving and assessment practices across the TEKS—to benefit students, parents, teachers and administrators.

Our Math PLCs will offer a wide range of math content resources and trainings to meet the differing needs of your classrooms. A Clear Alignment offers HISD & TEA Math Instructional Syllabi, enhanced with links to campus- customized calendars for math instruction, differentiation, and strategies. Our PLC also vertically presents the Big Math Ideas underlying all secondary math TEKS for Grades 6-12 and then links these ideas to actual TEKS and TAKS items.

Another PLC feature is Math Academy: a TEKS-aligned, practitioner’s university housed online that reacquaints us with background mathematics education for Grades K-16. Our AP Avenue make resources available online to understand the vertical alignments leading us towards AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Laying the Foundation, and other such pre-AP and AP standards.

PLC training components will examine: 1) the growth of a given math strand across several grades; 2) effective use of manipulatives for conceptual understanding; 3) alternative methods for teaching computation and algebraic thinking; 4) building a reservoir of ESL-scaffolded math strategies; 5) using hand-held and newer technologies to enhance math mastery and communication; and 6) building greater access to math enrichment through U.I.L. and/or Math Olympiad networks--in ways that reinforce our district-wide commitment to a college-bound culture.

Problem solving is an essential theme for our PLC, since this is where application occurs. As schools around the country strive to raise standards, TAKS readiness now implies understanding both when and whether students can accurately solve problems and how they arrived at their solutions. Exemplars presents a vertical, TEKS-aligned focus on authentic student performances per math strand.

Our PLC analyzes student work product, which gives us more insight into what a student knows and can do, and helps us see how our students communicate about their math practice. Furthermore, by better understanding their own strategies and approaches, students gain more confidence and power to approach and solve problems.

Schools increasingly offer staff development through the use of online discussions, workshops, and courses. Online staff development can allow for greater flexibility and for more immediate application and feedback than scheduled in-services sometimes can provide. Options for online professional development and updates allow our PLC members to work when most convenient to each! Likewise, our PLC trainings also will expose members to updated uses of technology to make classroom activities and assignments more accessible to students.

Finally, The Common Assessment Corner enables teachers to work in tandem in their development of TEKS-aligned Common Assessments (in their differing Forms). This site allows us to maximize efficiency both in tracking and aligning student achievement and in responding to results with timely feedback.

Again, there is much more to share and much more to know as we go! I am looking forward to working with each and every one of you this year. Go Longhorns!

Camille Jones Math Coordinator &
Teacher Specialist
Jane Long Middle School -
Houston ISD

State of Math At Long (Week 3) Observations

1. Math Department Meeting: August 31, 2006

Agenda &
Exit Questions

State of Math At Long (Week 2) - Observations

1. Math Department Team Meeting: August 23, 2006

Agenda & Exit Questions

First Team Meeting (August 8th, 2006)

Agenda and Intro Activities - Tapping Our Team's Treasure











1. Location & Logistics: Math Team members met for the first time in Mr. Cruz' classroom. Team members received revised TEKS and CLEAR horizontal and vertical documents sent individually and electronically.

2. Materials Shared: As the school server was down, team members did not view the PPTs on the New CLEAR and the new TEKS as planned. Instead, the team reviewed an Agenda with packets and handouts including the following: 1) Instructional Updates from HISD (New Clear) and TEA (all refined TEKS); 2) Color-Coded grids for CLEAR Model Lessons, 3) Big Ideas Presented Vertically and Color Coded by NCTM Strand; 4) Info on PLC Initiatives, 5) Data on AP-Alignment Issues, 6) GT Identification and LEP/TELPAS Data; 7) Other Tools.

3. Team Size: We learned through our sign-in sheets that our team consisted of not 12 members, but 25 (2n + 1). This formed the basis for our creating a distribution list.

4. PLCS: Team Members placed themselves in self-designated expert group strands based on the TEKS and NCTM strands. These categorizations formed the bases for our PLC teams. Team Members sit in these strands when they come to each team meeting.

State of Math at Long (Week 1) Observations

See Principal's Report.

(It is my custom as a Specialist to write these weekly)

On 8/17/2006, Math team members saw the TEA PPT on the new TEKS, and engaged in aligned activities.

Exit Questions on its use aligned with our core 3 questions for the year.
On 8/14/2006, all team members received the PPS on Navigating the New Clear.