1. Working Together to Build Student Success in Rigorous Courses Vertical Teaming

2. Critical Question: What is a Vertical Team?

3. An Vertical Team is a group of MS/HS educators from different grade levels in a given discipline who: What Is It? – work cooperatively to implement a vertically aligned, coherent program – help students acquire the academic skills necessary for success in rigorous courses.

4. –Align standards-based curriculum vertically from 6 –12 and beyond, so that every 11 th or 12 th grader should be prepared to take an AP, if they choose –Become leaders at their schools, to assist in the horizontal alignment of curriculum What Will You Learn? Designed to help HS/MS teams:Designed to help HS/MS teams:

5. –Build strong collaborations within the group, to become a high-functioning vertical team –Increase equity and access to AP, Honors, and elective courses –Use research-based learning strategies to increase rigor throughout their content What Will You Learn? Designed to help HS/MS teams:Designed to help HS/MS teams:

6. –Learn to analyze a variety of data to asses & validate their work –Learn to backward-map major concepts in all grade levels necessary to successfully answer an AP question What Will You Learn? Designed to help HS/MS teams:Designed to help HS/MS teams:

7. What’s the Impact? How will vertical teaming strengthen our department and increase student success in science?How will vertical teaming strengthen our department and increase student success in science? Discuss in partners, share out to teamDiscuss in partners, share out to team

8. How Did El Rancho USD Increase Access to A.P.? Removed Barriers Increased the number of 8th grade students in Algebra Offered 7th grade Algebra for those students that are prepared. Offered Geometry at El Rancho High School for 8th graders that are prepared Ensured 2 complete years of Science in 7th and 8th grade.

9. Implemented New Courses Created a “Science Pathways” series of courses from MS to HS leads students to access to AP Science by the 10th grade Piloted a new Pre-A.P. 8th Grade Physical Science Class at MS’s Offered Freshman Biology Implemented an AP Environmental Science Course

10. Increased Access to Rigorous Pre-AP & AP Courses Utilized the New Guidelines for Entry to G.A.T.E. Actively recruited students with a high interest in Science and Math Invited MESA students Invited AVID and PREP students Counseled students with a B- or better in previous Science classes Informed parents about AP courses & “Science Pathway” Allowed access by teacher recommendation.

11. Students who enroll in the most rigorous courses AND get academic support… becoming independent learners. Lesson #1 Challenge is motivating!

12. Rigor “is the goal of helping students develop the capacity to understand content that is complex, ambiguous, provocative, and personally or emotionally challenging.” Adapted from Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement by Strong, Silver and Perini, ASCD, 20001

13. Complex Content is composed of overlapping and perhaps paradoxical ideas.is composed of overlapping and perhaps paradoxical ideas. Pair share or quick write an example in your discipline

14. Adapted from Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement by Strong, Silver and Perini, ASCD, 20001 Ambiguous Content is found in poetry, statistics, and primary documents which are packed with multiple levels of meaning.is found in poetry, statistics, and primary documents which are packed with multiple levels of meaning. Pair share or quick write an example in your discipline

15. Adapted from Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement by Strong, Silver and Perini, ASCD, 20001 Provocative Content is conceptually challenging, and deals with dilemmas. Students conduct inquiry and work on solving real world problems.is conceptually challenging, and deals with dilemmas. Students conduct inquiry and work on solving real world problems. Pair share or quick write an example in your discipline

16. Adapted from Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement by Strong, Silver and Perini, ASCD, 20001 Personally or Emotionally Challenging Content Student study books, events or problems that challenge them to understand HOW the world works.Student study books, events or problems that challenge them to understand HOW the world works. Pair share or quick write an example in your discipline

17. Lesson # 2 Data Drives Practice… The site/vertical team uses a continuous improvement model based on results.The site/vertical team uses a continuous improvement model based on results. The team reviews achievement data.The team reviews achievement data. The team reviews personal successes of both staff & studentsThe team reviews personal successes of both staff & students The team identifies areas of growth and helps students (and their families) keep focused on their academic goals.The team identifies areas of growth and helps students (and their families) keep focused on their academic goals.

18. Lesson # 3 Middle School Matters MS programs…..MS programs….. Have a strong link with HS students and local 4-year universities.Have a strong link with HS students and local 4-year universities. Create a vision and expectation for taking AP and Honors classes in HS…and then on to college.Create a vision and expectation for taking AP and Honors classes in HS…and then on to college. Have effective collaboration between AVID & content teachers 7-12.Have effective collaboration between AVID & content teachers 7-12. Use HS students as role models & peer tutors for the MS students.Use HS students as role models & peer tutors for the MS students.

19. Looking at Our Own School’s Data What trends do you see in AP?What trends do you see in AP? What trends do you see in CST scores?What trends do you see in CST scores? What trends do you see in SAT testing?What trends do you see in SAT testing? What trends do you see in College-going rates?What trends do you see in College-going rates?

20. What do these data tell us about our school?What do these data tell us about our school? What will it take to increase access to rigorous, highlevel curriculum that ensures eligibility and success in competitive four-year universities?What will it take to increase access to rigorous, highlevel curriculum that ensures eligibility and success in competitive four-year universities? How can we work with our schools in content areas to better prepare students by examining our 7th to 12th curriculum?How can we work with our schools in content areas to better prepare students by examining our 7th to 12th curriculum?

21. Reflective Questions Clarifying: Which instructional methodologies appear to improve student access/ success to honors & AP classes at Fremont?

22. Critical Skills Necessary for Success in College: The grades 12 through 16 link

23. Expectations Education is more than attending classes.Education is more than attending classes. It requires you to actively build upon experiences both in and out of the classroom.It requires you to actively build upon experiences both in and out of the classroom.

24. Emphasis on Skills Study skills Study skills Critical thinking Critical thinking Metacognitive skills Metacognitive skills Mathematical reasoning Mathematical reasoning Logical reasoning Logical reasoning Active learning Active learning

25. Science Skills Deep Content KnowledgeDeep Content Knowledge – Terminology, Big Picture Processing SkillsProcessing Skills Interpret data: graphs Interpret data: graphs Analyze problems Analyze problems Understand flow of scientific inquiry Understand flow of scientific inquiry Reason mathematically Reason mathematically Connect multiple representations Connect multiple representations Rationalize divergent views Rationalize divergent views

26. Science Time! Activity

27.  Read Essay on Osmosis & Diffusion 1992 - Question # 1  What do students need to know to get to this point?  What labs in earlier grades would lay the foundation for answering this question? AP Bio Essay - Lab Question

28. Which molecules have moved where & WHY Part 1 AP Bio Osmosis & Diffusion Lab

29. At what molarity is dynamic equalibrium reached? AP Bio Osmosis & Diffusion Lab Part 2

30. What is the osmotic potential of the sucrose solution? What is the potato’s molarity? Explain your results using the concept of free energy = - I C R T where I = the ionization constant (for sucrose this is 1 because sucrose does not ionize in water); C = osmotic molar concentration R = pressure constant T = temperature  K Graph the results with a “best-fit” line Part 3

31. Students should explore & comprehend: Fundamental Concept: Science as a Process Science relies on reproducible observationsScience relies on reproducible observations Hypotheses provide models to explain observationsHypotheses provide models to explain observations Hypotheses are created w/creativity & insightHypotheses are created w/creativity & insight Differences between observed & expected observations detect flaws in hypothesesDifferences between observed & expected observations detect flaws in hypotheses Data that agree with predictions DO NOT PROVE a hypothesis: they only fail to disprove it.Data that agree with predictions DO NOT PROVE a hypothesis: they only fail to disprove it.

32. Foundation Level Grow & measure plants; measure daily tempGrow & measure plants; measure daily temp Become skilled with basic lab equipmentBecome skilled with basic lab equipment Design simple experiments, collect data, collaborate & analyze resultsDesign simple experiments, collect data, collaborate & analyze results Measure masses and volume of substancesMeasure masses and volume of substances Make data tables and graphs, including “best fit” linesMake data tables and graphs, including “best fit” lines Use graphs to interpolate & predictUse graphs to interpolate & predict Fundamental Concept: Science as a Process

33. Intermediate Level Fundamental Concept: Science as a Process Generate data by measuring pressure vs. volume of a gasGenerate data by measuring pressure vs. volume of a gas Calculate spring constant of an inertial balance from relationship between its period as massCalculate spring constant of an inertial balance from relationship between its period as mass Measure O2 consumption by animals at different temps vs. DO2 at different levels of a lakeMeasure O2 consumption by animals at different temps vs. DO2 at different levels of a lake

34. Advanced Level Fundamental Concept: Science as a Process Generate data by measuring Cl2 content of seawater via titration of AgNO3Generate data by measuring Cl2 content of seawater via titration of AgNO3 Find the total charge in a capacitor by integrating current passed through as a function of timeFind the total charge in a capacitor by integrating current passed through as a function of time Determine the action spectrum of photosyn or % transmittance from pooled class dataDetermine the action spectrum of photosyn or % transmittance from pooled class data Analyze human pop growth vs. time for the past centuryAnalyze human pop growth vs. time for the past century

35. Coming in: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Going out: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Coming in: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Going out: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Coming in: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Going out: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7th grade 8th grade 9th grade Top Five: Articulated

36.   Vertical alignment of courses – Backward map from the AP courses Continue to increase access Build in support for new AP students Increase rigor in pre-AP courses – Eliminate gaps, overlaps – Scaffold concepts taught at each level Curriculum Alignment

37.  Horizontal alignment to the CA standards –Focus on “Power Standards” –Agree on Key labs/activities –Use Standards-based lesson planning Curriculum Alignment

38. Grade-level Concept Alignment Choose an AP question from one of the Acorn books in science. First work out the answer and then analyze the concepts and skills that are embedded in the problem. After identifying the concepts and skills, then work as a team to place them in the spectrum of classes from 9th grade science to AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics or AP Environmental Science.

39. Guiding Questions: Goal Planning How can we redo our curriculum without sacrificing rigor or content so that more students are successful?How can we redo our curriculum without sacrificing rigor or content so that more students are successful? What areas of student learning are the most important to be successful in your discipline?What areas of student learning are the most important to be successful in your discipline? How do you know the students are achieving in these areas?How do you know the students are achieving in these areas?