Grade Level Feedback on Focused Instruction

Use the form below to share your grade level teams feedback on focused instruction.
Please include------Whats working? Whats not working? Other suggestions.

KINDERGARTEN
Benchmark
Assessments

Exposure not mastery, for example social studies --maps---birds

eye view--K not developmentally ready for that concept.
Benchmarks should be focused on reading writing and math.
Science and social studies should be for exposure.
Most benchmarks have to be given one to one to get accurate
information about students. It is possible to collect anecdotal data
on many students through daily instruction i.e students verbal and
written responses. There are some students who are quieter and
its important to do additional one to one assessments with some
students. Suggest-assessment for some students.
Reading assessments have many problems with them. Pictures
dont match the story. For example, Unit 4 pictures dont match the
story. It is very confusing for students. Students dont know how to
fill in bubbles and is it worth the time to have k students doing that.
Make it clear that the benchmark assessments should be given
of the way through the unit. Accountability of scores recorded in
CFS puts the emphasis on accountability of the scores rather than
the shift in instruction. Change the accountability to how are is the
instruction changing.
We are spending too much time on doing these assessments and
we dont feel that they are as helpful as the type of data--anecdotalwe previously collected.

Year at a Glance
(Learning
targets/units)

Learning targets:We like them. It helps us stay focused. They

are kid friendly.

Agenda of
Lessons

These are helpful if we can pick and choose. We read the lessons
and use some of them. Link between reading and social studies
has caused us to use more of the social studies books. These are
not rich literature We have not been reading enough good
fiction we have been reading the social studies books instead of
rich read aloud due to the lack of time. We also dont have

enough time to work wih kids on writing...developmental

skills...printing practice as well as writing. We feel we are doing
more direction instruction whole group because of the amount of
content that needs to be covered.
Materials

We need quality read alouds that can be used to address social

studies and reading learning targets. We need both fiction and
non fiction.
GHGR has poor literature some of lessons are good. guided
reading books are good. They are 4 years old and starting to fall
apart.
Need more guided reading books. Success For All is an example
of a program that has quality literature for read aloud.
Problem is we keep changing things so often. Stick with one
thing such as GHGR and add good literature to it. Now we need
new materials because they are wearing out.
we like the social studies books. We need to incorporate more
fiction that would also address social studies themes.
Science kits-materials are incomplete. Things that have arrived
have been dead. The tubs are

Professional
Development
Other

Greatest concern is to change the report cards so parents

can understand them.
Report cards are too complicated with too much education
jargon for parents. We like the box for each unit, to differentiate
content in each unit.
Parents look at how many 2s or 3s the student got 1=below grade
level requires intensive support--that is very concerning for
parents. Suggest 1= making progress toward the standard
2=approaching standard; 3= meets the grade level standard
4=Exceeds the standard
Use more kid friendly language for K. Line up with FI learning
targets. For example, I can listen to my friends and share what
they said. Instead of I can synthesize.
suggestion: mastery grade and effort grade

FIRST GRADE
Benchmark
Assessments
Year at a Glance
(Learning
targets/units)
Agenda of Lessons
Professional
Development
Other

SECOND GRADE
Benchmark
Assessments

Wed like there to be a conscious effort to reduce waste in these

assessments. There is no reason to include Learning Targets on
benchmark assessments nor an MPS logo on every page.
Furthermore, students workspace is usually too small for them to
give a quality answer. Finally, while were grateful that schools do not
have to pay for the assessments out of their own budgets, the paper
used for these booklets are too thick and difficult for students to fold
when taking their tests. Consider a lighter grade of paper? How does
the district weigh the value of the data collected from Benchmark
Assessments as it relates to the RTI model? It seems a lot of money
and time spent on a so-called formative assessment. If we collect
formative data day-to-day, we do not need this assessment to tell us
what we already know, particularly with our Tier 2 and 3 students.
There is too much testing, which translates -- always -- to lost
instructional time. Are we supposed to share the benchmark
assessments with families? If so, how and when?

Year at a Glance
(Learning
targets/units)

We appreciate the effort to have a plan in place, although it seems

like a lot of time and money spent on justifying/correcting two poorly
conceived curricula (GHGR and Investigations). It can be
overwhelming to manage at times. It is far easier to plan based on a
streamlined list of standards than to sort through a sea of

benchmarks that keep repeating themselves unit after unit (eg:

Language/Word Study). Streamline the document by having the
standards/learning targets/benchmarks on a separate list? It is not
feasible to accomplish all of the learning targets laid out in a
particular unit as if they will be mastered after 5 weeks. It is,
however, possible to have ongoing conversations with students
about these objectives. I can statements mislead students into
thinking it can be done in a day, rather over the course of a year
(actually several years).
Agenda of Lessons

From the beginning, weve been told this is not a pacing schedule.
However, the lessons are laid out sequentially and with dates
ascribed to them. Furthermore, teachers in grades 3 and up are told
to enter their benchmark assessment scores on CFS within a certain
timeframe, and younger grades have to submit a timeline for when
these assessments will be completed.
Social Studies is too dense with material that is way over the heads
of seven-year-olds. We adults did not learn much of this material
until we took Civics in junior high. Plus, given the amount of time
expected for math, reading and writing workshops, plus science kits
and focus groups, 30 minutes for 30 days is an unreasonable
expectation. There is very little opportunity to integrate social studies
content with reading instruction based on this prescribed agenda of
lessons; they do not align. There does not appear to be a continuum
of how these lessons are laid out from grade to grade.

Professional
Development

The cohort model is disruptive and unsustainable. There are not

enough quality reserve teachers to justify the interruption of a
learning day. Numerous times teachers have drafted sub plans at
considerable time and attention, only to find no one available to take
their class the next day. We acknowledge the need for ongoing PD,
but seasoned teachers have different needs than new hires. We
recommend more webinars (to demonstrate new content) and phone
conferences for follow-up Q&A.

Other

Grateful for the Student Misconceptions element in some of the

lessons (especially math), as well as Content-specific language,
Academic language, and Essential Questions component. In many
ways, this is the best part of Focused Instruction. We know how to
design lessons based on standards and use effective pedagogy to
accomplish the task along with pacing it appropriately for the
individual needs of our students. The components described in this
box are valuable because even seasoned teachers may overlook
them from time to time.

The report card is profoundly parent unfriendly. We held a Parent

Night with our families and there was overwhelming confusion about
it. Furthermore, there was NO RUBRIC for teachers to determine
what scores to give per grading period. Several teachers have
already talked to people at the district about this issue, and yet the
absence of a rubric remains. Despite Lynn Nordgren sharing these
concerns, the district insisted on rolling this new report card out a
mere week before we were to use them. Clearly it was rushed and
implemented without having the kinks worked out of it.

THIRD GRADE
Benchmark
Assessments

Ok.

Year at a Glance
(Learning
targets/units)

Appreciate having the tools we need (flipcharts, etc) already in

there.

Agenda of
Lessons

Lessons dont align to assessments. The district could do the

backwards mapping work that teachers are currently doing. Give
more examples of higher level questioning tied to concepts were
trying to teach. Math can be confusing because there are so many
pieces.

Professional
Development

Subs needed. I teach summer school so Ive never been able to

attend the summer sessions.

Other

On the right track. This is the first time weve had a guide that
aligns to MAP, MCA, OLPA, etc. Things are updated and we arent
told. Could there be set and communicated dates for revisions.
Science ones are good. Materials - Could use more leveled texts
tied to series to hook kids into books.

FOURTH GRADE
Benchmark
Assessments
Year at a Glance
(Learning
targets/units)
Agenda of Lessons
Professional
Development
Other

FIFTH GRADE
Benchmark
Assessments
Year at a Glance
(Learning
targets/units)
Agenda of Lessons
Professional
Development
Other