Accountability
Classroom Scenario:
5th Grade Mathematics
Mrs. Johnson had
a new 5th grade classroom in 2003. Her class has 30 students. What
skills did they have, and what did they need? Mrs. Johnson decided to
look at the 4th grade state assessment Math scores for her class. She
averaged them. Then she compared the scores to the state Just Proficient
Mean (JPM) to see what the passing score was for all state 4th graders.
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Let's
look at what she found: Mrs. Johnson's 5th
grade class.
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What cluster areas needed less help? She decided not to really worry about those areas that had scores fairly close to the JPM (although she was still a little concerned about a couple of them).
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So
she decided not to focus on three areas
right now.
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What cluster areas seemed to pose the most difficulty for Mrs. Johnson's Math class? Where should she focus her attention for maximum student achievement?
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There
were four areas of focus.
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How could Mrs. Johnson decide where to focus first or most? She had at least three choices:
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Choice
#1
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Choice
#2
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Choice
#3
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| She could integrate the problem solving skills into three cluster areas. | She could check out the average scores for the top students in these four areas; and try to get her students to achieve those scores. How did the top students in the state score in these four areas? Which area showed the MAXIMUM gain? | She could decide to focus on having her entire class improve dramatically - to show the greatest gain in scores. |
What did Mrs. Johnson decide? Well, she decided that Problem Solving, Spatial Sense and Geometry were the highest MAJOR needs in her math class. She noticed that the top students in the state scored about twice as high as her students in these areas.
Her immediate
math teaching priorities became:
|
Priority
#1
|
Priority
#2
|
Priority
#3
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| Integrate Problem Solving with Spatial Sense and Geometry. | Integrate Problem Solving with Number Sense & Operations, Properties with Data Analysis, Probability with Discrete Mathematics. | Integrate problem solving with the remaining areas of Measurement, and Patterns and Algebra. |
Benefits arising from teaching problem solving: increased reading comprehension and better understanding of science problems.
What resources did she use? see below!
She checked the two NJPEP Helpful Hints tutorials: NJ ASK and GEPA - to get hints on instructing and assessing for thinking.
