sample: how to build culture and act scores
TRANSCRIPT
Creating ACT Improvement
By Developing The Culture
Mark Westerburg 415 East Clay Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117 Work Phone: 269-469-6013 Cell Phone: 269-449-6091
Email: [email protected] www.trimesters.org
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50% Free and Reduced 30% College Bound in 2009 now 87%
No AP limited capstone course MMC focused instead of ACT Student computer use was average. 9 of 120 with a 30+ ACT
Senior ACT Prep Class Teachers eager to take the challenge
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Content Areas Basics • All curricular areas should have a natural rotation of class offerings established. Not
every class should be offered each year. • A staff member should own every term of every course. It is their professional obligation
to be totally responsible for the setup and updating of it. • The goal of all instruction should be teaching for retention. It doesn't matter how far you
get, it matters what students remember. • Book series are not curriculum. They are reference sources. • Technology and videos should be used for efficiency in small time frames for
remediation, not as filler. All videos should have an assessment piece with them. • All courses for each term have a syllabus and final exam developed prior to teaching
them. • All elective classes should state in the syllabus how they enhance the core curriculum. • Each department should have a well-designed scope and sequence of classes that will
ensure proficiency when students pass the designed courses. • Required classes should be the same for all students - no remedial or honors classes. • Junior and senior classes should have developed in a proficiency and non-proficient
tracking system. • Gifted students are moved up to the next level, not stagnated or off on a different track. • Classes should be determined to be state testing preparation level or ACT preparation
level. Teachers should know if their warm-up board work should be sample ACT or sample MEAP questions.
• Departmental meetings should be encouraged to work on variety of instruction and retention strategies being shared.
• All reading assignments have an assessment piece with them to work on reading comprehension in all classes.
• No writing assignments will be accepted by the teacher if the penmanship is poor and or has numerous grammatical errors.
ACT TEST
ACT Standards English
Instructional level
Level 1 Juniors
Level 2 Juniors
ACT Standards Reading
Level 1 Juniors Literature
ACT Standards Reading
ACT Writing is at the 8 for Level 1 ACT Writing is at the 8+ for Level 2
Level 2 Juniors Literature
ACT Standards Math
After completion of Alg. 1 & 2 and Geometry A
Geometry is Plane and Coordinate Discrete Math ?
ACT Standards Science After completion of Biology, Introduction to Physics, Introduction to Chemistry, Earth Science and ACT Prep.
If you use a trimester schedule students should have 3 credits completed In all four cores prior to the ACT.
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ACT Success Report
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Common Core and ACT
On-line Experience
ACT Work Keys Prep software. Either of these will fulfill the on-line requirement and prepare students for the MME test.
ITunes U
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IPAD APPS
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http://www.grammarbook.com
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
http://www.mel.org
http://www.learnatest.com/LEL/index.cfm/?HR=http://elibrary.mel.org
http://www.act.org/aap/writing/index.html http://www.act.org/workkeys/pdf/Preparing.pdf
http://www.act.org/workkeys/assess/reading/index.html
https://www.number2.com/
http://www.4tests.com/
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/act_sat.htm
http://www.studyguidezone.com/acttest.htm
http://www.act-sat-prep.com/
Good Practice Websites
3 X 5 TRIMESTER
Periods Range 68-75 Minutes
60 Days long 12 Weeks Long
60 Days long 12 Weeks Long
60 Days long 12 Weeks Long
“A” classes “A”and“B”classes “B”and“C”classes First Semester
Classes or
1 term only Classes
First and Second Semester Classes
or 1 term only
Classes
Second Semester Classes
or 1 term only
Classes *AP classes, Band and Choir only have a part “C” that is in the spring term.
Teachers teach 4 out of 5 classes and 12 blocks a year. For teachers fewer performances, preps, and less students to be responsible for. This will reduce paperwork, performances, conferences and material cost. The schedule is easier on students less classes, homework, and teachers to interact with. This is a college quarter system without the summer term.
ACT PREP CLASS Academic Collegiate Transitions
Winter Term
1st Hour English Reading Fluency / Vocb.
Math Sample items / Calculator
Usage
Science Review of unique areas like astronomy and test taking
strategies
2nd Hour English Math Science
Required of all 11th
grade students in the Winter Term.
4 Weeks 4 Weeks 4 Weeks
ACT PREP CLASS u Grading – A, B, CR or NC u Day 1 Practice test u Separate students by math scores u Test taking strategies u Learn to use the calculator u Tell them all about the test u Tell them it is designed so most to finish it u If you get 50% right, it’s an 18 u 2 questions per section make a big difference u Teach the 5 paragraph persuasive essay u Test at the end to see progress
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School Day Schedule New Buffalo Bonus Period
1st period – 7:50 – 9:02 2nd period – 9:06 – 10:18 3rd period – 10:22 – 11:34 “A” Lunch – 11:34 – 11:59 “B” Lunch – 12:13 – 12:38
4th Hour – 11:38 – 1:15 5th Hour – 1:19 - 2:31 Bonus – 2:35 - 3:10 (M-1st,T-2nd, W-3rd, Th-4th, F-5th)
Periods 72 minutes Lunch 25 minutes
Passing Time 5 minutes Bonus 35 minutes
Course Placement
ACT PREP Lower Upper
Survey of American Literature
Advanced Composition
MME Test March 13 American
Literature Communication
Through Writing
11 Grade English
Spring Winter Fall
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Specifically, the student must at a minimum: • Receive passing grades (A, B, C, D) in Math
and English/Language Arts; • Pass either Science or Social Studies; • Achieve a score of fifteen (15) on each of the
Explore Test subtests (English/Language Arts, Math, Reading, Science);
* Special Education students will be determined at the IEP.
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High School Readiness Standard
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On Demand Testing with excellent data returned quickly.
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ACT in the NBHS English Classroom Kris Totzke
English Dept. Chair
New Buffalo High School
New Buffalo, MI 49117
Our Focus
¤ Before: Michigan Merit Curriculum
¤ Supposed to be: Common Core Standards
¤ NOW: ACT College Readiness Standards
Was I skeptical? YES!
Does it work? YES!
English 9, English 10 Benchmarks
English 9, English 10 English CRS
Grammar, diction, syntax, punctuation, etc.
English 9, English 10 Reading CRS
Main ideas, details, relationships, meaning of words, etc.
English 9, English 10 Writing CRS
Judgment, focusing on topic, develop position, etc.
English 9, English 10 Classroom
¤ Focus on ¤ Literature & reading comprehension w/nonfiction
¤ Grammar
¤ Vocabulary
¤ Writing with Six Traits
¤ Assessing & Measuring ¤ SPI test at beginning of course – modified PLAN Test
¤ Post-test at end of course – same modified PLAN Test
English 11 Classroom
¤ Focus is the same ¤ Literature & reading comprehension w/nonfiction
¤ Grammar
¤ Vocabulary
¤ Writing with Six Traits
¤ With more … ¤ Test-taking strategies
¤ Test-timing strategies
¤ Applying learned skills to the test
English 11 Classroom
¤ Assessing & Measuring ¤ SPI test at beginning of course – full ACT Test
¤ Day 2 of class – English test ¤ Day 3 of class – Reading test ¤ Day 4 of class – Writing test ¤ NOTE: This year used Cambridge ACT Test and gave all five
tests Days 2-6 of class ¤ Determine what concepts need to be reviewed,
mastered, and reinforced ¤ Create ACT Prep classes
¤ SPI post-test at end of course ¤ Same full ACT Test OR ¤ Michigan ACT Test
English 11 Classroom
¤ Assessing & Measuring – throughout the year ¤ 1st trimester
¤ Focus on skills, skills, skills in core areas
¤ Take one full-length test of each core before final exam in early December – not timed
¤ Final Exam consists of English & Reading tests
¤ Scores tracked in Xcel spreadsheet
English 11 Classroom
¤ Assessing & Measuring – throughout the year, cont. ¤ 2nd trimester
¤ Still focus on skills, skills, skills in core areas
¤ Take one full-length test of one core each week – “Testing Tuesday” – if we need to
¤ Timing is now applied gradually
¤ SPI post-test/final exam at end of course
¤ Same full ACT Test from beginning of course OR
¤ Michigan ACT Test
¤ Scores tracked in Xcel spreadsheet
English 11 Benchmarks
English 11 ACT CRSs
¤ English College Readiness Standards focus ¤ 20-23 score range for lower level
¤ 24-27 score range for higher level
¤ Reading College Readiness Standards focus ¤ 20-23 score range for lower level
¤ 24-27 score range for higher level
¤ Writing College Readiness Standards focus ¤ 7-8 score range for lower level
¤ 9-10 score range for higher level
English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Literature & Reading Comprehension (no textbook) ¤ Books
¤ Bleachers by John Grisham
¤ Marley & Me by John Grogan (nonfiction)
¤ Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
¤ Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks
¤ Nonfiction
¤ The New York Times
¤ ACT Reading by Instructivision, Inc.
¤ TIME Magazine & Newsweek magazines
English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Grammar ¤ HOLT Elements of Language, Fifth Course. Grammar, Usage,
and Mechanics: Language Skills Practice (workbook only)
¤ I use textbook as a reference if needed
¤ Sadlier-Oxford. Grammar for Writing
¤ Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer’s Workshop by Jeff Anderson
English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Vocabulary ¤ Great Source, Fifth Course. Vocabulary for Achievement
¤ Words in context from readings
¤ Novels and books
¤ ACT Reading
¤ The New York Times
¤ TIME Magazine & Newsweek
English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Writing ¤ Teach the Traits of Effective Writing: A “How To” Guide by
Shirley Poulton (resulting Bison Power Writing Handbook)
¤ HOLT. Six Traits for Writing
¤ Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer’s Workshop by Jeff Anderson
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English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Writing ¤ Bison Power Writing Handbook
English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Writing ¤ ACT Rubric – pulled apart
English 11 Materials & Resources
¤ Test Prep ¤ The Princeton Review. Cracking the ACT, 2011 Edition
¤ McGraw-Hill’s 10 ACT Practice Tests, Second Edition
¤ ACT. The Real ACT Prep Guide, Third Edition
¤ ACT. Preparing for the ACT
English Classes at NBHS
¤ Have we gone back to the BASICS? Yes!
¤ Have we been backtracking the last three years? Yes!
¤ Is it working? Yes!
¤ Results include ¤ Improvements at all levels ¤ Middle school finally catching on (also now being held
accountable, which helps) ¤ Ability to incorporate more novels, more independent work
than ever before