Higher Order Thinking Strategies

2013-16 Executive Summary
School Improvement Plan
School Name: _Riverwatch Middle School______
AdvancED Standards / FCS Departments
Purpose and Direction
Governance and Leadership
Teaching and Assessing for Learning
Resources and Support Systems
Using Results for Continuous Improvement / AcademicsAccountability
Educational Leadership
Facilities and Operations
Finance and Operations
Food and Nutrition Services / Human Resources
Public Information and Communications
School Safety and Discipline
Special Education
Student Support Services / Superintendent
Technology and Information Services
Transportation
Continuous Improvement Goal / AdvancED Standards / Support from FCS Department(s)
RMS community will utilize higher order thinking skills to promote college and career readiness. / Teaching and Assessing for Learning -
The school’s curriculum, instructional design, and assessment practices guide and ensure teacher effectiveness and student learning. / Academics & Accountability: To provide professional learning and support for all teachers:

Implementation of Researched-Based
Higher Order Thinking Strategies
Gifted Endorsement Training

Technology and Information Services: To provide professional learning and support for all teachers:

Continue Assistance in Data Collection and Data Disaggregation.
Continue itsLearning Training

Special Education: To provide professional learning for special education on best instructional practices for meeting these students’ learning needs.
Increase student proficiency on performance based assessments as developed and piloted by each area. / Teaching and Assessing for Learning -
The school’s curriculum, instructional design, and assessment practices guide and ensure teacher effectiveness and student learning. / Academics and Accountability: Continue to provide professional learning and support for all teachers:

Implementation of Performance Based Tasks

Technology and Information Services:

Continue Assistance in Data Collection and Data Disaggregation.
Continue itsLearning Training

Special Education: To provide professional learning for special education on best instructional practices for meeting these students’ learning needs.
AdvancED Standards
(check all that apply) / / Annual School Improvement Plan
Continuous Improvement Goal: RMS community will utilize higher order thinking skills to promote college and career readiness.
SMART Goal: Increase student proficiency on performance based assessments as developed and piloted by each area.
School Name: Riverwatch Middle School School Year: 2013 -2014
Purpose and Direction
Governance and Leadership
X / Teaching and Assessing for Learning
Resources and Support Systems
Using Results for Continuous Improvement
Actions, Strategies and Interventions
(Includes Professional
Learning Plan) / Impact on Student and Adult Behavior
(“If…then...” Statements) / Timeline / Resources Needed?
Who is Responsible?
AdvancED Standard(s)
The school’s curriculum, instructional design, and assessment practices guide and ensure teacher effectiveness and student learning. / The RMS staff will collaboratively develop performance based assessments and embed them with the units and frameworks for each content area. / If PBA’s are utilized, then. . .

Teachers are facilitators.
Learning is inquiry based.
Learning is explorative.
Assessments are differentiated.

SY 14 - 1 performance based task will be developed and administered each 9 weeks.

SY 15 – 1 PBA will be administered for a summative grade with each unit.

Teachers will develop the performance based task.
Students will try the performance based tasks.
Administration and support staff will provide feedback to teachers.

The school’s curriculum, instructional design, and assessment practices guide and ensure teacher effectiveness and student learning. / The RMS staff will improve units/frameworks to include activities and questioning that are based on high order thinking strategies. / If high order thinking strategies are employed, then. . .

Students will increase their ability to solve new and more complex tasks.

/ SY 14 –

Staff will participate in high order thinking strategy training.
Staff will examine and input higher order thinking strategies within each unit.

Teachers will participate in training.
Teachers will develop lessons to include higher order thinking tasks/questioning.
Administration and support staff will provide feedback through units and observations.

Riverwatch Middle School

Professional Learning Plan

2013-2014

Stage 1: Desired Results

Standard/Goal: RMS community will utilize higher order thinking skills to promote college and career readiness.
Enduring Understandings: The impact on classroom practice occurs through purpose driven professional learning.
Essential Questions: What is our collective responsibility to ensure sustained implementation of our core work? How will ongoing learning be relevant for continuous improvement?
Knowledge and Skills: Increase student proficiency on performance based assessments as developed and piloted by each area.

Stage 2: Evidence of Learning

Professional Appraisal Cycle: Pilot TKES Implementation
Evidence through Work Product: See Education Teacher Evaluation Platform.
Evidence through Observation: See Observation and feedback document.
Evidence through Conversation: See completed subject meeting logs.

Stage 3: Learning Experiences

Activity

/ Outcome(s)
August 28, 2013- / In subject area groups, teachers will develop a common PBA/Task. These will be completed on a common form for the purpose of PLT generating feedback. / Development of PBA/task to be given during 1st Semester
September 11, 2013 / Faculty Meeting – Teachers will be introduced to the new Teacher Evaluation System. / Basic understanding of TKES.
September 18, 2013 / District Collaboration – each teacher will attend a professional learning group based upon catalogue of meetings sent out to staff.
October 30, 2013 / Faculty Meeting – Teachers will extend their understanding of H3 to include RMS beliefs statements. Safety Training/Review. Introduce standards 1 – 2 of TKES / Continued expansion of a Healthy, Happy, and Hardy culture. Expand understanding of TKES.
November 20, 2013 / Faculty Meeting – Teachers will continue their orientation and familiarization of TKES. We will review standards 3 – 6 in detail with performance rubrics. / Expand understanding of TKES.
January 6, 2014 / Staff Development day will be utilized to expand teacher understanding of high order question and performance based assessment. Outside speaker will be utilized.
February
14, 2014 – / District Collaboration – each teacher will attend a professional learning group based upon catalogue of meetings sent out to staff.
March 19, 2013 / Faculty Meeting – Teachers will continue their orientation and familiarization of TKES. We will review standards 7 – 10 in detail with performance rubrics. / Expand understanding of TKES.