Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

1. Objective 2 Teaming in a Freshman Academy Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

2. AHS Wildcat Express Team Design RED TRAIN GRAY TRAIN English: Ms. Reynolds (T.L.) Math: Mr. Nagy Science: Ms. Stoute Social Studies: Mr. Gennaro English: Ms. Fontenot Math: Ms. Sewell Science: Mr. Willis (T.L.) Social Studies: Mr. Hamilton 75 students 75 students 3rd Hour Planning 5th Hour Planning Rigor-Relevance-Relationships 9th/10th Counselor Other Staff Members FRESHMAN ELECTIVE TEACHERS (common planning 2nd) Principal Assistant Principals

3. Creating Freshman Academy Teams • One core subject teacher per team • Balance of experience, talent, and personalities • Common planning period • Scheduled “Train Meetings” every week • Teaching common set of students Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

4. Responsibilities of Teachers on Teams • Distribute teacher workload among team • Collaborate on instruction and curriculum • Share interventions and student information • Divide train students to make initial phone contact with parents or guardians Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

5. Responsibilities of Teachers on Teams • Write “I-Contracts” for Credit Recovery • Examine report cards, progress reports, and data from administration for each train student • Assign students to “Back on Track” mentoring program based on student data • Choose Freshman of the Month Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

6. Connecting the Students and Parents • Have the same four core area teachers • Take separate electives • Common routines and procedures on train • Balanced ability levels across both trains • Students monitored by Train Teachers • Parent conference scheduling is simplified • Coursework integrated across train teachers • Students and parents identify with their train • Absent students need only talk to a train member for make up work • Freshman of the Month chosen by train • Friendly competition between train students Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

7. Team Scheduling Challenges • Use of Jpams to group students heterogeneously based on past performance and electives selected • Balancing of “first time Freshman only” core classes • Offering enough electives during Train teachers’ planning periods • “Cross Train” students Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

8. Other Team Challenges • Developing interventions and strategies to remove “excuses” for student failure • Teachers learning what it means to work as a team • Differences in teacher personality and motivation • Teacher agreement on common routines and procedures in the classroom • Increase in workload and time during planning period Rigor-Relevance-Relationships

9. Freshman of the Month 5 Boys and 5 Girls nominated from each Train One Boy and One Girl from each Train are selected from the nominees AUGUST '06 FRESHMAN OF THE MONTH Rigor-Relevance-Relationships Nominees’ lockers are tagged and “goody bags” are given Freshman of the Month receive Reward Passes, a T-shirt, PBS rewards, letter sent to parents DECEMBER '06 FRESHMAN OF THE MONTH

10. Common Routines and Procedures ENGLISH MATH P.E. SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES STUDY SKILLS PLANNER USE CHECK OUT POLICY ABSENCE POLICY TARDY POLICY Rigor-Relevance-Relationships ELECTIVE TEACHERS: HANDOUT PROCEDURES TAUGHT THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL REVIEWED DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR