INSERVICE GOALS:

1. INSERVICE GOALS: • Understand TEKS • Understand the difference in difficulty between TAAS & the TAKS • Recognize the TAKS “critical thinking skills” required in the classroom • Go over TAKS Blueprints (Weights) • Read & Study TAKS Guide Book • Understand TEKS “Big Ideas” • Create an Appropriate Curriculum Calendar for 1st & 2nd Six Weeks

2. Activity 1 (1 hour) Revisit Blooms Understand Rules of Thumb for Curriculum Teach 1 to 2 levels above what student expected to perform Application  Evaluation Requires instruction & thinking over TIME Walk-through  Looking for student performance at the appropriate level of thinking.

3. Vertical Alignment Process Reflecting National Standards Involves everyone Involves Tested TEKS Involves Teacher Accountability

4. Understanding TEKS • Know level of THINKING each TEK requires • Concept, Operation, Problem-Solving • Concept vs. Application Level • Know what TEKS are introduced & mastered • In ONE year (40% of your curriculum) • Create a “Spiraling Curriculum” • Introduce – First Year • Practice – Second Year • Master – Third Year • State Legislated – TEKS (not favorite lesson plan) – NO freedom • Freedom in the classroom – resources & strategies

5. ASK YOURSELF: “If I engage my students in this activity, at what level will they be required to think? How will I know?”

6. What are the new Expectations?Activity 2 (1 hour) • Look exclusively to your TAKS Information Booklet • Look at the Weights on the Assessment (TAKS Blue Print) • Look at the tested TEKS • Look at Clarifying Activities • Notice that the TEKS & TAKS require “critical thinking skills” • Understand the “Big Ideas”

7. Alignment Committee • Must ensure that mastery level TEKS are at least introduced the year before • Use data analysis to make data-driven decisions • Use TAKS Guide to Create Curriculum Calendar

8. Accountability at the Application Level • New TAKS Test Objectives • 10% Concept • 90% Application or Above • Exception – Social Studies Test will be closer to • 50% Concept • 50% Application

9. Accountability at Application Level Requires: • Teaching all concepts at least to the Application Level • Rule of Thumb: “Teach at least one level above what • You will test” • Requires Teaching at the • Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation Level – Project-based level • BEST PRACTICES MODEL -- • Most Tested TEKS will be assessed at the Application Level • Recommendation for Math – 90 minutes a day • with 45 minutes in problem solving – every day • Recommendation for LA – • 45 minutes a day in Comprehension Formal Instruction

10. Logical Reasoning Skills tested on TAAS • Deductive Reasoning: The conclusion reached contains no more information than the information from which it was drawn. • TAAS test requires text-dependent reading (Narrative, Informative, Functional). • All the answers are based on the information in the passage. • NO FEELINGS ALLOWED – DO NOT READ ANSWERS FIRST • Eliminate C “Creative” - Response FIRST

11. Difference Between Creative & Technical Reading – page 2 • C- Reading Uses Inductive & Deductive Reasoning • Used in Basal Readers • Used in Health, Science, Social Studies • Should be taught --- but should be labeled. • T-Reading Uses only Deductive Reasoning – needs to be practiced everyday in all classes. • Three Levels of Questions –page 4 • Level 1 – Explicit - Sentence Completion • Level 2 – Stated – More Difficult to Locate • Level 3 – Not Stated – But answer based on evidence in the text. • Students must PROVE their answer using Text

12. New Targets for Student Expectations – in TESTED TEKS • CONNECTIONS • RELATIONSHIPS • CONSEQUENCES

13. Activity 3 (20 Minutes) • Look through your TEKS • Identify the Level of Think for Each TEK using BLOOMS • STAR all TEKS that are at the Application Level or above • Double STAR all TEKS that correlated to TESTed TEKS

14. Understanding Thinking Skills TESTed on TAKS • EXAMPLES IN ALL CURRICULUM: • Classifying – sorting, grouping, lumping • Categorizing – labeling, generalizing • Compare & Contrast – • similarities & differences • FLOWS INTO WRITING • Correlates with SAT • Correlates with ACT

15. Reading & Thinking Process IN CLASSROOM • Level 1 questions “closed book” • Level 2 & 3 questions “open book” test • Give 3 conclusions you can support from the text • Give 3 conclusions you cannot support from the text • Identify C & T Questions & Answers • Introduce different reading materials (Biographies, Novels, Newspaper, Cartoons, Charts) • Practice Vocabulary in Context

16. READING for Progress • Stories – on grade level • Non-fiction –above grade level – informative • Newspapers, charts, cartoons, ads, menus, • bus schedules, information gathering – Research Strand • Use same text for both kinds of reading C & T • Student Error Rate doubles with non-fiction and triples • with science and social studies texts. • Teacher accountability

17. READING for Progress • Connect Reading & Writing – ALWAYS • Connect Writing & Oral Discussion • Connect Oral Discussion & Higher-order Questioning Skills • Connect Big Ideas, Concepts, Topics

18. EXIT 2000 Test Questions 1-7 Fiction – Conclusions 70% 8-16 Fiction 17-23 Informative Text 25 – 32 Functional 33-40 Fiction 41-48 Non Fiction 90% Level 3 60% Non-Fiction

19. Connection to Writing • Implied Main Idea • Connection to details (classify +categorizing = Main Idea..with use of synonyms) • Organization of Thinking • Student comes up with labels for Webbing • Use: • Prewriting – brainstorm, classify, webbing for organization of ideas…determines score of 4 • Draft – classify and categorizing • Revising • Editing • Defending – Evidence, Sources, Oral questions

20. Students MUST PRACTICE THE “BIG TICKET”ITEMS ---CRITICAL THINKING

21. KEEP ASKING YOURSELF: “If I engage my students in this activity, what level of thinking will they be required to use? HOW WILL I KNOW?

22. Create Curriculum Calendar • Three Columns • Big Idea • Tested TEKS (Identify Blooms Level) • Activities Planned at appropriate level of thinking (Identify Blooms Level – 1 to 2 levels above TEKS SE verb)