We come to you
Have your district contract with us to bring any of our sessions to you. This makes it easy for everyone to attend! Click on the session titles below for more information, and email Joe Gallegos at j.gallegos@austin.utexas.edu to discuss bringing us to your district.
Preparing for the New High School End-of-Course Exams Under the STAAR System
A two-and-a-half day institute
Audience:
- District and high school mathematics and science leadership teams (principals and/or assistant principals, mathematics and science department heads and/or instructional coaches, and Algebra I, Geometry, and Biology teachers)
Grade-level focus:
- High school
Beginning with the freshman class of 2011–2012, high school students will be required to pass end-of-course exams in Biology, Algebra I, and Geometry under the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) system.
In this two-and-a-half-day institute, high school leaders and science and mathematics teachers will work together and separately to explore the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to the STAAR system.
Together, teachers and leaders will learn about specific aspects of the STAAR end-of-course assessments that directly affect the instructional program. They will then begin to explore strategies for implementing the necessary changes to curriculum and instruction to prepare students for these rigorous new assessments.
In the next phase of the institute, participants will split into four groups: Biology teachers, Algebra I teachers, Geometry teachers, and leaders.
In separate sessions, Biology, Algebra I, and Geometry teachers will explore how to use the Dana Center's Biology STAAR Assessments: Module 1, Algebra I Assessments, and Geometry Assessments books as powerful diagnostic tools for shaping effective classroom instruction through ongoing assessment.
Leaders will learn about the Biology, Algebra I, and Geometry end-of-course exams and have the opportunity to observe the content-specific sessions. They will then explore how to use research-based tools to monitor and give feedback on the instructional program to prepare for the end-of-course exams.
All participants will come together again for the final session. Teams from each school or district will use a structured process to develop specific action plans for implementing a guaranteed and viable curriculum that will support student learning and prepare students for success on the end-of-course exams.
Biology teachers will receive a copy of Biology STAAR Assessments: Module 1; Algebra I teachers, a copy of Algebra I Assessments; and Geometry teachers, a copy of Geometry Assessments.