Here are some staff development ideas to assist staff in understanding the design of the high school assessments and their relationship to the State Core Learning Goals, Skills for Success, and school system Scope and Sequence documents. 

 

Use available school system documents, including compilations of Core Learning Goals and Skills for Success, as a basis for staff review and discussion. Explore the extent to which identified indicators are already being taught--and the extent to which instruction needs to be enhanced.
Create study and inquiry groups to explore the implications of the Core Learning Goals for instructional modification. Use both content-specific and interdisciplinary groupings to investigate potential instructional interventions and modifications.
Use a Jig Saw technique in which expert groups are formed to analyze and become well versed in all aspects of the Core Learning Goals and Skills for Success.
Use the action research process to identify potential investigation questions related to the Core Learning Goals implementation process. Develop a data collection process and an action plan that can be monitored to track program implementation success.
Acquire the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) videotape on the new State High School Assessments. Have discuss the high school assessments from the perspective of the students depicted in the tape and from the point of view of students within the school.
Invite MSDE representatives to attend parent and community member outreach sessions to provide updates about the High School Assessments and Core Learning Goals.
Access the Maryland State Department of Education web site for additional information: www.msde.state.md.us.

Make certain that all staff understand the design, content, and implications of school system Scope and Sequence documents. Build consensus about how these documents can be used to articulate the Core Learning Goals and instructional design implications associated with them.

Build preparation for the High School Assessments into your school improvement planning process. In particular, ensure that this process is collaborative, involving the total staff beyond just the four identified subject areas of English, social studies, mathematics, and science. Explore as part of this process the extent to which you have ways to monitor student achievement related to the Core Learning Goals.

Ensure that all staff can articulate to parents and community members the design of the new State High School Assessments as well as ways in which the school system and school are preparing students to achieve success on them.

 Back to High School Assessment Initiative Page

 

This site was developed by the Department of Staff Development, in collaboration with the Division of Instruction. Questions, comments, and other inquiries may be addressed to Allene Chriest (achriest@pgcps.org) or Jeff Maher  (jmaher@pgcps.org).