| Summer Opportunities |
Formative Assessment Institute in Mathematics-What Do You Do With Them? |
 | Many teachers have had professional development on creating formative assessments but still are not really sure how best to use them to modify instruction or to help individuals with identified misconceptions. The three-day interactive professional development opportunity, focused around K-12 mathematics, is designed to address the power of formative assessments and to help teachers use these instruments to effectively impact student understanding. Teachers will be involved in using formative assessment in a variety of ways, including insight into designs that provide meaningful data and how to analyze data to create a plan for addressing individual student needs. |
| Formative Assessment Institute in Communication Arts: How to Make Them Effective |
 | Improve and expand the use of formative assessments in K-12 communication arts: reading (comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics and phonemic awareness), writing, and listening and speaking. Through interactive processes, participants will gain insight into designs that provide powerful data for helping students set learning goals and improving academic performance. This professional development strongly supports the process of identifying and closing achievement gaps. |
| Curriculum Director Training |
 | According Rick DuFour, “Leadership combines large amounts of autonomy with clear, uncompromising direction.” (Schmoker’s Results Fieldbook, p. 19) The job of Curriculum Director requires an understanding of the many responsibilities attached to the position. This session will help define those responsibilities by providing a review of the “process” of developing and revising an effective K-12 curriculum while embracing teachers’ individual talents. Use of assessments, instruction, and data analysis will be emphasized. Participants will examine the function of vertical teams and what true alignment means. The terms associated with, and expectations for the MSIP process will be discussed. In addition, valuable resources will be shared and opportunity presented to develop a supportive network with other Curriculum Directors. This session is available for presentation in-district or in a region for neighboring districts. Registration Forms: Level I - March 17, May 10, June 8, Level II - TBA |
| Curriculum Coordinator Retreat |
|  | SMCAA Curriculum Coordinators’ Retreat is designed as an opportunity for individuals, responsible for the coordination of curricular activities, to learn, share, reflect, and create plans. Cultivating an environment for focused change in curriculum that guides enduring understanding can be stressful, and often causes conflict and confusion. The charge of facilitating this work can seem overwhelming. Join us this summer as we look at how to design a plan to take curriculum beyond a well written document. Besides time to share differing approaches to similar challenges, participants will explore ways to maximize teacher efficacy and resources to achieve Written, Taught, and Tested Curriculum that is truly the same.
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