AP Vertical TeamingAP Vertical Teaming

Bear Creek K-8 Carmody Middle

Bear Creek High School

The primary goal of the vertical team strategy is to enhance all students’ achievement.

The Pre-AP Vertical TeamThe Pre-AP Vertical Team GoalsGoals

To develop an understanding of math and To develop an understanding of math and respective roles to ensure growthrespective roles to ensure growth

To explore/share approaches to instill To explore/share approaches to instill analytical thinking and communication skills analytical thinking and communication skills necessary for academic successnecessary for academic success

To create assessments and To create assessments and identify evidence identify evidence of understandingof understanding

To find ways to ensure that each student is To find ways to ensure that each student is being challengedbeing challenged

EffectsEffects Foster grade-level participation that bridges Foster grade-level participation that bridges

the middle school grades and high school the middle school grades and high school gradesgrades

Increase the quality of instruction by improving Increase the quality of instruction by improving communication between teachers and updating their communication between teachers and updating their knowledge of math curriculum, instructional knowledge of math curriculum, instructional strategies and assessment techniquesstrategies and assessment techniques

All students can perform at high academic levelsAll students can perform at high academic levels Early development of skills and acquisition of Early development of skills and acquisition of

knowledge will prepare students for higher level knowledge will prepare students for higher level engagementengagement in advanced mathematics in advanced mathematics

Identify external curricular Identify external curricular forcesforces

Explore concept Explore concept developmentdevelopment

Focus on content across Focus on content across the (math) curriculumthe (math) curriculum

Big picture view of the Big picture view of the curriculumcurriculum

Focus on assessmentFocus on assessment (Acuity, CSAP, ACT) Focus on literacyFocus on literacy ((iRead, iWrite, iLearn)

Focus on difficult topics to Focus on difficult topics to teach or learnteach or learn

Notation coordinationNotation coordination Focus on student Focus on student

understanding of content understanding of content across the curriculumacross the curriculum

Vocabulary across the Vocabulary across the curriculumcurriculum

Periodic review of team Periodic review of team goalsgoals

Meeting IdeasMeeting Ideas

Teaming and CollaborationTeaming and Collaboration

Bear Creek High School

Bear Creek K-8

+

Carmody Middle School

+

All Students prepared

for College, Careers,

and Citizenship

The ProblemThe Problem

Isolation!Isolation!Teachers working aloneTeachers working aloneSchools working Schools working independentlyindependently

Assumptions:Assumptions:““If only they would have taught students to…”If only they would have taught students to…”

ConfusionConfusionStudents learning new terms, encountering Students learning new terms, encountering

disjointed practices, and uneven expectationsdisjointed practices, and uneven expectations

How…Re-thinkingHow…Re-thinking

Vertical Alignment Vertical Alignment & Transitions& Transitions

Existing Existing Instructional Instructional Practices Practices

Support StructuresSupport Structures Community Community

ResourcesResources TechnologyTechnology AssessmentsAssessments

Acuity is a computer-based test that measures how students are progressing throughout the year in meeting the expectations of the Colorado State Standards.

CSAP is designed to provide a picture of how students in the state of Colorado are progressing toward meeting academic standards and how schools are doing to ensure learning success of students.

The Colorado ACT is an assessment of 11th grade students to determine their level of college readiness.

Assessment Tools

Looking at Our Looking at Our Own School’s DataOwn School’s Data

What trends do you What trends do you

see insee in ACT ACT scores? scores?What trends do youWhat trends do you

see in ACUITY scores?see in ACUITY scores?What trends do you see in CSAP scores?What trends do you see in CSAP scores?What trends do you see in AP?What trends do you see in AP?

Data Drives Practice…Data Drives Practice…

The vertical team uses a continuous The vertical team uses a continuous improvement model based on results.improvement model based on results.

The team reviews achievement data.The team reviews achievement data. The team reviews personal successes of both The team reviews personal successes of both

staff & studentsstaff & students The team identifies areas of growth and helps The team identifies areas of growth and helps

students keep focused on their academic students keep focused on their academic goals. goals.

Standardized Testing

Curriculum Curriculum AlignmentAlignment

Vertical Teaming TIGHT FIT (no slack)

Requires

Guaranteed Viable Curriculum

Gather data for incoming students to develop Gather data for incoming students to develop profileprofile

Form study groups to look at curriculum Form study groups to look at curriculum alignment (vertical and horizontal) to identify alignment (vertical and horizontal) to identify gapsgaps

Align current courses to content standardsAlign current courses to content standards

iLearn

iRead iWrite

What is curriculum all about?What is curriculum all about?

iSolve

A cylindrical container 60 cm long with a diameter of 40 cm is lying on its side.

a. If the container is full with a liquid, then the volume is_________________

b. What is the volume of the liquid if the container is not full, the depth of the liquid is 15 cm?

Critical thinkingCritical thinking

A cylindrical container 60 cm long with a diameter of 40 cm is lying on its side.a. If the container is full with a liquid, then the volume is_________________

b. What is the volume of the liquid if the container is not full, the depth of the liquid is 15 cm?

Pre-Algebra Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Pre-Calculus

radius radius radius radius radius

diameter diameter diameter diameter diameter

circle circle circle circle circle

circumference circumference circumference circumference circumference

pi pi pi pi pi

area of circle area of circle area of circle area of circle area of circle

  Base Base Base Base

  right cylinder right cylinder right cylinder right cylinder

  altitude altitude altitude altitude

  area of base area of base area of base area of base

  volume volume volume volume

    arcs arcs arcs

    arc length arc length arc length

    sector of a circle sector of a circle sector of a circle

    degree measure degree measure degree measure

    area of the sector area of the sector area of the sector

    chord chord chord

    minor arc minor arc minor arc

    segment of a circle segment of a circle segment of a circle

    right triangle right triangle right triangle

       Right Triangle Trigonometry

        sine

        cosine

        tangent

       Inverse Trigonometric

Functions

Tammy MaccalousTammy MaccalousBC Calculus teacher At Bear Creek BC Calculus teacher At Bear Creek

High SchoolHigh School

BC Calculus Enrollment in 1997: 5 studentsEnrollment in 2007: 90 students

Joe OteroJoe Otero Differential EquationsDifferential Equations teacher At teacher At

Bear Creek High SchoolBear Creek High School

Differential EquationsDifferential Equations Enrollment in 2005: 7 studentsEnrollment in 2007: 15 students

Tammy has stated “vertical teaming has been the key component to increasing the number of students enrolling and succeeding in BC Calculus.”

What we liked best was . . .

Group activities, i.e., opportunity Group activities, i.e., opportunity to share experiences; ask to share experiences; ask questions; discover areas that questions; discover areas that need more attention; challenging need more attention; challenging each other; synthesizing.each other; synthesizing.