In addition to the instructional coaches, teachers
have access to the three Common Core math
coaches from the district. These trainers, effective
teachers who were selected by the state to receive
intensive training on Common Core standards,
offer after-school assistance and workshops to any
interested teacher and administrator. Last year, they
began training district teachers on the constructed
response scoring system the state is implementing
in preparation for new assessments in 2014-15.
Novice teachers. New teachers participate in a
comprehensive induction and training program that
includes learning about the state’s new teacher
evaluation system, “Thoughtful Classroom Strategies,” and “Quality Instructional Practices.” The
thoughtful classroom practices are based on the
work of Silver, Strong, and Associates who in turn
based their work on books by Robert Marzano. The
thoughtful classroom approach focuses on identifying academic skills used in successful schools and
includes:
• Vocabulary CODE, a method of vocabulary
instruction that helps students connect with the
vocabulary terms, understand new words and
their connections to words they already know,
and practice using the word;
“Word Works: Cracking
Vocabulary’s CODE”
http:/
/www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/
downloads/2012/Vocabularys_Code.pdf
“The
teachers
are always
there for
you.”
• Task rotation, a method of student assessment drawing on questions from four learning
styles: mastery, understanding, interpersonal,
and s V