students, including those who were performing well,
a comprehensive testing program to identify areas
of need, and mastery charts to track progress for all
English II students. The instructional facilitator meets
with English teachers each week to help analyze
data and discuss progress. As described previously,
tutoring programs have also been put into place and
are mandatory for any student who does not score
proficient or above on the diagnostic test.
Blackley also spends much of her time observing
instruction in classrooms. She collects and analyzes language arts data and serves as a resource
manager for teachers who are interested in trying
a new instructional strategy. She also teaches her
own language arts class. During her teaching period, teachers are invited to observe so they can find
ways to improve their own language arts instruction.
Effective instructional strategies. Covington has
created several tools to help teachers become
more effective with their instruction and to engage
all students. A lesson plan template was created
to help teachers structure lessons based on best
practices. This format includes a “hook,” which
captures students’ attention and leads directly
into consideration of the essential questions and
lesson objectives for the day. It is followed by a
“task” or “set-up” which introduces the task and
provides scaffolding or background information so
students understand how to organize new information. Finally, the “explore” and “share, discuss, and
analyze” sections are aimed at providing students
with problem-solving activities, project-based
learning, or other engaging instructional techniques.
By using this format, students will have familiarized
themselves with the skills being taught, applied the
new information they have learned, critiqued each
other’s and their own work, and answered higher
order thinking questions by the end of the lesson.
A typical lesson has time for students to engage in
large group discussion and work as individuals or in
small groups. The teacher then provides a closure
activity that informally reviews objectives and asks
students to engage in an assessment of their own
performance or learning. Many lessons also include
assessments, either formal or informal, such as
indicating with thumbs up or down whether students understand information. Teachers also plan
for additional activities so that accelerated students
have opportunities for enrichment.
“Lesson Plan Template”
http:/
/www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/
downloads/2012/Lesson_Plan_
Template.pdf
Several departments use constructivist—or active—
learning techniques to help make instruction meaningful and relevant for students. For example, the
math team uses problems about savings accounts
for practice and the writing team incorporates students’ experiences into exercises. All departments
have tried to set up routines in classrooms so that
they can maximize instructional time. As the algebra
team reported, “Every successful major college
football team has a routine practice schedule, so we
try to model that same concept.”
Using technology. Covington teachers often infuse
technology into their lessons because student
mastery of technology is important for their future
education and careers. Teachers have also found
technology to be an effective tool for engaging students in the classroom. Using technology “is really
important for our teachers. It gives our students an
opportunity to see some of the technologies they
will experience in the future,” Murdock said. “Teachers can also keep up with how their students are
doing and create a fun, safe form of competition by
letting students communicate.”
Covington recently purchased iPads for English
and algebra instructors. Teachers comfortable with
technology were charged with finding applications
for improving student performance in both subject
areas that can be used in conjunction with more
traditional instruction. Teachers report that the iPads
have increased student interest and motivation in
math. The math teachers received additional application training from faculty members at the University of Memphis’s College of Education, Health, and
Human Sciences. Their specialized training introduced Covington’s teachers to a number of math
development iPad applications. Covington teachers also use web-based technology with online
programs like Edmodo, which allows teachers to
engage, monitor, and motivate students to continue
learning outside of school.
Pathways to the Prize
Lessons from the 2012 SCORE Prize School Winners
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