Session I

Ice Breaker Activity

Unity Circle

Purpose: To recognize varied learning styles and modify best practices

for test taking strategies;

To integrate best practices and test taking strategies into the

existing curriculum;

Essential Question:

Why are or aren't our students writing well or responding accurately on the Science Open-Ended Essay-component of the Pennsylvania State Standards Assessment (PSSA)?

Can our students write well on thePSSA Science Open Ended-Essay component?

Surveys conducted through focus groups, student and faculty interviews, the testing committee, scheduling committee, proctors, department heads and chairs, provide a baseline to better understand what’s going on with our students.

Faculty Discussion

Building Bridges

Faculty Learning Style Survey

Faculty Discussion

Summation

Standardized Testing Professional Development

Session II

Purpose: Plan an instructional forum to review test taking strategies

Schedule instructional advisory for test taking strategy

Implementation.

Essential Question:

Why aren't our students writing well or responding accurately on the PSSA Science Open-Ended Essay component?

Can our students write well on the PSSA Science Open-Ended Essay component?

Disseminate instructional packets with facsimile question types.

1. informative
2. narrative
3. persuasive
4. expository

One teacher of each discipline, i.e., Mathematics, English, Social Studies, and Science will create groups of four and develop model answers to the

essay questions in a twenty minute time period.

Each team will compare their answers to the model answer prepared by the Science Department

Model questions and answers will be used from the PSSA manual.

The Science Department will present model questions and answers for each team to examine, review and generate multiple strategies and applicable responses

Each team will use the state assessent holistic scoring rubric to evaluate writing accuracy and fluency .

Summation

Standardized Testing Professional Development

Session III

Purpose: Review PSSA holistic scoring rubric

scoring rubric for writing.

4 - Advanced

3 - Proficient

2 - Basic

1 - Below Basic

Teachers will assemble in four (4) person teams to review student responses by grade and advisory.

Teams will identify areas for support in each student work sample.

Develop a schedule for instructional advisory test taking strategies which

will occur in the classroom and the school auditorium three (3) days per week in the month of October and continuing through the test period.

Create a testing team, comprising the Department Head and Chair, rotating science teachers, counselors, and a representative from each discipline to oversee materials, test administration and proctors.

Summation