Iowa Core Alignment

Subject Area Committees (SAC) will be meeting and discussing articulation within their areas. Groups will include (note-taker):

• L. Arts (Doug DeGroot),
• Math (Cheryl Kroese),
• Science (Carolyn Carlson),
• Social Studies,
• Physical Education (Tom Lidiak, Steve Raymond),
• Vocational Education (Russ Spier) ,
• Fine Arts (Sue Archibald)

Date: 1-21-13

Which subject area? Language Arts/Reading

1. Type the names of those participating today:

Last year these staff participated:

Cindy Taylor, Karen Naber, Becky Maloney, Chery Ewoldt, Kathy Habben, Kim Warnke, Sandra Mohni, Lisa Lode, Julie Hegstad, Kristine Christianson, Juanita Anliker, Diane Rossman, Sherry Andersen, Beth Burley, Linda Akwa, Doug DeGroot (recorder)

2. How is the implementation of the Iowa Core/Common Core going?

We are looking for the gaps in what we teach with what the curriculum states. Some of our own lessons are being abandoned to make time for curriculum items.

3. What impact do you see that it is having on this subject area?

We are able to focus on what should be taught at our grade level.

4. Do we need to do anything differently than what we are currently doing for implementation purpose? We need to continue implementing the curriculum in our subject area and grade level. Changes that we needed to make have been made.

5A. Down the road, how do you think that we should handle the purchase of textbooks/curricular materials for this area? Or if that doesn’t apply...

Make sure the textbooks do align to the curriculum.

5B. What about other materials for this area?

Teachers do not have the same reading series at each grade level. Should teachers have the same reading materials at each grade level?

6. Are there any other concerns out there about anything?

Will report cards be changed in the future? If the Iowa core mandates what is taught, will another program mandate how the information is assessed or reported out?

Research-based common language would provide continuity for K-12. Is HMS using the best strategies for developing reading and math skills in students. Parts of HMS seem fragmented. Team meetings generate continuity; currently, we do not have team meetings. Resources need to be replaced. To implement the Iowa core in a school-wide, our materials and strategies should also be grounded in research-based best practices.

We need materials that research-based in best practices. Such materials cost money. Teachers should have mutual planning time and plan together. Class sizes should be restricted to 18 or fewer students in grades K-2. Title 1 services should not be cut for fourth graders, and Reading Recovery should not be cut. Should we investigate cognitive guided instruction? Students are learning to read for the purpose of reading to learn, instead of reading for fun. We need to expose students to a variety of genres.

Textbooks need to be replaced: are they replaced with new textbooks, digital textbooks, online textbooks? Guided Reading and Daily Five, as well as others, are some programs that are research-based. Materials in the same grade level should be the same materials. Teachers should have the same training in how to effectively implement the material.

What are other schools (Sioux City, Orange City) doing, what materials are they using, what technology are they using? We should find out. Should we be visiting them, mimicking what they are doing? What did the schools that have removed themselves from the watch list do in order to remove themselves from the list? The administration and board should provide more guidance and leadership in deciding what is best for students. We want guidance, a framework for how HMS will implement the Iowa Core in a uniform manner. We currently teach in our own way, we do our own thing.

What are best practices? HMS can do more than we are currently doing but restrictions with money, restrictions with sharing staff, restrictions with staff that travels among buildings throughout the day limit what HMS can do. Our concerns are long standing. Solutions to the above concerns seem to have been put on hold several years ago and we are still waiting.