Calling Parents

Does anyone have a system for calling parents? I’ve got a list of 5 parents I need/want to call to discuss grades and behavior. However, this task always seems to get pushed down on my to-do list, and it doesn’t get done. There are other more pressing items that must get done. I know I need to do it, and I will, but I’m wondering if anyone out there has a system that would help me be more on the ball with it.

Chapter assessments versus standard assessments

Our school is working on some extreme data analysis this year, which I really enjoy and think is quite beneficial to informed instruction. One of the places that confuses me is in writing assessments. We’ve been strongly encouraged to have Short Cycle Assessments, which means they only test a few standards, and summative assessments only test “essential standards.” So here’s the question then, do I give a test when we’ve finished a chapter? Or if that chapter includes several standards, do I give a test when I’ve finished a few standards and then another when I’ve finished a few more?

Resources for Teaching Fractions

Here are two resources I use to teach fractions.

Equivalent Fraction Match-Up This is a matching activity. Students get an envelope with these cut up, then they match the equivalent fractions together. I’ll also make them interactive on the IWB so that students can take turns matching them electronically as well.

Fraction Fun I use this as an opening activity every year for the fraction unit. It’s a fun way for students to review basic fraction vocabulary.

Fractions to Decimals This is a collection of 4-piece mini-puzzles to review equivalent fractions and converting fractions to decimals. It also helps students understand the difference between terminating and non-terminating decimals.

More on Assessment:Standards versus Objectives and Number of Problems

I’ve entertained discussions about grading assessments on standards versus objectives. I know most out there who have changed to this type of grading do it by overall standard, but are there thoughts on grading by objective instead? For instance, in my state adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers, fractions, and decimals as well as taking rational numbers to whole-number powers is all ONE standard. Not only are these topics covered in four different units (one for integers, fractions, decimals, and powers), but for each of those chapters there is perhaps one or two other standards covered in the unit. If I were to grade solely by standards, the grade would be based on a test of perhaps 20-25 questions that covered 2-3 standards, as opposed to the 5-7 objectives I’ve been using. What is the argument to grade based on standard rather than objective? If you stick with standards, how do you assess it when the standard is as impacted as the one I suggested? Are you perhaps judging their progress on the part of the standard covered in that unit?

I am also wrestling with the number of problems on tests. Discussion with collegues has perhaps dropped our number from 30-35 questions per test down to 20-25, but I would like to see the number down to 15-20 problems if possible, especially in Algebra. I can see a bit more of a need for a few more questions in Pre-Algebra, but I think I’m in favor of fewer problems that test more skills rather than a new problem to test each individual skill. Thoughts?

Also Thanks

I forgot to include in my last post a big thank you to all of you out there who have added to the discussion on Standards-Based grading as well as the PLC. Things are moving along. I’ll keep you updated. I appreciate the feedback I got here. It helped me to better think things through.