US+Meeting+2010+08+24

Agenda:
> Minutes (which I am now taking at this instant) >> -Potential changes: collaboration vs. independent set objectives per teacher >> -Should we discuss what we do as a department or what we want to do >> -Revisit at the end of the meeting and/or at later department meetings > -we could use more electives, especially in the fall > -but juggling staff will be a challenge, especially given the need for 6 sections of West Civ next year > -ultimately this is a year away, and we’ll have to respond to staffing needs >> -need more whiteboards in the US room >> -be aware that we are in shared spaces > -Steve- students can bring their grade up to a 70% max. (average) > -retakes should be cleared with dept head or team leader > -should we let students fail? > -if they don’t ask for a retake  > - Revisit in future meetings the creation of a firm policy on retake availability  > -do we give zeros > -ask math dept. about their policy? > -Steve- we give retakes, > give a 50 instead of a 0, > students HAVE TO turn something in  > > Steve’s Reflections/JS Letter >>> Horizontal - curriculum maps? >>> Ben should get a binder with syllabi, curriculum maps, so everything is all in one place >>> Scott- question about cheating/plagiarism (homework?) >>> -Revisit rules and procedures, as well as maps >>> -collating, putting together a binder so our curriculum is available in one place >>> -writing/reading and writing across the department > >> -reflection sheets are in the binders >>> -pressure to eliminate C’s, is there anything we can do? >>> -if grades are too high in the first quarter, they cannot come up later >> -discussion/homework 25% is fine >> -3 major assessments per quarter
 * 1) Welcome Back!
 * 2) Meeting Norms: Start meetings on time (3:30), end on time
 * Minutes (Wiki)
 * 1) Department Mission/Philosophy Statement:
 * What is our mission statement? Do we still do what we say we do? Do we do more? Less? Is it time to re-articulate our philosophy?: Philosophy statement - formulated in late 80s when asked by John Littleford (sp?)
 * 1) Teaching Schedule for 2010-2011 : <span style="background: #ffffff; backgroundattachment: scroll; backgroundimage: none; backgroundposition: 0% 0%; backgroundpositionx: 0%; backgroundpositiony: 0%; backgroundrepeat: repeat; color: #f72b26; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; marginbottom: 0pt; marginleft: 0.25in; marginright: 0in; margintop: 0in;">Course offerings for this academic year
 * Classroom Status (whiteboards, smartboards, shared spaces)
 * Does anybody need anything for his office/classroom?
 * Teaching schedule, classroom status
 * 1) <span style="background: white; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-background-themecolor: background1;"><span style="font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Consensus about Pedagogical Practices : <span style="background: #ffffff; backgroundattachment: scroll; backgroundimage: none; backgroundposition: 0% 0%; backgroundpositionx: 0%; backgroundpositiony: 0%; backgroundrepeat: repeat; color: #f20d0d; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; marginbottom: 0pt; marginleft: 0.25in; marginright: 0in; margintop: 0in;">Consensus about pedagogical practices
 * 1) <span style="background: white; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-background-themecolor: background1;"><span style="font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">CARP
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2009-2010
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Vertical (Cross-Divisional): Exploring general curriculum and essential questions across divisions to identify common content and develop cross divisional activities to enhance student learning.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Horizontal (Within-Division): Intra-Grade Level Communication and team meetings to ensure “quality control” in 9-11 sequence
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2010-2011
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Vertical
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Horizontal: CARP
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Curriculum Maps?
 * 1) <span style="background: white; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-background-themecolor: background1;"><span style="font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Professional Development //Bring your Evaluation Binders://
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Teacher Evaluation
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Corrections to your binders
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Observation schedule for 2010-2011
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Drop-in visits as an opportunity to observe success
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Professional Growth Goals: -complete prof. growth goals and reflections ASAP.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Reflection on 2009-2010
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Goals for 2010-2011
 * 1) <span style="background: white; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-background-themecolor: background1;"><span style="font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Getting off to a Good Start
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Establish expectations, procedures, grade weighting
 * <span style="background: #ffffff; backgroundattachment: scroll; backgroundimage: none; backgroundposition: 0% 0%; backgroundpositionx: 0%; backgroundpositiony: 0%; backgroundrepeat: repeat; display: block; font-size: 12pt;"> Grade Inflation? <span style="background: #ffffff; backgroundattachment: scroll; backgroundimage: none; backgroundposition: 0% 0%; backgroundpositionx: 0%; backgroundpositiony: 0%; backgroundrepeat: repeat;">-Grade inflation discussion
 * Extra Credit, Do-Overs?
 * Test Preparation (terms and identifications, student study habits) Revisit on Monday
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Make students accountable for the summer reading: -summer reading should be 10-20%
 * Refer to good pedagogical practices
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Team Meeting Times
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Next Department Meeting: Monday, August 30.