Harvesting Best Practices from Wake County Schools

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Harvesting Best Practices from Wake County
Schools

• Presented by Becky Ashley, Kim Hughes, Deborah
  Scherr-Freedman and Phylis Weeks

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Introductions

• Becky Ashley, Highcroft Drive Elementary
• rashley_at_wcpss.net
• Kim Hughes, Project Enlightenment
• khughes_at_wcpss.net
• Deborah Scherr-Freedman, WF-R Middle
• dfreedman_at_wcpss.net
• Phylis Weeks, Fuquay-Varina Middle
• pweeks_at_wcpss.net

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Why are we here?

• Build an awareness of a unique program designed
  to Harvest the Best Instructional Practices found
  within WCPSS
• Better understand why and how Dr. Burns Teacher
  Advisory Council (STAC) got involved
• Share the logistics of this program
• Promote an excitement about this opportunity so
  YOU and your teachers want to get involved

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Why Share the Best Instructional Practices in
Wake County?

• Recommendation was embedded in Wake Educational
  Partnerships Recruit, Retain, and Respect Report
  
• Aligned with data from Governor Easleys Teacher
  Working Conditions Survey
• WCPSS science curriculum currently in a state of
  transition
• Pilot program will focus on Science curriculum
  due to NC testing at grades 5 and 8

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• Timing right to be included as a key strategy
  in each Wake County's School Improvement Plan
  Process
• Big Picture Thinking strives for all WCPSS
  curricular areas to be included once pilot
  program is tested and deemed successful

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Program Logistics

• Best Practice School
  encourages teacher
• established to submit
  best practice
• Best Practice is
  Evaluation team of
• written up by teacher,
  teachers and science
• form is signed by both
  administrators meet
• site designee, submitted monthly to
  review and
• make
  recommendations
• Teachers are informed
  Best practice posted
• of evaluation teams decision
  on website

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Program Logistics

• Best Practices will be submitted using a teacher
  developed template that incorporates NC DPIs
  best scientific thinking. Template is aligned
  with WCPSS suggested best scientific practice
• Each approved best practice will be part of the
  WCPSS Instructional Services Intranet website
• Home accessibility will be critical to programs
  success

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A best practice can be a lesson, a method of
setting up your lab, a rubric, or any practice
that impacts student learning significantly.
WCPSS Best Practice _____________________________
________ North Carolina Standard Course of
Study Objective (included number and
specific language of standards objective)
__________________________________________________
______ Is this a Classroom Technique?
____Yes ____ No OPTIONAL Is a
demonstration videotape of 20 minutes or less
best practice included? _ ___Yes ____ No
(Note Videotapes become the property of WCPSS
Instructional Services and will not be
returned) Was permission secured form
parents or guardians of students featured in
videotape? ___Yes ____ No Best practice
designed for Grade Level(s) ______
Essential Question Addressed ____________________
_________
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Lesson Plan
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Goal 5 Evolution in Organisms and Landforms
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A best practice can be a lesson, a method of
setting up your lab, a rubric, or any practice
that impacts student learning significantly. WCPS
S Best Practice Disease Most Wanted
Poster North Carolina Standard Course of Study
Objective (included number and specific language
of standards objective) Objective 7-4
Evaluate the human attempt to reduce the risk of
and treatment for microbial infections. Objective
5-1 Interpret ways in which rocks, fossils, and
ice cores record Earth's geologic history and the
evolution of life. Is this a Classroom
Technique? ____Yes __X_ No OPTIONAL Is
a demonstration videotape of 20 minutes or less
best practice included? __Yes _X No (Note
Videotapes become the property of WCPSS and will
not be returned) Was permission secured form
parents or guardians of students featured in
videotape? _X_Yes ___ No Best practice
Designed for Grade Level(s) __8__ Essential
Question Addressed Why do we need to be
concerned with viruses and the way vaccines are
produced?
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What is your role in harvesting WCPSS Best
Practices?

• Look for exemplary best practices as you visit
  classrooms, evaluate teachers, talk about student
  achievement, meet with your leaderships team
• Encourage teachers to submit these exceptional
  practices
• Determine who will be your site designee and
  publicize this opportunity
• Look for more specific information to come from
  Donna Hargens and Instructional Services

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Get EXCITED about what this could mean for your
teachers and students!!
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Questions??