The Power of Positive

Thinking
• Keep your thoughts positive because
your thoughts become your words,
• Keep your words positive because
your words become your behavior,
• Keep your behavior positive because
your behavior becomes your habits,
• Keep your habits positive because
your habits becomes your values,
• Keep your values positive because
your values becomes your destiny.

– Mahatma Gandhi
Benchmark
Benchmark Reading
Reading &
&
Math
Math Data
Data
Using Data To Enhance Instruction

Gail White
School Counselor
Martin L. King, Jr. Elementary
 Skills Measured
Reading Math
 Words and Phrases • Number Sense
 Main Idea • Measurement
 Comparisons • Geometry
 Reference • Algebraic Thinking
Research • Data Analysis
Understanding the Data
 Number of students with less than a 50%
likelihood of scoring 3 or higher on FCAT
Reading

• 3rd Grade
90 70 out of 102
80 students
70
• 4th Grade
60
50
3rd 83 out of 137
40
4th students
• 5th Grade
5th
30
20 58 out of 97
10 students
0
 Number of students with less than a
50% likelihood of scoring 3 or higher on
FCAT Math
• 3rd Grade
78 out of 99 120
students
100
• 4th Grade 80
111 out of 136 3rd
students 60 4th
5th
• 5th Grade 40

83 out of 98 20
students
0
Critical Areas: Reading
Words /
Phrases
161

Comparisons
123

Main Idea/Purpose
119
Critical Areas: Math

Number
Sense
215

Algebraic Thinking
194

Data Analysis
184
 Where do we go from
here?
• How do we improve? (Research)
• Developing strategies and action
plans to meet the needs of students
• Team Work: Grade level groups
• Presentation of plans
• Questions, comments, concerns
“Children learn in
different ways and at
different rates and
variations should not
be used as a reason to
doubt a child’s
potential or limit that
child’s opportunities
to learn.”
Hart & Jacobi
 Research
Instructional Strategies that Enhance
Achievement
 Getting and Sustaining Attention
 Creating Meaning
 Semantic Memory
 Episodic Memory
 Procedural Learning
 Engaging Emotions
 Getting and Sustaining
Attention

 Change voice, tone, volume, accent, pace

 Use props (bells, costumes, music)
 Deliberate use of contrast (change
location)
 Balance novelty and ritual
 Make students the main show
 Creating Meaning
• Use graphic organizers
• Have students create graphic organizers
• Ask compare/contrast questions
• Use topic/concept mapping
• Give global overview/pre-view of topic (with
overhead or map) at beginning
• At end of topic, ask students to evaluate proc and
cons, discuss relevance or share models
• Ask compare/contrast questions
 Semantic Memory

• Teach through rhymes, visualization, mnemonics, music,

discussion
• Use graphic organizers (
Venn diagrams; concept maps, story maps)
• Put important information first and last
• Use music, props, costumes
• Ask students to share what they learned with others
• Use cliff-hangers—Introduce problem one day and work
toward solution the next
• Teach students to use acrostics (Every Good Boy Does Fine)
• Put students in pairs to form quick summary
 Episodic Memory
• Change location, emotions, movement, novelty
• Connect learning to song, field trip, simulation
• Follow lesson with journal, project, peer teaching
• Do review in varied states (timed tests, public
tests, group presentation, quiz show)
• Create theme days or theme weeks to add color
and interest to learning
 Procedural Learning
• Enhance emotions in MIDDLE of class
• Role plays, reenactments
• Presentations
• Create songs or raps of key terms
• Build a working model
 Engaging Emotions
• Use celebrations (high fives, food, music, laughter)
• Use controversy (debated, dialogue, argument)
• Use physical rituals (chants, cheers, clapping patterns,
movements)
• Do shared work (partners, think/pair/share)
• Use movement (improvisation, dance, quiz show games, rap,
stretching, pretend)
• Engage emotions as part of learning (e.g. games, music,
drama)
 Characteristic of good
teachers
• Stay on students • Explains until the
• Able to control “light bulb” goes on
behavior AND focus • Provides a variety of
on lesson activities through
• Goes out of the way to which to learn
provide help • Is connected to
students (the
relationship is
important)
Students Value Teachers
Who…
“Nagging” students communicates a teacher believes the
student can succeed and cares enough to make sure the
work is done.

These teachers:
• Regularly check work
• Provide a regular and visible accounting of missing work
• Call students’ homes to make sure they complete their work
• Act as cheerleader, encourager
Students Value Teachers
Who…
• “A good teacher takes time out to
see if all the kids have what they’re
talking about…and cares how they’re
doing and will see if they need help.”
 Differentiating
Instruction/Instructional
Groupings
• Whole Groups
• Small Groups
– Heterogeneous group
– De-tracking
– Cooperative learning
– Peer tutoring
• Individualize instruction
 Let’s Review the DATA
• Each number
represent a child.
 Learning Needs: Sunshine
State Standards
August 2004/ Reading
R1: Words/ R2: R3: R4: References
Phrases Main Idea/ Comp
Purpose arisons

Below 50% 3rd Grade/ 52 27 42 23

102 tested

4th Grade/ 91 60 47 44
137 tested

5th Grade/ 18 32 37 20
97 tested

50%-69% 3rd Grade 26 45 36 32

4th Grade 23 65 50 49

5th Grade 58 27 39 30

70%-84% 3rd Grade 16 17 20 33

4th Grade 12 10 28 32

5th Grade 16 26 5 41

85%-100% 3rd Grade 8 13 4 14

4th Grade 11 3 13 13

5th Grade 5 12 19 6
 Learning Needs: Sunshine State Standards
August 2004
Math
M2: M3: Geometry M4: Algebraic M5: Data
M1: Measurements Thinking Analysis
Number Sense

Below 50% 3rd Grade/ 74 27 52 31 63

99 tested

4th Grade/ 82 80 66 71 64
136 ested

5th Grade/ 59 40 57 92 57
98 tested

50%-69% 3rd Grade 18 45 39 51 34

4th Grade 45 34 55 61 62

5th Grade 31 51 34 5 27

70%-84% 3rd Grade 6 10 8 17 2

4th Grade 8 15 15 4 9

5th Grade 8 7 6 1 13

85%-100% 3rd Grade 1 17 0 0 0

4th Grade 1 7 0 0 1

5th Grade 0 0 1 0 1
 Introducing...

• A DATA Collection Form to help you

differentiate instruction based upon
each student needs.
 Learning Needs: Sunshine State Standards
August 2004
READING
R1: R2: R3: R4:
Words/ Main Idea/ Comparisons References
Phrases Purpose

Below 50%

50%-69%

70%-84%

85%-100%
 Learning Needs: Sunshine State Standards
August 2004
Math

M2: M3: M4: M5: Data

M1: Measurements Geome Algebraic Analys
Number try Thinking is
Sense
Below
50%
50%-
69%
70%-
84%
85%-
100
%
Which child do you stand
for?
• “A hundred years
from now it will not
matter what my bank
account was, the sort
of house I lived in,
or the kind of car I
drove…But the world
may be different
because I was
important in the life
of a child.”
 References
• Hart, P.J.,& Jacobi, M. (1992). From gatekeeper to
advocate: Transforming the role of the school counselor.
New York: The College Board, obtained through The
Achievement Council. (420 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 420, Los
Angeles, CA 90010, 231-487-3194, fax 213-487-0879).
• Jensen, E. (1998).Teaching with the brain in mind.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development
• Wilson, B. & Corbrett, H. (2001). Listening to Urban Kids.
Albany, NY: SUNY Press.