Language Arts Meeting Minutes 11/07/07

Present:

Robert Bullock

Jennifer Butcher

Donna Collins

Paula Collins

Karesa Crockett

Donna Frye

Jaclyn Richardson

Lynn Todd

Angela Murphy

Teresa Yancey

Absent:

Debbie Estes – Parent member

Shelly Hargis

Daniel Hill

Debbie Wilson

Meeting began at 3:42.

Committee Business:

1. 10/03/07 Minutes were approved as read.
2. Curriculum Maps: 
   1. Each grade level felt that so far they were on target with the timelines.

3. PD
   1. No needs at this time.
4. Item Analysis for Assessment
   1. 8th grade teachers brought a reading open response sample ‘Raymond’s Run’.

                                                               i.      Content was characterization, recalling facts, identifying main ideas.

                                                             ii.      The committee discussed the verbs used in the question.  Part B lacked a clear verb.

1.      The committee helped to rephrase the question to include a clear verb.

                                                            iii.      Part B also asked for examples from the given text, and the committee discussed if we should give students a number of examples to give.

                                                           iv.      Ms. Butcher and Mr. Bullock felt that the CATS test does not give students a set number of examples to give, so students should not always be given a number.

2. 6^th grade will bring an example of student work to be analyzed.

5. Technology Sharing
   1. Jaclyn Richardson offered to show committee members how to import lessons on the CPS system so that planning partners can share lessons.
   2. Donna Collins, Jennifer Butcher, and Jaclyn Richardson further discussed how to hook up an ELMO to the projectors.  A special cord is required; see Ms. Mayfield.
   3. Mr. Bullock is continuing to record and podcast his lessons.
6. Writing
   1. District Writing Plan

                                                               i.      Paula Collins brought the district writing plan for grades K-5.

1.      Writing examples will be generated at each grade level.

2.      Writing will demonstrate three types of writing:  writing to learn, writing to demonstrate learning, and writing for real-world purposes.

3.      Writing will be done across the curriculum.

4.      Pieces of writing are not all taken through the whole writing process.

                                                             ii.      The middle school plan will be similar.

1.      The Language Arts Committee is responsible for creating our school writing plan.

                                                            iii.      Superintendent will meet with principals to discuss writing plans in the near future.

                                                           iv.      This plan will take effect as soon as possible.

                                                             v.      Paula Collins brought a video on writing that she thought might be appropriate for a faculty meeting. OR She thought that we could create a video with NMS teachers implementing writing in their classrooms.

2. Portfolios

                                                               i.      Conferencing Plan

1.      Jennifer Butcher and Paula Collins will coordinate the Jan./Feb. and Mar./April dates for this.

                                                             ii.      Portfolio Scoring

1.      We would like to come up with a different way to score portfolios.

2.      Other schools in our district score during the day.

3.      The committee would like to address this with Ms. Murphy at our next committee meeting.

Meeting was dismissed at 4:40

Next agenda/ before next time:

6^th grade teachers are to bring an item for analysis of students work for reading