Fifth
Submitted
by
The agenda for
the meeting was approved. To begin the
meeting, Dianne shared the purposes and responsibilities of the Advisory
Assembly. Delegates were asked to
sign-in and complete information sheets to update the biographical and contact
information contained in the database.
Delegates introduced themselves to the assembly by sharing information
about some of their professional responsibilities, school/district affiliation
and hub affiliation. The meeting began
with a luncheon that provided time for delegates to network with each other and
discuss the three focus questions presented for the Advisory Assembly.
·
Do
you prefer for meetings of the Advisory Assembly to be held in conjunction with
SCCTM meetings or in the summer?
·
Do
you believe that the 2004 SCCTM meeting, which will be held in
·
Do
you have suggestions for the SCCTM Executive Board to consider as they make
plans for 2002-2003?
At the
conclusion of the luncheon, the questions were discussed. A summary of comments and consensus
recommendations is given below.
·
Unanimous
agreement for the Advisory Assembly to meet in conjunction with SCCTM
meetings. Too many conflicts to overcome
in the summer.
·
Prefer
for the AA meetings to be a dinner meeting, but not on the last day of the
conference.
·
There
was consensus that teachers were very concerned about missing two instructional
days to attend the conference. Darren Prevost reported that many teachers had conveyed this to
him while he was working at the NCTM booth.
·
Delegates
said that principals were hesitant to grant professional leave because of the
school report cards.
·
There
was consensus to recommend to the SCCTM Executive Board for the 2004 SCCTM Fall
Conference to be scheduled for a Friday/Saturday format.
At the
conclusion of the discussion,
Highlights from
her comments related to the SC High School Assessment are summarized
below. Please remember that these
highlights are not intended to convey the scope of the information that was
shared. Since new information is being
communicated from the Office of Assessment often, teachers should check for
updates often.
ü
Challenging
academic standards in mathematics, reading/language arts and science
ü
Academic
standards apply to all public school students and are expected of all students
ü
Academic
standards specify what students are expected to know and be able to do, contain
coherent and rigorous content, encourage the teaching of advanced skills, and
are irrespective of course titles of years completed.
ü
Be
aligned with state’s academic content standards
ü
Include
two levels of high achievement that determine how well students are mastering
the content standards
ü
Have
cut scores that differentiate among the achievement levels
ü
The
Assessment System must
·
Be
administered at least once in Grades 10-12
·
Address
the depth and breadth of the state’s academic content standards
·
Express
student results in terms of the state’s student academic achievement standards
·
Be
designed to be valid and accessible for use with the widest possible range of
students, including students with disabilities and students with Limited
English Proficiency
·
Provide
appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities and 504 plans
·
Provide
alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate in
all or part of the state assessments, even with appropriate accommodations
ü
Exit
requirement – students must pass all parts to receive SC high school diploma
ü
Be
administered for the first time in 10th grade
ü
Used
in state accountability system for schools and districts
The Office of
Assessment will develop one comprehensive test to meet both state and federal
requirements and determine the content of the comprehensive high school
examination. To facilitate this process,
they will consider input from educator groups and the general public.
Teachers and
administrators are encouraged to check the web site below for updates on the S.
C. Statewide Assessment Program.