I will be looking at connections between the use of higher level thinking skills in classroom lessons and activities and commended TAKS scores. Although students at our campus are succeeding by passing the TAKS, why are they not going the extra mile to score commended? Do they possess the skills necessary to meet these expectations on the test?
One barrier I have anticipated is confidentiality of teachers. I want to look at lesson plans submitted by teachers last year in connection to the number of commended scores their students earned. Some teachers may not mind, but I know others who would not want me to be the one reviewing their plans. I wonder if there is a way for my assistant principal to black out names or keep them confidential. Will she be willing to review the plans herself in order to collect the information we need? The information collected from these lesson plans and TAKS scores will help to determine the level of professional development needed on our campus that focuses on higher level thinking skills.
The second barrier I have anticipated is the budget crisis my district is going through right now. We are stretched very thin on funds and there is little or no money to buy resources or bring in professionals to train teachers. Does my district have resources already that I can tap into in order to get the teachers on my campus the training they need to implement higher level thinking skills in their lessons and activities? If not, what are some other avenues I might take in order to train my teachers? One way that I have thought of is through teacher study groups and brainstorming sessions. We could also start book studies that focus on using these skills. I know there are ways to get teachers the information and resources needed, but where are they and how can I get to them?
