2009-2010 Self-Study WASC Action Plan - Julian Charter School

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES
• Through observations and interviews with teachers,
our self-study shows that educators facilitate student
acquisition of knowledge and skills using a range of
methods. The majority of teachers use three or more
instructional strategies frequently. Strategies are used
in academy lessons, modeled by home study teachers,
and, when possible, taught to home study parents:
• Identifying Similarities and Differences: comparing,
classifying, creating metaphors, creating analogies
• Summarizing and Note Taking: analyzing, synthesizing,
prioritizing data, restating, organizing
• Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition: student
self-recognition and goal setting, correlation
between effort and achievement, effective praise,
recognition tokens, pause-prompt-praise method
(practices varies widely)
• Homework and Practice: establishing and communicating
a homework policy (academies), purpose
of homework, student assignment sheets or planners,
commenting on homework, massed and
distributive practice
• Nonlinguistic Representations: creating graphic
organizers, using other nonlinguistic tools (strong)
• Cooperative Learning: elements of cooperative
learning, varying grouping criteria, group size
• Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback: setting,
personalizing, and communicating objectives,
negotiating contracts, using criterion-referenced
and assessment feedback, peer feedback, student
self-assessment (area of growth)
• Generating and Testing Hypothesis: systems analysis,
problem-solving, decision making, historical
investigation, experimental inquiry, invention (in
process with work on 21st century learning)
• Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers: focusing
important information, explicit cues, asking inferential
and analytical questions, expository and
narrative advanced organizers, skimming, specific
types of knowledge, vocabulary, details, organizing
ideas, skills and processes.
• Students have the tools necessary to organize, access
and apply knowledge.
• EBSCO database available to all students and part
of teacher assignments
• Research papers, portfolios and reflections
• Sample lesson plan
• Classroom observation
• Student notebooks,
journaling, goal setting
sheets, and learning target
checklists
• Links to graphic organizers
• Marzano’s instructional
strategies list
Instructional Cornerstones
to Build Upon:
• Instruction is designed to
connect with all four
learning styles using
various combinations of
experience, reflection,
conceptualization, and
experimentation. Parents
and teachers use: sound,
music, visuals, movement,
experience, and talking.
• Instructional practices
actively engage students in
the planning and implementation
of teaching and
learning activities.
• Educators construct
lessons that enable a
student’s progression from
teacher- or parent-led to
self-directed learning.
• Educators construct
lessons that foster the
ability to “learn how to
learn” (and the application
of this ability to selfmonitor
and improve
learning progress across all
subjects).
• Teacher and student
accounts
• Student work samples
Chapter 4: Self-Study Findings: Instruction
Julian Charter School Focus on Learning 2009-2010 73