RSAC 2024

Grading systems in the United States date back to the 17th century, beginning in higher education. Grades have shown student achievement, progress towards grade-level learning standards, and process or conduct and effort. Grading is a small part of a much bigger picture, leading to learning.

Grading focusing on student achievement and specific learning standards within each academic subject has become popular in public education. In education, learning standards represent the educational goals of teaching and learning. Standards-based education has been centered around the idea that learning standards were established on specific knowledge and skills that all students should be able to know and perform as a result of their education. The standards-based grading system is a practice that bases students’ grades on their performance of clearly defined learning objectives rather than completing assignments and tests or accumulating points. A student’s grades should reflect only what a student knows and can do.

Moreover, grades provide feedback, document progress toward grade-level learning standards, and assist teachers in making decisions about students' instructional needs. Research states that grades should reflect students’ performance based on specific learning criteria. Standards-based grading systems should reflect what students know, understand, and can do.

We will demonstrate how to use play based learning in elementary school classrooms as a method of instruction in both large and small scale opportunities to help engage students in authentic and meaning learning opportunities.

In this session you will learn how we transformed our foundational skills instruction to better meet the needs of our students. You will leave with practical ideas to implement in your classrooms right away. With this information you will be able to build a consistent daily routine that will help your students’ reading skills soar.

This session will highlight the six best practices for students struggling in math. These practices are found in the What Works Clearinghouse IES practice guide and include: Explicit instruction protocols, precise vocabulary use, exposure to multiple representations, incorporation of number lines to enhance learning, word problem guidance, and fact fluency tips. Participants will learn attributes of students struggling in math and explore concrete tools that work best for these students. This includes Cuisenaire rods and cluster cards to help deepen student understanding of various concepts.

Social Emotional Learning has become a core focus in education due to the growing challenges and demands faced in the classroom. In this session, participants will walk away with tips, tools, and strategies to use in their classrooms that focus on cultivating a supportive classroom environment, integrating SEL into academic instruction, and teaching explicit SEL instruction. We will discuss and model how to use SEL topics such as growth mindset, mindfulness, student book clubs, and restorative practices to build a classroom culture while integrating specific SEL instruction. Participants will walk away with tools, strategies, and ideas that can be taken back to their classrooms and implemented immediately.

The shift to structured literacy highlights the significance of foundational skills. For numerous educators, this signifies a fresh perspective or set of skills. In this session, teachers will understand the core principles of structured literacy instruction, covering phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. They will grasp how these elements improve reading instruction effectively for students of all levels. Participants will engage in and learn diverse hands-on and digital methods that can be readily applied in their classrooms.

Empowerment through problem solving word problem is possible! Discover practical strategies to engage students in deep thinking about math tasks through productive struggle and math discussions. Leave equipped to seamlessly integrate these techniques into your curriculum and empower your students in conquering word problems!