Building Level Objecives - Boonton High School

We have created Freshman focus classes in Mathematics and English in order to provide early intervention for students who may have difficulty with the HSPA. Additionally, we have enhanced the already existing HSPA preparation courses to more specifically identify and remediate skills from the HSPA.

To better meet our goal of assisting our students and enhancing their HSPA performance in English and Mathematics we are intensifying our focus on the skills necessary to improve scores.

Improving HSPA Math Scores at Boonton High School

The goals of our Collaborative are:

Identify areas where future benchmark exams should be used for formative, summative, or classroom assessments.
Provide all HSPA, Freshman Focus and SRA teachers with data that can be used to target instruction and identify strengths and weaknesses before the HSPA exam.
The eventual possibility of developing instructional practices and lessons based on overall data trends.

Potential Resources:

Test items from publicly released exams from other states and questions prepared by members of the Collaborative.
NJ State Standards
Staff - a group of knowledgeable and experienced educators with preferred material or resources
HSPA Matrix

Utilizing the resources above, the math collaborative will select and evaluate questions from publicly released Assessments (from other states) and from questions submitted by members of the collaborative. These questions will be used to ultimately create a series of benchmark exams.

Mathematics
The Mathematics Section of the HSPA assessment is divided into four content clusters. Each of these clusters reflects knowledge and skills specified in New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards

High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) Mathematics Clusters

I. Number Sense, Concepts, and Applications (15% of Exam)
A. Understand types of numbers, our numeration system, and the ways they are used and applied in real-world situations.
B. Apply ratios, proportions, and percents in a variety of situations.

II. Spatial Sense and Geometry (25% of Exam)
A. Recognize, visualize, analyze, and apply geometric properties, relationships, and patterns in real-world and/or problem-solving contexts using models, manipulatives, or technology.
B. Use coordinate geometry in problem-solving situations and apply the principles of congruence, similarity, and transformations.
C. Apply the principles of measurement and geometry to solve problems involving direct and indirect measurement.

III. Data Analysis, Probability, Statistics, and Discrete Mathematics (30% of Exam)
A. Determine, interpret, and use probabilities of simple and compound events.
B. Understand and interpret statistical distributions and apply to real-world situations.
C. Collect, organize, represent, analyze, and interpret data.
D. Apply the concepts and methods of discrete mathematics to model and explore a variety of practical situations.
E. Use iterative and recursive patterns and processes to model a variety of practical situations and solve problems.

IV. Patterns, Functions, and Algebra (30% of Exam)
A. Recognize, create, and extend a variety of patterns and use inductive reasoning to understand and represent mathematical and other real-world phenomena.
B. Use various types of functions to represent mathematical or real-world situations.
C. Use algebraic concepts and processes to concisely express, analyze, and model real world situations.

Assessment:
Baseline test performance data will be established with a locally developed pre-test. Teachers will use the baseline data to develop learning strategies that will address student deficiencies. Locally developed post-test will be administered and expected results will be a score of 70 % or better.

Improving HSPA Writing Scores at Boonton High School

Goals:

To create improved lessons for writing
To observed model classes
To use these techniques in the classroom
To participate in coaching situations for improvement
To self evaluate

Resources:

Outside coach and mentor to work with the staff
Time allotted to the program during staff in-service days

Evaluation:
Scores will be analyzed to look for improvements and plan future actions.

Periodic timed assessments will be administered to target weaknesses in student achievement. With the input, guidance and Peer Coaching of the consultant, teachers will develop learning strategies designed to target weaknesses. The expected outcome will be to see a 10 % growth in the percentage of students who score proficient and advanced proficient on the Language Arts section of the grade 11 HSPA as compared to the 08 – 09 HSPA results.

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