Teaching and Learning Advisory

The Office of Literacy is thrilled to announce an exciting Early Literacy Series professional learning opportunity. This comprehensive series will delve into the Science of Reading, the Wonders curriculum, and the implementation of the High-Impact Strategies.

Whether you are a new hire or an experienced English/Language Arts teacher, there are spring semester ELA sessions suited just for you! Vendor-led PD offerings for both K-5 ELA Wonders and 6-8/9-12 ELA myPerspectives are available.

The spring semester series will kick off with a focus on writing in both curricula.

Please register in PLZ. For more information, click the appropriate link below:

• K-5 Wonders PD Series
• 6-12 myPerspectives PD Series

TCAP Writing Task Guidance

The TCAP Writing Task Guidance document (found here), includes access to the assessment overviews, blueprints, and rubrics. Additionally, the activities described reflect the rigor of the writing task(s) students will complete on the assessment. Please note that this document is not intended to be used as an instructional resource or as a pacing guide. However, it does offer grade level and writing standards specific guidance regarding the writing tasks expectations.

Optional TCAP Grade 2 Early Literacy Assessment

The Tennessee Department of Education has applied stakeholder feedback to improve the experience of the optional Grade 2 Early Literacy assessment. The resulting redesign brought the Grade 2 assessment experience into alignment with the TCAP ELA assessment experience at other grade levels. More information about the redesign is available here.

Spots are limited, so we encourage all interested K-2 teachers to register as soon as possible. To secure your spot using course #47541 in PLZ.

Additionally, we encourage you to review the K-2 Foundational Skills "Essentials" document to ensure your foundational skills instruction is aligned with the most effective and impactful strategies. Don't miss this valuable chance to enhance your knowledge and skills in early literacy. We look forward to your participation in this transformative learning experience.

K-2 FS Essentials.pdf

Questions? Email: OfficeofLiteracy@scsk12.org

To support schools and teachers around addressing and or reteaching standards that need additional support based on recent iReady, network CFA, and or short cycle assessment data, an ELA Standards Toolkit has been curated. This toolkit provides schools with ease of access to a variety of standards resources. These resources include support for deepening teachers’ understanding of the expectations of the standards, support for identifying where the standards live in the ELA curriculum and provide standards specific assessment and reteach practice items. Access the toolkit by clicking on the visual to the right.

Please register in PLZ (#47558) to join the "TN Revised Mathematics Standards - Areas of Opportunity" session for your grade band! We are excited to review the TN Math standards that pose the greatest areas of opportunity throughout MSCS based on 23-34 TCAP and EOC data. We want all participants to understand how to accelerate student outcomes using evidence-based strategies for Tier 1 instruction, Tier 2, Tier 3, and enrichment of the standards already taught this year and those upcoming.

Updated Instructional Focus Documents for Mathematics

The most up-to-date Instructional Focus Documents have been uploaded to the Curriculum Maps SharePoint Instructional Focus Documents folder located within the Additional Supporting Documents folder. The Instructional Focus Document for each grade/course has been revised by TDOE with the exception of Grade 8 and Algebra 1. Please access the latest grade-level document for complete standards guidance.

Questions? Email: MathCurriculum&Instruction@scsk12.org

Please register in PLZ (#47556) to join the "Mathematics Capstone for Grade 6 and Algebra 1 sessions!

With one semester of engagement in course curriculum and standards behind us, students' academic experiences can be extended by identifying and solving a real-world complex problem. We are eager to launch a strategically designed, standards-aligned extension of the District-adopted curricula, so that all 6th-grade Math and Algebra 1 educators are empowered to structure, plan, and engage students in completing this mastery focused task.

Let us bring our farm to you! The Urban Farm Education Initiative 901 is excited to share this Agricultural Math and Science flyer for all Math and Science students (Grades K-12). Please see the flyer below for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Terilyn McChriston at mcchristontj@scsk12.org.

Deadlines are fast approaching for the 2024-2025 science fair. Please see the flyer below for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Terilyn McChriston at mcchristontj@scsk12.org.

The Social Studies supporting documents folder located in the 2024-25 Curriculum Resources SharePoint contains a wealth of resources. This week, we would like to highlight the Social Studies Strategies Appendix. This appendix contains links to student engagement protocols, graphic organizers, teaching strategies, and much more. The appendix has been linked below for your convenience.