1.  In August, the Rochester Area Math/Science Partnership (Minnesota) hosted a one-day LtoJ conference.  The highlight of the day was learning from local teachers.  Each hour, one elementary, one middle and one high school teacher told the audience their LtoJ experience.  For example, Tom Theye and Brian Harris, science teachers in Dover-Eyota school district, have been using the LtoJ process for five years for required science courses in grades 7 through grade 10 biology.  Students are expected to learn 100 key science concepts each year AND expected to remember concepts from prior years.  In 2003, the biology students were expected to know only the 10th grade biology concepts and answered 82% correct on their final exam in biology.  The next year, students were expected to know the biology concepts AND the 9th grade science concepts taught the prior year.  The result was 72% correct for all students.  Below is their data story:
            2003                81%                100 concepts
            2004                72%                200 concepts (grades 9 and 10)
            2005                70%                300 concepts (grades 8,9 and 10)
            2006                55%                400 concepts (grades 7,8,9, and 10)
            2007                78%                400 concepts (grades 7,8,9, and 10)

Tom and Brian shared that the 2007 biology students finally believed the teachers were serious about having to remember their science from prior grade levels.   It is impressive that the Dover-Eyota science department did not give up in 2006 thinking that having to remember science is just too much for kids today.  Further, science is not currently tested with NCLB; this dedication comes from the desire of teachers, not from outside pressure.  Can the 2008 biology students surpass the 2003 students with four times the learning requirement???  Jane Johnson is the district's curriculum director, should readers wish more information.  Her e-mail address is janejohnson@desch.org.

2.  At the same conference, I heard Sue Winter, an economics teacher at Rochester's John Marshall High School, talk about her newly required graduation requirement taken by seniors.  The students received the first day of the class exactly 100 key economics concepts.  They were introduced to the LtoJ process with a quiz and also to the 100-sided die.  What impressed me so much is that high school seniors, within weeks of graduation, wanted their turn to roll the 100-sided die and were excited to outscore first semester students. Some even rushed into class asking Sue to please give the quiz first thing so they could take the quiz before leaving on their field trip.   I have heard many, many times that high school students will not do anything that isn't graded.  It is a myth.  Sue's e-mail is suwinter@rochester.k12.mn.us.

3  The Lexington, Nebraska school district has implemented LtoJ in vocabulary K-12 for a couple years.  This year they are expanding LtoJ for mathematics, from kindergarten through algebra.  Their documents are wonderful! Go to http://www.lex.esu10.org/ to see what they have prepared.  After reaching the main site, click on curriculum and then Lexington mathematics. For further information contact their Director of Curriculum, Julie Otero at jotera@esu10.org.

4.  Council Bluffs, Iowa began the LtoJ process with mathematics in 2001.  Iowa assesses mathematics progress with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).  Attached is a slide showing the percentile growth in Council Bluffs.  In 2002 there is a 50% chance the increase is luck; in 2003 a 25% chance they were lucky again, in 2004 the probability is 12.5% until we reach 2007 with a 1.5% chance Council Bluffs is lucky yet again.  For more information on the Council Bluffs story contact Marty Shudak.  His e-mail address is mshudak@cbcsd.org.

5.  If readers wish to contact a modern language teacher with multiple years of LtoJ experience, write to Renee Connolly.  She is an Iowa Spanish teacher.  Her e-mail is connolly@comet.n-polk.k12.ia.us.

6.  In Kearney, Nebraska this July I was joined by Dan McCaulley of Maconaquah School Corporation of Indiana. He had written earlier stating, "I have never had results like this on a comprehensive final in 35 years of teaching."  With a comment like that I was anxious to learn from him.  Attached below is a PDF of three of the slides Dan shared.  The first shows how he combined state standards with key concepts.  The state standards were placed in a box and later highlighted.  Below each state standard are the key concepts students will learn during the course of the year.  The second slide is geography locations.  Students were expected to know 50 in grade 6, 50 more in grade 7 and 50 more in grade 8.  Of course, they were accountable for all 150 in grade 8.  The slide shows a portion of the grade 7 list.  The third slide shows a "trick" Dan played on his students.  The week 1 quiz was the normal selection, and weeks 2-22 were random.  However, week 23 was not random.  Unknown to the students it was a duplicate of week 1.  Just prior to parent conferences, he was able to show students and parents how much they had learned in 23 weeks of middle school social studies.  Dan's e-mail is danandjane417@sbcglobal.net.

7.Attached is a powerpoint slide I received and have inserted into my presentation.  It has the URL for a website that may be of use to you.  The random quiz, made from the website, can be used for any subject.  Hit the refresh button and a completely different list of questions appear.  When correcting the quiz, click on the correct answer at the right.  You will see that this example is from high school English.

7.  All prior newsletters and attachments are posted on the LtoJ Consulting web site, http://www.ltojconsulting.com/.  If you change e-mail addresses, please go the web site and sign up as if a new recipient of the newsletter.  Please include name, e-mail address and state, if USA, and country if outside of the US. 

 

Lee Jenkins, Lee@LtoJConsulting.com