Shifts In Education

"Six Shifts in Education": My job consists of many things. On most days it involves visiting classrooms, preparing the budget, negotiating contracts, overseeing the operation of the buildings and departments, studying the landscape to make sure that we always have a leg up on anything new, meeting with the community, attending events, and providing instructional leadership. Last week while checking in on some initiatives centered around instructional leadership, I came across what is known as the "six shifts in education". I am always concerned that educational leaders use words that are too big or passages that are too lengthy to describe change. Explaining the "six shifts" can suck someone into that exact same vortex unless you take a look at the shifts from the eyes of students.

Mr. Kesel (Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction), along with Beth Lozier (Principal at Camillus Middle School), Mike Caraccio (Academic Dean at the High School), and Lisa Craig (Principal at East Hill Elementary School), took a look at the "shifts" specifically in math and English language arts and broke things down in a way that I think everyone can understand.

The following link http://engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/shifts-for-students-and-parents.pdf outlines the "shifts" in English language arts and the problem listed below represents the "shifts" in math. As you can see, the bar for what will be required of our students has been raised considerably. This will make your job as parents more difficult as you try to assist your children with their homework. If you need help, please make an appointment to see the classroom teacher or building principal so they can give you some helpful strategies.

2010 Grade 6 Question:

What is the value of n in the equation below?
66 + n = 226

2013 Grade 6 Sample Question:

Represent the equation algebraically-
A number, x, decreased by the sum of 2x and 5.
A) (2x + 5) - x
B) x - (2x + 5)
C) x - 2x + 5
D) (x + 2x) - 5

Show your work...

Upcoming Events: Lots of games, concerts, and events the next two weeks. All of our teams are playing well right now and our fine arts performers are on fire. So if you need a couple of hours away from the grind that the holiday season can sometimes be, we would love to see you at any of our events. A full event schedule can be found on our website www.westgenesee.org.

Have a wonderful week!

Chris