C.A.T.

Content Area Proficiency Level Number of Students
(29 total students)
English Language Arts Below Basic 3
Basic 9
Proficient 9
Advanced 8
Mathematics Below Basic 1
Basic 3
Proficient 12
Advanced 13

The attached chart provides an overview of the proficiency levels in Language Arts and Mathematics based on the 2009 CST.

In terms of science and history and social studies the students have a wide range of academic knowledge and skills. Overall, the students work well together to research projects in both subjects. However, there is not a high level of background knowledge about either subject. The students are not able to recall basic facts. In terms of science, they do not know the scientific process, and in terms of social studies they cannot tell the difference between a continent, country and states.

The school serves a diverse student body. Just over half of the students are Hispanic, thirty-two percent are White (non Latino) and eleven percent of the students are African American. The remaining five percent are Asian and Filipino. A quarter of the students are classified as English Learners, with five percent of the student body reclassified as Fluent English Proficient. In addition, eleven percent of the students are in Special Education, and six percent are in a Gifted and Talented Education program.
The majority of students on this campus participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program, with sixty percent of the students classified as economically disadvantaged. Due to the socioeconomic status of these students, few resources, such as computers, are available at home. In the community, resources such as the public library are available.

The teachers have developed a quarterly English Language Arts curriculum-pacing plan which is reviewed and adjusted in weekly grade level meetings. The teachers use the Open Court instructional program as a guide, and issue the unit assessment provided by the program. The curriculum is also planned to prepare the students for the California Standards Test.
In terms of science, the teachers develop a quarterly curriculum pacing plan which is reviewed and adjusted monthly in grade level meetings. The teachers use the FOSS instructional program as a guide, and plan based on and to prepare the students for the California Standards Test.
The social studies and history curriculum is also developed quarterly, and is based on the CA state standards.

The English Language Arts lesson is integrated with music, planned based on CA state standards and scaffolded to meet the needs of the students. The CA state standards addressed are English Language Arts Reading Comprehension CA Standard 2.4 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge, and Music Content CA standard 1.6 Identify and describe music forms, including themes and variations and twelve-bar blues.
The lesson uses the advanced organizer format and focuses on the big idea that patterns allow for predictions. This idea is reinforced throughout the lesson through examples and the cause and effect graphic organizer. The lesson is sequenced to activate prior knowledge, engage students, and help them make connections to the material. The lesson starts with music, which the students can relate to and already make connections based on reoccurring patterns. After practice with music, the students apply the concept to the text they are reading.
In addition to the structure, scaffolding will be provided in terms of incorporating visual cues, breaking down a complex task into smaller, more manageable parts, providing a number of opportunities to work with partners, including an extensive vocabulary review, and providing the cause and effect thinking map to organize their information.
This lesson accesses students' prior knowledge. The students had read the text, "S.O.R. Losers" throughout the week. The students were familiar with and had used the cause and effect thinking map previously. In addition, the students have been learning about inferences and making connections across content areas.
The lesson is accessible for all students as the scores selected for the lesson, Jaws, Mission Impossible and Toy Story, were chosen because they contain elements of major themes and are easily identifiable whether the students knew the movie or not.
The lesson ends with providing the students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning. The students will provide examples of when they draw conclusions in their daily lives.

The social studies lesson is integrated with visual arts, planned based on CA state standards and scaffolded to meet the needs of the students. The CA state standards addressed are History and Social Students standard 5.9 Students know the location of the current 50 states and the names of their capitals and Visual Arts CA standard 2.7 Communicate values, opinions, or personal insights through an original work of art.
The lesson uses the group investigation format and focuses on student research to learn about one of the 50 states. The lesson is sequenced to activate prior knowledge, engage students, and help them make personal connections to the material. The lesson starts with an activity called, "Where in the world are we?," in which the students will create a visual representation of our location. After clarifying key words such as city, state, country, continent and planet, the students will pair up to research a state based on a packet and classroom materials. The students will pick their own partner to ensure they are paired with someone they feel comfortable working collaboratively with. After researching a state, the class will regroup and discuss persuasive posters, then create a poster persuading their classmates to visit the state they researched.
In addition to the structure, scaffolding will be provided in terms of incorporating providing students with the opportunity to construct their own learning, visual cues, breaking down a complex task into smaller, more manageable parts, and providing a number of opportunities to work with partners. This lesson also includes a presentation, promoting oral literacy development.
This lesson accesses students' prior knowledge. In previous weeks, it became apparent that the students struggled with identifying states, countries, and continents. Therefore the lesson starts with a review of the different geographic classifications based on their location.
The lesson is accessible for all students, as they will be working with collaborative partners. In addition, research will be provided visually, and in written form. The students will have the opportunity to decide whether to create the poster with their partner or alone. The poster can have visuals or written facts, based on student preference.
The lesson ends with providing the students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning. The students will talk about what they learned and why it is important to know.

The science is planned based on CA state standards and scaffolded to meet the needs of the students. The CA state standard addressed is Life Sciences Standard 3.c: Students know the sequential steps of digestion and the role of the teeth and the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon in the function of the digestive system.
The lesson uses the learning cycle format and provides students with the opportunity to explore the digestive system and create a graphic organizer to depict the steps and roles of key features. The objective is students will be able to organize steps of the digestive system in sequential order. To verify their understanding, they will create a flow chart sequencing and describing the role of the teeth and mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon.
The lesson is sequenced to engage students, and help them explore the digestive system. The lesson starts with watching a reenactment of the digestive system with different foods. Then the students will read an article in their science book describing the process. We will review key terms, steps and purpose of the digestive system as a whole class. Then the students will create a flow chart to organize information. The students will be partnered with the student sitting next to them.
In addition to the structure, scaffolding will be provided in terms of incorporating providing students with the opportunity to examine the digestive system visually, in text and in a flow chart. Also visual cues, breaking down a complex task into smaller, more manageable parts, and providing a number of opportunities to work with partners are incorporated in this lesson.
This lesson accesses students' prior knowledge. The students have just completed a unit on the circulatory system. In addition, students have created flow charts, and by reinforcing this comprehension strategy students were able to organize the information to make it more accessible.
The lesson is accessible for all students, as they will be working with partners. In addition, they received the information in variety of formats.
The lesson ends with providing the students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning.