The Maynard Jackson Cluster hosted “Math Across the Cluster,” a cluster – wide professional learning opportunity addressing math instruction in all content areas and in all grade levels. Every teacher and administrator in the Jackson Cluster, district support staff, and professional developers and consultants participated in this convention.
The instructional coaches, representatives from Carnegie Learning, and district leaders provided the professional development during a general assembly and breakout sessions. They focused on implementing math across the curriculum, since all teachers, including elective teachers will use math into their classroom instruction.
All of the principals in the Jackson Cluster have collaborated to create a cluster improvement plan addressing systemic professional development goals through 2017. Effectively implementing this plan will provide teachers in the cluster with capacity-building support through professional learning, and giving them resources that will prepare students at all levels for academic success.
Cluster improvement planning for the first year of the initiative includes goals ranging from academics to community and parental engagement. Highlights of the planning objectives are listed below:
Academic Goal: Math
▪ Middle schools and high school in the Jackson cluster will increase the number of students who correctly answer at least ½ of the algebra domain questions on the CRCT/EOCT by 10 percent.
▪ Elementary schools in the Jackson cluster will increase the number of students’ meeting and/or exceeding standards in the domain of Number and Operations by 10 percent.
Community and Parental Engagement Goal: Infinite Campus
▪ Increase the number of parents utilizing the parent portal by 10 percent.
Student Well-Being Goal: Attendance
▪ Decrease the number of students who are absent 10 or more days by 10 percent.
Professional Development Goal: Math
▪ 100 percent of our teachers will participate in three professional development sessions aligned
The principals have also developed at least three strategies and plans of action to address each specific goal in the Cluster Improvement Plan for 2013-2014.
