Dear Parents,
On Tuesday October 11th , the Great Oak school held a parent information night regarding the
results of the 2011 MCAS exams. A plan was put into place that the Great Oak staff and students
have executed. As we come up on the eve of the MCAS exams in English Language Arts which will be
held in March, I am pleased and excited with the progress we have made. The commendations go to
the faculty, staff, students and families of Great Oak. The following outlines our plan and what we
have done as a school community to complete the items.
1.) There will be a renewed emphasis for students in grades 1-5 to learn math facts so that they will
gain automaticity and improve their number sense.
~Teachers in coordination with our curriculum department, produced a timeline for mathematical
fluency across the grade levels. Currently, our faculty and students spend a portion of their math
block practicing math fluency. Every grade has expectations for the students that leave their grade
level.
1.) Teachers in grades 4 and 5 are working closely with the district’s elementary mathematics coach,
Julie Hilliard.
~ Ms. Hilliard is currently working at Great Oak school every Monday and she has made grades 4 and
5 her priority.
2.)The Great Oak school will be utilizing early release days, Professional Learning Communities and
faculty meetings to address our student learning problem which is getting students to read story and
word problems critically.
~ The faculty's work together on this problem has been very fruitful. We have created the ROAST
model to help students attack word problems in a logical and thorough way. Students have begun
using it in class at all grade levels. We are currently in the process of gathering data to judge it's
effect on student learning but anecdotal data has been promising.
3.) Weekly MCAS questions will be part of student’s weekly homework. (4 questions, given on
Monday to be returned on Friday) This will be for students in grades 3,4, and 5.
~ On-going!!
4.) Mr. Fusco and Maureen Lojko, the elementary curriculum director, will present our data process
and the steps that faculty is taking to address the student learning problem at the next PAC meeting
on November 14th at 7:00PM in the school library.
~ Meeting held on the 14th.
5.) Great Oak Teachers will attend an in-service with the elementary mathematics coach on
differentiating instruction within the Investigations curriculum.
~ Meeting held in early January with the faculty and Julie Hilliard our mathematics coach.
6.) Beginning in late January, there will be MCAS preparation classes for students in grades 3,4 and 5.
Courses will be offered both before and after school.
~MCAS prep classes began February 7th with before and after school sessions being held.
7.) By Tuesday, November 1st all parents should have received their child’s password and instructions
for accessing the reference guides for Investigations online. If you do not have Internet access, the
reference books are available from your child’s teacher.
~ Completed
8.)Whenever a new unit of study is begun in mathematics, the teachers will be sending home the
parent overview to help you understand the concepts behind the lessons.
~ On-going
9.)The Great Oak faculty and staff have worked very hard at executing this plan as well as improving
the daily learning that your child is experiences every day that they attend the Great Oak school. We
invite your feedback and participation.
Thank you,
Matt Fusco
Principal