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District rolls out T‑Bear writing scaffold and expands MAP Growth use to deepen student learning
Summary
Program administrators described a districtwide push to raise Depth of Knowledge through a T‑Bear writing scaffold and professional development; NWEA MAP Growth was presented as the data tool to monitor student growth and target interventions.
Kim Burman, program administrator, and Rebecca Jackson, instructional coach at Livingston High School, presented the district’s deeper learning initiative and the rollout of a writing scaffold called T‑Bear (Topic, Bridge, Evidence, Analysis, Relate/Reflect). Burman said the goal is districtwide consistency in higher‑order thinking and that instructional coaches will support teachers through one‑hour PD sessions, co‑planning and classroom feedback cycles.
“TBear is an analytical paragraph structure where the initials stand for topic, bridge, evidence, analysis, relate and or reflect,” Jackson explained, and said that regular use of the scaffold helps teachers and students achieve DK3‑level tasks that require explanation and justification. She described an implementation plan of short PD sessions across quarters, integration of T‑Bear into speaking and listening tasks, and supports for non‑ELA teachers to use writing in content areas.
Program administrator Stacy Koul presented the district’s use of NWEA MAP Growth (adaptive RIT scores) to measure student progress three times a year and to target interventions. Koul described MAP as a tool to set personalized growth goals, monitor progress and provide actionable reports for families and teachers. She said MAP growth is already used to inform interventions such as reading and math intensives and helps identify students who need early support.
Trustees asked about teacher feedback, training time and capacity to act on assessment data; presenters said PDs are intentionally short, instructional coaches provide classroom support, and that the district is building capacity to use MAP reports to guide interventions and celebrate gains.
