Beginning with a two-day kick-off conference in August, the Department of Education is sponsoring the 2019-20 Multi-Grade Teacher Professional Development & Support Program for K-12 teachers in the multi-grade instructional setting, multi-grade rural schools, and multi-grade Hutterite Colony schools. The goals of the program are to strengthen multi-grade instructional planning and unit design.
Please encourage multi-grade teachers in your schools and districts to participate.
Rationale:
Many rural schools, and nearly all Hutterite Colony attendance centers, are structured in multi-grade classrooms. Multi-grade teaching presents unique challenges in regards to knowledge of multiple grade-level standards, unit design and planning, instructional practices, and assessment.
While differentiation within a grade-level classroom is standard practice, current teacher preparation programs and in-service workshops may not address the uniquely challenging context of differentiating across multiple grade levels.
The main challenges for teachers in this particular setting are:
- Planning for multi-grade lessons and/or multi-grade unit design
- Working knowledge of multiple grade levels of state content standards
- Instructional practices – differentiation across multiple grade-level standards
- Incorporating strategies and instruction to build academic language skills
Activities:
Part One: Two-day Kick-Off Conference at the MacKay Building in Pierre:
- Aug. 13, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT and
- Aug. 14, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. CT
Part Two: Book Study (book provided to participants at August kick-off event)
- September through December 2019
- Module One: Introduction to Differentiation
- Module Two: Strategies and Planning
- Module Three: Differentiation in Content, Process, and Assessment
Part Three: Face-to-Face Workshop
- Jan. 3, 2020, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT, Pierre
Part Four: Putting into Action
- Plan and teach one multi-grade unit
- One Zoom meeting with mentor during the planning phase
- Record teaching one lesson from the unit to share and reflect on with mentor
Part Five: Culminating Face-to-Face Workshop
- May 29, 2020, Pierre
- Reflection and sharing
Participants:
These activities will be open to any teachers in South Dakota currently teaching in a multi-grade classroom. Priority will be given to multiple teachers from the same district applying together; however, teachers may apply as single participants. Administration must support and approve involvement. A webinar will provide information. Teachers may earn three graduate-level credits for participation and completion of all activities as listed. (CEU contact hours can be awarded in lieu of graduate credits.)
Activities and requirements:
Credit-bearing activities: If a teacher is selected to participate in the credit-bearing activities, University of Sioux Falls credit registration will be shared during the kick-off conference. Following the kick-off, each participant will be teamed with a mentor to facilitate the remaining activities.
Application process:
- Teachers will complete the Multi-Grade Project Application Form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/19-20MultiGrade
- Administrator support: As part of the application process, complete the Administrator Sign-Off Form found within the online application. Applicants will be prompted to upload the form at the appropriate time.
Questions? Email Gwyneth Fastnacht or Tanya Vitek.
