Chapter+6+Discussion+Questions

Cindy Watts Chapter 6: Discussion Questions Answers developed from 1st period class – predominantly freshmen

1.	Logical/Mathematical 2.	Lowest achieving students : a.	Deficits that must be addressed include: i.	Lack of enough parental involvement/communication ii. Unsuccessful past scholastic efforts iii. Immaturity b.	Assets that can be utilized include: i.	Still curious and ask some questions ii. Are “starting over” scholastically in high school – fresh page iii. Don’t recognize insurmountable barriers yet 3.	Highest achieving students: a.	Deficits that must be addressed include: i.	Lack of enough parental involvement/communication ii. Tend to stay in their “comfort zone” iii. Intolerant of fellow students they “remember” from middle school as being lower achieving b.	Assets that can be utilize include: i.	Will ask questions so they can do the work correctly and maintain high achieving status ii. Are willing and comfortable addressing areas “outside of the box”, opening up new topics for everyone iii. Willing to do peer mentoring/tutoring with lower achieving students c.	Ten high priority needs: i.	Better use of the technology in their pockets ii. Increased computer access iii. Newer computers iv. Community monetary support for students to attend local/national competition v.	Access to higher education community – take them there, not bring adjunct professors to the high school vi. BOE driven large grant writing to organizations such as NSA, NASA, Gates Foundation, etc. vii. Textbooks/ instructional material available to each and every student viii. Better scheduling that prioritizes the school day for instructional needs ix. Increased professional community contact, communication and involvement x.	Increased and improved communication within the school 4.	See numbers 2 & 3 5.	Unfortunately the open house concept has not done well this year at THS. I believe this has been due to unforeseen complications that have occurred during this current school year. However, from all of the open house, back to school nights, etc. that I have seen at THS, parental attendance is not as high as it really needs to be. We must find a way to make this casual contact more desirable and accessible to our parents. Are our parents more accessible during the day? Night? Weekends? – we need to find out. Somehow we need to impress on the parent the benefits of their attending these events. The benefits need to be very positive and very identifiable for students, parents, staff and faculty. 6.	Student or school-wide needs that are being impacted: a.	Loss of the Late Bus: The School Improvement Committee is currently researching the use of a “Pirate period” that similar to periods at other high schools in our LEA and others in the state. This period could help solve quite a few of our logistic problems in providing the needed tutoring, mentoring and social activities (i.e. clubs) opportunities that has been lost to reduced budgets. b.	Tutoring & Make-up Work: Most teachers at THS are available to students before school, during lunch and after school. c.	Guest Speakers: The CTE Department is setting up a once a month speaker addressing special interest areas within the department. Most speakers will be discussing how certain interest areas are tied together in practical applications.