The organizational plan for grades 3-5 is a self-contained classroom with heterogeneously grouped students. The classroom teacher is responsible for students' success in individual classrooms. This developmentally appropriate classroom arrangement supports flexibility for whole group, small group, and individualized instruction. It enables teachers to provide instruction at the appropriate level for students and to focus instructional delivery for student success.
Teachers use formative assessment cycles as a basis for instructional planning, instructional delivery, re-teaching, and instructional extensions based on the Common Core State Standards. Teachers become the experts on their students and are able to provide differentiated instruction based on student needs and interests. Enhancement teachers (music, art, physical education) strengthen instruction through collaboration with teachers, integration of content area materials, and attention to student needs.
Large blocks of uninterrupted time for English language arts (reading and writing) and mathematics enable instruction and learning to be focused and efficient. Curriculum integration of science, social studies, and healthful living with language arts and mathematics helps students to make connections between content areas. On-going efforts are made to use real life applications, to use inquiry-based learning, to utilize technology to enhance daily instruction, and to engage in problem solving. Revised Bloom's Taxonomy, direct instruction, diagnostic assessment(s), and differentiation provide rigorous, appropriate, and differentiated instruction.
The Common Core and Essential Standards form the foundation of instruction for students in the Intermediate Grades. Teachers in Grades 3-5 recognize their students as aspiring communicators, contributors, and problem solvers and strive to make learning relevant. Students are encouraged to think about the world beyond themselves so they can grow their potential into performance for success in a global environment.
