Pasco School District Common Grade-Level Vocabulary Project

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Pasco School DistrictCommon Grade-LevelVocabular
y Project

• Pasco School District Strategic Plan
• Goal 1 Teaching Learning

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Philosophy
Research has shown that the instruction of common
academic grade level vocabulary provides a
gateway for students to access further learning
and improve achievement, regardless of language
or socio-economic background.
3
Philosophy
Common grade level vocabulary provides
opportunities for shared instructional strategies
that increase performance outcomes and ensures
consistent, district wide instruction.
4
Philosophy
To this end, the Pasco School District has
established, published, and adopted common grade
level vocabulary in each content area to be
directly taught and assessed.
5
Rational

• Satisfies the District Strategic Plan Goal One
  Create a personalized learning environment where
  students achieve rigorous standards through
  quality instruction. By 2010 establish and
  publish grade level learning targets and
  vocabulary for each content area (1.4.4).

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Rational

• Addresses the achievement gap among students
  whose backgrounds are vastly different as the
  achievement of ELL and mid to low SES students is
  impacted by lack of vocabulary (Mayo Boyd)

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Rational

• Acquiring important academic vocabulary is
  critical to understanding any subject (Marzano)

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Rational

• Tackles achievement issues related to student
  mobility (Marzano Pickering)

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Rational

• The strongest action a teacher can take to
  insure students have the academic background
  knowledge they need to understand the content
  they will encounter in school (Marzano
  Pickering)

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Our Process

• Collaborate with content and grade level staff
  district wide
• Consult with State Grade Level Expectations
• Select 30 words per content, per grade level
  which are essential for further learning and
  understanding

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Next Steps Publish on District Website

• Publish vocabulary lists by content and by grade
  level
• Publish research based strategies for vocabulary
  instruction
• Include in Curriculum Documents