Science Department Meeting Friday, February 7, 2014 (7:15 – 8:00am) H103 – BioHazard Meeting Room
Looking Ahead – Important Dates to Note
Saturday, Feb 8 – Happy Birthday Heath!
Sunday, Feb 9 – Happy Birthday Lee!
Monday-Thursday, Feb 10-13 – SD Informational Meetings for Restricted Courses
Tuesday, Feb 11 – Final Fall Grades Due
Monday, Feb 17 – School Holiday
Monday-Wednesday, Feb 24-26 – Pre-Registration Meetings (Schedule #2)
Wednesday, March 5 – Ash Wednesday
Friday, March 14 – Science Department Meeting
Registration - meetings for restricted courses.
Science Department Informational Meetings for 2014-15
All Meetings are held at lunch in Otero Lecture Hall
Monday, Feb 10 – Honors Chemistry (current freshmen)
i. Presenting Instructors - Qazi & Hairston Teacher who is teaching a restricted course - be there to help with the course - standing room only - be there during presentations to help out. Tell all students about these - occur at lunch. Lee pass this on to Fernie, so he knows that the restricted course meetings are happening. Chemistry day for all the freshman.
Tuesday, Feb 11 – AP Chemistry, AP Biology, APES (current sophomores & juniors)
i. Presenting Instructors - Qazi, Simon, Picard, Bouma, Gorr
Current sophomores and juniors
Wednesday, Feb 12 – AP Physics (1 & C), Honors Astronomy
i. Presenting Instructors - Uy, Gorr, Picard/Utley, Gatfield Electives - for all Juniors - 3-5 minute explanation for each class. More depth for honors chem and AP Bio Andrey - are these meetings mandatory? No, they are not mandatory, must see the teacher - not mandatory, make it if possible and no other conflicts. Already in the announcements. In your own classes - be sure that you are announcing these meetings - all honors and AP must preregister for what you want to be considered for - when students pre-register you prioritize what you want to take in Naviance
Pre-Registration Meetings
Monday – Wednesday, Feb 24-26 (Schedule #2) - extended lunch/homeroom - inform the students about preregistration - on a panel with teachers from other departments - just provide the options and what you need to do in order to get in to the restricted course. GPA needs to be above a 3.5 to get into the restricted courses - focus is more on your math and science grades. Science requirements also include an essay that the students need to write on why they are considered a strong candidate.
SDM Assignments
Important Talking Points
AP Physics I
College Board has divided AP Physics B into:
i. Physics 1 – Newtonian mech, work, energy, power, waves, sound, circuits ii. Physics 2 – fluid mech, thermodynamics, e & m, optics, atomic & nuclear
SDMs should heavily promote AP Physics 1 to all Juniors
i. ≈ 80% is material covered in Physics-9 ii. Hope to open 2 sections
All Junior teachers should educate their students about the course
i. Distribute handout and review BEFORE Feb 12
- handout on what physics 1 covers - emphasize to our juniors that this is a very doable AP course. If took freshman physics, very doable, challenging and can get college credit. 1 section of AP Physics B and hopefully 2 sections of AP physics 1. For the Junior teachers - before Feb 12th - take 5 minutes to talk about AP Physics 1 and hand out the handout. Can still take it if you did not take physics as a freshman. Promote the course to all of the Juniors. Mathematical complexity and more topics and concepts are covered than in Physics 9. Extension of Physics 9 - students to did not take Physics 9 - target audience for AP Physics 1. AP class that everyone can take - whether or not you took physics 9 - AP Physics 1 is a very doable course.
Registration Schedule
Refer to Handout
Discussions –
i. Student Ratings (are they necessary for initial acceptances?) ii. Top 100 – guaranteed in AP or Honors (?) iii. Bottom 100 – not admitted into AP or Honors (?) iv. Keep in mind – AP Chemistry students NEED a life science To must subjectivity in the ratings - cannot just average out the ratings. Recommended that we simplify things with the rating process - Top 100 in class - guaranteed in an AP or honors course - earned a spot in an AP or Honors course if you want it. Bottom 100 - not admitted into an AP or Honors. Middle 120 - ratings come into play - will be able to accept most in junior/senior year. Accepting teachers put different rates on the ratings, and other teachers don't even look at the ratings. Initial admittance - list posted on April 8th - do it from cumulative GPA, and math/science GPA - all of the ratings out for us. Then we can talk about students on the bubble, and decide as a group if the student is ready for an AP course. We can also get more data from Midterm grades. Always look at prioritization as well. Has been a very blurry process in the past, very subjective. Helps on the GPA side - you are giving them a rating with their grade since it affects the GPA. To parents and counselors - top 100 will have an opportunity to take an honors or AP if they want, bottom will not, and then we will have to decide with the middle third. It is the science department as a whole who accepts/denies students. The department deliberates, not the individual teacher. GPA and science dept recommendation for the students in between top and bottom 100. Overall rule applies to Juniors - we loosen it up to seniors. 50% of Juniors take an AP Science.
Loyola Grade Inflation
Growing Concern
GPA increases are not correlating with standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, etc.)
Consider a general universal grade distribution? (30% A, 40% B, 30% C……???)
Grades - with our grades - giving a recommendation for colleges. Avg GPA has increased from a 3.3 to a 3.6. Growing concern - not coinciding with our standardized test scores - no where close to where the GPA increase will indicate. Devalues all Loyola student GPAs when they apply to colleges. College admissions starts to devalue our students grades. With science GPAs - two of our toughest graders left, difficult to get A's in their class - be sure not just giving out A's - way too may A- or B+. Keep in back of mind with the grade distributions. Students GPA's are being devalued. Standard guideline - in an non honors: 2/3 A&B 1/3 C,D,F. Honors&AP 100% A, B. Should be gradations of performance within the class - need a good distribution. Honors/AP distribution no real boundary b/t A's and B. Within sub groups - really need to meet to discuss grades.
2014-15 Budget
“Frank needs to cut $425,000 from the requested budgets”
Student tuition looks to be increased by 5 - 7% - Frank will be cutting from next year's requested budget's, and tuition will be increased at Loyola even after the cut - yet to be approved by the board. Email from former student's mom - middle school in Watts - no labs at their school, wanted students to have experience in doing a lab. If we would be willing to host them - hopefully find a couple open classrooms 3 periods here of different labs of anything. Find open classrooms - approval from administration - open at certain times. Might be insurance issues - approval from Greg, etc. Willing to spend prep with middle school students.
Feb 18 - another high school swapping to physics first - 3 teachers will be here to check out the physics first and chem programs.
Friday, February 7, 2014 (7:15 – 8:00am)
H103 – BioHazard Meeting Room
- Looking Ahead – Important Dates to Note
- Saturday, Feb 8 – Happy Birthday Heath!
- Sunday, Feb 9 – Happy Birthday Lee!
- Monday-Thursday, Feb 10-13 – SD Informational Meetings for Restricted Courses
- Tuesday, Feb 11 – Final Fall Grades Due
- Monday, Feb 17 – School Holiday
- Monday-Wednesday, Feb 24-26 – Pre-Registration Meetings (Schedule #2)
- Wednesday, March 5 – Ash Wednesday
- Friday, March 14 – Science Department Meeting
Registration - meetings for restricted courses.- Science Department Informational Meetings for 2014-15
- All Meetings are held at lunch in Otero Lecture Hall
- Monday, Feb 10 – Honors Chemistry (current freshmen)
i. Presenting Instructors - Qazi & HairstonTeacher who is teaching a restricted course - be there to help with the course - standing room only - be there during presentations to help out. Tell all students about these - occur at lunch. Lee pass this on to Fernie, so he knows that the restricted course meetings are happening. Chemistry day for all the freshman.
- Tuesday, Feb 11 – AP Chemistry, AP Biology, APES (current sophomores & juniors)
i. Presenting Instructors - Qazi, Simon, Picard, Bouma, GorrCurrent sophomores and juniors
- Wednesday, Feb 12 – AP Physics (1 & C), Honors Astronomy
i. Presenting Instructors - Lew, Cacnio, AristovCurrent juniors
- Thursday, Feb 13 – Robotics, Env. Engineering, Anatomy & Physiology, Oceanography
i. Presenting Instructors - Uy, Gorr, Picard/Utley, GatfieldElectives - for all Juniors - 3-5 minute explanation for each class. More depth for honors chem and AP Bio
Andrey - are these meetings mandatory? No, they are not mandatory, must see the teacher - not mandatory, make it if possible and no other conflicts. Already in the announcements.
In your own classes - be sure that you are announcing these meetings - all honors and AP must preregister for what you want to be considered for - when students pre-register you prioritize what you want to take in Naviance
- AP Physics I
i. Physics 1 – Newtonian mech, work, energy, power, waves, sound, circuitsCollege Board has divided AP Physics B into:
ii. Physics 2 – fluid mech, thermodynamics, e & m, optics, atomic & nuclear
- SDMs should heavily promote AP Physics 1 to all Juniors
i. ≈ 80% is material covered in Physics-9ii. Hope to open 2 sections
- All Junior teachers should educate their students about the course
i. Distribute handout and review BEFORE Feb 12- handout on what physics 1 covers - emphasize to our juniors that this is a very doable AP course. If took freshman physics, very doable, challenging and can get college credit. 1 section of AP Physics B and hopefully 2 sections of AP physics 1. For the Junior teachers - before Feb 12th - take 5 minutes to talk about AP Physics 1 and hand out the handout. Can still take it if you did not take physics as a freshman. Promote the course to all of the Juniors. Mathematical complexity and more topics and concepts are covered than in Physics 9. Extension of Physics 9 - students to did not take Physics 9 - target audience for AP Physics 1. AP class that everyone can take - whether or not you took physics 9 - AP Physics 1 is a very doable course.
- Registration Schedule
- Refer to Handout
- Discussions –
i. Student Ratings (are they necessary for initial acceptances?)ii. Top 100 – guaranteed in AP or Honors (?)
iii. Bottom 100 – not admitted into AP or Honors (?)
iv. Keep in mind – AP Chemistry students NEED a life science
To must subjectivity in the ratings - cannot just average out the ratings. Recommended that we simplify things with the rating process - Top 100 in class - guaranteed in an AP or honors course - earned a spot in an AP or Honors course if you want it. Bottom 100 - not admitted into an AP or Honors. Middle 120 - ratings come into play - will be able to accept most in junior/senior year. Accepting teachers put different rates on the ratings, and other teachers don't even look at the ratings. Initial admittance - list posted on April 8th - do it from cumulative GPA, and math/science GPA - all of the ratings out for us. Then we can talk about students on the bubble, and decide as a group if the student is ready for an AP course. We can also get more data from Midterm grades. Always look at prioritization as well. Has been a very blurry process in the past, very subjective. Helps on the GPA side - you are giving them a rating with their grade since it affects the GPA. To parents and counselors - top 100 will have an opportunity to take an honors or AP if they want, bottom will not, and then we will have to decide with the middle third. It is the science department as a whole who accepts/denies students. The department deliberates, not the individual teacher. GPA and science dept recommendation for the students in between top and bottom 100. Overall rule applies to Juniors - we loosen it up to seniors. 50% of Juniors take an AP Science.
- Loyola Grade Inflation
- Growing Concern
- GPA increases are not correlating with standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, etc.)
- Consider a general universal grade distribution? (30% A, 40% B, 30% C……???)
Grades - with our grades - giving a recommendation for colleges. Avg GPA has increased from a 3.3 to a 3.6. Growing concern - not coinciding with our standardized test scores - no where close to where the GPA increase will indicate. Devalues all Loyola student GPAs when they apply to colleges. College admissions starts to devalue our students grades. With science GPAs - two of our toughest graders left, difficult to get A's in their class - be sure not just giving out A's - way too may A- or B+. Keep in back of mind with the grade distributions. Students GPA's are being devalued. Standard guideline - in an non honors: 2/3 A&B 1/3 C,D,F. Honors&AP 100% A, B. Should be gradations of performance within the class - need a good distribution. Honors/AP distribution no real boundary b/t A's and B. Within sub groups - really need to meet to discuss grades.