Academics

Turner Elementary School is an International Baccalaureate World School, fully authorized to offer the Primary Years Program (PYP) to our students. We are proud to be one of the premier Elementary Schools in Washington DC, who have received this prestigious designation.

Students in the 21st century are faced with the challenge of learning about an interconnected world where knowledge is constantly developing. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme prepares students to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.

What is the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)?

The PYP emphasizes, through the learner profile, the development of the whole student physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically. The IB PYP frames the learning activities of the school community through transdisciplinary themes.

Written Curriculum at Turner Elementary
The IB Curriculum at Turner Elementary directly aligns to DCPS’ Curriculum, which include Common Core Standards.

The IB programme puts great emphasis on learning about these transdisciplinary themes. Each theme is addressed each year by all students, with the exception of students aged 3 to 5, who may engage explicitly with four of the themes each year. The most significant and distinctive feature of the IB PYP at Turner Elementary are the six transdisciplinary themes. These themes are about issues that have meaning for, and are important to, all of us. The programme offers a balance between learning about or through the subject areas, and learning beyond them. Students learn through six themes of global significance which create a transdisciplinary framework that allows students to “step up” beyond the confines of learning within subject areas:

  • Who we are
  • Where we are in place and time
  • How we express ourselves
  • How the world works
  • How we organize ourselves
  • Sharing the planet

The IB Primary Years Programme, focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. At the end of students’ experience, students participate in exhibition which is the culminating PYP experience, where students showcase all that they have learned.
Turner also works to ensure that students are strong Readers, Writers and Mathematicians.

ELA

What Is Close Reading?
Close Reading refers to students reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) supplies clarification useful for teaching with Common Core standards. Close Reading requires analytic reading, engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, and encouraging students to read and reread deliberately.

The purpose is to direct student attention on the text itself and empower students to understand the central ideas, key meaning, and key supporting details. This enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole. Essentially, Close Reading is the most effective way to achieve deep comprehension.

Close Reading Instruction at Turner Elementary School Requires:

  • Planning and Preparation
  • Implementation Close Reading Instructional Frameworks with Fidelity
  • Data Analysis, Reflection, and Reteach
  • School Wide Literacy and Writing Culture

Close Reading Alignment to International Baccalaureate Program and DCPS Units of Study- Close Reading Instruction at Turner Elementary School is anchored to the International Baccalaureate Programme of Inquiry. The Programme of Inquiry is directly aligned to the DCPS Instructional Units.

Close Reading Structure- Turner Elementary Schools’ Close Reading Instruction is organized into (6) 8 week Instructional Units. Students in Grades K-5 engage in reading, determine meaning and or grapple with at least 6 Literary and or Informational texts within the 8 Week Instructional Unit. The Unit also includes time to support strategic reteaching based upon standards mastery and writing proficiency on Short Cycle Assessments and ANET Interim Assessments.
Instructional Units also include:

  • Robust Complex Writing Week
  • District designed Cornerstones

CLOSE READING TEACHING AND LEARNING

ELA- Close Reading Instruction is delivered in Whole Group and targeted Small Group Instruction based upon the model of framework.

The Fluent Close Reading Model includes 2-3 days of Small Group Instruction, 2 days of whole group instruction, and 1 combination day where students engage in a half and half model.

The Rising Close Reading Model includes 1-2 day of Small Group, 3 days of Whole Group and 1 combination day.

MATH

TEACHING AND LEARNING


At Turner, we utilize Math Workshop as a vehicle for Eureka Math Instruction. The workshop model provides students with manageable pieces of instruction, gives them the practice they need, allows for teacher conferences, provides opportunity for differentiation and finishes with a discussion, reflection, and review of the new skill being taught. Another key component of Math Instruction is the Application Problem Framework. The goal is to ensure the cognitive lift is on students to solve the application problems while balancing the appropriate teacher scaffolds. The teacher is to focus intensely on building students' ability to make sense of the daily Eureka Application Problems.

Math Workshop Overview

  • Each student receives a whole-group Mini Lesson, small group need-specific instruction, and independent work time
  • Allows for students to be rotated/moved to different groups by learning needs to address gaps in Foundational Skills
  • Students are engaged at all times in mathematics practice and concepts are reinforced daily in independent work time and/or independent stations
  • Teachers can scaffold grade level content for students who need extra support

Math Workshop Format

  • Students receive a brief, whole-class mini-lesson
  • Students meet with the teacher in groups for small group targeted instruction
  • Targeted Instruction: Balancing the need to teach foundational skills and Eureka Concept Development
  • Students not meeting with the teacher are engaged in the Daily 3
  • During last 10 - 15 minutes, the teacher finishes with a Student Debrief

Intervention

  • City Year and/or instructional aides will pull Guided Math Groups using i-Ready as a resource
  • City Year and/or instructional aides will also pull flexible groups using Eureka as a resource (Teacher discretion)

INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES - These are the core pillars of the mathematics instructional program at Turner Elementary School. We believe that a tight execution of these priorities will ensure consistent and high quality instruction across all grades and classrooms, furthering our commitment to excellence and equity.

Planning and Preparation (Lesson Internalization): Consistently planning and preparing rigorous lessons to meet the needs of all students.

Implement Eureka with Fidelity: Adhering to the Master Schedule and teaching Eureka the Turner Way (Math Workshop).

Assessment, Data Analysis, and Reflection: Analyzing and using the data to drive our instruction and meet the needs of our students.

Grade Level Math Fluency: Ensuring every student is fluent with their grade level fluency standard.

ST Math: Using ST Math as a tool for students to demonstrate understanding of taught skills.
Math LEAP: Commitment to the Math Professional Development, ensuring that we are constantly improving.  

INSTRUCTIONAL BLOCK

Instructional Block

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