Content Mastery - An Overview
Description
Content
Mastery in the Thorndale Middle School/High School setting is designed
to support the regular classroom education of students who have qualified
to receive special education services. All major instruction is done
in the mainstream classroom with needed reinforcement provided by the Content
Mastery Center. A collaborative approach is used in which classroom
teachers work with the Content Mastery staff to plan for the learning needs
of students.
Goals
1. To create conditions
that encourage students' success in the educational mainstream classroom
with regular education curriculum.
2. To help students recognize his/her strengths and weaknesses and assess ways in which to cope with these.
3. To empower students to be active in their own learning and develop study skill techniques
4. To unite the expertise
of classroom teachers and content mastery staff to provide student success.
Components
1. The program is
structured so that a student may leave his/her regular classroom and go
to Content Mastery when independent student work is being done. Students
utilize services on an as need basis. The student should not use
CM during the mainstream teacher's direct instruction, class discussion,
group work, lab, or a film.
2. Grading data and CM contact hours are maintained. Grades and feedback from the mainstream teachers are sent every three weeks.
3. In the Content Mastery Center, a variety of strategies, modifications, and adaptations are made according to the individual students' I.E.P.'s and are done when necessary. Modifications and adaptations of materials and tests affect design, not content.
Benefits
These are some of the benefits that Content Mastery offers:
* Builds self-esteem
of students
* Provides fuller
participation and socialization with peers
* Increases learners'
ability to accept responsibility for his/her learning
* Assures common learning
goals and objectives for special students
* Features a collaborative
relationship between classroom and special education teacher.
This page was created by Suzanne Schwarz on June 6, 2000.
Please email questions or comments about this website to Suzanne Quick.
Last updated on March 26,2002