Do all CFISD elementary schools use “The Big Q”?
A Use of a common graphic organizer at all schools would greatly benefit our ever-shifting population of students—not only those whose families move often, but also those affected by boundary changes we continue to experience as we grow. Districtwide staff development has occurred to acquaint all elementary math teaching staff with “The Big Q,” outlining expectations for students’ problem-solving knowledge and skills outlined in the TEKS at each grade-level. Because it is the steps in the problem that are important, not the “Big Q” graphic organizer itself, principals (working with their teachers) have been given the option of selecting or designing another graphic organizer, as long as it fulfills the four-step approach. Alternatives to “The Big Q” include a four-pane “window pane” or a simple list of the four steps. Another scheme adopted by certain schools is being called SQ-RQ-CQ-HQ, which uses the old three steps plus a new fourth step—the “HQ” is the “how” step.
