Lead Learners Update 6.3.13

Enjoy your summer! Enjoy Learning!

Instead of a quote, here is a blog post “The Questions that Won’t Go Away" . Enjoy the journey of continuous inquiry!

Calendar of Events

6.3.13 Ice Cream Social 12:00 - 1:30

6.4.13 District Luncheon and All Staff Meeting (Starting at 1:15)

Rubicon Archive Day (2012-13 maps will be archived on this day)

6.5.13 Oversight (8:00 - 11:30) ESC Board room (unless construction starts; will e-mail if location is changed)

6.6 and 6.7 PLC Conference

6.6 Apple Workshop (for staff who choose to participate)

6.6 Digital Learning Team End of Year Reflection

ESC Retreat

The date is set for August 2, 2013 from 8:00 - 3:30

Location: TBD (in Cedar Rapids)

Purpose:

• To get to know each other
• To define roles, responsibilities and focus
• To refine meeting schedule

Administrative Retreat

The dates are August 8 (1:30 - 5:00) and August 9 (8:00 - 12:00); Troyce will facilitate on August 8 from 3:00 - 5:00 and continue on August 9 from 8:00 - 12:00

ESC Social Night: August 8

Location: TBD (Becky is trying to get a room in the hotel we stay, but unsure if they are available at this point.  Will keep you posted.)

Purpose:

• To get to know each other
• To establish cabinet norms,  learning focus and goals
• To refine meeting schedule and format

Technology Update (Craig Barnum)

I sent this out in an email last week as well. But, it’s important information that is probably worth sharing again...

Here's the process for allocating computers to new staff members for the 2013-14 school year.  It starts with the intake of computer from exiting staff.  Please collect laptops, power adaptors, bags, and the other adaptors from each staff member leaving your building (and the district).  Staff members being reassigned within the district may keep their  current laptops.  Once you have all of the equipment gathered for your building, please contact Angela to arrange a pick-up or to coordinate for  transportation of these computers back to the technology office.  We must have all exiting staff computers  at the tech office before 6/30/13.  It would be really helpful if this were done as early as possible, however.  

As most of you know, we are also adding a lot of new positions this year.  This means that there are not enough exiting staff computers for new incoming staff.  In fact, at this time I project we will need to purchase 20 additional laptops to cover new positions.   Since this purchase cannot be made until after July 1st, we will have to delay giving out all new staff laptops until after this date.  So, new staff  computer pick up will begin on Monday, 7/15/13.  That will give my team enough time to recondition the existing computers and inventory/image the new ones.  Please share this information with your new staff members.  The computers should be picked up at the district technology office. New staff should call ahead (Angela — 848 5240)  to ensure someone will be available to help them setup their new computer.  They should budget about 30 minutes for this process.

To summarize:  

• Exiting staff members computers (with all accessories) turned into building offices by 6/30/13 (sooner would be better, of course) and returned to the district technology office.
• New staff computers available for pickup on Monday, July 15th at the district technology office.
• New Staff should call Angela to setup a 30 minute appointment in order to setup the computer or after 7/15.  

Let me know you have any questions.

Curriculum Matters (Bill Poock)

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to everyone on the administrative team at CCSD for all of your support and guidance over the past 2 years.  It has been a phenomenal experience to serve in many capacities to help you accomplish your building goals.  I have sincerely appreciated your flexibility, understanding, and patience throughout this complex work.  The growth I have experienced as a school leader has been incredible and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have worked with all of you.  I wish you continued success in the future as you work to achieve continuous school improvement to ultimately impact student learning and achievement.

Lead Learners' Update 5.20.13

Lead Learners’ Update

Strategic leaders think about what they do and say to walk their talk everywhere, every day. John Maxwel

Calendar of Events

5.20 Administrative Learning 12:00 - 3:30

AIW Reflection Meeting Lead by Brad Colton (PHS and Crest, 3:30 - 4:30)

Board Meeting

5.23 Recognize Retirees at Creek (3:00 - 4:30)

5.27 Memorial Day

End of Year Business

1. Turn in all teacher evaluation documentation by the last day of school.
2. Turn in administrative evaluation (i.e. Assistant Principal) documentation by the last day of school (ll administrators shall be evaluated annually based on 2012 Iowa Code).
3. School Improvement Plan/Board Report due by June 30 (on Google Doc, Link to Google page).
4. GWAEA will assign a mentor to the new teachers who are new to the profession.  This only applies to new hires for 2013-14; the new teachers who are currently assigned with a district mentor will continue to work with their mentor for one more year.
5. Be sure to assign your new hires (not new to the profession) a professional partner.  Inform the PPs that they will be at the new teacher orientation and encourage them to contact the new teachers as soon as possible.
6. Make sure your council members who will work on the summer curriculum days know their responsibilities.
7. Encourage teachers to participate on June 24 and 25 Curriculum Work Sessions.
8. Encourage teachers to join technology sessions set for June 6 & 7.
9. Save the best for the last - Remember the Admin Party?  June 20th at 5:00 PM @ Noreen’s home

Summer Calendar at a Glance (Ying Ying Chen)

June 6, 7, 8 PLC Institute

June 6 & 7 Digital Literacy Summer Workshop (Provided by Apple)

June 12, 13, 14 Curriculum Alignment (Principal attendance required; need the knowledge to lead building PLC)

June 17, 18, 19 AIW Academy (PHS and Crest)

June 20, 21 PBL Summer Institute (Grades 7-12 @ GWAEA, hosted by CCSD and Muscatine and HTH)

June 24, 25, 26 HTH Workshop (PHS and Point, travel on June 23, return on June 26)

June 24 and 25 Curriculum Work Sessions

June 26, 27, 28 IASCD Competency Based Education (a small 7-12 cohort)

August 5 Digital Learner Training with Honeycutt (Administrator attendance highly encouraged. He is a fantastic national speaker)

August 6, 7, 8 SAI (August 6 is pre conference)

August 12 New Teacher Orientation Day

August 13, 14, 15 New Teacher Orientation

August 16 Teacher Work Day (also Textbook Orientation Day)

August 16 K-6 enVision Mathematics Orientation to Curriculum (AM/PM sessions)

August 19 Teacher Work Day

Digital Literacy Update (Craig Barnum)

I know we’ve already gone over this in administrative meetings, but Ying, Bill, and I revised and updated the Digital LIteracy Trainers job description for the 2013-14 school year.  We shared these changes with that team on 5/14.  Here is a link to the updated job description:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11zKDVaAf0n4stYrzHiZqBMWJDA-6DRklsI7x4nnwXoY/edit

The main changes were determined by feedback from the administrative team and the Digital Literacy Advisory Committee.  These changes are: the trainers will be creating modules that can be used with building cadres to do local DL learning on PL days.  Module designers will be available to work with building cadres and admin teams to consult as needed.  We’ve reduced the number of days the trainers will be out of the classroom by two days (from 6 this year to 4 in 2013-14).  And, we’ll be training this team in IPI and the “Tech” IPI.  As listed in the Summer Dates above, we will also be learning from national consultant, Kevin Honeycutt on 8/5/13.  I would encourage all of the admin team to attend this day if possible.  Honeycutt is really engaging and has lots of high quality thinking to share.  

In my last update, I wrote that we would be modifying the registration address verification process this year.  We’ve decided to back off that for this summer.  The form we hoped to use had too many problems and was not showing all the data we need to make it useful.  We were trying to use forms that were based upon other districts’ designs, and they just didn’t match our needs. I strongly believe this household based form is much more efficient and customer friendly than our current one based upon individual students.  But, until we can get exactly right, we won’t use something that’s just different, but not better.  I’ve scheduled time in June to create the form from scratch.  We’ll aim to roll it out in the 2013-14 school year.  I will keep you all posted on progress.

New Teacher Licensure - Information Shared by DE

Iowa now requires passing test scores on two Praxis II exams before candidates are eligible for licensure. Graduates must pass a pedagogy exam and a content exam. No temporary or provisional licensure will be issued without passing test scores. The candidates must pass the approved chosen Iowa assessments using Iowa’s cut scores.  Iowa graduates will not be recommended for licensure without passing test scores. Out-of-state graduates cannot apply for licensure without the Iowa passing test scores.

Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock

Reminder:  The following teacher surveys need to be completed so that data can be compiled for the end-of-year report for SIAC:

• TPP-AFL #3
• TPP-Unit Design #3 (which includes the Digital Literacy survey questions)

I will continue to check these documents to create powerpoint slides for the SIAC meeting in June.  Thanks!

Additional Registration Information Listed Below:

June 24 and 25

Please continue to promote the participation of curriculum work sessions. To register, (Grades 5-12) individual teachers should use the link:  

Summer Curriculum Design Work Sessions

Sign up before May 20th.

K-4 Summer Curriculum Roster:  Thank you very much for your work to ensure that we have teachers available for June 12, 13, & 14th to work on both Literacy and Mathematics curriculum.  Any additional changes/additions can be submitted on this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pwkTzxcJARF32gCfpCiX6mD4UtV9Yt67quqZozCynBU/edit

K-4 Summer Curriculum Proposal form:  A total of 9 teams from K-4 have already signed up on the curriculum form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1I7afIiUtateT7SKLteEmz0BtgyX3DdF-VAfubgeDyOs/viewform) in order to let us know that they wish to work together as a team on June 24 and June 25.  Please continue to encourage teams who wish to work on these dates and also fill out the form so we are aware of their intended outcomes and identified needs.  This will help the coaches have a better idea about what each team needs to support.

Grades 5 - 12 Summer Curriculum Councils Membership:  As Creek, Point, and the HS have a better idea about whom is attending summer curriculum workshops, please complete the following form:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1euekeFlNHlQCabP5qx4n65AO5FiwLDRxiDhD8j1Dtuk/edit

Student Services by Cheryl Kiburz

Web IEP 2013 ROLLOUT IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW

By June 4, 2013: All IEPs need to be implemented.  Please have special education teachers make a hard copy of all current roster students’ IEP for the confidential folder prior to the end of the year.  Some information from the current IEP may not roll over such as future dates information and specific descriptions of services/activities on Page F.  It will be important to have a hard copy to refer to in the fall for any missing information.

• June 28, 2013: The current system shuts down and that will include: Iplan, GEI, IEP, Test site, mobile app.
• June 29 and 30, 2013: The conversion will occur.
• At 7 am July 1, 2013: Everything comes back, with new IEP and IFSP.
• DISTRICT TRAINING FOR THE WEB IEP WILL BE SCHEDULED DURING TEACHER INSERVICE, MOST LIKELY AUGUST 16 FOR PK-4.  CREEK, POINT/HS/EDGE WILL SCHEDULE THEIR OWN TRAINING DURING THAT WEEK.

Lead Learners Update 5.6.13

Lead Learner’s Update 5.6.13

“In every encounter, imagine that the person you’re dealing with is your grandmother. What changes would you make if the employee you’re about to ask to take on an unpleasant assignment wasn’t a seemingly disposable new hire but was the women who gave birth to one of your parents?  How honest and ethical would you be if the person you’re corresponding with via e-mail wasn’t a one time collaborator but was the nice lady who still sends you birthday cards with a $5 bill tucked inside?

By removing the cloak of anonymity and replacing it with this form of personal connection, you’re more likely to genuinely serve, which over the long haul will redound to everyone’s benefit.”

To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink, 2012

Calendar of Events

5.6 PL Day; Simplifying RTI

5.7 Simplifying RTI

5.8 CTE Council Day

5.13 Admin Learning (continue to work on data for SMART goals) 12:00 - 3:30 @ Board Rm

5.13 GT Advisory Committee 6:00 - 8:00 PM @ PHS Study Hall

5.14 Health and PE Council

5.16 Art Council (7:45 - 3:45)  Location:  TBA

Note:

1. Please mark May 13 and May 20 as “Admin Learning” from 12:00 - 3:30 (work on Building School Improvement Plans and End of Year Report)
2. End of year SMART data is due May 17.  The data collection link is on the Oversight Site.
3. Board Report/School Improvement Plan Due June 30 to John and cc to Bill and Ying.  We will share with you the template (a google doc)  on May 13.

Summer Calendar at a Glance (Ying Ying Chen)

June 6 - 8 PLC Institute

June 6 & 7 Digital Literacy Summer Workshop (Provided by Apple)

June 12, 13, 14 Curriculum Alignment (Principal attendance required; need the knowledge to lead building PLC)

June 17, 18, 19 AIW Academy (PHS and Crest)

June 20, 21 PBL Summer Institute (Grades 7-12 @ GWAEA, hosted by CCSD and Muscatine and HTH)

June 24, 25, 26 HTH Workshop (PHS and Point, Travel on June 23, return on June 26)

June 24 and 25 Curriculum Work Sessions

June 26, 27 and 28 IASCD Competency Based Education (A small 7-12 cohort)

August 5 Digital Learner Training with Honeycutt (Administrator attendance highly encouraged. He is a fantastic national speaker)

August 6 - 8 SAI (August 6 is pre conference)

August 12 New Teacher Orientation Day

August 13 - 15 New Teacher Orientation

August 16 Teacher Work Day

August 16 K-6 enVision Mathematics Orientation to Curriculum (AM/PM sessions)

August 19 Teacher Work Day

August 20 PL Day

August 21 First Day of School

Professional Development Focus 2013-14 (Ying Ying Chen)

As you are aware, we have been collecting data and input from the following resources to determine PL focus for the following school year:

• Administrative input
• Oversight input
• Progress made by curriculum teams
• SMART goal and ICC progress monitoring
• TQ staff survey (see results below)
  

Based on all input and the staff survey, it is clear that we will focus on implementing Iowa Core with a focus on standards/competency and RTI.  At the system level, we will continue the Overarching theme of Continuous Improvement Cycles.  

The main targets of PL for 2013-14:

1. Implementing Iowa Core - with emphasis on competency-based learning and defining proficiency
2. RTI - based on the results of short term cycles, teams will focus on “Level I Intervention Strategies”

District Support

Most Common Core PL will be accomplished via summer curriculum work and Curriculum Councils throughout the 2013-14 school year.  The RTI work will stem from each building’s involvement with PLC summer institute and the Mike Motto’s workshop on Simplifying RTI.  

District SMART Goals - The same SMART goals will continue for one more year, then be revisited after the DE site visit.  A district’s Leadership Team (could be Oversight or any other newly formed teams under new ESC leadership) will be responsible for leading and progress monitoring.

Guidance for Principals in Leading Building Improvement Plans:

• Be involved in learning - join the workshops offered and supported by the district and learn with your teachers.  
• Remember to use data - all building principals should organize building based data (SMART data and your building specific data) for the staff to reflect upon.
• Apply CIC and involve staff in the process of data interpretation and reflection (a year end reflection should happen in May.  Input should be used to draft building goals).
• Fully understand the district wide direction (stated above) and plan building based goals that are aligned with the overall direction.
• Be strategic about all learning opportunities (Summer Solution Tree Institute, Mike Mattos workshop, PBL workshops for secondary schools, Summer Curriculum Work sessions, etc.) and be thinking about how to capitalize your building leaders in job embedded PL.
• Do not treat PLC, Iowa Core or RTI as three separate things.  They are the base for weekly PLC.  Focus on how to integrate all three in your building-based leadership, weekly collaboration and monthly PL days seamlessly. I highly recommend the Data Team approach (We have studied the entire book during the 2012-13 school year about Data Teams)
• Consider the GW Leadership support for 2013 - 14

Digital Guru - Kevin Honeycutt (Ying YIng Chen)

We have confirmed to have Kevin Honeycutt as our Digital Trainer main speaker for the year.  He will conduct the workshop on August 5 at Prairie Point from 8:00 - 3:30.  We recommend all administrators to attend.  He is a highly respected, motivating, expansive speaker!  He will target on Digital Literacy via PBL.  If you want to invite more teachers to attend this workshop, feel free to send their names to Sheri.  There is no additional pay for the teachers.  It is a privilege and participation is voluntary. (It is required for Digital Trainers.)  

Digital Trainer’s Training and Responsibility

Craig sent you the information about the 2013-14 Proposal.  We will provide a face to face meeting with them on May 14 so they fully understand the learning opportunities and specific responsibilities.  The revised proposal is based on the Digital Literacy Advisory Committee’s Input (Administrative representatives are Scott Schipper, Erik Anderson and Greg Leytem)  Please be aware of of how they might support your school improvement plan and Cade work.  Click HERE to see the proposal.

Summer Digital Literacy PL Reminder and Registration Process Update (Craig Barnum)

Just a reminder, we have a couple of excellent digital literacy PL options for staff in early June.  One June 6th and 7th we will have two Apple trainers on site (at Prairie High School) to offer sessions on the iLife Suite (iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, etc...) and on Mac OS X basics.  Each class will be a half-day in length.  And, because the will be taught by Certified Apple Trainers, they will be very high quality.  Each session is limited to 20 participants.  Seats are filling up.  Of course, I would like each session to be full.  So, please encourage any staff that are looking for learning along these lines to sign up.  Angela Sleeper is coordinating registration for these events.  She will also be sending out the session flyer to all staff as well this week.

As many of you know, we’ve been studying how to streamline and automate the registration process.  Last year we adopted a tool that looked great in demonstration format, but would be very problematic for us to fully implement.  So,we’ve put a hold on using that tool. I would be happy to share the specific difficulties with you in person, but I don’t want to clutter this update with that information.  In the meantime, the ESC team of both administrators and administrative assistants have been looking more closely at the registration process as a whole.  And, while we do need to continue to analyze this process to make it more customer friendly while maintaining our internal efficiencies, we will be making one change to the process this year.

Last week, I gathered feedback from all of the building secretaries on a new student information verification form and process.  Our past practice has been to print a single, separate form for each student and mail that out in registration packets in July.  We are moving to a new form and process.  Instead of running a separate sheet for each student, we are running one comprehensive form for each household.   We’ll be printing and mailing these forms from the central office this week (May 6th) and instructing parents/guardians to return these forms to their youngest child’s building before the end of May.  In our conversations with other like-sized districts that do business this way, they see several efficiencies: with demographic changes coming in much sooner than early August, everyone will have much more time to update Campus before the start of school; parents will only be verifying and changing one form (in my household we would have to make the same changes three times using our old system); and of course there would be a little less paper going home in the registration packet in July, too.  

I realize that this is a small, incremental step toward improving this process.  But, it is a good first step that should allow us to make more significant changes in subsequent years.  The two other pieces we’ll be looking at next are the yellow medical verification forms -- these are the ones that are really despised in my household and the free and reduced lunch applications.  Let me know if you have any questions about this new process.

Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock

June 24 and 25

Please continue to promote the participation of curriculum work sessions. To register, individual teachers should use the link:  

Summer Curriculum Design Work Sessions

Sign up before May 20th.

K-4 Summer Curriculum Roster:  Thank you very much for your work to ensure that we have teachers available for June 12, 13, & 14th to work on both Literacy and Mathematics curriculum.  Any additional changes/additions can be submitted on this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pwkTzxcJARF32gCfpCiX6mD4UtV9Yt67quqZozCynBU/edit

K-4 Summer Curriculum Proposal form:  A total of 9 teams from K-4 have already signed up on the curriculum form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1I7afIiUtateT7SKLteEmz0BtgyX3DdF-VAfubgeDyOs/viewform) in order to let us know that they wish to work together as a team on June 24 and June 25.  Please continue to encourage teams who wish to work on these dates and also fill out the form so we are aware of their intended outcomes and identified needs.  This will help the coaches have a better idea about what each team needs to support.

Grades 5 - 12 Summer Curriculum Councils Membership:  As Creek, Point, and the HS have a better idea about whom is attending summer curriculum workshops, please complete the following form:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1euekeFlNHlQCabP5qx4n65AO5FiwLDRxiDhD8j1Dtuk/edit

Lead Learners Update 4.22.13

In their effort to build a single, unified message, effective leaders do the following:

1. Answer the why question before the how question
2. Clearly communicating initiatives and priorities
3. Framing collaborative conversations to ensure shared understanding
4. Serving as a cultural barometer
   
   
   Erkens and Twadell, 2012

Calendar of Events

4.22 Reserved for interviews

4.23 Reserved for interviews

4.24 Reserved for interviews

4.25 Instructional rounds with Liz City (9:00 a.m. at the FFA Enrichment Center on the DMACC campus in Ankeny)

4.26 Reserved for interviews

4.29 K-4 Meeting with Josh (8:00 - 11:30 @ ESC Board Room)

4.29 K-12 Admin Learning (12:00 - 3:30 @ ESC Board Room)

5.2 GT Academy (8:30 - 3:30) in Newton, Iowa

5.6 Simplifying RtI (Point, Crest, Ridge Teams) The other school teams will join September Workshops

Administrative Evaluation (Ying YIng Chen)

The new state code indicates that all administrators should be evaluated annually.  CCSD has revised the district procedures to meet this mandate. The administrative evaluation document was shared with you by John earlier in the year.  Just a quick review:

• All administrators will have quarterly conversations with his/her supervisor to discuss goals, reflect practice and to monitor progress (same as in the past)
• All administrators will use the existing PLP tool to house reflections and artifacts that are aligned with the leadership standards (same as in the past).  By the end of year, a summary form will be signed by both the administrators and the supervisors (added procedure to meet the new state guideline).
• A comprehensive evaluation cycle will happen every third year.  During this cycle, the long form will be used and signed by both the supervisor and the administrator (same as in the past).

PLP Recommendation Review (By Ying Ying Chen)

Several times a year, I bring out the document “PLP recommendations” for the administrative team to review.  The recommendation was done by a PLP task force, and the intent of the document is to:

• Maintain consistency among all administrators

• To reinforce the concept that administrators set the tone for a culture of professional reflection
• To refresh what administrators can do to make the state mandate as meaningful as possible

Please take a few minutes to review this recommendation to maintain system fidelity.

How to prepare teachers for the end-of-year PLP closure?

There is plenty of flexibility in how school principals make the PLP process work in your building.  The PLP task force discovered that teachers appreciate a clearly communicated process throughout the year.  The following is one example about how to close the school year.

• Review the process in a staff meeting in late April or early May.  Invite one or two teachers to share their PLP reflection from the previous year.  Review the end of year components (USE rubric, final reflection, artifacts, etc.) on PLP.
• Establish a timeline and offer guidance to teachers. A sample timeline:
• Team members brainstorm possible PLP end of year reflection points during the 1st week collaboration in May;
• Have teams invite administrators to have a 10-15 minute dialogue about their reflection during the 2nd week in May;
• Individually enter PLP reflection during the 3rd week in May;
• Principals review PLP by end of May.  
• Note: The state guidelines require principals to conference with each teacher about their PLP annually.  The suggested group process was brainstormed by administrators a few years ago with the intent to save time and still make the process meaningful to teachers.  The administrators suggested the group dialogue process because most teachers work on similar goals in collaborative teams.  One caution is that PLP is an individual reflection based on own learning.  It is not appropriate that one teacher types the reflection and the team members copy it.  We have found this to be an issue occasionally.  When principals review the process with teachers, please clarify what is appropriate to collaborate (i.e. Brainstorm what the team worked on/the impact on student learning) and what should be done individually (the actual USE scale and PLP reflection).

MAP Testing Update:  Craig Barnum

Due to the network disruption the week of April 8th, I’ve extended the MAP testing window to last until Friday, 4/26.  I cannot declare testing complete until after this date.  This means that the earliest full reports will be read on the NWEA reporting site is Monday, the 29th.  I will send out an email to all building offices to let your staff know they can run reports on this date.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Curriculum Matters by Bill Poock

Spring 2013 District Writing Assessment Schedule:

• Elementary:   April 29 - May 3
• Secondary:   April 15 – 26

Writing prompts, assessment procedures, and the district writing rubric can be accessed via the Writing Assessment Google site at:  https://sites.google.com/site/ccsdwritingassessment/

For K-6 teaches, time will be allocated during our next PL day on May 6th for teachers to utilize for scoring student writing (similar to last year).  That information should be shared with teachers by the building cadre/building principals once that determination is finalized.  Plans for making copies for scoring rubrics should be handled at the building level.  Teachers in the 7-12 level will follow building leaders’ directions.  This is usually a shared decision between the building principal and the department chairs.

Scores must be entered into Campus by May 10th to ensure that data collection procedures are consistent across the district as we prepare end-of-year reports.  Thank you!

Math Curriculum Update:

We have selected enVisions Mathematics by Pearson for our next curriculum adoption for K-6.  The final two vendors were very similar in their offerings, but enVisions was found to be more highly aligned with the CCSS.  There are many components that will be of high value to our teachers:  electronic access to all materials; electronic manipulatives; a built-in RTI system of interventions; ability to create assessments electronically; etc.  K-2 will have no textbook--but will be provided with a lesson by lesson handout for students.  Grades 3-6 will have an actual physical textbook.

In Fall 2013, we will have our first orientation session led by Pearson on Friday, August 16th.  Two sessions will run concurrently in the morning from 8:30 - 11:30 AM and two sessions will run concurrently in the afternoon from 12:30 - 3:30 PM.  More information regarding specific grade levels for AM or PM will be shared, but it is likely that we will have K-2 both in the AM and 3-6 both in the PM.

Later, in mid to late October, we will have a second session with Pearson that will be for our Math Task Force members (K-6) to learn how to more effective utilize the various technological components with the new series.  These members will then provide additional learning at the building level for grade level teams.  This second meeting with Pearson will occur during one of Math Curriculum Council meetings to be announced.

Thank you for everyone who invested in this process.  We had a solid process to select our new curriculum.  Many area schools have also selected enVisions mathematics because of its high degree of alignment to the CCSS.