Lead Learners Update 4.30.12

Lead Learners Update 4.30.12- 5.11.12

Perhaps we need leaders who are able both to start processes of learning and to diagnose and disturb already existing processes that prevent learning and change, the active, ongoing immune systems at work in every individual and organization.
Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, 2001

4.30 Admin Learning (Continue the topic on Digital Learning and Leadership)
Digital Learning Advisory Committee (3:00 - 5:00)
5.7 Professional Learning Day
5.10 Atlas Rubicon Curriculum Tool Trainer Day (Principal attendance recommended)
5.11 Retirement event for Prairie Point retirees (starting @ 3:00)
Write assessment data entered into the Campus system (K-12 teachers who teach LA)


Leadership Teams
Principals should recommend members for the leadership teams following the due dates. Please enter names in the google doc.  Make sure you communicate with the teachers prior to making the recommendations so that when they receive e-mails from ESC, it is not a surprise to them.

Due by May 15:

1. Cade membership
2. Math Consensus Map Team (summer sessions)
3. Math Task Force (Should be a sub team from the Consensus Map Team)

Due by May 30

All the other teams

School Improvement Plan/End of Year Report (Ying Ying Chen)
The plan is due to Superintendent and Executive Director by the end of school year (June 30).  Due to the messiness of Iowa Assessment, we are not going to populate the information on the report template.  Instead, you should use the current data tools, such as reports from GW AEA and EdInsight for your end of year analysis.  Sheri will work on the MAP report portion and send the template to you in May.  Sheri has also provided training to your school secretaries to run GW reports for you.  (You should request those reports from your guidance secretary so that they get to practice it right away.)

All schools have trained personnel to access EdInsight.  Principals are highly recommended to use the resource to understand your achievement pattern.  This reporting system will save you time and provide you with the following data:  

• Eight years of Iowa Testing data enabling powerful Cohort analyses over time and over multiple levels
• Comparisons to other Buildings, Districts and AEAs
• Multiple source systems (Iowa Testing, Special Education, Easier data collections, among others) into one seamless reporting system

The person (usually counselors)  who has been trained should have the password for your building. To enter the system, click http://edinsight.iowa.gov.  The reporting system, I predict, will continue to be the system for future state level assessment reports.  So, it is important that you take some time to familiarize yourself with the tool.  

End of Year Timeline Review (Ying Ying Chen)
Please also review the timeline to make sure you understand important due dates for various school or state-mandated reporting.  Pay special attention to:

• Evaluation completion schedule
• PLP completion schedule (Also see suggested activities in the previous Lead Learner Update posted on March 19)
• Principal board report in June

Curriculum Tool Roll Out Plan Reminder (Ying Ying Chen)
May 10 is Train the Trainer Day for Atlas Rubicon.  All selection committee members, summer curriculum work session coaches and principals are the main participants.  Some principals recommended a few more teachers to the training so that they will have plenty of building-based support. Feel free to do so.  Principals are highly recommended to attend the learning session so you can prepare yourself as a leader and learn from the team about how to roll out the plan smoothly at the building level.  

New Teacher Self and Principal Assessment On Implementation (Ying Ying Cgeb)
Thank you for your help, we have collected the information within a reasonable amount of time frame.   While this summary shows the district results, each building principal could go to the actual google spreadsheet (shared with you already) to pull out data just for your school.  The information will be useful as you continue to provide mentoring and induction support to new teachers.
Principal Assessment Results
New Teacher Assessment Results

Tableau and MAP data (Craig Barnum)
I’ve updated Campus with spring MAP testing data, so this information is  also ready to be analyzed in Tableau.  Here are a couple of quick reminders:  to get to Tableau, go to http://tableau.prairiepride.org.  When you get to that site, you will be prompted for a username and password.  Use your email username (not full email address) and password.  In the menu of choices on the left, under “Workbooks” click “By Project”.  A new page will load on the right. It will show two links, click the “Assessments” link.  Scroll down to see the NWEA Growth representation and click it.  Then click the “NWEA Test Results” view.  The page will take a few seconds to load.  Filters are located on the menu on the right.  Be sure to select only “Fall 2011” for the “Fall Test” filter.  You may also need to filter for your building as well.  The grade level and sub-group level filtering are available here as well.  Let me know what questions you have.

Curriculum Matters (Bill Poock)
On the May 7th PL Day, K-6 teachers will have the opportunity to assess the growth of their students’ writing over the past year.  Teachers will have between 12:00 - 3:45 PM to practice calibrating student scoring using the district writing rubric and participating in discussions about effective writing assessment practices.  This will also involve classroom teachers, ELL teachers, GT teachers, and Title One teachers.  These teachers need to have the experience of knowing what “at grade level” writing looks like and sounds like from an assessment point of view.  After about 45 minutes of calibration discussions, then individual teachers will score their own writing samples.  They will need to enter scores into Campus by the end of the day on Friday, May 11th.  It is important to have that accomplished so that system data can be accessed through Tableau in order to prepare end of year reports.

Student Services (Cheryl Kiburz)

5.08 Final session of Joyful Learning (4:00-5:30PM-Point)

5.15 Paraeducator Assignments for 2012-2013 completed (meeting with principals scheduled)

This week I have attended several transition meetings for students moving from building to building.   It is a joy to be part of the team’s celebration of each child’s accomplishments.  Parents, teachers and other related service providers,  share about each student’s growth and the plan for the upcoming year.  It is important for us to continue to challenge our thinking in regard to student independence and supports/accommodations/modifications necessary. At times, it feels like the team makes assumptions regarding what students need and document supports which they anticipate instead of having data to support the need.  Let’s continue to challenge each other in having student work and data in front of us as we document plans and determine what each students needs to be successful.

Lead Learner Update 4.16.12

Lead Learner Update 4.16.12 - 4.27.12

The processes of change is powerful, but they are “destination-free”.  Hattie

4.16 Meeting New Superintendent (Follow the schedule Dick sent out; PM administrative meeting from 12:30 - 2:30)

SIAC 5:30 - 8:00 pm

4.17 Elementary Cadre
4.18 Oversight (7:45 - 3:45)
4.19 Instructional Rounds SAI Conference
4.20 Secondary Cadre
4.23 Reserved to interview principal candidates
4.24 Reserved to interview principal candidates
Final revision of curriculum template 4:00 - 5:30 @ boardroom
4.26 CORI Workshop (Creek and Point)
4.27 AIW (Crest and HS)

SIAC 4.16.12 (Ying Ying Chen)
At this point, SIAC is the only formal opportunity that we engage the community for school improvement work.  While we have a lot to celebrate - a spirit of collaboration, open communication and wonderful participation, we begin to ask some tough questions.  Are we satisfied with sharing data and information, comprehending our current status or are we serious about using the process for the next level of work?  After some difficult debriefing, the SIAC design team decided that we do need to ask the hard questions.  Therefore, this SIAC meeting will have time for teams to contribute ideas for the next level of work, and the suggestions will be sent to the board for further discussion.  Please plan to attend the meeting and be part of the problem solving team.

Instructional  Rounds (Ying Ying Chen)
Our district’s experience will be shared at the conference along with two other school districts in a panel format.  This is a great opportunity to learn from Richard Elmore directly and to pose questions about our challenges.  At this point, about one third of the superintendents are in the Instructional Round network.  Approximately 50 schools/districts are conducting school-based instructional rounds. The purpose of the conference is to help districts and schools to initiate or sustain the IR practice at the building level.  At the end of the conference, SAI will communicate a state-wide plan to support school-based IR.  
Registered: Chen, Gronemeyer, Poock, Kiburz, Harris, Skala, T Schipper, S Schipper, Medberry, Welch, Leytem  
We will gather at 6:55 AM between Crest and PHS parking lot.  Bring your Instructional Round book and the article Round and Round that Bonnie sent to us earlier.

Curriculum Tool Template (Ying Ying Chen)
The template design team did a great job representing the district on 4/4.  They were overjoyed when they saw their input was instantly put in place and projected on the screen. We had to do some problem solving, but there were only a few questions.  The template represents the UBD format very well and it is very easy to manipulate.  We also put into just about any standards you can imagine - Arts, PE, Counselor, CET, 21st Century, even ISTE in addition to Iowa Core.  The committee’s job before 4/24 includes the following:

• Try the new template and build one unit on it
• Think about what questions and suggestions they have as they try the new template
• Think about what “language or words” should appear in the help pop up “bubbles” so that they align with our district’s language
• Think about what resources should be included in the resource link (i.e. Blooms verbs, how to write good essential questions, how to plan for a rigorous and relevant unit, etc.)

When we get together again on 4/24, we will finalize the template.  In the meantime, you should take a look of this template screen shots that I sent to you a few days ago.  I also found this video on the Rubicon site. It is aligned with our current practice and research - Hattie, Common Formative Assessment, etc.

Digital Literacy Update (Craig Barnum)
As always, there’s a lot happening on this front.  I know there is one question I’m hearing quite a bit about --redeployment of existing hardware.  I’m working on this plan right now, but it’s a pretty multi-faceted endeavor.  I hope to have a draft to share with principals at the end of April.  Before I can have a comprehensive plan, I need to know exactly what the new Apple gear can and cannot do with our existing software.  That sounds really simple. But, we are finding the process slow and laborious.  For example, the new MacBook Airs have passed all of the online system testers provided by Person for Plato, a software package used at both the alternative HS and at PHS.  So, one would assume it would work.  But, when we actually try to run it on our demo computer, we are having problems.  So, before we know if we can redeploy the labs associated with Plato, we have to get this issue worked out.  This is just one example of many that we’ve run into.  

As far as total number of computers that will be redeployed, here is the scope for the work.  We will be taking and redeploying as many of the labs from the high school as possible to our K-6 buildings.  Again, we are working to determine which of these labs need to stay and which can go.  No labs will be added or removed from Point as they are not going completely one to one at all grade levels.

I do know there are questions coming up now, however.  So, here’s some of the things I do know at this time. One of the variables we can pin down are staff computers.  I’m planning to the same thing we did last time we had a staff computer update.  Building leaders can determine what is best to do with these devices.  Just like we did three years ago, you can collect them at the end of the school year and redistribute them as labs, classroom computers, or for other miscellaneous uses.  In mid-May I will be providing staff with instructions on how and what to back up on their Byte Speeds in preparation for the move to the MacBook Airs.  Sounds like staff Airs will be here around May 20th.  Although it may take the tech department a few days to prep them for deployment.  So, we are aiming for the last few days of school to get these into staff hands.  Please don’t hesitate to let me know what questions you have about this or any other dimension of this initiative.

Curriculum Matters (Bill Poock)
Spring Writing Prompts:  At the last Writing Task Force, there was some work done on the spring writing prompts.  Many grade levels had received communication and feedback alerting us to the fact that the prompts needed some modifications.  As the Writing Task Force made changes, this will affect the spring writing assessments.  At some grade levels, prompts have changed.  Initially, this may cause some questions from teachers about why the prompts have been modified mid-year.  The Task Force made the decision to use the newly revised prompts this spring.  We felt that the prompts do not necessarily need to be the same from the fall to the spring.  We are using the same district writing rubric, assessing the same writing skills, so the fact that the writing prompt has changed or been modified should not play a major role in the scoring and assessment of our students’ writing.

Student Services (Cheryl Kiburz)
4.18     Transition from ECSE to K teacher observations/planning
4.18     Temple Grandin 7:30-9:00 PM-University of Iowa/Memorial Union
4.19     Transition from ECSE to K teacher observations/planning
4.19     In My Shoes-Finding a New Normal-6:30-8:00 PM-Kirkwood Training & Outreach Center
4.20     Response to Intervention Overview (AM or PM session) Iowa DOE RtI team (GW-CR)
4.24     Joyful Learning 4-7 PM-Prairie Point
4.26     Transition from ECSE to K teacher observations/planning
4.27     Transition IEP Meetings for students transitioning from ECSE to K
5.04     Transition IEP Meetings for students transitioning from ECSE to K
5.18     Transition IEP Meetings for students transitioning from ECSE to K

The annual Iowa ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy was held on April 11 and 12 in Johnston, Iowa.  This year the focus was on RtI.  Jason Glass was one of the keynote speakers and presented “World Class Schools for Iowa.” He emphasized the focus on Content Standards (the What), Educator Teacher Quality (the Who) and Response to Intervention (the How).   He challenged participants to engage in real systems change to reclaim the vision of Iowa being one of the highest performing school systems in the United States.
Other DOE presenters reviewed the DOE RtI Guidance document and the progress of the State Leadership Team.  Districts can expect Universal and Progress Monitoring tools for reading to be identified this summer.  The state will provide the support for implementation of these tools with the support of AEAs.

Districts across the state shared how they implement the RtI process using data.  The connections of RtI and the Iowa Core along with the ESEA waiver and the Governor’s Blueprint were explained.    RtI will be scaled using an evidence based model in four phases:  consensus building, infrastructure development, implementation and sustainability.  The statewide implementation plan is built around these four areas.  

In 2012-13 the following will be accomplished:
(1)    Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring tools identified for K-6 reading
(2)    Evidence-based Universal, Targeted and Intensive programs/strategies identified
(3)    Implementing RtI in Iowa will begin as a partnership between the SEA, AEA and LEAs in the area of reading, with mathematics and social-emotional-behavioral to follow.

Paraeducators (2012-2013)-Cheryl Kiburz will be meeting with each building administrator to determine paraeducator needs for students with IEPs, paraeducators transitioning from building to building and any additional recommended changes.  The target date for any new postings is May 15.

Lead Learners Update 4.2.12

Lead Learner Updates

4.2.12 - 4.13.12

"Defining SMART goals in smart ways involves a more comprehensive analysis by the community that will be motivated by and committed to their actualization."

Blankstein, 2011

4.2 Professional Learning Day
4.4 Curriculum Tool Template Design (small committee)
4.5 Heights Instructional Round Follow Up
4.6 No School
4.9 View Instructional Rounds (8:00 - 3:45)
4.10 AIW with Bruce King-AM (PHS and Crest) - Principal observation welcome
4.11 Media Council (PM)
4.13 LST visit - PHS

Looking Ahead
4.16 Meeting New Superintendent (Lunch and PM Administrative meeting)
4.17 Elementary Cadre
4.19 Instructional Rounds SAI conference
4.20 Secondary Cadre

Iowa Assessment (Ying Ying Chen)
After exchanging many e-mails with Michelle Tressel, Karla Ries, attending the ITP workshop and debriefing with Craig, I developed the following summary:

• NPR scores are much lower than it was in the past among elementary grades.  This pattern is consistent throughout the state. This pattern does not apply to secondary schools.
• ITP claims that this pattern is due to overall improvement in elementary grades throughout the nation.  With the new norm, our students did not perform worse, but their “relevant standing” is lower when compared with other students in the nation.
• Craig and I talked about the inconsistent pattern between Iowa assessment and NWEA results.  This continues to be a puzzle to us. We will need more information and expert study to know what this means.
• ITP will not provide Iowa norms this year, therefore, we will not know our standing in comparison to other schools in Iowa.
• ITP will not provide % proficient report or FAY data. GW or EdInsight are still trying to figure out how to use the newly normed data for school improvement reports (AYP,
  SINA, DINA, etc.) We were told that DE is working on it and we might not have the official % proficient data till July or later. As soon as we have access to EdInsight, we will work on the data and share them with you. The GW data is helpful, but it is not the official NCLB data.  Sheri will host a secretary’s meeting in mid April to ensure your secretary knows how to run the GW data for your building.
• ITP has not sent out the sub-group report yet.
• Proficiency is no longer defined by 41 percentile.  It is now defined by NSS scores and it is different in each grade. (Click here to see the cut scores for each grade.)  This has significant impact on how we pull data from the existing system.  (New programs will have to be written to pull data.)

How can we explain the results to the parents?
This is a tough question as there are so many unknowns to us.  I believe the best answer is to be open and transparent about the issue caused by the new norm.  Familiarize yourself with the ITP documents so that you can articulate the nature of the problem.  These problems are not solvable at the local level and will take time to sort out.  If parents ask about the dropped NPR, let them know that we will triangulate data by examining MAP and curriculum based assessment created by teachers.

DE is revealing their first report about SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT this month.   How the data will be collected and reported is still unknown to us. The entire data reporting system will continue to evolve in the next few years.

What I am sure about is that our PL foci (power standards, common assessment, AFL, standard-based grading, concept based unit etc.) are all heading in the right direction. Stay focused on designing rigorous and relevant curriculum and use standard-based data (common assessment and other FA) to set improvement goals. They are the right things to do regardless which assessment system will be used in the future.

Important Summer Dates (Ying Ying Chen)
It has been a challenge to schedule summer sessions, but we finally put the puzzle together:

June 1 - Oversight; HS study hall (8:00 - 11:30) - Notice this is a changed (from June 6)

June 7, 8 and 9 - PLC conference

June 12 - Reserved for Cadre work (building decision)

June 13 and 14 and August 3- Consensus Mapping on Math (Principles should attend)

June 15 and 18 - Curriculum work sessions; HS study hall

June 20, 21, 22 - PBL workshop Muscatine (Point and HS)

June 25 - 27 - HTH training (Point and HS)

June 25, 26, 27, 28 - CORI (Creek and Point staff) - Confirmation with consultants still in progress

Please share these dates with your teachers.

Learning Modules on Common Core (Ying Ying Chen)
These free learning modules are produced by a publisher.  I found it interesting and it is free. It can be used to introduce common core to your teachers.
http://www.commoncoresolutions.com/professional_development.php

Digital Literacy Updates
Please encourage your staff to subscribe and periodically check the blog I’ve created for communicating our digital literacy plans -- http://www.techhawks.org.  I’ve been updating it with new content three or four times a week for the last month.  So, there is already a wealth of information there.  Staff can sign up/subscribe to get email updates when something new is posted.  Right now, there are just over 30 staff subscribed.  I would like to see this number go higher in the next few days as there will be a lot of important information shared on this site regarding digital literacy and 1 to 1.  I understand how busy our staff are and that they will not think to check the site without a prompt.  So, any support you could give in this direction would be very helpful.

I know not all of you use Twitter, but I’ve been collecting resources for us there as well.  I have been using the hashtag “#ccsd1to1” to gather information resources for our staff.  Feel free to search on that hashtag if you looking for articles or research to share with your staff on digital literacy.   Furthermore, I would hope that both you and your staff would add to this collection by adding this hashtag to your own Tweets that target learning about digital literacy.  Of course, anyone of you who would like to learn more about how to use Twitter in this way, just give me a call or drop me a note.  I’d be happy to work with you.