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.