"Effective leaders model more than just the protocols and strategies they ask their staff to employ. Leaders model curiosity, risk taking, collaboration, a focus on learning, and a focus on results."
Leading By Design, Erkens and Twadell, pg 23
Leading By Design, Erkens and Twadell, pg 23
10/15 Digital Learning Teacher Self-Assessment (ISTE standards) due this day
PL Day
Board Meeting (Principal Report to the Board)
10/19 End of First Quarter
10/22 Elem/Secondary Meeting Date (No instructional rounds, switched to November 5)
10/23 GT Council (All day)
Engaging Stakeholder Conversation Committee (5:30 PM GWAEA)
10/24 RTI 8:45 - 11:45 @ Point
10/25 Creek Cadre AM
10/26 Quarterly Conversations
National Principals Month - October (By Ying Ying Chen)
“Principals are among the hardest working, yet often least recognized individuals in education. Principals set the academic tone for their schools, and it is their vision, dedication, and determination that provide the mobilizing force for achieving student success.” - from principalsmoth.org We salute you for your tireless effort in pursuit of excellence in education! Thank you!
Rubicon Mid-Year Training On Curriculum Alignment Data Analysis (By Ying Ying Chen)
As part of the state code, each school is to formulate a plan to implement Iowa Core. In our district, using Atlas Rubicon as a tool to record, monitor and assess implementation is part of the plan. We have set the Data Analysis Training Date as January 25, 2013 with Brock, the same Rubicon consultant, will be here to run the analysis workshop. Building principals are to attend this meeting so they can lead the data analysis process. We will also invite the initial Rubicon Task Force members back for this training so that they can help their peers.
New Teacher Workshop Follow Up and Looking Ahead (By Ying Ying Chen)
The first new teacher workshop feedback, in general, was positive, but there are a few comments that deserve our attention. To summarize, some indicated a strong need to practice and plan. As the content of the workshop gets deeper and the session is shorter, they will need more targeted follow up support from schools. Therefore, when you meet with new teachers, arrange for observations or talk with mentors, please keep the following in mind:
The next new teacher workshop will focus on Gradual Release and Think Aloud. We will use Chapter 1 as the text. Please read Chapter 1 prior to the next new teacher workshop. New teachers will receive the reading assignment in the next couple of weeks. The due date for lesson upload is 10/8. Please help promote it through your coaching.
Digital Learning (October 2 and 3) Summary (By Ying Ying Chen)
We had two very productive and stimulating Train the Trainer days with Wesley Fryer, who is truly a masterful teacher. All participants were motivated to learn and create. They created narrated photos and photo stories, and they interacted with each other via many web-based tools. Here is the summary of their learning, brainstormed by the Teacher Trainers. Check it out with your building DL Trainers as they will have great ideas and insights on how to promote DL in your building.
Math Task Force (By Ying Ying Chen and Bill Poock)
We are very excited in designing and delivering the first Mathematics Task Force. The Outcomes include:
At the conclusion of the task force, grades K-8 completed the essential understanding and essential questions in all units with the exception of graded K and 3 (They are close to completion). Grades 9-12 completed Algebra I and Advanced Algebra (a huge success). If you have a chance to have a brief conversation with them, please do. They will be very happy to share their accomplishment and insights with you.
The research we are using is Mathematics Formative Assessment by Page Keeley and Cheryl Rose Tobey. Each grade level received a copy. We will begin to build Trimester/Quarter Common Assessments next time. This research will provide samples of quality assessments aligned with Common Core
Legal Review - Compulsory attendance change for children in kindergarten (By Ying Ying Chen)
The education reform legislation passed last session a change to the compulsory attendance laws, effective July 1, 2012. Starting on that date, a child who is age five by September 15 and is enrolled in a school district is of compulsory attendance age. The only exception to this is if a parent notifies the district, in writing, of its intent to withdraw the child from the school district.
The purpose of this change is to increase attendance for children in kindergarten. If a child who is enrolled in kindergarten is not attending school, because the child is now of compulsory attendance age, the district is to follow its compulsory attendance policies and procedures unless and until the parent provides the district with written notice of intent to withdraw the kindergarten child from school. The Department is currently updating its materials on compulsory attendance to account for this legislative change. For questions about this change, please contact Nicole Proesch at nicole.proesch@iowa.gov.
Iowa Assessments Update (by Craig Barnum)
As you all know, the situation with Iowa Assessments is everchanging. Here is how the bar-code label process will work this year. ITP and the department of education are not working together in the same way as they have in the past. This was made evident at a meeting Ying, Bill, and I attending last May, an ITP workshop on interpreting data , no one from the DE present to talk about AYP or other issues related to our NCLB compliance reporting. ITP’s assertion at this meeting was that it is now exclusively the DE’s job to determine AYP. In fact, ITP does not even ask for Full Academic Year(FAY) status now when we submit our bar-code file. FAY is now determined entirely via State data reporting -- what used to be called Project EASIER. So, again, this changes how we think about who gets tested, labels, etc... Here are the recommendations from the State to help us cross check their AYP/FAY/Participation Rate data when we get it back.
I sent in the bar-code file to ITP on 10/8/12. So, students who have come to us after this date will not have a label. We will get students who arrive either after testing has started or after I sent the bar code file to ITP. These students will not have bar-code labels. Here is the direction from the State on if we should test the student or not: if the student has arrived six working days before the test started in your building, they need to be tested. For example, if your building starts testing on 10/8/12, and you get a new student 10/12/12, this student should be tested -- even though they will not have bar-code label. If a new student arrives on 10/17/12 (assuming the same start date of 10/8/12), you need not test this student. It’s also important to understand that if we do test students without bar-code labels, these test results will not be included in our system reports we get back from ITP.
Sheri will be working with your guidance office to gather participation data. She will be sending each building a list of the students that were submitted in the bar-code file that was run on 10/8/12. Your guidance office will return this Excel sheet to her with updates on each student’s testing status -- i.e. they test or they did not (with explanation). The State is now requiring us to account for each student we have during our testing window. This process makes it possible for Sheri to cross-check and account for our list of untested students the State sends us each spring.
I know this is more than a little confusing. I have updated your building and guidance secretaries on this procedure out our monthly meeting last week. Please let me know if you have questions about this process.
Reflecting Upon Success (by Bill Poock)
As we wind up the first quarter of the 2012-2013 school year, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight some of the MANY successes we have experienced at CCSD so far this school year. In our acts of working towards continuous improvement, we sometimes forget to take time to CELEBRATE--but celebrating is what makes us so uniquely human! Thank you for your tireless efforts to improve our system of education for all of our students!
Highlights and Successes include:
Thank you all!
PL Day
Board Meeting (Principal Report to the Board)
10/19 End of First Quarter
10/22 Elem/Secondary Meeting Date (No instructional rounds, switched to November 5)
10/23 GT Council (All day)
Engaging Stakeholder Conversation Committee (5:30 PM GWAEA)
10/24 RTI 8:45 - 11:45 @ Point
10/25 Creek Cadre AM
10/26 Quarterly Conversations
National Principals Month - October (By Ying Ying Chen)
“Principals are among the hardest working, yet often least recognized individuals in education. Principals set the academic tone for their schools, and it is their vision, dedication, and determination that provide the mobilizing force for achieving student success.” - from principalsmoth.org We salute you for your tireless effort in pursuit of excellence in education! Thank you!
Rubicon Mid-Year Training On Curriculum Alignment Data Analysis (By Ying Ying Chen)
As part of the state code, each school is to formulate a plan to implement Iowa Core. In our district, using Atlas Rubicon as a tool to record, monitor and assess implementation is part of the plan. We have set the Data Analysis Training Date as January 25, 2013 with Brock, the same Rubicon consultant, will be here to run the analysis workshop. Building principals are to attend this meeting so they can lead the data analysis process. We will also invite the initial Rubicon Task Force members back for this training so that they can help their peers.
New Teacher Workshop Follow Up and Looking Ahead (By Ying Ying Chen)
The first new teacher workshop feedback, in general, was positive, but there are a few comments that deserve our attention. To summarize, some indicated a strong need to practice and plan. As the content of the workshop gets deeper and the session is shorter, they will need more targeted follow up support from schools. Therefore, when you meet with new teachers, arrange for observations or talk with mentors, please keep the following in mind:
- Provide targeted observation, not general observation - Find classroom teachers that can perform well on backward design, clear learning targets and student feedback for observation
- Review new teachers’ lesson plan/unit and provide targeted debriefing with the key learning outcomes in mind
- Focused coaching after observation to ensure deep reflection in those areas
The next new teacher workshop will focus on Gradual Release and Think Aloud. We will use Chapter 1 as the text. Please read Chapter 1 prior to the next new teacher workshop. New teachers will receive the reading assignment in the next couple of weeks. The due date for lesson upload is 10/8. Please help promote it through your coaching.
Digital Learning (October 2 and 3) Summary (By Ying Ying Chen)
We had two very productive and stimulating Train the Trainer days with Wesley Fryer, who is truly a masterful teacher. All participants were motivated to learn and create. They created narrated photos and photo stories, and they interacted with each other via many web-based tools. Here is the summary of their learning, brainstormed by the Teacher Trainers. Check it out with your building DL Trainers as they will have great ideas and insights on how to promote DL in your building.
Math Task Force (By Ying Ying Chen and Bill Poock)
We are very excited in designing and delivering the first Mathematics Task Force. The Outcomes include:
- Connect mathematical practices with authentic tasks
- Construct essential understandings and essential questions for each unit in the scope and sequence map
- Consider elements of effective assessment design when constructing assessments (formative and/or summative)
The research we are using is Mathematics Formative Assessment by Page Keeley and Cheryl Rose Tobey. Each grade level received a copy. We will begin to build Trimester/Quarter Common Assessments next time. This research will provide samples of quality assessments aligned with Common Core
Legal Review - Compulsory attendance change for children in kindergarten (By Ying Ying Chen)
The education reform legislation passed last session a change to the compulsory attendance laws, effective July 1, 2012. Starting on that date, a child who is age five by September 15 and is enrolled in a school district is of compulsory attendance age. The only exception to this is if a parent notifies the district, in writing, of its intent to withdraw the child from the school district.
The purpose of this change is to increase attendance for children in kindergarten. If a child who is enrolled in kindergarten is not attending school, because the child is now of compulsory attendance age, the district is to follow its compulsory attendance policies and procedures unless and until the parent provides the district with written notice of intent to withdraw the kindergarten child from school. The Department is currently updating its materials on compulsory attendance to account for this legislative change. For questions about this change, please contact Nicole Proesch at nicole.proesch@iowa.gov.
Iowa Assessments Update (by Craig Barnum)
As you all know, the situation with Iowa Assessments is everchanging. Here is how the bar-code label process will work this year. ITP and the department of education are not working together in the same way as they have in the past. This was made evident at a meeting Ying, Bill, and I attending last May, an ITP workshop on interpreting data , no one from the DE present to talk about AYP or other issues related to our NCLB compliance reporting. ITP’s assertion at this meeting was that it is now exclusively the DE’s job to determine AYP. In fact, ITP does not even ask for Full Academic Year(FAY) status now when we submit our bar-code file. FAY is now determined entirely via State data reporting -- what used to be called Project EASIER. So, again, this changes how we think about who gets tested, labels, etc... Here are the recommendations from the State to help us cross check their AYP/FAY/Participation Rate data when we get it back.
I sent in the bar-code file to ITP on 10/8/12. So, students who have come to us after this date will not have a label. We will get students who arrive either after testing has started or after I sent the bar code file to ITP. These students will not have bar-code labels. Here is the direction from the State on if we should test the student or not: if the student has arrived six working days before the test started in your building, they need to be tested. For example, if your building starts testing on 10/8/12, and you get a new student 10/12/12, this student should be tested -- even though they will not have bar-code label. If a new student arrives on 10/17/12 (assuming the same start date of 10/8/12), you need not test this student. It’s also important to understand that if we do test students without bar-code labels, these test results will not be included in our system reports we get back from ITP.
Sheri will be working with your guidance office to gather participation data. She will be sending each building a list of the students that were submitted in the bar-code file that was run on 10/8/12. Your guidance office will return this Excel sheet to her with updates on each student’s testing status -- i.e. they test or they did not (with explanation). The State is now requiring us to account for each student we have during our testing window. This process makes it possible for Sheri to cross-check and account for our list of untested students the State sends us each spring.
I know this is more than a little confusing. I have updated your building and guidance secretaries on this procedure out our monthly meeting last week. Please let me know if you have questions about this process.
Reflecting Upon Success (by Bill Poock)
As we wind up the first quarter of the 2012-2013 school year, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight some of the MANY successes we have experienced at CCSD so far this school year. In our acts of working towards continuous improvement, we sometimes forget to take time to CELEBRATE--but celebrating is what makes us so uniquely human! Thank you for your tireless efforts to improve our system of education for all of our students!
Highlights and Successes include:
- Helping create collaborative team structures to live out the charge to ensure that ALL students learn at high levels
- Challenging teachers to think about how to meet the needs of diverse learners in multiple ways
- Leading your cadre teams to take more ownership to lead your PL days and to operationalize your school improvement plans
- Using the continuous improvement cycle to frame teachers’ real work
- Encouraging multiple teams to wrestle with what it is that we truly want students to learn (essential learning)
- Engaging parents to help support learners at home and to take more active roles in developing the school-home connection
- Assisting teachers in discovering ways to incorporate technology into daily lessons to focus on positively impacting students’ LEARNING
- Shaping distributive leadership processes to ensure that multiple teachers in your building develop leadership capacity to lead in multiple settings
- Challenging your own assumptions about what it means to lead in the 21st century
- Becoming the leaders you wish to become!
Thank you all!
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