Superhero Tuesday Times
Elite 11 Portfolio, Dalia Denise Flores - ILD
September 29, 2015
I hope this email finds each and every one of you well. I hope you were able to have a fun and nurturing weekend, and that you've started your week off strong!! Thank you so very much for your prayers, thoughts and warm texts the past few days--they have helped to keep me focused and encouraged through tough times.
I'll have the pleasure to connect with some of you this week, and for those of you that I've had to reschedule I'll see you next week and we'll pick up where we left off.
Please share your Early Release agenda with me by close of business (COB) on Wednesday, September 30th.
Parent teacher conferences are around the corner. Each of you submitted a request for a modified schedule than what is on the TPS district calendar. Your submissions are approved. If you have any changes to your schedule be sure to email me no later than COB Friday, October 2, 2015.
Have a great rest of your week and see you soon!
Best,
Dalia
This Week's Site Visit Focus
Our focus for this and next week's visit will be TLE calibration.
Our agenda will be as such:
- Classroom Observation (20-45 minutes, actual time determined by each principal in order to mirror common observation practices of each school)
- TLE Alignment & Ranking (10-15 minutes, independently)
- TLE Calibration (20-30 minutes, collaborative conversation)
- 6 STEP Feedback Planning (10-15 minutes, collaborative conversation)
- Follow-Up & Next Steps (5 minutes, collaborative conversation)
I will be using an excel spreadsheet to collect low-inference notes during our observation.
To access this spreadsheet click here: (be sure to download for use) https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1ACtNj_iDpbeGxSMnplN2xhdGs/view?usp=sharing
**Note: Assistant Principals are expected to participate in this activity with the Principal and ILD, please plan and schedule accordingly.
Year To Date Attendance
We are now entering week 6 and progress reports have gone out.
This is a perfect time to meet with your Attendance clerk to:
- review student attendance and truancy reports
- identify bright spots and hot spots
- ensure fidelity of reported attendance
REMINDER: Kris Serna and Dave Casper are available to provide onsite support to your attendance clerk and Attendance Improvement Team. While we have not formally established an Attendance Improvement Team (AIT), the reality is that improving attendance requires more people than just the attendance clerk.
Be sure to reach out Kris Serna to schedule an on-site training training for your AIT to:
- Review reports to monitor for the year (i.e. Truancy List, Daily Attendance Report)
- Establish a cycle of check-ins (i.e. Every 3 weeks)
- Identify the bite-size look-fors that will make a difference (side by side with check-in cycle)
Color Coding Legend:
95% and above - Green (Meets/Exceeds the goal)
93% - 94.99% - Yellow (Progressing towards meeting the goal)
Below 93% - Red (On the rise towards the goal)
Hispanic Heritage month (September 15 - October 15)
This week in Latino History...
September 28: [1928] Dr. Rodriguez Vargas published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" his findings in the effectiveness of Iodine and other chemical agents as disinfectants of the mucous membranes of the mouth.[68] Since then, other scientists have used the findings of his investigations as the basis in the study of the bacteriology of dental caries.
September 29: [2003] Dr. Gonzalez became the first Puerto Rican to be named Director of the Arecibo Observatory (the world's largest single dish radio telescope)
September 30: [2007] The people of Ecuador voted on electing a constitutional assembly to rewrite the constitution.
October 1: (1968) Chicano (Mexican American) students at the University of Washington, mostly from the Yakima Valley, establish the United Mexican American Students (UMAS), later changed to MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/Chicano de Aztlan).
October 2: (1928) A day to never forget in Mexican History: The Massacre of Tlateloco [the government against a student movement]. **Watch this 10 minute video to learn more about this event.
click here to teacher resources from HispanicHeritageMonth.gov
SCHOOL CULTURE
During our site visits the last two week's we've discussed the process you've followed to collect data and rank your school on the School Culture Rubric. Now you and your team are reflecting on those rankings and planning your response to ensure that your school ranks Proficient on 4 out of the 5 indicators on the rubric.
Please remember that the Culture Response Action Plan is due this Friday, October 2nd. Please feel free to reach out with questions, comments and/or concerns.
School Culture Reflection & Response Planning Template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1ACtNj_iDpbQmNlYkpyOXpOcDA/view?usp=sharing
School Culture Toolkit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1ACtNj_iDpbR3ZvQWFrXzhkdFU/view?usp=sharing
Dates to Remember:
- 8/31-9/18 BOY Site Walk-through Window
- 9/21-9/25 BOY Data Reflection Window
- 9/28-10/2 BOY Response Planning Window
Skill & Will
Check it out at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/110028/chapters/What-Is-Masterful-Teaching%C2%A2.aspx
Also, check out the Educational Leadership article titled Working with Difficult Staff. A great, short read with easy-to-implement ideas.
Scholastic SRI Reports
All Principals and Assistant Principals have been granted access to the Scholastic data base: https://h100003559.education.scholastic.com/ScholasticCentral (save bookmark)
3 critical reports you should be able to pull, review, understand and leverage in your data discussions with teachers are:
- Growth Report- Growth Goal Report
- Instructional Planning Report
Additionally, there are two articles that are a must-read for leaders around Lexiles and growth:
- Lexile Framwork for Reading: A System for Measuring Reader Ability and Text Complexity
- Growth Expectations: Setting Achievable Goals
We will go deeper with these reports during our upcoming October portfolio meeting.
reminder: agreement with tcta around grade entry awarerness
Per the TCTA CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) all teachers / staff are to be notified at the beginning of the year of district deadlines regarding grades and report cards.
Upcoming Dates
9/30---Submit Early Release agenda to ILD via email
10/2---Submit any changes to original submitted dates for parent teacher conference to ILD via email
10/2---Submit School Culture Response Action Plan to ILD via email