Magers Memo
October 25th, 2018
Next Week is Red Ribbon Week! Feel free to wear jeans all week! The goal is for 100% staff participation!
Updates from Crystal
- Please finish all Parent Teacher Conferences this week & complete this form when done.
- Just FYI-when a student receives a discipline referral and we determine that it will be entered as discipline, we send a letter home to parents and call home. Misty and I will always put a copy of the letter in your mailbox. This letter is just for your records, so you are aware of how the referral was handled. If it was not entered as discipline, you will get an email with an explanation. The letter will be mailed home to parents, so you can just include it in whatever personal filing system you use for student records. We put an additional copy in the student cumulative discipline file. Let me know if you have questions.
- We are shifting the way we process SPLS requests for funding. Please use this form to request funds for the remainder of the year! Let Lara know if you have questions! There is more information on the form.
Tuesday: 2nd grade field trip (A.M.)
Wednesday: Dr. Anderson visits Sherwood @ 1:00 p.m.
Thursday: Surprise Storm Drill Today-Wear One Team, One Dream shirt
Friday: C out 8-10:30 (Misty here)
From Dr. Anderson: Please Read...
The purpose of this is to address the Scorecard. This is the data that your leaders have been bringing forward to you about the performance in our system. This data review is really nothing new- it is data we have been (or should have been) reviewing for years. The difference is that it is now condensed on a few sheets of paper, and being rolled out intentionally on an updated platform.
The Scorecard is not necessarily at the heart of this - it is what it represents that matters most. It represents, factually, the impact that we are making on our students when it comes to how they perform on standardized testing, their attendance, their behavior, and their view of school. In many aspects, there are some great celebrations. In others, there are less-than-desirable points. Concerning these lower points, I'm hearing a variety of responses. For some, there are elevated levels of stress. Others see it as a "bring it" opportunity. The response, honestly, tells me a great amount about the mindset of the adults. How we choose to respond to this is going to be a fairly accurate predictor of the outcome. Whether we believe we can or believe we can't make an impact, we are correct.
Data gives us the opportunity to be reactive or proactive. Whatever our approach, which does matter, let's no make excuses. Just don't. Excuses are a cop-out, and have zero benefits for our students. Going beyond the collective grade levels, and digging into subgroups of students provides rich information that create awareness and inform practices. Please accept this as an invitation to apply the humane use of data to drive excellence into our teaching and learning. Avoid being data-driven (which may lead to fear/stress), and instead be data-informed and purpose-driven (which drives positivity, hope, and being solution-oriented).
Of all that we have going on in our schools, my top two academic-related goals for all our elementary students are:
1) That our students have an academic & meaningful relationship with a caring educator who is their champion. Someone who inspires them, grows them, challenges them, and sees them for who they can become.
2) That our students read and achieve on grade level each and every year in these formative years. This has so much less to do with performance on standardized testing and so much more to do with their current and future success. Think about how better the quality of life is for the student who can read on grade level in elementary, then middle, then high school. Our work at the elementary level can be directly linked to our graduation rates. We are able to identify at a very confident level which elementary students are at risk of becoming a high school dropout: if it is predictable, it is preventable. Think about the variety in opportunities afforded a student who becomes an adult solely based upon their ability to demonstrate the foundational competencies of a learned/educated individual.
Your impact is greater than you give yourself credit for. There is a deep knowledge base about the artistry of teaching, and despite public opinion, not every person who went to school is actually an expert on what good teaching and learning looks like. You are the experts. Please reflect on our Activate Kickoff from the beginning of the year. You are not "just a teacher;" you are a Teacher. It is a work and calling that is more important and challenging than ever before. Own it. Be Proud. Be insistent for your students, and thank you for being an educator!
Dyslexia...in case you were wondering what's next...
Next Steps
The district’s screening process includes two parts. Part 1 included the iReady, DRA, Spelling Inventory, etc. which classroom teachers entered into the data portal. While this data provides a comprehensive picture of strengths and weaknesses in literacy, one more piece is needed to determine if a student is at-risk for dyslexia.
The district is currently verifying Part 1 data and working with specific sites where the data was not entered in the data portal. Students who are confirmed/identified “Below Basic” (red) on initial screening will be flagged for Part 2.
The additional screening will help determine if students identified as Below Basic have characteristics of dyslexia. The district will utilize the Shaywitz Dyslexia Screen, which is a digital questionnaire that takes 3-5-minutes to complete for each flagged student. We will be uploading all students who require additional screening and assigning them to their classroom teachers. In the next 1-2 weeks classroom teachers will receive an email invitation with a link to launch and complete the Shaywitz Dyslexia Screen for these students.. The teacher will simply follow the on-screen instructions to enter ratings. All items are rated with a 5-or 6-point Likert scale. Please see the Teacher Quick Guides below for further explanation and examples.
- Examples of the Shaywitz Screen for each grade level:
- After results are received from the Shaywitz Screening, parents will be notified if their child was identified as at-risk for dyslexia. Sites will also be provided a list of all students that were identified at-risk.
- Next steps would follow the TST Sequence of Actions. Data collection for TST may include using iReady and Lexia Interventions as individual or small group interventions, and/or providing Classroom Supports and Accommodations based on individual student needs. The TST may determine that a referral for additional evaluation is necessary.
- More information and resources in literacy-related assistive technology for student devices is coming soon
- The district is piloting additional dyslexia-specific interventions to determine how to best allocate resources
Process for grades 4th grade and above
- Teacher Referral: The classroom teacher must send home the Parent Questionnaire and Consent for Screening for screening. After consent is received, the classroom teacher will complete the Dyslexia Screening Request Form to request Initial Screening. Amanda McCaleb will schedule a time to administer the screening.
- Parent Request: The classroom teacher will send home the Parent Questionnaire and Consent for Screening. After the the consent is received, the classroom teacher will complete the Dyslexia Screening Request Form to request Initial Screening. Amanda McCaleb will schedule a time to administer the screening.
Overall Dyslexia Screening Process Information
- For a quick FAQ guide, check out the 10 Things To Know About The New Dyslexia Requirements.