Curriculum Director's Newsletter
September 2015
High Reliability Schools by Marzano, Warrick and Simms
Where are we?
Identifying Critical Components by Level
Level 5 Competency-Based Education
Level 4 Standards-Referenced Reporting
Level 3 Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
Level 2 Effective Teaching in Every Classroom
Level 1 Safe and Collaborative Schools
What should we do?
Implementing Critical Components at Each Level
Level 5 Revise time requirements and adjust reporting systems
Level 4 Develop proficiency scales and rubrics for essential content
Level 3 Continually monitor curriculum, comprehensive vocabulary program
Level 2 Implement a Teacher Evaluation Process whose purpose is development
Level 1 Implement PLC processes
Monthly Leadership Meetings:
- High School Principals-1st Friday of the Month
- Middle School Principals-2nd Friday of the Month
- Elementary Principals-3rd Friday of the Month
- Curriculum Directors-Last Tuesday of the Month
- Instructional Technology-October 15; November 19; January 21; March 17; May 19
- New Teacher Network-October 1st; December 9th; March 16th
All of these meetings are designed to connect people, information and learning to improve outcomes for your buildings and district. Agendas are created in collaboration with the members and are responsive to their needs.
Virtual Summer School 2015 Update
New Teacher Network Starts!
October 1st 4:30-6:30
December 9th 4:30-6:30
March 16th 4:30-6:30
Revised Michigan Merit Curriculum Booklets are Coming!
We have revised the Michigan Merit Curriculum Booklets, in partnership with Macomb ISD, with all of the updates.
They are at the printers as we speak and will be arriving in your building to be given to 9th graders first. We will work with your HS Principals on this one.
Spring 2016-Testing Schedule Update
PSAT10/NMSQT
- Wednesday, October 14: Recommended Test Day PSAT/NMSQT Administration
- Wednesday, October 28: Alternate Test Day PSAT/NMSQT Administration
SAT (paid for)
- Tuesday, April 12 SAT
- Wednesday, April 13 WorkKeys
- April 11-29 M-STEP Science and Social Studies
PSAT 9/10 (paid for)
- Tuesday, April 12 OR Wednesday, April 13
Professional Resources and Support
SAT Workshops Coming up for your Staff:
- September 30th on the campus of Baker College
- November 12th at Davis Building
Click HERE for more information
Information for K-12 Educators (including PD modules)
Free SAT Practice through Khan Academy. Parents, students, and educators can get free accounts.
Here is an abbreviated online version of the changes you can share.
Need support? Our consultants are available to come to your district to provide professional development sessions on the SAT.
M-Step
MDE Link to all Things M-STEP
SPOTLIGHT
Update from Office of Assessment & Accountability
- September 10: New Assessment Inventory Group; M-STEP Admin Survey Results
- September 3: Preparing for Spring 2016; DAS Conference Handouts; KEA, WIDA
- August 27: KEA Tasks and Tools, Student/Parent Survey Info; SAT, WIDA Website
- August 20: News on 2016 M-STEP & MME, KEA Pre-ID
MDE Update and Assessment Updates for September:
KEA: (Kindergarten Entry Assessment) Discussion is occurring at state meetings with the intent to require KEA next year. More to come--nothing is final--we will be tracking this effort.
K-2 Interim Assessment: MDE will field-test during the Spring of 2016. School and district volunteers are needed for item writing.
ASSIST website:
ASSIST is going to be transitioning to an LMS called e-Prove next fall. More to come and we will support with training.
ACTPoint: MDE no longer has a contract with ACTPoint as it has not kept pace with the legislative changes and is out of date. The countywide usage for ACTPoint has been low. We will continue to support districts in their efforts to provide a personal curriculum with information located on the state website. David Treder will be happy to assist.
Here are some MDE resources that are updated:
The Personal Curriculum NING
o This provides tools, documents, webinar’s, etc. Access can be gained using the following link. http://personalcurriculum.ning.com/?xgi=5fnr2W4b421fqo
· MDE Personal Curriculum webpage found at http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_30334_49879---,00.html .
Michigan Science and Social Studies Standards Proposed to State Board of Education
Michigan Science and Social Studies Standards were proposed to the State Board of Education by the Michigan Department of Education at their August 11, 2015 meeting. The standards, along with supporting information, may be viewed online and will be presented in informational sessions at several locations throughout the state. Public comments will be shared with the State Board of Education soon, but it is likely that voting on adoption will be delayed.
General Informational Sessions
- Traverse City, Traverse Bay Area ISD, September 21, 5-8 PM
- Flint, Genesee ISD, September 28, 5-8 PM
- Lansing, Michigan Historical Center, September 30, 5-8 PM
Michigan Science Standards Webpage
The proposed Michigan Science Standards can be viewed on the Michigan Department of Education Science Page. Additional references and supporting materials will also be available at this site as they are released, www.michigan.gov/science
Michigan Social Studies Standards Webpage
The proposed Michigan Social Studies Standards can be viewed on the Michigan Department of Education Social Studies Page. Additional references and supporting materials will also be available at this site as they are released, www.michigan.gov/socialstudies
Assessment Survey
Good Morning Curriculum Leaders:
Our new state school superintendent Brian Whiston has said that statewide student testing should be dialed back. It was welcome news when MDE announced in August that there will no longer be an 11th grade M-STEP English language arts and mathematics component and that Performance Tasks will be reduced in grades 3-8.
Now, superintendent Whiston and MDE are assembling an, "assessment vision group" in an effort to consider further reductions of time spent assessing individual students.
In order to inform the work of the visioning group, MDE has developed a survey which will provide baseline data on current LEA assessment practices.
The survey is found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AssessInventory
This survey will ask you questions about various forms of assessments currently in use within your district, at what grade levels and the approximate number of days students spend completing those assessments each year.
MDE is requesting completion of this survey prior to September, 21. Due to the short turn-around time of this request survey responses will be accepted after September, 21 as well.
Thank you in advance for attention to this. This is an extremely busy time of year for everyone. However, your input will ensure that our ISD is represented in this important statewide assessment decision making process.
Mary Behm
Professional Learning Upgrades
Interested in providing onsite, job-embedded professional learning for individual teachers or groups? Contact Lisa Madden to coordinate cognitive coaching sessions, lab classroom facilitation, workshop follow-up/implementation planning, or other customized solutions.
15 Useful DIY Professional Development Resources for Teachers
50 Inspiring TED Talks for Teachers
Learning Opportunities for Administrators & Teachers
WE'VE MOVED!
September 2015
October 2015
Administrators' Science Leaders Network (A-SLN)
10:30am to 3pm in GISD room 101 following GCCC meetings:
- October 27, 2015 - Engaging in Science (State of Science Ed)
- February 23, 2016 - Supporting Science
- April 26, 2016 - Planning Science for 2016-17
Cost: $50, Lunch and SCECHs included. Click here to register.
November 2015
December 2015
Other Happenings
December-March-MAC Reads Online Book Study-Formative Classroom Walkthroughs: How Principals and Teachers Collaborate to Raise Student Achievement. GISD, as one of the MAC Reads sites, will host an Online Book study through Canvas beginning in December. MAC will host a follow-up webinar with Susan Brookhart sometime in March. This will be a beneficial collaborative study for you, your principals, and interested teachers. Stay tuned for more information!
Education and Learning
Email: mbehm@geneseeisd.org
Website: www.geneseeisd.org
Location: 2413 W Maple Ave, Flint, MI, United States
Phone: 8105914408