AD Connect
10-23-17
I have a Secretary...not my wife :)
One Call Does it All...Sort of :)
IFF/Google Form
Due to the challenges with using the IFF to conduct walkthroughs, campuses will be allowed to use the attached Google form instead. You can make a copy and add your campus specific look-fors as you did with the True North Logic IFF. The Department of Organizational Learning is working out the kinks with TNL, and we can revisit it again next semester. In the meantime, if you choose to use this form instead of the TNL form, be sure to make a copy before editing. Please share your Google IFF with me if you choose to make the switch.
Instructional Alignment
What is the “main thing” when it comes to improving student achievement? Although student engagement, positive relationships, and pedagogical strategies are vital to student success, but really when it comes down to it, none of that matters much if instruction is not directly aligned with standards. When visiting classrooms, what process do you follow to determine instructional alignment? Many follow a process similar to this:
(1) identify the TEK
(2) review the lesson plan
(3) compare the TEK to the lesson frame
(4) review instructional materials.
This is a good process, for sure. There are, however, two key steps missing that could determine whether or not student learning is at the appropriate rigor and if student learned the TEK. Take a look:
(5) examine student work for understanding
(6) compare student work to released STAAR questions and/or exemplars to calibrate the level in learning. These two final steps are key to gauging instruction, and we have many resources at our fingertips to help us with all of these steps. Using Lead4Ward’s snapshot and released test resources allows you to verify alignment within a few seconds. The online curriculum also has a link to assessment items by unit.Launching Writer's workshop
- each child has a personalized writer's notebook
- teacher has a mini lesson with either a mentor text or modeled writing daily (15 minutes)...there should be evidence of this posted in the room
- students write independently daily (30-45 min)
- teacher has a way to monitor where students on are in the writing process (not all students should be at the same place)...perhaps the make and take literacy notebook referred to in last week's memo.
- Writer's Workshop is not about prompt writing, so educators should be selecting the genre and students the content
How are you monitoring these?
Schoolnet training
Organizational Learning is offering the first ever SchoolNet Conference. More information can be found here conference.
SchoolNet Score Groups
The SchoolNet Score Groups have been updated to reflect the correct response percentage observed during the spring 2017 STAAR administrations, and the SchoolNet group names will now reflect the STAAR group names. Please click the link
SchoolNet Score Groups for more information.K-2 Suspensions and Discipline Data
In addition to this topic, please make sure that you are pulling your discipline report monthly to review with your leadership to in order to facilitate conversations about discipline/student management practices. Please let us know if you need support in this area.
Writer's workshop Overview
Once your staff has a grasp on the overall structure, consider requesting an IDF training on how to confer with learners during Writer's Workshop.
Authentic Feedback and Carrots and Sticks
Avoid Initiative Fatigue
Hakuna Matata
Tuesday: Performance Planning; PM Focus Schools Meeting; Heather Glen Quarterly Review
Wednesday: CIA meeting; PM AD meeting
Thursday: LAD meeting; Goal Setting Conferences; PM GPLA
Friday: Goal Setting Conferences; PM Hickman Quarterly Review