Office for Schools
Diocese of San Diego ~ March 2017
Did You Know...
- Congratulations to St. Michael's in Poway! They took first place in the Annual Academic Decathlon. They will be representing the Diocese of San Diego at the state competition in Sacramento. Go, San Diego!
- We will begin Year 2 of our Diocesan Teacher Induction (BTSA) program in 2017-2018. Please find more information below.
- SAVE THE DATE! Our 3rd Annual Catholic Educators Award Banquet will be April 27 at OLP (5:00-7:30 pm). Invitations will be sent via email this Friday. ALL ARE WELCOME!
- The Annual Job Fair is coming up! It's April 1 at Cathedral Catholic High School. Please share the flyer below in your communications!
STAR - Why do scores go up and down?
STAR Score Fluctuation:
Recently, a common question has come up. “Why are my students who score a 12.0 Grade Equivalency in the fall scoring lower in the winter?”
Why STAR Scores Go Up and Down:
When a test is administered repeatedly, an individual’s score may fluctuate. This may be due to the test’s standard error of measurement; student anxiety, illness, motivation, or level of attention; or a statistical phenomenon called regression to the mean. Regression to the mean is the tendency of those with the highest scores on an initial test to score closer to average on a second test and those with the lowest scores to score closer to average—and therefore higher— on the second test. These factors do not make a test unreliable or invalid. But because some fluctuation is likely, a trend line is a better indicator of growth and projected growth than scores from individual tests.
The other point to keep in mind, is that these students are extremely high performing. When you score a 12.9+ you are at the very top. If an 8th grade student scores an 11.5 the next time around, this does not mean that they suddenly lost knowledge and as a 8th grader, this is still phenomenal. This does however, continue to give us a strong picture of the student’s proficiency - particularly when looking at trend lines and scores.
Diocesan Collaboration & Professional Learning Opportunities
2017-2018 Induction (BTSA) Information
Final Learning Support Meeting of the Year ~ at USD
Certificate in Catholic School Leadership (CCEL)
In partnership, USD SOLES and the OFS are targeting the Summer of 2017 for the first cohort for theCertificate in Catholic Educational Leadership program. While still in the final stages of development, the course has been specifically designed to meet the needs of leaders in our diocese.
The Certificate in Catholic Educational Leadership (CCEL) program is designed to address the Catholic dimensions of school leadership as well as instructional leadership and supervision common to all schools. The CCEL program draws upon current research-based strategies to ensure that elementary school principals receive a well-rounded, rigorous program that develops and strengthens their leadership skills. Effective practices for these Catholic School leaders are embedded into each course and are designed to:
- provide the knowledge and skills necessary for effective leadership in contemporary Catholic schools grounded in the foundations for Catholic education and social thought, strategic resourcing and culturally responsive instructional leadership.
- provide the opportunity to build capacity as instructional leaders and to develop strategic resourcing skills.
Initially, we are starting an interest list for any candidate who would like to be updated on the program. CCEL Interest Form
Science Articulation Rescheduled
Mater Dei High School will be hosting the Diocesan Science Teacher Articulation meeting rescheduled for May 1st. The meeting will start at 1pm. We will explore the work of the Science Academy and have guided discussions led the faculty of Mater Dei High School. Please use the link below to register for the event. Science Articulation RSVP
Western Catholic Curriculum Summit - Register
Theresa Coyle (St. John Encinitas), Emily Mohan (St. John Encinitas), Karen Klenk (St. John Encinitas), Kelly Howe (St. Therese), Megan Ashcroft (St. Therese), Anne Egan (Blessed Sacrament), David Woltz (St. Martin), Jen Lambert (All Hallows), and Talina Lindsey (Notre Dame Academy)
Professional Learning Portal
Celebrating Our Catholic Schools
View School Tweets from February and Early-March!
Sharing Best Practices Across the Diocese
Many teachers have been participating in our ELA Professional Learning Program at the Pastoral Center this Year!
On Top: Teachers engaging in a Data Carousel to review ELA STAR data in our diocese.
On Bottom: Teachers learning strategies to "make thinking visible" in their classrooms.
Other Important News
WCEA Website
The mission of WCEA is to promote quality Catholic education for students in our member elementary and secondary schools through an accrediting process that assures the primacy of faith formation and educational excellence.
NCEA Website
Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction, and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing, and teaching mission of the Church.
OFS Google Drive
Shared Office for Schools Google Drive
Links to Previous OFS Newsletters
Contact Information
Email: ahodges@sdcatholic.org
Website: http://www.sdcatholic.org
Location: 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, CA, United States
Phone: 858-490-8240
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdcatholicschools/
Twitter: @DioceseSDschool