Wolcott's Weekly "What's Up"
Officie of Teaching and Learning 4.7.2015
Quote of Note
Teaching and Learning Updates
Significant 72
One of the cool things about our Academic Transformation Plan is the focus on forming strong, caring relationships with and between students. As I continue to spend a great deal of time researching in the area of Student-Teacher Relationships, I am amazed to read about simple things that can be done in classrooms that have been shown to have huge impact on student academic and social emotional growth. An important piece I shared during my session at the ASCD Annual Conference in Houston before break:
“Likeness begets liking".
- Students who are able to identify something they have in common with their teachers perform higher on all academic measures than students unable to name similarities.
- Further, teachers of students who are able to recognize likeness with peers report less off-task behavior, fewer office discipline referrals and higher student engagement.
- Teachers were asked to take a class roster and write something they have in common with each student. Some teachers could write something next to each child's name, others couldn't. There was a very high correlation between the names of students teachers could not identify a commonality with and office discipline referrals, low academic performance and off-task behavior. Coincidence?
My challenge to you... reflect on your classroom community and see how the educational environment you have created encourages the phrase "Likeness begets liking".
Curriculum Adoption Cycle
We received questions from WEA at our last ACT meeting regarding the decisions to make curricular changes. District 68 has used a Board approved Curriculum Adoption Cycle since the early 1970s. The purpose of the cycle is to ensure curriculum is reviewed and changed on a regular basis. The six-year cycle was originally set to correspond to state funding (the old Illinois Textbook Loan program). When state funds were cut, the cycle changed and curriculum development was spread out over a 7-8 year period for financial purposes.
In 2008, a two-year English (Grammar)/Writing/Spelling adoption was initiated with the expectation that another year of implementation would be needed. This resulted in in all other subjects being pushed back multiple years. Curriculum development was then further impacted by the introduction of Common Core.
No curriculum implementation occurred during 2012-2013 school year due to the initial rollout and implementation of the Academic Transformation Plan in 2012-2013. Math planning across the district began that year.
At the elementary school level, in order to implement the Common Core and start refreshing curriculum, which in some situations was over a decade old, a new cycle was put in place. The schedule can be found below and will be posted on the Teaching and Learning Department Weebly Website.
Due to the departmentalization at Jefferson Junior High, staff have been working very hard over the past several years to revamp, revise and refine their curriculum as needed. This process will continue in a more fluid manner as they take their next steps implementing the data team process.
If you have further questions regarding the Curriculum Cycle, please contact me directly.
Teaching and Learning Plan 2015-2016
At the April 7th Admin Meeting we will be finalizing plans for the 2015-2016 school year regarding changes to RTI, DEB, Special Education collaboration, articulation and scheduling. Once complete, principals will be sharing these plans with staff. Individual principals will determine the best way to share this information with their particular building. Options for sharing of the common message include extended mid-day collaboration (with me buying pizza so no one misses lunch) or obtaining floating subs in order for principals to spend time in smaller groups discussing changes.
It is out belief these coming modification will provide great benefit to students as well as relief in planning for staff.
SPED Audit Update
We continue to make adjustments to our current practices as necessitated by the Special Education Audit. Items of note:
- Blending the Early Childhood Special Education Program with the PreSchool for All Program into a new program offering a better range of learning environment for students.
- Relocation of the above mentioned new program in order to better serve students at their home schools and/or at sites in closer proximity to their home schools.
- Development of new Workload Plans for all Special Education Staff including Speech Language Pathologists, Learning behavior Specialists, School Social Workers and School Psychologists.
- IDEA Purist training for specified staff presented by consultant, Mary Ellen Schaffer.
- Planned Behavior Intervention Plan and Functional Behavior Assessment training for the 2015-2016 school year.
Interested in Teaching an Internal University Course?
Prior to break I met with representatives of WEA for the joint Internal University committee meeting. I was happy to receive a list of topics staff would like to have as IU courses. I am in the process of trying to find external staff to teach these course, but before I finalize these, I want to see if our own staff are interested.
I will be emailing out (then posting on the Teaching and Learning Curriculum Weebly website) a proposal template for staff interested in offering a class either this summer or in the fall. Please keep a look out for that template later this week.
Leadership and Learning Resources
Principal's To Do List
- Reconnect with students and staff!
- Enjoy this down time between PARCC administration.
- Begin thinking about class list development for the 2015-2016 school year including gifted and ELL clustering
- Celebrate the great learning going on within the walls of your school!
On the Radar
- 4/8 Monday Schedule
- 4/9 Primary Reading Program Presentations
- 4/14 CANCELLED:Principals Teaching and Learning Meeting
- 4/15 Taxes Due!
- 4/15 Report Cards Due
- 4/17 Report Cards Sent Home
- 4/21 District Admin Meeting
- 4/25 District Young Author's Conference @ JJHS
Stay Strong and F.O.C.U.S.ed!
Greg Wolcott
Email: wolcottg@woodridge68.org
Website: www.woodridge68.org
Location: 7925 Janes Avenue, Woodridge, IL, United States
Phone: 630.967.2035
Twitter: @TeachLearn68