WEEKLY UPDATES
MAY 27, 2019
“Achieving in the Middle” is our initiative aimed to improve academic achievement in 24 Dallas ISD Middle Schools by creating, refining, and supporting best-in-class systems for leading and learning.
***Principal Action Items***
- AIM Instructional Leader Survey: All Instructional Leaders serving your campus next year (APs, CICs, Counselors, and ILTs) must complete the AIM Instructional Leader Survey ASAP. It is linked here and can also be found at tiny.cc/AIMsurvey (case sensitive). Please complete this ASAP.
- Master Schedule Administrator Survey: Ensure your administrator in charge of the Master Schedule completes this linked survey.
Instructional Lead Teacher PD: June 4th-6th
A critical component of our students' success next year will be our Instructional Lead Teachers, and we are ecstatic to welcome them into the role with meticulously planned Professional Development. All sessions are rooted in the end goal of ensuring ILTs grow their capacity to lead instructional planning during PLCs and model an exemplary classroom culture/environment. Thanks to strategic partnerships with Teaching & Learning, ILTs will experience the learning in permanent Model Classrooms represented by all core content areas. We're excited, honored, and ready to begin this work on June 4th!
More details about sessions can be seen in the screenshot below:
2019-2020 AIM CAMPUSES
ATWELL MS
BROWNE MS
CARY MS
COMSTOCK MS
DADE MS
GARCIA MS
GASTON MS
HILL MS
KENNEDY-CURRY MS
LANG MS
MARSH MS
MEDRANO MS
O.W. HOLMES MS
PIEDMONT MS
PINKSTON (GRADES 7-8)
RUSK MS
SEAGOVILLE MS
STOCKARD MS
STOREY MS
TASBY MS
WALKER MS
YMLA @ FLORENCE
ZAN HOLMES MS
ZUMWALT MS
Weekly Learning
John Hattie developed a way of synthesizing various influences in different meta-analyses according to their effect size. In his ground-breaking study “Visible Learning” he ranked 138 influences that are related to learning outcomes from very positive effects to very negative effects. Hattie found that the average effect size of all the interventions he studied was 0.40. Therefore he decided to judge the success of influences relative to this ‘hinge point’, in order to find an answer to the question “What works best in education?”
Read more about Visible Learning and Hattie's research here.
KEY COMPONENTS OF AIM
STRATEGIC STAFFING
Campus staffing based on aligned Vision, Mission, Values
Distributed Leadership Model with three APs, three Counselors, and Core Content Instructional Lead Teachers (ILTs)
Professional Development to study, align and develop top talent
INSTRUCTIONAL EXCELLENCE
Master Schedules built with defined instructional blocks
Effective Lesson Design through PLC; aligned and differentiated with data, rigor and student interest
Engaging Lesson Delivery through exploration, expression, and cultural competence as well as Small group instruction, Differentiation, and Blended Learning with writing in all contents
POSITIVE, RESPONSIVE CULTURE
Schoolwide Systems & Structures for Arrival, dismissal, lunch, Student Teams, Celebrations, etc.
Restorative & SEL practices including class meetings, circles, integrated SEL & suspension alternatives
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Enrichment and Interventions with a variety of offerings and goals of 80% participation for 6th grade
Intervention with tutoring and self-directed intervention with technology
SUPPORTIVE PARTNERSHIPS
Parent Advocacy with Data, High School Choice and SEL at Home Seminars
Parent Leadership with revitalized SBDM, PT/PTSO organizations
Community Engagement with opportunities for community outreach, events and partnerships
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“When you do the things in the present that you can see, you are shaping the future that you are yet to see.”