ACE Newsletter
Year 2, Issue 5 September 19, 2016
Message from your Executive Director
I cannot thank you enough for making this a smooth and productive start of the school year. Our students must have another year of double digit gains to close achievement gaps; we are well on our way.
I have been excited about the quick pace and urgency felt when visiting schools. Improving school culture has helped us go faster, but now we must focus our efforts to fine-tuning instruction. In addition to developing the right "what" to teach, we must tackle the "how" with laser precision. Please consider athletes, surgeons, pilots - let's make our work as important by studying and preparing with a devotion to continuous improvement. Your weekly PLCs are perfect for supporting these goals. Please be certain to use the TRS resources - specifically the IFD and TEKS Clarification tools.
PLCs are also great for reviewing key professional development goals, studying data and sharing student work artifacts. Consider bringing your student interactive notebooks/journals and develop campus-wide criteria to reflect your school's standards . As an ACE team, we have seen many strong samples. This is an important step in the right direction because we know as students develop the skills to take notes, they solidify learning, move information from short to long-term memory, and take more ownership and pride in their work. These are habits that will support them through college and beyond.
I look forward to seeing how each campus embraces continuous improvement - so far, I have been truly inspired! As always, thank you for your partnership and best wishes for a productive and enjoyable second week of school.
Sincerely,
Jolee Healey
In This Week's Issue:
ACE Strategy Highlight - Interactive Notebooks
ACE First Six Weeks "look fors"
ACE Professional Development Updates and Offerings
ACE Summit PD Resources
AASI Resources
ACE Strategy Highlight: Interactive Notebooks
Interactive Notebooks
An interactive notebook can be a powerful instructional tool, allowing students to take control of their learning while processing information and engaging in self-reflection.
Interactive notebooks provide a window into the minds of students to reveal their true understanding and their misconceptions, and they provide an opportunity for teachers to open up new horizons for their students to explore.
Click here for step by step instructions on how to set up your interactive notebooks!
ACE Classroom Look Fors - First Six Weeks Framework
ACE Professional Development Updates and Offerings
ACE Summit PD: presentations from summer's PD below
African American Success Initiative Resources
AASI offers many resources to assist campuses in enhancing their instructional program. The use of a variety of resources that enable teachers to teach through a rich and varied selection of instructional materials can be found HERE. Such resources may include books, writing programs, “hands-on” manipulatives, facilitated coaching, STAAR workshops, College & Career exploration, field excursions, e-instruction, and other practical or specialized resources that support the content matter and student learning outcomes. Contact Regina Rice to schedule a learning opportunity for your campus.