The "Oskaloosa Syllabus"
January 2015 - "News You Can Use!"
Teacher Leadership Compensation (TLC) Grant Awarded to Oskaloosa!!!
TLC Grant Summary
In January we will have the specifics of the application process. If you are interested in any of the positions listed below but have questions, do not hesitate to ask. We are thrilled with the opportunities these positions will provide for instructional and leadership growth across the district!!!
- 2 Additional Instructional Coaches will be added at the Elementary for a total of 4 coaches. Anticipated - 1 Math Coach and 3 Literacy Coaches
- 1 Additional Instructional Coach will be added at the Middle School for a total of 2 coaches. Anticipated - 1 Literacy Coach and 1 Technology Integration/PBL
- 2 Instructional Coaches will be added at the High School. Anticipated - 1 Literacy and 1 Technology/PBL
- Instructional Coaches will be provided additional compensation as they will add ten days to their contract - either prior to school starting, end of the school year, or additional time after school during the school year. Those dates and times have not yet been determined.
- PLC Facilitators (25) will remain the same, with added emphasis. They will be provided additional compensation as they will add five days to their contract. Those dates and times have not yet been determined.
- Vertical Team Facilitators (23) will remain the same, with added emphasis. They will be provided additional compensation as they will add 2.5 days to their contract. Those dates and times have not yet been determined..
- Mentors will remain the same, with some added emphasis. They will be provided additional compensation as they will add three days to their contract. Those dates and times have not yet been determined.
The application process will be sent out, along with job descriptions, sometime in January or February. The interview process will likely begin in February so we can begin the professional learning required for the positions. Again, if you have questions, please let anyone on the Administrative Team answer them for you!
New Vision and Mission Cards for Lanyards
REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR VISION & MISSION CARD AT ALL TIMES!!!!
The Mission of the Oskaloosa Community Schools:
Engaging ALL Students to Embrace the Power of Learning
Vision:
Believe, Achieve and Create with Pride
Updated Extended Meaning - SBG Grading Poster
PLC To Watch in January = MS Idustrial Technology, FCS, and Technology
90% of students will receive a GLB rating of 3 or better on technology projects
Action Plan for SMART goal
Use predetermined rubrics for projects
Give rubrics to students at the beginning of project to make them aware of expectations
Monitor student progress throughout project
Give students timelines (deadlines) for lengthy projects
Provide immediate feedback as needed
They will be presenting to the Board of Education in January - please come and hear about their work!
December DLT Update
- HS members gave an update on progress toward implementing a SBG pilot. They have met only once - they have a lot of work to accomplish before they implement
- We reviewed the DLT SMART Goal and the data points we will use to determine if we met the goal. We drilled down to determine the specific data each building will collect. They will bring that baseline data to the January meeting to analyze.
- In January the DLT will review the Work Habits K-12. Encore areas would like to have theirs be more applicable to their area.
- Tool for Improvement Activity - Learning Targets. Members read an article and we shared quotes from the article supporting the use of Learning Targets. We watched two videos and had table discussions using the Tool for Improvement.
"Tool for Improvement" Focus in January - Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment
There are really two types of formative assessment - One is used as a Noun and the other is used as a Verb.
- Formal Formative Assessment - really more the Noun. This is a tangible product you get from individual students. You want to formally collect formative evidence of learning periodically so you have an idea if students are understanding the content and have the ability to apply the skill. Examples of these include: Quizzes, Ticket out the Door, Graphic Organizers, writing prompts, individual presentations, etc. These do not need to be elaborate - in fact, the shorter the better as long as they measure what we intend to measure. If we do not have ALL students hear their voice and express their understanding in writing, we will not have a solid understanding of learning. Do you grade these? Sometimes you do - sometimes you do not. Each teacher team must decide BEFORE the learning, when and how you will assess your students. This data is part of the data conversation during PLC Collaboration. Curriculum Teams have been asked to develop common formative assessments this year as part of our work.
- Informal Formative Assessment - really more the Verb. This is an informal way a teacher collects evidence of learning. You may have individual information, or group/class information. Examples of informal formative assessments are observations, turn and talk (while listening and taking notes), questioning, etc. This type of assessment is part of the instructional routine - used to determine next steps or additional questions to ask the class. Teachers usually are walking around the classroom to gather this information while students are working on a task. Students do not turn in an individual product using informal assessment techniques. Informal assessments give you the opportunity, as the instructor, to ask more direct questions of the learners.
The difference is easy to see - each are used to gather information and provide feedback to students. One does not necessarily give us direct information about the learner on specific content as an individual, while the other one does.
Some Formative Assessment Ideas Any Content Area Could Use
January Dates to Remember!
January 5th - District PLC Facilitator Meeting - 3:45 (Board Room)
January 6th - District Leadership Team (DLT) - 4:00
January 7th - MS/HS SPED and Gen Ed - Aimsweb learning - 8:00-3:00 (Board Room)
January 8th - Year 1 Mentors and New Professionals Meeting - 3:45 (Board Room)
January 9th - 5th Grade PLC meeting to plan - 8:00-3:00 (Elementary)
January 12th - Building PLC Facilitator Meeting - 3:45 (Building)
January 13th - District Technology Committee - 3:45
January 14th - Instructional Coaches meeting - 9:00-11:00 - (Central Office)
January 20th - District Advisory Committee (DAC) - 3:45
January 21st - Elementary SINA - 8:00-2:00 (Elementary)
January 22nd - 4th Grade meeting to plan backwards 8:00-3:00 (off-site)
January 23rd - LETRS Training - 8:00-3:00 (Board Room)
January 24th - Math Curriculum Team - 8:00-3:00
January 28th - Elementary PD - Iowa Core - 2:30-3:30 (Elementary)
January 30th - Social Studies Curriculum Team - 8:00-3:00
Iowa ASCD Presentation
This would be great experience to gain teacher leadership experience!!!
Assessment Dates Coming Up!
Fountas and Pinnell Text Leveling (Benchmark) - January 5th - January 16th
Iowa Assessments - March 9th - March 12th
Spring MAP Assessment - April 1st - April 17th
A-Team SMART GOAL District Results
SMART Goal
100% of teachers will score a 2 or higher on the Tool for Improvement and 80% of teachers will score a 3 or higher on the Tool for Improvement in all 5 categories by the end of the year.
Action Plan
- Complete a minimum of one walk through observation for each teacher each trimester
- Central office will complete a walk through observation for each teacher throughout the year
- Provide specific feedback for improvement on each walk through observation
- Analyze walk through observation data monthly
- Conduct team walk through observations and have discussions about what was observed
- Discuss the Tool for Improvement to ensure consistent application of tool on a monthly basis
Results:
Total # of Walkthroughs = 253 (Includes Webster, Elem, MS and HS)
Category 1 - Student Engagement - 2's and above = 98.5%; 3's and above = 92.4%
Category 2 - Learning Targets - 2's and above = 76.6%; 3's and above = 49.3%
Category 3 - Formative Assessment - 2's and above = 88.7%; 3's and above = 54.6%
Category 4 - Bloom's Taxonomy - 2's and above = 89.3%; 3's and above = 54.5%
Category 5 - Instructional Technique - 2's and above = 86.4%; 3's and above 64.4%
Infinite Campus Reminder
Please remember to update your grades and ANY information on what students are doing in class weekly and no more than 10 days.
We must continue to use Infinite Campus as a way to communicate with parents!!!