Cluster Four IS Snapshot
Week of December 5-9, 2022
A Note from IS Caruthers
Greetings Cluster 4,
I am excited to celebrate Inclusive Schools Week (December 5-9, 2022! Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN). This event is held each year during the first full week in December to reflect upon the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population and to provide an opportunity to commit to taking action in the coming year to continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children, including students who are marginalized due to disability, race, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and/or LQBTQ+ identity. Inclusion is EQUITY IN ACTION. Please click this link if you would like to commit to taking inclusive action in 2023.
As I check in with you this week, please share your schools inclusive school week connections and feel free to let me know where you may need support.
Best,
Andria
Key Updates: Instructional Leadership
IMPACT:
- Thank you Hearst (28%), Key (13%), Ross (10%). Eaton (6%), and JO Wilson (2.9%) for launching cycle one with formals complete (in the dashboard).
- Please note, I am pushing for a at least 30% with a cluster goal of 50% complete by Winter break. As I shared in check ins, we want to ensure as many observations occur prior to the last two weeks.
- NEW DATE: Please plan ahead because the LEAP leader PD will be moved to in person, 1/2 day on the 1/18 and 1/19 (the Holistic deadline). This will avoid leaders out of the building on the first week back, so please plan accordingly. OTL will send more details.
Leadership Framework (LF) Cycle 1 Assessments for APs (12/9): LF Cycle 1 Assessments for APs should be completed in the School Leader IMPACT Database. As a reminder, AP LFs are not finalized until reviewed by your Instructional Superintendent. You can visit the School Leader IMPACT section on Canvas to access a copy of the AP Leadership Framework.
IMPACT: 2022-2023 Student Surveys Window 1 (12/20): Student Surveys Window 1 is now open through Tuesday, December 20. The IMPACT Team will update your dashboard with completion reports throughout the window.
Essential Practices (EP) Training for LEAP Leaders (12/21): If you indicated during IMPACT Staff Confirmation that you wanted LEAP Leaders to engage in EP training, the IMPACT team has shared details with those LEAP Leaders via email. The training takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete and the deadline is Wednesday, December 21. However, please feel free to establish an earlier deadline based on school priorities. Please see the LEAP Leader EP Training Implementation Guide for School Leaders and the FAQ document for additional tips about how to implement this opportunity and support LEAP Leaders at your school.
DIBELS Progress Monitoring: Principals have received bi- weekly reminders for each program between BOY and MOY. Please review our data below, the corresponding email I sent on 12/7 and connect with Jason/Mary/Andria for support and next steps (as needed)
- 68% intensive students PMd across the cluster
- 73% strategic students PMd across the cluster
Principals will receive this bi-weekly update on your site’s progress monitoring fidelity in DIBELS 8. This reminder is sent after each progress monitoring period between universal screenings. Progress monitoring in DIBELS 8 is expected for all students who had a composite score level of well below benchmark (2 wks) or below benchmark (4 wks).
Weekly Data Meetings: Please continue to send videos, leader prep and evidence from your WDMs and/or your coaching of WDMs. Video feedback will be shared in our upcoming check ins.
- Weekly Data Meeting resources are available on the DCPS Way SharePoint in the Weekly Data Meeting folder
- Know/Show Resources HERE
- Trending Leader Gaps: After reviewing videos and in person WDMs over the last three weeks, our cluster trending gaps are below. We will work on these gaps in upcoming cluster meetings/huddles and check ins.
1. Creating strong leader Prep
2. Efficient facilitation of the KS Chart
3. Use chart the identify and anchor gap
4. Create strong gap statement
PARCC Dashboard is Live in DDAC’s Assessments and Academics (12/9): The PARCC Dashboard is now live in DDAC’s Assessments and Academics. Subclaim data is coming soon. If you don’t see the PARCC report updated in the lefthand pane, please refresh your browser or select the “Reset to default” button. Data includes SY 21-22 and SY 18-19 results. The dashboard utilizes “School-level Accountability” except for the “District View” visual, which uses “District-level Accountability”. The School Data and Performance Team will facilitate an Overview and Office Hours for principals on Teams on Friday, December 9, at 10:00-11:00 AM
Cluster Meeting Prep
A full agenda will be shared by Friday
- We will plan for an upcoming meeting. Please bring the standard, task, CCSS spiral for your next WDM in January.
- Bring one "best practice" instructional artifact that you want to share with a colleague (think spreadsheet, tip, tool, planning resource, etc)
- Journey Lines: Mitchell, Brandon, Steven, Carrie, Carmen, Yvette, Brittany
- Please consider bringing a $15 "gift" for our Lunch "Good or Gag Gift Exchange)! The more the merry!
- Wear festive winter/holiday attir
Good news
Happy Birthday Helen (12/8)!
Check out the Eaton Scholars singing Frosty the Snowman with VP Kamala Harris and the First Gentleman!
Key Dates
Monday: CST check ins, WDM Check in w/ Jallon, Principal school visit and check ins (Miner)
Tuesday: IS Meetings (DSI, OTL, SEAD, Leadership Development), CST check in, Chancellor's weekly meeting, CSM planning meeting
Wednesday: IS IMPACT meeting, Principal school visit and check ins (Thomson), CST check ins, ANET cycle review (ELA), CST check in, Cluster 4 Staffing Office Hours
Thursday: Principal school visit and check, ins (Brent, Peabody/Watkins), CST check in, ANET cycle review (math), DCRC check in w/ Helen
Friday: Principal school visit and check ins (Hearst, Lafayette, Eaton), CST check in
Saturday: 12/10 Virtual Ed Fest
Learn All About DCPS Schools: DCPS marketing booklets are now updated for SY23-24. Please check out the Parent Guide, Feeder Pattern, Middle School and High School Booklets all found here on the DCPS Enrollment Website.
Save the Date: 12/14: Chancellor's Winter Celebration! I would love for our cluster to show up in large numbers to celebrate each other, the year and to connect with other principals and central office leaders! See the invite from the Chancellor!
Action Items
12/9: IMPACT AP LF cycle 1 evaluations due
12/16: ECE Walkthrough complete and entered in quickbase
12/16: December Drills complete and entered in RAVE
12/22: Internal Cluster IMPACT EP goal 50%
12/21: Essential Practices (EP) Training for LEAP Leaders
- 12/30: Complete Cybersecurity training
CST Spotlight: Kristopher Bengston; English Language Learning Manager for Clusters 4 and 7
Welcome Kris! Kris serves as the English Language Learning Manager for Clusters 4 and 7. He has been an educator for 17 years, about as long as his long-lived housecat Bebop! Kris has worked with all levels of English language learners but started his career teaching a completely sheltered program to newcomers and students who had been in the country for one year in Alexandria City. He moved from introducing coteaching models to his department to the challenges of implementing Common Core standards with the level 3 and 4 ELL population in a charter school in grades 5-8 here in DC. He has spent most of his career teaching middle schoolers and understands how critical it is to make that time meaningful academically and emotionally so that students are successful in high school. Kris most recently served as an instructional coach of English Language Learning at MacFarland Middle School. He loves science fiction and fantasy novels, growing Bonsai plants, and Baltimore popular culture.
Attendance & Enrollment
All schools should be working towards completing all required attendance interventions (SAC, CFSA, referrals). A SAC must be completed before making the CFSA Referral. Each student’s AIM module must be updated for the new SY to document the SAC and CFSA referral for schools to be considered as compliant.
Attendance Resources
Use this link to request access to DDAC DDAC Access Request Form Feel free to contact me with any questions or for additional support.
Family & Community
Aspen Parent Portal and Other ES Report Card Resources: Here are some resources to help families as they receive their Term 1 report cards. In our DCPS Way folder for the ES report card, there are one-pagers with Aspen Parent Portal instructions in English/Spanish and if applicable, template language to update families about the upcoming auto-mated Spanish translations. We will have family-facing resources published next week including an English/Spanish overview video and a family FAQ posted on the DCPS website.
SY22-23 Impact Aid Survey (11/7-12/22) : The SY22-23 Impact Aid Survey will be released Tuesday, November 1. Every year, DCPS asks families to complete this survey to generate additional federal funds. This year’s survey will be fully electronic using the Seamless platform and will be open through Thursday, December 22. Please encourage all families to complete
one survey per child, not per household, in their preferred language. The electronic surveys and our FAQ document can be found on the Impact Aid webpage.
Budget
FY24 ESSER III Evidence-Based Acceleration Fund Request (12/16)
All schools are eligible to request FY24 ESSER III funds to support school-specific, evidence-based acceleration strategies for SY23-24. The request form was emailed to principals on Wednesday, November 30 (from Jennifer Rosenbaum). Any school that would like to request funds must submit their request by Friday, December 16 at 9:00 AM. Schools will receive information about their final FY24 ESSER III allocation by early January. Allocated funds will be available on or after 10/1/23; all funds must be spent by 9/30/24 when the ESSER III grant period ends. More information and FAQs are available here.
Operations
Requesting Contract Security for Holiday Events throughout December (12/9)
If your school will be hosting events or gatherings to commemorate the holiday season, please submit all requests for Contract Security by Friday, December 9 to ensure the proper security coverage is in place.
POCs: Michele.Salahuddin@k12.dc.gov; Kalyn.Blueitt@k12.dc.gov
Open Enrollment for 2023: Open enrollment for Employee Benefits begins Monday, November 14 and ends on Monday, December 12, 2022. This is your annual opportunity to review your current benefit elections and make any necessary changes.
December ECE Supervision Walkthroughs (12/16)
Thank you for your continued completion of ECE supervision walkthroughs for the month of November. Please note that December ECE walkthroughs should be uploaded in QuickBase by Friday, December 16th ahead of departure for Winter Break.
Drills: There is no alternate drill for December however the fire drill must be completed ideally by Monday, December 19.
Mandatory Compliance Training: Outlined below are the three mandatory training courses that you are required to complete by Friday, December 30, 2022. Please note that these trainings must be completed annually, so you are required to take them at this time, even if previously completed. All trainings must be completed by the December 30th deadline to ensure compliance. See the email from Brittany dated 11/29 for details and next steps.
- Mandated Reporter Training
- Language Access Training
- CyberSecurity Training
All trainings must be completed by Friday, December 30, 2022, and failure to meet this deadline may result in disciplinary action. We strongly encourage you to plan ahead to complete these trainings before the winter break begins. Completion will be closely monitored. Questions regarding these trainings can be directed to the ES Trainings team at dcps.employeetrainings@k12.dc.gov