The Oskaloosa "Syllabus"
March, 2014 - News You Can Use!
WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED
Schools who have taken great strides in improving have some common things happening. According to the February edition of JSD - the Learning Forward Journal, the following are present in schools moving to higher levels:
- Collaboration - Building trust and synergy in a group builds momentum
- Commitment to all Students - Belief that all students will learn at a high level
- Alignment - Professional Learning must be present across the district
- Differentiation of Professional Learning - recognizing adults have varying levels of expertise and providing the learning experiences to fill those gaps
- Teacher Leadership - Leveraging the leadership you have helps create cultures of learning and builds shared leadership
Teacher Leadership Grant Update
The TLC group completed the grant application and submitted it on January 31st! We will be notified mid to late March if we are one of the lucky districts to be awarded the grant the first year. If we are awarded the grant:
- PLC Facilitators will be given additional compensation
- Vertical Team Facilitators will be compensated for their leadership
- The Elementary will add 3 new Instructional Coaches for a total of 5
- The Middle School will add 1.5 Instructional Coaches for a total of 2
- The High School will add 2 Instructional Coaches for a total of 2
We will let you know as soon as the Department of Education communicates with districts. If we are not awarded the grant this year, we will resubmit and potentially could be awarded the dollars the following year. All districts will receive funding over the three-year process.
"Are we using data as a hammer, or are we using data as a flashlight?"
This is a great quote Mr. Reiter shared with me earlier this week. It resonated with me a great deal! Data should be used to shine a light on areas we need to target and should guide our way to assist all students - from struggling students to those we need to extend their learning experience. How is your PLC using data as a flashlight?
Grading Consistency Reminder
Teachers in the same grade or teaching the same course/subject MUST have the same:
- Grading Categories
- Weighting of Categories
- Treat practice work the same when grading
- Determination for re-do's and late work
- Summative Assessments
- Consistent way to determine 1-4 for a task or GLB - both based on PLC created rubrics and aligned to the district rubric
If you are not consistent, you need to be having those critical conversations and come to a consensus on your grading criteria!!
Which Common Practices Do You Share with High-Growth Districts?
The Iowa Department of Education recently shared these common factors of high-growth districts, based upon a study they completed of the districts making the highest growth in the state in moving special education students to proficiency:
Common practices at high-growth schools include:
Which indicators of success does your district/AEA exhibit?
Common practices at high-growth schools include:
- Students receive formative assessments regularly, and direct instruction geared toward their academic needs. This comes down to quality instruction.
- Ownership of all students by all staff. Just because a student receives special education doesn't mean the general education teacher should not have as much ownership of that student.
- Having high expectations. What this really means is teachers and administrators know that a disability does not define expectations for that student.
- Relationships with students. A positive relationship conveys to students that the teachers believe in their potential and their capacity to learn. In a strong relationship, a teacher also sees the students' strengths, and they genuinely like the students. "This is not coddling, but developing a healthy relationship with the student," McGinnis-Smith, DE consultant, said. "You have confidence that the student can master skills, you help them know that they belong in school, and when they sink into learned helplessness, you don't allow it. You treat that individual as you would anyone else - know their strengths, their potential, their interest and their human foibles."
- Students on IEPs receive the core and more. They get more instruction than a non-IEP student would. Specifically, they receive the core plus additional direct systemic instruction in the area of their need. Students also will receive pre-teaching and concepts that they will need to know to benefit from core instruction.
- Use structured evidence-based strategies and materials.
- Clear direction of what needs to be done (instruction, materials, use of data) by either the district or principal.
- Most have a Response to Intervention (also known as Multi-tier Systems of Support) in place and students on IEPs are included in the full range of interventions.
- High level of communication between special education and general education teachers.
- Teachers feel empowered.
- "Leadership is important in all districts, but it is especially important in smaller districts in which they may have fewer resources," McGinnis-Smith said. "Without strong instructional leadership, a clear vision and a commitment, you cannot expect to have system-wide top-notch outcomes."
Which indicators of success does your district/AEA exhibit?
Future Learning Opportunities
Teachers will be attending two learning opportunities in April:
- 1:1 Conference - Des Moines on April 10th
- Iowa ASCD - Curriculum Leadership Academy on April 10th and April 11th
February DLT Update
DLT met on February 4th. The following was discussed:
- "Tool for Improvement" - members defined the remaining three categories and brainstormed examples for each category to provide clarity and utility to the document.
- Standards Based Grading - those attending the Rick Wormeli conference summarized the notes taken. Some discussion took place about the current extended rubric and other ideas related to SBG. The High School will continue to talk about a potential pilot related to SBG. More information will be shared when there is something specific to report.
"Tool for Improvement" Examples of Significant Use
The "Tool for Improvement" will offer many examples - below are just a sampling:
Student Engagement
Student Engagement
- Application to the Real-World
- Students Leading Instruction
- Students Discovering or Inquiring
- Students Restate Target in Own Words
- Students Write the Learning Target in Notebook
- Targets Written in Student Friendly Language
- Exit Slip
- Turn and Talk
- Quick-Write
- Differentiated Instruction
- Discuss AND Apply
- Create a unique product - new and innovative, not just give facts
- Conferencing
- Debates
- Stations
The updated "Tool for Improvement" will be shared with staff in March
High School Social Studies is the PLC to Watch for March!
SMART Goal- "100% of Social Studies students will earn a 2 or higher on GLBs throughout the 2013-2014 school year."
Action Plan- Teachers will monitor unit tests, presentations, projects (PBLs), quizzes, pretests, discussions and debates. Discussions will be held in PLCs to go through the data and compile data walls; to update and determine what is effective and what we can do that may work better.
Ask Social Studies PLC members about their work!!!
SMART Goal- "100% of Social Studies students will earn a 2 or higher on GLBs throughout the 2013-2014 school year."
Action Plan- Teachers will monitor unit tests, presentations, projects (PBLs), quizzes, pretests, discussions and debates. Discussions will be held in PLCs to go through the data and compile data walls; to update and determine what is effective and what we can do that may work better.
Ask Social Studies PLC members about their work!!!
PLC and PD Dates for March
March 3rd - District PLC Facilitator Meeting
March 4th - DLT
March 5th - NO PLC
March 12th - PLC with Extended Vertical (PLC Shirt and Jean day)
March 18th - DAC
March 19th - PLC with Extended PLC
March 26th - PLC with Extended Vertical
March 4th - DLT
March 5th - NO PLC
March 12th - PLC with Extended Vertical (PLC Shirt and Jean day)
March 18th - DAC
March 19th - PLC with Extended PLC
March 26th - PLC with Extended Vertical
"Common assessments provide each teacher with feedback on how his or her students did in achieving an agreed-upon standard on a valid test in comparison to similar students attempting to achieve the same standard".
Spring Assessment Schedule
- Iowa Assessments - March 10th - March 14th
- NWEA MAP - April 7th - April 24th
- Aimsweb Universal Screening - April 28th - May 9th
Elementary Afer School Program Hires New Coordinator
The Elementary After School Program in Partnership with the YMCA has hired a new Coordinator for the program. Her name is Kristen Getzin - she comes to Oskaloosa from Michigan where she has a history with YMCA youth programming. If you happen to see her, please welcome her to Oskaloosa!!!
February DAC Update
DAC met on February 18th - the following decisions were made:
- Approved a Mission Statement for next year - it needs to be approved by the BOE and then it will be official. "Engaging ALL Students to Embrace the Power of Learning"
- Reviewed the current "Student Learning Goals". They decided to continue with the same ideas as we have, but instead of a list, they want to create a graphic with students being in the center and all other beliefs and values be around students. The picture to the right is the idea we will develop - this is NOT the graphic, but one similar will be developed and approved by DAC and the BOE.
- Needs Assessment Survey data will be collected for next month's meeting. Additional parent input is needed. DAC members will send out reminders to parents they know to try to increase participation.
Questioning - Determine Level of Thinking
If you walked into a classroom and heard the following questions, what level on Bloom's Taxonomy might you think the students are at in their thinking? How could you change the question to become higher order thinking? How can you help students to be more meta-cognitive?
- What is the name of the main character?
- Who was the leader who said "Walk softly but carry a big stick?"
- Why did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor?
- How would you react if you had to deal with that obstacle?
- What if the character had NOT chosen to....
- Why did the author choose to.....
- Where did the story take place and why was the setting important to the events that occurred?
- When you were reading, how did you know....
Professional Learning Videos - Literacy
Professional Learning Videos - Math
PLC Survey Results
The PLC Survey results have been tabulated from the Winter staff survey. I will be sharing the results with the PLC Facilitators in early March and they will review, analyze and provide suggestions for improvement for next year. Results will be sent out to each building after the PLC Facilitators have a chance to review the data.
87% of teachers provided input on PLC work
87% of teachers provided input on PLC work
Challenge Question for March
Send me via e-mail a question you ask students that you think would be a "higher order thinking". What level of Bloom's Taxonomy do you feel that question is at?