Teaching & Learning Newsletter
November 13, 2015
Affirmations
Coaching Tip
Jim Knight, Focus on Teaching
Core Content Area News
NEW INFORMATION
Elementary Instructional Coaches will chaperone at the TAMU game (Dec 7), while middle school and high school Instructional Coaches will be pulled the week of Dec 7-11 to help with EOC testing.
RtI Communication with Parents
As your campus is implementing RtI and utilizing tiered interventions for students, it is important that parents are informed of their child's progress each step of the way. There are RtI Parent Notification letters in English and Spanish located in Team Connect for your use. Click here.
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As you prepare to review benchmark results, please refer to the Instructional Data Team Resources. If you have additional resources, please add to the file.
Benchmark Assessment Program guide is available for your review. Please note that Elementary School students' benchmarks scores can be used as a replacement grade to help, but must not negatively affect a student's grade.
All PRINCIPALS
DDRT Meetings
DDRT Meetings continue each Monday at TESC from 12:30-4:30. Please access the DDRT Sign Up to reserve a spot.
RtI Processes in Bryan ISD
If you would like more information regarding Response to Intervention in Bryan ISD, you are encouraged to enroll in and complete the Google Classroom course titled RtI Processes in Bryan ISD. There are three video modules that explain the RtI process overall, RtI in Bryan ISD, and the use of student forms in Aware for documentation. First, sign up for the course at this Eduphoria Link. Then, to enter the course, go to Google Classroom and click the + sign to Join a Class. The classroom code is gzq2x2. Contact Kristen Beesaw if you have any questions.
ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS
NEW INFORMATION
Fall Cohort with the TSR Project
Five Pre-K teachers from Bryan ISD will be participating in the Fall Cohort with the TSR Project (Texas School Ready). Teachers will receive remote coaching, materials, and several professional development opportunities. The cohort ends on January 29 and is sponsored by the Children's Learning institute at UT Health Science Center at Houston.
Early Reading Indicator Codes Due
Enter Early Reading Indicator Codes for grades K - 2 before November 20. Please make sure that your campus designee receives this information. The student information that you will need to enter the Early Reading Indicator Codes is the student at risk list that Jill Morris sent out for you to confirm.
- "1": Students that are identified as at risk for reading will be marked with a "1" stating that they are eligible for accelerated reading instruction.
- "2": Students that are not on the list will be marked as "2" stating that they are not eligible for accelerated reading instruction.
- "3": Students that were not tested will be marked as "3". This should mainly be life skills students or other students with IEP's that would not let them be tested with TPRI/Tejas LEE or DRA/EDL. Also, if a child has just moved to your school from outside the district, they would be given a "3" as well.
- A testing date may be required as well. If so, please use October 19 because all testing was completed by that time. Please remember that all K-2 students need a code. Please contact Soila Hernandez (1102) or JoLyn Bricker (1080) if you have any questions about this. Thank you for your help!
DRA/EDL Recommended Levels
The recommended DRA/EDL levels will be posted for teachers in the Team Connect grade level folders. They will be shared with Instructional Coaches on Friday. Click here.
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Horizontals
Please encourage your teachers to attend the upcoming horizontal meetings. Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies will be covered.
- 4th: Tuesday, November 17 at Mitchell (4pm -5:30pm)
- 5th: Monday, November 16 at Crockett (4pm -5:30pm)
Professional Development News
Elementary Principals
TAMU BasketBall Game
Basketball Game Packets will be arriving to your campus by Monday, Nov. 9. There will be enough packets for each 4th and 5th grader. These should go in Tuesday folders on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 as parents are asked to return the forms by Monday, Nov. 16. If for some reason you do not have them by noon on Monday, Nov. 9, please ask your secretary to call the Copy Center to check on the delivery status.
Upcoming Events:
New Hires
Please make sure that as soon as you recommend a new hire for one of your vacancies, you send Kelli the teacher's name and projected start date to ensure immediate New Teacher Induction support.
January 4th PD
Please access this link to communicate to us your Campus PD plans for January 4, 2016.
Bilingual/ESL News
Elementary Principals
Reading kits
Instructional coaches from the ten bilingual campuses received the new Soluciones kits last week. Soluciones is the Spanish reading intervention kit for students reading at a 2nd grade level or below. In the past we purchased for each campus 2 SIL(Sistema de Intervención de Lectura) kits that were equivalent to the LLI(Leveled Literacy Intervention) kits in English. We had a group of teachers review the Soluciones kit and they all agreed that it was more comprehensive than the SIL kits we had previously purchased. You will continue to use the SIL kits for those ELLs that are below grade level on EDL in grades K & 1. The Soluciones kit will help with students that are below grade level in EDL and are functioning at a second grade EDL level. These kits are a bit more expensive, therefore we were only able to purchase 1 kit per campus. As the company develops kits with higher EDL levels, our goal is to purchase them as well.
Bilingual Framework
Bilingual Framework: The week of November 16 will be week A of our Bilingual framework
Special Education News
All Principals/APs
Contact information
Jennifer Wood - Special Education Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator; ARD Facilitator Contact; Collaboration with Instructional Coaches.
Shantina Dixon - Coordinator of psychological services and PASS/SOAR in district Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Please contact Jessica Stuart if immediate assistance is needed.
Ashley Kimich - Special Education Coordinator of Special Programs including Autism, Life Skills and Resource.
ARD Facilitators are responsible for scheduling ARDC meetings, facilitating meetings, train with special education teachers.
LeAnne Towns - Lead Diagnostician and Speech Pathologist supervisor
Curriculum & Instruction Department
Email: leslie.holtkamp@bryanisd.org
Website: www.bryanisd.org
Phone: 979-209-1049
Twitter: @bisdambassador