The "Oskaloosa Syllabus"
October, 2013 - News You Can Use!
Revisiting Grading Practices
Standards-Based Grading practices in Oskaloosa continue to grow and improve. Just a reminder on some guidelines outlined by the district in the Grading Guideline Book available on the staff resource page.
All common classrooms (grades and courses) MUST have the same grading practices. This is includes:
All common classrooms (grades and courses) MUST have the same grading practices. This is includes:
- Weighting of grades - with practice work being no more than 25% of the overall grade
- Practice work going home only if students have a good understanding of the work being given
- Giving re-takes to students - will you allow it?
- Grading re-takes - do they get the new score? Average?
- Categories used in the grade book
- Common summative assesements and possibly even common formative assessments for most of the work
- Assessment/tasks graded commonly for consistency - all should be counting this work the same in the overall assessment plan
- How a student earns a 1-4 on work and the GLB (we are creating rubrics this year)
- Have multiple pieces of evidence to demonstrate expectations on each GLB - do you have evidence to show parents and students?
- No extra credit allowed unless it deepens/furthers the learning on a GLB - no XC for tissues, paper, etc. being brought into class. Be careful giving puzzles or "busy" work to students for extra credit
- Work Habit type of grades - participation, turning in work on time - not part of the overall 1-4 or grade determination
DLT Update for September
DLT met on September 3rd - the discussions of that meeting were:
- The group watched a video remix from TED Talks. From that one word was generated to describe education and/or how we must think to continue to move forward. The Wordle demonstrates the words generated
- The group reviewed and updated the mission and norms
- The group looked at last year's SMART Goals and Action Plans
- It was decided the 2 SMART Goals would remain the same for the year a) Characteristics of Effective Instruction and b)RtI
- Members formed groups to identify the needs and plans for this year moving forward
- The group looked at staff perception data around the 2 goals and reviewed the end of the year assessment of progress toward meeting those goals
- The group was given two assignments to complete: a) tweet regarding an article on high performing schools and their characteristics and b)read and respond to a "script" of how we would like to see Parent/Teacher Conferences sound like in the future, along with a student self-assessment tool we might use in the future
2nd Grade is the PLC TO WATCH for October!!
We start the year by looking at 2nd grade and their PLC. They ARE A PLC to WATCH!
Members of this PLC are:
2nd Grade SMART Goal for 2013-2014
100% of second grade students will earn a minimum of a 2 on fact fluencies (addition and subtraction) in sums to 20 as measured by a fact probe by May 2014.
Action Steps Around the SMART Goal:
Members of this PLC are:
Tara Braithwaite, Lynne Rogers, Jane Bambrook, Renee Gatton, Stacie Veiseth, Maggie VanZee, Michelle Patton, Angie Grubb, Dee Thostenson
2nd Grade SMART Goal for 2013-2014
100% of second grade students will earn a minimum of a 2 on fact fluencies (addition and subtraction) in sums to 20 as measured by a fact probe by May 2014.
Action Steps Around the SMART Goal:
- Teach math fact strategies (Sums of 10, Zero, Doubles, Near Double, Commutative, Make a 10, Count On, 9 Trick, Mental Math, Fact Families)
- Use common posters for math fact strategies
- Use number lines or touch points as tools
- Practice math fact fluency activities during math workshop
- Utilize Math Facts in a Flash (on the computer)
- Create a list of fact practice websites to give to parents for students to use at home
- Establish a rubric based on pretest data to determine what a 1, 2, 3, or 4 would look like for fact fluencies in addition and subtraction
Teacher Leadership Committee and Planning Grant
There is a grant available to districts to pursue one of three possible plans for the Teacher Leadership plan outlined by the Department of Education. Oskaloosa is planning to state our intent to pursue the grant dollars for planning purposes.
The Teacher Quality Commitee (TQ) will be planning to develop a system for the 2014-2015 school year. For additional information, go to the following link.
The Teacher Quality Commitee (TQ) will be planning to develop a system for the 2014-2015 school year. For additional information, go to the following link.
MAP Data Becoming Available
Grades 3-10 are completing assessing students in Reading Comprehension, Math and Science using the NWEA MAP assessment. MAP stands for Measures of Academic Progress. I sent out directions on how to access the data using a new website. I will be visiting PLC's to help you understand how to interpret and use the data to inform your instruction.
To access the data, go to the Staff Resource page and click on NWEA/MAP. Follow the directions sent out to access your students' data. District results will be sent out as soon as we have completed all testing.
To access the data, go to the Staff Resource page and click on NWEA/MAP. Follow the directions sent out to access your students' data. District results will be sent out as soon as we have completed all testing.
PLC Dates and Focus for October
October 2nd - Technology - Building Individual Learning Plan work
October 9th - Building Choice - NO EARLY release due to P/T Conferences
October 16th - PLC/PLC
October 23rd - PLC/Vertical
October 30th - PLC/Building
October 9th - Building Choice - NO EARLY release due to P/T Conferences
October 16th - PLC/PLC
October 23rd - PLC/Vertical
October 30th - PLC/Building
Math and the Iowa Core Shifts in Learning
The Math CT met once in September and will meet again in October to continue important work.
One of the shifts in the Iowa Core is to focus on the critical concepts students need to prepare them for the next grade. We must go deeper, not wider, in our content/BLB's.
Math is identifying their grades focus areas and determining what 70% of their teaching should focus on to get to a mastery level, 20% of their teaching should focus on getting student to a level of understanding where they can apply the content, and 10% of their teaching time on concepts they will only introduce.
This approach should narrow our focus and help students to have a solid foundation in math for their future. We are using a backwards design model - meaning we are starting with what our student needs to know in H.S. and spiraling down with the skills.
One of the shifts in the Iowa Core is to focus on the critical concepts students need to prepare them for the next grade. We must go deeper, not wider, in our content/BLB's.
Math is identifying their grades focus areas and determining what 70% of their teaching should focus on to get to a mastery level, 20% of their teaching should focus on getting student to a level of understanding where they can apply the content, and 10% of their teaching time on concepts they will only introduce.
This approach should narrow our focus and help students to have a solid foundation in math for their future. We are using a backwards design model - meaning we are starting with what our student needs to know in H.S. and spiraling down with the skills.
PE Classes at Elementary Discuss the Purpose of PE in Their Lives!!!
PLC Facilitators Will Attend Workshop
Seven of our outstanding PLC Facilitators will be attending a Learning Forward workshop in Cedar Rapids on October 4th to learn how to better facilitate PLC meetings. The workshop is called "Becoming a Skilled Facilitator in a Learning School".
Shifts in the Iowa Core - Literacy
All Curriculum Teams have been extending their learning related to text complexity and the Iowa Core. Language Arts will be looking at purchasing resources this year that includes identifying mentor texts that are challenging our students with text complexity.
The Iowa Core identifies the use of Lexile scores to identify the level of complexity a student should be reading at each grade level. MAP and Aimsweb both identify a student's individual Lexile score. To learn more about Lexile scores, go to the following link:
The Iowa Core identifies the use of Lexile scores to identify the level of complexity a student should be reading at each grade level. MAP and Aimsweb both identify a student's individual Lexile score. To learn more about Lexile scores, go to the following link:
DAC Update
The District Advisory Committee (DAC) had its first meeting on September 24th. Since next year is a site visit, DAC has several items to review and discuss.
- CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan) Long-range goals in Math, Reading, Science, Technology, and Safe/Supported
- District Vision
- District Mission
- District Student Learning Goals
- Annual Improvement Goals
- We also want to develop Collective Commitments for Parents, Teachers, and Students