ACE Newsletter
October 2018
Dear ACE Family,
Happy October! This is one of my favorite months - the weather changes, the Fair arrives, and it is an important time to see student progress. The foundation you built with school-wide and classroom culture is now in place, so learning can truly accelerate.
To propel acceleration, we have studied and trained on the strategy of "aggressive monitoring". Paul Bambrick shared that if you could do only one thing to dramatically improve student learning - this is it! Why Aggressive Monitoring? It is powerful because it combines several research-based methods into one clear practice. (1) it communicates clear expectations with exemplars and laps (2) it reinforces on task learning with constant observation (3) it gives formative feedback with verbal and written notes (4) it uses data to plan next steps like "show call" for engagement and error correction and (5) it creates a community of learning, focused on quality and achievement.
One of my favorite quotes from last year which helped us earn 44 TEA distinctions on STAAR within the ACE network is, "Practice does not make perfect -- it is perfect practice that makes perfect"! Aggressive Monitoring will help us achieve that perfect practice. Let's become experts. Let's accelerate like never before this year!
Best regards,
Jolee Healey
Congratulations to our ACE Principals and Assistant Principals of the Year! Your actions have undoubtedly inspired others to dream outside of the box and stretch their expectations!
ACE Principal of the Year!
Damian Stovall
Dr. Sheryl Wilson
ACE Assistant Principal of the Year!
Von Travis Crawford
Marcie Davis
Instructional Focus: Aggressive Monitoring
Aggressive Monitoring
With an exemplar and class roster in hand, teachers can collect data and make instructional adjustments on the spot to fill gaps in student learning.
Feel free to access our PD link with training materials here.
When do I Aggressively Monitor and How?
Aggressive Monitoring should happen whenever you ask students to practice during the lesson. Here's how:
- Announce the purpose of each lap.
- Follow the pathway of highest performing to lowest performing student.
- Provide written and verbal feedback to students using the established coding system and assessing and advancing questions.
- Collect qualitative data to inform instructional decisions based on each lap.
Video I: Responding to the Data Using Show Call (Literacy)
1. Teacher's set up for show call.
2. The explanation of why the exemplar was being shown to the class.
3. Student discussion related to the work sample.
3. The allotment of time for students to recreate the example in their own work.
BONUS: Do you see any other best practice strategies embedded in this video?
Video 2: Responding to the Data Using Show Call (Math)
ACE Professional Development
October PD Registration is now live!
We are excited to launch our 2nd Six Week's PD focused on Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract Mathematical Lessons, Guided Reading, and Mindful Routines.