The "Oskaloosa Syllabus"
December, 2013 - News You Can Use!
DAC Works on Vision Statement!
The District Advisory Committee met on November 19th from 3:45 to 5:00. At the meeting the following was either discussed or decided.
- Comprehensive School Improvement Goals (CSIP) Every 5 years the district's long-range goals need to be reviewed and it is the responsibility of DAC to do that. We currently have academic goals around math, reading, science, culture/climate and technology. DAC has reviewed them and will have goals in all of those areas - In addition we are looking at adding a parent and community partnership goal. In December they will be approved by the BOE.
- District Vision - ideas around a new Vision statement were brainstormed. Here are some of the ideas generated:
- Oskaloosa Schools are the ANSWER (Aspiring, Novice, Students with, Worldly, Educational, Routines)
- Prepare to Become Happy (Student-generated idea)
- Equipping Students for Learning and Life
- Success and Beyond!
- Educational Excellence for Today and Beyond!
- Education is a simple LEAP (Limitless, Enabling, Aspiring and Powerful)
- Believe, Achieve and Create with Pride
3. The next step is to review the current Mission Statement
Common Assessments -Why They Are CRITICAL
Common Assessments are critical to our work. WHY? All teachers teaching the same grade and/or same subject have the same Grade Level Benchmarks (GLB's) - or the WHAT. The first reason assessments should be common is so you can determine whether the GLB is valid and/or reliable. The variable is the instruction not the what or the how assessed.
The second reason they are important is if we are gathering formative data during instruction, we can monitor how well students are progressing. We can adjust instruction if students are struggling on the same concepts taught. The third reason is If we are all teaching the same concepts and skills, and assessing them the same way, we can compare their success at the end. Why did some students do better than others? What does their student work suggest? What formative data was collected to determine if they were on track for success?
All assessments will be eventually loaded into ATLAS - if you do not currently have common assessments you should be working to have them in all content areas. Curriculum Teams have all worked to make this happen!!
The second reason they are important is if we are gathering formative data during instruction, we can monitor how well students are progressing. We can adjust instruction if students are struggling on the same concepts taught. The third reason is If we are all teaching the same concepts and skills, and assessing them the same way, we can compare their success at the end. Why did some students do better than others? What does their student work suggest? What formative data was collected to determine if they were on track for success?
All assessments will be eventually loaded into ATLAS - if you do not currently have common assessments you should be working to have them in all content areas. Curriculum Teams have all worked to make this happen!!
Text Leveling Resource Chosen for K-6
All K-6 classrooms will be using a consistent way to identify students reading levels next year. Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking System will be used three times next year to determine the reading level students. Reading levels are measured on an A-Z scale. Teachers will administer the assessment so they can target reading material at a "just right" reading level. This reading level should not restrict students and what they are able to read, it simply provides diagnostic information to teachers as to the ability of students. The goal, as intended in the Iowa Core, is to increase the text complexity for students so they can access and understand texts at their grade level.
Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking aligns with other resources purchased for the Elementary and Middle School. The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Genre Study, and the Genre Prompting Guide have already been given to teachers in conjunction with Language Arts curriculum team work. In addition, the Elementary is using Leveled Literacy Instruction (LLI) as an intervention for Tier 3 students.
The kits will be purchased this school year and we will provide time to become acquainted with the materials. Formal training will happen in the fall prior to administering the benchmarking assessment. If you want to learn more about the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking System go to: http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/BAS2_Overview.aspx
Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking aligns with other resources purchased for the Elementary and Middle School. The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Genre Study, and the Genre Prompting Guide have already been given to teachers in conjunction with Language Arts curriculum team work. In addition, the Elementary is using Leveled Literacy Instruction (LLI) as an intervention for Tier 3 students.
The kits will be purchased this school year and we will provide time to become acquainted with the materials. Formal training will happen in the fall prior to administering the benchmarking assessment. If you want to learn more about the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking System go to: http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/BAS2_Overview.aspx
PLC to Watch for December - 1st Grade!!!
The PLC to Watch for December is the 1st Grade PLC!!! As you can see from their Action Plan below they are certainly a Professional LEARNING Community!
SMART Goal for this Year: 100% of first grade students will grow four or more guided reading levels with 80-100% comprehension by the end of the year.
Action Steps to Obtain Goal:
SMART Goal for this Year: 100% of first grade students will grow four or more guided reading levels with 80-100% comprehension by the end of the year.
Action Steps to Obtain Goal:
- Explore a conference that we could attend that supports small group instruction within a Reader's Workshop
- Use the online resources and websites provided by Angela Maiers such as the Wachussett Regional School district website
- Small group instruction and Reader's Workshop planning
- focus lessons
- Guided Reading grouping
- RtI grouping/planning
- Closer analysis of running records
- Analysis of data walls and AIMSweb data for grouping
- Receive input from Jen Groenenboom, instructional strategist, and Stephanie Edgren, K-2 intervention coach during data wall analysis and possibly classroom observations
DLT Update
The DLT met on November 5th. The following were items discussed or decided
- Defined Curriculum and Professional Development (see the Go Animate video below)
- Watched short video of RtI (below)
- Quality Core Instruction - We worked with the "Tool for Improvement" and read a couple scenarios to be apply the tool at the building and PLC level
- Chad Farner presented to the BOE in November - Thanks Chad!
- Next Meeting is December 3rd
Response to Intervention (RTI): Core concepts of RTI
Aimsweb is Getting a New Look
Lisa Brown and I watched a webinar about the "new aimsweb". I included a video for you to watch about the changes to their website.
So what is changing? They have made the website MUCH more user friendly for those entering data and analyzing the data! Navigating is much easier with the new website. Choosing goals for students will be simplified and take the "guess work" out creating goal. The "box and whisker" graph is being replace. Take a look at the video to check out the changes.
In order to be ready to use the new website next year we will work with SWAT teams and teachers who will be giving the Universal Screener and doing Progress Monitoring. We will provide support as we move forward!!! If you have questions, please let me know.
So what is changing? They have made the website MUCH more user friendly for those entering data and analyzing the data! Navigating is much easier with the new website. Choosing goals for students will be simplified and take the "guess work" out creating goal. The "box and whisker" graph is being replace. Take a look at the video to check out the changes.
In order to be ready to use the new website next year we will work with SWAT teams and teachers who will be giving the Universal Screener and doing Progress Monitoring. We will provide support as we move forward!!! If you have questions, please let me know.
The new aimsweb
Teacher Leadership Compensation Committee Update
The TLC Team met last Wednesday evening from 5:30 - 7:00 to continue planning. The team made progress on our direction as a district - they determined which plan we will pursue:
- Plan 3 - a hybrid application will be created that combines the Instructional Coach Model and the teacher leadership model we currently have.
- The application is due by January 31st.
- The TLC will meet again on December 3rd to begin the details of the application
Reader's Workshop Resource Reminder
Just a reminder of the website created last year with a plethora of resources, links, videos, etc. Make sure you check it out!!!! The link is below, but you can also find it on the staff resources page of the district website.
In addition to that website, Angela Maiers finished 6 days of intense work with each grade level team at the Elementary. During those days she modeled a mini-lesson or a read-aloud and talked about best practice when implementing Workshop and conducting a Genre Study. I have included a link to a slide deck on the Workshop Framework.
In addition to that website, Angela Maiers finished 6 days of intense work with each grade level team at the Elementary. During those days she modeled a mini-lesson or a read-aloud and talked about best practice when implementing Workshop and conducting a Genre Study. I have included a link to a slide deck on the Workshop Framework.
Reader's Workshop and Genre Study Resources
2nd Order Change
The Elementary SINA Team recently talked about the major shifts in work happening in the building. They learned the difference between 1st order and 2nd order change. We looked at the 4 areas within the 21 leadership responsibilities of a system which seem to decline or are stressed as a result of major changes occurring. They are
Part of their work is to better understand and address these areas. DLT will also look at these areas in future meetings as it pertains to the work happening at the Elementary, Middle and High School.
In order to sustain our work we must continue to have "passion and persistence" - only by working together can we realize our goals to increase student learning.
- Communication
- Culture
- Input
- Order (Marzano, "School Leadership that Works")
Part of their work is to better understand and address these areas. DLT will also look at these areas in future meetings as it pertains to the work happening at the Elementary, Middle and High School.
In order to sustain our work we must continue to have "passion and persistence" - only by working together can we realize our goals to increase student learning.
Marzano Research Laboratory: Dr. Marzano on 2nd Order Change
Important Dates for December!
Dec. 2nd - SINA Team 3:30 Suzanne's room
Dec. 3rd - DLT 4:00-6:00 - Board Room
Dec. 3rd - TLC - 6:00 - Board Room
Dec. 4th - PLC - Extended PLC
Dec. 9th - LA CT meets 8:00 - 3:00 - Board Room
Dec. 9th - Building PLC Facilitators meet at 3:45 in own building
Dec. 10th - District Tech Committee meets 3:45
Dec. 11th - PLC - Extended Vertical Team - PLC Shirt and Jean Day!!!
Dec. 17th - DAC - Board Room
Dec. 18th - PLC - Extended PLC
Dec. 3rd - DLT 4:00-6:00 - Board Room
Dec. 3rd - TLC - 6:00 - Board Room
Dec. 4th - PLC - Extended PLC
Dec. 9th - LA CT meets 8:00 - 3:00 - Board Room
Dec. 9th - Building PLC Facilitators meet at 3:45 in own building
Dec. 10th - District Tech Committee meets 3:45
Dec. 11th - PLC - Extended Vertical Team - PLC Shirt and Jean Day!!!
Dec. 17th - DAC - Board Room
Dec. 18th - PLC - Extended PLC
"Tool for Improvement"
When you are planning daily lessons, are you consciously thinking about the areas listed on the "Tool for Improvement"? The five areas are: Student engagement, Learning Targets, Formative Assessment, Level of Thinking (Blooms) and Instructional Techniques.
Principals, myself, and Mr. Reiter are using this as a guide to provide feedback to you as walk through observations are conducted. This tool is not intended to be used as an evaluative instrument, rather it should be used for planning purposes by teachers. Administrators also use this tool to provide targeted feedback.
You are expected to respond to reflective questions posed - this is the only way we will improve our core instruction. If you have questions, please ask a member of DLT or an administrator. If you need to locate the "Tool" look on the Staff Resource page under documents of importance :-).
Principals, myself, and Mr. Reiter are using this as a guide to provide feedback to you as walk through observations are conducted. This tool is not intended to be used as an evaluative instrument, rather it should be used for planning purposes by teachers. Administrators also use this tool to provide targeted feedback.
You are expected to respond to reflective questions posed - this is the only way we will improve our core instruction. If you have questions, please ask a member of DLT or an administrator. If you need to locate the "Tool" look on the Staff Resource page under documents of importance :-).
Time for a Challenge Quiz
Those of you who have taken the time to scroll down to the bottom may win a prize.
Name the 5 Characteristics of Effective Instruction
Send me the five in order and I will send you a prize in school mail. See if you can be the first to do this - and without looking them up!!!!!
Name the 5 Characteristics of Effective Instruction
Send me the five in order and I will send you a prize in school mail. See if you can be the first to do this - and without looking them up!!!!!