My Smore Flyer
September 27, 2015
Next steps
As we wrap up the first nine weeks of school, this is a great time to reflect and plan next steps, especially as it relates to your self- monitoring action plans, your school's data and student achievement. I am attaching an UPDATE self- monitoring spreadsheet. The first one sent last week did not include the following action plans:
1. Graduation Rates
2. AP Exams
3. AP Course Final Grades
4. IB Availability
5. IB Participation
If one of the above areas DOES NOT apply to your school, please type NA in that particular action plan.
You will also notice that you will need to add the first set of action plans to this self monitoring form. We will work on this tomorrow at our principals' meeting and work in small groups. Please note your action steps should be measurable and explicit.
Our meeting is tomorrow from 12:30-3:30 in the community room at Merts.
ACT ACADEMIC PEP RALLY
Below are the times for the academic pep rallies that each high school is having on October 23rd. Each school should have the list of students receiving ACT, IB, and/ or AP incentives. In order for these students to receive their incentive checks, they must have a W-9 form. Secondary programs will collect these forms no later than Thursday of this week to ensure that Finance will have time to create vendor accounts and cut checks. If a student does not have a W-9 form already completed, please ensure that a W 9 form is issued and the student completes it by Thursday, October 1. Secondary programs will also mail parent letters home to students receiving incentive checks and invite them to the pep rally.
Academic Pep Rally Schedule :
Columbia 9:00 AM Auditorium
Grissom 9:30 AM Gym
Huntsville 9:30 AM Gym
Johnson 10:00 AM Gym
Lee 10:30 AM Gym
New Century 10:30 AM Theatre
Semester Exams and Exemption for high schools:
We will send parent letters to each of you to distribute to parents. Your recommendation was the "80/80". "Students who make an 80 on the benchmark and have an 80 average or higher in a class can choose to exempt the teacher made semester exam." There is a parent signature sheet that the teacher and parent must sign in order for a student to exempt. There is also a spreadsheet that should capture all students who have chosen to exempt the teacher made exam. This spreadsheet will need to be sent to Secondary Programs in January.
Dropbox Folders for PLC, PST, Data meetings
Each school will have a folder to place meetings agendas for PLC, PST, and data meetings. Please ensure these are uploaded as the meetings take place.
Transcripts
High schools - please ensure that your registrars are using e docs and not Script Safe. It came to our attention this week that some schools still use this. Please conference with your registrar and counselors to ensure that transcripts are being sent out as requested and that the Naviance platform (e docs) to send transcripts is being used.
I NOW Grades and Attendance- please remind teachers that grades must be entered weekly and that attendance must be taken EACH class period.
PLC and Data Meetings
How are your meetings going? Are teachers facilitating the PLC meetings or are the PLC meetings being led by administrators and curriculum specialists? Has your school established norms/ protocol for PLC meetings? Is the protocol reviewed before PLC and data meetings? Are teachers a part of the setting the PLC agenda? If so, is there focus on standards and instruction or on coordinating activities and events? I ask these questions, because I had the opportunity to attend the Instructional Partnership and Key Leaders Network meetings. PLCs provide the foundation of the continuous improvement process, builds capacity and leadership among faculties and,most importantly, focuses on student achievement and success. I am attaching two documents that allow you and your faculty to assess where you are as a TRUE PLC school. The PLC is a PROCESS. It takes PLANNNING and a COMMITMENT to the PROCESS. What is your role in ensuring your PLCs are working at full capacity? Again, I encourage you and your faculty to take the self assessments to determine where you and where you want to be. This is a great time to do this as we end a nine weeks - reflection and planning begins now. Below is the link for "all things plc". It has great resources that include templates such as:
PLC Manual
Protocals/ norms for a PLC
Agenda
Focusing on Results- SMART goals
Curriculum Alignment for homework (This would be a good one to take a peek)
If I can support you with this, please let me know. I am a BIG believer in the PLC. If you have PLCs moving along in your building, let me know. This is a great opportunity for each of you to share your experiences and visit one another's PLC meetings.
The Week Ahead
September 28- Principal Meeting 12:30; Community Meeting at Lee 6:00
September 29 - Community Meeting at Columbia 5:30
October 1- W- 9 forms due; Board Meeting 5:30
October 2- End of 1st Nine Weeks
October 5-9 Fall Break- please make sure you enter your leave if you are taking off and approve your time on Friday of this week.
Upcoming Dates
October 12 and 15- AP and TOSA meetings
October 13- Community night at Grissom 6:00
October 15 Community Night at Johnson 6:00; Digital 1:1 Tours
October 15- 8th grade day at Monaco
October 16 - Principals Meeting Equity Training
October 19- Report Cards go home
October 20- Secondary Principals Round Table meeting 3:30-4:30
October 23 - Half day for students
OCTOBER 26-30 Site data meetings