BESTeam Tidbits
December 11, 2016
Celebrations!
- Thank you Judith for leading Talk with Texans for the month of December for our parents!
- Thank you for the delicious elf treats on Monday!
- Thank you to each of you for your contributions during RtI meetings on Monday! Thank you Cathy for facilitating our discussions.
- Thank you Al for organizing second and third grade science clubs!
- Great team building with our Reindeer Games! Thank you Abbey for organizing the games!
From Al: Thanks to Susan Eccleston for your wonderful help for the 2nd/3rd grade Science Club!
From Al: Thanks to Evan for your help in setting up the digital microscope in the Science Lab!
We raised $370.40 at Snuffers Spirit Night!
Volunteers did a fabulous job decorating the halls and the Holiday Shop!
Thank you Sue for organizing the hoop shoot!
S-ELF-LESS challenge and elves have moved everyday!
Shelly finished her 87 reports!
Thank you to every staff member who participated in hour code!
To do...
- Complete PoG for November by Monday at 4:00 p.m. We will be recognized both October and November students on Thursday morning at the start of our program.
- Thank you for ensuring your students are monitored at all times!
- Double check the Holiday Shop schedule. Thank you for sticking to the schedule and sending an adult with your class to preview and shop. Thank you for not sending students when other classes are signed up to shop.
- Remember to have your party food cleared with Rebecca for allergies. Thank you!
- Smile, we have the greatest jobs in the world!
Creativity, Innovation, and Fine Arts
- What do you want to teach? Click the tabs at the bottom to list your ideas.
- FAQ Sheet Write your questions here. :)
Tutoring
Watch DOGS
Tuesday
- Greg McCollum
- Jeff Bundy
Thursday
- Ben Stewart
- Carlos Flowers
Friday
- Steven Parsley
- Chase Browning
Thursday, 1/5
- Open
- Open
Friday, 1/6
- Fred Tate
- Open
Friday
Friday’s schedule
- 8:00 a.m. 5th grade volleyball game
- 8:50 Students start to head to the gym or cafeteria (will let you know ASAP)
- 9:00 Movie starts
- 10:40 Movie ends
- 10:45 Party time
- 11:45 Dismissal
- 12:15 Staff party
- After the party, all staff
- Remove ALL holiday traces
- Complete Winter Shut Down
- Check out with Denise, Tonya, or Jamie
- Happy Holiday Break!
GRACE Christmas Cottage
Our staff team building this month will occur on Wednesday, December 14 at the GRACE Christmas Cottage. We will work the 4:30 to 7:30 (ish) shift, then get dinner together. The GRACE Christmas Cottage affords members of our community a dignified way to shop for holiday gifts for members of their immediate family. During our shift, we will guide families, restock the floor, maybe even put together toys. This is a great way to give back to our community while building bonds with our staff. If you are able to come, even if for just a little bit, please let us know by clicking here.
Proposed Change in Commissioners Rule for Assessment Performance
- Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter CC, Commissioner's Rules Concerning Implementation of the Academic Content Areas Testing Program, Division 4, Performance Standards, §101.3041, Performance Standards
- Summary: The proposed amendment would establish a final set of performance standards to be implemented for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Grades 3-8 and end-of-course assessments beginning with the 2016-2017 school year.
- Public Comment Period: December 9, 2016 - January 9, 2017.
- Earliest Possible Date of Adoption: January 9, 2017.
- Proposed Effective Date: February 16, 2017.
Please see the TEA website to view proposed commissioner of education rules.
You may submit comments on proposed rules to rules@tea.texas.gov. A request for a public hearing on a proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register. Unforeseen circumstances may delay publication of the agency rules in the Texas Register. The Rules website will be updated to reflect any changes.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: In 2015, the commissioner of education adopted a standard progression approach for STAAR® performance standards from the 2015-2016 school year through the 2021-2022 school year, increasing performance standards annually toward the final recommended Level II performance standard in the 2021-2022 school year.
Given the STAAR® performance results for 2012 through 2016, the commissioner has recommended that the current phase-in schedule be replaced with a final set of standards and labels to indicate four levels of student performance, as follows.
- Did Not Meet Grade Level: This performance category applies to students scoring below Approaches Grade Level. This performance level indicates that students are unlikely to succeed in the next grade or course without significant, ongoing academic intervention. Students in this category do not demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the assessed knowledge and skills.
- Approaches Grade Level: Performance at this level indicates that students are likely to succeed in the next grade or course with targeted academic intervention. Students in this category generally demonstrate the ability to apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts.
- Meets Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students have a high likelihood of success in the next grade or course but may still need some short-term, targeted academic intervention. Students in this category generally demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts. For Algebra II and English III, this performance level indicates students are sufficiently prepared for postsecondary success.
- Masters Grade Level: Performance at this level indicates that students are expected to succeed in the next grade or course with little or no academic intervention. Students in this category demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in varied contexts, both familiar and unfamiliar. For Algebra II and English III, this level of performance indicates students are well prepared for postsecondary success.
To implement the proposed performance standards, the proposed amendment to 19 TAC §101.3041 would modify Figure: 19 TAC §101.3041(b)(1) and Figure: 19 TAC §101.3041(c)(1) to replace the standard progression phase-in schedule with a final set of standards and labels to indicate student performance. The amendment would establish the 2015-2016 STAAR® passing standard as the minimum passing requirement (Approaches Grade Level) and set the current panel-recommended standard as the benchmark indicating a higher level of satisfactory achievement (Meets Grade Level). The Level III performance standard would be renamed "Masters Grade Level" to clearly indicate advanced grade-level performance on a STAAR® assessment and articulate the relationship between each of the performance levels.
For STAAR® EOC testing, since the standard in place when a student first takes an EOC assessment is the standard that is maintained throughout the student's school career, the 2012-2015 phase-in standard for the STAAR® EOC assessments would be maintained.
The new performance levels proposed by the Commissioner align with the current performance standards in existence for STAAR as follows:
- Approaches Grade Level = Level II-Phase-in 2015-16 Standard Progression (Level II-Phase 1 for EOCs for students taking an EOC prior to 2015-16)
- Meets Grade Level = Level II-Final
- Masters Grade Level = Level III
The performance descriptors for students scoring in each of the 4 possible performance categories defined in thePROPOSED Commissioner Rule also align very closely with the performance descriptors that are currently applicable to STAAR.
Under the PROPOSED Commissioner Rule, the following performance descriptors would apply to students scoring in each of the 4 proposed performance level categories:
Did Not Meet Grade Level
This performance category applies to students scoring below Approaches Grade Level. This performance level indicates that students are unlikely to succeed in the next grade or course without significant, ongoing academic intervention. Students in this category do not demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the assessed knowledge and skills.
Approaches Grade Level
Performance at this level indicates that students are likely to succeed in the next grade or course with targeted academic intervention. Students in this category generally demonstrate the ability to apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts.
Meets Grade Level
Performance in this category indicates that students have a high likelihood of success in the next grade or course but may still need some short-term, targeted academic intervention. Students in this category generally demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts. For Algebra II and English III, this performance level indicates students are sufficiently prepared for postsecondary success.
Masters Grade Level
Performance at this level indicates that students are expected to succeed in the next grade or course with little or no academic intervention. Students in this category demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in varied contexts, both familiar and unfamiliar. For Algebra II and English III, this level of performance indicates students are well prepared for postsecondary success.
It is important to stress that at this point, the rule is only a PROPOSED rule – and is not currently in effect.
The public comment period on the Proposed Rule begins on December 9, 2016, and ends on January 9, 2017.
The earliest possible date of adoption is January 9, 2017. The proposed effective date of the rule, if adopted as a final rule, is February 16, 2017.
12 Days of December Bell Challenge
You are invited to our Bransford Staff Holiday Party!
Friday, December 16 at 12:15
Bransford Library
Luncheon Catered by Zoe's
Prizes awared for our Jingle Bell Challenge
White Elephant Gift Exchange
Gift should not exceed $10.00
The carrot will be at the party. Will you be lucky enough to take it home this year?
Click here to see some familiar faces in our Christmas JibJab!
Digital Citizenship
2016-2017 Information
Dates to Know
***Please check the BES master calendar on Google for updates***
- December 12: Staff Luncheon from PTA & TEA Time 3:10 p.m.
- December 13-15: PTA Holiday Shop
- December 14: Geography Bee 8:30 a.m. & Staff volunteer night at GRACE 4:30 p.m.
- December 15: 5th Grade Choir's Peter Pan 9:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.
- December 16: School-wide Polar Express Day ~ wear pajamas; class parties from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.; 5th Grade Volleyball Game 8:00 a.m., Staff Holiday party 12:15 p.m.
- January 2: Welcome back!!!! Goal setting meetings with Jamie and Tonya (schedule coming soon).
- January 3: Welcome back students! Start of the third nine weeks!
- January 4: Tech PLC
Week at a Glance
Monday
Staff luncheon provided by PTA in the library
Last day for 5th grade GT referrals for Middle School
Christmas Cottage Toy Drive continues this week
Choir 2:55pn-5:30pm
TEA time 3:10pm
Holiday Shop Preview Day
Cathy @ PDEC for C&I
Tuesday
Holiday Shop open
Yearbook Club mtg. 2:55pm
Wednesday
Geography Bee 8:30am
Holiday Shop open
Jamie at principals’ meeting
Choir 2:55pm-5:30pm
Fitness Force 2:55pm-3:45pm
Staff volunteer night at GRACE 4:30pm
Thursday
Holiday Shop open
Peter Pan @ 9:00am and 7:00pm
Friday
Polar Express Day-wear pajamas
Class parties 10:45am
8:00 a.m. Staff vs. 5th Volleyball game
Polar Express at 9:00 a.m.
Early release 11:45am
Staff Holiday lunch & party 12:15pm
End of 2nd 9 weeks
- End of semester
Jamie Halliburton
Email: jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net
Phone: 806-441-6518
Twitter: @BESHalliburton