Bulldog Bulletin
December 4, 2015
What's on TAP with TLT?
A question we dig into at every single TLT meeting is this topic of inter-rater reliability (IRR). As a team, we must take steps to ensure that we have common understanding of each indicator and descriptor on the rubric. Common understanding and the ability to accurately identify evidence brings consistency to the process.
How do we monitor that? What data do we analyze? CODE allows us to compare each evaluator by indicator for the observations they have completed. For example, I have done 14 evaluations so far. CODE will take the score I assigned each person for each indicator and calculate an overall average for each indicator. We can look at a report that shows these averages for each evaluator. Any indicator that has a range that is greater than 1.0 shows a need to dig deeper in that area to close the gap. (Are you with me?)
The evaluations that Cheryl, Lisa Yoder, and I do each are weighted 35%. The three of us analyzed the data to determine the degree of IRR we have in our evaluations for each area of the rubric. As a team, we want to share that information with you to show you just how close our scoring actually is. The number beside each indicator is the difference between the highest and the lowest average for the three of us.
Instructional Plans-0.13
Student Work-0.27
Assessment-0.37
Expectations-0.29
Managing Student Behavior-1.0
Environment-0.26
Respectful Culture-0.21
Standards and Objectives-0.31
Motivating Students-0.17
Presenting Instructional Content-0.55
Lesson Structure and Pacing-0.14
Activities and Materials-0.31
Questioning-0.20
Academic Feedback-0.22
Grouping Students-0.15
Teacher Content Knowledge-0.29
Teacher Knowledge of Students--0.10
Thinking-0.03
Problem Solving-0.22
Notice that Managing Student Behavior and Presenting Instructional Content are bolded. Those are the two areas that have the largest range, so these are areas we will dig into to decrease the gap and improve our inter-rater reliability.
Why should all of this matter to you? It is important that you know that we work very hard to achieve and maintain a high level of IRR as we complete evaluations. This is work we will continue to do, and we will share our insights and plans with you as we move forward in our learning.
A Little Celebrating!!
***Great article about Dee and her store!! Here's the link if you have not seen it.
http://m.elkharttruth.com/news/schools/2015/11/27/CORE-store-buys-supplies-from-retiring-teachers-and-sells-them-to-new-ones.html
***Thank you to Shelly, Gina, Amy, and Sarah for their daily efforts in the food drive. As of this afternoon, we have brought in 1051 items. Keep up the good work!!
***Thank you to Linda Partin for hosting our holiday celebration as well as for keeping us all on track with our Secret Pals!
***Thank you to our NAB team for coming together, making a decision, and communicating it with your teams.
***Thank you to Ellen and Alyssa for their leadership in the academic portion of our Child Study and to Cheryl and Shelly for their leadership in the behavior realm.
Holiday Cheer
Directly from Central Administration
Today’s Focus: Growth
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Love that quote!....It reminds me of the article that Lori Shreiner recently shared ..I believe it originated with Terri Hussey. See the link below for the article on how mistakes help us to grow and learn…… Think about – How are you stretching and growing this year to do the things you think you cannot do…J
Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn | MindShift | KQED News
TAP Items:
· National conference: It has been decided that 8 GCS folks will be attending the TAP National Conference; three from the elementary, three from secondary, one from central office and possibly an Executive Master Teacher, if we have that person named by then.
· NIET Site Visits: It has also been decided that all GCS schools will participate in the NIET Site Visits this year. Going forward, there will be more discussion about this topic, and a possible rotation schedule for GCS schools, so that not all schools would participate every year, or something along those lines.
· If you remember last year, we posted and actually recruited and interviewed for the position of Executive Master Teacher. During the middle of this process, we learned that CELL received a grant extension and would be able to provide the support of Regional TAP Coordinator(s). We are fairly confident that there will not be another extension to the TIF grant. In January 2016, it is the district’s intent to post for an Executive Master Teacher position.
Affordable Care Act Enrollment for Eligible Elkhart County Families
Greetings to all. Open Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace began November 01 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. As were identified during the latest Elkhart County Community Health Needs Assessment, health care access and health care coverage are two of Elkhart County’s priority community health needs, and Elkhart General Hospital is committed to addressing our community’s health needs. To that end, EGH’s Health Coverage Enrollment Center helps individuals enroll in various health coverage programs through the Indiana Health Insurance Marketplace and educates on coverage options available. We partner with Heart City Health Center and Bright Point in providing assistance through Indiana Navigators, who are licensed through the Indiana Department of Insurance to provide free, unbiased, and factual information and assistance on the options available through the Affordable Care Act and through the Healthy Indiana Plan. I kindly request that you consider cutting and pasting the following information below (in the paragraph in bold font under my signature below) in your schools newsletters for your families who may be eligible for health insurance through the Indiana Marketplace or Healthy Indiana Plan. I also want to take this opportunity to extend an invitation for you to host an enrollment event for any employees of your school system that may be eligible for the Marketplace or Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). We can provide Indiana Navigators from EGH, Heart City Health Center, and Bright Point on-site to enroll your eligible employees. Also, if you are interested in having fliers go home with your families, we can provide those if you let me know the quantity you will need. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an enrollment event onsite for your employees, feel free to contact me at 524.7503 or by way of return email. Many thanks in advance for helping us spread the word on getting Elkhart County residents enrolled in health coverage, and helping us to improve the health status of Elkhart County.
Patty Gremaux
Director of Community Outreach
Elkhart General Hospital
Phone (574) 524.7503
Phone (574) 294.2621 x4961
Fax (574) 524.7500
Email pgremaux@beaconhealthsystem.org
Web www.egh.org
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by replay e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
Open Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act started November 01, 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016. If you or your family needs help in getting health coverage or in understanding choices available for you, there is help available. Elkhart General Hospital, Heart City Health Center, and Bright Point are offering free health coverage enrollment services to assist individuals with enrolling in the Indiana Marketplace. As Navigators licensed through the Indiana Department of Insurance, we provide unbiased assistance with the application and enrollment in the various programs offered through the Marketplace and through Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). Upcoming free enrollment events are:
Saturday, December 05, 2015 9a-12p at Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Avenue, Elkhart
Saturday, January 23, 2016 9a -12p at Tolson Center, 1320 Benham Avenue, Elkhart
You can also sign up for an individual appointment to get enrollment help and information about health coverage options for you. If you have questions or would like more information, please call the EGH Health Coverage Enrollment Line at 524-7586 or 524-7523.
Principals,
The following is guidance for those teachers who no longer work in your building and are eligible for the TAP performance pay:
· For those no longer employed by GCS - Please send their forms to Tonia here in the HR department. We will be mailing those forms along with the bonus checks to those previous employees.
· For those now working in a different school/location – Please contact the employee’s new administrator to coordinate how best to share the information.
A reminder for principals and teachers:
A board member reported to us that it had been mentioned to the board member more than once by community members, that teachers or principals had not returned phone calls within 24 hours. Maybe there was a legitimate reason, such as illness, but this is a reminder for all of us, that we should strive to return all messages, whether by phone or email, within 24 hours, if at all possible. Thanks!