K-6 Update
9.27.19
News and Notes
- Monday, Sept. 30 - 2nd Grade Dyslexia Screening Window Opens
- Tuesday, Oct. 1 - 5:00 p.m. - District K-4 High Ability Meeting @ Education Center
- Wednesday, Oct. 9 - All Staff eLearning day - details below
- Wednesday, Oct. 16 - 5:30 p.m. - Dyslexia Parent Information Night @ MOVE UP
- Nov. 18-27 - ILEARN Systems Readiness Test
Be looking for information from your School Testing Coordinator (assistant principal) regarding details for the Spring 2020 ILEARN Systems Readiness Test. Each school gets to set their date this year and there are some things Test Administrators will be responsible for (this means you 3rd- through 6th-grade teachers) so be on the lookout for those items.
Opportunities for eLearning Support. ALL are welcome to ANY event.
Wednesday, Oct. 2 - 2:30-4:30 p.m. @ Concord West Side
Thursday, Oct. 3 - 2:30-4:30 p.m. @ Concord Ox Bow
Monday, Oct. 7 - 3:00-5:00 p.m. @ Concord Education Center
Tentative Schedule for October 9 eLearning Day:
7:30 a.m.
Teachers arrive to school, post day’s assignments by 8:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
Teachers have lessons posted
8:00-10:00 a.m.
Certified/Classified staff professional development @ various locations
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Certified staff office hours
Classified staff professional development
11:00-12:00 p.m.
Lunch (feel free to leave the building) - ENJOY!
12:00-2:00 p.m.
Certified/classified staff professional development @ various locations
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Certified staff office hours
More info: https://www.concord.k12.in.us/cis-students-staff-celebrate-beautification-project/
Dyslexia
If you're not familiar with the law here are a couple of the highlights:
- Schools are required to screen (nearly) all K-2 students in six areas of reading.
- Schools are required to notify parents of students who are "at risk" or "at some risk" of having dyslexia. It is worth noting here that schools typically are not the entity that diagnoses dyslexia. Dyslexia is technically a medical condition and therefore usually a medical diagnosis. Schools, however, can through educational testing identify a student as having a "specific learning disability" which can be used synonymously with dyslexia.
- The law also empowers teachers in grades 3-12 to recommend a student to the school's intervention team if they believe the student may be dyslexic. In practice, this portion of the law will not change many existing practices in your building. If a teacher has a concern with a student, the student is referred to an intervention team, more information is gathered, and an action plan is developed. The action plan may range from intervention to educational evaluation. That will still be the process. Our team is working on a formal set of protocols for this and those should be available to you within a month or so.
- Schools must use evidence-based intervention tools and methods to provide high-quality intervention to students who are "at risk" or "at some risk" of dyslexia.
To learn more please visit Concord's dyslexia website or attend our upcoming informational night at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, at MOVE UP Academy (lower level of CIS - enter through door 16).
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
Dyslexia causes difficulty in the skills needed for learning to read, spell and write, but it is much more than that. Studies have found that as many as one in five children in the United States demonstrate symptoms of dyslexia. While dyslexia may make reading more difficult, Concord Community Schools staff are equipped with the knowledge and resources to help all students succeed.
Screencastify
What is the role of a DLS?
First, let me tell you how thankful I am for Tyler Stevens and Kelly Weldy. They are EVERYWHERE all the time and are always on top of requests. I can barely the count the number of messages I receive from people praising them for some way that they have helped out. Thank you, Tyler and Kelly, for all you do!
Second, over the summer their positions shifted from the technology department to the education department. They now work more closely with Renee' and I, supporting curriculum and instruction items more intentionally. I am purposefully looping them into conversations about curriculum mapping and tool planning, as well as encouraging them to think through curriculum and instruction solutions. Their role was always designed to support high-quality instruction that aims toward maximizing student learning with, of course, a digital lens. This move, we feel, more accurately reflects the role we hope to see them fulfilling into the future.
I would encourage you to reach out to them when you have questions about the curriculum map, common assessments, digital tools to support high-quality instruction, curriculum resources (digital or analog), or how best to utilize the Chromebooks to support high-level learning.