Eagle News
Building Blocks of Success Week of Sep. 8th to 11th , 2015
Dallas ISD Core Beliefs
- Our main purpose is to improve student academic achievement.
- Effective instruction makes the most difference in student academic performance.
- There is no excuse for poor quality instruction.
- With our help, at risk students will achieve at the same rate as non-at risk students.
- Staff members must have a commitment to children and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence.
Building Blocks to Success!
In two weeks, 205 parents attended their grade level meetings. Each grade level provided important information about curriculum, expectations, and services that are available for all parents and students. Each grade level was well represented.
Proud to be an Eagle!
Our Monday PD
We celebrated our First Week of School. Yes, we survived!
Lo and DOL differentiated Professional Development
Our new teachers participated on a hands on professional development session lead by our instructional coach and our demo teacher. Ms. Cole met with the Math teachers and Ms. Haggler with the reading teachers.
Campus Action Plan
Key Actions
Allen Elementary will increase student achievement by providing purposeful instruction in Reading, Mathematics, Writing, and Science.
Improve the quality of instruction by increasing rigor and student engagement.
Allen Elementary will improve positive perception of school climate and culture by all stakeholders including students, staff, parents and community.
About Rigor and Engagement
Our second Key Action is Improve the quality of instruction by increasing rigor and engagement. Many educators define rigor in different ways. In our campus rigor will be defined as creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so that he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels (Blackburn, 2008). This three-part approach assures that rigor doesn’t consist of just adding curriculum requirements or raising grading standards. Integral to the model is providing every student with high levels of support so that they can thrive and be successful in their classrooms.
Rigor is more than a specific lesson or instructional strategy. It is deeper than what a student says or does in response to a lesson. Real rigor is the result of weaving together all elements of schooling to improve the achievement and learning of every student.
In our campus we will look for:
1. Teachers that push students to respond at high levels and ask extending questions. If a student does not know the answer, the teacher will continue to probe and guide the student to an appropriate answer rather than moving on to the next student.
2. Ensure that each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels. Teachers are designing lessons that move students to more challenging work while simultaneously providing ongoing scaffolding to support students learning as they achieve higher levels.
Examples of scaffolding strategies include:
- Asking guiding questions
- Chunking information
- Color-coding the steps of a project
- Writing standards as questions for students to answer
- Using visuals and graphic organizers
- Providing such tools as interactive reading guides, study guide.
3. If we want students to show us that they understand what they learned at a high level, we also need to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate that they have truly mastered that learning. One way to accomplish that is through increased student engagement.
Examples of Student Centered Engagement:
Think-pair-share, thumbs up or down, writing answers on small whiteboards and sharing their responses, or responding on a handheld computer that tallies responses(clickers). Such activities hold each student accountable for demonstrating his or her understanding.
Recognizing Rigor in Classrooms: Four Tools for School Leaders (Web Only). N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2015.
Week at a Glance...
Magnificent Monday, September 7, 2015
Holiday Labor Day
Terrific Tuesday, September 8, 2015
- Attendance is due by 9:00 am
Wonderful Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Attendance is due by 9:00 am
Cowboy Appreciation. Show your Dallas Cowboys pride.
Thrilling Thursday, September 10, 2015
PLC Pre Assessment Data
Attendance is due by 9:00 am
PLC Meetings
Lesson Plans are due electronically by 6:00 pm.
Fabulous Friday, September 11, 2015
Attendance is due by 9:00 am
School Spirit Day!
Reminder: Compliance Videos are due 9/30/2015 Please turn in your certificates to Ms. Rodriguez.
Our Volunteers are Awesome! We love them!
One of the first families
They cooked hotdogs!
Picture Perfect!
We want hot dogs!
Happy faces!
Waiting...
Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ~Elizabeth Andrew
About Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that prohibits recipients of federal funding from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. In Section 504, the focus is on non-discrimination. As it relates to public education, the law states that a school cannot place a student in segregated classes or facilities "solely by reason of her or his disability." Students with disabilities must be given the same opportunities to participate in academic, nonacademic and extracurricular activities as their non-disabled peers.
Under Section 504, students with disabilities may receive accommodations and services to ensure that their individual educational needs are met as adequately as those of non-disabled students. Under Section 504, children with disabilities must be educated with their non-disabled peers "to the maximum extent appropriate."
All students who qualify for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) are also covered by the provisions of Section 504. However, not all students who qualify for Section 504 are eligible for IDEA services. That's because Section 504's definition of "a student with a disability" is broader than the IDEA's definition and not limited to specific disability categories.
Section 504 is the "umbrella" civil rights law covering persons who have a "physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity." Under Section 504, "major life activities" include caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, reading, writing, calculating math problems, concentrating, interacting with others, learning and working.
Parents typically ask for services under Section 504 when:
- their child has a chronic medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, that is not covered by the IDEA or
- their child has a disability covered by IDEA, such as ADHD or a mild learning disability, but who does not require IDEA services to benefit from their education.
Kudos!
Gabe P. Allen Elementary
Sheila Ortiz Espinell- Principal
Franceslia Rodriguez- AP
Russell Sims-AP
Email: sortizespinell@dallasisd.org
Website: dallasisd.org/allen
Location: 5220 Nomas Street, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: (972) 794-5105
Twitter: @GPATeachers