the "Oskaloosa Syllabus"
January, 2014 - News YOU Can USE
PLC Information!
PLC To Watch for January - MS Social Studies!
Action Plan for this year:
- Revisit and improve common assessments
- Score and record data
- Display evidence on the data wall (Stop lights design)
- Create class data walls (Stop light design)
- Target students who are not meeting the goal and give them support for the next GLB assessment.
SS Norms!
1) Laugh every time
2) Support each other/ Have each others back.
3) Suggestions are always welcome.
4) Be constructive
5) What is said in the PLC is private.
6) Finish in a timely manner.
7) Joe is the recorder
8) Joe is the facilitator
When you see them, ask them to show you their stoplight design to track student learning!!
PLC Dates for January
January 15th - Technology - Individual Learning Plan :-)
January 22nd - PLC - Extended Vertical
January 29th - PLC - Extended Building Choice
Reminder: District PLC Facilitator Meeting January 6th 3:45 in Board Room!
Just a neat graphic!!
Micellaneous Information
Universal Screening - 2nd Round - January 6th - 17th
Text Leveling Next Year K-6
Professional Development will be provided at the beginning of the year on how to administer and use the data from the Benchmarking System.
This is another decision made in hopes to provide consistency in our assessment K-5 and beyond.
Alternative to Bloom's Taxonomy
DLT Work and Resources!
DLT Update for December
- The HS presented information on Standards-Based Grading they heard from another district. They showed us the 1-4 scale the other teachers use and the principles in which they grade. The DLT will continue to have discussions to see what we will do in the future
- The DLT looked at the Standards for Professional Learning and the Iowa Professional Development Model - the standards drive what we do for professional learning. It is all about improvement and making instructional changes to better the learning for our students.
- The "Tool for Improvement" was reviewed and examples were brainstormed to include with two of the five categories used during walk through observations. This should clarify what administrators are looking for in the classroom and gives instructors a better target to hit for excellence. The document will be completed after the January meeting where other categories are reviewed.
- Jen Groenenboom and Liz Roe updated the BOE
- Next meeting is January 7th
DLT Members will Attend Wormeli Conference
Last year some members attended a conference given by Mr. Wormeli and a book study was conducted a few years ago by the MS Science Dept as well as the Administrative Team around "Fair Isn't Always Equal".
The information gleaned will assist the DLT with making decisions around our current grading practices.
Watch a Video to Hear Wormeli's philosophy on Grading and Mastery
An article on how Homework should be used to determine student needs
DAC Work and Decisions
DAC December Update
- CSIP goals were finalized (see below)
- A District Vision was determined (see below)
- A District Mission will be worked on in January
- The Annual Needs Assessment dates and questions were determined and will be administered the week of February 10th through the 15th to students, teachers, and parents
- Next meeting will be January 21st
CSIP Goals
1. All students will achieve at high levels in Reading, Math, and Science to be successful citizens.
2. All students will utilize technology to be successful citizens.
3. All students will choose healthy lifestyles and feel safe, supported, and connected to school
4. Develop, promote, and sustain partnerships among students, parents, staff, and community.
District Vision
"Believe, Achieve, and Create with Pride!"
Ideas generated and considered were:
- Oskaloosa Schools are the Answer—Aspiring, Novice, Students with Worldly Educational Futures
- Education is a simple LEAP—Limitless, Enabling, Aspiring, and Powerful!
- Prepare to Become Happy
- Educational Excellence for Today and Beyond
- Equipping Students for Learning and Life
- Success and Beyond!
- Believe, Achieve, and Create with Pride
Common Core and Iowa Core Information and Resources!
Vocabulary Strategy - A Way to Build Student Language in Literacy
Writing is Important - How can you increase writing in your classroom?
Iowa Core - K-12 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
The K–12 standards define what students should understand and be able to do by the end of each grade. They correspond to the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by number. The CCR and grade-specific standards are necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity—that together define the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate.
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames
(a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
The Writing Process Common Language and Practice
- Planning
- Drafting
- Revising
- Editing
- Publication
The Language Arts Curriculum Team will be looking at implementing a writing process next year - all CT's will focus on this aspect of student learning. This is the common language we will use next year across content areas.
Have conversations in your PLC about how you use this process when having students write anything formally in your classroom.
The spreadsheet of types of writing was sent out district wide. How can your PLC extend the writing experiences of your student? Have a PLC conversation!
January Contest - Can you answer this question?
Bonus: Choose one of the five and tell me why that one is so important to student learning! :-)