Leaders Leading Learners
Curriculum & Instruction Newsletter June 5, 2015
Ambassadors
Annoucement
Core Content Area News
All PRINCIPALS:
District Based Assessments:
As you know the the district will be providing 6 weeks District Based Assessments (DBAs) for the 2015-2016 school year. The district will not longer write or provide unit tests for campuses. This decision was based on feedback from stakeholders across the district. As a result, campuses will be empowered to create their own assessments. Teachers will have access to TEKSbank and other resources to create assessments they and the campus decide are necessary.
Hiring New ICs:
Since Instructional Coaches (ICs) will be evaluated by the Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) department during the 2015-2016 school year, C&I directors and coordinators will interview and hire ICs. During the hiring process, the directors and coordinators will determine the campus where the IC will be the best fit. Principals will be notified of the placement.
Reminders:
Summer GT 30 Hour Training:
The 30 hour GT training modules for Summer 2015 are now available in Eduphoria. Please click here for instructions on how teachers can register for the GT Summer 2015 modules.
IC Days:
ICs first day back on contract for the 15-16 school year is August 4. Please see the dates below to review when ICs will be working at the campus versus district level in August 2015.
- August 4 - 6 (Campus Days)
- August 7 (District Day - Jim Knight Training)
- August 10 - 11 (District Days)
- August 12 - 14 (Campus Days)
- August 17 (Campus Day)
Summer School Information:
Click here for information and details about our 2015 summer school and summer program offerings.
Elementary Principals
Departmentalization in K-2:
BISD will not departmentalize in grades K-2. Research supports for elementary-age students, the social and emotional aspects of whole child instruction are fostered through relationships with their teachers, as studied by Pianta and Stuhlman (2004). Through their study, they revealed the quality of the relationship between young students and their teachers significantly impacted their behavioral and academic trajectories. Students’ relationship with their teachers also affected their sense of connection to their school (Chang & Muñoz, 2008). In their study, Chang and Muñoz (2008) found that students in self-contained models rated trust and respect for teachers as well as classroom supportiveness significantly higher than students in departmentalized models. They found departmentalized instruction had an even greater negative impact on younger students and students with three or more teachers. (page 115)
Now that all of the EOY testing is complete for grades K - 2, promotion/retention decisions need to be finalized.
Grade Placement Decisions: Please refer to the flow charts as you make your final decisions. For any child that did not meet the PRSP criteria, a GPC meeting must be held and the documentation completed in Aware using the PRSP GPC form.
Links: Flow Charts (Kinder, First, Second); Flow Chart Information
Summer Reading Letters:
Copies of the Summer Reading letter and the Summer Reading list were delivered to campuses this week. Please be sure these are distributed to 5th graders who will be enrolled in Pre-AP classes as 6th graders for 2015-2016. The signed student acknowledgements are due back to Kristen Beesaw by June 5.
Summer School Information:
- Thank you for updating the summer school lists. Please make sure that all parents have been notified by sending home the parent letters. Please use the links attached to access parent letters (English, Spanish).
- A folder for each summer school student is to be created. Please use the link to find the checklist for each folder. A copy of the checklist is to be attached to the front of the folders. Folders should be ready and delivered to summer school campuses the last week of school.
- Checklist Link:
Classroom Libraries:
Please remember to send all of the Scholastic boxes containing the classroom libraries that are being delivered to your campus library. A team from Instructional Materials will come to prepare the sets for checkout. This will help ensure the classroom libraries stay in tact. Once classroom libraries are barcoded and labeled, they may be distributed to the teachers in grades 3 - 5.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS:
Summer Reading Letters:
Copies of the Summer Reading letter and the Summer Reading list were delivered to campuses this week. Please be sure these are distributed to 6th-8th graders who will be enrolled in Pre-AP classes for 2015-2016. The signed student acknowledgements are due back to Kristen Beesaw by June 5.
Summer School Information:
Please be sure to update the summer school indicator in eSchool based on the retest results by Wednesday, June 3. Also, please make sure that all parents have been notified by sending home the parent letters. Please use the links attached to access parent letters (English, Spanish).
HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS:
Summer Reading Letters:
Copies of the Summer Reading letter and the Summer Reading list for 9th graders will be delivered to campuses next week. Please be sure these are distributed to students who will be enrolled in Pre-AP classes for 2015-2016. The signed student acknowledgements are due back to Kristen Beesaw by June 5.
Professional Development News
Required Principal Trainings:
- Crucial Conversations - June 11 & 12 or June 25 & 26
- Influencer Training - June 18 & 19
- Cultural Diversity Training -July 28, (one counselor and one Assistant Principal from each campus is required to attend Cultural Diversity Training)
Upcoming Events
- Administrative Meeting June 17 - Boardroom
- July 30 --Admin/DLT Retreat
- August 5 & 6 -- Administrators Institute -- Rudder HS
- August 7 Jim Knight Instructional Coaching Training @ First Baptist Church in Bryan
Lesson Design Institute:
Lesson Design Institute August 3rd - 7th has been entered in Eduphoria. Each day is entered as a course. Teachers have the option to select the days they will attend. Please remind teachers that they must attend day one at Rudder HS Auditorium.
Bilingual/ESL News
All Principals
PLD Folders:
Principals: Please remind your LPAC Administrator to make sure that PLD folders for all ELL students are placed in the individual bilingual red folder. If you have questions, please call Desiree, #1045.
EOY LPACs:
All EOY LPAC documentation needs to be submitted to the Bilingual Department by Monday, June 8. If you have questions, please call Charity.
Resources: Please make sure that all resources purchased by the Bilingual Department and checked out to campus instructional coaches and bilingual teachers are collected, if the coach or teacher will not be at your campus next year. Those resources are assigned to your campus, so if you receive an instructional coach or teacher replacement, the resources will then be checked out to the new person. If you have questions please call Clem at #1024.
Elementary Principals
Bilingual Teaching Vacancies: If you have bilingual teaching vacancies at your campus that have not been filled, please contact Marilyn Rosas or Carol Cune. These vacancies could be due to transfers, new positions, resignations or retirements. Thank you.
Special Education News
All Principals
If you have vacancies for Special Education positions on your campus, please be sure to enter the positions in Applitrack. My staff and I will be glad to help you with interviews and support you in filling these positions. Please get input into the evaluations for your assessment staff to me this week. Feel free to contact me with any concerns for next year.
Change to the Regulations Regarding Restraints of Students Receiving Special Education Services:
Based on recent changes to special education regulations ALL restraints performed by a police officer who is on your campus or at a school related event as the result of an agreement between the district and the Bryan ISD school district, MUST be reported to TEA as a restraint. You will need to report these restraints in Eduphoria just as you would report it if you yourself conducted the restraining. Click here for further clarification.Please remember that a restraint is defined as, "Restraint means the use of physical force or a mechanical device to significantly restrict the free movement of all or a portion of the student's body." Mechanical devices will include hand-cuffs.
In order to support the renewed emphasis on co-teach and inclusive practices in Bryan ISD, we have contracted with Region IV to provided training for both general education and special education teachers. The first round of training will take place on June 24 & 25. and then again on August 11 & 12. Please encourage your teachers to attend one of the trainings. Whenever possible, it is beneficial for teachers to attend in teams.
Summer Training for Specialized Programs:
Please remind your Ready, Pass, Soar, Flex and Life Skills teachers that we will have training for them on July 27, 28, & 29th.
Curriculum & Instruction Department
Email: kammi.green@bryanisd.org
Website: www.bryanisd.org
Phone: 979-209-1049