the RAH
Feb 18-22, 2019
from Mike and J-
We enjoyed our day with you this past Wednesday as we all grew our capacity to learn and lead. Thank you for your contribution to our learning, although the best part had to be the soup and lunch connections. Besides our learning there, here's a few more things that will add value to your game.
PowerBI Update!
A new feature has been added to the PowerBI i-Ready Report for elementary & middle school. You will find a new tab labeled ‘i-Ready Intervention Screener’ located at the bottom of the i-Ready Report. Users can now experience the functionality of the intervention screener, access individual student information, and track student progress within the report. If you have any questions, please contact AAA aaa@spsmail.org
Keys to Decreasing Bus Referrals
Our Elementary AP Cadre met this past month with Jonathan Sheldon to discuss transportation and how we can continue to work to improve student behaviors on the bus. A few themes emerged including the idea that the more we work to include our bus drivers as important members of our school community, the better the outcomes were related to student behaviors. We’ve had some great activities at several schools to show appreciation for our bus drivers, but if you and your school are looking for some fresh ideas for how to further support these efforts and improve student bus behaviors check out this article. → bit.ly/bus-drivers
Elementary Departmentalization
As we begin to plan for next year’s professional learning, we would like to be mindful of the needs of teachers who departmentalize. This link below will take you to a form where you can provide information regarding teachers who departmentalize. We realize this information may change, but it will help us greatly in Learning Support's planning.
Please be sure to share feedback concerning SLT meetings. You will find the link in another section of this RAH. Make it a great week!
Wanted: SLT feedback
That's it.
Coming soon-
Following your plan
Equity & Access - from Marty Moore
Supporting Students: Speaking Up Without Tearing Down
Recently I was privileged to be a fly on the wall as 30 African American students met to provide input for our system. Central’s Coach Sean Nevills and Equity Coordinator, LA Anderson, asked students 5 questions:
Why don’t AA students feel safe at school? What can we do to make it better?
Why do you believe some of your peers don’t attend school as often? What can we do to make it better?
Why do you believe you don’t have good relationships with teachers? What can we do to improve?
How engaging is your school experience overall? What can we do to make it better?
Why do you feel that AA students get disciplined more often? What can be done to help?
Dr. Cauldwell and I listened. No doubt each adult in the room was moved by the collective experience which was very similar at all five schools. I would venture that each of us heard something that touched us deeply. There’s one voice I hear over and over, “They don’t understand our experiences and let other students get away with what we can’t. They let them say the ‘N’ word and wear Confederate flag jackets without consequence.”
Another student spoke up and said,”It’s like they don’t know what to say.”
What we’ve learned on our SPS equity journey, is that very few of us are “trained” to respond, largely because we’re uncomfortable talking about racial issues. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t see this modeled well growing up and have had to learn along the way.
A regular component of our Champion training involves roleplaying actual SPS scenarios (with details blurred to avoid identification). Champions practice and receive feedback on their responses, which, as you might imagine, get better over time.
One of our favorite strategies is learning to “Call In” vs “Call Out behaviors. Call-ins can happen publicly or privately, but involve speaking up without tearing down or shaming. This Teaching Tolerance article does a great job framing the strategy and might be worth sharing.
We hope to be catalysts for reframing bias incidents and helping staff increase their efficacy over time. Your Equity Champion stands ready to support you in this work.