West Goshen News
December 11, 2015
IB Learning
Week in Review
Ribbon Cutting
Working together
Yogurt Party
Surprises are coming...
Mark 3:05 Thursday on your calendar to meet in the TAP room after school to conclude the day with a last surprise! :)
TLT Focus
This week we will be reflecting and celebrating all of our learning over the past semester!
Copying
Also, be considerate...clean up papers and put items away. There should be recycled boxes by each copy machine. If you have papers that you do not want - put them in those boxes!
Thanks for your help in these two copying issues! :)
IB in April
Staff Christmas Party
Central Office Updates:
“Being a leader is not about you. It’s about the people that are on your team and how you can help them be successful.”
Susan Vobejda
GOOD NEWS!...
Principals, There have been some modifications to the NIET school review process for this school year that I think may help address some of the past concerns. In particular, the number and amount of documentation requested to compile in advance has been pared down to just these four pieces which should be easily available:
1) School plan/goals
2) Cluster Long Range Plan (for the cycle of the observed cluster during the site visit)
3) TLT Long Range Plan or log
4) Post-conference plan samples (one from an administrator, one from a master, one from a mentor)
The above four can be saved on a thumb drive for the NIET reviewer (no need for compiling a big binder).
There will also be a questionnaire and a self-reflection form to complete. The questionnaire is mostly quantitative information that should not be overly time-consuming (30 minutes). The self-reflection may take a bit longer though, especially since this piece is new this year. However, this could be done during a TLT meeting.
Hopefully these adjustments will provide some relief in the amount of time it takes to prepare for a site visit AND still allow our schools to receive the feedback that is generated from an external review. As we learn more information, we will be sure to share it with you in a timely fashion.
TLT Meetings
On Friday December 4, we held two different district wide TLT meetings on the topic of interrater reliability, with both master teachers and administrators; AM was the elementary session and PM was with the secondary teams. I must say this was a very valuable district wide meeting.
There were excellent conversations with each group scripting two separate lessons and intentionally focusing in on specific indicators on the rubric:
· Elementary – PIC, Academic Feedback, S&O, Activities and Materials, Assessment and Student Work
· Secondary – Expectations, S&O, PIC, Academic Feedback and Problem-Solving (These areas for focus were identified based on district needs and/or identified by the team members)
As a part of their new learning and in their pursuit of the outcome, the elementary group (with all seven schools represented), were very tight in their scoring and in the identification of evidence, as well as in alignment with NIET reviewers. Likewise, the same was true for our secondary TLT members from GMS, GHS & Merit.
Out of all 11 indicators in two different lessons, only one performance area had a range of scores greater than 1. In that case, the scores were as follows: 11 scored it a “4”, 1 person scored it a “3” and 1 person scored it a “5” – the National raters scored it a 4,….Thus, although there was a variance of more than 1 with internal raters, it met the threshold of IRR established by NIET and the national raters.
AASA Commends Senate Passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act
Alexandria, Va. – Dec. 9, 2015 – Today, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) took a step closer to reality as the U.S. Senate passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by a strong, bi-partisan vote of 85-12. Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, issued the following statement:
“AASA, The School Superintendents Association, welcomes the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act in the U.S. Senate. We commend Congress for its collaborative work on this bi-partisan legislation, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). We applaud both the House and Senate for maintaining steady momentum for ESEA this summer and fall, and applaud Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray and Representatives John Kline and Bobby Scott for their leadership throughout this process.
“Reauthorization is critical to providing the nation’s schools with relief from the current law, which is both broken and lacking in the flexibility states and local school districts need to support student learning and achievement. Though not perfect, ESSA represents a strong step in the right direction because it restores a more proper balance on all levels. The legislation provides schools with workable federal education policy that supports state and local innovations. Our students deserve nothing less.
“On behalf of more than 13,000 school system leaders, today’s vote represents a major move forward in our commitment to support the success of every student, school and community across the United States.
“The next stop for ESSA is the President’s desk, where we expect Mr. Obama to sign the bill into law.”
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For specific questions about ESEA reauthorization, please contact Noelle Ellerson, AASA associate executive director, policy and advocacy, at nellerson@aasa.org.
**This new Federal bill replaces the No Child Left Behind bill. DW
Upcoming Dates:
14th:
3:05-4:30 - TLT meeting (celebration)
Boys Scout meetings start!
15th (STI Written Response Window Opens):
3:05-4:00 - Grades 3-5 cluster (celebration - remember your Christmas ornament!)
16th:
3:05-4:00 - Grades K-2 cluster (celebration - remember your Christmas ornament!)
17th:
Surprises are in store! :)
18th:
Carols on the Wall - 1:45 in the gym
21st-January 1st: Christmas Break!