October 25, 2019

NO EXCUSES UNIVERSITY – INTERVENTIONS

Culture of Universal Achievement

Collaboration

Standards Alignment

Assessment Plan

Data Analysis

Interventions

“Once children are taught what they need to learn and then assessed for their levels of proficiency, there needs to be appropriate, data-driven academic interventions to help students who are not on track to be proficient by the end of the year.  There also needs to be similar social interventions, because children who are emotionally well adjusted are much more likely to be academically successful.”

During our Academic Conferences we discussed interventions for our students.  In reviewing the data, we have moved past the excuses and how we can help them at school :)

When we review data, we focus on what the students don’t know and how we are going to provide interventions to support the students learning.

We have now completed MAP assessments.  What are you doing with the data?  What interventions have you put in place?  Here is an example:

If your student scores have low RIT score.   You are able to drill down into the results to determine on which standards the students need support in.  As an example in Math, when one drills down further into the data,  you may notice that the majority of the students struggled with expressions and equations.  A smaller number also struggled with use functions to model relationships. Then the teacher is able to develop very targeted lessons that can be delivered in a small group setting.  The teacher does not have to re-teach the entire class.  Targeted, immediate intervention will have a positive impact on student achievement.

We have just finished giving our district writing prompt.

11 Storyboarding Apps To Organize & Inspire Young Writers

www.teachthought.com/apps-2/11-storyboarding-apps-organize-inspire-young-writers

iPadifying the Writing Workshop

www.mguhlin.org/2013/10/ipadifying-writing-workshop-ipad-ipaded.html

Some ideas for conferences and report cards:

During conferences you can sit side by side with your laptop and have a student chromebook. Have parents sign into parent portal on the chromebook.  Please watch the video below so you can check to see which parents have not signed up. You can then have a print out of codes if you need it and then have parents sign into parent portal. You can have separate signature sheet that parents can sign so that way you know who attended conferences.

Click on link for video below....  

Parent Portal info

Question came up how can I tell if parents have looked at progress reports- you can sign into your account and you can see which parents have signed in. 

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Updates

                                             

Now that we have completed our Fall MAP test administration, what
do we do with the results? Come learn how to run essential reports,
snorkel through your data, and scuba dive deep into
the Learning Continuum. You’ll learn how to create your small groups
and inform your instruction.

MAP Essential Reports PD dates:

October 29 

October 30 

Central Office, PLC 2 4pm-5:30pm

Tips for Teachers:

Top 4 Reports That Every Teacher Should Run After Administering MAP:

• Class
• Class Breakdown
• Achievement Status and Growth Projection Summary 
• Student Profile 

The normative data chart on the posters we have in our classrooms, represents students in
the 50th percentile in the U.S. In order to meet the standards (Level 3) on the CAASPP, students
must score in approx. the 60th percentile. In FSUSD to increase a student’s percentile level,
multiply each child’s projected RIT growth points by 1.5 to calculate a stretch goal. You will 
find this data on the “Achievement Status and Growth Projection or Summary Report” at nwea.org. 

(Additional posters are available by request)

Halloween day costumes: follow school dress code, no weapons, no blood, no masks, no blow up costumes.  Make sure food brought in on October 31 follows food policy guidelines. 

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for making our district site visit a success!! 

Play: Thank you for attending our Harvest Festival. I know students love to see their teachers at our school events. 

Choose your attitude: Your attitude can decide how you will feel for the rest of the day- EVERY DAY!! Especially during power outages :)

Make Their Day:   Make at least one positive phone home this week. 

October 18, 2019

NO EXCUSES UNIVERSITY – DATA ANALYSIS

Culture of Universal Achievement

Collaboration

Standards Alignment

Assessment Plan

Data Analysis

Interventions

“It is one thing to have a sophisticated system of regular, formative assessments, but if that assessment data is not collected, disaggregated and reported in a timely and user-friendly manner, it becomes almost unusable.  We believe data must be easily accessible, openly shared, and deliberately arranged.”

There are three main components to data management:

#1:  Easily accessible

#2:  Openly shared

#3:  Deliberately arranged

Easily accessible:  We are so fortunate to have two data systems that provide us with on-the-spot data about our students, our schools, and our district.  If you have not become proficient on MAP, you are missing out on valuable tools that will help guide your conversations and actions.  The best part of MAP and Illuminate is that both systems are accessible to our staff.

Openly shared:  During our collaborative time with grade levels, we have shared multiple data sets that include district and site-level academic achievement.  We should currently be working with our school’s formative (or MAP) data and providing intervention now.  Next few weeks, we will be looking at writing. 

Deliberately arranged:  Over the last few weeks, we have been hearing lots of thoughts about student achievement – reasons for increases or decreases.  One of our commitments is to be specific when we talk about student achievement.  Student achievement data is readily available and we need to use it to describe academic progress.  Furthermore, as you look to each data set, make certain you drill down to the student level.  Don’t just look at the data from the 30,000 foot view.  Remember…data doesn’t always answer questions.  More often than not, it raises questions. AND DATA BELONGS TO THE STUDENT!

Halloween day costumes: follow school dress code, no weapons, no blood, no masks, no inflatables 

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There:  Thank you Christina and Patty for making a scarecrow for the Rotary competition and the school. Thank you Mindi, Diana, CJ, Anthony, and Kami for being prepared for our academic conferences. 

Play:  Join us tonight for the Harvest Festival

Choose your attitude: Your attitude can decide how you will feel for the rest of the day- EVERY DAY!!

Make Their Day:   THANK you for making my day for Boss's Day!! It made my day!! 

October 11, 2019

NO EXCUSES UNIVERSITY – ASSESSMENT PLAN

Culture of Universal Achievement

Collaboration

Standards Alignment

Assessment Plan

Data Analysis

Interventions

“We spend time at our Institute distinguishing between formative and summative assessments and how grade level teams can take responsibility for gathering or creating formative assessments that make sense for them.  We emphasize the importance of this work as a support to teachers, because this allows teachers to track those students who are not making adequate academic progress towards proficiency, and then identify specific content areas that require intervention.”

There are some key topics to consider when implementing an assessment plan:

#1:  Assessment is NOT about the teacher, it’s about the student

#2:  Balance between of and for learning assessments

#3:  Scheduling, benchmarks for growth, and continuous improvement are crucial

Assessment is NOT about the teacher, it’s about the student:  One of my favorite quotes from the summer institute was that data did not belong to the teachers.  It was on loan from the students.  In order to help students achieve proficiency, we must support the teacher in analyzing the data and making the necessary adjustments.

Balance between of and for learning assessments:  There needs to be a balance between formative and summative assessments.  Think about the teachers on your campus.  What percentage of the instructional time is dedicated to formative assessment?  What percentage of the instructional time is dedicated to summative assessment?  In a NEU school, both assessments are equally important.

Scheduling, benchmarks, and continuous improvement are crucial:  When you get your data…what do you do about it?  Is it used as a learning opportunity to better understand what your students know and don’t know? Everything we do should be about providing opportunities for continuous improvement.  Do we have systems in place that allow for such a process?

Please be walking around when doing yard duty. Standing in one place and talking to another colleague takes the attention away from our students who need active supervision. Students forming a circle around you and talking to you also takes away from being active during supervision. The amount of students having issues during recesses clearly identifies that we NEED TO BE WALKING AND MONITORING BEHAVIOR. 

From a teacher:

“I came to school this morning with the lessons from yesterday fresh in my mind. I decided that I would focus on positive behaviors today, and try and let the negative go away on its own.  I started the day with a quick carpet talk, telling students how proud I was of all their good work and asking them to continue for today. I addressed a few issues but then it was off to work. I called students to my desk, or leaned over to talk to them every time I saw something respectful or helpful. At the end of the day, I sat at the carpet with them and asked if it was different today as compared to yesterday. I had 20 hands fly up and the comments ranged from, “you were nice” to “you liked us.” Talk about immediate feedback. I am sure every day will have new challenges and one day is not forever, but I believe that the first step to having a great day is being positive.” – George Kastanis, 3^rd grade teacher

Halloween day costumes: follow school dress code, no weapons, no blood, no masks, no blow up costumes.  Make sure food brought in on October 31 follows food policy guidelines. 

For FSUTA Negotiations Update click HERE

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you EVERYONE for creating meaningful and engaging lessons the past three days without power. 

Play: Great job getting outside and taking advantage of the beautiful weather. 

Choose your attitude: Thank you for your flexibility and team effort during our power outage. 

Make Their Day:   Thank you Kris, Martha, Cindy, and Sheila for the breakfast treats this morning. 

October 4, 2019

College drop off was successful!! 

Character Trait for October is Caring click HERE for lesson plan ideas

Please remember we are ALL teaching a 10 minute lesson on Caring everyday.

Please read the link below on what we have committed to do as a staff

CLICK HERE

NO EXCUSES UNIVERSITY – STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

Culture of Universal Achievement

Collaboration

Standards Alignment

Assessment Plan

Data Analysis

Interventions

When a school embraces a system of Standards Alignment, there are three attributes that need to be included.  As identified in the No Excuses University Schools Institute, the attributes are:

#1:  Aligning standards is not something that you’ve done, it’s something that you do.

#2:  Collaboration is key.

#3:  It must be practiced!  Skills – assessments – instructional methods – resources.

Now…before you move on, think about it.  Does our staff think of “Standards Alignment” as something that is “done” when the pacing guide is complete?  Or…does our staff think of “Standards Alignment” as an ongoing process and has strategies to measure how well every lesson is aligned to what the students need to learn?

Skills – assessment - instructional methods - resources:  Notice that the third attribute is not “Pacing Guide.”  The pacing guides document the skills, but it is just the first step in alignment.  You have to have systems in place to assess the student learning, a focus on the instructional methods that ensure rigor, and allocate the resources to support the students in achieving proficiency. 

Collaboration is key:  Do you plan for collaboration or does it just happen?  True collaboration includes bringing in data (not perceptions or hearsay) and making decisions based on the collected information.  Such a process has to be planned so that the proper data can be collected and is the foundation for good decisions.

If you don’t collaborate around your students’ academic achievement data, then how do you know if you have alignment?

Progress Reports are due to me on Oct. 11. Here is a guide on how you can share them with me. Click Here

DATA DATA DATA DATA

Please make sure your classroom small group time is on my calendar so I know when to visit your classroom. Below is our classroom data for Aug/Sept. 

 

 

For FSUTA Negotiations Update click HERE

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for being prepared with data to talk about your students at our academic conferences.

Play: Thank you Alee and Sarbjit for taking our 8th graders to Yosemite.

Choose your attitude: BE POSITIVE!!!

Make Their Day:   Thank you Fern for going the extra mile and getting a student's IEP completed on time.