September 25 ,2020

 

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 today. Here is a guide on how you can share them with me. Click Here

Please remember that we will be in Distance Learning at least until October 16. After this, our FSUSD Governing Board will discuss (following our Governor's orders) to return and at what Phase. Please check out the FSUSD Five Phase Continuum for further details!

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

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you for being there for each other during distance learning.

Play: What is one fun thing you can do with your students virtually?

Choose your attitude: BE POSITIVE!!!

Make Their Day:   Thank you Fern, Chloe, Melody, Garrett, and Monica for running our IEP meetings efficiently.