Curriculum
Year 1 folks have completed the activities and requirements for the year and I am now working on plans to move the group to the Year 2 phase. We have accellerated the K - 2 group and will be looking to purchase materials to augment literacy for the fall, rather than waiting until the 10-11 school year. This will get some much needed supports in the hands of our teachers sooner, as well as take a little strain off the budget as we look at text/material adoptions for 10-11. The focus of the Iowa Core has allowed for powerful discussions.
Year 2 folks are selecting materials for adoption at this point, with the orders needing to be submitted before they leave on Friday. FCS/Health, Industrial Tech, Business Ed, Spanish, and Information Tech are due on our schedule and have worked with me setting up their selections.
Assessment
The standardized testing season is now officially complete. We learn a little more each time we administer MAP and I think the things we learn are showing in performance at the different grade levels, as is evidenced in Jason's report. What great gains many of our students have made throughout the year! What is nice about this is as one of our measures of success it reflects the teachers impressions of their classrooms and what they have observed throughout the year as students have worked on different skill areas. As we experience this success with increasing numbers it will be the charge of the different leadership teams in the buildings to readjust goals and targets to continue to challenge our students.
Due to user error (mine:)) we have not been able to take a look at the ITBS/ITED data this spring, but will do so this fall as part of our back to school professional development. I have sent the data to Marian Godwin to do her yearly work and update of our progress, and hope to have information to share with the board by the June meeting.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Board Report 04-08-09
Curriculum
Year 1 worked on the second Literacy portion of the Iowa Core. This month the discussion/decisions focus on writing. For those groups that know their standards and benchmarks this is a pretty quick process. For those that don’t it tends to take a little longer. I met with 2 different groups last month between meetings to help them complete the task and anticipate the same need this time.
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review. When we get back from break we will begin the process of evaluating materials. We will spend a day after school practicing, then I will turn them loose to find the best matches curriculum wise. Before ordering texts/materials the teacher must support their decision based on facts brought out from the process and a match to their standards and benchmarks.
Assessment
MAP testing is coming up in 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to the testing season to see how we have improved as a district this year. Testing begins for all grades April 20th, with 9-12 taking the weekend “off” (Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday) due to prom and other activities. We should have everything wrapped up by May 8.
Year 1 worked on the second Literacy portion of the Iowa Core. This month the discussion/decisions focus on writing. For those groups that know their standards and benchmarks this is a pretty quick process. For those that don’t it tends to take a little longer. I met with 2 different groups last month between meetings to help them complete the task and anticipate the same need this time.
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review. When we get back from break we will begin the process of evaluating materials. We will spend a day after school practicing, then I will turn them loose to find the best matches curriculum wise. Before ordering texts/materials the teacher must support their decision based on facts brought out from the process and a match to their standards and benchmarks.
Assessment
MAP testing is coming up in 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to the testing season to see how we have improved as a district this year. Testing begins for all grades April 20th, with 9-12 taking the weekend “off” (Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday) due to prom and other activities. We should have everything wrapped up by May 8.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Board Report 3-19-09
Curriculum
Year 1 has begun the review of the Literacy portion of the Iowa Core. Each grade level span identifies Essential Concepts (Standards) and Skills (benchmarks) for students in the given span. Grades K‐2 concepts look different than 3‐5 concepts and so on. Literacy is broken into 5 different sub sections: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Viewing. Over the course of the remainder of the year we are reviewing each section and identifying where skills and concepts are taught, as well as where things need to be added to our curriculum.
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review, so when we evaluate materials later this spring we will have samples to view. Curriculum mapping is progressing, and we are targeting work for curriculum review to be done mid April, for orders to be placed this summer for an 09‐10 adoption.
Assessment
MAP testing is rapidly approaching. I've been working with the teachers on some schedule adjustments that I think will be good for all involved. Testing begins the week of April 20.
Year 1 has begun the review of the Literacy portion of the Iowa Core. Each grade level span identifies Essential Concepts (Standards) and Skills (benchmarks) for students in the given span. Grades K‐2 concepts look different than 3‐5 concepts and so on. Literacy is broken into 5 different sub sections: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Viewing. Over the course of the remainder of the year we are reviewing each section and identifying where skills and concepts are taught, as well as where things need to be added to our curriculum.
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review, so when we evaluate materials later this spring we will have samples to view. Curriculum mapping is progressing, and we are targeting work for curriculum review to be done mid April, for orders to be placed this summer for an 09‐10 adoption.
Assessment
MAP testing is rapidly approaching. I've been working with the teachers on some schedule adjustments that I think will be good for all involved. Testing begins the week of April 20.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Technology
Scholastic Reading Counts
The Reading Counts system has been loaded with teacher and student information, now I am in the process of asking for some volunteers from the staff to work through some of the implementation steps. We should be online shortly.
Mr. Driskell, Ms. LaFrenz and myselfattended a presentation February 9th for MAP, Promethian products (whiteboards and student response items) and CompasLearning. I’ll let them fill you in on what they observed.1 to 1 computer initiative. I will be presenting for you at the meeting about this. Mike and I have talked extensively about the possibility, how we might fund it, and what we are trying to accomplish with a 1 to 1 program.
Curriculum
Year 1 folks have met for the first of several meetings this spring to discuss vertical alignment. We review vertical alignment to make sure that our curriculum spirals rather than pancakes. In a spiraling model we come back to concepts previously addressed, but at a higher level of rigor for the student. If our curriculum pancakes, we revisit topics again and again, without any extension, leaving gaps between grade levels and content areas. The literacy group is working on this process, while the TAG, Vocal/Instrumental Music, and Guidance folks are working on writing standards and benchmarks. As I mentioned last month, I have differentiated the groups and now we meet on consecutive Mondays each month. By the end of the year we will have defined Grade Level Expectations for Literacy, and standards and benchmarks for TAG, Vocal/Instrumental Music, and Guidance
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review, so when we evaluate materials later this spring we will have samples to view.
Scholastic Reading Counts
The Reading Counts system has been loaded with teacher and student information, now I am in the process of asking for some volunteers from the staff to work through some of the implementation steps. We should be online shortly.
Mr. Driskell, Ms. LaFrenz and myselfattended a presentation February 9th for MAP, Promethian products (whiteboards and student response items) and CompasLearning. I’ll let them fill you in on what they observed.1 to 1 computer initiative. I will be presenting for you at the meeting about this. Mike and I have talked extensively about the possibility, how we might fund it, and what we are trying to accomplish with a 1 to 1 program.
Curriculum
Year 1 folks have met for the first of several meetings this spring to discuss vertical alignment. We review vertical alignment to make sure that our curriculum spirals rather than pancakes. In a spiraling model we come back to concepts previously addressed, but at a higher level of rigor for the student. If our curriculum pancakes, we revisit topics again and again, without any extension, leaving gaps between grade levels and content areas. The literacy group is working on this process, while the TAG, Vocal/Instrumental Music, and Guidance folks are working on writing standards and benchmarks. As I mentioned last month, I have differentiated the groups and now we meet on consecutive Mondays each month. By the end of the year we will have defined Grade Level Expectations for Literacy, and standards and benchmarks for TAG, Vocal/Instrumental Music, and Guidance
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review, so when we evaluate materials later this spring we will have samples to view.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Board Report 1/21/09
Technology
Scholastic Reading Counts
After our last meeting I spent some time installing and trying to run the program on one of our current servers. I found out it wasn’t up to specs, so we have purchased a “new to us” server at a reasonable price and I am in the process of getting this online. I see this server primarily as the “Reading Counts” server as well as filling other roles in our domain. It will take the place of one of our current servers that is 8 years old.
Building Improvements
During the Christmas Break I added 3 more wireless access points to our complex, enabling the Band and Vocal rooms, as well as the commons area. These APs are not tied in to our management software, but are more of an experiment, to see if wired, how much use that end of the building would receive.
Curriculum
Year 1 folks have not met yet, but our first meetings are coming up the first two weeks of February. In the meantime I have met with all grade level teams to discuss 3 questions; “What do students do well when they come to you?”, “What are some of their weaknesses?”, and “How is Grammar part of your daily instruction?”. I also tasked each group to come to their meeting in February with an ideal example of a student for their grade level at the beginning of the year – and at the end of the year. We will use all this information to tighten up our vertical alignment of curriculum.
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review, so when we evaluate materials later this spring we will have samples to view.
Scholastic Reading Counts
After our last meeting I spent some time installing and trying to run the program on one of our current servers. I found out it wasn’t up to specs, so we have purchased a “new to us” server at a reasonable price and I am in the process of getting this online. I see this server primarily as the “Reading Counts” server as well as filling other roles in our domain. It will take the place of one of our current servers that is 8 years old.
Building Improvements
During the Christmas Break I added 3 more wireless access points to our complex, enabling the Band and Vocal rooms, as well as the commons area. These APs are not tied in to our management software, but are more of an experiment, to see if wired, how much use that end of the building would receive.
Curriculum
Year 1 folks have not met yet, but our first meetings are coming up the first two weeks of February. In the meantime I have met with all grade level teams to discuss 3 questions; “What do students do well when they come to you?”, “What are some of their weaknesses?”, and “How is Grammar part of your daily instruction?”. I also tasked each group to come to their meeting in February with an ideal example of a student for their grade level at the beginning of the year – and at the end of the year. We will use all this information to tighten up our vertical alignment of curriculum.
Year 2 folks are working on gathering materials for review, so when we evaluate materials later this spring we will have samples to view.
Monday, December 15, 2008
12-15-08 Report to Board
Technology
Scholastic Reading Counts
PIE committed during the 07-08 year to purchase a reading quiz program for the district. Due to administrator turnover and other various issues installation and implementation was pushed back to this year. New information about the program came out this fall, the system was on a per quiz purchase price and they switched to a per pupil cost, which changed the scope of the project and allowed us to be more comprehensive in our coverage of the library, but also cost us more to implement. PIE came through with additional funds and now the program has been installed. There are still some setup steps to take place, as well as identifying some teachers who would like to use the system, but we have made good progress over the past few weeks.
Thanks to the members of PIE for their commitment to this project. It has gone beyond the financial commitment to time spent in the library working with Ms. Burrows on the labeling of books and identification of Lexile levels in our library system.
An overview of the system can be found at: http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/readingcounts/management.htm
A quick synopsis:
1. Students select an appropriate book from our library by connecting them with their interests and Lexile Level
2. After testing students take a computer generated quiz. Congratulatory screen at the end for a passing grade. If a student does not pass they can retake the quiz after reviewing the book – with a new set of questions.
3. Teachers can track the reading reports to help inform and differentiate instruction. They also provide feedback for struggling students needing help.
Look for more information to come.
Curriculum
Year 1 folks are now coming to a point where we will be splitting into two groups. We have one group of folks who are working on developing and articulating their standards, benchmarks, and descriptors for the first time in written form here in Earlham. This process is more time consuming and a bit specialized because of the content (Vocal/Instrumental music, Guidance, TAG…) so I will be working with this group a bit differently. The second group of folks are those teachers involved in the Language Arts/Reading review.
Year 1 folks are now coming to a point where we will be splitting into two groups. We have one group of folks who are working on developing and articulating their standards, benchmarks, and descriptors for the first time in written form here in Earlham. This process is more time consuming and a bit specialized because of the content (Vocal/Instrumental music, Guidance, TAG…) so I will be working with this group a bit differently. The second group of folks are those teachers involved in the Language Arts/Reading review.
This group of teachers already have standards and benchmarks that are defined through MISIC common core, but we need to look at them and determine grade level expectations (what the benchmarks “look” like when done) a very different process from development. We also are working on vertical alignment, alignment of the curriculum from grade to grade. At this point I have met with all the different grade levels to discuss 3 questions:
1. When students come to you what do they do well?
2. When student s come to you what skills need work?
3. How is Grammar part of your daily instruction?
As I ask the questions I am looking for themes from the discussion and some interesting things have surfaced that will be part of our discussions after the Christmas Break.
Year 2 folks have done some initial work with the curriculum manager software, but not much progress at this point. I’m not too worried as we have several months left. They have also started pulling in materials for review.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Welcome to the Blog
The purpose for this blog will be to communicate some of the different things going on in regards to the Curriculum and Assessment department of the Earlham Community Schools.
Assessment
Use of MAP for Primary grades has begun. Ms. Aquino volunteered her classroom to be our first group to do the screening assessments and so far we have taken the reading assessment and are scheduled to take the Math portion on Friday. So far the information we have been able to gather has helped her and we are looking forward to gathering more.
Professional Development
The year has gotten off to a good start with this. Feedback to this point has been for the most part positive. You can’t please everyone all the time, but providing a quality experience in staff development for our teachers is the best opportunity for them to be better as instructors in their classrooms.
Assessment
Use of MAP for Primary grades has begun. Ms. Aquino volunteered her classroom to be our first group to do the screening assessments and so far we have taken the reading assessment and are scheduled to take the Math portion on Friday. So far the information we have been able to gather has helped her and we are looking forward to gathering more.
Professional Development
The year has gotten off to a good start with this. Feedback to this point has been for the most part positive. You can’t please everyone all the time, but providing a quality experience in staff development for our teachers is the best opportunity for them to be better as instructors in their classrooms.
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