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.