Week 4

Happy National Macadamia Nut Day

September 3 - No School
September 5 - PLC Team Meetings

September 11 - SPED Training during prep
September 12 - PLC Team Meetings
September 13-16 - Mid Quarter Grades

September 18 - 6th grade staff meeting
September 19 - 5th grade staff meeting
September 19 - PLC Team Meetings
September 20 - 4th grade staff meeting
September 20 - Air Evac Sign Ups
September 21 - Staff Tailgate Party @ Fellowship Christian Church

September 24 - Collaboration Day
September 27 - STUCO Trip to Potosi

October 2 - Math Counts begins for 4th grade
October 3 - PLC Team Meetings

October 12 - End of First Quarter

October 15-23 - Book Fair
October 16 - Begin Balanced Literacy Training

October 23 - Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 24 - PBS Site Visit
October 25 - Collaboration Day
October 26 - No School

Growth Plans

At our collaboration day last Friday I mentioned that growth plans are due by October 1st. Don't procrastinate on this!

Here is the overview document I shared last Friday. It has a lot of information in it that can be overwhelming, so here is what you need to do first. 

1. Go to the Growth Guide document at DESE and select two (2) quality indicators that you want to show growth in this year. There are 9 standards and each has several quality indicators associated with it. You need to select indicators that are "high leverage". That means that they will have the most impact on student achievement. These are the "high leverage" standards: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 7.2.
2. Open the growth plan template and make two copies (one for each indicator you are working on).
3. The first box asks why you selected the indicator and if it aligns to the CSIP. In case you didn't know, a CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan) is our district level improvement plan. We also have a BIP (Building Improvement Plan). The BIP is currently being revised. Pretty much anything you choose will be aligned to these plans, especially if they have to do with increasing student achievement. 
4. You will need to fill out the focus, goal, and strategy boxes. The results box will be done later (or in TalentEd).
5. Make an appointment to see me so we can conference about your plan. Print off your Growth Plan as well as the page from the Growth Guide that corresponds to the indicator you have chosen. We will set a baseline score, so try to have an idea of where you think you fall on the 0-7 scale. Remember that we will go through the "Professional Frames" on the Guide to determine where you are. Also be ready to discuss the following questions: 
   • What do you want to achieve?
   • What is your timeline?
   • How will you measure this?
   • What evidence will you use to show the goal was met? (Sources of evidence guide)
6. Then put the information into TalentEd for me to approve.

If you have any questions about this process, stop by and see me. I would be glad to help in any way.

The next step on this roller coaster of evaluation is the classroom observation. I will be in your rooms a lot. The standard walk through form looks like this and the reference sheet looks like this. 

If you are a 1st or 2nd year teacher, we have to schedule a pre observation conference for at least three of your walkthrough observations. We need to start that soon.