Author Archives: JOHN O'BRIEN

Secondary Education & Student Activities “Administrivia” (1.21.15)

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Secondary Education “Administrivia” (1.21.15)

  • Digital Technology Initiative Mid-Year Update:
    • We are half way through year 1 of our three year grant from the DEED.  Our mid-year report was submitted January 15th to the independent evaluator (Dr. Dale Cope)
    • The 15 teacher cohort is in the middle of their formalized training/PD sessions.
    • Most cohort members have completed the Quality Matters online course training curriculum.
    • Several Blended Learning topic Lync session trainings have/will also take place throughout this school year.
    • 19 Educators attended the iNACOL conference in Palm Springs, CA funded by the grant
    • 20+/- Educators will also attend ASTE this February in Anchorage funded by the grant
  • Activity/Field Trip Travel Possible Technology Assistance:  
    • David Henson and Jim White are working on a prototype activity trip tracking system that will preload trips, participants, emergency paperwork, and the ability to add/subtract trip participants and add notes/details using a smartphone and a QPC code reader application.
    • We are going to be working with some schools to pilot this  year and hope to go live district-wide next Fall for all activity and fieldtrips (K-12).
    • A new Travel regulations memo will be formalized by the end of this year to reflect all current and any new activity travel expectations for schools (i.e. travel range restrictions, when use of ALMR radio is expected, private vehicle transport restrictions, coaches driving restrictions, and driver on duty/driving time restrictions, etc…).
  • Distance Learning Program:
  • Our second semester course enrollment numbers are at 1010 as of this morning (1.21.15).  This is early for numbers to be this large and our teachers are near capacity on their individual teacher loads.
  • Some changes planned include allowing students to enroll in distance classes during the course enrollment period directly from Powerschool (DP/Counselors working on this now)
  • Next year Credit Recovery Courses for Connections and our K-12 program will no longer be supervised/Teacher of Record by the Distance Learning Program.  Like our larger high schools have for years, these schools will now need to oversee Credit Recovery with their own teaching staff.
  • As the program grows we are hearing concerns/worries from teachers about whether they will eventually be replaced by distance education.  This is absolutely not the case and I would be happy to discuss these concerns with anyone.  Please refer questions on this matter to me (John O’Brien)

 

 

  • Summer School Credit Recovery Session:  
  • The session will be run just as it has in the past.
  • Our large high schools provide the program (SoHi, Nikiski, Homer, KCHS, Seward)
  • All CORE areas are provided (Math, Lang. Arts, Social Studies, and Science)
  • The program is an “on-line prescriptive” web based program through Pearson called “GRADPOINT”
  • The Session runs for three weeks in June. Half days (8:00-noon) June 1-19
  • Principals do their own hiring by emailing internal certified staff to solicit interest
  • Staff need to be certified and HQ in one of the four CORE areas (preference)

 

 

  • Policy Change TAKE NOTE: 
  • AR 6146.1 High School Graduation Requirements: Additional quality points will be assigned for College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses for the purpose of calculating grade point average (GPA). For each passing semester grade in an Advanced Placement course, 0.021 will be added to the student’s cumulative GPA. Effective for SY 2015, the fall semester weighted quality points will be added at the conclusion of the fall semester (like before).  In order to receive the spring semester weighted quality points, students must also complete the National Advanced Placement course examination.

Secondary Education Administrivia (Admin. Meeting 11.12.14)

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Distance/Online Learning in KPBSD:

  • For the Fall 2015 we currently have had 1020 semester course enrollments for students in our KPBSD online/Distance classes.   We have averaged about 800 course enrolments per semester the past 2-3 years, so this is a marked increase.  For a full list of online/distance learning courses offered please refer to the following link:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nq-JHodh_LWu6mvvxC82InidybOT1KtXizX5HHhNng0/pub
  • Blended and Online Learning:  KPBSD sent 17 educators to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) Symposium in California.  Through the Digital Learning Initiative Grant that the KPBSD received we were able to send a team of district teachers and administrators to learn about “Blended Learning.”  This conference focuses on showcasing districts, schools, and classroom teachers who are using new learning models considered blended learning.  The intent is to “level the playing field for students through the creation of new learning models, and to ensure that students everywhere have access to a world-class education that prepares them for a lifetime of success, no matter their geographic location or economic situation.” –iNACOL

Key Performance Indicators:

  • 5th and 10th Graders Social, Emotional Wellness.  For this KPI we recently administered the Gallop Student poll district wide.  Gallop has indicated that our results should be ready just before Thanksgiving.
  • By Graduation all students will have completed at least one college course or earn an industry certification: We started tracking KPC/UAA dual credit last year with the assistance of David Henson and Powerschool.  (Beginning in SY2014, counselors/counselor assistants must indicate that a back loaded college course is a dual credit course by checking the box titled “Also received college credit?” on the “Single New Entry” or “Edit Stored Grade” screens.)

Career and Technical Education:

  • We recently informed that some of our Principals may not be aware of other CTE opportunities offered throughout our district.  I know there’s no way you can keep abreast of all the different offerings throughout our district, but thought the following info. may help you.  Our CTE department works closely with all of the counselors in making them aware of these opportunities, and we periodically advertise these in your school announcements, but it may help you to have a better understanding of what we offer by looking at the following links.  A great source for finding out about CTE offerings can be found on our “OneStop” page found on the “Students/Parents” link on our main KPBSD webpage.  Once you click on this tab, look to the far left and click on the “OneStop” link.

http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/OneStop/Onestop.aspx?id=30681

 

KPSAA News:

  • There are a number of discussions currently taking place at the district and school board level regarding 6th grade participation in middle school co-curricular activities.  I have been tasked by the KPSAA board to create a work group to address some of these discussions.  In order to make sure we have complete input from all types of schools,  representatives  from each type of district school have been identified to be part of that work group (K-8, K-6, Charter, 7-8,6-8, 6-12, K-12, etc…)  The purpose of the work group is to discuss the issues and create recommendations to KPSAA, which will then be taken to the school board. KPSAA Middle School Rep. Jason Bickling is in contact with each school and will be working with me on facilitating this task.

Blended & Online Learning

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KPBSD sent 17 educators to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) Symposium in California.  Through the Digital Learning Initiative Grant that the KPBSD received we were able to send a team of district teachers and administrators to learn about “Blended Learning.”  This conference focuses on showcasing districts, schools, and classroom teachers who are using new learning models considered blended learning.  The intent is to “level the playing field for students through the creation of new learning models, and to ensure that students everywhere have access to a world-class education that prepares them for a lifetime of success, no matter their geographic location or economic situation.” -iNACOL

 

What is Blended learning?  Blended learning is any time a student learns at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home and at least in part through online delivery with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace; often used synonymously with

Hybrid Learning. (Horn and Staker, 2011)

 

KPBSD hopes that this 3 year Digital Learning grant will help us to build the capacity of our teachers to learn how to and begin to apply blended learning strategies throughout our district’s 43 schools. Over the next three years the grant will help fund professional development and learning opportunities for three cohorts of 15 teachers per year. The teacher cohorts will learn how to implement blended learning/teaching strategies within their classrooms and to share what they have learned with colleagues in their schools so that blended learning can be implemented in more and more classrooms.

 

Blended learning is all about personalizing the learning experience for each student focusing their individual learning at a time, place, path, and pace that meets their unique learning needs.  By using digital learning tools  within the classroom setting, teachers are able to leverage these tools and skills to provide higher quality immediate feedback to their students about their learning and growth.  Some teachers in our district already employ blended learning strategies in their classrooms and we hope more and more of our classrooms will become blended in the near future.

Secondary Education & Student Activities Sept. Info.

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This information was shared with Principals at the Sept. 24, 2014 Administrator Meeting:

  • As of September 23rd the District Distance Learning Program has a total of 914 Semester class enrolments. This is our highest ever and if second semester enrollments follow the same trend we are on track to our highest enrollment year ever.
  • The Blended Learning Initiative Cohort for Year one of the grant has been selected.  We have a total of fifteen (15) teachers who are involved representing  upper elementary, middle school, and high school levels from across multiple content areas.  Two of the teachers are from our partner districts (Cordova and Bristol Bay).
  • Schools with 5th and 10th Graders in attendance will all be administering the Gallop Student Poll/survey as a means of establishing benchmark data for our KPBSD Key Performance Indicators on Emotional Well Being.  Tiffany Eck the Secondary Education Administrative Assistant is working with coordinators of the Gallop poll from each school.  Questions contact Tiffany.
  • CTE Department announcement:  Dan Bohrnsen our district’s CTE/WDC Coordinator is retiring at end of the 2014-2015 school year.  We will be working on a transition plan very soon.
  • High Schools should be focusing  on working with Juniors to make a decision on which College, Career Ready Assessment they will take and have the State of Alaska Pay for. Choices are the WorKeys, ACT, or SAT.  This decision needs to be made by October 15th and returned to Julie Williams in the Assessment Department.  Remember this is a graduation requirement replacing the HSGQE.

Secondary Education & Student Activities Start Up Information

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-New Secretary: As mentioned by Mr. Dusek, my former secretary Natalie Bates is now working as the Asst. Superintendents secretary.  My new Administrative Asst./Secretary is Tiffany Eck (extension #8884)

-Digital learning Grant: KPBSD applied for and received a three year (3) roughly $821,000.00 grant entitled, the “Kenai Quality Blended Learning Initiative.”  We will be recruiting a cohort of 12 teachers each the next three years (total of 36) who are interested in learning how to create blended learning environments within their classrooms and beyond the classroom walls.  The grant covers some infrastructure upgrades, professional development, and is intended to eventually increase blended teaching/learning capacity throughout the district.

–KPC JumpStart now includes Juniors:  Additional focus on counseling will need to occur for those Juniors who wish to take advantage of college courses available to them.  We want to encourage as many students as possible who are ready for “early college” opportunities but ensure proper screening so we do not set some students up for failure. We will be working with counselors early this year on this message.

–Advanced Placement: The new School Board Policy is now  live that requires AP students to take the exam in order for the bump in GPA to occur.  Please make sure your AP instructors include this information in their course syllabi and PowerSchool course info. and at every opportunity they get to communicate with students and parents.  Weighting of gpa will not be occur until after verification of having taken the exam.  You may waive the fee through your fee waiver process if there is a financial hardship.  You will need to consider an alternative  funding source to cover the fee.

-Weighted Grades: Additional quality points will be assigned for College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses for the purpose of calculating grade point average (GPA). For each passing semester grade in an Advanced Placement course, 0.021 will be added to the student’s cumulative GPA. Effective for SY 2015, in order to receive a weighted grade, students must also complete the National Advanced Placement course examination.

-SST/Cross fit training: Be aware that you PE staff is likely enrolled in the August 13th PE training for SST/Cross fit and will not be attending the Opening Regional In-service.  Melissa is going to ensure that they attend the evaluation training by Sean and that there is an AVATAR component for the Opening Address by Dr. Atwater and Mr. Arness.  You will need to ensure they complete the remainder of trainings you have scheduled for that day at another time.

-Challenge Tests:  New State regulation allows high school students to receive high school credit by requesting and passing a “challenge test” for Lang. Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and World Language courses.  We do not have these ready yet and will need to revise our current school board policy on challenging tests.  Please refer any inquires you may receive on this matter to my office.

-Activity Travel:  Please see Admin. Directors folder for my previous communication on this issue.  Changes have been made.

Secondary Education 4-30-14 Admin. Meeting Presentations

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Here is the inforgraphic and the powerpoints  that were presented at the 4-30-14 Admin. meeting:

A-Glimpse-into-the-Future-of-Learning-Infographic_0

CTE Presentation

KPBSD College Readiness Indicators Spring 2014

Important Instructional Policy/AR and ASAA/KPSAA Changes

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Information you need to know:  Please forward to counselors, AD’s, or other staff you feel need to be aware of this information.

1)      (AR 6146.1) This policy/AR  was passed at the last board meeting.  I will be in contact with middle school principals who have current students taking high school algebra regarding communicating this change to parents and determining which of your students can get high school credit for this year’s class and if parents wish to take advantage of it.  Additionally, David Henson and I will locate any currently enrolled high school students who took Algebra in 8th grade and offer the credit if they meet the criteria.

Regarding the Advanced Placement change, this will take effect for next year’s AP students.  Currently enrolled AP students (this year’s group) do not need to take the AP exam in order to get the bump in GPA.  Starting next year if a student wants to get the extra 0.021 they will have to take the AP exam.  It is suggested that you charge a class fee for AP classes and that a portion of that go towards paying for the $89.00 exam fee.  Just like for any class fee, students could use the waiver process if this causes a hardship.

 Summary of the AR 6146.1  High School Graduation:  Middle School Students taking algebra at the middle school will now be able to get high school credit if they earn a grade of C or better both Semesters.  This will be retroactive for current 8th grade Algebra students and for current high school students who took Algebra in the middle school and received grades of C or higher both semesters. 

Additionally, Advanced Placement Students will need to take the AP exam in the spring if they wish to receive the bump in GPA.

2)      I am currently working on KPSAA language, forms, and a process for implementing AS 14.30.365 The new non-district student Home School access to athletics change.  There will be a pre-season pre-registration process, check list, guidance, eligibility verification forms, and enrolment verification process that will need to be followed.

Basically,  any non-KPBSD home school student who is enrolled in “alternative education programs” (Military Youth Academy, Raven, IDEA), or any accredited home school program will be able to participate in our high schools in any ASAA sanctioned activity (sports, DDF, All State Music, etc…).  THIS IS ONLY FOR HIGH SCHOOL.  NOT MIDDLE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.

More information and clarification will be forthcoming before the end of this school year.  This takes effect July 1, 2013.

If you have questions please do not hesitate to give me a call.(#8882)

 

Math Curriculum and Placement Information

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Hello Principals and Counselors…with the adoption of new Math courses by the curriculum committee there will be a new procedure needed for placing high school students into pre-algebra which will be re-named to Algebra Readiness.

The entry base level expectation for math placement in grade 9 is Algebra.  Obviously we will have students who have taken Algebra in middle school and those students will move on to Geometry in grade 9.  When it is the recommendation of the math instructor in middle school that an exiting grade 8 student is not ready for Algebra a student may be placed in Algebra Readiness (formally Pre-algebra)  with the recommendation of the IEP team (for a special education student) or the recommendation of the Intervention Team (for non- special education students).  As high schools start building schedules in February it is important to anticipate these new placement procedures. 

 Middle School Math courses will consist of: 

-7th Grade Math

– 8th Grade Math

– Algebra I (high school level) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

 

High School Math Courses include:

-Algebra I (year-long) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-Geometry (year-long) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-Advanced Algebra (year-long) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-Pre-Calculus (year-long) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-Calculus or Advance Placement Calculus (year-long) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-Personal Finance (semester long course)

-Business Math (semester long course)

-Algebraic Modeling (semester long course) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-Statistics (semester long) —Alaska Performance Scholarship Approved

-***Algebra Readiness (formally Pre-Algebra IEP or I-team placement only)

 

PLEASE PASS ALONG THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR MATH TEACHERS, INTERVENTION TEAM, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS.