The PowerPoint from the Coffee & Tea session held on 12.16.14 is now available for review. Questions about the content can be directed to Christine Ermold.
Coffee and Tea 12.16.14
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Category Archives: Elementary Education
Aimsweb Winter Benchmark Information
The winter window for benchmark testing is January 1-30.
Here is what should be tested at each grade level for Aimsweb. KPBSD Benchmark Testing Schedule_v3
I have also included a link to a quick chart on the TEN and TEL errors TEN and TEL Error Charts as well as the PDF’s on testing and scoring The New Aimsweb 2_test and scoring, The New Aimsweb 2_National Norms and reporting in the New Aimsweb 2.0.
Please take a moment to look over these documents as they contain all of the information you will need for benchmark testing. Scores for Aimsweb are expected to be entered in by January 30th. (Please do not wait until then to log into Aimsweb.)
If you cannot get into Aimsweb you must go through the forgot password process. If your class list in Aimsweb is not correct please let your school interventionist know or the person at your school who has access to the google doc for adding students. If you do not have an assigned interventionist this will most likely be your I-team coordinator or your principal.
*If you do not have an interventionist please check with your principal to see if they can answer your question or direct you to a person in your building before emailing Michael Hanson.
Log into Aimsweb before December 17, 2014 https://aimsweb2.pearson.com/flex/AIMSwebFrontOffice.html
- If you lost your password you must go through the forgot password process. No one else can reset it for you.
- Find your class list and make sure it is up to date
- Let your interventionist know if your class list is not correct (see above)
- *When communicating about your class list to your interventionist, I-team coordinator or principal you must include:
- What school
- Student name
- Student ID
Second Quarter Common Quarterly Writing Assessment – Informative/Explanatory
Below you will find a link to Rubrics, Common Prompts and Directions for the Common Quarterly Writing Assessment for Quarter 2 – Informative/Explanatory.
The ELA Committee continues to refine and revise our Quarterly Writing Assessments. Please be sure to read the directions, rubrics, and prompts before you administer the assessment.
ELA Common Writing Assessment Committee Members
LINK TO GRADE LEVEL RUBRICS, COMMON PROMPTS and DIRECTIONS
The Common Quarterly Benchmark Writing Calibration online course is available! This course offers teachers the opportunity to calibrate and score common quarterly assessment student writing samples with the district standards-referenced rubrics.
How to participate in the course:
1. https://kenai.avatarlms.com/login.html
2. Find Common Quarterly Benchmark Writing Calibration (click to add to cart and check out)
3. LAUNCH the course from your current class list
4. After reading the Overview page, SELECT YOUR GRADE LEVEL and you may participate in all the grade levels if you wish.
In addition…
Melissa is offering three Lync sessions to familiarize teachers with the online course. Mark your calendars for one of the dates below!
December 15 @ 3:45 – Join Lync Meeting Join by phone 1 (907) 714-8965
December 18 @ 3:45 – Join Lync Meeting Join by phone 1 (907) 714-8965
December 19 @ 8:00 – Join Lync Meeting Join by Phone 1 (907) 714-8965
As always, feel free to contact Melissa Linton mlinton@kpbsd.org with any questions.
Blended & 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
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.
2014 Informative/Explanatory Standard-Referenced Rubrics
Attached are links to Standard-Referenced Rubrics for Explanatory/Narrative Writing.
The ELA Committee continues to revise these rubrics so feedback is appreciated and welcome. Our intent is to align our District Quarterly Benchmark Writing Assessments with Alaska State Standards. Common prompts will be available in late November.
The rubrics are meant to not only be used for assessment, but also instruction.
Note: The Rubrics for grades 8 and 11/12 will be ready at the end of the week and will be distributed as soon as possible.
2014 Informative/Explanatory Rubrics
Coffee and Tea Powerpoint
Attached is the powerpoint shared during the 9.30.14 sessions of Coffee & Tea via Lync. Please contact the Elementary Education office with any questions.
9.24.14 Administrator Meeting Information
The following information was shared by Christine Ermold during the 9.24.14 administrator meeting. Please contact the office of Elementary Education with questions.
- A copy of the PLC Collaboration Continuum was provided to all administrators. After careful reflection on the evidence available at each site, administrators are asked to indicate where their school is practicing (overall) on each segment of the continuum and submit the information to Christine Ermold by 10/10/14. Electronic copies of the continuum are available in the district’s ‘S’ drive < Collaboration Resources < Learning by Doing < PLC_Continuum.
- Any goals or strategies assigned by site principals in On Strategy to the responsibility of the PD Department will be deleted. To schedule support from the PD Department, principals or their PD Site Liaison should contact their site’s coach or Michelle Thomason.
- An email will be coming requesting copies of all secondary course syllabi so that research regarding current grading practices in the district can be conducted. Results of the analysis will be shared with administrators once available.
- Coffee/Tea via Lync will be offered on 9/30/14 at 7:15 and 3:45.
- Saturday School Support is available for teachers to receive whatever support they need on a drop-in basis between 9:00 a.m. and noon on Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6 in all three regional PD rooms.
Kindergarten Developmental Profile
Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in the Lync session regarding the state mandated reporting using the Kindergarten Developmental Profile.
- The state website shared during the powerpoint is http://education.alaska.gov/tls/assessment/results/results2014.html
- A copy of the training powerpoint, recording form, and implementation guide are all available at the website above.
- There are no changes from previous years, although additional guidance regarding the 0-1-2 ratings has been provided by the state.
- The data for reporting should be collected during the first four weeks of school. Teachers generally find it easiest to record the information on a paper version of the form (downloadable from the website above) and then enter the information in the electronic database all at once.
- The data cannot be entered until the electronic database opens on Sept. 15th.
- Log in information for the electronic database will come via email around Sept. 15th from either Julie Williams or Tim Vlasak, and is based on your name as recorded on your teaching certificate and a password generated by the state (unless you’ve changed yours).
- Remember to use the ‘save’ button in the database to prevent having to re-enter data. Also, remember that partial records cannot be saved- but completed records can be edited.
Elementary Administrivia and Start of Year Information
The following is a summary of the information provided during the start of year administrator meeting from the Department of Elementary Education. Please contact me if you have questions or need assistance.
Christine
- The 2014-15 ElemEdCurricPD Org Chart of the departments and folks I work with is attached for reference.
- Use of the district’s Standards Referenced Report Card is required for elementary schools. View the 2014 Standards Referenced Reporting K-6 memo for important information and an action item (it’s also posted on the deadlines list). Training tools and resources are available in the ‘S’ folder of your computer, and communication tools are available on the Elementary Education department website at http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/departments.aspx?id=28323.
- The 2014-15 Calibration Visit Guide docs are posted on the Instructional Blog and in the Admin/Director file.
- Contact me by 8/20 regarding which teacher you would like to involve in the Student Growth Map Pilot project. Contact Natalie Kohler if you need information about which day (8/25 or 8/26) you should attend.
- Early Entrance screening kits were provided to all principals with Kindergarteners at their site. Please review the 2014 Early Entrance memo with information about the timelines for reporting on Early Entrance to this office (it’s also posted on the deadlines list).
- AS 14.03.072 (enacted in 2013) requires parents be notified annually of their school’s grade retention standards and policies, and that parents also receive their child’s early literacy assessment information. AS 14.03.072 Communication will meet the annual notification requirement and is also available online at http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/Workarea/Downloadasset.aspx?id=31270. You are absolutely welcome to provide parents with additional information, if you wish. Your school must also provide parents/guardians with the early literacy assessment data- and you may either do this with the October/March/May report cards, or you may send the report home after each testing window. Whichever you choose, please be consistent throughout the school so your parents know when to expect the information.
- A PD series on Early Childhood has been scheduled for Sept. 23, Jan. 22, Apr. 30th in Soldotna. This series of PD is targeted for elementary principals, Title I Pre-K teachers and Self-Contained Special Education Pre-K teachers, plus a kindergarten teacher-leader from each site and (if applicable) the school’s interventionist. It is particularly important that the involved teachers be a positive leader in your school community who will be able to support your site’s effective practices related to early childhood education. A willingness to learn and consider recent research, and contribute to an examination of school practices in a positive light is essential. Subs and mileage will be provided. Please register in Generation Ready by Sept. 5th and contact me if you have questions about who could/should participate.
- Please make sure you have and wear your district ID badge to all PD activities, and help your staff remember to do the same. The PD Department is no longer printing name tags for every event and the handwritten ones don’t reflect the professional image we seek to reinforce.
- Avatar is now called Generation Ready.
- Effective Instruction Coaches have been assigned as the primary point of contact for PD Site Facilitators and principals. Sites are not limited to support from just that individual, the ‘assignment’ is meant to put a name and face on who can help gain access to the PD information or resources needed. The list of coaches and site assignments will be provided by Michelle Thomason.
- I will continue to offer the quarterly “Coffee” or “Tea” sessions via Lync. Watch for an electronic invitation in your email later this month or in early September.
14-15 KPBSD Administrator training
Administrator mandatory trainings – Student Discipline