2016 – 2017 Common Quarterly Writing Assessment/Narrative Q1

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Melissa Linton

2016 Common Quarterly Narrative Writing Prompts, Rubrics, and Directions have been updated.

Please check to be sure you have the most recent rubrics and prompts. Note: Some prompts have remained the same and others have changed. There are some grade levels that overlap – for example, Grade 6 teachers may choose the elementary prompt or the middle school prompt. Please choose the best prompt for your students and collaboration teams.

The Middle School ELA CQA Committee met, and since the AMP is no longer, the committee decided to reinstate the Narrative Writing Prompt for first Quarter! Please note this change. The grade 7 and 8 grade Narrative Rubric has been added to the Quarter 1.

The ELA Writing Committee encourages all teachers to use the standard-reference rubrics throughout the school year, not just for the common assessments.

Click here for Quarter 1 Scoring Guides

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Linton at ext. 8861

2015 Quarter 1, Common Quarterly Writing Assessment Prompts and Directions

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Melissa Linton

Please click HERE to view the 2015 Common Quarterly Writing Assessment Prompts, Directions and K-6 Scoring Guides.

Our common writing assessments have changed to an on-demand performance task so that our students can have experiences similar to those they will encounter on the State AMP Assessment.

This information will also be posted to the KPBSD Common Assessment Webpage at: http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/departments.aspx?id=26368

Please email Melissa Linton if you have questions or need assistance.

Assessment Literacy Course Opportunity

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Melissa Linton

The KPBSD Curriculum and Assessment Department is offering certified teachers the opportunity to participate in a 3 credit graduate course to enhance professional practice in the area of assessment design. Teachers will learn how the assessment experts from AAI (our AMP developers) create high-quality, standards-based, common assessments. Teachers are encouraged to work in teams to build our bank of common assessments. All content areas are invited and teachers should seek approval from their school administrator before applying.

Click HERE for more information or contact Melissa Linton at extension x8861 or email mlinton@kpbsd.org

Reminder: How to find online Pearson Products

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Melissa Linton

Good Morning! I hope everyone is having an amazing first day of school! I just wanted to send out a friendly reminder that if you are looking for instructions on how to access online Pearson Products such as Successnet, Successnet Plus, and Realize you can find everything you would want to know on our district website at:

http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/departments.aspx?id=31360.

Have a wonderful school year!

Melissa Linton

Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator

x8861; mlinton@kpbsd.org

Updated Narrative Standard Referenced Writing Rubrics – 2015

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Melissa Linton

Good afternoon!

The Narrative Standards Referenced Writing Rubrics have been updated. There has been a slight change for grades 7 and 8 in the quarterly writing assessment sequence. The ELA Standards shift their emphasis from narrative to informative writing and to support this shift, we will assess informative writing in both first and second quarter.

Click here for Narrative Rubrics

Click here for 7/8 Informative Rubrics

Argument Opinion Writing will remain in place for all grade levels for the third quarter.

Quarter 1: K-6 – Narrative, 7/8 Informative, 9-12 Narrative

Quarter 2: K-12 – Informative

Quarter 3: K-12 Argument/Opinion

*Research – W.4 is assessed when it makes best sense for the teacher to do so.

Prompts, directions and scoring guides will be updated shortly. Information regarding the quarterly writing assessments will be posted on the Instruction Blog, the web page and emailed directly to principals, PD Liaisons, and School Assessment Coordinators.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Melissa Linton, ext. 8861 or mlinton@kpbsd.org

NEW Middle School Science Units and Resources

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Melissa Linton

This summer, a cadre of dedicated KPBSD Middle School Science Teachers collaborated to design coherent units of instruction to support our middle school science curriculum. This is the District’s first attempt to create and purposefully share teacher made materials that will be utilized as the core material for our curriculum. EXCITING!!!

Below are draft unit resources we have developed and we invite you to use them. The science teachers will continue to add and revise these units, so please send feedback and suggestions to Melissa Linton. Finally, we hope to add formative and summative assessments starting this fall.

GRADE 6 MS Science Units

GRADE 7 MS Science Units

GRADE 8 MS Science Units

Additional resources can be found in the KPBSD Shared (S:) – District-wide staff shared – Middle School Science Folder

We hope these materials and resources are helpful! Have a wondering school year.

Mathematics Compacted Sequence

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Melissa Linton

The following Mathematics Sequences have been drafted assist schools who offer accelerated math courses in grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. We hope they are helpful to your planning. This is a pilot project, so if you do use these sequences, please send feedback and recommendations to Melissa Linton, mlinton@kpbsd.org.

Grade 4/5 compacting Priority and Mymath Pacing Guide

Gr7/8 Course 2 and Course 3 Priority and Holt McDougal Pacing Guide

What’s New in Curriculum for KPBSD?

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Melissa Linton

Welcome Back!

New Health Curriculum and Materials

HEALTH CURRICULUM WEBPAGE – CLICK HERE

The Great Body Shop program will be the core curriculum material used for Health Education in grades K-8. Over 40 teachers have been trained in the new materials this summer. Teachers who have not attended a summer training will receive an email in August to access the online materials. Student subscriptions will be pre-loaded via PowerSchool once student schedules are active. Teacher and student materials have should have been delivered to your schools.

High School Health Course can be taught using the Pearson Health or the Health Course in Canvas (a course developed by our KPBSD teachers in an electronic format)

Health Modules for grades 10, 11, 12 have been identified. Training for these modules will be offered on September 22. Ideally, each high school will send 1-2 teachers to this training. Lessons from The Fourth R Plus and Common Sense Media have been chosen as the core material.

Digital Citizenship Program – Common Sense Media replaces ISafe for grades K-12

Common Sense Media Resources – CLICK HERE

2014 Revised Health Curriculum (Great Body Shop and Common Sense Media)

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Melissa Linton

Good morning!

Below are links to the new K-8 Health Curriculum and the aligned Great Body Shop and Common Sense Media resources. High School Resources will be available in August.

If you have not already done so, there are training opportunities being offered on August 3 and 4 for The Great Body Shop (K-8) and High School Health. Please visit Generation Ready for a complete schedule of trainings.

See below to access a Demo version of The Great Body Shop Program:

Go to www.TheGreatBodyShop.net

– Click on the “Current Customer” tab at the top right corner.

Username: GBSvteacher

Password: 99669

To review the new health curriculum, please click the following links:

Elementary Health (K-6)

Middle School Health (6-8)

High School Health (Health Course and 10-12 Social/Emotional Modules)

New Digital Citizenship Program – Common Sense Media replaces Isafe

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Melissa Linton

Beginning fall 2015, we will discontinue the use of ISafe lessons and will replace CIPA required digital citizenship curriculum with material from Common Sense Media (CSM).

CSM offers a wide variety of resources beyond digital citizenship lesson, so please feel free to check out all they have to offer.

Visit www.commonsensemedia.org to learn more. Click here to help you get started!

KPBSD Grade Level Lesson Sequence, Memo and Forms

Kindergarten Fourth Grade Tenth Grade

First Grade Fifth Grade Eleventh Grade

Second Grade Sixth Grade Twelfth Grade

Third Grade Seventh/Eighth Grades

Common Sense Media Introduction Materials

Community Discussion Guides