October 2015 Newsletter

It’s been a pleasure to see how excited teachers have been about the things you are learning in professional development sessions this year.  You have already asked if some sessions from this year’s county PD can be repeated–so wonderful!  We are definitely staying on a roll!  Please let me know if there is an area you would like to get more PD.

Congratulations to Wilder Middle School!  Wilder had  94% of their English/reading staff attend the October 12th staff development sessions.  The school will receive a tote full of classroom activities and treats.  In November, the school with the largest attendance at the November Best Practices: Formative Assessment training will get a prize! Will it be your school?

Did you miss training this month?

Make sure you get back on track by exploring what you missed:

Focus on Data!

NWEA–Testing is done!  Make sure you use the data to determine your small groups and remediation plans.  Here are the two reports that are most useful as you look to differentiate learning:

Class Report–See where your students are overall and by domain (as compared with others in their grade level).

Learning Continuum–Look at the specific domains that were assessed…

Then, drill down in each domain to create stations/small groups.

SOLs–Remediation and Recovery–Last month your were advised to have a list, highlights on your roll, etc. of students in your class who failed the previous year’s SOL and are eligible to count twice in your numbers when they pass the SOL this year!  Make sure to keep referring to this list as you develop and change your small groups.

Learning Probes–The probes are formative items to see how well students are learning the concepts you present in class.  There are currently three probes in IA for each SOL course.  Middle schools are up and running with them. Please make sure you are being proactive and providing remediation for weak skills now so that you are not overwhelmed come spring.  Here are the numbers for those who have completed the probes so far:

What does this tell me?

1. Close reading and strategies are important
2. We need to make sure students are exposed to the question stems
3. We need to make sure students are using scrap paper and doing the same strategies we have taught them in class

Make sure that when you create small groups and stations that you remediate the students not at the mark for the items we have already probed.

Non-negotiables and Tier I activities–At the beginning of the year, I asked you  to review the English non-negotiables and Tier 1 RTI activities while doing the self evaluation (highlight the areas you do often in green, the items you sometimes do in yellow and the items you rarely do in red).  Remember to repeat this activity at the end of this nine-week so that you can continue to address the areas in which you are not at the top of your game!

Lesson planning–Are you digging into your resources?

You should have your pacing guides, curriculum frameworks and resources close at hand.  Make sure to reach out to the specialist, literacy coaches, chair and ITRT if you are stuck.  Don’t forget about using the English lesson plan guide to create your lesson plans!

Now, let’s keep moving toward increased student achievement and success.  Here are some go-to resources you may want to explore this month:

Online Sites to Explore This month’s focus—sites for practice with grammar and writing skills. Bedford/St. Martin’s Exercise Central British Council-Learn English Grammar Videos Elements of Language Model Bank Grammar Bytes No Red Ink Time for Kids Scholastic’s Writing with Writers

Upcoming Training and Other Dates to Know!

October means the grind is starting– make sure to keep up with the following to have a successful school year!

Have a great year of teaching and learning!