January 2014

Click here for GRE's professional development cite and Evidence Power Points

Reminders:

•  DCSD Safety and Security has created a Moodle course that is now mandatory for all district employees at all levels.  This training will take about 15-20 minutes to complete.  Information on how to sign up can be found here.  If you have any questions please ask Libby.

•  DCSD is preparing to implement a new internal emergency notification platform to expedite notifications to staff.  Personal contact information from your profile must be current.  Log onto Employee Self Service to view your contact information and make updates.  You can find Self Service from the district home page.  Under “Employees” choose Employee Resources, then “Employee Self Service.”  Use your single sign-on credentials to log in.  After logging in, select “My Profile” in the left side. of the window.  Update all contact information and click “Save.”

•  The yearbook staff invites you to submit photos for the yearbook!  If you have great photos of your classroom or GRE events, the PTO would like to see them.  Please email your photos to GREPhotos@gmail.com or burn to a CD and put it in the PTO mailbox in the office.  Please include grade level/classroom and names of students.  They will be accepting photos thru the end of February.

•  Please make sure you have signed up in the lounge for vision/hearing screening.  4^th grade is exempt.

•  Please continue tracking accommodations for TCAP.  January has been shared with you.  If you choose to track accommodations electronically, please make a copy and rename it before you make changes. 

•  Please sign up for your mid-year conference with Jenny and Libby with Janis.
•  Click here for information regarding Fridays PLC day.

                 

Go For the GOLD!

•  Thank you Lara Castro for being in charge of the Spelling Bee.  Students did a great job!

•  Thank you teachers for managing MAP so smoothly!

Golden Nuggets!

Lounge Duty: Braden/Evans                       Friday Treats: No Treats

Morning Announcements:  Lautenbach

Morning Supervision: Cieply, Woolums, Martino, Hawk, Holtzer, Fier

Remember your lovely orange vest!

Tips for Collecting Evidence: 

1.     Look for things your evaluator doesn’t already know you do.

You do not have to recreate a comprehensive picture of how you teach each subject area.  Libby and I already know that you are doing amazing working in literacy!! We see this through our staff development conversations and classroom visits.  We will also get more specific information regarding how you are implementing Lucy’s writing in your formal observation.  We also know that specialists are having great conversations around their backward plans and rubrics and that sped uses data consistently and are incorporating several new interventions.  When searching for evidence look for items you haven’t shared with Jenny or Libby.  These may be planning documents that demonstrate shifts in thinking or examples of technology, differentiation, 21^st century skills etc.  Use what you have or come with ideas.  Both are welcome.

2.     Focus on the Tough Targets first!

The targets that are identified as “tough” (see your marked rubric from the staff meeting) are ones that are not typically seen in observations.  These are also targets that we have not focused explicitly on during staff development (21^st century outcomes, 4cs, assessments for the 21^st century, technology etc.).  Start here and share what you’ve tried in these areas.

3.     What if I don’t have something for the tough targets yet?

Don’t panic! Come with ideas that you might try before the end of the year.  You might want to try using some of the books that we purchased on global awareness or problem solving during read aloud or as a mentor text in writing.  You may want to connect with someone who we showcased work during our staff meeting or try and open ended project during buddies.  Not having something now is just an indication that you will want to try something before the end of the year.

4.     Where can I go for examples of evidence?

Use the power points that were presented in the December and January staff meetings for examples of different CITE elements.  Remember these are just examples and there are many more ideas out there that align.  We will be collecting more great work and demonstrating alignment throughout the remainder of the year.  The power points can be found on the staff development cite.

5.     What if you don’t know if the evidence is good or how it aligns?

Submit it and we’ll talk through it.   Nothing you submit will count against you.

  

6.     What is the expectation for evidence for now?

You are brining any evidence that Jenny and Libby don’t already know you do or evidence that aligns with tough targets.  You can also just bring ideas that you are considering if you don’t have something.  Your evidence doesn’t need to be fancy (the more authentic the better actually) or in an electronic format.  We will word on electronic organization systems in February.

7.     What is the expectation for the end of the year?

By the end of the year you need to have one piece of evidence for each CITE element in InspirED.  READ TO YOURSELF OUT LOUD: ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE CAN COUNT FOR SEVERAL ELEMENTS AND YOUR FORMAL OBSERVATION AND PREOBSERVATION DOCUMENT COUNT FOR SEVERAL TARGETS (please reread the following sentence two more times).   This is about quality NOT quantity!!!

We will upload between 5-10 documents TOTAL by the end of the year (at least two will be your pre and post observation document).  We will also upload the following pieces of evidence February:

·      Your backwards plan for writing (specials your backward plan)

·      A marked rubric and student sample (writing or specials rubrics)

·      A reflection on something you’re tried this year.

·      A formative and summative writing sample.

·      Your newsletter

If you are counting that it already 7 pieces of evidence out of the 10.  Give

your cameras a break people and remember you are looking for things we don’t know you are doing or things that you are trying.

8.     How should I view the mid year evaluation?

This is a checkpoint that will help us identify things you need to focus on in the second have of the year..  I would This is not high stakes and your mid year rubric does not count toward your end of year rating.  I am anticipating  that teachers may have some partially effective ratings on topics that we haven’t focused on in PD and are tough targets (21^st century skills, assessments in 21^st century skills, 4 cs assessments, technology). DO NOT PANIC! This means you probably want to try something in the second half of the year.  This is all it means.