PMS News and Notes Turkey Day Edition

A short week and some much needed time for rest, family, and good food...It's really important for all of us to take some time for all of those things and recharge your battery.  When we come back, we have 3 weeks till a solid winter break.  A shortened news and notes version below.  I hope each of you has a great, restful holiday.

Staff Meeting Reminder

This is a reminder that we'll have a Middle School Staff Meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd. We'll focus on communication of student progress.  Please be thinking about this topic and feel free to check out and add to this document that we'll be working on.

Drill
On Tuesday afternoon, we practiced a Hold.  As a reminder, we will call for a Hold in situations where the hallways need to be clear.  Examples include: medical emergency, drug dogs, locker checks, etc.  We will announce that we are in a Hold.

Teachers should:
1.)quickly survey and clear the hallways and bathrooms (if close by)
2.)open blinds; lock doors
3.)continue class activities as usual
4.)take attendance
5.)wait patiently for directions or the "All-Clear" announcement.

During a Hold, teachers should NOT
1.)release anyone
2.)call the office.

We will be practicing a drill each month.  I will try to make sure that we communicate prior to the drill.  Everyone did a great job during the drill on Tuesday afternoon.

Efficiency Update
Our district recently met with some ESG representatives to review our energy efficiency.  The following guidelines were discussed.  Heating and Cooling Malfunctions or Issues-  If you do have issues please do not call maintenance directly, contact me first.  Also the following items should not be in individual classrooms:  Space heaters, refrigerators, coffeemakers.  There are a number of common ones that can be used in the work room or multi-purpose room.  We will also be adding a refrigerator to the work room.  Also, there cannot be any scent candles that are burned throughout the course of the day or any plug-in scent tools either.

Winter Weather Update
If you are supervising students outside, we will follow the same guidelines as we have in the past. For students to be out in the snow, they need to have boots on.  If not, then they should remain on the blacktop.

Twitter as PD
I hope to share some links that are helpful that I find from Twitter.
http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2014/09/8-ways-teachers-can-talk-less-get-kids-talking.html?crlt.pid=camp.JqhtKjmWesjP

Duty Next Week 
Morning - Jorgensen, Kallungi
Bus - Deans

              

PMS News and Notes

It appears that the cold weather is here to stay...I was hoping that we'd sneak a couple more 40 degree days, but I'm getting used to the fact that the warm, comfortable months are far in the distance...oh well, that means being inside at school is easier and there is a lot of basketball to view for entertainment!  Thanksgiving Break is less than a week away, and the fast pace of life continues to amaze me.  Thanks for all of your hard work and effort!

Student Motivation
This topic is so huge, especially in Middle School.  I put a short article by Rick Wormeli in your mail box.  If you get a minute, give it a read.  There are so many factors related to student motivation, but if we can continue to refine things that we do in our classrooms and the school to get our students hooked, our students will be benefit.  We'll continue to revisit this topic.

Communication of Student Progress
I popped in on a 6th Grade Team Meeting, and they were having a conversation about a blog post from last week...and my first thought was..."Someone actually reads my blog!" After my initial excitement, I joined the conversation about student and parent perceptions about student progress with a reporting system that focuses on standards. Providing better communication and feedback is a HUGE goal of ours, so we need to ensure that students understand how we score their work, and where they are in relation to the standard at all times. These are good discussion points for all of us. Our goal must be to get our students and parents as comfortable with understanding of "how I'm doing" in each class, as they were looking at A, B, C...etc. I started a document that I hope will start a brainstorming conversation about how we can move quickly to improve in this critical area. Click HERE to access this document and join the conversation.

Mid-Quarter Dates
The Mid-Quarter is almost upon us already. The Mid-Quarter date is Friday, 12/5. Please have Mid-Quarter grades posted by end of day Monday, 12/8.  I'll send a messenger notification to parents on the following Tuesday 12/9.  If you have any questions about this process, please let me know.  Also, remember that if we did not assess a standard in the Mid-Quarter, keep it blank.

Mackenzie Center Partnership
If you have been following the board minutes, you may have noticed that we have recently agreed on a partnership with the Mackenzie Center, and they are proud to have the title as "The Poynette School District's Outdoor Classroom".  They have a shuttle bus that has been utilized by some of our high school classes already.  If you have any questions and want to know more about the possibility of using the center as a resource to enhance a lesson or unit, let's have a conversation.

Educational Politics in Wisconsin
Before the next legislative session begins, the Wisconsin School Administrator's Alliance (SAA) released an evidence-based policy agenda.  The aim of the SAA is to educate our legislators about what works in schools and what policies can help schools be effective at reaching their goals.  If you are interested in the document, you can view it HERE.  If you are interested in reading an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel regarding the release, you can view that HERE.

Early Release Next Wednesday
On Wednesday 11/26, Middle School students will be dismissed at 12:30.  Middle School staff may feel free to enjoy an early vacation starting at 12:45.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Next Week Duty
Morning Duty - Hazard, Hendrickson
Bus Duty - Fraser

Data
Attendance Rates through 11/21/14...
13-14 - 96.05%
14-15 - 95.71%

PMS News and Notes

The 2nd Quarter is clicking along and Thanksgiving is in our sights...hard to believe. We are all working very hard, and our students are the benefactors. In conversations throughout the building, we are seeing student growth in their work and behaviors...it's exciting. Now for some updates from the week that was and the week to come.

Veteran’s Day Ceremony

Proud. That is the one word that comes to mind when I think about the ceremony. Proud of both the class of the student presenters, chorus, and band, but also of the solemn attitude of our students to recognize the sacrifice that so many have given and how serious those implications are in our everyday lives. Thank you for your part in getting our students to that place.

Intervention Results

We held various department meetings this week, and it was exciting to analyze the student data. Congratulations to our math team and everyone that is incorporating math into your lessons. Data is showing that students in the intervention groups are experiencing solid growth according to the STAR assessment. It is exciting to narrow down who needs help, what they need, and then following through. English teachers will be progress monitoring this week. I'm confident that we'll see similar results.

Grading for Learning Parent Presentation
Dr. Hoernke and I hosted another parent presentation on Tuesday evening. We had 3 people attend. These are great opportunities for a dialogue with parents about their questions and provide an insight into student/parent perceptions of our goals with our Grading for Learning System. Some feedback that we received from parents for all of us to reflect on was: "Students are very confused about where they stand. They don't know if they are doing well." Reflect on that quote from your classroom's perspective. We should have dialogue with students about these concerns. Providing better communication and feedback is a huge goal of ours, so we need to ensure that students understand how we score their work, and where they are in relation to the standard. These are good discussion points for all of us. Please don't hesitate to ask any clarifying questions as they come up with our grading.

Grading for Learning Communication of Student Progress
This is just a reminder that each assignment/assessment that we enter into Infinite Campus should have the level that we are assessing posted in the comments section for each student. We must be consistent with our phrase and message to students about how this will work. Use this language for the level of assessments:  
Level: Advanced
Level: Proficient
Level: Developing
Level: Beginning
As always, see me or your colleagues if you have questions about how to do this.

Education Politics

It is interesting to follow the politics in the state in regards to education. I will attempt to give an unbiased look into some of the things that are on the agenda for legislators to consider for Wisconsin's educational future. With the recent election results, Governor Walker made it very clear that there will be changes to the educational landscape. Immediately following the election, Governor Walker said he will look to repeal the Common Core Standards and expand the voucher program. See article HERE for more information. To learn more about what vouchers are all about click HERE and check out each Key Fact. The 2nd article comes from the Wisconsin School Administrator's Alliance.

Next Week Duty

Morning Duty - Greer, Harms
Bus Duty - Frehner

Improving Instructional Practice Vol. 8

Thanks to Mrs. Morrissey for this Ms. Niemeyer for these short, weekly tips for effective instruction.

Danielson’s Domain Rubrics & Evidence Samples

Many teachers are beginning to think about artifacts and evidence for Danielson’s Domains. If you are wondering what artifacts or evidence to collect, or where they fit within the domains and components check out Charlotte Danielson's Flip Book .  This document is a great resources to help with getting started.  Simply click on the link above and download the flip book which contains the levels of performance for each domain, the components with a brief explanation of each, and a list of sources for artifacts/evidence that could be used.  You can print off a copy and create your flip book to keep handy and refer to throughout the school year.

 

Student Motivation

At our last staff meeting, we had the opportunity to read an article by Carol Ann Tomlinson about an issue that oftentimes is a source of frustration for educators...Student Motivation.  The article focused on what we, as educators, can do for our students when we are confronted with a student that seems not interested in learning what we have planned for them to learn.  Below are some thoughts and highlights from the article.  Feel free to share your thoughts, strategies that have worked for you, or any other thoughts from your experience in the Comments.

Here are some things I thought were good takeaways from the article.

     "The teacher is key to student motivation.  We have immense power to unleash - or diminish - a young person's desire to learn.  There's so much we can do in either direction."  As adults in the building we help shape "The Personal Sphere".  Do I believe in this student's ability to do well?  Am I communicating this in words and body language?  What am I doing to know this child better today than I did yesterday?  These are helpful reflection questions as we think about students that are oftentimes unmotivated to learn.  Sometimes students frustrate us, and it is difficult to take a step back and reflect in the moment.  Thinking of these questions ahead of time and planning our reaction can be helpful.
     In terms of "The Academic Sphere", a question to consider, "Do I tap the power of this content to inspire learning?"  Some ways to bring the material to life for the student: "beginning with questions rather than answers and showing students the links between what I teach and their lives."
     By working in a school, with students, every day, we have the opportunity to have a huge impact on the life of a kid.  Sometimes, it just takes one teacher to show an interest in a student.  When we refuse to give up on a kid, we can send a life-changing message.  Or when we approach a reluctant learner as if he/she is a dreamer who just needs a little help shaping that dream.  The tough part in this whole scenario, is that we may not know our impact until years later, if at all...

PMS News and Notes

The first week of the 2nd Quarter is already in the books.  Thanks to everyone for a great week.  Here are some notes from the week and for the week ahead.

IE Advisory Wednesdays
On Wednesdays during IE, while you are meeting with students and looking at their grades, please take time to review their Puma Pride scores, and if need be, set goals for next quarter with them.  This can be a good daily reminder for our students.

Report Card Format
Over the course of the past week, we have been able to tweak the report cards to be clear and meaningful.  There will be this PAGE1 with Grades, this PAGE2 with Rubric explanations, and an Attendance Report page.  We will continue to search for ways to improve how we communicate student progress.

Instructional Minutes as our Currency
Each minute of every class period is sacred, and should be used to move our kids forward in our learning standards.  As we face daily decisions, we should all collectively keep this as a core value.

Veteran's Day Assembly
This is a reminder that Grades 6-8 will be attending the Veteran's Day Assembly in the Don Kerr Gym on Tuesday, 11/11/14 starting at 9:00 am.  We should plan to head over to the HS at 8:55 and enter through the North Gym doors.  The assembly agenda will be similar to years past and probably will take around 30-45 minutes.  As always, your conversation with students prior to going over and sitting among the student body are always appreciated.

Sub Calling Hours
A reminder that if you wake up and feel like you cannot make it in to work, please call Gary Laib no earlier than 5:30 am and before 6:00 am.  Also, if you know you can't make it the night before, please call him before 10:00 pm.

Duty Schedule for Next Week
Morning Duty - Frehner, Graeve
Bus Duty - Graeve

Improving Instructional Practices Vol. 7

Thanks to Mrs. Morrissey for this Ms. Niemeyer for these short, weekly tips for effective instruction.

30 Techniques to Quiet a Noisy Class:

Danielson’s Domain 2d: Managing Student Behaviors

Experienced and novice teachers alike all battle from time to time with getting a class to quiet down.  Many teachers have a handful of favorite techniques that they teach and use with their students to get them listening.   Here are a few great ideas at every grade level to try:

Late Elementary & Middle School:

1.Silent 20:

Students have 20 seconds to get in their seats and quiet- you can add a point to the class total each time they are able to do it in less than 20 and the class can work towards a reward and/ or compete against your other classes.

2.Catch them at the door:

Greet students at the door, make some positive connections,  and get them entering the classroom quietly.   Check out this video clip link to learn more

3.100% attention 100% of the time:  

Check out this video clip link to learn about and see this technique in action.

Upper Middle & High School:

1.Call and response:  

Use these catchy phrases to get students listening:  

Teacher says:	Student says:
1,2,3 eyes on me	1,2 eyes on you
Holy	Macaroni
I’m incredible	Like the hulk...grrrr
The only easy day	Was yesterday (A Navy Seals slogan)

2.Play classical music:

Play classical music (like Bach)  on a low volume when students enter, it sets a calming and professional tone to start the class.

 Regardless of the technique used there is one thing that determines the success of any technique, practice, practice, practice!  Don’t accept anything less than 100% compliance. Do you have a particularly rough class that is intimidating you?   Remember we’ve all been there, remind yourself that your students will listen to you!   Finally, take comfort in knowing that out of all the educators in the US,  several also struggled to silence a chatty class today too.   

Want to read the whole article?  Click on the link:  30 Techniques to Quiet a Noisy Class

PMS News and Notes

It is hard to believe that the end of Quarter 1 is already here.  This time of year traditionally can be the most stressful time of the year.  With that in mind, the efforts that each of us put forth to build connections with our students are that much more important.  When kids make mistakes, the best way for them to experience meaningful learning is a conversation with a respected adult with whom they have a connection.  The message may not hit home right away, but wise words stay with them.  I appreciate the time that each of you take for (especially our most challenging) students to build these relationships, even though sometimes it can seem like the message isn't getting through.

On to some updates...

WKCE Update
Hats off to Mrs. Morton, the 8th Grade Teachers, and everyone else involved in administering the WKCE.  We executed a smooth administration of the WKCE in Social Studies and Science for our 8th Grade students.  The Smarter Balanced Assessment will require more time and training for both staff and students.

Veteran's Day
We will continue our Veteran's Day tradition.  The Middle School students and staff are invited to attend the Veteran's Day ceremony in the Don Kerr Gym at the High School.  The ceremony will be on Tuesday, November 11th beginning at 9:00 am.  Before the event, please discuss the reverence and respect that this ceremony demands with our students.  The recent behavior of the MS/HS student body at these events has been something to brag to our community about.  Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Finalizing SLO/PPG's
An update on the EEP's for the year.  If you have not entered your SLO/PPG into Teachscape, please do so.  After you are finished entering the information into Teachscape, please remember to hit "Submit".  If it is just saved I cannot see it, or acknowledge the SLO/PPG.  I would like to get a Mid-Year Review appointment on your calendars ahead of time to ensure we complete the Mid-Year Review at the appropriate time.  If you see me, and remember this, let's set up those appointments.

Great Things Happening in Poynette
I just got an email yesterday from a Curriculum and Instruction Director from a nearby school district asking to share some of our Grading and Assessment practices.  People are taking note of your ability to put sound educational theory into practice!

Next MS Staff Meeting
Wednesday
11/3/14
2:50 pm
Room 201

Data
Behavior Referrals through 9 weeks of school:
13-14 - 107 Events 56 Students
14-15 - 110 Events 41 Students

Attendance Rate:
13-14 - 96.40%
14-15 - 95.92%

Duty Schedule
Morning Duty - Deans, Fraser
Bus Duty - Greer

PMS News and Notes

One more week till the end of the quarter...on one hand it is hard to believe it has gone so fast...on the other it is hard to believe that we aren't past Christmas yet.  All kidding aside, I am very proud to be the Principal of this school.  The mindset of our staff is student centered, and each of us is very willing to do what it takes for the kids.  That mindset makes this a fun place to be.

Monday's Professional Development Wrap-Up
Mr. Shappell's message on Monday morning is so true. The work that we are doing in this district is beginning to get noticed, and other schools want to be more like us.  I think that is pretty cool and something to be proud of.

SLO/PPG
I have had a chance to meet with almost everyone up to this point about their SLO/PPG.  If you have not already, go ahead and copy and paste the SLO/PPG into Teachscape.  I will review them in Teachscape, and we will meet briefly before the final submission.  Mr. Hausser shared a really good resource showing examples of items that teachers can use as artifacts to upload.  You can view this resource HERE.

End of Quarter Grade Timeline
The end of the 1st Quarter is next Friday, October 31st.  Grades will be due by the end of the day on Wednesday, November 5.  We will send report cards home with students on Friday, November 7. Dr. Hoernke and I will be hosting another Grading for Learning Parent Presentation on Tuesday, November 11th at 6:00pm in the High School IMC.

Student Progress Communication
After getting feedback from parents and teachers, we will norm the way that we report student progress district wide.  On each assessment that we enter into Infinite Campus, we should communicate the targeted level of the assessment.  With the start of the 2nd Quarter, the expectation is that we record the highest level of opportunity that each assessment measures, in the comments section.  We should communicate to students and parents that they can monitor progress by looking at their score in relation to the assessment level.

Each Classroom Minute
I just want to throw a reminder in the blog about the importance of each classroom minute.  Each minute that we have to work with out students is the capital we have control over to raise student achievement, and meet our individual and building SLO goals.

District Van Use Guidelines
There have been some updates regarding our district van use procedures.  If you use the district vans at any time, please click HERE to review the procedures.

Duty for Next Week
Morning - Anderson, Barnett
Bus - Harms

Improving Instructional Practices, Vol. 6

Thanks to Mrs. Morrissey for this Ms. Niemeyer for these short, weekly tips for effective instruction.

10 Assessments that You can Use in 90 Seconds
Danielson’s Framework: Domain 3d: Using Assessment in Instruction

Good assessment is frequent assessment. Any assessment is designed to provide a snapshot of student understanding—the more snapshots, the more complete the full picture of knowledge. The simpler the assessment—in terms of process and logistics—the more “purely” it can function as a tool to get at what a student actually understands, and help you identify how to help them. Then, due to their brevity, they’re simple to grade–in fact, you can grade them as exit slips–which makes taking the data and informing instruction (the whole point of assessment) a much simpler process as well. Here are 10 tricks to help you simply assess.

1. New Clothes

Take a given topic—thesis statements, push-pull factors, the scientific process, etc.—and describe how it can be used in some way other than how you’ve been taught.

Example of Student Response: We’ve learned the scientific process by looking at how actual scientists study new things, but the scientific process would also make an excellent tool for detectives to use while pursuing criminals. It would allow them to observe data, form theories, test theories while collecting more data, and draw conclusions that can then be judged in a court of law.

2. Dos & Don’ts

List 3 Dos and 3 Don’ts when using, applying, relating to the content (e.g., 3 Dos and Don’ts for solving an equation). Example of Student Response: When adding fractions, DO find a common denominator, DO add the numerators once you’ve found a common denominators, DON’T simply add the denominators

3. Three Most Common Misunderstandings

List what you think might be the three most common misunderstandings of a given topic based on an audience of your peers. Example of Student Response: In analyzing tone, most people probably confuse mood and tone, forget to look beyond the diction to the subtext as well, and to strongly consider the intended audience.

4. Yes/No Chart

List what you do and don’t understand about a given topic—what you do on the left, what you don’t on the right, but you overly-vague responses don’t count. Specificity matters! Example of Student Response: In learning about paragraph structure (Do Understand): what a topic sentence is, how many sentences a paragraph should have, that a paragraph should be about one idea; (Don’t Understand) how a paragraph can have a conclusion, how to know when I’ve given enough supporting details in the paragraph, how to revise a paragraph

5. Three Questions

Ask three questions about the topic, then rank them in terms of their importance/value. Example of Student Response: Low Importance: Does the prefix “tri” mean 3? Medium Importance: Is the triangle the only 3-sided geometrical figure? High Importance: Why don’t triangles show up very often in nature (as so many other shapes do)?

6. Explain What Matters

Explain the most critical part of a given topic to a self-selected audience (must clarify) in two or fewer sentences. (Audience can be anyone!) Example of Student Response: The most important part of a thesis statement is clarity and conviction, so I’ll explain that one to Jay-Z: A thesis statement is kind of like the hook or title of one of your songs–it delivers the message that the song goes on to explain. Feel me?

7. Big Picture

Diagram the context–where does it fit in and how does it function in its natural “bigger picture.” This is good for abstract or right-brain thinkers. Example of Student Response: It is impossible to understand the rules we live by and how they’re formed without understanding the 3 branches of government.

8. Venn Diagram

Compare/Contrast a given topic to a tangent topic (e.g., the water cycle to distillation, symbolism to allusion, etc.)

9. Draw It

Draw what you do understand. Example of Student Response: A drawing of what an adjective thinks about a noun, or a how much smaller in size the thousandth’s place is compared to the ten’s place.

10. Self-Directed Response

Prove to me you understand in diagram, written, or related form in a way that a stranger would understand.Example of Student Response: I wrote this chorus of a song I’ve been thinking of that would explain this character’s motivation….

Read the full blog post here: http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/10-assessments-you-can-perform-in-90-seconds/

PMS News and Notes

It is weeks like this where the impending weekend never has looked so good.  With two nights of Parent/Teacher conferences and five full teaching days, the effort and enthusiasm that our staff has maintained is quite impressive.  So, take the time to enjoy the weekend, and we'll get a solid time for professional development work on Monday.  Below are some note from the week.

Parent/Teacher Conference Wrap-Up
With our shift this year away from percentages and points, this round of Parent/Teacher Conferences saw us all fielding some tough questions from some passionate parents.  After some informal conversations with teachers and parents, it appears that most of the conversations went pretty well, and that most parents understood our goals after we had the opportunity to explain.  Kudos to each of our staff members on your efforts this week. This process allowed us to gain some valuable feedback from parents about how we can improve our communication in this system, and perhaps the format and structure of how we do Parent/Teacher Conferences.  We will spend some time on Monday working towards consistent communication K-12.

Monday's Professional Development Day
On Monday we'll get started in the High School cafeteria at 8:00 am.  We'll work to normalize the way we communicate student progress district wide, and work on putting the finishing touches on our SLO/PPG's and the whole Educator Effectiveness plan for the year.  We'll have department time as well.  To access the schedule, click HERE.

School Culture
The culture of the school is so vital to the learning that takes place for our students.  There are a couple of areas in the school that are indicators of our culture...hallways and the cafeteria.  Teacher presence in the hallway helps us to be proactive with behaviors and shapes our culture.  Any chance that you get to be in the hallways, especially downstairs hallway by the lockers, helps in this area.

Fire Drill Wrap-Up
We had another successful fire drill.  Thanks for your efforts to make this procedure go smoothly. We continue to review our safety plan to be prepared for any situation that could occur.

Data
Behavior Referrals after 7 weeks...
14-15 - 73 Events, 30 Students
13-14 - 50 Events, 43 Students
12-13 - 33 Events, 30 Students

Duty for Next Week
Morning - Rogness, Vian
Bus - Hazard

Addressing Grading for Learning Questions

At our last round of Parent-Teacher Conferences, we had an opportunity to receive some feedback from parents about our Grading for Learning system. Below is a list of some questions.

Proficiency Levels: AD (Advanced), PR (Proficient), DE (Developing), BE (Beginning), NE (No Evidence)

“The target is proficient, driven students cannot attain Advanced, and teachers say it’s nearly impossible to reach Advanced.”

We must provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate Advanced level work after the learning has been scaffolded.  We also must be explicit about showing and discussing the qualities of an Advanced piece of work.  We should encourage our students and give them feedback to strive to reach the Advanced level.  It should be rigorous, but attainable.

“You can only reach Developing in the Beginning of the year”

The natural progression of a unit is to start with beginning level activities to build a base, then progress to the higher levels of the rubric as the base of knowledge is built.  It is nearly impossible to walk into the classroom and be able to demonstrate Proficient or Advanced level work.  The work that is done in the classroom guides our students to reach the level, but we will only report out on a standard if students have had opportunities to demonstrate Advanced on the rubric.

“For the school as a whole, what is the goal for students to be at? (BE, DE, PR, AD)”

Our target for each student is proficient, but we want as many students as possible to be able to demonstrate Advanced level work.

“How can some students show a developing and that be a C, but others have a DE and it can be an A? But because of the high school system, How do I know where my middle school student stands if a Developing can be an A, B, or C?”

At the High School, the letter grade is used as an “on target” measurement throughout the quarter.  At the end of a reporting period, the Board Policy on grades will be followed…(i.e. A=mostly proficient, some advanced, etc)  At all grade levels we will focus on the evidence of student work measured against the rubric to determine the student’s level of performance.

“I have concerns over students in middle school not having a GPA being unfamiliar with the system for when they get to high school and it really matters for college.”

What we are doing in our classes right now everyday is building a base for success at the next level.  The Middle and High School both use reporting standards and rubrics in the same way.  The only difference is that in high school, they use a letter grade.  Students will be familiar with the use of rubrics and be more prepared because we have showed them what it takes to demonstrate advanced levels of work in each class.

“I have concerns about not seeing any work come home so they weren’t able to see how their child is doing/how they can improve.”

In my experience as a middle school teacher, most student work that was handed back ended up in the floor or in the garbage.  Keeping a portfolio of student work allows teachers/students/parents to see growth, and a sample of student work up against an example of work at each level.  By focusing on the work, it is easier to see the improvements/adjustments that need to be made to reach the next level.

“My daughter’s work is a DE, and teacher says that is great and where she needs to be...we think proficient is where they need to be...I don’t want them to fall behind, and I want teachers to push my child and not be satisfied with DE.”

If the work is from the beginning of a unit and the assessment only assessed students at the DE level, then this is on target and where they need to be.  If an assessment allows for students to demonstrate an AD level of understanding, and a student receives a DE, then we should focus on why the work was DE and what adjustments need to be made to reach PR.

“Consistency between the way we grade and the way the H.S. grades.  Parents want the whole district to be on the same page so students aren’t confused later (as far as if “Developing” is a B?  C?)  or is “Proficient” an A?  B?

I would argue that we are on the same page more now, than we ever have, with the use of reporting standards and rubrics to measure student work.  Before, a student had to figure out each individual teacher’s grading system...this could be as much as 5-8 systems per term.  Now everyone has laid out the skills and knowledge that we expect students to have and what each proficiency level looks like by the end of the course.

“Some parents are still trying to wrap their heads around AD, PR, DE, BE; they want to think of it as A, B, C, D”

Mrs. Greer gave a solid example of this to a parent.  If a student got 10/10 on a vocabulary matching quiz before, it was an A, even though they were low level questions.  Now that would demonstrate BE because it’s not a high level activity.  Those base building activities are important, but it’s important to go beyond those skills for our students.

“If “Beginning” is passing, why is it that no one can fail?”

Students can still not a pass a class if they have not demonstrated a BE level of understanding.  This is not a given.  

“I’m worried about subjectivity (EX: 4 proficients and 4 developing meaning a “PR” for some and a “DE” for others)

We will focus on the evidence students provide to determine proficiency levels.  The most recent evidence determines the proficiency level at each reporting period.

“As a parent it is more difficult to monitor progress than it was when we used numbers.”

This communication is something that we are working on everyday and taking feedback from parents to improve.  We need to be consistent from the elementary school all the way to the high school.