Monday Points: December 10, 2012

Happy Monday to you! This will be our last Monday points for the calendar year. Here we go…

Celebration Points:

Thursday was a big celebration for New Start. First, at Brag day we had student awards for performance and exhibiting positive behaviors (as New Start Sharks do!). Then we had some celebrations for teacher grant awardees…I mentioned Mrs. Kelsie Maney’s grant last week, but joining our list of awardees is now Ms. Andrea Love, and Mr. George Wheeler. Andrea received a grant from the Highline Schools Foundation to prepare our students who will be the first generation in their family to go to college. George, at CHOICE, received a grant from the foundation to start up his first robotics class. This year through grant awards, teachers have brought in over $2500 dollars to directly use in their classrooms, and that’s cause for celebration. Congratulations Andrea, George and Kelsie!

Also let’s cheer for Key Club which celebrated its second annual fundraiser Hot Potato Dinner on Thursday night at New Start. Thank you to Mrs. Trina Palosaari, our Key Club Advisor, and her students. Also thank you to Bill and Nancy Tracy of White Center Kiwanis who helped organize the event. I heard they made a lot of money. I ate some great chili, and enjoyed a fun live musical set by the visiting Delridge Boys in our very own Salmon Creek Gym. Thank you all who made this event possible.

Data Points:

PCT on November 30 focused on Charlotte Danielson, initially exposing staff to our district’s Instructional Frame, and Teachscape, the online professional development tool teachers will engage with this year. I sent out an evaluative survey to see how the first of our four PCTs on this subject was received, and ask for suggestions on improvement. In my ongoing efforts to improve, I have looked at the data and want to share with you a quick initial analysis…as is our practice in alternative programs.

Here is the survey data table:

	Great	Good	Fair	Poor	Terrible
Use of Time	20%	53%	20%	7%	0
Pro Growth	21%	43%	29%	7%	0
Presentation	33%	40%	20%	7%	0
Organization	26%	47%	20%	7%	0
Technology	60%	40%	0	0	0
Usefulness	40%	40%	13%	7%	0

The presentation team received Good to Great ratings in all areas. No one thought it was Terrible. One respondent had a Poor experience. Overall the PCT was well received and appreciated, especially in use of technology and overall usefulness to individual practice. So I think our professional growth team is on the right track and did well with this PCT.

50% of respondents provided comments to the question: “How could the PCT have been improved?” 50% of comments did not provide specific suggestions to improve, instead offering personal opinion of the framework, school and state efforts around school improvement. Specific suggestions for improvement listed: better chairs, more time to go deeper, less time on a Friday, clearer expectations around coming to the PCTs prepared, more information about impact on evaluation, and more videos showing actual classroom teaching at the different proficiency levels. All suggestions for improvement will be discussed by the team to see how we can better deliver our next Charlotte Danielson PCT…on February 1. Again, thank you to those who responded to our survey.

Professional Growth Points:

Pedagogy of Confidence: No evaluation survey on this one, but general feedback suggests our time this last Friday (Dec 7) was well spent. The book sparked good conversations and we had the opportunity to go deeper in specific areas of interest. The book talk felt very collegial to me and everyone engaged well. There were too many discussions to recap in this venue, so I just want to say thank you for your reading, note taking and joining us in discussion on Pedagogy. March 8^th is our next meeting on this. Please read the next three chapters, “The Practice”, 4, 5 and 6.

PCT Point: December 14, 2012: The last of 2012, will be a self-directed “Team Time” collaboration afternoon. You choose who you collaborate with. I look forward to circulating and dropping in on the several data team meetings I have already been invited too. Have a good PCT with your teams!

Mike’s Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Dec 10	Dec 11	Dec 12	Dec 13	Dec 14
District Strategic Planning Team. All Day at ERAC	District Strategic Planning Team. All Day at ERAC	EOC Training Monitor Gateway to College at Highline CC Alt Ed Leadership Team School Board Meeting	LA Data Team Observation In Classrooms Advisory Planning Team M/Counselor Present CHOICE at HS Options Night. Cascade MS.	504 Meeting Weekly Office Meeting PCT: Visit Data Teams Contract Meeting

As you know, next week is a short week leading to Winter Break. Classes for 2012 conclude next Tuesday December18. You are invited to our  5^th Annual Holiday celebration at my house then. (email me if you didn’t get an invite).

School resumes in 2013, on Wednesday, January 2. Next Monday Points will follow on January 7.

Until then – If I don’t see you at the party, let me take this opportunity to wish you the happiest of Winter Breaks. Celebrate and keep warm with family. Rest! Enjoy the new year…it is fast approaching. From my family to yours, here is wishing you a healthy happy holiday.

Cheers

Mike