Monday Points: January 28, 2013

This week brings February. Ahead we have Spirit Week and Brag Day at New Start, and Student Led Conferences at CHOICE. Also, Charlotte Danielson II PCT at Woodside.

Celebration Points:

Last week was one of Transition for both sites as we entered a new session and semester. These times bring on grading for teachers, and new schedules for students; a hectic time to say the least, typically marks our mid-way point of the school year. While this mid-year was no less busy, I want to celebrate our office and administrative staff for supporting us through a relatively smooth transition. Teacher grades were in on time, report cards went out and students started their second semester classes. It went well, very well, which is a feat for our programs given the complex nature of multiple schools and programs. Thank you to all who had a role in a smooth transition to the second act of our school year. Spring is just around the corner.

Instructional Point:

This year we have focused on data gathering and collecting evidence of our student’s growth. Evidence will be a vital piece of new teacher professional growth and evaluation (PGE) next year. In mid-year meetings I have been asking teachers for evidence of their own instructional growth along the way.

The most observable growth in our instructional practice is in our classrooms. This found in actual observation of our teaching. It is my aim to notate and share what is seen in your teaching interactions with students. I share with you with what I see while walking through your class in the form of formal observation notes, quick emails and sometime even, a few words in between, or at the end of periods.

Please keep these notes, observations and conversations nearby as evidence of the excellent teaching and willingness we are looking for together to push your practice to the next level. We can find proof of student growth in the student’s work. And evidence of your growth is also to be seen in their performance.  But I am also learning much from our mid-year discussions and regular walkthroughs. Your response to my inquiry about your professional growth, and meeting your instructional goals is a great help. Our conversation and our words about teaching are key pieces of the evidence we seek, together.

Data Points:

We have all realized before, but it does not hurt to remind that Student Work counts as Data too! It may not look like numbers, tables or graphs which are relatively easy to interpret or to try and make meaning. The teacher inside me would be first to say that looking at your student’s work closely, honestly and analytically, is perhaps some of the most useful data we can find.

I want to commend those of your who have brought student work to your mid-year meetings to show me how well you are teaching your students. Some of you have referenced screeners and other assessments, describing immediate satisfaction for informing your practice. You have shown me what your students can, and are able to do. You have name strength and need identified for your students.

In turn, that data informs me what you can, and are able to do for our students. Don’t discount what students are actually telling us in the quality and depth of their assignments and assessments. Student work is very real data, and therefore worthy of our time when evaluating our own professional growth.

Professional Growth Points:

Charlotte Danielson PCT II:  This week I will lead us through modules of the Charlotte Danielson Domains 2 and 3. After a jigsaw activity on Domain 2 to get familiar with the framework components and critical attributes we will watch some video from the Teachscape modules. My question for you will be, what does this teacher need to do to push his or her practice into the proficient and distinguished levels of the framework?

This conversation starts at knowing (seeing) what the teacher is able to do, and then pushing the practice to see what is possible. Before Friday, please take some time to review the domains and components of CD 2&3. I have them listed below:

Domain 2:  The Classroom Environment

2a   Creating an Environment of Respect & Rapport

2b   Establishing a Culture for Learning

2c   Managing Classroom Procedures

2d   Managing Student Behavior

2e   Organizing Physical Space

Domain 3: Instruction

3a       Communicating with Students

3b       Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

3c       Engaging Students in Learning

3d       Using Assessment in Instruction

3e       Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

Look at your framework (the spiral bound book) and see what Basic, Proficient and Distinguished practice might look like. We will be talking about it this Friday.

PCT Point: Charlotte Danielson II, February 1, 2013. @ Woodside. Our PCT this Friday is described above. This will be a large group PCT with our Woodside visitors. Because of scheduling logistics with CHOICE Student Led Conferences that day, we will be meeting at CHOICE Academy, Woodside Site on Friday February 1. At 1:00. See you there.

Mike’s Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Jan 28	Jan 29	Jan 30	Jan 31	Feb 1
Weekly Blog Mid Years Meetings (CHOICE) HIPP Data Meeting	New Start Supervisory Visit w/J. Boyd PCT Prep Budget Review New Start PBIS Meeting	M/Parent at ERAC In Classrooms (CHOICE) Academic Probation Meeting Graduation Meeting Leadership Team Meeting CHOICE PSO	In Classrooms New Start Brag Day Assembly Student Led Conferences CHOICE	Student Led Conferences Principal Planning Meeting Weekly Administrative PCT Charlotte Danielson II Mid-year Meeting

Here is wishing you a great week, brag day and student led conferences. See you at PCT.

Mike

Monday Points: January 21, 2013

Happy MLK Day! I trust you are at home relaxing this Monday. This week a colleague from your leadership team will contribute to our Monday Points note. Katy Stone is your HEA Rep, Leadership Team Member and has been a teacher at New Start for nearly six years.  Today she is our guest writer…

Monday Points by Katy Stone

Celebration Point:

Two weeks ago, as we returned from the winter break, a student who graduated last from New Start came by to see some of the teachers.  Sebastian S. came to touch base with us, to let us know what he is doing now, and to thank us for working with him and believing in him.  He is now working with Job Corps and learning the construction trade.  What a difference 6 months had made in the confidence and self-assurance of this young man. 

Sebastian came in twice that week to talk with those of us who had worked with him.  He repeatedly thanked us for the help that some of us gave him directly and to the school overall for being there for kids like him. He talked about the teachers who worked with him and never gave up on him.  He said he wouldn’t be where he is today if it not been for New Start. Sebastian is an example of WHY we do what we do.

Instructional Point:

Last week at the New Start staff meeting, 2 educators involved with the Washington Student Oral Histories Project shared with us about some preliminary results of a study they are doing with at-risk youth and their experiences that influence whether or not they stay in school. One of their key points was Academic Mindsets.  That was defined as “a collection of student beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions about learning, their abilities, and about school.”

The educators spoke of the importance of recognizing student mindsets and all that they bring with them to the classroom from previous school experiences to life issues and experiences. Their website (www.wsohp.org) had some interesting information.  Three points that stood out were 1.) “classroom conditions can powerfully influence students’ mindsets”, 2.) at the secondary level, all need to be aware of the social and emotional context where learning is taking place, and 3.) the value of connections with caring teachers.  It is important for everyone on a school staff to show interest and support for all students, including those students who may seem to not be interested. 

These points underlie what we are doing in our Alt Ed programs. It is more than just what and how we teach. It is about knowing our students and their strengths and needs.

Data Points:

The most important data source for me in working with students is some of the information all of us have access to on eSIS.  I work with many students doing academic contracts to gain needed credits.  I also work closely with many seniors who need to be thoughtful about every credit they take.  Students need and want to know where they stand and what they need to take for classes and/or contracts.  The Student Diploma Screen and the Transcript screens are tools I use daily to guide students.  In addition, these spots can give the advisor information about tests met and other requirements towards graduation.  We have done a good job of teaching our students how to monitor their credits and take responsibility for knowing where they stand.  We need to remember to train our newer students those same tools.  For anyone who is unsure of how to access these sites, please let me know and I would be glad to show you.

Another site on eSIS that is helpful is the attendance summary.  You can get a good picture of what is happening everyday that affects their in class time and why they may not be passing a class. This is very helpful when talking with students. 

Miscellaneous Point

Congratulations to all on successfully reaching the midpoint of our school year.  The second half of the school year always seems to fly by as we head towards HSPE testing in March, senior projects in early May, EOC testing for Math and Science in May, and finally graduation in June.  How many will we have graduate this year?

Have a great second semester everyone. – Katy Stone

Thank you Katy.

PCT Point this Week. January 25, 2013. This Friday we will continue our collaboration on ELL at New Start. Our Facilitator, Stephanie Forman, will show us how to implement some of the more challenging sections of the handbook we have identified. Last week I sent out a quick survey to help us plan for this PCT. CHOICE you are on your own this Friday. HIPP you are welcome to join us as this work may be applicable to you!

Mike’s Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Jan 21	Jan 22	Jan 23	Jan 24	Jan 25
MLK Day No Classes	District Strategic Planning (All Day at ERAC) Guest Speak SPU	District Strategic Planning (All Day at ERAC) School Board Meeting	LA Data Team Observation Host Guest Principal at New Start In Classrooms Monitor Southwest Mid Year Meetings M/Counselor CHOICE Open House	Mid Year Meetings Administrative Weekly PCT: ELL Mid Year Meetings Principal Social

 

So we are off to Session 4 at New Start, and Semester 2 at CHOICE. May I wish you a smooth start to the second half of our school year, and have a great week!

Mike

Monday Points: January 14, 2013

Welcome back. We have a short week for students, but a full week ahead with Cohort 4 of Success Academy and the end of Session Three!

Celebration Points:

We had a much better than expected turn out for EOC testing and even students staying into the late day, working hard to do well on these important end of course assessments. Celebrations go to you, advisors and our coordination team to make this first administration of state tests (this year) a success. I understand we only had one no-show of all our graduating class. I also had the honor of reviewing and approving 10 Collections of Evidence (COE) submissions for our students. COE is an online alternative to taking the HSPE. I am so glad our students took these opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency in core areas and move closer to graduation. Thank you all for your efforts on the state assessment front.

Instructional Point:

It is not enough in class to allow students to opt out of engaging with the lessons you are teaching. Proficient and Distinguished teachers using the Charlotte Danielson Framework engage students by requiring them to participate in the lesson and assignments you give them each day.

We’ve all seen the student who seems less motivated, or disinterested in the learning opportunities we are offering. I would suggest this is not a problem with the student, but look to my teachers figure out what it takes to engage all of our students, in every lesson, in every period, and classroom.

Research and best practices say we can do this for our students we feel are missing out, or seemingly are choosing not to learn. The Three R’s are a classic: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships are not a cliché, but known best professional practice of teachers, or any adult educator. Always look to the 3 R’s if you find a student not engaging with your teaching. Ask yourself:

Is what I am teaching rigorous enough? Are you presenting the student with work and learning that is challenging and thoughtful? If the level of thinking that must be expended is not worth a student’s time, he, or she, will not commit to the learning. Would you sit through a lesson that seems too easy?

Am I making the learning truly relevant in my students’ lives? If there is nothing to gain, or the learning seems useless to me, I would not attend or pay much attention. A highly proficient teacher makes the lesson meaningful and relevant to all students, no matter how diverse the priorities of those in our class.

Do I have a have a good, positive relationship with this student?  Have you put the time in to get to know your kids? We all need common respect and rapport built into our relationships if we are going to teach students anything. Have you ever learned anything from a teacher you dislike or don’t have respect for? Same is true for our students.

Sustaining the “3 R’s” is not easy work. It is much simpler to write than effectively implement with every single student who walks through our doors. It can be done, and is a proven effective practice for teaching. Rigor, Relevance and Relationships are oldies but goodies in the tool kit for teachers. Don’t forget the “3 R’s” when puzzling over the students you still need to engage.  

Data Points:

We have received quite a bit of interesting data in this last week. First, I received graduation data for our district and schools (including ours) about how our graduation rates measure against the new state measurements. New Graduation and Extended Graduation rates are now calculated through student’s original cohort. This data makes sense to me (and others) in a larger picture, but negatively impacts how we initially see the success of our own students in our particular programs. Here is a quick look at what I was presented last week.

	Class of 2010	Class of 2011	Class of 2012
AAA	55.9%	51.3%	43.2%
ACE	44.3%	54.2%	55.9%
Aviation	90.7%	94.9%	98.9%
Big Picture	51.7%	60.6%	77.8%
Career Link	7.0%	3.3%	20.0%
Gateway			20.0%
Global	58.1%	50.8%	65.8%
Highline	60.9%	63.9%	65.8%
HS3	75.3%	70.8%	74.7%
Mount Rainier	71.3%	69.7%	74.6%
New Start	21.8%	13.8%	25.5%
Odyssey	39.2%	39.2%	33.3%
TEC	72.9%	67.1%	72.7%
DISTRICT	61.2%	62.3%	65.8%

Though at 25% graduation rate, remember that this number is a percent of students who still graduated on-time (that means within four years), AFTER they have been unsuccessful at a previous school. Given our student’s history with the other more traditional schools, 25% (and rising) is much better than I first speculated. I’m curious. What’s your read on the numbers above?    

Professional Growth Points:

Pedagogy of Confidence: Last week at the New Start Staff meeting we had visitors from the University of Washington. The researchers are conducting an Oral Histories project to help educators understand some of the social-emotional challenges students have with their school experiences. Last year New Start students were the subject of this study. Project facilitators came to our meeting and shared some initial results. This yielded a great conversation for our teachers about the power positive learning experiences can have for our students. Next week your guest writer for Monday Points will go into detail about their findings.

No PCT this Week. January 18, 2013. This Friday is a non-student day for Teacher Grading at the end of the semester. School Buildings and Administrative Offices will be open for your access. Please take advantage of this day to catch up on grading and prepping for next semester and session 4, which begins Tuesday, January 22. (No School Monday for MLK)

Mike’s Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Jan 14	Jan 15	Jan 16	Jan 17	Jan 18
Weekly Blog Teaching Success Academy In Classrooms Mid-Year Meeting Sped Meeting	In Classrooms District Principal Meeting Mid-Year Meetings	Teaching Success Academy In Classrooms M/Southwest PBIS Meeting	MS Math data Team Teaching Success Academy M/ELL Facilitator Graduate Success Academy Mid-Year Meetings	NON STUDENT DAY: Buildings Open Mid-Year Meetings Weekly Administrative Meeting CHOICE Academy Dance

Success Academy is on top of my list this week. End of Session 3 and Semester 2 is probably on top of yours. Remember, there are no students Friday, but Salmon Creek and Woodside will be open for business if teachers wish to come in. Also, Monday is MLK Day so no school on that end next week. Session 4, and Semester 2 begin on Tuesday, January 22. Enjoy a short week, and long weekend coming. Have a good week.

Mike