Elementary Administrators Meeting: Post-Convocation

1. Elementary Administrators Meeting: Post-Convocation August 17, 2009

2. ADH Leadership … “…leadership that is tough enough to demand a great deal from everyone, and leadership that is tender enough to encourage the heart.” Thomas Sergiovanni Leadership for the Schoolhouse

3. 2009-2010 Curriculum Goals“In schools the main problem is not the absence of innovations but the presence of too many disconnected... piecemeal, superficially adorned projects...”Fullan 2001 • Ensuring a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all content areas, for all schools • Providing professional development and support to achieve curriculum goals • Support the integration of technology in the curriculum to reinforce 21st century skills • Emphasize the integration and immersion of Catholic social teachings in all learning experiences (academic and co-curricular) for all students

4. A Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum… • Working to achieve high expectations to ALL students • ALL students having access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum provided by the school through CORE instruction outlines in a sequential format with quarterly (interim) assessments (Math Benchmarks – in packet) • DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION: • Students with additional instructional needs are provided with supplemental and CORE instruction • Students with significant needs are provided intensive instruction in addition to the CORE instruction

5. Learning Triad Standards-based Curriculum Learning Objectives/ Outcomes What students need to know and be able to do Instruction ASSESSMENT • How will you teach the objectives & • outcomes? • Multiple instructional strategies • Differentiate to meet instructional • needs • How will you know they have mastered objectives & outcomes …EVIDENCE OF LEARNING? • Multiple Forms of Assessment • Drives/informs instructional strategies

6. PRE-ASSESSMENT Assessment FOR learning Assessment OF Learning LEARNING Summative Formative Assessment AFTER Learning Assessment DURING Learning

7. Standards-based Curriculum PRE-ASSESSMENT Successful Summative Assessment Formative Assessment STUDENTS Formative Assessment Formative Assessment Require them to SHOW their thinking! Don’t expect students to think… Formative Assessment

8. Differentiating Instruction CORE INSTRUCTION Grade Level Expectations Intensive Instruction Supplemental Instruction Struggling Students Acceler-ated Students 'If the shoe doesn't fit, must we change the foot?'

9. Teacher Daily Reflection & Introspection • What can I do to make tomorrow more productive than today for ALL my students? • What did they learn when they walked away from my classroom today? • Did they learn what I wanted them to learn…did they get the BIG IDEA? Close lessons/days with: “Remember, today in school we learned…”

10. Back to School Teacher Reflection Practices • http://teaching-strategies-mentorship.suite101.com/article.cfm/back_to_school_preparation_for_teachers Back to School Preparation Ways for Teachers to Mentally Prepare for the End of Summer Vacation • Read more: http://teaching-strategies-mentorship.suite101.com/article.cfm/back_to_school_preparation_for_teachers#ixzz0OG2CCAJc

11. The entire learning community has a clear understanding of curriculum Curriculum is the standards and benchmarks and Learning determined to be essential for ALL students. Textbook Driven Instruction

12. A Curriculum Paradigm Shift… Rather than asking… Embrace this question… “What materials should I use and what instructional opportunities must I provide to ensure that ALL of my students reach the benchmarks set for the course or grade level that I teach? “How can I cover all the material in this textbook? More important to teach students than to cover the content!

13. A Viable Curriculum • In a standards-based curriculum, viability means: Ensuring that the articulated curriculum content for a given course or grade level can be adequately addressed in the TIME available • It means: • protecting instructional time • aligning class schedules with the minimum required time allotments as provided by Office of Catholic Schools

14. Math and Science Curriculum Formatted conducive for providing a guaranteed & viable curriculum (samples in packet) E:\Mathematics Curriculum Standards 2009.doc E:\Science Health & Wellness Curriculum Standards 2009-2010.pdf

15. Discussion… • In his book, What Works in Schools, Robert Marzano says… “synthesis of research reveals that a guaranteed and viable curriculum is the school-level factor that has the most impact on student achievement, yet it is the hardest to implement.” How can you lead this effort in your school community? How can you bring your faculty together as a learning community to synchronize these concepts in your school? What has to be in place to carry out this guarantee?

16. When a school has a guaranteed and viable curriculum, learning and skills considered essential are considered essential for ALL students, and the school is set up to ensure that essential learning occurs for ALL.

17. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2009-2010

18. New Teacher Orientation PART I PART II October 7, 2009 FOCUS: Classroom Management: Discipline Without Stress, Punishment and Rewards Keynote Speaker: Dr. Marvin Marshal • August 19-21 • FOCUS: Effective Teaching Strategies • Keynote Speakers: Carol Scearce, ADH Guest Speakers PART III -

19. 2009-2010 PD EVENTS Please RSVP, ASAP Professional Development for Elementary School Educators CT Spring 2010 Conference for Private Schools April 7 & 8 FOCUS: Differentiating Instruction & Assessment Keynote Speakers: Carol Ann Tomlinson & Jay McTigh Featuring Workshops with Jan Chappuis & Tony Flach • September 17 & 18 • FOCUS: Differentiating Instruction • Keynote: Kathy Mears • Breakout Sessions with Coaches: • PreK & K • Grade 1 • Grade 2 • Grade 3 • Grade 4 • Math/Science Teachers • SS/Language Arts Teachers

20. Faculty PD TopicsFor Your School: • Standards-based Curriculum & Lesson Planning • Differentiating Instruction in a Whole Classroom • Assessment Literacy • Study Skills for Students and Parents • Reading Strategies that Increase Learning Across the Content Areas • Data Driven Decision Making • Effective Teaching Strategies

21. Electronic Report Cards A New Look at Primary Grade Reporting

22. Primary Grade Reporting • Standards-based Curriculum, with an Outcomes-based Report Card, and a percentage based grade book! OH MY! • Changes reflect more standards-based measuring codes and grade reporting that more aptly reflects student achievement

23. Primary Grade … • Measurement Codes: (in packet) E:\Revised Primary Measurement Codes 2009.xls • E:\Primary Report Card 2009.mht (in packet) • Definitions and Explanations : (in packet) E:\Standards Expectations for Primary Grades.doc • Revised Comments (in packet)

24. Electronic Kindergarten Report Card …not grading! • E:\K Report Cards.mht (in packet) • E:\EduConnect Report Card and Gradebook Info 2009.pdf (on line)

25. EduConnect Inservice • Tim Hannon will be in CT from August 25 – August 28 • He can reached to schedule an inservice at: 1-913-384-6701 timhannon@educonnect.com

26. Teachers lead the integration of TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR SCHOOLS “Some people think you are strong when you hold on. Others think it is when you let go.” Sylvia Robinson E:\ADH Technology Self-Assessment Rubric 2009.doc

27. E-rate: Hand out Family Survey Forms (IN PACKET)

28. E-Solutions /// InfoSource Learning Jim Sconnely Account Executive We make learning personal toll-free: 800.393.4636 x238 direct:    407.796.5238 fax:        407.796.5190 http://www.InfoSourceLearning.com http://jim.simplek12.com

29. Professional Learning Communities “It is one of life's great ironies: schools are in the business of teaching and learning, yet they are terrible at learning from one another. If they ever discover how to do this, their future is assured.” Fullan 2001

30. Catholic Social Teachings • Life and Dignity of the Human Person • Call to Family, Community, and Participation • Rights and Responsibilities • Option for the Poor and Vulnerable • The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers • Solidarity • Care for God’s Creation http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

31. FACEBOOK… http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2397769284&topic=4176 • God has made himself small for us. God comes not with external force, but he comes in the powerlessness of his love, which is where his true strength lies. He places himself in our hands. He asks for our love. He invites us to become small ourselves, to come down from our high thrones and to learn to be childlike before God. He speaks to us informally. He asks us to trust him and thus to learn how to live in truth and love. The child Jesus naturally reminds us also of all the children in the world, in whom he wishes to come to us. • Mary, dear young people, knows your noblest and deepest aspirations. Above all, she well knows your great desire for love, with your need to love and to be loved. By looking at her, by following her docilely, you will discover the beauty of love; not a "disposable" love that is transient and deceptive, imprisoned in a selfish and materialistic mindset, but true, deep love.With love and conviction, I repeat to you young people present here, and through you to your peers throughout the world: Do not be afraid, Christ can fill your heart's deepest aspirations! Are there dreams that cannot come true when it is God's Spirit who inspires and nourishes them in your heart? Can anything block our enthusiasm when we are united with Christ? Nothing and no one, the Apostle Paul would say, will ever separate us from God's love, in Christ Jesus Our Lord (cf. Rom 8: 35-39).

32. …All connected to the MISSION “Of course schools should be accountable- but accountable for what?... I would like to see schools accountable for developing students who have a love of learning - who are continually growing in wisdom and in their ability to function effectively (and happily) in the world.” Judy Yero www.teachersmind.com

33. Final Message …