In effort to enhance communication and save our valuable meeting time for meaningful activities, here are a few updates and reminders from the office of Instruction and School Improvement for 10-31-01...
Visit the new Instruction and School Improvement web site at http://curriculum.risd41.org/
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ISBE SCHOOL REPORT CARD UPDATE
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Thanks for sending me the information to be included on the back page of the ISBE School Report Card. We hope to have final drafts ready for duplication by this Friday, 11-2-01 and at your buildings by next week. The school report cards need to be sent home with all students as soon as they are received. Contact me if you have any questions.
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TITLE II WORKSHOP UPDATES
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Title II workshop confirmations have been sent out to building principals and can also be viewed online at http://curriculum.risd41.org/admin/Title2/title_2.htm You can view this information by clicking on they hyperlink on that page titled- Title II ROE Workshop Participation Confirmation 2001-2002.xls.
Please remember that the district will be billed for all the participants who are signed up for workshops, regardless if they are in attendance. Make sure that if your staff are no longer able to attend the workshop they are registered for, that attempts have been made to send another staff member from your building. Please contact our office in the event that no one from your building will be able to attend the scheduled workshop so that possibly other buildings could send someone. It is the building's responsibility to complete the appropriate leave of absence form to request a substitute. It is not necessary to complete the workshop registration form for the ROE (because it has already been sent in).
Several of you have asked if additional participants would be allowed to register for Title II ROE workshops. Here is the process to follow if you would like to add participants from your building.
1.) Send the names and grade levels of the teachers who you would like to add to the list, indicating the title and day of the workshop requested. (A minimum of 4 weeks notice from the scheduled workshop is required)
2.) Upon receiving your information and checking for workshop/substitute availability, I will send back to you confirmation of registration. If it is not possible to register the additional participants, I will communicate that message to you as well.
3.) Do not assume the requested participants have been confirmed until you have received written confirmation from our office. Once confirmed, please submit the appropriate "leave of absence" form to request a substitute.
Thanks for your help... contact me if further clarification is needed.
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NOVEMBER 9TH IN-SERVICE EVALUATIONS DUE 11-16-01
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Our next 1/2 day in-service is approaching on November 9th. Many of you have already communicated your plans for that day. If interested, you can view what's happening across the district on future 1/2 days by visiting http://curriculum.risd41.org/documents/2001-2002_%20Inservice.htm . Some of you have not submitted information yet for future 1/2 day professional development activities. Please check the above link and send me the appropriate information. The Board of Education has asked me to make a brief presentation on how the 1/2 days are being used in the District. Please check the link above and send me updated information by next Wednesday, 11-7-01. In addition, our office has created a standardized professional development form that needs to be completed by all staff members. The form can be viewed and printed from our web site at http://curriculum.risd41.org/documents/pd/evaluation.doc . Here is the process for evaluating the November 9th in-service:
1.) Download and print the standard evaluation form at http://curriculum.risd41.org/documents/pd/evaluation.doc
2.) Distribute a copy of the evaluation form to each staff member participating in the in-service activities
3.) Have each staff member complete the evaluation at the end of the day
4.) Building principal will collect the surveys from each staff member
5.) Building principal will tally and summarize information from the building and send only one building summary evaluation form to the curriculum office. The summary should include the totals of each category or question as well as all comments from the plus/delta.
6.) Instruction and School Improvement office will collect all building summary evaluation data and will create a presentation to be shared with the Board of Education.
7.) Building principals will use evaluation information/data to make decisions, changes or improvements to future professional development activities.
Please contact me for any additional clarification. Thanks again!
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SENDING HOME 2ND QUARTER STUDENT REPORT CARDS
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Because second quarter ends right before Christmas break (12-21-01), several of you have asked when student report cards will be sent home. My understanding is that the Junior Highs and Elementary schools will send home student report cards the week following Christmas break (by 1-11-02). High school student report cards will be sent home the last day before Christmas break (12-21-01) due to athletic eligibility issues. If this information conflicts with previous communication, please let me know so that clarification can be made and communicated.
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ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL MEETING RESCHEDULED
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The Elementary Principal meeting has been rescheduled to Monday, November 5th, 9:15 a.m. at Horace Mann. The meeting is titled "Tapping Into Technology". To view the agenda for the meeting visit our site at http://curriculum.risd41.org/admin/principal_meetings/principal_meetings.htm Many thanks to Tom Berg for hosting the meeting and thanks to the technology department for the technical support needed.
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INTERVENTION/INTERSESSION PLANNING
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Our next scheduled meeting will be Friday, 11-2-01 @ 1:00 p.m. in room 23 of the administration center. Visit our web site at http://curriculum.risd41.org/admin/intersession/intersession_planning_comm.htm to view Friday's agenda, past agendas and minutes from meetings or to view the committee's progress. All are invited to attend.
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OTHER MEETINGS/REMINDERS
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*Science Curriculum Review committee meeting November 1st, 2001. For agendas, updates, etc. visit http://curriculum.risd41.org/committee/science/science.htm
*PE/Music staffing committee meeting scheduled for November 6th, 2001. Visit our site for more information at http://curriculum.risd41.org/admin/pe_music/pe_music_staffing.htm
*Secondary Principal meeting scheduled for November 20th.
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ITBS TESTING
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As a reminder: Test Period - November 12 - 30, 2001
Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Form K, 1993 Edition, 1992 Norms
Cognitive Abilities Test, Form 5, 1993 Edition, 1992 Norms
Grade 3 - Levels 9/A
Grade 6 - Levels 12/D
Grade 8 - Levels 14/F
TEST ADMINISTRATION PREPARATION
1. A number 2 black lead pencil should be used at all times. Marks made with pens, hard or colored pencils, etc. will not be properly scored.
2. Completion of the student data information on each answer document is more efficient and accurate if done by the teacher or secretary prior to the date of testing. The necessary information to be completed is as follows:
a. Optional (box at top of page) - Disregard
b. Last Name and First Name - Coding the circles will be easier and more accurate if the information is first written below the columns. You are urged to follow this procedure for each of the coded sections of the sheet. Print the student name, one letter per box, at the bottom of these two sections. Darken the appropriate circle in the column above. The blank circle at the top of the column should be filled in for any unused column.
c. Form - Fill in the circle beside K.
d. Date of Birth - Fill in the appropriate circles for month and year of birth and print same in the boxes at the bottom of the section. This is important in order to obtain accurate age scores on the CogAt.
e. Sex - Fill in the appropriate circle of the sex of the student.
f. Title I - If it applies, fill in Y (yes) under Reading.
g. Student I. D. Number - Use the number entered in the Discovery System. Lead with the applicable number of zeros from the left in order to complete the boxes.
h. Other Information - Column 1
0 = Caucasian
1 = African American
2 = Hispanic
3 = American Indian
4 = Asian
5 = Other
i. Special Class Reports -
Columns A
00 = Student did not attend this school last year
11 = Last year was the student’s first year in the school.
22 = Last year was the student’s second year in the school.
33 = Student has been in the school for three or more years
Columns B
11 = Free/Reduced Lunch
Columns C
11 = Limited English Proficient
Columns D
11 = Gifted Program
j. Office Use - Under column Z, fill in circle 9 for all Special Education students who spend 50% or more of their time in the regular classroom. An exception is students who receive only speech services. Those students are not coded Z9 and their scores will be included in the class and building averages.
k. Do not test any Special Education student who spends less than 50% of their time in the regular classroom.
l. All Title I students are to be tested and their scores will be included in the building averages. This is especially important for School wide Programs.
m. Print label information on the student answer document, i.e. teacher, school, grade, city, state.
n. Prior to submitting the answer documents, check for and erase any extraneous pencil marks.
RETURNING DOCUMENTS FOR SCORING SERVICES
Grade Class Identification Sheet - This form should be placed on top of the set of answer documents for each class when the answer documents are returned for scoring. Information should be completed as the form directs. (It is not necessary to place the documents in alphabetical order, the scoring service does this automatically. Do not use paper clips or string to keep the materials together. Use loose rubber bands or paper strips that will not tear the edges of the answer documents).
NOTE: Do not use photocopies of the form as this causes delays.
a. Class Name - Print the teacher’s last name in the boxes at bottom of section and fill in the appropriate circle for each column.
b. Class Code - Disregard.
c. Grade - Fill in the appropriate circle.
d. Form - Print K and fill in the circle.
e. Answer Document Count - Write the number of students tested and fill in the appropriate circles. Enter numbers from the right to left. For example, twenty-five answer documents would be entered as 0025.
f. Information Box - Print all of the information requested.
2. Building Identification Sheet - Fill in the Information Box and the Building Name as directed on the form. Note the sequence on the reverse side of the form for organizing documents to be scored.
3. Return the organized answer documents to Jay Marino at the Administration Building by Friday, November 30, 2001.
If there are any questions or concerns, please be sure to call.
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Excellence Every Day!
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Jay Marino