DCPS School Improvement Newsletter - December
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Transcript of DCPS School Improvement Newsletter - December
1
August 2012 www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement
Featured Article: “Bird by Bird” - A Success Story
Page 2
IN THIS ISSUE BIRD BY BIRD Page 2
AMO UPDATE Page 4
MID-YEAR STAKEHOLDERS MEETING
Page 5
TITLE I: A NEW LEARNING RESOURCE
Page 6
PARENT FOCUS: SAC – AAC - DAC
Page 7
READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?
Page 8
SERVICE REQUESTS Page 10
DUE DATES Page 10
YOUR SUPPORT TEAM Page 11
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
December 2012 www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement
MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER
AND BEST
PRACTICES
DCPS OFFICE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT (904) 924-3722
2
Principal Debbie Crotty is the leader, guide,
shepherd, escort and conductor, all in one person,
at Rutledge Pearson Elementary School. Ms. Crotty
has a rapport with and respect for everyone at
Pearson whether it be teacher, other staff member,
cafeteria worker, custodial staff and, of course, the
students. She has helped her faculty and staff
develop successful learning strategies to use with
their students.
Ms. Crotty has been principal at Rutledge Pearson
since the ’05-’06 school year. In the years since
then, many changes have come about, from the
trees, fences, and pleasant atmosphere of the
physical campus to the additional programs and
help that are offered to students. Teachers have
volunteered their time before and after school and
during Saturday school because they believed their
students would succeed if they believed they could.
Now there is Team Up, an afterschool program that
continues academic work with students.
Systemic change requires a comprehensive plan
that always keeps the end product at its center. It
must be a step-by-step plan that allows students to
sometimes fall short of required targets and learn
from their mistakes. The plan must have someone
to serve as a guide to nurture all participants,
students and staff, in the plan as well as nurturing
the plan itself. Bringing the plan to fruition takes
time and, success doesn’t come easily. Ms. Crotty
realizes this and continues to work at developing
and changing the plan if needed.
Teaching and learning at Pearson involves the whole
child. Each child has a prescriptive plan based on a
5-legged model addressing attitude, perception,
knowledge, experiences and metacognitive skills.
Children are strategically placed to best meet their
individual needs. The young learners build on prior
knowledge and understanding to construct new
knowledge and understanding through experiences.
Teachers and staff allow students to demonstrate
creativity and appreciate their diversity. Each
student’s potential is recognized.
Principal Focus: “Bird by Bird” - A Success Story By Pat Carley, School Improvement Coordinator
3
Once children take ownership of their own learning
process and make an internal decision to master a
skill, they no longer shy away from academic
challenges. If the students are provided with
fascinating challenges and are given the freedom to
make mistakes without judgment, they will achieve
their targets. They will mess up frequently but by
making all those mistakes and immediately
correcting them, the information more readily
becomes theirs. Every challenge is taken step-by-
step and student-by-student.
In the first year Ms. Crotty was the principal of
Rutledge Pearson, the school earned a state grade of
“D”, followed by an “F” the next year. The years that
followed showed the rewards gained by using
personal prescriptions and meeting each child
one-on-one and taking their learning step by step.
Following the “F”, the school grade climbed to a “B”
and has been a solid “A” for the past four years.
Ms. Crotty’s approach to learning is “bird by bird”
and one step at a time. She and her faculty believe -
“They can because they think they can.” Virgil,
Roman epic poet (70 BC-19 BC)
Ann Lamott, an American novelist and non-fiction
writer tells this story: "Thirty years ago my older
brother, who was ten years old at the time, was
trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had
three months to write. It was due the next day. We
were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was
at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by
binder paper and pencils and unopened books on
birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task
ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his
arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by
bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'"
Teach them well and let them lead.
Principal Focus: “Bird by Bird”- A Success Story By Pat Carley, School Improvement Coordinator
4
Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO) Update Niki Micheau, School Improvement Supervisor
Florida’s waiver from reporting
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
requires the state to report
performance on Annual Measurable
Objectives (AMOs).
District AMOs include school
grade; reading and math
performance; and the performance
of students scoring in the bottom
quartile. AMOs are determined
separately for each school and
subgroup. The AMO shows
whether a school or subgroup is on
track to reduce its percentage of
non-proficient students by half by
the 2016-17 school year. The
ultimate goal is for all students to
demonstrate proficiency.
Subgroups include All Students,
American Indian, Asian, African
American, White, Hispanic,
Economically Disadvantaged,
English Language Learners and
Students with Disabilities. Students
may fall into multiple subgroups. If a
school has at least 10 students in any
subgroup, performance is reported for
that subgroup.
In October, the Office of School
Improvement facilitated an AMO
professional development session for
principals. Principals received support
to update their School Improvement
Plans (SIPs) to include AMO goals and
strategies to increase proficiency. SIPs
must include goals and strategies for
all subgroups that did not meet AMO
goals.
The AMO session was recorded and is
available online in addition the
PowerPoint used, Technical Assistance
Paper (TAP) and DCPS AMO Data.
The link to access the online webinar is
http://www.duvalschools.org/static/ab
outdcps/departments/acadprog/schoo
limprovement/pd.asp
If you have any questions about the
transition from AYP to AMO, please
contact the Office of School
Improvement at (904)924-3722 or visit
our website.
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Community Focus: Midyear Stakeholders Meeting Niki Micheau, School Improvement Supervisor
Meaningful stakeholder input is vital to the school district actualizing its Core Beliefs and Commitments
and creating a shared vision with the community to support student achievement. In September 2009,
the Duval County School Board approved the requirement of a Mid-Year Stakeholders Assessment
Community Meeting at each school site. Each School Advisory Council (SAC), in cooperation with various
identified community stakeholders that work with the school, is to conduct an annual midyear
stakeholders' assessment community meeting and file a written report outlining stakeholder
recommendations generated from the meeting. The meeting is held in conjunction with a regularly
scheduled monthly School Advisory Council meeting.
Duval County Public Schools are asked to conduct the stakeholder meeting in January and use
information gathered to support strategies that are submitted to the state in a Mid-Year Narrative
report that is submitted in February (www.flbsi.org). The mid-year stakeholders' assessment
community meeting will receive stakeholder input on the specific school site information regarding the
leadership and management characteristics that will support the academic success of the students in the
school. The identified community stakeholders to be invited must include representatives from each of
the following groups: each member of the School Advisory Council, PTA/PTSA president or designee, DTU
representative, shared decision making representative, school based boosters, alumni organizations,
business partners, faith based partners, nonprofit representatives that partner with the school,
philanthropic donors that support the school, parents and the NAACP education committee chair or
designee. Thirty days notice must be provided to the identified community stakeholders that are
requested to attend. A written report outlining the recommendations of the stakeholder assessment
will be forwarded to the Superintendent and copies will be provided to the Duval County School Board.
Individual school dates for Mid-Year Stakeholder Assessment meetings and meeting templates are
located on the DCPS School Improvement website at www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement.
6
Learning is a journey and many students struggle
from time to time. This year the district has provided
a new resource for Title I schools to assist in this
journey. Reading and mathematics intervention
teachers have been engaged to provide extra targeted
assistance for students.
Students who are at-risk of not meeting grade-level
reading or mathematics proficiency are identified by
analyzing data derived from a variety of student
assessments in mathematics and reading (e.g.,
state/district formative and summative assessments).
Once students are identified, the intervention
teachers coordinate with school principals to
develop a schedule to give targeted assistance to
these students.
The intervention teachers provide intensive
instruction in mathematics or reading to at-risk
students in a one-on-one or small group setting.
These teachers may push in or pull out small groups of
struggling students for intervention using appropriate,
targeted research-based strategies and materials. The
work of the intervention teacher is part of a school’s
Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered System of
Support.
The intervention teachers work closely with
classroom teachers at the school to coordinate
intervention to align with and support core
instruction. They conduct progress monitoring after a
series of intervention sessions to ensure that the
intervention is meeting the student’s needs. If not, a
problem solving cycle begins to revisit ways to make
the intervention more effective.
The intervention teachers have been participating in
special district trainings provided by specialists and
other support staff since the beginning of the school
year. In addition, the teachers submit weekly logs to
the Title I office to document their work with
students. For more information, contact Dr. Gayle
Cane, RtI Coordinator at 904-390-2661 or
Title I Schools: A New Learning Resource
By Teresa Logan, School Improvement Specialist
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Hearing someone say SAC, AAC or DAC would remind
some parents of the alphabet soup of acronyms used
in education. This article will explain the three terms
and let parents know how they can get involved.
SAC is an acronym for School Advisory Council. Two
big bucket items the SAC is responsible for are (1)
helping to develop and evaluate the school
improvement plan (SIP) and (2) assisting in the
preparation of the annual school budget. When
implemented correctly, the SAC holds the school
accountable for what is outlined in the school
improvement plan. It’s an important layer of
accountability which provides an assessment
perspective from the dinner table to the classroom.
Sometimes SAC is confused with the role of the Parent
Teacher Association (PTA). The mission of PTA is to
be a voice for children; serve as a family and
community resource; and to advocate for education.
The targeted focus of SAC is to support SIP
implementation by connecting parents and
community members. Plus, SAC is required by
Florida law. Meetings are open to the public and
officers are elected.
Each school belongs to an Area Advisory Council
(AAC). Representatives on the AAC are the principal
and the SAC chair or a designee. The purpose of AAC
is to facilitate communication among schools within
their elementary to secondary feeder pattern. The
AAC meets quarterly. An example meeting topic
could include implementing feeder pattern strategies
to support and ensure continuity. The principal of the
high school in the SAC feeder pattern is responsible
for assuring that AAC meetings are held.
The District Advisory Council (DAC) is comprised of the
chairperson from each AAC or a designee and the
superintendent. The purpose of DAC is to enhance
communication between the superintendent, district
staff, community and local schools. Similar to the
SAC and AAC, the DAC has elected officers and public
meetings. Information and critical issues should flow
from the SAC to the AAC to the DAC. Each month, the
DAC chair provides a report to the School Board
during the School Board meeting.
So parents – get involved! Principals and teachers –
engage parents more! Dedicated participation is
needed on the SAC to support the overall process of
improvement at the school, area and district level.
Finally, to help with the alphabet soup of acronyms,
the district has an “acronym” website.
http://www.duvalschools.org/static/parents/getinvol
ved/acronyms.asp.
Parent Focus: SAC – AAC – DAC (Acronym Attack)
Niki Micheau, School Improvement Supervisor
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The Office of School Improvement will facilitate an online interactive book study. The district e-bookshelf offers instant access to educational resources, premium self-paced study outlines, and current best practice guides. Participants can look forward to stimulating dialogue in an open forum as we feature various academic topics. The book study is designed to promote conversations among teachers, staff, and school leaders.
The first e-read, Create Success! Unlocking the Potential of Urban Students, by author Dr. Kadhir Rajagopal, provides an outline to teaching urban students, placing an emphasis on the active participation of teachers, parents, caregivers and coaches in each student’s success.
The author highlights culturally responsive instruction, rigorous expectations and rewards, essentials-focused planning, assessing for mastery, test models, and strategies for struggling students. Readers are given insight into the achievement goals realized by a determined Algebra teacher in an urban school setting.
An educator’s time is valuable, so plan to share your comments and post questions at your own pace. Additionally your suggestions will determine future topics.
A link to the districts’ ASCD e-bookshelf is located in OnCourse. We invite you to browse the online materials before we begin our initial session.
The Office of School Improvement will facilitate the book study. The start date is January 15th and the session will conclude in March. The format will include online webinars with engaging discussion and interaction coupled with independent reading.
Click here to register for the online eBook study. 10 professional development points will be given upon completion.
Dr. Rajagopal will join us for a session during our eBook Study!
Read Any Great Books Lately? By Vontrena Myers, School Improvement Specialist
“Truly effective teachers must be able to push disengaged or defiant students beyond their perceived limitations and fight until they realize success. They recognize that they must reach and influence their students’ hearts before their heads.” Dr. Rajagopal
9
Read Any Great Books Lately? By Vontrena Myers, School Improvement Specialist
ALL
OF
THES
E B
OO
KS
AN
D M
OR
E FO
R Y
OU
FO
R F
REE
!!!
10
Customer Service – Helping You Meet Your Goals
The Office of School Improvement is dedicated to providing you with excellent customer service. Our goal is to make sure you have the timely support needed to meet each of your goals. Our website is www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement. If you need a school improvement expert, there is a contact request form on the website. Click here to access the form. Anyone in the district can request school improvement services by using the online form or by calling (904)924-3722.
OSI Service categories:
DA - Differentiated Accountability requirements
Data Analysis - data analysis support
FCIM - support and training
FLDOE - Support with state compliance
Monitoring Plans and Processes
Professional Development - Face to face or
online professional learning opportunities
SAC - School Advisory Council support
SIG - School Improvement Grant support
SIP Implementation - School Improvement Plan
development, implementation and monitoring
Title I Support Services - Support and enhanced
Professional Development
Turnaround - Funding and volunteer assistance
Other - Support needed in other areas of school
improvement
DUE DATES
Past Due Revised SIPs with updated AMO data
(should be uploaded on the state site www.flbsi.org)
December 1, 2012 Differentiated Accountability Checklists updated
(applies to C, D, and F schools only)
December 3, 2012 Mid-Year Stakeholders Meeting date submitted to
January 2013 Conduct Mid-Year Stakeholders Meeting
(templates on the School Improvement website)
January 31, 2013 SIP Mid-Year Update following Mid-Year
Instructional Review (targeted schools only)
February 8, 2013 School Mid-Year Narrative Report
(all schools excluding those that met ALL AMO goals)
10th of Each Month SAC minutes for the previous month should be emailed to
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Office of School Improvement Team
Niki Micheau
Supervisor
(904) 924-3722 ext 262
Lillie B. Granger, Ph.D. Executive Director
(904) 924-3728
Pat Carley
Coordinator
(904) 924-3722 ext 264
Raymond Carver, Ed.D.
Specialist, Data Analyst
(904) 924-3722 ext 251
Patricia Conner
Specialist, Data Analyst
(904) 924-3722 ext 255
Teresa Logan
Specialist, Restructuring
(904) 924-3722 ext 246
Vontrena Myers Specialist, Reporting
(904) 924-3722 ext 191
Darren Smith
Specialist, Data Analyst
(904) 924-3722 ext 253
Carla Taylor
Specialist, Reporting
(904) 924-3722 ext 258 [email protected]
Cheryl Taylor
Specialist, Data Analyst
(904) 924-3722 ext 254
Nikesha White
Specialist, Reporting
(904) 924-3722 ext 250
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT OFFICE
School Improvement Suite
Northwestern Middle School
School Mail: 3155A – OSI
2100 West 45th Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32209
Office: (904)924-3722
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!
We are looking for best practices to
share in our newsletter. If you have a
story to share about your school or
classroom, please email us at