Twenty-One and Seven

Team King,

I read an article in the Courier Journal yesterday written by education researchers Kannapel and Belin from the Prichard Committee.  They researched schools in Kentucky and identified eight schools in 2005 that had transformed from chronically low performing to high performing schools.  In their findings they reported three key items that made the difference:

• The principal and staff had ongoing, honest conversation about their low performing status and engaged in collaborative, intensive self study to support improvement.
• Schools were led by collaborative principals and the staff collaboratively addressed problems
• School climate was the single most distinguishing feature -- impacted most by high expectations for everyone (not just students).

Moving forward, they suggested the following four promising practices to eliminate chronically low performing schools:

• Learn from and build upon success
• Support school-led efforts -- we must have staff, parent, and student buy-in
• Engage the students in change efforts
• Focus on climate

At Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary, we are having conversations around our school data and low performing status.  Professional learning communities provide the collaborative framework to discuss our performance and growth needs.  Utilizing MAP testing is assisting us with uncovering what our students know and how to plan to best support their learning and growth.  We have been working to change and grow our learning culture for adults, parents, and students.   We must continue this collaborative work.  WE are on the path and I encourage you all to trust the process as we challenge ourselves to do purposeful work and engage our students in meaningful instruction.  I thank you for your commitment to King and your work for students.  I challenge us to think about our progress, celebrate, and begin to plan next steps for individual and collective growth in our processes and expectations for learning.  WE will be successful!

View the article here:  https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/solutions/2018/04/26/kentucky-failing-schools-state-takeover-jcps/520430002/

Notes and Reminders

• Student progress reports go home today in Monday folders
• Ms. Jones is unavailable moving forward as she coordinates K-PREP testing.  If you need anything, see me, Harlan, Mays, or Parks.
• Provide ACTIVE supervision in classrooms, common areas, and during arrival and dismissal.
• Tuesday, we will have a faculty meeting -- reviewing items and the schedule for K-PREP
• Thursday -- PLCs will be on grade level teams --discussing student progress and learning results.
• Be sure to check your PD hours for the upcoming flexible PD day Friday -- you need 18 hours to have the day off.
• Check the living calendar and daily updates

Twenty Six and Twelve

With 26 instructional days left with students and 12 instructional days until K-PREP testing for students in grades 3-5, please continue to push instruction.  Students should be reminded or taught test taking strategies to support their efforts.

Check to be sure you have calculators for each student in your classroom, this is a great time to practice calculator use -- be sure all students know how to use them.  Fifth grade teachers, please check the number of dictionary and thesauri you have available in your classroom, students should also be adept at using these tools.

MAP Assessment Begins This  Week

Classroom teachers and resource staff will proctor testing, the schedule can be found here.  Since we are using Chromebooks, please plan according for daily instruction as all Chromebooks will be in use during testing times.  Please take time to review previous results with students and remind them of the importance of MAP and giving their best effort.

Faculty Meeting --K-PREP information and training

PLC --  Lesson Analysis forms and discussion Topic Assessment

K-PREP Assessments -- Thursday 5/10/18 – Wednesday  5/16/18

JCPS Student Backpack Video Series #7

School Lunch Hero Week 4/23-4/27

This week cafeteria staff are being recognized across the district.  Please take time to thank our nutrition staff for supporting our students and preparing daily nutritious meals.

Shout out to Mrs. Martin and Ms. Williams for planning a wonderful Mother/Son & Father/Daughter Dance.  Families had a great time and it was a beautiful event.  Thank you to all volunteers who helped set up, clean up, take tickets, serve food, park cars, and chaperone.

Professional Development Reminder:  Please be mindful to check you professional development hours -- there are PD days on May 4th and May 22nd.  You need to have 18 hours to be off on May 4th and 24 hours to be off on May 22nd. You are required to have 24 hours completed each school year.

Please check the living calendar and daily updates

Data Reviews and Next Steps

Data meetings with each teacher are in progress.  I met with several teachers last week to review classroom level data and the work will continue this week.  This work is important so that we know how our students are progressing and we are able to be purposeful with planning next steps.  We have 31 student days of school left and approximately 17 days until our annual K-PREP testing.  We have added additional support to 3rd-5th grade classes with Special Area teachers and assistants from K and 1.  As always, it is imperative that remaining instructional days are used to hone skills, practice calculator use, and improve upon reading stamina and test taking strategies.

Please be mindful that student progress reports will go home Monday, April 30, 2018.

Backpack of Skills - video series # 6

This past week in principal meeting, we received more information on the JCPS student backpack of skills and I will share this information with you as we move forward over the next few weeks.  Please view the video below, which is part of the backpack video series.

Mayor's Give-A-Day Week

This week we will have students participating with clearing out flower beds on the back patio, front planters, and sign area preparing these spaces for planting flowers and beautification.  Our fourth grade students are doing this work as part of  ECHO as a community service project.  Additionally, students are encouraged to do something nice, provide a service to someone in the building or in their community.

Faculty Meeting this week 

Dr. Marks-John will return to provide our next social-emotional learning module.

PLCs this week

Check in --student progress on current Envision topic -- and planning next steps (room 104)

MAP testing begins next week

Thank you for providing feedback to the resource team regarding MAP testing.  For this round, we will mostly use Chromebooks to test students in classrooms.  Classroom teachers and resource staff will proctor testing, the schedule can be found here.  Since we are using Chromebooks, please plan according for daily instruction as all Chromebooks will be in use during testing times.  Please take time to review previous results with students and remind them of the importance of MAP and giving their best effort.

Have a great week, please be mindful to check you professional development hours -- there are PD days on May 4th and May 22nd.  You need to have 18 hours to be off on May 4th and 24 hours to be off on May 2nd. You are required to have 24 hours completed each school year.

Set the Tone

Welcome Back

Welcome back to King and I do hope you enjoyed your break!  Please remember students have been on break too, so they will either be sleepy or super excited to see everyone.  This is the time for BOOSTER SESSIONS, meaning you reteach and review expectations for learning and behavior.  If there was something not going well in your classroom before break, be sure to bring your adjustments and hold students accountable for their learning.

Please be sure to post your daily learning targets and formatively assess if students meet the learning target by the end of each lesson.  Using the Classroom Instructional Framework (CIF) as a lesson structure,  provide examples/models of quality work for students to see.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) 

Monday (4/9) begins the spring MAP testing window.  The testing schedule will be communicated this week and we will begin testing the following week.  Please spend time reviewing previous results with students and discussing their progress goals.

Building Student Backpacks

 -- Part 4 and 5 -- please view in preparation for faculty meeting. 

Faculty Meeting

Cheryl Bibby from the Deeper Learning Department will come to talk with our staff about building a backpack for students and ensuring ALL students have access to learning opportunities that promote learner qualities and demonstrative skills. 

Review our brainstorming items to start to narrow and define our list.  As you review the list think about the following:

• What experiences do we provide all students that could produce outcomes (indicators)?
• How will students demonstrate these outcomes?
• How will all classrooms provide access to project based learning and authentic assessment so students are able to demonstrate their learning?
• How do we create an environment to support this type of learning?  

PLCs

Last month you had an extended planning to prepare for the current cycle.  You received information on using MAP data to plan tier 1 instruction for students and use the continuum to plan for differentiation.  Additionally, classroom data profiles were updated with district and other assessment data.  For PLCs this week, bring your groups you formed based on MAP data (3 hour planning) and using recent data, be prepared to discuss student progress and next steps for learning based on recent results.  Each teacher is meeting with White in her office.  Please click here to schedule your meeting time.  Be prompt and prepared to lead the data discussion and show supporting documentation.

Have an awesome week!