Finishing KPREP and the Next Nine Days

Team,

We are nearly finished with KPREP testing with fourth and fifth grade students testing tomorrow (see email from Ms. Jones).  We will continue our plans for a strong finish to testing and I want to thank everyone for your dedication and flexibility last week and for the upcoming week.  Tomorrow you should wear yellow or a King shirt.

Please be sure to follow all directions explicitly and contact the office (2611) if you have any questions.

Transition plans for all students are due Thursday, May 30th.  Please see Mrs. Flener, Ms. Camp, Mrs. Stith or Dr. White with questions. 

Fifth Grade Defenses of Learning -- we have ten students that need to complete their defenses and they will be scheduled for this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday between 9:30 and 11:30.  Please let Ms. Flener know if you can participate with a panel.

As we finish the next nine instructional days, please continue to engage students in meaningful lessons and ensure learning is happening in every classroom.  Stay consistent with your expectations for learning and behavior and enjoy closing the year out with students.

We all wish our nutrition lead, Mrs. Rosie Mask, good luck with her retirement.  Her last working day at King was Friday and she should be currently enjoying a cruise.

We want to welcome Ann Margaret Gutterman to King - she is our new ECE Implementation Coach, starting with us for the 2019-20 school year, she is currently at Medora Elementary.

Have a productive week!

K-PREP Testing This Week

Thank you for all your work with students over the course of this school year.   This week, students in grades 3-5 will take K-PREP assessments and demonstrate their learning over this school year.  Please be mindful to follow the directions laid out by KDE, testing documents, and Ms. Jones.  If you have questions, call 2611 and we will work quickly to get them answered.

Student Cell Phones (grades 3-5)

• Please collect student cell phones -- have students write their names on paper/post it so their phone is labeled.  Have students power them off and store them in a secure, locked location.  If you need any assistance with this, please let us know.    Phones will be returned at the END of the day.  This will be the daily procedure with testing.

Schedule Changes and After Testing

• Remember to check your folder for lunch and special area times.  Special area will last for 50 minutes -- this is a change from the normal 60 minutes.  Be sure you are on time dropping off and picking up your students.

• Lunch times have also been adjusted -- please check the schedule and be punctual.  Cafeteria tables have been labeled so that classes know where to sit.

• After students finish their test within the testing session, they are permitted to read a book, draw, lay their heads down.  They may not work on any content specific items.

• After the testing session is complete for the day and materials have been returned, it is school as normal.  You should continue teaching and students should continue learning.  Accommodations will still occur throughout the day, so please set expectations for quiet, quick transitions to allow all students a quiet testing environment.

Transition Plans

• Friday, you received templates for student transition plans.  There are four different forms to support transition readiness.  Go ahead and start this process -- provide feedback or ask questions -- this is how we make these usable documents.  These are done for fifth grade students as well (K-5)
• Student is transition ready 
• Student is transition ready and excels in specific areas (Primary Talent Pool/AP/GT)
• Student is Not transition ready
• Student is Not transition ready and two or more years behind

Data Review for Transition Plans

Team,

First, I want to extend a Happy Mother's Day to all who are mothers and care for children.  I hope you all were able to celebrate with family and friends yesterday.

Last week, classes participated with learning checks and PLCs this week will focus on the analysis of data from learning checks and MAP assessments.  By Thursday, teamleaders should submit the PLC minutes and work samples from learning checks.  Additionally from all data, universal class profiles should be updated and transition plans created for students who are not considered "transition ready."

• Transition Ready - this means students are performing at or above grade level in all content areas.  Grades from report cards support this claim, along with meeting grade level benchmarks on MAP assessments.

• Not Transition Ready - this means students are not performing at or above grade level according to student grades and assessment scores.  MAP scores are not at or above grade level benchmarks. 

• Tier 3 Not Transition Ready -- This is an added category we will use for our school.  Please use this label for students who are two or more grade levels behind according to their grades and assessment data.

After sorting your homeroom students, you will submit the following by May 30th, 2019

• Transition Ready - Classroom universal profile is updated and those who are transition ready are highlighted in GREEN

• Not Transition Ready - students are highlighted in YELLOW on the class profile and have a completed TRANSITION PLAN (one-pager - this will be provided to you next Monday).

• Tier 3 Not Transition Ready Plan -- students will be highlighted in RED on the universal profile and have a completed Tier 3 NOT READY PLAN (again will be provided next Monday).

These items will help prepare our work for next school year.  This is a hard deadline.

General Information:

• We will have faculty meeting this week - KPREP logistics
• Please begin taking down content specific items in third through fifth grade classrooms, those that will be used for KPREP, and hallways frequented by third through fifth grade students. 

Staff Appreciation Week

Team,

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and I want to start by thanking everyone for being a teacher at King Elementary.  Whether you are the primary facilitator of classroom instruction, support learning in small groups, support teachers with collaboration and modeling, teach students to take care of our building, eat nutritious meals, take care of themselves, support parents or teach other staff members -- your work is greatly appreciated.

I want to thank you for choosing daily to impact the lives of students and families within our school. 

Two Weeks Until KPREP

We have two weeks until we begin KPREP testing in our building.  The window is from May 20th - 28th.  As we continue to prepare students in grades 3-5, be mindful to continue your encouragement and push for quality work.  During the next 23 days, it is crucial to maintain high expectations for learning and plan engaging learning activities for students.


MAP Growth Results

Our spring MAP results show growth across many grade levels, below is a summary:

K (reading) 37% of students met expected growth, down from 46% in winter
K (math)   54% of students met expected growth, consistent with 54% in winter

1st (reading) 35% of students met expected growth, down from 39% in winter
1st (math) 46% of students met expected growth, up from 38% in winter

2nd (reading) 25% of students met expected growth, down from 27% in winter
2nd (math) 39% of students met expected growth, down from 41% in winter

3rd (reading) 34% of students met expected growth, down from 37% in winter
3rd (math) 33% of students met expected growth, down from 41% in winter

4th (reading) 33% of students met expected growth, up from 32% in winter
4th (math) 30% of students met expected growth, up from 27% in winter

5th (reading) 47% of students met expected growth, up from 35% in winter
5th (math) 34% of students met expected growth, down from 37% in winter

Please take time to reflect on the growth and lack of growth for students in your classroom.  Our next steps forward consist of the following:

• Using MAP results to plan for instruction for the next 23 days
• Using MAP results to move from progress on acceleration plans to create transition plans for any students not considered "transition ready."  This is a district directive.
• This will help us plan for students we know need additional support through the summer (can advise parents) and to purposely group students for reading and math to begin the new school year.

Schedule

• Learning checks this week
• SBDM meeting Monday 5/6 @ 7:45AM
• Faculty meeting Tuesday --KPREP logistics
• Interviews (ECE Implementation Coach) will be Thursday 5/9 -- More info to come