It has been awhile - I hope you are enjoying some summer

Hello.  It was great to see so many of you at the PEAK training and I'm hearing wonderful things from everyone I talk to.  If you missed it - well, you missed it.  Hopefully we can find a way to bring this opportunity back.  But for now I look forward to seeing it in your classrooms next year.  Be sure to encourage each other in the use and support of the different strategies. 

Just an FYICathy Roberts' husband appears to be in the final stages of his cancer battle. We aer lifting them up in prayer. We will do our best to keep you informed and will use the text/phone tree if and when things change.

Here is a link to look at test items for the Smarter Balanced Assessment. 

The Practice Tests provide a preview of the types of questions that will be featured in the summative assessment beginning in 2014-15, including selected-response items, constructed-response items, technology-enhanced items, and performance tasks—extended activities that challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to real-world problems. The Practice Tests are freely available on the Smarter Balanced website: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/.

“The Practice Tests allow teachers and students to experience the higher level of rigor associated with Common Core tests and gain familiarity with the online test delivery system,” said Deborah Sigman, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction for the California Department of Education and Smarter Balanced Executive Committee Co-Chair. “Member states are making these example test questions available as part of our commitment to a balanced assessment system that provides high-quality information to improve teaching and learning.”

The Practice Tests do not include all the features of the operational assessments. For example, students and teachers will not receive reports or scores from the Practice Tests. Although Smarter Balanced assessments will be computer adaptive, the Practice Tests follow a fixed-form model. By fall 2013, Smarter Balanced will make enhancements to the Practice Tests, including the addition of performance tasks in mathematics, new accommodations for students with disabilities, and scoring rubrics.


PEAK training was attended by 35 District employees.  I have heard nothing but accolades from those who attended.  I look forward to seeing in sprinkled in classrooms across the school and District.  If you took the class for credit please submit your one page reflection to me soon.  Thank you.  I love reading them.

Don't forget time sheets for the extra CCSS days after school are due to Rebecca.  If you turned yours into me it has been submitted.

A HUGE thank you to Jayna who envisioned a plan for a large state technology grant.  We have been working on the drafting of the plan and writing the grant.  It has to be submitted by the 14th.  Then cross your fingers.  It would be a huge asset to Middleton Heights.  It would incorporate 1:1 technology in all classrooms on a limited basis - set to meet the differentiated learning needs of staff and students.  Jayna has helped me look at a few of the units teams wrote and submitted.  We looked for ways we could suggest the inclusion of this technology, sprinkling it in and building momentum.  

 
There have been two additional PD days added to next year.  These are added with 'soft' money and therefore are not part of your contract and not required.  If you choose to participate certified staff will be paid at their daily rate of pay for whichever days they attend. The first optional date will most likely be August 16th for elementary teachers.  We are still figuring the secondary day.  The work will be around the Idaho Core Standards.  The second optional day will be delivered third quarter through My Big Campus with a days worth of work and an assignment to be submitted required.  I will write a plan to offer credit but will have to tie it to the incredible professional development days being offered on October 3 & 4 so that you can get a minimum of 15 hours 'seat time'.  More information to follow but save the August day if you are interested.

Finally, I want to share just a glimpse of the work that has been taking place in the last several weeks as the team of directors have begun to plan for the future.  We have completed a book study on Crucial Conversations, knowing that many lie ahead.  We have written and revised job descriptions and we have met for beginning works several times.  This past week we took 24-Hours to get away for a working retreat.  During our 8+ hours of work sessions we were able to develop a common vision for the work of the Director's Cabinet and put into writing the goals and action steps for the District.  The really exciting part for me is to see all of the pieces come together.  For instance, the District has participated in a State group of teams through the Idaho Leads Project.  This morphed into a Middleton Leads group that has met for the past eight months to set the destination of our future.  The work of the Directors' Cabinet this week was able to take the Middleton Leads vision and put wheels under it to promote movement for the entire district in the same direction.  I am looking forward to the upcoming year. 
PEAK training