Grade Level Councils

Spring 2011

VESD Benchmark AssessmentsSpring ~ First Grade Only May 16th to May 27th

Student Activities and Assessment Calendar 2010 – 2011

Traditional SchoolsGrades 2-6 Testing May 16th to May 27th

Materials delivered 5-6-11 Returned on 6-2-11

Liberty, Sixth Street & NPSGrades 2-6 Testing May 2nd to May 13th

Materials delivered 4-21-11 Returned on 5-18-11

CST

Math Competition Wednesday June 1st

Junior Olympics Monday June 6th

District Career Fair Saturday June 4th 9:00 a.m. to Noon  Young Authors Books due to Ed. Services Friday April 15th

Learning For All Due to Ed. Services Friday June 17thChecklist

Important Dates

Assessment Window - Feb 1st thru June 8th

5th Grade PE File online - May 17th Completed file to Ed. Svcs - June 17th

VESD Writing Assessments

•Assessments posted before May 3rd

•(*All on line!)

•Scored in grade level teams

•NO DISTRICT SCORING

•Completed electronic file due to Ed. Services

by June 17th

•Submit samples of high, med and low papers

by June 17th

Skillwriter Reminder

• Any fifth or sixth grade teacher using Skillwriter for the year-end writing assessment must update class rosters by April 29th.

• Teacher will have to individually assign the prompt to any student added after April 29th.

CA Fourth Grade Writing Assessment Update

• Projected to remain reinstated for the 2011-12 and following school years

History of CA Writing Assessment

• Ca Dept. Ed, Educational Testing Services, and Pearson

• 2002 Summary Writing

• From 2002-2009 alternated years between Imaginative Narrative and Response to Lit

• Will never be Personal Narrative

• Temporarily eliminated in 2010

• 2011Nonfiction Summary Writing

Scoring History

• Field test prompts in 2000 for a 10 yr contract• Currently using prompts from that field test• New field test scheduled for Fall 2011• Statewide scores from 2002-2005 were poor and

inconsistent with ELA CST scores• 2006 CA Rangefinding Committee formed• Huge shift in statewide scores for 2007• Pearson continues to improve the scoring process• 2010 CA Rangefinding Committee meeting• Further accuracy in state scoring expected for 2010-11

assessment

Interested in Scoring?

• Pearson is currently seeking scorers.

• Visit http://www.flexiblescoring-ca.pearson.com

• CA teachers have priority

• Paid up to $12 an hour (accuracy and quantity are considered)

Need 5th Grade Teachers for 2011 Fall Field Tests

• Educational Testing Services under contract with CDE is seeking fifth grade teachers, preferably complete grade levels, to participate in writing prompt field testing.

• Field test window: September 12-14th

• Turn into STAR Coordinator by Sept. 15th

Professional Development Update

• District Program Improvement Training: Starting with principals only August 2011

• Summer Institute tentative dates:

August 15, 16, 17

• Opening Day August 22

• First contract day August 23

• First student day August 29

PDPlace• Register for all VESD professional development• Generates email reminders• “Unregister” feature• Generates training efficacy surveys• Generates certificates of completion• User can generate reports of completed PD • Now used to request P.E.N.S. visits• http://training.vesd.net

Multimedia PD Resourceshttp://www.vesd.net/curriculum/Staff_dev/index.htm • First Grade 5 a Day with Prove/Disprove Strategies

Featuring Jodi Hanson • Third Grade 10 a Day with Prove/Disprove Strategies

Featuring Susan Calderon • Fifth Grade 10 a Day with Prove/Disprove Strategies

Featuring Chris Soto • Songs to Teach Life Science/Plants Featuring Paul

Longshore • Electrical Exploration Featuring Robert Parkin • Literature Circles Featuring Michele Allen • Response to Literature Theme Tree Featuring Tonya

Almeida• Hundreds of 5/10 a Day TurningPoint slides

Careers Curriculum

• Directly related to the district vision

• Long-term commitment from the Board

• Strong connection to VESD Foundation scholarship

• 3 R’s

• Standards-based/research-based/project-based

Board’s Suggested Timeline:

• 2009/2010 Begin development of 3rd grade lessons

• 2010/2011 Begin development of 2nd grade lessons

• 2011/2012 Begin development of 1st grade lessons

• 2012/2013 Begin development of Kindergarten lessons

BREAKING NEWS…• Through a generous grant from Victor Valley

College, the K16 Bridge Program was able to fast forward the curriculum development process. A group of VESD teachers met over the summer to modify and complete the 3rd grade lessons, as well as create all of the K-2 lessons.

• Educational Services provided substitute coverage to launch the new K-3 curriculum. A pilot of the materials is currently taking place in grade 3, and a pre-pilot is occurring in grades K-2.

• PILOT AND PRE-PILOT TEACHERS ARE PILOT AND PRE-PILOT TEACHERS ARE ASKED TO PROVIDE LESSON FEEDBACK ASKED TO PROVIDE LESSON FEEDBACK AT THE GLC MEETING(S) PLEASE!AT THE GLC MEETING(S) PLEASE!

Overview of the K-6 Lessons • Kindergarten

– Introduction of nine Career Clusters

– Dramatic Play Centers

• 1st Grade– Chores– Financial Literacy

• 2nd Grade– Class Jobs– Soft Skills Formal Intro.– Past/Present (Family

Connection)

• 3rd Grade– Career Clusters (Community

Connection) + – 5-A-Days (VESD Version

Only)– Soft Skills + professional

dress– It’s Not My Job! (roles)

• 4th Grade– Soft Skills (Self)– Career Fields

• 5th Grade– Soft Skills (Community)– Specific Careers

• 6th Grade– Academic Pathways

“Learning For All” Funds for Careers Curriculum• LFA $ incentive as related to careers curriculum for 2010-11

is for grades 4, 5, & 6 only.• Sites can generate $5.00 per each completed student

portfolio. Teachers may choose to use either the VESD version of the curriculum, or that of the K16 Bridge program.

• A completed checklist must be submitted for each and every student. Additionally, copies of all designated portfolio work samples (as indicated on the checklist) from five students per class must be submitted. In other words, if you have a class of 34 students, submit an individual checklist for each of those 34 students and make and submit copies of all designated portfolio pieces from five of those students’ careers portfolios.

• Checklists will be sent via email to all 4-6 teachers and principals, as well as being accessible on VESD’s website in the District Career Fair Handbook.

• CHECKLISTS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ARE DUE TO MELISSA @ ED SERV NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011 Early birds are always welcome!

Third Annual District Career Fair• Event Date:Event Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011 (This date was

overwhelmingly selected by vote of the site representatives present at fall GLC meetings)

• Time:Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.• Location(s):Location(s): Lomitas Career Academy & Galileo

Academy• Grades K-6 are welcome to showcase their

careers curriculum culminating projects! Teachers are highly encouraged to attend, yet not required to be present in order for their students’ work to be included in the event.

• Please refer to the Career Fair Handbook (posted on VESD’s website) for additional specific details

District Career Fair 2011:Submission Allocations • Kindergarten

– Alphabet Books (10 per SCHOOL)

• 1st Grade– Career Shoebox Displays

(10 per SCHOOL)– Spotlight Speakers (1 per

CLASS)

• 2nd Grade– Career Visit Class Books

(1 per CLASS)

• 3rd Grade– Community Grid (1 per

CLASS)

• 4th Grade– Multimedia presentations

(10 per SCHOOL)

• 5th Grade– Display “boards” (10 per

SCHOOL)

• 6th Grade– Essays (10 per SCHOOL)– Spotlight Speakers (2 per

SCHOOL)

Career Curriculum Support

• Coaches– Annette Kelly (GAL) akelly@vesd.net– Kim Claire (GTE) kclaire@vesd.net

• Available for planning, PENS & reverse PENS

Student Authors Competition

• Books are due to Educational Services no later than Friday, April 15, 2011. Early birds are welcome!

• Educational Services will cover the cost of one book per each winning individual entrant. Sites and/or their PTO/PTA groups traditionally cover the cost of an additional copy of each winning entry to be placed in their school libraries.

• There will not be a district level recognition event. Sites are free to conduct the celebratory event of their choice at their own expense.

• Non-participating sites’ book allocations have been redistributed equally to participating sites.

REMINDER: CDE RESOURCE• “New” Online Forum http://www.myboe.org/ for Teachers to Collaborate,

Innovate, and Improve Student Achievement

• Brokers of Expertise is a dynamic website that allows educators to search for, and follow colleagues across the state who have had success in teaching specific strands of California’s content standards, &/or are working with similar types of students, and thus make their own experience in the classroom more effective. Teachers can use the site to form customized online groups to share experiences and challenges they face in the classroom, and to collaborate on ways to improve instruction. Users can share instructional practices through links, video, pictures, or documents that make it easier for other teachers to replicate innovation in their own classrooms. The website also lists where each resource came from and provides a blog where educators may share their thoughts on the resource’s effectiveness.

• CHECK IT OUT!!!

Bring Ideas/Input for 4-6pm meeting

• Brainstorm PI training ideas, when and how

• AAR Comprehensive Interim

• Frequency for Running Records

• Feedback for K-3 Careers Pilot

• Strategies to Share