Academic Office Newsletter

From the Office of Dr. Paula Knight, Deputy Superintendent of Academics

ACCESS Training Dates

ACCESS is a standardized test taken annually by English language learners in kindergarten through 12th grade to assess their English language proficiency. All ACCESS test coordinators and administrators must complete training annually. The next training date is Jan. 8, 2020.

This training session is geared toward test coordinators in the ESOL center schools (see list below). Test coordinators from ESOL non-center schools who did not attend their scheduled training earlier this week can also join this training session.

WHAT: ACCESS Training Session
WHERE: 801 N. 11th Street, PD Loft
WHEN: 8am to 3pm

See schedule below regarding training times for specific ACCESS training sessions:

8-10:30am - ACCESS online/paper pencil for grades 1-12
10:30am to noon - Kindergarten ACCESS training
1-3pm - Alternate ACCESS 1-12 (for students with significant cognitive disabilities)

Training participants should bring laptops. Time will be provided for online training, ACCESS administration certification and scheduling. Questions regarding this training can be directed to the ESOL office at 314-664-1066.

List of Non-Centers: Adams, AESM @Carver, Dunbar, Froebel, Gateway ES, Gateway Michael, Hodgen, Humboldt, Jefferson, Lyon, Meramec, Monroe, Mallinckrodt, Nance, Pamoja, Patrick Henry, Peabody, Shaw, Shenandoah, Stix, Washington Montessori, Wilkinson, AESM @ L’Ouverture, Carr Lane, Fanning, McKinley Jr., McKinley High, Carnahan, Central VPA, Cleveland, Clyde, Collegiate, Nottingham, Innovative Concepts, SLPS Therapeutic, Great Circle, Virtual Gateway, & Virtual Roosevelt.

List of ESOL Centers: Buder, Dewey, Mann, Mason, Mullanphy, Oak Hill, Sigel, Woodward, Woerner, Busch, Compton Drew, Gateway MS, Long, Gateway STEM, Roosevelt, Soldan, NCNAA K-8, & NCNAA 9-10

Immunization Compliance Assistance

Nurses and Family Community Specialists from the Student Support Services Office will work in collaboration with schools to assist with student immunization non-compliance.

These staff will contact parents via phone calls/home visits to provide required immunization notices and a community resource list to obtain immunizations. Questions or concerns? Please contact Nurse Surilla Shaw (314 -532-3092) or Family and Community Engagement Director Jeffrey Rhone (314-536-0417).

iPad Expectations

The iPad support team has recently completed a walkthrough at each school to make sure that the carts are available and that chargers are wired in each cart. The expectation is that the iPads are used as a technology tool in the classroom at a minimum of 75% per week. The apps that are downloaded on each device are aligned to supporting and providing more exposure in the daily curriculum. Please remind your teachers of this expectation.

First Semester Exam Schedule

The first semester exam schedule is as follows:

DAY OF WEEK	HOUR OF DAY
Monday, Dec. 16	1st and 2nd hours
Tuesday, Dec. 17	5th and 6th hours
Wednesday, Dec. 18	3rd and 4th hours
Thursday, Dec. 19	7th and 8th hours

GOOD NEWS: ITEF Grants

The District has received two sizeable grants from the Innovative Technology Education Fund (ITEF) as part of their 2019 Catapult Grant cycle!

Nottingham CAJT High School has received a $29,911.75 grant for new laptop computers, iPads, headphones and a charging cart. As requested by the school, "This technology is needed to create real-life learning environments that will prepare our students for a more independent, productive and safe adult life after they leave our school. ... Learning to use the technology with appropriate social and business etiquette, writing emails, accessing online support, etc., will open up a world of opportunities that are especially important for our students with disabilities."

A second grant totaling $29,707.75 was awarded to Carr Lane VPA Middle School for updated computers and charging carts. "Our goal is to create classrooms in which our students are able to use open source educational materials to learn social studies and engage in the practices of the social science. ... Receiving a grant will increase our capacity for innovation. Students, parents, teachers, and other community members will be able to communicate and collaborate more effectively. It will reduce the need for textbooks and allow for faster and more efficient delivery of lessons. This new technology will promote technology-based skills and make learning more engaging and relevant to the students."

GOOD NEWS: LEGO League Winners

The SLPS FIRST LEGO League Qualifier #05 was held Saturday, Nov. 23. Fifteen SLPS teams competed in a dual contest with a Red Division and Blue Division. Below are the results. Congratulations to all who took part. This is learning that is FUN!

Robot Performance Award: Hodgen Inventors (RED) and Mason Masterminds (BLUE)
Robot Design Award: Compton-Drew Builders (RED) and Mason Inventors (BLUE)
Project Award: Shaw V3PA Crew (RED) and McKinley Robo Warriors 3 (BLUE)
Core Values Award: Patrick Henry (RED) and Long LIMitless (BLUE)
Champion Award: Hodgen Inventors (RED) and Mason Masterminds (BLUE)

The Champion Award winners will proceed to the next round of play in January. It is the hope that all teams will continue in the spring working on programming, building, etc.

If your school did not participate, but you would like to learn more about FLL (ages 8 to 14), contact Elizabeth.Bender@slps.org.

GOOD NEWS: Soccer Stars!

Congratulations to Buder Elementary for winning first place in soccer league and Lexington Elementary for bringing home second place. Both teams displayed hard work, dedication to the game and heart!

Did You Miss an Issue of the Academic Office Newsletter?

There is now an archive of all issues of the Academic Office Newsletter. Yay! Click HERE or visit slps.org/AONArchive.

PD Booster Sessions Schedule

Click HERE for a full calendar of upcoming booster sessions from the Curriculum Team!

STANDARDS-BASED LEARNING CORNER

Have you heard the buzz about Standards-Based Learning? It’s coming in August, and we want you to be informed. Be sure to check the Academic Newsletter’s Standards-Based Learning Corner every week for updates and ways you can be part of the conversation!

What is Standards-Based Grading/Grading for Learning?

In a standards-based system, teachers report what students know and are able to do relative to the Missouri Learning Standards. The system includes:

The improvement of student achievement of standards and learning targets in all content areas,
The mastery of defined learning targets instead of the accumulation of points,
The reporting of student achievement toward meeting learning targets at a given time by reflecting on mounting evidence based on various forms of assessments,
A record keeping system that provides teachers with information that allows them to adjust learning practices to meet the needs of students, and
A system that encourages student reflection and responsibility

Ultimately, it is a shift of focus from teaching to learning.

CURRICULUM CORNER: Performing Arts

The calendar of concerts and performances for the end of first semester is available HERE.

Please plan to come out to see our talented students perform! Any questions? Please contact Kaye Harrelson.

CURRICULUM CORNER: Science

The crosscutting concepts are the third domain of 3-Dimensional Instruction. They have application across all domains of science. They include patterns; cause and effect; scale, proportion and quantity; systems and system models; energy and matter; structure and function; and stability and change.

CCC #3 – Scale, Proportion and Quantity – In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different size, time, and energy scales, and to recognize proportional relationships between different quantities as scales change.

CCC #4 – Systems and System Models – A system is an organized group of related object or components; models can be used for understanding and predicting the behavior of systems.

For more information visit ngss@nsta.org.

CURRICULUM CORNER: ELA 6-12

ELA Common Formative Assessments

High School: Dec. 2-13
Middle School: Dec. 9-19

MAP and EOC Writing Prompt Toolkits from DESE: Please use the following resources from DESE to prepare students for the writing performance tasks on the MAP and EOC assessments.

MAP Grade 8 Writing Samples

• Practice Form – Narrative Prompt

• OTT Form – Argumentative Prompt

• Released Passage-Based Reading Items and Informative / Explanatory Writing Prompt

» Released Passage-Based Reading Set Scoring Guide

» Released Passage-Based Informative / Explanatory Writing Samples

MAP Assessment Writer’s Checklist

• Grade-Level Assessment Writer’s Checklist

MAP Assessment Scoring Guides

• Argumentative (Grades 6-8)

• Informational Explanatory (Grades 3-8)

• Narrative (Grades 3-8)

EOC English Writing Samples

• English I Writing Samples

• English II Writing Samples

EOC English Assessment Writer’s Checklist

• End-of-Course English I and II Assessment Writer’s Checklist

EOC English Scoring Guides

• Conventions Scoring Guide

• Development Scoring Guide

• Organization Scoring Guide

Guest WiFi Password

December: peace

DISTRICT CALENDAR

THROUGH DEC 14
♦ Annual Scholastic Warehouse Sale: REGISTER

DEC 7-11
♦ Learning Forward's annual conference in St. Louis: INFO

DEC 10
♦ December Leadership Professional Learning Experience (PLE)
♦ Board of Education meeting

DEC 19
♦ Quarter 2 ends

DEC 20
♦ Recordkeeping Day (no students)

DEC 23-31
♦ Winter Break for school-based staff, 12-month staff work Dec. 23, Dec. 26-27 and Dec. 30-31

JAN 8
♦ ACCESS test training

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Academic Office Newsletter

From the Office of Dr. Paula Knight, Deputy Superintendent of Academics

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