Month: November 2012

News and Information ~ December, 2012

 - by price_s

WHAT’S NEW?:

Hello Coordinators,

The purpose of this blog is to provide regular communication to keep you apprised of upcoming events, updates, and resources as a means of support to help you in your work! My goal is to issue a blog during the first week of each month. If there is information you feel would be beneficial to others, and you’d like me to include this in the blog, please let me know! I hope you find this communication helpful as you tackle the enormous job of Title Coordinator!!

As more and more entries as posted, you will notice the building of “categories” located on the right hand side of the page. These categories serve as a quick link to archived information where you can click and search for information posted at an earlier date. This is a great way to access information and refresh our memories!

Parent & Family Involvement: As you may recall, Alicia asked that you select the top 3-4 activities you’d like her to develop electronic kits for, first. Based on your feedback, the following activities received the most “tallies”:

  • Math Games from Around the World
  • Family Literacy Training ~ How to Read to Your Child
  • Game Night/Kits (math) ~ student made math games, along with take-home kits and math related books
  • Grade Level Theme Nights

Please find tallies for all the activities attached here: Parent & Family Involvement Activities Tally Sheet

The question of supplement vs. supplant often surfaces when considering the spending of Title dollars, particularly surrounding the implementation of CCSS. ODE has issued a “Supplement, Not Supplant Test” to help districts determine whether a fiscal expenditure supplements, rather than supplants. Districts should ask themselves:

Test 1: Required ~ is the program or activity that the district wants to fund with ESEA funds required under state, local, or another federal law? If it is, then it is supplanting.
Test 2: Equivalency ~ Were state or local funds used in the past to pay for this program or activity? If they were, it is supplanting.
Test 3: Non-ESEA Programs ~ Are the same programs or activities being implemented in other schools that do not receive ESEA funds and are these programs and activities being paid for with state or local funds? If yes, then this is supplanting.

Math Resources ~ below, please find some resources that were shared by Chris Castellio, Associate Director of K-12 Mathematics:

First, if you are not familiar with National Council of Teacher of Mathematics (NCTM) they have a wonderful site called Illuminations that provides teachers with interactive tools, lessons and tasks. Click around the site, you will be surprised what you might find.

Second, here is a link to a remarkable site that maps out the common core standards. The map is interactive so you may click on any cell and you will see an example of learning progressions and other examples of what is expected of the standard, http://turnonccmath.net/

Third, here is a link to common core math tools (NCTM- requires a download). This is an amazing tool that provides teachers and students with interactive graphing apps, geometry apps and statistical apps. The main grades for this is secondary however there may be some elementary use for the tool,
http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=32702

All of these tools are free and show the power of having a common set of standards ~ so much stuff is being produced that it is hard to keep track.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS:
Forms for compliance documents can be found on the 4j website. Click on the highlighted phrase to the left to quickly access the forms.

As a reminder, we are trying a new system for submitting compliance documents:

  1. When you print a document for your site notebook, print a second copy for the district notebook.
  2. Collect these hard copies and bring them to the monthly Principal/Coordinator meetings. Penny will be in attendance 15 minutes before/after each meeting to collect and check off items. This way, Penny is able to check off and file documents in a single setting, once a month. She is also able to ask questions, should there be need for clarification. And, she will be able to distribute friendly reminder notices for missing items during Principal/Coordinator meetings as well.
  3. If you are visiting the Ed Center, feel free to hand deliver documents to Penny. If sending documents in, via the intra-district mail system, please make sure items include your school’s name and are easily identifiable. Doing your best to send items, due within a single month, in at one time would be helpful.

If we find this system is not working, we will try, try, again; we are open to suggestions! And don’t worry; I will adjust the deadline for “prizes” to coincide with our Principal/Coordinator meetings. Thank you, in advance, for your support as we experiment with a new system!

DEADLINES TO REMEMBER:
Items due by December 13, 2012: (NOTE November items are due on 12/13. You can bring your printed documents to our Extended Learning w/Technology PD. Penny will be available before/after the meeting to accept documents). Recognition for having submitted ALL required documents, to date, will take place on 12/17 during our Principal/Coordinator meeting. For easy access to the forms, simply click on the highlighted titles below.

Due on, or before, December 21, 2012:
The Collaborative Practice Lesson Study proposals; please submit completed projects to Suzy. This is a great opportunity to collaborate with a colleague in a lesson study. Proposals are due before winter break with the goal to start lesson studies in late January/early February. Attached, please find the overview and agreement here: Collaboration Practice OVERVIEW (Title I Schools) and Collaborative Project AGREEMENT (Title I Schools)

Items due by February 4, 2013:

  • Semi-annual certification (working 100% out of Title funds). Bee will send these to Principals and cc Coordinators.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
12/13:  Extended Learning w/Technology PD; 8:15-11:15 for everyone; 8:15-1:00 for Coordinators
12/17:  Principal/Coordinators meeting; 2:00-3:30

NO Principal/Coordinator meeting in January

2/4:     Principal/Coordinators meeting; 2:00-3:30
2/28:  Extended Learning w/Technology PD; 8:15-11:15 for everyone; 8:15-1:00 for Coordinators
3/11:   Principal/Coordinator meeting may be cancelled due to a conflict with a LeL group; we may reschedule rather than cancel; stay tuned
4/15: Principal/Coordinators meeting; 2:00-3:30
5/7:  Extended Learning w/Technology PD; 8:15-11:15 for everyone; 8:15-1:00 for Coordinators
5/13: District CIP; 12:00-1:00 in auditorium
5/13: Principal/Coordinators meeting; 1:00-2:30 NOTE TIME DIFFERENCE from other meetings