TURNAROUND TEAM TIMES

Issue 4
JEFFERSON PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS * TURNAROUND NETWORK

February 2013

Dear Turnaround Team Administrators and Teachers,

I am excited to bring you this issue of the Turnaround Team Times newsletter. We hope that you will read this publication carefully because it contains important, valuable information that will help all of you in the work that you do to improve student achievement. As you know, we have a set of very explicit Turnaround Team Standards for our Network Schools. We strive to fully implement these standards in all of our schools. What do these look like in your school or classroom? This month, I would like to expand on this standard: Effective Classroom Practices with Quality Teaching and Quality Assessments While this list is certainly not all encompassing, these are some of the things that indicate that this standard is in place in a school. Teachers effectively plan and are prepared to teach all of the required content as outlined in the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum Teachers proficiently teach all lessons to students every day Teachers appropriately assess student mastery of all content Teachers provide intervention and reteaching when students do not master grade level skills If students do not learn, then we did not teach effectively. It is the job of the teacher to make sure all students attain content mastery. To monitor this standard, please refer to the TAP or Compass Evaluation Rubric. All teachers should be at the level of proficient or above on all indicators. Is this standard fully in place at your school? How can you work together as a team to improve this standard at your school? Please let us know if you need support or if we can assist you in any way as you carry out your role in ensuring that our children have the best possible educational opportunities provided to them every day. With great respect for what you do, Karen Bucher
Inside this issue:
DTN Website Coming Soon! The Number Line TAP Tips Special Ed Speaks Common Core Literacy Shifts A3 Showing Growth Timely Reminders 2 2 3 3 4 5 6

Network Team Members:

Karen Bucher, Network Executive Director Leslie Dubroc, Administrative Assistant Joan Albrecht, Math Jennifer Campbell, TAP EMT Sandra DiPascal, ELA

Erin Hardin, SpEd Carol Harvey, SpEd Gretchen Shotwell, ELL Elizabeth Towe, Generalist

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DTN Website Coming Soon!

Teachers and administrators need a place to find important resources within our network. A website is in the works that will help us share all kinds of valuable information. This site will go live February 4, 2013 and will be updated frequently. The url is: https://sites.google.com/site/jppssdtn/. Contact Elizabeth Towe with suggestions or requests for future content.

The Number Line

Testing is quickly approaching. I will be sending grade level plans to schools for reteaching those GLEs listed in the Assessment Guides that will be tested on LEAP and iLEAP. It is important to keep in mind the weight associated with
It

Joan Albrecht

each skill. For instance, fractions are heavily weighted in fourth and fifth grade so more time needs to be spent on fractions than on data. Fourth and eighth grade teachers need to work on constructed response items every day until Phase 1 testing in March. Other teachers should work on constructed response items 2-3 times a week. Every year Jefferson Parish students lose many points by not showing their work. Do not accept You Do work, Exit Tickets, or test papers that do not show work. Exit Tickets should reflect ANet items with multiple choice items, but students should have to show work. Released and sample items are available on the LDOE website under Libraries. Click on Browse and then go to your subject/grade level released items and practice tests. This link will take you to the library:
http://www.louisianabelieves.com/ resources/library/assessment.

is important to keep in mind the weight associated with each skill. For instance, fractions are heavily weighted in fourth and fifth grade

At your ANet 3 Data Meeting, be sure to address the review skill items as this will be a red flag if the students are not progressing with the review items from ANet 1 and ANet 2. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns at 390-1019.

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TAP Tips
Monitoring Student Goals - Standardized testing is quickly approaching! As educators, we need to closely monitor our school and cluster goals to ensure that our students are effectively making progress towards success. With that in mind, I have created several reflective questions for you to consider as you continue implementing the strategy with your students. As you implement your strategy with your students, closely monitor their results. Looking at your quantitative list from your IGP:

Jennifer Campbell

Who are those students that are scoring High? Medium? Low?

Compare your list to the results of your recent ANet test: Do you see any similarities? Is there anything you need to do differently to help move your students? Master and mentor teachers can use the results of these questions to differentiate follow-up support to your career teachers!

Are the same students consistently scoring low? If so, what do you need to Happy TAPping! do differently in order :) Jennifer to move those students?

Special Ed Speaks

Erin Hardin

SHOUT OUT!! Really. Our students with disabilities need your professional input! The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or PARCC is asking for public comment on the use of accommodations for statewide testing. Accommodations for Louisiana students with disabilities will likely be based on PARCC recommended policies and what PARCC includes in their Accommodations Manual, due out in June 2013. You can go to the PARCC website (http://www.parcconline.org) and let your voice be heard! APPS & APPS GALORE! Check out the list of user-friendly apps for students with special needs! So many are free and can be used with the iPads distributed to many of our special education teachers. Using technology to support classroom instruction with communication, literacy, numeracy, behavior support, and social skills can be highly effective and engaging for our students. Spend a just few minutes to learn how to make an incredible difference!! http://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-apps

Do your job.
Sean Payton

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Common Core Literacy Shifts

Sandra DiPascal

One of the literacy shifts that will be implemented with CCSS is: Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational. Text Dependent Questions Defined: An effective text dependent question first and foremost embraces the key principle of close reading embedded in the CCSS Anchor Reading Standards by asking students to provide evidence from complex text and draw inferences based on what the text explicitly says. Framing Text Dependent Questions: It is critical that a text dependent question originate from the text itself, and the CCSS Anchor Standards suggest that the questions focus on a word or phrase (Standard 4) or even a sentence, paragraph, or larger section of the text (Standard 5). Yet equally important feature of text dependent questions is that they should be framed as open ended and not leading questions, as genuine learning only happens when students can engage in an authentic conversation about the text instead of the questions providing the right answer immediately. Effective text dependent questions therefore encourage students to spend time lingering over a specific portion of the text looking for answers instead of just a cursory look to get the gist of what is meant. Sample Text Dependent Question Stems: Based on line #, what evidence is there that _______? Why/what did ________? What is the text evidence that supports your answer? What is the theme of ____________? Use examples from the text to support your analysis. What key paragraphs in the text support...(insert main idea, theme, topic, etc.)? Which words help the reader understand the meaning of ________ in paragraph #? Why does __________? Point to a specific place in the story to justify your response. What did __________? Justify your response with evidence from the text. Source to find exemplar text for K-12 classes: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/appendix_B.pdf
Sources: The Achievement Network The Aspen Institute

...as genuine learning only happens when students can engage in an authentic conversation about the text...

Education for a Brighter Future

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TIMELY REMINDERS

Joan Albrecht, Carol Harvey, and Sandra DiPascal

Free Books! Deadline is February 16th

The Literacy Empowerment Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, invites your school or other literacy project to apply for FREE books for Read Across America Day. During the past year, LEF has distributed over 3,000,000 books to schools all across the country for Read Across America Day and other literacy projects. Resources are allocated on a firstcome, first-served basis. Orders must be received by February 16th, 2013. Free Books for Read Across America Day: Order Form at http://www.lefbooks.org LEF 1311 West Chester Pike West Chester, PA 19382 Phone: 610-719-6448 Web site: http://www.lefbooks.org E-mail: info@lefbooks.org

RETHINKING RETEACHING
When choosing a priority standard to reteach, it is important to consider the following:

Which skills did my students struggle with? Is the skill going to be tested on LEAP or iLEAP? Is the skill part of one of the heavily weighted categories?

Teachers should have their ELA and Math Assessment Guides available when choosing a skill to reteach. The Assessment Guides can be found at the LDOE web site. Go to: Libraries Click on: Browse Click on: Assessment Guides Then, find the one for your subject/grade level and save it. Refer to this guide often!

IEP DEADLINE REMINDER

How many days until testing? Are you ready? Are the kids secure in their abilities? Please remember that all IEP decisions to place a student into LAA2 testing must be made and documented by MARCH 1, 2013. This means the IEP must be made official AND sent to SER by the end of the day on March 13.