SBA and IAB Udpates

Assessment Department The purpose of the White River School District is to provide student data that informs actions that improve student learning.

Interim Block Assessments (IAB) Scoring Discrepancies The performance levels (Below Standard, At/Near Standard, Above Standard) reported for the Interim Blocks Assessments (IAB) are not determined by points earned.  Each item in an IAB has an associated difficulty (called a Rasch value) that was determined when the item was field tested. It is the relative difficulties of all items a student is able to answer that are used to determine that student’s proficiency. For example, two students earning the same number of points on an IAB might earn different proficiency ratings with one student being Below Standard and the other At/Near Standard. The student At/Near Standard was able to answer more difficult items.   Also noteworthy are the two-point items, if the IAB includes them. There is a Rasch value associated with earning only 1 point on a 2 point item that is significantly lower than the Rasch value associated with earning 2 points. In other words, it is easier to earn 1 point on the item than it is to earn 2 points, so a label of Difficult for the whole item does not capture the measure of difficulty for students earning 1 point.

DESMOS Calculator Update Starting on December 1, all practice and training tests that currently utilize a calculator in their Math or Science tests will now have the new DESMOS calculators automatically available. Also, any Smarter Balanced Interim, Smarter Balanced Summative, or Science tests will have available the new DESMOS calculators as well. The DESMOS calculators are enhanced versions of the previous basic, scientific, and graphing calculators.

Test Delivery System The test delivery system will be unavailable all day on the dates below to prepare for online test administration in Spring 2017.  As a reminder - these dates will also be posted on the Assessment Calendar in google calendars. Tuesday, January 31, 2017 Friday, March 3, 2017 Friday, April 14, 2017 Friday, April 28, 2017

Because it's not all about assessment...

Sesame Street: Janelle Monae - Power of Yet Do you want to grow up to be an author, an astronaut, a scientist, or a doctor? That's great! But maybe you don't know how many bones are in an arm or even how to spell...yet. Believe in yourself, work hard, stay focused, and one day you'll get to where you want to be. continue »

Meagan Rhoades

---

District Assessment Manager
360.829.3815 (office)
253.973.3975 (cell)

Week of Nov 28

Reminders:
Building Learning Time Tuesday (2 hours of 55 min Mtg) Work with your team leads.

Friday, Dec 2 Make it Take it!
Rotation 1 9:30 - 9:50
Rotation 2 9:55 - 10:15
Rotation 3 10:20 - 10:40
Rotation 4 10:45 - 11:05

PLC Success Criteria
Team Leads met as a Building Learning Team and worked out a set of Success Criteria that would ensure collaborative, efficient and student-centered PLC/Team Time. Consider them "Norms+" and it reinforces much of what teams are doing already and what we are learning from other successful teams in the district. We will review these at our next Staff Learning Time.

Analyzing Student Work Identifying errors and misconceptions Reflect on the instructional plan and lessons Identify interventions and extensions Reflecting in the TACA (Team Analysis Common Assessment)	Efficiency Start on time Team is committed to their assigned roles Come prepared according to the Planner Accountability to Norms Links in Planner
Collaborative Learning Dialogue Calibration around student work Inquiry mind-set Open-Mindedness Vulnerable and asking for help	Interpersonal Skills Respectfully listening Attending to others Coachable and Willing to Coach Crucial Conversation Respectfully disagree

Events and Dates:
11/28 - Marilyn and Emry Out for Training
11/29 - 8:30 PBIS Mtg in Nick's Office
            8:30 - 11:30 1st Gr Math Training at FH Rm 300
            12:55 - 3:55 5th GR Math Training at FH Rm 300
            *Building Learning Time for Teams (2 hours) Work with Team Leads to plan time around Unit Planning.
 11/30 - 8:15 - 2nd/3rd Grade Area of Focus (AoF) Update Nick's Office
             8:30 - 11:30  4th Gr Math Training at WK Art Room
             12:55 - 3:55 3rd Gr Math Training at WK Art Room
             3:30 - 4th/5th Grade Area of Focus (AoF) Update Nick's Office
12/1 - 8:15 - Lauri's Wedding Shower
           8:30 - 11:30 2nd Gr Math Training at MM Library
           12:55 - 3:55 Pre/EK Math Training MM Library
           3:30 - Salmon Hatchery Trip
12/2 - Schedule A
           Spirit Day: Blue Friday
            Nick Out - Carla In
           9:15 - Make it Take it!
    

12/3 - 12pm - Someone is Getting Married! Woot Woot

12/10         3 - 5pm - Wilkeson Christmas Tree Lighting (Might be changed)

Week of Nov 14th

Here are some important details for this week's events:

1) Wilkeson Health Screening is tomorrow for all students for vision and hearing. See Kathy's Schedule

2) The Scholastic Book Fair is open this week through Friday. It is open form 8:30 to 4, but will be open in the evening on Tuesday for the 6:30 PTA meeting AND on Thursday for the Family Reading, Writing, and Pizza Night starting at 6:30. 

3) PTA Meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday at 6:30 - 7:30.

4) On Wednesday, White River is very excited to be bringing Jason DeShaw to our district. DeShaw is an inspirational speaker sharing his story of living with bipolar disorder and alcoholism through music and stories. His personal goal is to let people know that they are not alone and that there is help. He brings a strong message of hope. This message is for families, staff and is at the White River High School Auditorium at 5:30.

5) Thursday is our Family Reading, Writing, and Pizza night from 6:30 - 7:30. Book Fair will be open. Certificated: If you attend, you

6) And finally, White River School District is proud to present, SHREK the Musical. There are 4 live performances at the White River High School Theater on Thursday, Friday, and 2 on Saturday. Tickets $10 and evening performances start at 7pm. See attached Flyer

Jason DeShaw Performance and Story of HOPE

White River School District is very excited to be bringing Jason DeShaw to our district. DeShaw is an inspirational speaker sharing his story of living with bipolar disorder and alcoholism through music and stories. His personal goal is to let people know that they are not alone and that there is help. He brings a strong message of hope. Please share this out - someone you know may need to hear his message. Thank you.

Oct 24 - 28

Reminders and Details
1) Take the CEE Survey. There is some time carved out on Tuesday from 3:35 - 3:55 to take the survey.
2) October 31st All Elementary PBIS Training is at 12:45 at Mountain Meadow.
3) Nov 1 - 3 Early Release and Conferences. Evening Conference is Nov 3
4) Register for this class by Friday, October 28
1558 Wilkeson Building Learning Time 16-17 (4 hours)


Dates 

10/24 - Spirit Day
    Debbie Out

    8:30 PLC

10/25 - 8am PBIS

    Picture Retakes 
    Right Response Training (Carla Out0
    12:55 - Science Adoption Team at Annex (Lisa and Carolyn out)
    3:35 - Take the CEE Survey
    3:55 - PD 55min Mtg - Library "Glad Overview" - Tracy Nelson
10/26
    7:30 - 8:30 - Principal and PBIS Facilitators (Nick and Karena Out)
    5:30 - School Board Meeting
10/27 - Popcorn
    Carla Out
    8:30 - 11:30 - 2nd Grade ELA Mtg at Annex Conf Room
    12:55 - 3:55 - 5th Grade ELA Mtg at Annex Conf Room
10/28 - Schedule B & Blue Friday
     Nick out for CEL Training
   

ALL Staff Please Complete CEE Survey

CEE (Center for Educational Excellence) Survey- WHY? Looking at safety, climate, and school environment. Will take about 20 minutes. Will give parent perspective from elementary and staff about the building.

Need All Staff to please complete this survey. 

1. Notification Letter Explains Why We are doing this!
2. EMAIL: EES-Staff Survey: White River School District (search for this e-mail if might have gotten buried in your e-mail)

October 10 - 14

Reminders

• Math Trainings this week. This is note from Aaron Rumack:     
• Morning sessions are 8:30-11:30 a.m. and afternoon sessions are 12:55-3:55 p.m. Thank you all for your help with setting up these trainings! 
• First, we'll meet with Janis in the location listed to understand a lesson and plan what to observe from kids. Then, we'll head to a class (indicated in parentheses) for the actual lesson. After that, we'll return to the original location to debrief what we've seen. We'll learn together and ask teachers to choose goals for their own classroom practices. Our Early Learning team will dig into Bridges pilot materials rather than hosting a Learning Lab.
• Walk-a-thon is on Friday.

This Week:
10/10 - Square One Are DUE
 8:30 PLC

10/11 - Nick Out
8:30 - 4th Grade Math at Foothills Rm 300
12:55 - 1st Grade Math at Wilkeson Library
4:00 - 6:00 Building Learning Time (Area of Focus and Unit Planning)

10/12
8:30 - 5th Grade Math at Mountain Meadow Library
12:55 - EK/Pre Math Library at MM
5:30 School Board

10/13
8am Choir
8:30 - 3rd Grade Math at Elk Ridge Kids Club Portable
12:55 - 2nd Grade Math at Foothills Room 300

10/14 - Schedule B
Blue Friday
9-11am at DDC: Key Communicators Breakfast for Community
2 - 3pm Walk-a-thon (Rain or Shine)

Week of Oct 3 - 7

Reminders and Details
1) Join PTA for $8
2) Turn in Sunshine Fund
3) Walk-a-Thon through next 2 weeks
4) STAR Expectation: Safe Choices -  Actions that help people from getting hurt and make them feel supported. STAR Assembly is October 21



Dates:
10/3 - Spirit Wear Day
8:30 PLC

10/4
8am PBIS
12:30 Design Team Mtg
3:40 Staff Meeting

10/5
8:30 - 12:30 BLC/Principal Mtg (Nick and Shauna Out)
3:35 - BLT Mtg
7pm Homecoming Coronation at WRHS

10/6
ALL Day - 4th/5th Gr Science Adventure Lab
6pm WatchDOG Night

10/7 - WRHS Homecoming Weekend
5pm Homecoming Parade in Buckley
7pm Homecoming Football Game

Week of Sept 26-30

Reminders and Updates

1) Welcome Back Mr. Ed Smith!!

Happy Monday!! How to get the week started...

2) We need to locate the 3rd Imagine It Phonics Intervention kit. 1 is in Marilyn's room and 1 is in Moser room. Who has the 3rd kit? We have classrooms that need them ASAP

3) Survey for scheduling 4 hours of Building Learning Time is coming your way Teachers.

4) Reminder to sign up for PTA $8. You also have a large reimbursement coming to you from PTA for materials you purchase for your class.

5) Johnny Appleseed History 

Dates and Events
 9/26
8:30 PLC


9/27
All Day - Early Learning Fellowship OSPI (Wilkening out)
8:30 - 3:30 RTI Benchmark
12:55 - 3:55 Elem Science Adoption Mtg (subs for Johnson and Hazen)
5:30 - 7pm GMS Open Hosue

9/28
1 - 4 K ELA Leadership Team (Bookter Out)
3:35 BLT Meeting
5:30 School Board

9/29
2:45 - 3:00 Walk-a-thon ASSEMBLY
6pm WRHS Open House

9/30 - Schedule B
Google Summit Bootcamp
BLUE Friday
Nick Out

Sept 19 - 23 Reminders and Details

REMINDERS:

• Double-check your District Directed Days (DDD) for Skyward using this Google Sheet
• PLCs start at 8:30 PLC Planner and Feedback Form
• Specialist Schedule A (2nd - 5th)
• Turn in your Sunshine $ to Debbie. $20 for full-time staff and $10 for part-time
• Ensure that you have practiced ALL the Emergency Drills
• Carla is meeting with ALL new students 
• We are starting our 3rd week of school and so we have 3 more weeks to positively reinforce all the behaviors we want to see in the classroom, transitions to and from class and in common areas. It is so IMPORTANT to continue to meet and greet students at each transition from recess, in the morning, to lunch, and to specialist. 
•  Shauna will be working this week with classrooms to facilitate the Benchmark Testing
• Share your parent communications with Nick. Communicate learning targets and events.

Instructional Reminders
Routinely remind students what they are learning, why it is important, and check for understanding throughout the lessons. Teach these routines explicitly. Schedule purposeful time for students to reflect on their learning. These are high-yield practices (P1, P4, A1, A2, A3).

9/19
 Spirit Day: Wildcat Wear

9/20
 Lifetouch Pictures
3:40 Staff Meeting - Health Training with Denyse
5:30 - PTA Exec Meeting
6:30 - PTA Meeting

9/21
 Benchmark Testing in Gym for K-3rd in Gym. Teachers bring their class to Gym and students should bring a book to read and look at while they wait.
Elk Ridge Open House
GMS Math Night

9/22
 WRHS College Fair

9/23
Schedule A
Nick Out for TPEP Training
2:30 K/1st Grade Grandparents Day

9/24
TPEP Training for New Teachers

Week of Sept 12 - 16

REMINDERS:

• PLCs start at 8:30
• Specialist Schedule B (2nd - 5th)
• Turn in your Sunshine $ to Debbie. $20 for full-time staff and $10 for part-time
• Sometime during the week we will review Common Area Expectations with all students. We will decide this at staff meeting. 
• Please Review all the Emergency Drills with your class THIS week. 
• Carla is meeting with ALL new students

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sept 12 - School Spirit Wear every Monday!
8:30 - PLCs - Please do NOT be late. Team Leads have a lot of work to get started with. Leslie will join 4th - 5th grade and Lisa S. will join 2nd - 3rd. Update planner

Staff and teachers will be taking class pictures at Caboose. Come in a long line so I can get a group shot of your class and your Teams.
 - 10:45 - 11:00 - Support and Office Team (Cleveland, Emry, Stock, Williams, Perez, Moumene, Travis, Corkrey, Reedy, Burgi, Tyler, Lindenbaum, Carnahan, Young, Smith)
 - 11:00 EK - 1st 
 - 11:30 2nd -3rd
 - 12:00 4th - 5th
 
Sept 13
8:00 - PBIS Mtg in Moser
9:15 - All School Behavior Expectations Assembly. 40 mins for K-3 and 45+ for 4 - 5th.
No Benchmark Testing as previously posted.
3:35 - ALL Staff Pict outside in front of school.
3:40 - Staff Meeting

Sept 14
8:45 - SPED Mtg
Benchmark Testing in Gym Most of the Day unless it gets postponed because of technical difficulties.
3:35 - BLT in Library
5:30 - School Board Meeting

Sept 15
6pm - 7:30 Back to School Night

Sept 16 - Blue Friday
Parent Headlines
Fire Drill

Literacy Practices We Should Abandon - Edutopia

What Doesn't Work: Literacy Practices We Should Abandon

June 3, 2016

Photo credit: ©Wavebreakmedia/iStock.com

The number one concern that I hear from educators is lack of time, particularly lack of instructional time with students. It's not surprising that we feel a press for time. Our expectations for students have increased dramatically, but our actual class time with students has not. Although we can't entirely solve the time problem, we can mitigate it by carefully analyzing our use of class time, looking for what Beth Brinkerhoff and Alysia Roehrig (2014) call "time wasters."
Consider the example of calendar time. In many U.S. early elementary classrooms, this practice eats up 15-20 minutes daily, often in a coveted early-morning slot when students are fresh and attentive. Some calendar time activities may be worthwhile. For example, teachers might use this time for important teaching around grouping and place value. But other activities are questionable at best. For example, is the following routine still effective if it's already February and your students still don't know:
Yesterday was _______.
Today is _______.
Tomorrow will be _______,
Does dressing a teddy bear for the weather each day make optimal use of instructional time? Some teachers respond, "But we love our teddy bear, and it only takes a few minutes!" But three minutes a day for 180 days adds up to nine hours. Children would also love engineering design projects, deep discussions of texts they've read, or math games.

5 Less-Than-Optimal Practices

To help us analyze and maximize use of instructional time, here are five common literacy practices in U.S. schools that research suggests are not optimal use of instructional time:

1. "Look Up the List" Vocabulary Instruction

Students are given a list of words to look up in the dictionary. They write the definition and perhaps a sentence that uses the word. What's the problem?
We have long known that this practice doesn't build vocabulary as well as techniques that actively engage students in discussing and relating new words to known words, for example through semantic mapping (Bos & Anders, 1990). As Charlene Cobb and Camille Blachowicz (2014) document, research has revealed so many effective techniques for teaching vocabulary that a big challenge now is deciding among them.

2. Giving Students Prizes for Reading

From March is Reading Month to year-long reading incentive programs, it's common practice in the U.S. to give students prizes (such as stickers, bracelets, and fast food coupons) for reading. What's the problem?
Unless these prizes are directly related to reading (e.g., books), this practice actually makes students less likely to choose reading as an activity in the future (Marinak & Gambrell, 2008). It actually undermines reading motivation. Opportunities to interact with peers around books, teacher "book blessings," special places to read, and many other strategies are much more likely to foster long-term reading motivation (Marinak & Gambrell, 2016).

3. Weekly Spelling Tests

Generally, all students in a class receive a single list of words on Monday and are expected to study the words for a test on Friday. Distribution of the words, in-class study time, and the test itself use class time. What’s the problem?
You've all seen it -- students who got the words right on Friday misspell those same words in their writing the following Monday! Research suggests that the whole-class weekly spelling test is much less effective than an approach in which different students have different sets of words depending on their stage of spelling development, and emphasis is placed on analyzing and using the words rather than taking a test on them (see Palmer & Invernizzi, 2015 for a review).

4. Unsupported Independent Reading

DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), and similar approaches provide a block of time in which the teacher and students read books of their choice independently. Sounds like a great idea, right?
Studies have found that this doesn't actually foster reading achievement. To make independent reading worthy of class time, it must include instruction and coaching from the teacher on text selection and reading strategies, feedback to students on their reading, and text discussion or other post-reading response activities (for example, Kamil, 2008; Reutzel, Fawson, & Smith, 2008; see Miller & Moss, 2013 for extensive guidance on supporting independent reading).

5. Taking Away Recess as Punishment

What is this doing on a list of literacy practices unworthy of instructional time? Well, taking away recess as a punishment likely reduces students' ability to benefit from literacy instruction. How?
There is a considerable body of research linking physical activity to academic learning. For example, one action research study found that recess breaks before or after academic lessons led to students being more on task (Fagerstrom & Mahoney, 2006). Students with ADHD experience reduced symptoms when they engage in physical exercise (Pontifex et al., 2012) -- ironic given that students with ADHD are probably among the most likely to have their recess taken away. There are alternatives to taking away recess that are much more effective and don't run the risk of reducing students' attention to important literacy instruction (Cassetta & Sawyer, 2013).

Measure of Success

Whether or not you engage in these specific activities, they provide a sense that there are opportunities to make better use of instructional time in U.S. schools. I encourage you to scrutinize your use of instructional time minute by minute. If a practice is used because we've always done it that way or because parents expect it, it's especially worthy of a hard look. At the same time, if a practice consistently gets results in an efficient and engaging way, protect it at all costs. Together we can rid U.S. classrooms of what does not work.

Notes

• Bos, C.S. & Anders, P.L. (1990). "Effects of interactive vocabulary instruction on the vocabulary learning and reading comprehension of junior-high learning-disabled students." Learning Disability Quarterly, 13, pp.31-42.
• Brinkerhoff, E.H. & Roehrig, A.D. (2014). No more sharpening pencils during work time and other time wasters. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Cassetta, G. & Sawyer, B. (2013). No more taking away recess and other problematic discipline practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Cobb, C. & Blachowicz, C. (2014). No more "look up the list" vocabulary instruction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Fagerstrom, T. & Mahoney, K. (2006). "Give me a break! Can strategic recess scheduling increase on-task behaviour for first graders?" Ontario Action Researcher, 9(2).
• Kamil, M.L. (2008). "How to get recreational reading to increase reading achievement." In 57th Yearbook of the National Reading Conference, pp.31-40. Oak Creek, WI: National Reading Conference.
• Marinak, B.A. & Gambrell, L. (2016). No more reading for junk: Best practices for motivating readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Miller, D. & Moss, B. (2013). No more independent reading without support. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Palmer, J.L. & Invernizzi, M. (2015). No more spelling and phonics worksheets. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Pontifex, M.B., Saliba, B.J., Raine, L.B., Picchietti, D.L., & Hillman, C.H. (2012). "Exercise improves behavioral, neurocognitive, and scholastic performance in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder." The Journal of Pediatrics, 162(3), pp.543-551.
• Reutzel, D.R., Fawson, P., & Smith, J. (2008). "Reconsidering silent sustained reading: An exploratory study of scaffolded silent reading." Journal of Educational Research, 102, pp.37–50.

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