Darien Public Schools District # 61

Friday, May 20, 2011

2011-05-20T17:00:00.002-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The Reading Committee will meet on Monday 23, 2011 for their final meeting of the school year. They will be determining AIMSweb target cut scores and District reading leveling procedures. Betty Faron will provide a recap on topics and information she obtained from the recent conference she attended.

Writing

Courtney Gordon returned to the District on May 19, 2011. She worked with staff members on grade level specific skills and/or techniques. Topics ranged from troubleshooting with writing, note taking and researching skills, proofreading, conferencing, and assessment. The time she spent in the district was very positively received and tailored to meet the needs of our students and staff.

Mathematics

The Math Committee continued to work with adjusting the mastery skills alignment with the Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core. They discussed how to transition from the current curriculum to the common core. They identified the conflict between moving forward and the delay in state accountability. Committee members were asked to review the mastery skills in relation to what is being taught and what is expected in the future for the next meeting. The committee is exploring getting the summer math packets on line for students to download this summer. The final meeting for the year will be on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

Science

The Science committee, on May 10, 2011, shared information on the work of the committee with the Board of Education. Board members received an update and were able to participate in a lab experience during the evening presentation. The power point presentation can be found on the district website under the Board of Education section.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee met on May 12, 2011 to further define the assessment tool. Committee members are working in their grade levels with the model and making adjustment to meet student needs at a variety of levels. The next meeting is on Wednesday, May 26, 2011.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

2011-04-21T16:00:00.002-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The Reading Committee met on Friday, April 15, 2011. They discussed each building’s Accelerated Reader participation for the 2010-2011 school year. Committee members will remind teachers that Accelerated Reader is a required component of our reading curriculum. They continued reviewing and updating the District’s Reading Instruction Model. They added language to the document and revised the appendices and glossary. The purpose of the update was to better align the Reading Instruction Model with the District’s Response to Intervention framework.

Writing

The Writing Committee has established the agenda for Courtney Gordon’s return to the District on May 19, 2011. She will be working with staff members on grade level specific skills and/or techniques. Topics will range from troubleshooting with writing, note taking and researching skills, proofreading, conferencing, and assessment. Committee members have used Google docs to help facilitate the committee work in conjunction with grade level teams.

Mathematics

The Math Committee will be meeting to discuss grade level progress from the last School Improvement Day and focus on adjusting the mastery skills alignment with the Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core.

Science

The Science committee will be meeting on April 28, 2011 to finalize plans for the May 10^th presentation to the Board of Education.

This presentation will be at the Board of Education’s Educational Roundtable on May 10, 2011. The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Eisenhower Junior High School. The meeting will be held in Eisenhower’s newly remodeled Science Lab area.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee will meet again on May 12, 2011 to coordinate the on-going work with the prototype assessment. Committee members are working in their grade levels with the model and making adjustment to meet student needs at a variety of levels.

Friday, March 18, 2011

2011-03-18T15:00:00.003-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The Reading Committee met on Monday, March 14, 2011. Amy Brundage explained the proposed changes to the District’s Title I program. The Committee agreed to expand Title I to all three schools.

They finished reviewing the Common Core Standards for Language Arts. They identified the reading academic vocabulary terms and phrases that each grade level will be expected to teach.

The Committee began considering updates to the Reading Instruction Model. They reviewed and updated the Literacy Vision, Philosophy Statement, and the Goals of the Reading Instruction Model. It was decided to not make changes to the Mission Statement and to eliminate the job description of a Reading Teacher/Reading Specialist. This document is in the Job Description Manual and will not be added to the updated Reading Instruction Model. The Committee began discussing how best to update the Focus section. This discussion will continue at the next meeting.

Writing

Writing Goals for the 2011-12 school year:

Goal #1: Form a structured grammar and mechanics plan for each grade level
Goal #2: Form a list of types of writing (genre) for each grade level
Goal #3: Make a parent handout regarding 6+1 Traits of Writing/Writer's Workshop

Mathematics

The Math Committee met with members of their grade level teams on March 14, 2011 to continue to develop the summer packets to be handed out at the end of the year. The packs will review the mastery skills from the current year. In addition, time was spent developing the assessment that will be used throughout the year.

As a reminder, the implementation of the math adoption is a phased implementation. The work of the committee and staff allow the progress to be ahead of schedule.

Science

The Science committee presented their work to the building staffs. They shared the work they have been doing in preparation for their Board presentation in May.

The Science committee will be presenting an update to the Board of Education on the process they have gone through and the direction they are taking with Science education in District #61. This presentation will be on May 10, 2011 at the Board of Education’s Educational Roundtable. The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Eisenhower Junior High School.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee met on March 10, 2011 and continued the discussion on a prototype reporting system, determining the assessment alignment at Eisenhower Junior High, and plans for the future. Committee members will be creating a grade level prototype reporting system to share with their grade levels.

The next meeting will be on May 12, 2011.

Friday, February 18, 2011

2011-02-18T15:00:00.008-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.
Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The Reading Committee met on Monday, February 7, 2011. The committee members read through the Common Core State Standards for Reading for Kindergarten through 5th grade to identify reading words and phrases that students will be expected to know. The committee’s goal is to select specific reading terms that need to be taught to ensure that students understand their grade level’s reading content material. In March, the committee will continue reviewing the Standards and selecting words for grades 6 through 8.

Writing
The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, February 15 to discuss plans for the May 19^th schedule for Courtney Gordon’s return to District #61. Staff will be planning the day based on individual grade level and/or building needs. The process of developing rubrics for assessing student writing continues to be a goal for the committee this school year. They have established tasks for grade levels to work on during the March School Improvement Plan and Institute Days.
Finally, the committee has established the following goals for the 2011-12 school year:

Goal #1: Form a structured grammar and mechanics plan for each grade level
Goal #2: Form a list of types of writing (genre) for each grade level
Goal #3: Make a parent handout regarding 6+1 Traits of Writing/Writer's Workshop

Mathematics

The Math Committee met on February 15, 2011 and covered a number of topics with regard to the math implementation. The committee readdressed the pre/post testing of math skills for students and made necessary adjustments. They discussed the communication that will need to take place in making parents aware of the changes in math instruction and mastery of skills. Finally, the members of the math committee are making grade level summer math packets that will go home with students at the end of the year. The packets will contain a review of the mastery skills associated with the grade level the student just completed. The hope is that the review will help with retention of the material that the student learned the previous year.

Science

The Science committee will meet on March 3, 2011 to review the plans for their March presentation to the staff, continue to develop science SMART goals for each building, and analyze the results from the parent survey on Science.

The Science committee will be presenting an update to the Board of Education on the process they have gone through and the direction they are taking with Science education in District #61. This presentation will be on April 12, 2011 at the Board of Education’s Educational Roundtable. The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Eisenhower Junior High School.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee will meet on March 10, 2011 at 3:15 PM.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T15:55:00.002-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The Reading Committee will meet on January 24, 2011 to continue working on the Reading Academic Vocabulary Project. The completed project will enable teachers to implement a common instructional approach to teaching academic vocabulary throughout the district. The committee will review the 2010-2011 Winter Benchmark Triangles; schedule dates for AIMWEB benchmark testing during the 2011-2012 school year, and continue updating the Reading Instruction Model.

Mathematics

The next meeting is scheduled for February 15, 2011 at 3:15 PM.

Science

The Science committee continues as they prepare to update staff and the Board on their work. They continue to examine the curriculum and are seeking parent input. They have sent out a parent survey through the AlertNow system. The link for parents to complete a survey on science education is:

http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/jpolasek/forms.cfm?myForm=14477

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee met on January 13, 2011 to share input from the research packet, further define the current system of evaluation, and develop plans for moving forward with updating the assessment process. A subcommittee was formed to look more closely at how we can work to better report a child’s progress to parents in the future. The subcommittee will be developing a prototype instrument to share with the committee at the next meeting in March.

The subcommittee will be meeting on January 20^th and the full committee will be meeting on March 10, 2011. Both meeting will begin at 3:15 pm.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

This month I am including information from each Building Principal on the work within their buildings.

Eisenhower Junior High School

RTI has made great strides at EJH this year. Karen Ochoa is the committee chairperson for our Building wide RTI committee. The committee meets on all SIP and Institute days enabling our committee to grow and represent all grade levels and most departments this year. The committee set yearlong goals as follows:

Increase understanding of RTI
Use of Data- (identify data that informs us of Reading and Homework baseline and progress)
Build Tier 1 Reading and Homework- (identify strategies/curriculum that can be taught to teachers and used in general ed. classrooms and core curriculum to reach all students)
Build Tier 3 Reading and Homework (identify students with the Most severe needs as well as evidence based programs for intervention to close the gap)

As a building, we have implemented a Tier 1 homework strategy of teaching students to properly and consistently use their planners. We have analyzed grade date to try to pinpoint problem areas and help us build on the supports for students we already have in place. We have changed our after school staff meetings to "learning meetings" in order to increase the time available for professional development.

Lace School

Lace teachers are examining individual students who did not meet state standards on a growth model to see if progress is being made over an extended period of time. These students, both IEP and academically at-risk, are being progress monitored on a regular basis.

Betty Faron and Kim Schultz (Reading Specialists) provided an in-service program focusing on information obtained through The DIBELs Reading Fluency (Aimsweb 2011/2012) assessment. This in-service gives teachers a better understanding of areas of weakness for individual students.

All Lace teachers have implemented a guided reading program. This leveled program also includes small group skill development for students who need reinforcement in reading. Teachers continue to work with Kathy Bruni, and Regional Office of Education (ROE) reading consultant, on the implementation of effective guided reading programs. In addition, Emily Becker, a third grade teacher, has organized a guided reading resource guide for her peers. Finally, Jen Reyes, a third grade teacher, has created a DVD of a guided reading lesson that is available to all Lace teachers to view.

Amy Brundage, Lace School Asst. Principal, is working with the school wide RTI committee to evaluate the current Primetime Intervention program. This evaluation will solicit input from teachers and analyze data to measure effectiveness. They will also be making recommendations for improvements in the Primetime program to be implemented during the 2011/2012 school year.

The RTI classes (grades 4 and 5) continue to provide support for targeted students. The organization of the class allows teachers to provide more personalized instruction for academically at-risk and ELL students.

Teachers are using the CRT data system to help organize and consolidate student data for individual students. Having this information in a central location should prove beneficial to teachers.

An after school reading assistance program has been implemented. The two-day per week program targets those students who need assistance in skill development and practice on ISAT testing. In addition, an after school student mentoring program began in November, 2010. This mentoring program, under the direction of Mr. Chris Nolen, fifth grade teacher, focuses on students who need organizational and homework assistance. The mentoring program meets one day per week with volunteer teachers serving as mentors.

DeLay School

Our RtI committee meets periodically (about every other month) to review our past practices, look for new suggestions and ideas, and plan for the future. We have utilized an RtI coach from the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE) this year to help us continue our implementation of RtI. At the beginning of the year, our coach presented an overview of RtI for all teachers, so that everyone would have the same background information. From there we split into grade level groups for further discussion and on-going planning.

This year our RtI (Response to Intervention) time is called W.I.N. (“What I Need”) and will focus on literacy related activities.

All kindergarten -2nd grade students participate in W.I.N. They will meet at a designated time during the day, 3-4 times a week for about 25 minutes each session to work on “What I Need”. During W.I.N., we are making the best use of our resources to help meet the diverse needs of our students. Some students need extra practice and support, while other students are right on target, and some students need additional enrichment to help expand the concepts being taught. During W.I.N. time, all the students move to an assigned room or space in the building to get the instruction that they need. Many staff members participate in order to try and keep the ratio of student to teacher as low as possible, especially in the groups that need the most support. Some of the following staff members will be working with our students during W.I.N.: Classroom teachers, Reading specialists, Resource teachers, ELL teachers, Speech teachers, Enrichment specialist, Aides.

The focus of the teaching depends on the results of the universal benchmarking completed at the beginning of the year, January and May. Students needing more support will be progress monitored more often in between the benchmark sessions. The results of the benchmarks and progress monitoring will be discussed at grade level meetings or more often if necessary. At these times, students’ needs are re-evaluated and changes to groups and/or content are made. Some of the areas of need that we will be addressing are:

Letter naming, Letter sound relationships, Vowels, Fluency, Phonemic Awareness, Oral Language and listening concepts, Sight words, Reading and Comprehension Strategies.

We will use a variety of materials to help us reach the students’ goals. Many of the interventions are research-based programs, while other groups may be using research-based strategies. Here is a sample of some of the material we will be using this year:

Michael Heggerty, Jolly Phonics, Leveled Library Books, A-Z Reading, Explode the Code, Road to the Code, LiPS, Great Leaps, SMARTBoards, Reader’s Theater, Poetry, Repeated Readings.

With this extra time designated for students to be working on skills at their level, we are hoping to see great gains in many literacy areas!

Our school psychologist continues to help us better understand the benchmark data by converting it into triangular graphs by grade level and individual teachers. We use this data to help us decide what to teach next and if we need to change our instruction to better serve the needs of our students. Many of our SIP Days are devoted to analyzing data and regrouping students for our WIN groups.

Notes went home at the beginning of the year in order for our parents to have a better understanding of RtI, WIN groups and our assessment/screening processes.

Friday, December 10, 2010

2010-12-10T17:00:00.004-06:00

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The Reading Committee met on December 6, 2010 to discuss the formatting of the Essential Reading Vocabulary Document. This document will have mastery words, by grade level, so as to develop common vocabulary across the district. They reviewed the State Learning Standards in relation to the Common Core Standards. These are currently being implemented. The Reading Instructional Model will be reviewed and revised at a future meeting so that the document accurately reflects what is occurring in our District.

The next meeting will be on January 24, 2011 at 2:45 PM.

Mathematics

The Math Committee met on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 to discuss issues related to the curriculum adoption. The committee reviewed the record keeping process being used in third grade to help demonstrate the mastery of skills and concepts.

The next meeting is scheduled for February 15, 2011 at 3:15 PM.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee met on Thursday, December 2, 2010 to review feedback from the November Parent Teacher conferences as related to the current report card structure. Committee members shared feedback from other staff members and parents related to the elementary report card. Committee members will be getting more feedback on the ranking system for the next meeting. All members were encouraged to review the research packet of information prior to the next meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for January 13, 2011.

Friday, November 12, 2010

2010-11-15T14:58:00.002-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

The next Reading Committee meeting is scheduled for December 6, 2010. At the meeting they will continue to move forward on the 2010-11 established goals. (See October 22, 2010 blog for the Committee Goals.)

Mathematics

The Math Committee met on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 to discuss issues related to the curriculum adoption. Committee members from DeLay shared an overview of how the first two months of implementation have been going. Topics discussed included:

Pretesting and post testing of students;

Summer Skills packet;

Sharing information on scoring; and

Ways to record scores and follow results.

The next meeting is scheduled for December 7, 2010 at 3:15 PM.

Science

The Science Committee continues to review the newly developed curriculum maps, as a whole, create a parent survey, and plan for the future.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee met on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 to prepared staff for the upcoming reporting cycle. The committee established a way to share the purpose and intent of the current report card with all staff members prior to report cards going home. They will be gathering input from staff members on the current reporting system and suggestions for improvement. Future meeting will continue with the discussion as well as gathering input from other stakeholders.

The next meeting is scheduled for December 2, 2010.

Friday, October 22, 2010

2010-10-22T17:30:00.001-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

On September 28, 2010 the committee meet to discuss the following items:

Accelerated Reader’s implementation in the District was discussed. This is not a pilot program, but part of what is done in all classroom. The reading committee’s role in the ongoing implementation is essential.

Fall Benchmark Triangles related to student performance were reviewed and discussed for each school by the committee.

MAP scores will be used to monitor comprehension for students. AIMSWEB MAZE probes will be administered, as needed, for progress monitoring.

Building updates on Guided Reading for each school were shared with the group.

Reading Committee Goals for 2010-11:

Begin to update the District’s Reading Instruction Model (This model was first presented in March of 2007 and last updated in October 2008)

Develop Essential Reading Vocabulary lists based on the new Core Standards to be taught at each grade level

Mathematics

The Math Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 to discuss issues related to the phased in adoption. The committee will evaluate the progress of the implementation, plan for the future, and assessment related issues.

Science

The Science Committee will meet on October 28, 2010 to review the newly developed curriculum maps, as a whole, create a parent survey, and plan for the future.

Report Card Committee

The Report Card Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 to prepare a common understanding of the current system to be shared with all staff, continue with the discussion on future reporting system, and getting more input, as the process continues, for other stakeholders.

Friday, September 24, 2010

2010-09-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Reading

On September 28, 2010 the committee will meet to discuss the following items: Accelerated Reader, Fall Benchmark Triangles (See comment under assessment/screening), Goals, and building updates on Guided Reading. They will be looking at any needed revisions in the area of Reading instruction in District #61.

Writing

District #61 began the year with continued writing training from Courtney Gordon, a consultant, who is helping teacher get writing off to a great start. In addition, time was spent with our speaker addressing specific grade level writing issues during a portion of the institute. Teachers found the beginning of the year training to be beneficial.

Mathematics

This is the first year of implementation of the recommendation presented to the Board of Education last May. Teachers at DeLay School are beginning the math implementation while teachers at other grade levels look at ways to move toward mastering of skills. The adoption implementation will occur over time so that children can progress at a reasonable pace.

The Board Presentation from last May can be found on the District website, (www.darien61.org) along with the list of Common Vocabulary and Mastery Skills. On the site, click on Curriculum from the left hand column and scroll down to Math.

Science

The Science Committee continues to review curriculum alignment and assess the topics taught from Kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Science committee met over the summer and are working on updating the Science Curriculum map using a common process of understanding the Big Ideas, asking the Essential Questions and Vocabulary. This process will continue for the current school year.

Report Card Committee

We will continue to investigate our current reporting system and communication with parents on children’s progress. Minor adjustments have been made to the current K – 5 Report Card to reflect curriculum changes in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics. The committee will be preparing a recommendation during the current school year in this area for the District.

They will continue to discuss the process that will need to be examined to bring about consistency in reporting on a child’s progress and articulation on the current structure among grade level teams.

Technology Update

Technology in District #61 is in the final year of the three-year purchase done in fiscal year 2009. The committee will be working to provided the Board with a recommendation for the future needs for technology in District #61.

Assessment/Screening

Curriculum Committees will be reviewing the Assessment Overview and make recommendations for updates and changes during the current school year.

Friday, May 21, 2010

2010-05-21T17:00:00.002-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

As the 2009-10 school year comes to a close, this update serves as a review of the year for our curriculum. One of the strengths of the District is the time and energy that our teachers and administrators place on keeping our curriculum current and relevant. There was a tremendous amount of committee work that went on this year in District #61.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

Very positive happenings are occurring across the district with writing instruction during the first year of the implementation cycle. As curriculum continues to evolve the implementation is a continuous cycle with this year’s focus on providing staff and students with training and skills necessary for effective writing instruction. Teachers have participated in professional development activities during this school year specific to Writer’s Workshop and 6-Traits of Writing. Next year we will continue to use the services of Courtney Gordon, as a consultant, to work with assessment of writing and building of rubrics and mini-lessons.

Mathematics

On April 27^th the Math Committee presented information to the School Board on their recommendation for math instruction. The committee was well received by the Board of Education as they presented their plan for mastery of skills and common vocabulary for staff and students.

The committee has been spending the year reviewing District curriculum and developing the recommendation for implementation. The Board Presentation can be found on the District website, (www.darien61.org) along with the list of Common Vocabulary and Mastery Skills. On the site, click on Curriculum from the left hand column and scroll down to Math.

Science

The Science Committee continues to review curriculum alignment and assess the topics taught from Kindergarten through eighth grade.

At their last meeting Joe Polasek presented the committee with an overview of how reference materials can be used to develop background knowledge for teachers on skills and concepts. In the future, the committee will be generating questions to be used to survey staff and parents about Science Education. This summer the committee will be working on further development of curriculum.

The committee’s next meeting is at 3:15 PM on Thursday, May 27, 2010.

Report Card Committee

The last meeting for this year was held on May 18, 2010. The committee reviewed feedback from grade levels on the current report cards. They discussed the process that will need to be examined to bring about consistency in reporting on a child’s progress and articulation on the current structure among grade level teams.

As the State of Illinois explores the growth model of assessment, this committee will continue to investigate our current assessment and reporting practices. They will compare our model to current research and information. Finally, based on a set of common standards, they will explore the most effective way to communicate that children are learning and successful.

Friday, March 19, 2010

2010-03-19T17:00:00.003-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

On March 12th Courtney Gordon continued to share information with our teachers and students on writing. In the morning she demonstrated mini-lessons to students at each of the schools while staff members were able to observe. During the School Improvement Day activities Courtney was able to sharing information with our staff on assessing writing and the use of Rubrics.

Mathematics
On March 15^th the Math Committee members presented information to their respective staff on the recommendation for math education in District #61. They shared common vocabulary, mastery skills, and gathered input from staff members. All this information will be presented to the School Board at the Education Roundtable beginning at 7 PM on April 27^th. The committee was well received by the staff and looks forward to sharing information with the Board of Education next month.

Science

The Science Committee continues to review curriculum alignment and assess the topics taught from Kindergarten through eighth grade.

Report Card Committee

The first meeting of the committee was held on Tuesday, March 15, 2010. The task of this committee will be to review the current research on reporting information, examine our current system and prepare a recommendation for the future direction. The committee members are:

EJH: Amy Steffgen, Deb Kowal, Sue Tullar
Lace: Michelle Greco, Caroline Matkowski, Chris Nolen

DeLay: Jessica Guziec, Gail Stocchero, Mary Andersen, Maryellen Fender
At their first meeting, Janet Boslett (4^th Grade Teacher) shared background information on the current reporting system as she was a member of the original committee when the the reporting system in District #61 was last examined. The Committee work will begin by gathering input on the pros and cons of our current system.

Friday, February 5, 2010 Update

2010-02-05T15:00:00.001-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Writing Committee will be meeting on February 9, 2010 as they continue to plan for upcoming events during the implementation year within our district. Courtney Gordon will be returning to the District on March 12, 2010 to work with our Language Arts/Writing teachers at each building. During this School Improvement Day Courtney will be with us while children are in session and in the afternoon when teachers will be participating in staff development activities.

Mathematics

The Committee met on January 21, 2010 to continues to develop the presentation on the upcoming math curriculum review. They discussed dates for implementation and needed time for the March 15^th Teacher Institute. The committee requested three hours from the staff development committee and it was granted. During this three hours the committee will present to the staff at their buildings and work with their grade level on developing skills more deeply for mastery. They have schedule future meetings for planning and organizing the activities for the March Institute on February 9 and 22, 2010.

Reading

The Reading Committee met on Monday, February 1, 2010.

Committee members completed A Parent's Guide to District 61's K-8 Reading Instruction Model. This pamphlet outlines the components of a balanced literacy approach to teaching reading and the National Reading Panel’s instructional recommendations for an effective reading program. This document can soon be viewed on the District's website.

Committee members from each building shared their 2009-2010 DIBELS Benchmark triangles showing the comparison between the fall and winter scores. Kindergarten Phonemic Segmentation scores were strong and first grade scores in the same area increased significantly. The DeLay reading teachers attributed this success to the adoption of the Michael Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Program into the kindergarten and first grade curriculums during the 2008-2009 school year.

The committee discussed the need to update each building’s Three Tiered Reading Instruction Program Chart and the District’s Literacy Assessment Overview. Reading teachers from each building will make the necessary revisions so each document reflects current practices in District 61.

The dates for the District’s spring DIBELS Benchmarking are set as follows: Eisenhower students will be tested on May 4, Lace students on May 5, and DeLay students on May 6 and 7.

Science

The Science Committee continues to align the Science Curriculum and where our District is with regards to Science instruction. They are working to present an overview of Science education in District #61 in a fashion that will be informative and useful to staff and parents.

Friday, December 4, 2009 Update

2009-12-04T17:00:00.001-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

Teachers planned prior to the return of Courtney Gordon who spent the day with teachers in each building. The hands on training allowed for teachers to see demonstration lessons on writing using the techniques presented at the Opening Institute. The design of the professional development was to bring Courtney back to the District after teachers have had some time to work with Writer’s Workshop and 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. The exciting part about the training was that it met the specific needs of our staff. Teachers were able to spend time learning and working with the skills within their own building.

We look forward to Courtney’s return to our District later this year as we continue to focus on writing instruction and common vocabulary for our students and staff.

Mathematics

The Committee continues to develop the direction for the District Math curriculum with plans to make a recommendation to the Board of Education prior to the end of this school year.

Tasks that the committee has been working on include how to assess students to determine if they have mastery of specifically identified skills at certain grade levels. In addition, format of the assessment and other classroom assessments are being examined.

Committee members will be meeting in January with other grade level teachers to share the work of the committee. This is a year of study and the committee continues to ask important questions as they work to develop the math program of District #61.

Reading

The Reading Committee has been working on developing an overview of reading covering aspects, which are focus points for students. The purpose is to develop a handout to share with parents and other stakeholders explaining what reading is all about for District #61 students.

In addition, Reading Committee members have conducted Accelerated Reader orientation workshops in their buildings to familiarize teachers with the new web-based version of Accelerated Reader.

Science

The Science Committee has been examining the current Science Curriculum and determining where our District is with regards to Science instruction. They have been identifying topics that are taught at each grade level. This curriculum area was last reviewed in 2001 and tied to the Illinois Standards. During this review we are able to reevaluate the alignment and assess our science instruction.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

MAP has been administered to all children in grades 1 - 8 this year. Due to other assessments being used Kindergarten students will take the MAP assessment at a later time.

Friday, October 16, 2009 Update

2009-10-16T15:46:00.002-05:00

The following information is published in the October District Newsletter. The full newsletter, which will be mailed to the community, can be read by clicking on the link in the top left corner of the blog titled: October Newsletter. The full newsletter will be available after October 20, 2009.

CURRICULUM ROUNDUP

A strength of District #61 is the commitment of the teaching staff working with students. In addition to the daily work with children, teachers serve on various curriculum committees during their tenure in the District. We currently have a number of committees working to ensure that the education your child receives is second to none.

Staff Development Committee

The Staff Development Committee, chaired by Ms. Amy Brundage, is responsible for the planning of Professional Development activities for the school year. This team, consisting of Nikki Alessi, Jen Daniels, Roy Wolski, Kerri Augustyniak, Ashley Burg, Janel Smith, Joey Bonanotte, Mary Andersen, Karen Pudil, Michelle Sleboda, and Kim Spears, along with administrative representation from Ellie Ambuehl, Bob Carlo, Marty Casey, Mike Fitzgerald, and Lisa Lantvit, meet on a regular basis to ensure that the needs of the building staff, curriculum committees, and administrators are effectively implemented. After each Institute teachers provide feedback to the committee which is used for future planning.

Reading Committee

The Reading Committee, chaired by Mrs. Betty Faron, was established in 2006 with the direction to examine reading and assessment. This committee, consisting of Mary Anderson, Cindy Folkens, Cheryl Halla, Veronica Heggie, Jane Moss, Karen Phomvisay, Donna Pidde, Pat Strittmatter, Karen Ochoa, Kim Schultz, and Sera Scharf, developed the K‐8 Reading Instruction Model as the foundation for reading instruction in District #61. This model is available on‐line for anyone wishing to read the document. It focuses teachers and staff on a common vision to provide a strong K‐8 balanced literacy program, which will empower each child to reach his or her highest potential.

Writing Committee

The Writing Committee, chaired by Mrs. Kristin Shell, was established in 2007. Committee members, consisting of Janet Boslett, Bonnie Bucholz, Gerry Dulkoski, Meredith Holdman, Jorie Kaspar, Michelle Ktistou, Kristie Lupella, Melissa McGannon, Kim McShea, Jen Reyes, and Caroline Pratt, investigated how writing is currently taught, what the best practices are in writing, and received training on writing in order to make the recommendation to create common writing elements for students and staff. District #61 teaches writing through writer’s workshop using the language of Six Traits. We began the school year with writing training for all staff members. This will continue during the school year and you will begin to see the common elements across grade levels as we progress.

Math Committee

The Math Committee, chaired by Mrs. Amy Steffgen, has been examining current mathematic practices and how we can bemore efficient with our instruction. Committee Members, Donna Adams, Kathy Atwood, Amy Brundage, Melissa Cox, Rhonda Esposito, Amy Mordaunt, Marion Nyhoff, Julia Polasek, and Julie Vallo, have been meeting to develop a list of skills that all children should have at a certain grade level. These skills are tied to age appropriateness, state standards, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Focal Points. The committee is working to make a recommendation to the Board of Education later this year. That recommendation will be implemented in the Fall of 2010.

Science Committee

The Science Committee has been formed this year and will begin the process of examining our current science curriculum. Committee members, Jessica Guziec, Becky Johnston, Lisa Smith, Sally Sinow, Bob Johnson, Caroline Matkowski, Paula Perisin, Joe Polasek, and Cathy D’Aquila, will look at the current research on science education, best practices, State Standards and our current curriculum and determine the direction for the future.

Friday, September 4, 2009 Update

2009-09-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district. It is also posted at: http://district61curriculum.blogspot.com/

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing
The Opening Institute on August 27, 2009 was very successful featuring Courtney Gordon, from the Smekens Group. She was able to provide training for all staff members on writing in District #61 using Writers Workshop and 6+1 Traits. She spent the morning working with the entire staff. In the afternoon she traveled to each building for individual building meetings with staff members. The staff feedback has been positive and the Institute Survey results will be shared later this month.

We are looking forward to Courtney’s return in December and March of this school year.

The Committee should be commended on the hard work they have done to prepare for the writing implementation this year. A job well done.

Mathematics
The Math Committee met this summer to continue the development of the concepts for mastery. Amy Steffgen shared the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Focal Points with the committee. The Focal Points are a list of skills identified as central to math curriculum. The committee compared the work they currently have done with identifying District mastery skills to the NCTM Focal Points.

The next committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2009.

Reading
The Reading Committee has been working to be sure that the new Accelerated Reader program is up and running in each building. They are working with the technology team to be sure the teachers are able to fully use the new program.

In addition, they met this past week to establish the district-wide testing schedules for Fall testing.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

MAP will be administered to all children beginning this year. Teacher received an in-service on this program during the Opening Institute activities. Teachers who used the program last year lead the training for the rest of the staff.

Friday, June 12, 2009 Update

2009-06-12T14:00:00.001-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Committee will be meeting this summer on the 6 + 1 Writing Traits information in preparation for the Opening Institute.

The Opening Institute on August 27, 2009 will feature Courtney Gordon, from the Smekens Group, who will provide training for all staff members on writing in District #61 using Writers Workshop and 6+1 Traits.

The committee looks forward to working with the presenter during the 2009-10 School Year. We have scheduled two additional times for Courtney to come to our district in December and May for follow-up training.

Mathematics

The Math Committee will be meeting this summer to continue the work on the master skills for mathematics. They will continue the development of the concepts for mastery and the impact of 6 + 1 writing on mathematics.

May 8, 2009 Update

2009-05-08T12:17:00.003-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district. It is also posted at: http://district61curriculum.blogspot.com/

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 to prepare the presentation to be presented at the Curriculum Roundtable on May 12, 2009. The presentation will be posted for viewing on the website.

The Committee has worked diligently preparing the district to move forward with common instruction and language in the area of writing and is committed with an implementation plan for next school year.

The Opening Institute on August 27, 2009 will feature Courtney Gordon, from the Smekens Group, who will provide training for all staff members on writing in District #61 using Writers Workshop and 6+1 Traits. The committee looks forward to working with the presenter during the 2009-10 School Year.

In addition, a resource, A Principal’s Guide to Leadership in the Teaching of Writing, is being made available for administrators to help facilitate implementation with this writing process.

Mathematics

The Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

The Committee continued working on creating a list of common vocabulary terms for use in the district.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 3:15 PM.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)

This academic measure will be expanded to include all grade levels for the 2009-10 school year. The pilot use of the program has been very useful at grades 1, 3 and 6 during the current year and we are excited about expanding the use next school year.

April 10, 2009 Update

2009-04-10T08:00:00.003-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. Topics covered were:

The committee had received the survey results prior to the meeting. The March 6, 2009 SIP presentations were very well received by staff members in all three buildings.

Decisions were made on the use of a speaker for the Opening Institute. The tentative timeframe will be shared with the Staff Development Committee at their April meeting. Questions were generated for the presenter and Meredith Holman will be the contact person for the committee.

The next meeting will be on April 21, 2009 at 3:30 PM.

Mathematics

The Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The following topics were discussed:

The Committee recommended that we develop a list of common vocabulary terms for use in the district. The generated list could be cross-checked with the ISAT vocabulary list.

The Committee made adjustments to the Curriculum Based Assessments.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 3:15 PM.

Reading

The Reading Committee met on Thursday, March 19, 2009. Topic covered was:

The Reading Committee recommended that District #61 schools would use Accelerated Reader next year. This reading program will be available to all students as an incentive reading program.

March 6, 2009 Update

2009-03-06T18:00:00.003-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction
Writing
The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Topics covered were:

It was decided that each building will receive a presentation from members of the committee using Keynote, to be developed by Kristin Shell, as the common information. Kristin has prepared a Keynote presentation with members input. The committee presentation will use this as the common information and insert specific grade level activities for use within the building.

It was decided to obtain Courtney Gordon as the speaker for the Institute on August 27th as a writing kick-off. Meredith contacted Brady Smekens to confirm the date and get the process of securing Courtney for the Institute.

It was decided that individuals should take advantage of the Scholastic Warehouse sale to purchase books from the lists generated for use with 6+1 writing. Each building shared what process they were using to gather information and organizing within their building. This is a continuing process.

It was decided to see how the presentations go on the 6th of March and to consider using the same type of information with the presentation to the Board of Education. More will be finalized at a future meeting.

Kim McShea and Meredith Holdman shared feedback on the recent writing workshop they attended. Future meeting dates were set for: March 24, 2009 and April 21, 2009 at 3:30 PM.

Mathematics
The Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. The following topics were discussed:

Teachers Rhonda Esposito and Amy Steffgen shared information on how they are using the MAP results within their classroom this year. The committee was able to see results, RIT scores, and skill sets. Overall the MAP sharing was well received by the committee and appears to be the way to go with future assessment options for Math. It was thought that the results would be useful.

The Mastery Skills document, which can also be edited on Google Docs, was discussed. The goal is to be sure we have identified skills and have a progression of skills as a child moves through the grades within our district. Once we have identified the skills we can move toward identifying overlap and skill gaps. Committee members will be reviewing the document and make the necessary adjustments.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

Reading
The Reading Committee met on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. Topics covered were:

Committee members from each building shared their DIBELS Benchmark triangles and discussed the comparison between the fall and winter scores. The committee then discussed how the data is being used to direct reading instruction.

Committee members discussed the status of phonics instruction in the District. Mark DeLay teachers gave an update on their Leading to Reading program and Lace members shared information about the Words Their Way program taught in third grade. The Committee recommended the purchase of the Jolly Phonics program to be used in Kindergarten for the 2009-2010 school year.

Dr. Carlo asked the Reading Committee to recommend if District 61 schools will use Accelerated Reader next year. The District currently uses a desktop version of Accelerated Reader which is no longer supported by the company. The newer version is web-based and offers many advanced features. The cost to implement the new version will be approximately $3000.00 per building per year.

The Committee reviewed and updated the District’s Literacy Assessment Overview.

Response to Intervention (RtI)
This month I am again including a short update from the Principals on RtI.

Mark Delay School
Grade level data meetings produced interesting discussions about curriculum, programming, and individual student progress. Kindergarten has decided to fully implement Jolly Phonics to strengthen the phonemic awareness after studying the ISEL and DIBELS results, which indicated strong growth in letter naming and letter sounds but less growth in this area of early literacy.
Students involved in the Poetry Academy Program (2nd grade) showed strong growth in fluency, indicating that this intervention is having the desired effect.

The first grade team will be analyzing the results of the Winter Map Testing, completed February 20th. The March SIP meetings will be devoted to discussions and demonstrations on Writer’s Workshop and 6 Traits.

Lace School
Betty Faron and Kim Schultz (Reading Specialists) met with every classroom teacher to determine how they can help them with reading instruction. In the past, the reading specialists have covered general topics to improve reading instruction. This year they organized a survey to determine how they could customize a program to meet the needs of individual teachers. For example, if a teacher needs assistance with guided reading, one of the reading specialists will go into the classroom and model a lesson. In addition, they will discuss the available resources (i.e.: leveled library, reading A-Z website) which are available to specific teachers.

The reading specialists and other classroom teachers also presented an inservice on three different reading strategies earlier during the 2008/2009 school year.

Eisenhower Junior High School
The RtI team is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, March 11, 2009. One of the topics they will be discussing is content area vocabulary and its role in student learning.

Assessment
February was busy for assessment as the second round of MAP testing was conducted in in grades one, three, and six. In addition, 2nd and 5th grade students completed the CogAT test. Second graders also were administered the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The results have been/will be used within the buildings, shared with the parents, and one element toward gifted qualification.

Students taking ISAT have completed the first week of testing this past week.

January 27, 2009 Update

2009-01-27T19:00:00.000-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction
Writing

The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Topics covered were:

Committee members provided an update on the progress with developing of lessons related to the writing traits. This will be a continuing task as we gather information and develop lessons and gather resources to address the different
traits.

Plans are being developed to share with the entire staff information on writing workshop and 6+1 trait writing. Topics to be shared include a general introduction, definition of traits, and how the traits look in the classroom. Resources are listed on the Curriculum Blog website.

Two writing DVDs have been created and are being shared at Lace and DeLay school as a way to let teachers see others teaching writing. EJH is working on making their DVD to share. Jen Reyes and Kristen Shell have put together the two currently being shared in their buildings.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2009.

Mathematics

The Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, January 13, 2009. The following topics were discussed:

Individuals began to share feedback on the curriculum maps in relation to skills, mastery, overlap, and assessment. Further discussion will continue on this topic.

The committee discussed the current Criteria Based Assessment being used in math this year. They will be looking at the use of MAP testing as a universal screener for future use.

An idea of creating weekly review questions in math was shared and received positively by the committee. Committee members will bring samples of how this concept can be used in their individual buildings.

The committee is working under the Curriculum Cycle timeline of a recommendation in January/February of 2010 for math instruction.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 17, 2009.

Response to Intervention (RtI)
This month I am again including a short update from the Principals on RtI.

Mark Delay School

Data meetings to review the results of winter benchmarking have been scheduled for the weeks of January 26th and February 2nd. Grade level teachers are being divided in half for the upcoming data meetings to keep the scope narrower and allow more time for discussion. Members of the RtI building team are currently converting recent data into triangular graphs so that teachers can easily identify the percentage of students from their class in each tier.
The recent SIP day was devoted to continued training of guided reading and a review of accessing student data. The RtI component to the CRT Program, in place at EJH and Lace, has been added for Mark DeLay students and appropriate staff will be trained on how to enter information on interventions being used.

Lace School

A self-contained fifth grade class was instituted to address the academic needs of specific regular education students and increase the academic time that targeted students receive ELL instruction. In the past, fifth grade students who needed a large amount of individual instruction were heterogeneously grouped with other students who were at a higher academic level. This grouping system made it more difficult for the teacher to meet the needs of both sets of students. In addition, the instructional delivery system for ELL students was revamped during the 2008/2009 school year. In the past, all ELL students were pulled from regular education classes for the same number of minutes of instruction without examining the specific needs of individual students. The new delivery system allows the ELL teachers to spend more time with students who required additional attention.

Eisenhower Junior High School

The RTI Committee came up with a unified EJH definition of RTI which it plans on sharing with the school at the next staff meeting. The staff was surveyed using Survey Anywhere to get their positive reactions and challenges to RTI this year.
At the last SIP day the staff was divided into two groups and were led by RTI Committee people to brainstorm on the topics of Differentiation and Student Motivation. Halfway through they flipped groups. All information from those sessions is in the process of being typed and sent to the staff as a whole to use as a resource. The administration will use the information to make positive change for the upcoming year when possible.
The next step is to work on a resource that can be used by current teachers for RTI information, strategies, and ideas, but can also be used as a training guide to the many new teachers entering our district year after year.

Assessment

The second round of MAP testing will be conducted in February in grades one, three, and six. In addition, 2nd and 5th grade students will be taking the CogAT test in February. Second grades will also be administered the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in February.

November 25, 2008 Update

2008-11-25T19:00:00.004-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction
Writing
The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, November 18th. The following projects will be created as they continue to work on the writing curriculum:

Committee members will be creating a video on teaching writing. This will serve as a way to help show others how Writer’s Workshop and 6 traits can be used in the classroom. Additionally, committee members will be working on developing lessons for the traits and generating a list of books for the traits. They will need develop how this will be organized to share with staff.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 20, 2008.

Mathematics
The Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, November 11th. The following topics were discussed:
Committee members continued the process of creating the Mastery Skills chart and tied the skills to the State Standards. We will continue to review the skills and address gaps which may be identified as we continue the review process. They were encouraged to share the information in their buildings and bring feedback back to the next meeting. Upcoming topics will focus on feedback on current curriculum, filling in the skills gap, and assessment options.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 13, 2008.

Response to Intervention (RtI)
Building staffs continue to work on their developed plans. The District RtI plan will summarize the goals for the district for the 2009-10 school year. This plan will be presented to the Board of Education on December 9th for approval. Once approved the plan will be electronically submitted to the State Board of Education. We anticipate, once received, that the State will provide feedback and further guidance on additional information they would need from the plan.

This month I am including a short update from the Principals on RtI.

Mark DeLay School
Analysis of individual student scores led to the formation of literacy groups at all grade levels, the assignment of ELL students to either two hour or one hour pull out instruction, based on need, and the placement of certain non-IEP students into Resource led interventions, such as Reading Mastery (Tier 3), as we progress monitor their academic growth. A small group of 2nd grade students have also been identified as low in phonemic awareness are now meeting before school several times a week with Jane Moss. Another group of 2nd grade students have been selected to work weekly with senior volunteers in a program entitled Poetry Academy in order to increase reading fluency.

Lace School
The Lace Staff decided to focus on the area of reading during the 2008/2009 school year. Teachers have been looking at the core curriculum and the District # 61 Reading Plan as the guidelines to meet the needs of our students. We have also examined the need to provide additional instructional time for those students who struggle with reading comprehension and fluency. This has resulted in some fruitful discussions about how to provide this additional time without short changing the students in other areas of learning.
One of the programs that we have been developed, and will be implemented beginning the week of November 17, 2008, is a reading assistance program. This program will meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays after school or for two hours on Saturday morning. Teachers recommended specific students who would benefit from this program based on assessment scores and classroom performance. The assessment scores used were 2008 ISAT (4th/5th) and Iowa Basic Skills results (3rd).

Eisenhower Junior High School
We adjusted our skills classes to align with RTI to increase the effectiveness of these classes which have already proven to be a great tool for improvement in student achievement. The teacher of the 7th and 8th grade reading and math plus classes, does all of the lesson planning with the student's regular reading and math teachers. The schedules of the students that were placed in these classes at the beginning of the year were also assigned a specific teacher so that the skills teacher would only have to plan with one teacher per department and grade level.

The beliefs that RTI is not a special ed. initiative, that all students have the right to interventions and strategies that differentiate for their ability level, and that data collection and recording was essential to diagnose and help all students was emphasized to the staff as a whole and once again in grade level teams.

Assessment

The November 4th MAP training sessions went very well. Teachers and staff were very positive about the training and the potential of the assessment. The Fall assessments were given to the students in grades 1, 3, and 6 during the weeks of November 10th and 17th.

October 28, 2008 Update

2008-10-28T19:00:00.002-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction
Writing

The first meeting of the Writing Committee was held on Tuesday, September 30th. The following tasks have been identified:

1. Follow up from Summer Workshop: Getting the word out: The following timeline for gathering resources for the traits was developed: October: Ideas and Organization; November: Voice; December: Word Choice; January: Sentence Fluency and Conventions. In addition the Six Traits of Writing Handout was shared with the committee for use in each building. The resource book from the workshop will be used for each trait.

2. "Writing Workshop-The Essential Guide"/Observation Schedule: Committee members will be working with their building (staff and administration) to be sure everyone has read the book. It is felt that this will help in understanding how the two ideas (writing workshop and six traits) fit together. Teacher observation of teachers using Writer’s Workshop should be planned in each building.

3. Graphic Organizers: This items was not discussed, but EJH does have some they are using.

4. Future Direction: District #61 teaches writing through Writer’s Workshop using the Language of Six Traits.

5. Other items : The next meeting is scheduled for November 18th. Items for next meeting: Updates on the Resources they have gathered and Plans/suggestions for Possible summer curriculum work.

Mathematics

The first Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, October 7th. We shared feedback on the summer information and comments can be summarized as follows:

We are challenged by the reality (ways to best teach mathematics and what to teach) and ISAT (how we are judged on mathematics in Illinois).
Other topics included: fluency with basic facts; number sense; additional practice for skills and what skills; what is mastery in mathematics; how do we keep parents informed as sometimes it is different from how math has been taught.
What are the skills, according to research on the Brain, that children are able to process-Is this something we should be looking at as we look at Math instruction and skill development?
Currently our math scores are consistent and fairly strong.

The curriculum cycle was review and the following tasks are being worked on for the next meeting:

1. Review current curriculum document to see if we are doing what it says: (what adjustments need to be made at next meeting)
2. Identify 3-5 skills, at each grade level, that students should have mastery in by the end of the school year. Enter data on-line
3. Reformat the curriculum based on ISAT skills (to be done in future)

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

Building staffs have updated the Planned Improvement goals from 2007-08 and the goals for the current school year have/will be posted on the district website.

Assessment

We continue to move forward on the implementation of MAP testing for students in grades one, three, and six. Teachers of these grade levels will be receiving training on MAP testing during the November 4th Institute.

September 30, 2008 Update

2008-09-30T19:00:00.001-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction
Writing

The first meeting of the Writing Committee this year will be on Tuesday, September 30th. The following agenda items will be discussed:

1. Follow up from Summer Workshop: Getting the word out
2. "Writing Workshop-The Essential Guide"/Observation Schedule
3. Graphic Organizers
4. Future Direction
5. Other items

Mathematics

The first Math Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 7th. Prior to this meeting the members have been asked to review the materials that they received prior to the end of last year. They have been asked to bring ideas and suggestions as the review cycle for mathematics begins.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

Leadership teams continue to meet in each building. Building staffs are updating the Planned Improvement goals from 2007-08 and developing the goals for the current school year. These are scheduled to be posted on the website by the end of October.

Assessment

We continue to move forward on the implementation of MAP testing for students in grades one, three, and six. Bob Hotton is beginning to work on the background set up of the program with our current servers. We are expecting to roll out the program at the identified grade levels in November. More information will be coming as we continue to move forward. The revised Assessment Overview is posted on the Darien #61 website.

The Local Assessment database is being shared with individual buildings and modifications are being made to the database and CRT to meet individual needs for getting student data.

August 26, 2008 Update

2008-08-26T19:00:00.007-05:00

Welcome back to this year's Curriculum and Assessment Update. This first update provides you with the information we will be presenting to the staff during the Opening Institute on August 28, 2008.

Curriculum and Instruction
Writing
The goal of District #61 is to understand that writing is a complex process that evolves from thought and oral forms to written language. The process is more than practicing isolated skills and reflects a student's personal interpretation and voice. The process of writing is recursive and includes many steps.

It is the belief of District 61 that this process can improve student writing through the evaluation of results; developing a common vocabulary; incorporation of the Illinois Writing Framework; and use of peer editing. Grammar is necessary for quality writing and most relevant when developed in the context of writing.

The writing document has aligned what is currently being done with instruction in District # 61 at all grade levels. It has been complied by the writing committee based on gathering information from all staff members. The committee continues to work on developing common vocabulary for all students as they continue with their writing education.

Members of the Writing Committee are:
Janet Boslett, Bonnie Bucholz, Ann Centers, Gerry Dulkoski, Meredith Holdman, Jorie Kaspar, Marian Krupicka, Michelle Ktistou, Kristie Lupella, Melissa McGannon, Kim McShea, Kristin Shell, and Jen Reyes.

For the 2008-09 School Year:

1. A team of six teachers (Meredith Holdman, Jen Reyes, Janet Boslett, Kristen Shell, Bonnie Bucholz, and Veronica Heggie) attended a workshop: Using the Six-Trait Scoring Guide as a Teaching Tool. This workshop was held on August 7th and 8th in conjunction with Maercker District #60 and Gower District #62. The response from those in attendance was very positive. We will be planning ways for the information to be shared in each building.

2. Each Grade level was to have saved one piece of common writing which we will be able to be used for future common scoring sometime this year.

3. A document has been created that will be used to tie what we are using in relation to 6+1 traits' vocabulary. Each grade level will complete the chart for each area of writing.

4. We are asking that teachers read “Writing Workshop-The Essential Guide” this year. This book gives an overview of Writer's Workshop and will serve as a way to give everyone a common frame of reference of the writing process. Copies of the book are available in the District Office.

5. To further teachers’ experience with writing the committee has recommended time for teachers teaching Writer's Workshop to have others wanting to see writing in action get into those classrooms. This will be a process for 08-09 and will be an expectation for all teachers.

6. Graphic Organizers are currently being used and developed at EJH. EJH will be sharing the organizers they have developed with the committee for modification and use by other grades.

Mathematics
The Math Committee will continue the review cycle as the year begins. They had materials to review this summer to provide a common set of information to all members. More information will be coming from the committee as they meet. We will be starting by looking at what we are currently doing in math and how that aligns with what is best for our students, the current research on best practices, and the State of Illinois Standards.

Members of the committee are:

DeLay School: Julie Vallo, Rhonda Esposito, Donna Adams
Lace School: Marion Nyhoff, Kathy Atwood, Carol Kinder
Eisenhower Junior High: Amy Mordaunt, Julia Polasek, Amy Steffgen

Response to Intervention (RtI)
This summer RtI teams in each building have met and developed plans for the upcoming school year. These committees are working to meet the needs within their building and will develop goals for the school year. Minutes for meetings are being kept for future reference. More information will be coming as the committees meet.

Assessment
Within District #61 we are looking at what we are currently using for assessment and what may need to be revisited. On July 16, 2008, representatives from various assessment companies presented information to a group of teachers and administrators. Presentations were given on Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP), Study Island, and AIMSweb. Feedback was provided from participants on the presentations and adjustments were made to the current assessment. We have developed a plan for district implementation and the revised Assessment Overview will be posted on the website in the future.

June 24, 2008 Update

2008-06-24T20:00:00.002-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

1. A team of six teacher (Meredith Holdman, Jen Reyes, Janet Boslett, Kristen Shell, Bonnie Bucholz, and Veronica Heggie) will be attending a workshop: Using the Six-Trait Scoring Guide as a Teaching Tool. This workshop will be held on August 7th and 8th in conjunction with Maercker District #60 and Gower District #62. We were able to fund teachers attending the training using grant money.

The workshop presenter, Jan Chappuis, is an experienced educator with twenty years as a fourth-through ninth-grade teacher and district level curriculum and implementation specialist. She is currently a Classroom Assessment Specialist with the Assessment Training Institute in Portland, Oregon.

2. Other tasks identified in May will continue this summer and during the 2008-09 School Year.

Mathematics

1. Committee members have materials to review over the summer and the curriculum review cycle will continue this Fall.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

Six teachers (Deb Kowal, Karen Ochoa, Angela Anderson, Mary Govertson, Jane Moss, and Mary Swenson) attended a RtI training session on May 22, 2008 and have shared with me that it was a worthwhile event. Their feedback has been shared with the building principals so that the Leadership teams will receive information on the training.

Some Common threads among the comments from the teachers were:

Conference was excellent; very challenging to get everyone on board and
there are so many meeting; need a universal screening process; need
professional development of all staff; data review and documentation are big;
need for collaboration.

Assessment

The DuPage ROE is focusing on how they can provide support to districts working through the RtI process. In an effort to increase dialogue on assessment a video conference was arranged between a number of administrators in DuPage County and Dr. Rick Stiggins from the Assessment Training Institute. Representing District #61 at this session was Maureen Kelly and Bob Carlo. The format was question and answer in which Dr. Stiggins was able to address some of the commons needs identified in DuPage County. In addition, the document: Assessment Manifesto: A Call for the Development of Balanced Assessment Systems was provided to the participants to review prior to the conference.

This information was shared with administrators in District #61 and area Superintendents. Future conversations are being planned as many districts in DuPage county are looking at assessment as it relates to student achievement and Response to Intervention.

Within District #61 we are looking at what we are currently using for assessment and what may need to be revisited. The revised Curriculum Overview will be posted on the website in the future.

May 13, 2008 Update

2008-05-13T08:42:00.001-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The committee of teachers met on April 22nd. Topics covered follow:

1. Each Grade level will get one piece of common writing which we will be able to use for future scoring (Next year).

2. Information from other districts remain on the website for people to review. On April 23rd I met with Kathy Klees, from Naperville 203, which proved helpful and reaffirmed the process we are going through. They have been working on their process for a few years and went though some of the issues we are facing now. They would be willing to talk with committee members if wanted in the future.

3. A document has been created which will be used to tie what we are using and show a relation to 6+1 traits' vocabulary. Each grade level will complete the chart for each area of writing.

4. We will need to arrange a schedule for teachers teaching Writer's Workshop to have others wanting to see writing in action get into those classrooms. This will be a process for 08-09 and will be an expectation for all teacher.

5. I have looked into 6+1 training options for August. Also, future workshops on writing that teachers attend should have 6+1 traits as a basis. Planning is ongoing.

6. Graphic Organizers are currently being used and developed at EJH. The committee looked at an organizer that was being use at grade 3. EJH will be sharing the organizers they have developed with the committee for modification and use by other grades.

Mathematics

Currently the following members have been recommended for the Mathematics Committee:

DeLay School: Julie Vallo, Rhonda Esposito, Donna Adams
Lace School: Marion Nyhoff, Kathy Atwood, Carol Kinder
Eisenhower Junior High: Amy Mordaunt, Julia Polasek, Amy Steffgen

This committee will begin the curriculum review cycle during the 2008-09 school year. To prepare for the task they will be given articles and current research to review prior to the beginning of the school year. The information provided will give everyone some common understanding of what is "in the field" with regards to mathematic education. This information was gathered, at no charge, by Chicago State University and provided to the district for use with our curriculum development.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

Leadership teams have been established at each building. Along with the building administrators the following people are members of each school team:

EJH: Jen Manescalchi, Wendy Murphy, Julie Kowalski, Deb Kowal, Karen Ochoa, Amy Mordaunt, Julia Polasek, and Jen Stansbury

Lace: Angela Anderson, Betty Faron, LeeAnne Lewis, Mike Moyer, Carol Kinder, Megan Seagraves, Mary Govertson, and Andrea Behegan

DeLay: Mary Swenson, Nancy Jarrick, Amy Whitt, Cheryl Halla, Mary Fender, Jane Moss, Agnes Soch, and Angie Filas

Each team was to have reviewed the District Self Assessment and their input will be incorporated into the document which will be submitted to ISBE. In addition, the following teachers will be attending a RtI training session on May 22, 2008: Deb Kowal, Karen Ochoa, Angela Anderson, Mary Govertson, Jane Moss, and Mary Swenson.

Assessment

Benchmarking DIBELS: This spring a new format was used to get the benchmark scores for students. The screening was done in each school's gym as a team of teachers assisted with the testing. Along with the reading teachers, resource teachers, ELL teachers, social workers, speech therapists, psychologist, and aides, conducted the screening for the students. This team effort allowed for a much more efficient use of resources and allowed for the teachers to bring their class to one location at the same time. The feedback on the process has been positive.

April 8, 2008 Update

2008-04-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The committee of teachers met on February 26th. The Writing Curriculum document has been updated and has been added to the web page.

Further discussion continues over the two types of writing being used at the elementary level. The group needs to further investigate the similarities and differences between the two methods. Ideas have been shared as to how that will be accomplished. Information gathered after the meeting has been posted on the Curriculum and Assessment website under Writing Committee. Additionally, information gained from other districts which shared electronic information on writing expectations is in the same location.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 22, 2008.

Illinois Textbook Adoption Grant

This has been completed and an order for purchases has been submitted to the State of Illinois for $43,741.35 which is over the allocated amount. Therefore, while most of what has been submitted should be received; this is about $2,000 worth of materials that we may receive if extra money is available from the State. Purchases were gathered from building staff and administration in all buildings.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

On March 7th a presentation was made to all staff members providing an overview of District # 61's current practices and RtI requirements. The presentation can be viewed at: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/,hFi2e,x78EaQ9aChClTMU0MZvteE4Pm
Copies of the powerpoint are included in the Board packet. Response to the Institute has been positive and is reflected in the Institute Evaluation.

Assessment

Students in grades 2 and 5 have completed the testing which will be used for Discovery qualification purposes. Mrs. Kinder will be reviewing the scores and parents will be getting a printout of results in the near future.

ISAT testing is complete and have been returned to the State for scoring. We should be getting results back once the scoring is complete.

February 26, 2008 Update

2008-02-23T14:27:00.007-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Writing Committee members, working with staff members in each building, have compiled the information to fill in the document provided to the Board of Education in the December 11th Board packet.

The committee of teachers will meet on February 26th to provide updates on:

1. Curriculum document:
Needed Junior High Info.
Feedback from sharing in each building
Curriculum overlaps

2. Units of Study for Teaching Writing and 6+1 Traits of Writing: Sharing of information and findings from committee members

3. Follow up on identification of what else is done for writing that is not represented in the document.

I will be able to provide additional information on the outcome of this meeting at the Board meeting.

Illinois Textbook Adoption Grant

Currently we are in the process of identifying materials to be purchased using funds from the State of Illinois. The funds can be used to purchase materials for students in grades K - 6 this year. The Writing Committee has determined that these funds would not be needed for any writing materials. Any materials needed for writing would be resources and not materials available through the grant. Therefore, money is being allocated for the purchase of Reading supplemental materials which will further assist as we develop the Response to Intervention process in the district. Pat Strittmatter, working with the building staff, is identifying materials to be used in the libraries. This money, along with the small State of Illinois Library Grant, will be used to add materials in each library. The music staff has identified materials to update the music curriculum at K - 5. EJH has identified materials to assist ELL learners, struggling readers and math skills materials to assist with RtI. Finally, we will be able to purchase manipulatives for our current math program and replacement and/or additional textbooks for current core curriculum areas. Once we have the complete list we will rank the items and purchase as much as allocated through the State Grant.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

The Administration has completed a self-assessment at the District Level to see how we see RtI in District # 61. On March 7th a presentation will be made to all staff members providing an overview of District # 61 current practices and RtI requirements. The focus of the presentation will be to show that we have been and continue to move in the direction of RtI with our Staff Development Plan, Reading Instructional Model, Student Support Teams, and District Writing Committee. A timeline proposed for implementation will be presented as each building will develop leadership teams to work in conjunction with the established goals and objectives outlined in the District Mission statement. Adjustments will be made as we continue on the journey with how we utilize staff to meet the needs of our students. The information can be added to the website after the March 7th presentation to staff. Further training and education will continue as the State develops a self assessment and template to record district plans.

Assessment

Students in grades 3 -8 will be taking the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) during the weeks of March 3rd - 14th. Grade level testing schedules are being developed at Lace and Eisenhower as those students will be tested in Reading and Mathematics. In addition, students in Grades 4 and 7 grade will be tested in Science and students in 5th, 6th, and 8th will be tested in Writing.

January 22, 2008 Update

2008-01-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Writing Committee members, working with staff members in each building, have complied the information to fill in the document provided to the Board of Education in the December 11th Board packet.

The committee of teachers meet on January 22nd to:

1. Review the updated curriculum document, bringing any additions,
corrections, changes, in content, to the meeting.
2. Identify any overlaps, repeats, and/or concerns when looking at
the curriculum across the years.
3. Bring any needs related to writing that will require that funding
be secured.
4. Identify what else is done for writing that is not represented on
the attachment.

I will be able to provide additional information on the outcome of this meeting at the Board meeting or in February.

Gifted Education

Based on the new testing Mrs. Kinder and Ms. Brundage are updating the information sheet provided to parents about the Discovery Program. They are also working to update the reporting instrument.

At Eisenhower Junior High Mr. Fitzgerald has been talking with his staff to identify teachers interested and willing to be trained in teaching gifted students. These individuals would be able to teach these classes in the future and provide consistency for the program. This has been done in the past, but with the changes at EJH it needs to be readdressed.

Assessment

DIBELS

Reading Staff have administered the second round of progress monitoring and are working to record the data on the local assessment data base. They are providing feedback on the program and revisions are being made to the program based on use and what is needed for reports to staff. The program is set up so that once data is entered a staff member can see multiple years of information on children in their classroom for DIBELS, ISEL, and CBA's. Entering the data has been slow, but it is expected to be quicker once the bandwidth adjustments are addressed. In addition, Mr. Hotton is looking into FileMaker user issues which might have an impact on the speed of the program.

ITBS/COGAT

As stated in September:

Second grader will be given the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in the areas of math, reading, and language and the Cognitive Abilities Test.

Fifth graders will take the Cognitive Abilities Test.

These tests have been reinstated as the results will be useful, along with ISAT data and teacher recommendation, to identify students for the Discovery program in third grade and sixth.

This test will be administered the week of February 25th at DeLay and Lace.

December 11, 2007 Update

2007-12-04T18:15:00.000-06:00

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district.

Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum Discussions:

Specific goals and the final page of the School Report Card is posted on the district web site under: School Report Cards/Improvement Plans. The specific goals each building has established are extensions of the district goals and meet the needs identified in each building.

Writing

The committee of teachers met on November 20th and were provided a document to gather information about what is currently being done in District 61 in the area of writing. (The information shared with the committee is included in the board packet.) All information will be complied by the week of December 17th and the committee will meet in January to discuss the information and move forward.

Again, this is a multiple step process beginning with seeing how we currently address writing in relation to grade levels and the Illinois Writing Standards. It is also a time to share what else is being done with writing across the district.

Staff Development

Amy Brundage has shared the agenda for the December 5th meeting with the committee. I can provide an update, if needed, at the Board meeting. Agenda items are:

- Review 10/19/07 SIP Day survey results.
- EJH-share information from the ROE presentation on 11/20/07
- FISH-building reports. How is the FISH philosophy being implemented and what has the staff response been so far?
- January 18th Institute: 'teachers teaching teachers'. Share topic ideas and plan for the institute.
- RTI: workshop attended by administrators.

Assessment

IMAGE Testing:

No additional information at this time.

Curriculum Needs Summary

2007-11-08T13:25:00.000-06:00

Background:

During the month of October the teachers in each building (Eisenhower-October 5th, DeLay-October 9th, and Lace-October 19th) were given the charge to answer two questions in relation to the curriculum needs in the district. Faculty were informed that the purpose of the task was to obtain feedback from them as to the direction the district should take in reviewing the curriculum across the district. Input would be gathered resulting in a strategic plan creating a long-term cycle for curriculum development and review within District 61.

Initially faculty met as buildings and answered the following question:
What subject area needs the most focus?
Summary of Feedback:

Of the 162 responses the following data was gathered: 55 % indicated Language
27 % indicated Math
9 % indicated Science
5 % indicated Social Studies
5 % indicated PE/Health
0 % indicated Spanish
0 % indicated Explore

Once this data identified the subject area for review, each building spent about 20 minutes focusing on Language to identify what they currently like, don’t like and offered prescription for change. Language encompasses reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These responses were later grouped under broader categories based on common elements or ideas.

Overall, the common items identified as "We Like" could be grouped into four categories: Writing, Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Technology.

The common items identified as we "Don't Like" could be grouped into four categories: Basal Series, Writing, Comprehension, and Other.

The common items identified as "Prescription for Change" could be grouped into four categories: Reading Strategies, Writing Strategies, Grammar/Spelling, and Personnel.

Plan of Action:

Based on the feedback received the focus this year will be to review aspects of Language.

Since we already have the K-8 Reading Instructional Model this would cover may of the elements listed under Vocabulary, Comprehension, Basal Series, and Reading Strategies. The goal for this area would be to:

•Implement the K-8 Reading Instruction Model and address identified implementation.

To address the writing comments an identified staff of teachers from each building and a variety of subject areas, should:

•Develop a K-8 Writing Model which will provide a scope and sequence between grade levels and building.

During the 2008-09 school year implementation changes as suggested will begin the process of review/recommendation for the next areas most identified: Mathematics.

The Overview attached shows the cycle to be followed beginning this year and continuing until 2017. While the cycle is listed below it is important to note that each year, as the cycle moves forward, curricular areas are at different phases of review and/or adoption.

Language
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
PE/Health
Spanish/Explore/Fine Arts

November 13, 2007 Update

2007-11-08T13:23:00.001-06:00

Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum Discussions:

The summary of the Curriculum Needs Discussions has been provided in the Board Packet. The following District goals have been established for 2007-08:

*Implement the K-8 Reading Instruction Model and address identified
implementation needs.
*Develop a K-8 Writing Model to develop a scope and sequence between
grade levels and building.
*Continue to use a variety of assessments (ISAT, IMAGE, DIBELS, ISEL,
Curriculum Based assessment) to improve instruction.

Buildings are working on specific goals and the final page of the School Report Card will be posted by the end of the week. This will show the specific goals each building has established. In addition, for more details the final page will direct individuals to the specific school principal.

The building goals will further refine the District goals or address building specific issues based on individual needs identified by staff in each building. In addition, each building will continue to use team meeting times and SIP/Institute days to refine, develop, and evaluate the established goals.

To address the Writing Model a committee of teachers has been established and we are planning to meet November 20th to begin the process.

They will be provided a packet of information which will guide the process. It will be a multiple step process beginning with seeing how we currently address writing in relation to grade levels and the Illinois Writing Standards. It is also a time to share what else is being done with writing across the district.

Currently the following members have been identified for the committee:

DeLay School: Kristie Lupella, Meredith Holdman, Kristin Shell, and Kim McShea
Lace School: Bonnie Bucholz, Janet Boslett, Gerry Dulkoski and Ann Centers
Eisenhower: Jorie Kaspar, Marian Krupicka, Michelle Ktistou, Melissa McGannon

Staff Development

The survey results from the October 19, 2007 School Improvement Day are included in your packet.

Assessment

IMAGE Testing:

There will be a change in the way students are tested. English Language Learners will take ISAT this year instead of the IMAGE testing. This change is due to the fact that the United States Department of Education (USDE) did not feel that the IMAGE testing met the NCLB criteria. This has been a concern from the USDE that the ISBE has been working with for the last three years.

This is not a unique challenge in Illinois as nationally school districts are working with identifying a type of assessment for a growing population of English Language Learners. Input meetings are taking place across the State to determine the types of acceptable accommodations that should be given to these students. DuPage County, through the DCCD (DuPage County Curriculum Directors), is gathering input for the county to share at the upcoming meeting. We have provided feedback on suggested accommodations.

October 9, 2007 Update

2007-10-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

The following information was provided to the Board of Education on October 9, 2007. The information provides an update on Curriculum and Assessment for the current school year.

Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum Discussions:

In October buildings have or will be conducting a curriculum needs assessment to determine what subject area(s) need the most focus from a teacher's perspective. A thirty minute meeting will be the kick off in each building to identify the curriculum needs and what we are currently doing that we like, don't like, and prescription for change.

Scheduled Dates for Curriculum Needs Assessments:
Eisenhower Junior High: October 5th
Mark DeLay School: October 9th
Lace School: October 19th

Once the needs are identified we will establish a curriculum cycle which will lay out a plan for regular review and recommendations for curriculum in the district. All feedback from the staffs at each building will be coordinated and shared as we move forward. It is anticipated that a summary should be available by the November update.

Staff Development

The Staff Development committee met on Wednesday, October 3, 2007. The Committee Chairperson for the 2007-08 school year is Amy Brundage.

In addition, we have made changes in the terms of membership. Beginning this year teachers will serve as members on rotating three year terms. The committee currently has representation from each building. The Staff Development plan is in place and will continue to fine tune the plan for the rest of the year and begin the planning of the final year of the three year plan later this year.

Screenings

Illinois Snapshots of Early Literacy (ISEL)

All information has been entered into a database which will be exported into the CRT program by Mr. Hotton. CRT data should be up and available to teachers by the October 19th School Improvement Day Early Dismissal. In the future we will be able to generate reports as needed based on feedback from teacher needs. The double entering of data will be eliminated as teachers will be able to enter the data directly to the CRT web site.

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Results are being entered into a spreadsheet which will be exported into the CRT by Mr. Hotton. CRT data should be up and available to teachers by October 19th School Improvement Day Early Dismissal. In the future we will be able to generate reports as needed based on feedback from teacher needs. The double entering of data will be eliminated as teachers will be able to enter the data directly to the CRT website.

September 11, 2007 Update

2007-09-13T08:59:00.000-05:00

The following information was provided to the Board of Education on September 11, 2007. The information provides an update on Curriculum and Assessment for the current school year.

Curriculum and Instruction

Discovery:

Last year it was recommended that students in second grade be identified for Discovery using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in the areas of math, reading, and language and the Cognitive Abilities Test.

This test will be administered in February and results are expected back in early/mid April. This will allow for the test data to be used for identification of second graders for third grade discovery.

In addition, students in grade 5 will take the Cognitive Abilities Test in February. This ability test has been reinstated as it will be useful, along with ISAT data and teacher recommendation, to identify students for Discovery at EJH.

The assessment information will allow the teachers to identify students based on criteria developed for the Discovery program.

Learning To Read:

After reviewing the evaluation of the Learning to Read (LTR) program dated June 15, 2007 and talking with Ms. Kelly, principal of DeLay School, we are moving forward with LTR. The following highlights have set the direction to address issues presented in the evaluation and improve the impact of such a program:

-continuation for another year of the LTR program,
-keep a record of students that comprise each teacher group,
-have teachers keep a record of instructional strategies/methods used,
-keep track of students who do not reach mastery for follow up

Ms. Kelly and her staff are developing appropriate record keeping instruments which can be used to record the data necessary for further evaluation of this program.

Elements of Reading Vocabulary:

Grades one, two and three will use the Elements of Reading Vocabulary workbooks for the 2007-08 school year. This is a program that originally began at Fairview school under the direction of the reading teachers. DeLay teachers also used the materials during the 2006-07 school year. Some kits were purchased for use with the workbooks and those already purchased are available within each building. The number of kits will need to be further evaluated as well as the impact of the program in our district.

Screenings

Illinois Snapshots of Early Literacy (ISEL)

Teachers have complete the ISEL screening. Information from the screening was used by Kindergarten teachers to assign student placement before the beginning of the year. Some students who were not screened before the start of the year have been screened and their data is included in the data base.

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Teachers are conducting the DIBELS screening for students in grades K - 5. This screening is done during the school year as a progress monitoring tool for student performance.

The reading committee is working with the Junior High staff to determine the best way to complete this screening for students at EJH.