Back to Basics -- Why would the DOE trust NWEA with the contract for DCAS?

Former Christina Superintendent Joe Wise weasels his way back into the picture!

Thank You to fellow board member, John Young, for sharing this information via his blog http://www.transparentchristina.wordpress.com/

I took Delaware's Department of Education to task in yesterday's post for failing to create a firm and thorough request for bids for the assessment system( DCAS) slated to replace the DSTP. The original RFP (Request for Proposals) resulted in not one, but two lawsuits filed against the department, including a suit filed by the company to whom the DOE wanted to award the contract, NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION (NWEA).

According to yesterday's NJ story, "Subsequently, at the end of June, the department selected Northwest Evaluation Association -- the only vendor that bid on all components and whose Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test has been piloted in several Delaware school districts and charters -- as the winner and began negotiations despite AIR receiving the highest scores on technical ability and price for the summative test and end-of-course exams. According to documents obtained by AIR through Delaware's Freedom of Information Act, AIR was the first choice overall for 54 percent of teachers who observed a demonstration of the tests."

DOE then announced they would scrap the first RFP process and start over with a tighter (and more in line with Delaware law) request.

So who is Wise to NWEA? He is currently a member of the NWEA's Board of Directors, although his bio briefly touches on his stint in Christina, and speaks of only great things during his brief and questionable time in Duval County, Florida (the district for which he resigned from Christina to lead.)

I feel it is also important to disclose NWEA is also the company that provides the Christina School District with Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. I do not know if Wise was an NWEA Board member prior to our district's adoption of that assessment, nor am I advocating that we scrap it. My teacher intel share's that this is a model our educators find helpful in tailoring their approach to meeting student needs.

The disclosure aside, I was not a board member, and barely a district parent during the Wise years. I was a tax payer and like many still carry a deep resentment for Wise. His time with our district fostered an incredible distrust from stakeholders, that unlike our financial affairs has yet to remedied.

So, yes, I do question the decision of any Delaware agency that would do business with a company that values Mr. Wise. As I imagine I will state frequently over the next four years (when my time with the board comes to an end) what every smart shopper knows, the cheapest product is seldom the best.

I am further concerned that DOE entered into negotiations with NWEA despite the fact that another company received higher scores on technical ability and price for the summative test and end-of-course exams. This company was the first choice overall for 54 percent of teachers who were involved in the demonstration process.

Finally, I call into question the fact that NWEA has threatened to file suit against DOE.

According to a letter issued by Sec. Lowery to all entities that bid for the contract, NWEA had indicated that it would also file suit against the department regarding requirements of a performance bond -- an insurance policy on the vendor's performance. The letter says that what was written in the bid request and what was told publicly to vendors conflicted with what Delaware law requires. The threat of suit comes from the company with whom the DOE entered negotiations and from whom DOE already has an existing relationship. Come on!

It all reminds me of the old saying: keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer...

Of course, I am writing this as I listen to the rain wick off my new roof (one day old) into my new gutters, currently being installed as I speak ... yes, in the rain. That's work ethic! I vetted the companies that bid on my home and chose not the cheapest, but certainly not the most expensive. I chose the company that had the right product at the fairest value, who also happened to have a fantastic rating the BBB, great reviews from past customers, and who had never done business with Mr. Wise.

Okay, I fully expect to take a beating for this opinion from many in education administration throughout Delaware. But, if our board members can't ask questions openly, will we ever have any answers? This is the road to transparency and accountability.

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And the rankings have been released:

Click to read the entire article at the NJ website:

Many Del. public high schools fail to meet federal goals
By JENNIFER PRICE • The News Journal • July 31, 2009

Twenty-one of Delaware’s 29 traditional public high schools failed to make adequate progress this year under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Middle schools did slightly better, whereas elementary schools showed far more progress.

Twelve out of 30 middle schools and 83 out of 99 elementary schools showed progress toward federal proficiency goals.

-------------------------------

The good news for Christina:
The restructuring plans at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School seemd to be working. Gauger was one of only two schools that made adequate progress this year. If these schools have the same success next year, they will no longer be “under improvement.”

The bad news:
All three district high schools (Christiana, Glasgow, and Newark) and Bancroft Elementary were among the eight schools statewide that failed to make adequate progress for the sixth consecutive year despite restructuring last fall.

The worst news:
Pulaski Elementary and Red Clay School District's A.I. duPont Middle become the first schools in Delaware to enter the seventh year of “under improvement” status. Under NCLB, states are allowed to take over schools when they continue to fail, but Delaware law forbids the state from total intervention. (News Journal)

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Let's get back to AVID

I've devoted some posts this week to the CSD's (Christina School District's) AVID program (Achievement Via Individual Determination) in response to the recent News Journal article chronicling some methods used by districts downstate to positively affect high school graduation rates.

After reading that article I felt it was important to investigate the specifics of Christina's programming, how we target our students, and how successful our interventions are. Dr. Lyles, CSD superintendent, provided me with a list of programs that our district utilizes and I have been diligently culling information that I believe is useful to parents and our tax-paying public.

The honest truth is that I know that I have much to learn to be an effective policymaker for our district. In keeping with my mission statement to this blog, I am hoping to educate as I learn.

The following information is from:

Electronic Draft FY08 Report November 30, 2008
Evaluation of Federal and State Program
Goals and Objectives
Included in the Consolidated Application
Fiscal Year 2007-2008
Submitted by Dr. Lillian Lowery, then CSD superintendent and now Delaware's Secretary of Education to Gov. Markell.

The full text of this application is available at:
http://www.christina.k12.de.us/BudgetFinance/ConsolidatedGrants/FY08-ExecSummary.pdf

Goal 5 of the Consolidated Grant reads:

Improve School Climate and Student/Staff Relationships


"The Delaware School Climate Survey shows that middle and high school parents and teachers have a higher satisfaction with school safety than students by at least 12 percentage points. It also shows a higher satisfaction with middle school safety than high school safety. Only 52.9% of high school students feel safe in their schools.

In addition, the Delaware School Climate Survey puts more emphasis on student-teacher relationships in ways that help teachers to expand their capabilities for positive engagement with students. Professional development and implementation efforts include: (a) Continue to support and expand PBS, (b) Investigate and potentially implement other complementary classroom management programs,(c) Provide coaching for teachers on classroom management techniques, (d) Implement student success plans, (e) Provide resource books on potential intervention strategies to support students, and (f) Continue to focus coaching on adult behaviors to de-escalate issues. These efforts started in FY08 and should continue in FY09. Part of the intent is to develop an intensive support system for students who exhibit severe behavioral issues.

Strengths
The AVID program provides the district with an inherent broad focus on accelerating the academic achievement of students at all performance levels. Because AVID is for middle performing students from historically underrepresented groups, it increases the assurance that improvement efforts will be at their inclusion rather than at their expense. AVID is a program that touches Goals 1-5. It also requires a high Level of encouragement to students from teachers."

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Why did I choose to include this particular section in my blog? I frequently hear from parents of the in-between kids that their children are being left behind. They consider their children, bright, some with learning differences, or maturation issues, who are not the highest achievers (gifted/talented) nor the poor or lowest achievers. Sometimes we see these children as the half-hearted learners, those who may not apply themselves to the best of their ability, or at the other end of the spectrum, those children who work their hardest yet may never see a 100% on a test or paper, but through their diligence stay well above failing. I highlight this application of AVID because it speaks to these children as a program that may keep them engaged in their learning environment. It is a practical application that seems to apply specifically to this population.

In the coming weeks and months I will visiting our schools. I look forward to seeing AVID in our middle and high schools in action.

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Delaware Public School Rankings Due Out Today!

Ratings for 195 Delaware public schools to be released
Stimulus funds add to 'improvement dollars'
By JENNIFER PRICE • The News Journal • July 31, 2009

The Department of Education will release ratings today for 195 public schools.

The designations -- "superior," "commendable," "academic progress" and "academic watch" -- tell parents how well their children's schools are progressing toward federal goals.

And in buildings considered "under improvement" for failing to make adequate progress for two consecutive years, they also can force sanctions, such as being required to offer free tutoring to struggling students or to restructure by hiring a new principal or changing curriculum.

Schools that are "under improvement" receive "school improvement" dollars to help make changes in the building. Title 1 schools, which receive federal funds for having a high percentage of low-income students, will be receiving a boost in their school improvement dollars thanks to the federal stimulus package. Last year, there were 111 Title 1 schools in Delaware, most of which were elementary schools. Individual districts choose which schools to designate as Title 1 schools.

This year, Delaware Title 1 schools will be receiving a total of $2.94 million to improve schools, including $1.29 million in stimulus funds, compared to $1.53 million last year.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has set a goal of turning around the bottom 5 percent of the nation's schools over the next five years. He expects schools that receive the money to transform their buildings by making bold changes such as replacing teachers, reopening as a charter school or giving principals more flexibility around budgeting and staffing.

Schools that don't have Title 1 status but are "under improvement" receive state "school improvement" dollars. Last year, they received $1.5 million, but due to budget cuts this year, they'll be getting $1 million.

Delaware officials determine school accountability ratings based on three components: annual progress toward federal goals in student reading and math performances; more rigorous state requirements that also consider science and social studies performances; and the school's accountability history.

The so-called "adequate yearly progress" toward federal No Child Left Behind goals is calculated using Delaware Student Testing Program results to measure the academic performance of all students in a school, as well as the performances of subgroups such as racial minorities, English language-learners, children with disabilities and those from low-income families.

Elementary and middle schools must show the percentage of students failing the DSTP decreased from last year, and high schools must have 82.5 percent of their students graduate or show progress from the year before.

Because NCLB mandates that all students be proficient in reading and math by the 2013-2014 school year, Delaware raises the targets schools must meet each year. This year, schools had to have 73 percent of their students pass the reading portion of the DSTP and 58 percent for math.

This year, only students in grades five, eight and 10 took the writing portion of the DSTP due to budget cuts last year. Because writing was only assessed in three grades, it was not used in determining whether a school made adequate progress.

NCLB does not require states to test in writing or social studies. Reading and math must be tested in grades three through eight and at least once in high school. Science must be tested at least at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Schools also must have 95 percent of their students take the DSTP to make adequate progress.

Schools also can show progress through a "growth model" that looks at improvement of individual students' scores over time. Under the growth model, schools earn points when their students make improvements. The state education department calculates adequate progress under both the growth model and the original model, and schools can use whichever model under which they fare best.

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Delaware may be the first state, but not for education!

Whether you love the News Journal or hate it, it's the only daily in town, when it comes to local news. So, I find it rather complacent that buried on B2 is this story (definitely deserving of a front page lead!) - about the heart of Gov. Markell's education reform and the state's bum effort in getting that off the ground.

The legislation has been passed. The RFPs (Request for Proposals, or essentially bids on the contract) went out in March and today, July 30th, we learn that the DOE is restarting the bid process for the DCAS, the replacement assessment for the miserable DSTP, the bain of educators statewide. With the deadline to pilot DCAS looming, DOE is redrawing it's RFP because they failed to ensure it complied with state laws. It's all in the story, below. And though Dr. Lowery believes that the department will still meet the deadline, it makes this board member an angry parent! I've supported the DOE openly and with fidelity in moving into the DCAS model. Knowing how this was to be the diamond in the Markell/Denn budget rough, I expected that the DOE would have sealed this baby up in a perfect package, having done their homework as they expect Delaware's students to do theirs.

We cannot expect more of our children than we are willing to do ourselves!


Del. starting over on bidding for statewide testing
Two companies file lawsuits over process
By JENNIFER PRICE • The News Journal • July 30, 2009

The Delaware Department of Education has started over in its attempt to find a new statewide testing program after a company filed a lawsuit last week protesting the department's handling of its bid.

The American Institutes for Research of Washington D.C. claims that the department did not comply with the evaluation criteria laid out in its original bid request in March for the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System -- a computer-adaptive growth-model test that will replace the 12-year-old Delaware Student Testing Program by the 2010-2011 school year.

Two days after AIR filed the lawsuit in Delaware's Court of Chancery, department officials announced they were rejecting all proposals because the bid request was "flawed" and not compliant with state law.

"We needed more oversight from attorneys in that process," Education Secretary Lillian Lowery said. "We wrote what we needed conceptually, but we probably needed attorneys looking at it to make sure our concepts comported with the legalities of going out to bid. So we've scrapped everything, and we're starting over."

Lowery said the department plans to revise the bidding documents and reissue the request.

The department had planned to pilot the DCAS this coming school year and begin using the new system statewide in fall 2011. Lowery said the department still will be able to meet that deadline.

"It's more important for us to get it right than get it done," she said. "So we're going to stop and clear the deck and get it done right."

The original bid request had several components:

• An online high-stakes summative assessment that would test reading and math in grades three through eight and science and social studies once each in elementary and middle school

• End-of-course exams for high school students

• An online writing assessment for grades five and eight and once in high school

• A benchmark growth test for grades two through 10 to be taken several times throughout the school year

• An online item bank with test questions for teachers to use on classroom exams

Almost three months after putting out its bid request, the department decided not to award the online writing assessment or the online classroom assessment item bank because of the state's budget deficit.

"It is just too cost prohibitive at this time," Lowery said. "However, we are not going to walk away from writing; we will be working with the school districts to ensure that writing is emphasized."

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states test in reading and math in grades three through eight and at least once in high school. It also requires states to test in science at least once at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Social studies and writing testing are not mandated.

In the bid request, the department said a testing company did not need to bid on all of the components. Instead, companies could bid on separate components, but the online summative assessment and end-of-course exams needed to be bid on together. AIR submitted bids only for those two components.

But once the bids came in from five vendors, the review committee decided that the efficiencies of a single vendor should be the "primary rationale for selection." According to the committee's final report, selecting multiple vendors would not only increase the total cost to the state but would "create significant additional burden on the local level" by requiring teachers and students to learn two systems.

Subsequently, at the end of June, the department selected Northwest Evaluation Association -- the only vendor that bid on all components and whose Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test has been piloted in several Delaware school districts and charters -- as the winner and began negotiations despite AIR receiving the highest scores on technical ability and price for the summative test and end-of-course exams. According to documents obtained by AIR through Delaware's Freedom of Information Act, AIR was the first choice overall for 54 percent of teachers who observed a demonstration of the tests.

AIR said in the lawsuit that the department did not give all the vendors fair and equitable treatment.

"They decided to change the evaluation criteria to negotiate with another bidder," said Jon Cohen, vice-president and director of AIR's Assessment Program.

According to a letter sent by Lowery last week to several testing vendors, the department will revise the request and correct any non-conforming language. Lowery would not say whether the new request will require vendors to bid on not only the summative assessment and end-of-course exams but also the benchmark test.

According to the same letter, NWEA had indicated that it would also file suit against the department regarding requirements of a performance bond -- an insurance policy on the vendor's performance. The letter says that what was written in the bid request and what was told publicly to vendors conflicted with what Delaware law requires.

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AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination

From AVIDonline.com

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) was developed by Mary Catherine Swanson at Clairemont High School in 1980 in response to San Diego Unified School District's court-ordered integration of the city’s schools. The program began as an elective class taken during the regular school day. Mary Catherine held her students accountable to the highest standards and provided them with academic and social support. She believed they would rise to the challenge. And have they ever!

In 1992 AVID Center was established as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization and the program has evolved into a fourth through twelfth-grade system that successfully prepares students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. Beginning with one high school and 32 students the AVID system is now on the march toward 4,369 schools in 2010.

AVID is a fourth- through twelfth-grade system to prepare students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. These are largely low-income students who are capable of completing a college-prep curriculum but are falling short of their potential. The core component is the AVID elective, which supports students as they tackle the most rigorous classes. AVID’s teaching strategies, curriculum, and trainings are used not only in the AVID elective class, but by subject-area teachers schoolwide....

Learn more about AVID here: What is AVID?

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What's AVID? Can it help my child?

From the CSD website, posted in August 2005:


Christiana High to be 1st high school in Christina District to implement AVID

While students take to the roads this summer for vacation, Christiana High staffers have been paving new roads to ensure all students will have academic success when the new school year opens.

CHS staff recently traveled to the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Institute in Austin, Texas to lead CHS in its efforts to become the first high school in the Christina District to implement the program.

During her keynote speech celebrating the 25th anniversary of AVID, founder Mary Catherine Swanson urged educators to make a difference with AVID.

"AVID is about self-discovery. It is when we move from quiet acceptance to active participation. Only one in seventeen of the poorest families will earn a Bachelor's Degree. If we aren't vigil or allow petty obstacles to overcome us, we will slam doors on our students. You have the chance to change history. Through AVID, students are not bound to their backgrounds. All students regardless of their backgrounds can succeed. Nothing can hold us back or our students," Swanson said.

CHS will utilize AVID to try to reach its "least served" students who are in the middle and often overlooked. The main goal of the AVID program is to help those students eventually succeed in college for at least four years. AVID is designed to help students prepare for more rigorous studies and eventually AP courses. Students become more empowered via the WIC-R (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Reading) strategies presented in the program.

Another component of the AVID program is support. Students are given support in all of their courses via the caring AVID elective teacher who helps students with organization and tutorials.

Currently, CHS has enrolled approximately 20 freshmen in their AVID program, and their goal is to work with those students until graduation. Students will have AVID during the regular school day, and CHS will utilize tutors from the universities and community to meet the needs of students during those tutorials.

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How does Christina Compare?

Study Pinpoints Programs that Set Some State High Schools Apart

http://www.blogger.com/Read%20the%20News%20Journal%20Article%20Here

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How to Improve Your Child's School

By eHow Education Editor

Mark Twain once said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." There's no question that building a partnership between the community and the school strengthens both. The bottom line is, of course, whether your child's school stimulates and nurtures his or her emotional, intellectual and social development to its highest potential.

Instructions:

Step 1: Cultivate positive relationships with each of your child's teachers, administrative staff, directors, principals and even the superintendent. Do this by joining the PTA if it's a public school or the board of directors if it's a nonprofit or private school. You'll be privy to what is going on in the school district and get a sense of how the school stacks up against other schools.

Step 2: Keep in touch with teachers on a regular basis to see how your child is doing and to address any concerns. Don't wait for the school to call you when there is a problem; be on top of things before there is an issue. Keep an open mind to anything the teacher might say--even if you've never seen your child behaving in a particular way at home.

Step 3: Volunteer your time, whether that means becoming a PTA member, a playground monitor or a homework hotline counselor. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you stay involved.

Step 4: Help your child with homework. If the lessons are too easy or too difficult, let the teacher or guidance counselor know.

Step 5: Encourage high expectations. Share your goals with your child's teacher and guidance counselor so they'll help your child work to his or her full potential. Get involved with the PTA and the board of education, and ask about the school district's expectations for the whole student body.

Step 6: Investigate the standards of your child's school. Does a hefty percentage of the graduating class attend four-year colleges? Does the school offer enrichment and honors classes? If you feel the standards aren't high enough, encourage the teachers, principal and superintendent, as well as other parents, to fight to raise the standards.

Step 7: Make the school accountable for its discipline. In this litigious society, school districts are careful about punishing students for bad behavior. Bullying is a prime example. Too often schools won't properly address a bullying situation, and the victims become subject to irreversible taunting humiliation. If there isn't a coherent bullying policy at your child's school, volunteer to assist in creating one. You may need to take this up to the board of education for a system-wide policy.

ehow.com/how_135471_improve-childs-school

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On the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/

From www.clemson.edu/olweus/ :

Welcome to the U.S. website for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. The Olweus [pronounced Ol-VEY-us] Bullying Prevention Program is a comprehensive, school-wide program designed for use in elementary, middle, or junior high schools. Its goals are to reduce and prevent bullying problems among school children and to improve peer relations at school. The program has been found to reduce bullying among children, improve the social climate of classrooms, and reduce related antisocial behaviors, such as vandalism and truancy. The Olweus Program has been implemented in more than one dozen countries around the world.

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Food for Thought...

School Climate Policy from Beaumont Elem. School in Berwyn, PA. Beaumont ranks 97 of the Top 100 Best Performing Public Schools in the U.S. at Neighborhoodscout.com.

From Beaumont Elementary School's webpage on School Climate

OLWEUS BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM

Beaumont is participating in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. The program helps children understand that bullying is intentional harm-doing that is repeated over time. It occurs in a relationship in which there is an imbalance of power. Bullying affects the victims, the bullies and the bystanders. The goals of the Olweus Program are: to reduce existing bully, victim, and bystander problems among school children; prevent the development of new bully, victim, and bystander problems; improve peer relations; improve school climate. The children are learning the rules for a bully-free school.

In Beaumont we will:

not bully others.
help students who are bullied.
include students who are easily left out.
tell an adult at home and at school when we know someone is being bullied.

http://www.tesd.k12.pa.us/beaumont/Olweus%20-parent%20powerpoint.ppt

PATHS

PATHS is a science based , social-emotional learning curriculum that promotes self-control, positive self-esteem, emotional awareness, and interpersonal problem-solving. There are three main units. The self-control unit uses a metaphorical story about a young turtle who learns to stop and calm down to effectively think. The Feelings and Relationship unit focuses on teaching different affective states in a developmental hierarchy beginning with basic emotions (e.g. happy, sad, angry) and proceeding to more complex emotional states (e.g. jealous, guilty, proud). Emotions are taught using feelings faces that depict essential emotional cues. The unit teaches that all feelings are OK to have and that some feel comfortable and some feel uncomfortable. Behaviors, on the other hand, can be OK or Not OK. The emphasis is to judge or evaluate behaviors, not feelings. Feelings are signals that communicate information and can be helpful in making decisions about what to do next. The Problem-solving unit builds on the self-control unit and elaborates stop, calm down and think into 11 steps: (1) Stopping and thinking, (2)Problem identification, (3) Feeling identification, (4) Deciding on a goal, (5) Generating alternative solutions, (6) Evaluating the possible consequences of these solutions, (7)Selectingthe best solution, (8) Planning the best solutions, (9) Trying the formulated plan, (10) Evaluating the outcome, and (11) Trying another solutions and /or plan, or alternatively reevaluating the goal, if an obstacle results in failure to reach intended goal (1994 Kusche, Greenberg, Developmental Research and Programs, Inc.)

The foundation of the PATHS Curriculum is the ABCD Model of devlopment that suggests that successful coping and adaptation (healthy personality development) is pacilitated when there is a developmental integration of feelings (and emotional language), behavior, and cognitive processes. (1994 Kusche, Greenberg, Developmental Research and Programs, Inc.)

Examples of the units in the primary division (K-2) include rules, compliments, feelings, the turtle technique, sharing manners, playing fair, teasing, and listening to others. In the the upper division (3-4) the units include rules, control signal, problem solving meetings, feelings dictionary, gossip, cooperative learning skills, identifying problems, feeling, goals, and solutions, and stereotypes and discrimination.

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A list Delaware can be proud to not make!

http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/neighborhoods/school-district/ratings/worst100/

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Bill Gate's on Education and Econ. Stim

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090721/NEWS/90721046/Bill+Gates+in+Philly++Better+data+mean+better+schools

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Tuesday's Appointment

Off to a 1:1 with Superintendent Lyles

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Proud to be UD!

More than just a feel good read, it's about community outreach, partnership, and independence!

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090720/NEWS03/907200348&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

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When Delaware Crawls out from under the DSTP

What can we expect to see?

Here's one districts take on Computer-Adaptive Growth Model Assessment:

Separating growth from value added: two academic models offer different tools for different purposes--measuring individual learning and measuring what affects learning.

Could it be true that we were shortchanging our brightest students?
Over the years a handful of parents in the Rochester, N.H., schools had complained that their high-performing children were bored by our curriculum. Because these reports were small in number, we were unsure whether they signaled a teaching problem or reflected students' desire to be entertained. These students were performing well above the 90th percentile on our standardized assessments, and the number of students moving to the top achievement levels was increasing...

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Separating+growth+from+value+added%3a+two+academic+models+offer+...-a0157588355

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A GPS for Teacher Leaders

Teacher Magazine by www.edweek.org is one of my favorite sources of new ideas and research-proven methods of education.

Check out:

A GPS for Teacher Leaders
by Nancy Flanagan

In my third year of teaching, the local union president asked me if I’d like to attend a “Women in Leadership” conference sponsored by the state NEA affiliate. He offered a scholarship—and said he thought I was leadership material. Flattered, I readily accepted. In the 1970s, lots of women were interested in re-defining female roles and responsibilities. My mental picture of leadership training for women: a roomful of young, passionate teachers, re-imagining ourselves as idea generators and role models in building better schools...

Keep Reading Here:
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2009/07/15/tln16_flanagan.h21.html?tkn=SRWFMTJtXnUYVi92A6FhUxP0MNlHUR4YM8Gx

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July 14th Board Meeting Recap

As promised, here's the rundown -

Please note, these are not official minutes, nor meant to be construed as minutes. This is my interpretation of the events of the evening, including explanations of my votes, in brief, as promised during my campaign as a method to provide accountability and transparency in my role as a board member. These comments in no way reflect the opinion of the board or district.

Started my first executive session with the Oath. Repeated it again at the beginning of public session. Public session started about 45 minutes late due to run over of executive.

For those who have been wondering - Dinner was provided by Nutrition Services and it was very healthy (salads.) I didn't participate in dinner (July 14th was my husband's 40th birthday, so we ate a quick dinner together before executive session.)

Public Session:
Board Elections
Approved Minutes of previous meetings
Presented Honor Roll Awards for Outstanding Service to out-going FRC (Financial Review Committee) Committee leaders
Boardmanship awards presented to existing board members for acquiring credits through training

Superintendent's Update - Community Consensus Plan will be fully implemented by September with the opening of Porter Rd. Elementary School.

Administrative Personnel Recommendations - Board voted to approve recommendations for Principal at Glasgow High (Edward Mayfield, current VP at Glasgow), Director for the Statewide Delaware Autism Program (Vincent Winterling) , and Director of Curriculum and Professional Development for Secondary Schools (Vilicia Cade.)

My Vote - Yes, though I contemplated abstaining. Here's why: For two of the three positions, I had firsthand knowledge gained via the interview process by participating in parent forums prior to being elected to the board, or through information received in my board packet last week that gave me insight into the needs of the position and the capabilities of the candidate. It was the third candidate that gave me pause for hesitation as I had no prior knowledge or firsthand experience with the candidate. I received copies of the application packet to fully review during Executive Session at 6 pm. I was not that I had any doubts of the candidate's ability, but rather I did not feel I had adequate time to review the material. It is what it is. I sincerely wish all three candidates success in their new positions!

Consent Agenda - Board voted to accept the consent agenda. This was another tough vote for me due to the Personnel Recommendations. I ultimately voted to accept the recommendation to prevent the Riffing of district employees.

Student Expulsions -I abstained from the vote. I did not receive the expulsion packets until Executive Session. Though I participated in the discussions, I did not feel that I had adequate time to process the material. I felt it would have been highly inappropriate to cast a vote for or against.

Well, that's a rap.

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Swearing In Happens Tonight!

The big day is finally here. John Young and I will both be sworn in as the newest CSD Board of Education members at tonight's School Board Meeting.

I'll be posting tonight or tomorrow the monthly meeting update, the unofficial minutes of a former observer who has now turned participant. And let's be clear about one thing: I cannot and will not post anything that is in violation of privacy laws - that means certain information relative to students and personnel is off limits. I will be honest in accounting for how I arrive at any decision or vote.

Here we go!
Here's the link to tonight's Agenda:

http://www.christina.k12.de.us/SchoolBoard/Meetings/2009/Postings-Agendas/0714.pdf

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Busy days ahead ...

Busy Week Ahead!

Here's the schedule:

Monday - Agenda Prep 12 pm
Tuesday - Executive Board Meeting, 6:00 pm, Kirk Middle School
Public Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, Kirk Middle School
Wednesday - Planning to attend the Financial Review Committee meeting at 5:30 pm, Eden Center.

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Vision 2015 Hopes for Funding Boost from Stim Monies

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090713/NEWS/907130330&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

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Questions? Topics? Gripes?

I have not forgotten about my blog! My kids stay up late in the summer and I usually write when they go to bed at night. Thus, I have very few posts written since school has been out.

I have a live class going and 3 couples taking my class by DVD. Movie screenings, forming a Birth Network, and working with fellow Bradley instructors has kept my birthing corner busy! Not to mention water parks, sleeping in, and road trips.

I am working on a post based on the 10 questions to ask your doctor by CIMS. If you want to peek ahead, you can check that out at www.motherfriendly.org.

In the meantime, throw out any questions or topics for me. Let's talk.

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PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community—Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.

Standard 2: Communicating effectively—Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.

Standard 3: Supporting student success—Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

Standard 4: Speaking up for every child—Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.

Standard 5: Sharing power—Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.

Standard 6: Collaborating with community—Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

For more go here:

http://www.pta.org/national_standards.asp

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A Thoughtful Solution for Social Promotion by Steve Peha

Thank You, Steve, for you thorough response!

Cleary the practice of social promotion causes many problems. Whether it’s an officially sanctioned process, or one that teachers have merely become accustomed to, social promotion undermines student achievement and teacher morale.

But now let’s look at the situation from where a principal or superintendent might sit. What would happen if we instantly combined high expectations and more rigorous curriculum with accurate grading in low-achieving schools? Over 3-5 year’s time we’d see over-crowded elementary schools and near-empty high schools. Logistically, this is a non-starter. Hence, the culture of social promotion has a practical, albeit pernicious, aspect.

Now, logistical reasons are no excuse for such a heinous practice. But this conundrum does bring to mind a very serious and important issue: we can’t structure out way out of reform. Testing, standards, charters, vouchers, and merit pay are all structural reforms. But school, being the slippery beast that it is, defies restructuring.

Our only hope is to teach our way out.

But we can be even more thoughtful than that. If we acknowledge that literacy is the foundation of academic success, and if we acknowledge the brain window for language learning, and if we acknowledge the traditions of elementary school teaching and the natural separation of instructional styles that seems to occur after 3rd grade, we can make simple plans for solid interventions early enough in kids’ lives that strategies like social promotion would be unnecessary.

There are two key places to intervene in a young student’s learning life: at the beginning of 1st grade and at the end of 3rd. It is perfectly reasonable to get kids extra help in the first half of first grade if they are not yet reading and writing independently. And it is perfectly reasonable to retain less successful 3rd graders for an additional year if they have not yet become confident chapter book readers and conventional writers of multi-paragraph essays.

At the same time, we can do several things that make intervention and retention much less likely. First of all, we could concentrate professional development in literacy at the primary grades. Bringing teachers of young children up to speed with the latest and best methods like Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop would improve outcomes tremendously. Second, we can move our most successful teachers to first and third grade. And finally, we can employ the use of high quality early interventions like Reading Recovery for kids who are struggling out of the gate.

The root cause of social promotion is not poor kids, it’s poor teaching. Until we recognize the connection here and actually do something about it, schools with many under-performing children have no logistically sound approach but to pass kids along year after year. This reality does not excuse what is surely a detestable behavior but seeing it for what it is and why it exists should heighten for all of us the importance of making sure our teaching – especially in literacy at the early grades – needs a serious overhaul.

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Happy Independence Day!

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Who runs the district?

I was asked a great question this week:

Who do you think runs a district, the School Board or the District Administration?

The Short Answer:
The BOE is charged with creating the policies by which the district shall run. Some of those policies will be dictated by Delaware State Code. It is the Superintendent's responsibility, through direction to the administration, to employ and enforce those policies.

But, it doesn't look that way ...

So what do you think? Does the Board or the District Administration run the CSD?

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"Orgasmic Birth" Screening July 11

"Orgasmic Birth" will be shown at the Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, TX, on Saturday, July 11 beginning at 7:00 p.m. "Orgasmic Birth" was featured on 20/20 recently, and has contributed heavily to couples seeing a completely different side of birth that we have been taught to believe. I was fortunate to meet Debra Pascali-Bonaro, the director and creator of the movie, at the "Controversies in Childbirth Conference" and am excited to share some of her thoughts about the movie, including how she came up with the name!

If you live in the DFW area, I encourage you to come. Bring a friend, or better yet, your spouse! It is free and we'll have discussion afterwards. Hope to see you there.

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News Journal Interview with New Superintendent

Marcia Lyles hit the ground running, finding time on her first day to visit Bancroft Elementary and make herself accessible to a News Journal reporter.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090702/NEWS03/907020378

Welcome Aboard Marcia!

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