IEM December 2009/10 ES Agenda

Please read the agenda, along with each of its highlighted links, then print out as a guide for this month’s ES job duties.The agenda quiz must be completed in your ES WEBfiles BEFORE attending your ES meeting!

This agenda has been posted 12/2/2009 and the agenda quiz is due 12/14/2009.

 

Please note that if you must miss your ES meeting, you should inform your Area Facilitator and ES Advisor and make arrangements with another AF to attend another meeting that month. (All meeting times and dates are posted in the ES handbook along with AF e-mail addresses and meeting date, time, and location). Your AF is listed in ES Webfiles on the ES Welcome page. If you miss the meeting altogether, you will be reminded of your responsibility to attend and will be held responsible for the information given at the meeting. If you miss another meeting, it will become a discipline issue and may result in a drop in your student load. We do not believe that you can effectively serve your students if you miss critical information about the school and your job. Thank you for making these meetings a priority as you schedule your time for this school year!  The ES Support Department.

 

1) Dates to Remember and Dated Duties

a) December 4, 2009: Was the Deadline to submit the completed grad packet to your ES Advisor in one package and enter graduate updates as needed into ES Webfiles student Detail page.  Hopefully no one is  late on this deadline date!

 

b) December 14, 2009: Deadline to take and pass your December ES Agenda 2009/10 Quiz in ES Webfiles!

 

c) December 17, 2009 at noon: The Payroll Snapshot will be run.  Any forms not entered by the office by this date will not be paid in the November 30 paycheck (but will be reconciled in later pay periods—no pay for active student days is ever lost to the ES). The office needs 3 days to get paperwork entered after they receive it.

 

d) December 22, 2009: Deadline to have all of your Persuasive writing assignments.

 

e) December 22, 2009: Complete entries in Student Surveys (see 2c below).

 

f) December 22, 2009: Sign up all your students in their SME courses for 2nd semester/approve those rolled over/check to see that your students are in their CORRECT course/section (a or b)/delete those rolled over that are not taking that section  (see last month's agenda for details as needed) prior to this date.

 

g) December 22, 2009: First Semester Ends.  Plan now to not hold paperwork over Winter Break, but mail everything you have to go to the office this day!  The office will be staffed during the break to process your paperwork.

 

h) January 8, 2010: For all ESs with students enrolled in SME courses, last day to send to your SME All the Supporting documentation requested for 1st semester courses (see 2d below).

 

i) January 15, 2010: For all May 21, 2010 graduates, send/email to your ES Advisor information needed for a 2nd semester graduates preliminary assessment (See Grad Procedure in ES Handbook; view recorded Webex "Grad Packets/Procedure" in ES Video section of the webpage).

 

j) January 22, 2010: K-8th LR Assessment Statements for 1st semester are due--see last month's agenda for additional information.

 

k) January 22, 2010:  All HS and requested GS report cards are due to be submitted in ES Webfiles.  Mark Ready and Done for the HS report cards. The office does not mail these out, we rely on our ESs to print and provide to your parents ASAP after completion. (See recorded Webex "HS Courses/Credits/Grades" in ES Video section for reference as needed).

 

l) January 30, 2010:  Enter info from the parent assessment letters in ES WEbfiles and check that it is done on the Parent Checklist (PALTR).  See 4A below for details.

 

m) February 2 & 3, 2010: CAHSEE for all 10th graders and those 11th/12th graders who qualify to take the assessment again.

 

2) Things to Do

a) Scantron/WRAT: Effective immediately for every student who has not yet Scantron/WRAT tested during the testing window for continuing students or within their 30 day window for new enrollees:

1. No more POs (product or service) may be placed for these students until their tests are complete.

2. If any orders are already placed but not yet delivered, you must hold the materials and not deliver until the tests are complete.

3.  For a service PO/CP course not yet started, hold their enrollment form/approval until they have tested.

Email assessmentclerk@ieminc.org; bcote@ieminc.org; and your advisor if you need help with this.

Scantron/WRAT is a requirement of our charter for enrollment in our charter school!

 

b) Persuasive Writing Assignment:

·         COLLECT: Collect the last of your students’ Persuasive writing assignment samples and the writing assignment prompt they wrote from.

·         COPY: Make your student writing sample copies before you do the next (ATTACH) step.  The original writing sample will go to the IEM office.  You will want 1 copy to return to the parent for discussion purposes; you might need a copy to send to your SME; you may want to use a copy as a portfolio sample. 

·         ATTACH:  Print out the corresponding grade level rubric (http://www.sscs.cc/Handbook/writing_2010/per_rubrics/per_ru_index.dwt) completing the info at the top and bottom (if applicable) of the rubric form.  
Print out the corresponding grade level Scoring Checklist (http://www.sscs.cc/Handbook/writing_2010/per_scor_checklst/per_sc_checklst_index.dwt), #7 on the list of “essential” handouts…new for 2010! 
STAPLE THE PACKET IN THIS ORDER:  Rubric, school-wide writing assignment prompt, student writing sample.  DO NOT SCORE! 
Then place the corresponding grade level Scoring Checklist on top of this packet and paperclip it to the packet.  The Scoring Checklist will not be sent to the school, but will be given to the parent.

·         BRING:  Remember to bring these prepared assignment packets to your January ES Group Meetings where you will score the samples on the Rubric and complete the corresponding grade level Scoring Checklist. Specific scoring info will be given in the January agenda. Do not attempt to score any of the writing assignments prior to your meeting!

·         AFTER SCORING:  While at home after scoring, you will staple the completed Scoring Checklist to the student’s parent copy of the writing sample.  Give this packet consisting of the Scoring Checklist and the student’s writing sample with their score to the parent for discussion purposes.   You will also enter the score in WEbfiles.

 

c) ES Checklist Parent Info Form: Just a reminder that this form that should be in your copy of every student’s file: http://www.ieminc.org/genericforms/eschklistogss.pdf . Please print it out for each of your student files if you haven’t, and track when forms or info are completed on the form and in the ES Webfile Checklists (parent and student).  This form needs to be passed on with the student’s file to the next ES for a student when a student transfers. (See transfer information at: http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/transferdrops/indexiema.htm) .

 

d) The Holiday Break:

·         Please DO NOT hold onto paperwork over the Holiday break, but mail all attendance rollsheets, student agreements (all 2nd semester should already have been mailed, this is a note for new students), etc to the office prior to taking your much deserved break.

·         The office staff will still be working (except for a couple holidays and some vacation days), and in fact, it is an important school reporting period. They need you to mail in those auditable documents ASAP as you collect them in December so that the reports can be as accurate as possible. Thank you for your help with this!

·         Your Advisors and the school credentialed admin staff will all be on vacation various parts of Winter Break. Your regular advisor will send you an email prior to the Winter Break as to who you should email on each day if needed. All will be back to work on January 6.

 

e) Transcripts for 2nd semester:

Check now for Webfiles transcripts for your 2nd semester graduates. If they are not yet entered, please provide this letter, that is posted in the Graduation section of the ES Handbook, to your parent/adult student ASAP (http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/graduation/Misstranlte.htm) .  We do not want to wait until the last minute to know if a student is taking the correct courses needed for graduation! Keep a copy of the letter in your file to remind you to check before the next LR meeting to see if the transcript has been received and entered.  If not, follow-up with the parent/student until we have an official transcript entered. Keep your Advisor informed of any problems you are having with transcripts.

 

f) Yearly Parent Survey:  We will soon/have mailed out a survey to each of your parents to be returned to us anonymously.  We use the yearly survey info for many school purposes.  Please ask your parents at their next meeting if they received one, and encourage them to return it in the self-addressed stamped envelope we provided ASAP.  If they did not get one, please take one to them! Please do not ask them about their responses, as they need to be confidential, and do not collect it and mail yourself!  Here is what we have mailed out for your information:

·         OGCS: http://www.ogcs.org/handbook/survey/OGparsur.pdf

·         SSCS: http://www.sscs.cc/Handbook/Surveys/SSParsur.pdf

 

g) Assessment letters:  (See details of what you need to do before January 30, 2010 in section 4: Assessment below.)

 

h) Adult students and 25 credits: If you have a student who has turned 19, and they did not complete 25 credits last semester, consult with your advisor immediately!  They may not be eligible for continued enrollment with our school! If that is the situation, you will need to drop them effective the last day of 1st semester. http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/highschool/adultpol.htm contains additional information.

 

3) Training Items

a) Who does various forms and mail-outs for parents/students:

 

b) How to assign High School grades and credits:

·         As you prepare to complete your first semester high school grades and credits which are required for all students earning any high school credits, remember that in California, the credentialed teacher of record (ES or the HQT SME if the ES is not qualified to be the teacher of record) is the only one authorized to assign grades and credits (not your parent, CP instructor, your ES Advisor, etc).

·          For a regular student, we expect you will consult with anyone involved in the student’s education before assigning final grades (CP instructors, tutors, parents, etc), and if a HQT SME is assigned, be sure to forward everyone’s input as well as your own to them .

·         For AESS students, the ES and HQT SME if applicable assigns the grades themselves, and does not need to consult with the parents/students unless you have agreed to do so.

·          For a full review of how to assign grades and credits, please see the ES Handbook, High School/Carnegie Units section. Please read this page (http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/carnegie/assigncu.htm ) which is of particular importance, and any of the other documents that you may need to review.

·          Review this link "So, what does my grade mean?" (http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~ncoverst/What%20does%20my%20grade%20mean.htm) for a suggested grading scale.  The teacher of record is free to create their own grading scale, but you do need to have one that you go over with the student/parent prior to starting the next semester's classes.  You will find the SME's grading scale on their syllabus--be sure your students using SMEs have that information at the beginning of each semester!

·         A good link to reference for grading English compositions is availabe here: http://www.jsu.edu/depart/oira/Resource%20Center/english%20comp%20rubric.pdf .

 Example of items to note:

 

c) Algebra 1: Algebra 1 has several CA ed code regulation sections attached to it that Charter schools must comply with.  Therefore, it is good to periodically review our Algebra 1 document to be sure you understand the ins and outs of Algebra 1: http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/highschool/Courseinfo/algebra1.htm . Read and bring questions to your meeting.

 

d) PE Reminders for all grade levels:

·         PE is not "mandatory", but "expected".  We as a charter school are to be meeting the PE standards, which are at every grade level K-10th, plus preparing our students for the PFT (which is scheduled to become another test for graduation--every student must pass a minimum PFT standard in 9th grade, or they have to take an additional year of PE in high school until they do pass...Not sure when this is scheduled for implementation.)

·         What K-10th grade student does no PE activity any day of a week?  A month?  A semester?  It is the ESs job to track down from the parent/student what activity they have done, and record that.  Remember, one of the PE standards is to participate in physical activity, and this one can be chosen every month on the LR.  I believe that standard is met by all but our most handicapped students--then there are alternatives (physical or occupational therapy, etc) that meet this requirement.

·         ESs do not "choose" what educational pursuits their students are doing to "record" on the LR, but they "document every" educational pursuit their assigned student does during that learning period.  Therefore, if the ES is doing their job, they will all, everyone for every month for K-10th grade (after that becoming a couch potato is OK), have PE activities to document.

 

e) AESS for 2nd semester:

AESS has the following deadline dates to begin a new AESS contract for the 2010 school year:

·         AESS A:  The final start date is Feb 19, 2010.  No AESS contracts of any type (A or B) will be accepted to begin after this date.

·         AESS B: 9th to 12th graders: Jan 26, 2010 is the final date to begin a contract.  7th/8th graders: Jan 6, 2010 is the final date to begin a contract. 

·         AESS C: There will be AESS C for the 2010 school year. This is only for 9th to 12th grade students.  Review the policy at: http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/aess/iemAESSc.html .

Remember that you must be able to provide your student with the curriculum they will need for their courses before you commit the remainder of their funding to AESS!

 

4) Messages from School Departments

a) ASSESSMENT:

·         The CAHSEE & STAR test sites have been updated with the latest information on the assessment website.

·         Assessment letter:  The parent Assessment letter was mailed out from the school office to all of your parents along with the school survey the week of December 1.  At your next LR meeting you will need to collect the completed section of the letter from them and enter the info into Webfiles/View Testing, click the students blue ID #. Fill out the info on both the STAR (Under the STARTest:  2nd to 11th grade only! Section) and PFT (PE Test) tabs.  Take a letter with you (SSCS;OGCS)in case your family no longer has the letter, or has not yet completed it (ask them to do it while you are there). When this is completed for each student, be sure to check them off on your Parent Checklist (View/Parent Accnts/orange parent checklist tab) as “PALTR”. These Webfiles entries must be completed by January 30, 2010.

·         STAR reward: This year we want to clarify who will receive STAR rewards. All students in 2-11 grades who score PROFICIENT or above in both ELA and Math portions of the test and are active students with us when awards are handed out will receive rewards. We are raising the bar for our students’ performance level and the students must be enrolled in our school next year to receive the reward for passing STAR this spring.

 

b) GUIDANCE:

·         11th grade STAR Test – Encourage your students to take the EAP (Early Assessment Program) when they take the STAR test this year.  Some benefits of taking this test include:

-          Provides an early signal:  It tells students, families, and high schools whether the students are prepared for college-level work in English and mathematics.

-          Alerts students about needed actions:  It informs them about what they can do to achieve readiness in English and mathematics before leaving high school.

-          Encourages interventions: It motivates students to take needed steps in 12th grade to achieve college readiness and helps schools provide opportunities for college readiness.

-          Enables exemptions:  It allows students to earn an exemption from CSU English and/or mathematics placement tests.

** If an 11th grader wants to take the EAP test, you must make that request in FRED. 
-  Click the “View” dropdown menu and select “Testing”. 
-  Click the blue ID# of the student who will be taking the EAP. 
-  Locate the EAP box in the bottom left hand corner and select “2010”  

·         Do You Have Any Graduating Students Who Need Money for College?
If so, they must start the process today!!!  Here are the steps:

1.      Go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before012.htm  and click the FAFSA web worksheet.  Download and print this file.  Have the parent pull out their tax records from last year and work though answering all of the questions on the worksheet.  It is an 8-page application and will likely take several hours to complete.  FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a somewhat of an involved application that is designed to evaluate the family’s financial status and relative need for college financial assistance.

2.      All FAFSA applications must be submitted online (no paper applications will be accepted) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/complete013.jsp 
Starting January 1st, the student can complete their application online.  This step should be easy if the student has completed the FAFSA worksheet.  This must be completed before the March 2nd deadline. 

3.      Apply for a Cal Grant www.calgrants.org. This is California’s largest and most generous source of grant money for California college students.  Students can get up to $9,700/yr of “free money” for college.  This grant program is designed to help students, from low and moderate-income families, pay for college.  Starting January 1st, the application process requires two steps:  1) complete the FAFSA application online (www.fafsa.ed.gov) and  2) fill out the GPA verification form, located at the Cal Grant website (http://www.calgrants.org/index.cfm?navId=22&), and mail it to the Guidance Counselor at the school’s Placerville office for a signature.  The FAFSA application and GPA verification must be completed between Jan 1st and March 2nd.  The application will be given greater preference if it is submitted shortly after the Jan 1st start of the application window. 

·         Bridges: For any students needing assistance with www.Bridges.com, have them call (800) 979-4436 or email (banderson@ieminc.org) the guidance counselor. 

·         OGCS only:  a-g Textbooks:  Some a-g courses are non-textbook specific, while other a-g courses are textbook specific (http://ogcs.org/handbook/schoolspecific/ag/agindex.html).  During the two year process of submitting our a-g courses to the UC system for their approval, the UC system made a policy change that required all new a-g course applications designate one textbook to be used.  Some of our a-g courses got approved before they made that policy change.  For the a-g courses that are non-textbook specific, email the guidance counselor (banderson@ieminc.org) to find out if the textbook the family wants to use is acceptable for an a-g level course.

·         ROP Webex Posted: IF you were unable to attend the live ROP WEbex, you may now watch the recorded posted in the ES Videos section of the ES Protected webpage.

 

c) IT:

·         IT has been working diligently on the new state CALPADS reporting system, linking it to our FRED system, and linking it to your NCLB certifications, which is a part of this report.  There have been some glitches along with way with your correct NCLB certifications showing up for you to use in your HS report cards.  This is a work in process, and hopefully will be accurate soon.  If you are not able to select yourself as the TOR for a HS course, and you believe you have that appropriate certification, keep checking back.  If it is not fixed by January 20 so that you can submit all of your RC on time, contact your advisor. Do not submit your RC as done until the TOR is listed accurately for each course.

·         A new option has been added to the process for printing LR Standards. When the "Print" button is clicked from an ES LR tab, you will now see an option to print "This GA Filtered Based on Heading" (the two other options under that question have been there for some time). This new option allows you to print select Heading groups for larger standards such as Life Skills.

·         CP/PO reminders: There is a new feature in ES WEbfiles for CP/PO Reminders. Currently it is set up in several places:

• CP setup

• CP form

• PO request (service and product)

• PO form (service and product)

Basically, a reminder is an email that is scheduled for a future date to remind you about an item. For example, to renew a service PO for the 2nd semester, etc. You can setup the reminder in advance and it will automatically be emailed on the date you specify. The clock icon in the attached image is the button to setup a new reminder. The first dialog confirms that you'd like to setup a reminder. The second dialog asks for your email address. Then the reminder screen appears and you fill out the Reminder Date (date you'd like the reminder sent to you). The subject and body are set to default values, but you can add/change them.

 

d) CURRICULUM:

·         English-Language Arts:  Houghton Mifflin Company (H.M.), Grades K-6
This is an integrated English-Language Arts program for Grades K-6, that includes the reading strategies and comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and writing surrounding each selection in the anthology.  It is most user-friendly in our school model for grades 3-5. 
Grades K-2 can purchase the phonics components to the H.M. program, but they are very expensive.  One option is to use the HM for everything else, and purchase a separate program that teaches phonics. 
(See me for recommendations for the phonics).    
Ordering and pricing and be found at www.cde.ca.gov/, Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Materials, Price Lists of K-8 Adopted Instructional Materials, then complete the “search” for Reading/Language Arts, Basic Program, Houghton Mifflin Company, grade level, then “submit”.   
Need to purchase:
Student Anthology (may be more than one Anthology in a grade) - e.g. 3rd Grade: both Student Anthology 3.1 and Student Anthology 3.2 need to be purchased)
Teacher Editions to the Student Anthology (one Teacher Edition for each Theme in the Anthology)
Practice Book Student Edition
Practice Book TAE
Recommended:  You may want to supplement with more writing instruction and practice, using the Write Source Student Book that is a component to the H.M. program.
Optional:  The program offers Anthology Audio CD’s for ELL, struggling, and auditory learners.     

Website Support:  For additional Houghton Mifflin Reading/Language Arts website support for California Edition English-Language Arts products, go to http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/index.jsp.  For example, at this website you can find the year’s spelling lists for each grade level, K-6.  This is a great resource for families to refer to while waiting for their curriculum to arrive. 

·         Glencoe Literature 2010, Grades 6-12
Course 1 – 6th Grade
Course 2 – 7th Grade
Course 3 – 8th Grade
Course 4 – 9th Grade
Course 5 – 10th Grade
American Literature – 11th Grade
British Literature – 12th Grade
South Sutter – 2010 cannot be used for a-g, syllabus is textbook specific for a different textbook
Ocean Grove – 2010 can be used for a-g, as the syllabus is not textbook-specific
Need to purchase:
Student Edition or StudentWorks Plus CD-ROM or DVD (contains the built-in reader for each selection that is a help to our ELL, struggling, and auditory learners; contains all of the student supplemental workbooks).
Teacher Edition or TeacherWorks Plus CD-ROM  (contains the Teacher Editions for all program components and all program resources; contains the Student workbooks for all supplemental components, if you don’t mind printing out these pages such as the Spelling Power or the Grammar Workbook)
Recommended:  Spelling Power Workbook; Spelling Power Teacher Annotated Edition (TAE)
Optional:  Grammar and Composition Handbook; Grammar and Composition Handbook Teacher Guide – comes with grammar practice.
Optional:  Grammar and Language Workbook; Grammar and Language Workbook Teacher Annotated Edition (TAE)
Only get one or the other of the grammar products listed above.

Optional:  Glencoe Interactive Vocabulary CD-ROM
Online Student Edition free access:
Email me if you need the student edition textbook registered for online student textbook access.  After I register the Glencoe textbook, I will email you the student username and password to write in the front cover (permanent marking pen) of the textbook, and for you to give to your student.   That way, if the Glencoe textbook is later given to another student, the username and password will travel with the textbook.  

·         Odysseyware
Has changed their number of units for their high school courses.  Please check the document listing the units before creating your PO, http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/vendor/vendor_info_index.dwt

·         K 12
ESs need to create their second semester PO for any student using K 12.  The amount is $175 for all spring semester K-8 courses (except Foreign Language).   K 12 is currently not set up for high school. 

·         HQT SME Courses – Spring Semester 2010
The spring semester courses have a start date of 1/6/2010.  All students enrolled in fall semester “A” courses were “rolled-over” to spring semester “B” courses.  Before you leave for winter break, either click your student “approved”, or delete your student.  Failure to do so will result in an email from Shelley Ross.  If you need to drop a student from an HQT SME course, email Shelley Ross, curriculum@ieminc.org, even though they system may tell you to email CP.  Conversely, I don’t drop students from regular CP courses…you need to email CP@ieminc.org.

·         CAHSEE Grant Money
For 11th and 12th Grade Students Who Have Not Yet Passed the CAHSEE ELA or Math
There is still some CAHSEE Grant money carried over from last year.  If you have any questions about how to access the CAHSEE grant money, email myself, Shelley Ross, curriculum@ieminc.org .

·         Revolution Prep CAHSEE
Order Revolution Prep CAHSEE as a “service” PO now.  The Teacher Guide needs to be done on a separate “product” PO.  See recently updated PO Notes. 

 

e) VENDOR RELATIONS

·         New Vendors by School:  SSCS   OGCS

·         Remember that VR cannot follow up on magazine subscription orders.  See information at http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/csuggest/magazine.htm .

·         Remember to ask your ES Advisor process questions yourself, not Vendor Relations, as they then have to forward them on to your Advisor, which takes time away from their job.

 

f) ED Liaisons

·         OGCS only: Graduation - Please contact your families who have 8th grade or High School graduates this year; even the December graduates. Ask them if they are going to participate in the ceremony, which will take place May 15th, 2010 at the Resource Center in Boulder Creek, and then go into ES Webfiles and mark "yes" or "no" so we can have an accurate count.(ES Webfiles>Student Detail>graduation tab) We are making plans for the graduation ceremony and need to have all information in before the Christmas vacation break. ESs please make plans now to attend the ceremony if one of your students is going to participate. Part of our tradition is to have the ES for each student make short comments about the student when they come up to receive their diploma. The students and parents have commented on how special this has made the day for them.

·         OGCS only: We will be using the same company for the caps and gowns for the High School graduates. The cost for the cap and gown, in black with classic gold tassle, will be $36. If a student had a sibling graduate before and they already have that cap and gown, they can purchase a 2010 tassle for $7. An announcement and flyer will go out to the families in January. 

 

5) Networking:  

a) Each ES bring a gift to share with your group: The gift is your best idea you have had in any area of the job that has helped you the most this year.  It could be the way you interview the parent/students at your meeting that easily gives you the info you need for a LR; or a curriculum that has really helped your struggling EL students; or a educational activity that your families has found to be wonderfully educational; a website we listed in an agenda that a family/student has particularly enjoyed; the best tutor in your area for a particular subject; etc. Don’t assume everyone else has discovered what you have, but everyone share a great idea!

 

b) Group Portfolio Review: This section will begin with a portfolio review training from the advisor at your meeting this month. After this training, you will switch portfolios and conduct a review.  Bring all of your  completed 1st semester portfolios for all students AND your final completed portfolio for any student who has dropped during 1st semester and any 1st semester grads (note: this meeting does not have time to assemble your portfolios, please have 1st semesters’ done prior to your December meeting), with 1 or 2 copies of this checklist http://www.ieminc.org/genericforms/IEMdecportreview.pdf.  It is helpful to bring the following extra supplies to your ES Group meeting in December:

·         Sticky notes

·         Extra portfolio envelopes (manila, 10” x 13” with clasp)

·         Extra portfolio labels

·         Extra sample labels

·         Paper clips

·         Extra copies of each student’s portfolio checklist.

·         Portfolio Review forms (2 per page, bring 10 forms—5 pages)

1st semester portfolios should be placed in their envelope left open for review with the following:

·         Envelope label completed and placed correctly

·         Portfolio checklist (printed from Webfiles)for each student by semester along with the samples paper-clipped behind it

·         Each portfolio sample properly labeled

After this review, make any needed corrections, give the portfolios one more review by you using the checklists, then hand your dropped and grad student portfolios to ES Advisor at your meeting to take with them.

 

6) Peer Tips:

·         Did you know that Apple iTunes (the music download site) has FREE lectures – much like the Teaching Company’s videos – that students can access from iTunes?  MIT has open courseware, Stanford, Oxford, etc. , and it’s free! 

·         Totally cool site for science! http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/

·         How do veteran ES’s stay organized:  Don’t fall behind!  Collect paperwork and samples early. Write on calendar or under scheduled meetings what needs to be done, keep a checklist of all students and when something is completed check them off, so you don’t miss anyone. Keep the agenda handy and use the dates to remember section. Watch for late notices and deal with them immediately. Get up early. Use your laptop computer during Learning Record meetings to type LR info.

·         Meeting SME deadlines: Print out SME worksheets ahead of time and add to SME student worksheet list at the same time you are creating Student Agreements & signing students up for SME courses. Create a file for each SME with the worksheets and samples collected throughout the semester.

·         Encourage families to attend parent curriculum workshops by forwarding on the email or talking about the workshops at the LR meetings.

·         The Revolution Prep CAHSEE:   I brought this to show the group.  I have a student using this with a tutor, and this was just the right intervention for this math student.

·         Study Island:  very affordable and students love working on it, great way to cover standards and prep for STAR.

·         Time4Learning:  great feedback from students and parents.  Also covers standards for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  It’s a great addition to the curriculum for students not using a textbook approach in the sciences and social sciences.  ES can get a monthly report showing what topics student covered, very helpful for the LR.

·         Good Art curriculum for VAPA:  "Art-Talk" by Glencoe and "Artistic Pursuits".

·         Math website: math-drills.com (Worksheets and answer keys on all concepts of math. May be good for new students to use until their curriculum is in.)

·         Math website:  www.onlineintervention.com (Pre-Algebra/Algebra I)

·         Math: A Way of Thinking  is recommended as a parent resource.

·         Math websites:  The KHAN academy is great!

·         SSCS Only: Check out www.secondteacher.com for free CASHEE math prep. Contact SSCS ES Trevor Doyle for log in information.

·         NCLB Certification Tips:

*2 ES’s just finished the math CSET exam and were happy to report that they found it easy.

*All who have taken the English CSET agree that it was a very manageable exam and relatively easy to pass.

*Some found the English in person VPSS class fun.

*ESs have found that online English VPSS is better than in person classes .