September 2009 ES Meeting Compilation

(A compilation of questions and answers from the all ES meeting this month)

ES Specific Info:

Do we really have to check our name each time we log into FRED?

Yes, until you are listed correctly in all 4 school servers, then you will have the correct access to work in your files.

When logging on to FRED, a box pops up and asks if we want to grant access; should we be worried? Is our computer at risk?

No, that is a part of our database--if it wasn't shared, then you could enter no data!

An ES Resources Handbook weblink doesn't work .

Please don't wait if you come across a dead link on our website, but do email your advisor with specifics asap. We have a very large website, and unfortunately links stop working periodically. We want to get them corrected asap when they do, so don't ignore it and expect someone else to notify us, please!

Is it necessary to watch the Webex training at the ES monthly meeting rather than at home and later discuss it?

Yes, it is part of your PG training anbd PG hours to watch the Webex together and participate in a discussion.

If a student is absent (as evidenced by an O on the rollsheet), do we not get paid for that day?

Your pay in based on active students days of enrollment, not the student's attendance days.

Conflict of interest: is it ok to recruit students from another school, i.e. letting them know there are other options for their schooling?

Yes. You just may not recruit current students away from other ESs. We provide flyers on our websites for your usage.

There is some confusion as to the term "relative" in the Conflict of Interest protocol. For example, may an OG student use OG funding to attend a class hosted by an aunt or great aunt?

No--they are related.

Some ES’s had a hard time printing the HH form from the parent list. What could have been the reason for that?

That would be a personal computer issue for you to address with your personal computer/printers. We always recommend that to avoid any printing errors, you first print to pdf, then print from there to your printer.

Permission slips are only on the generic forms page, correct?

Correct.

What is the reason for hanging onto the GEA permission slips forever?

To limit the school and your personal liability.

Can we send out group e-mails to our families about things like STAR testing and constitution day if we put their e-mail addresses in the bcc?

Yes. Please have the group email reviewed by your advisor first, or use one of the generic samples provided in the ES Resources online.

Learning Center: can we meet students at a community center? It is a public place?

Ask any specific questions about a "meeting place" of your Advisor, giving them all details.

HH info-How will we be able to tell if the HH form has been submitted for a family or not-will the blue “HH form needed” in WEBfiles go away once the info. has been sent to the office?

Yes, the form will no longer be available to print when a form has been received and entered in the office.

Do completed Learning Styles folders need to be kept in files, mailed in, or may families keep them once results are recorded?

Once you enter the data in Webfiles, you may keep it or give it to the families if they wish to keep it. Do keep the small card where the results are tallied in their student file to have a ready access to their info and to pass on to the next ES if they transfer.

If an ES is doing VPSS, will they still need to do 7 hours training on Learning styles?

Yes. The LS training is part of your required training hours for the 2010 school year.

Will ES’s receive additional training in how to interpret the Learning Styles results?

Yes, your online individual LS training is this training for you.

Educational Info (POs, Curriculum, Vendors, LRs, etc )

We could use more clarification on Odysseyware classes that are now 13 credits. Do we automatically give them 10 credits?

A high school course in California, when all (or almost all) standards are met, constitutes a maximum of 10 credits. Consult your ES Advisor if you need more specific clarification.

If a student did their Constitution Day activities on a day or month other than September 17, where would it be included in the LR? For example, one student did Constitution Day activities back in August.

If it was not done in the LR period covered by Sept 17, then you cannot call it a "Constitution Day" activity.

Would it be possible to have Discovery Education training for ES’ to help guide their families?

Sorry, it is not possible at this time--we have looked into this.

If we need to change a HQT enrollment date do we do it and then let Shelley know or does she need to do it?

You can change it before you mark your ES Approval, and yes, do change it if you need to. After that time, you need to contact Shelley with all of the specifics she needs to know to get this done for you.

What if a student enrolls in the school late but wants/needs the 5 units with an HQT, what do they do?

Enroll in the HQT course effective the first day they enrolled in the school, and they may attempt and complete as many credits as they can.

If an ES is certified in a course but the student is taking it at a community college, does the ES put the community college as the only coding?

No. IF the ES is certified, then the ES is the responsible teacher of record, regardless of where the course is actually taken, and the course is coded as a "1--ES is certified". Only use choices 2, 3 or 4 if the ES is NOT certified.

After an ES fixes a PO sometimes it sits there for days. Is there a way to get it processed quicker?

Actually, no, it goes back and waits in line again. Please try to check your POs against school policy prior to marking it done for quicker service for all.

The cost of fingerprinting and background checks seems to be an issue of concern to many service vendors. Could the requirements be clarified so that we can share them with prospective vendors?

That would be a question for potential vendors to address with IEM Vendor Relations, not for you as an ES to respond to. The requirement for this is a CA state law that we are required to follow.

What is the preferred color of pen ink on portfolio labels? For example, can an ES write on portfolio labels in red?

The auditor preference is any color except for black. Let's be sure it is very readable, though, and easy on the auditor's eyes!

Portfolio Samples: can we use a photocopy of a student's work instead of the original if a parent is not willing to give it up?

Yes, check the portfolio section of the online ES resources...a copy is always allowed!

Is a picture of student working at a computer an acceptable sample if the student writes what they are doing on the computer?

NO! That shows a student working, but does not show actual student "work".

Can a student draw a picture of themselves doing a PE activity and then write a paragraph about it. Would this be appropriate?

Absolutely, as long as the paragraph is a PE "assignment", and not "LR info".

Can a student mention the State Fair in a portfolio sample or in an LR?

No. The state does not pay ADA for a student to go to the State Fair. They pay for a student's educational progress towards the state and school standards only!

In the portfolio label time value section what do we put down if the student read a book and then did an assignment on it? Do we put the time it took to read and do the assignment or only the time it took to do the written work?

Your choice; either is allowed by our state audit regs. Do be consistent, though, throughout YOUR portfolios.

Do we need to include the assignment with the portfolio sample, or just the student's responses?

If it is unclear what the student is responding to, then it is best to include the assignment along with the student work.

If the school purchased the textbook do we need to write the name of the text book/publisher on the sample if it on binder paper?

No.

Who should write the grade (comment, star, smiley face, etc.) on the portfolio sample? Is it okay if the parent wrote a grade on the sample? Do we need to add a grade if the parent already wrote a grade on it?

Either the parent or the ES may give the grade on the portfolio sample. For AESS students, it must be an ES grade, as that is a part of your auditable contract.

It appears the school website still has a link to the OLD portfolio labels ( a new ES printed them out the week before the meeting).

Please use the one we gave you at the All ES meeting or the one you find by going to our school website and following the links there. Other IEM schools use a different label, and yes, you can find it by using the "search"..but you may NOT use it for our schools!

Some of us are still having trouble fitting portfolio printing on the forms. Will the samples be rejected if half a letter is missing off the label?

Probably not. Do check with your Advisor for help and advice.

Assessment Info (Scantron, Writing assignment, state assessments, etc):

The duty schedule shows only STAR proctoring. Is there another one somewhere?

It includes STAR, CAHSEE, and the Writing assessment--look again!

Some ESs felt they may have been given too many Proctor assignments since they are part time. Could you check?

Individual ESs who believe they have been assigned in error need to contact Sara at scantron@ieminc.org and ask her to take a look. The assessment department very carefully counted all of your days, but errors may occur! They are happy to take another look if you ask! Remember that for CAHSEE and the Writing assessments, each "day" is a 1/2 day for proctor duties.

Can students do a different grade level writing assignment for the school wide writing assignment. Or must they stay with the prompt for their grade level?

Students may use any of the practice materials for any grade level they wish, but when they are ready to do their "assessment", please use their official grade level as their prompt. Again, we want our students who are ahead to SHOW they are ahead by being compared with their age peers.

Can ES’s or parents provide their own Persuasive Writing prompt to complete the School Wide Writing assignment?

No. Yes for practicing, but no for the actual assignment that will be turned in.

Persuasive Essay video: Our group found it very informative and would like to be able to give it to parents. Is there a way for parents to have access to it?

Shelley will be doing WEbex training for our parents, typically a month after your training on a topic. The Webex for ESs should not be given to the parents--Shelley will post the parent one where they can access it on the regular website.

The grade level for students taking the CAHSEE: What about a student who has been redesignated as 10^th grader based on credits, but were previously 11 or 12^th grade. How many times will they take the CAHSEE and when this school year?

If they are officially a 10th grade student, they follow the CAHSEE regulations for 10th graders--even if they are repeating 10th grade.

Guidance Info:

If an 8th grader wanted to take Algebra for high school credit they have to take another high school course for credit. Can it be an elective or does it have to be another core course?

Core course only. See the ES Resources documents for specific information.

If a student will complete Algebra and Geometry in the same year through an HQT SME, do they need to sign up for both courses at the beginning of the year or wait until they complete the first?

Sign up at the beginning of each semester for courses they expect to take during that semester.

If a student needs to take 3 credits of algebra in a semester, but doesn’t start working on their algebra class until the second or third month, when should their enrollment date be for the SME? If they are enrolled from the beginning of the semester, would they drop the class before the end of the semester (since they only need 3 credits) while the student is actually still working on that class?

Sign up starting on the first day of the semester, then email Shelley that this designated student will only be completing 3 credits this semester.

If a HS student is getting credit for "foreign language" (10 units) in the special interests area, are all special interest courses (Music, Art, etc.) now listed as electives and coded as '0', even if the ES is certified in those areas?

If the ES is certified in an area that you are including in Special interest, always enter a "1" instead of a "0". Remember, a "1" is the default for any course if it is applicable!

Where is the Career Builder information for use with our students?

https://access.bridges.com/auth/login.do;jsessionid=1BA30A412EB415703328CB478F05D833?targetUri=%2Fportal%2FlandingPage.do.The info is available in Webfiles View/ES Details Passwords tab.

What are the age requirements for work permits, how young, and do adult students need a work permit ?

http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/workexp/index.htm

Can we create a high school course entitled “study skills”?

No.

Parent Specific Info:

Were parents that obtained Discovery Ed REQUIRED to attend a training session?

No. The parents who attended have more information about what is available to them. It was a great opportunity (one time offer), but not required.

Listserve: When parents receive the invitation to join, it looks like an ad. Is there any way to make it look important and attractive for parents to look closer?

The listserve is a Yahoo product that we use for free. We are not able to modify it at all. Do warn them of what it will look like so they accept our invitation to join.

Parents often request a way to look up all GEA’s on the OGCS website. Can we have that?

Not at this time. We provide information by listserve and in every ES agenda about GEAS for you to pass on to your families.

Can we have information on how to look up all listserve announcements to review previous items?

http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/esjob/listserve.htm .