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Inside this issue
Important Upcoming Events/Meetings
August 9, 12:00 - 4:00 pm: Principals Meeting, RBEC August 17, 12:00 - 3:00 pm: Superintendents Meeting, RBEC August 18-19: MDE Special Education Compliance Training August 24-Sept 1, 7:30 - 3:30; GCED Back to School Workshop August 24, 7:30 - 3:30 pm: Teaching, Learning, and Compliance, RBEC August 25, 7:30 - 3:30 pm: GCED Day, RBEC Augsut 25, 7:30 - 3:30 pm: GCED Education Minnesota Union Meeting August 30, 4:00 - 6:00 pm: RBEC Open House September 6: First Student School Day |
The Progress, Aug/Sep 2016: Volume 2, Issue 1
Comments? Suggestions for new articles?
Contact Jillynne Raymond, Editor, The Progress, jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us |
Happy New Year!
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by Cherie Johnson, GCED Executive Director
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! This will be an exciting year for the River Bluff Education Center and we are glad that you will join us. The ongoing collaboration with the stakeholders of our district will continue to advance our vision to prepare self-directed learners who are collaborative problem solvers. The Goodhue County Education District is committed to ensuring that every student achieves rigorous academic standards. By applying research findings, best practice, fiscal responsibility, and technology, we are committed to preparing young people to realize their potential and to thrive in the larger community. Our reputation in serving students throughout the county is stronger than ever. Yet, the challenges facing public education have never been greater. I am confident that our partnership with parents, community members, students, and staff members will foster increased academic rigor, innovation, high expectations, and continued improvement. Best wishes to all of our students, staff, parents, and community members for another successful school year. |
Difference Makers...yes, that is YOU
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John Crudele
8/25/16 Keynote Speaker
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2016-17 MTSS Implementation
by Jillynne Raymond, GCED Assistant Director of System Development
The WHY remains the same....
WHY implement a MTSS?
The WHAT remains the same...
WHAT is MTSS?
MTSS stands for a Multi-Tiered System of Support, which provides a continuum of effective supports aligned to all students’ needs for achieving high expectations. Achievement is key. Tiered interventions can help us go beyond a year’s worth of growth.
It is essential that we have a system in place that supports our students and our staff members on this important pursuit. The system and resources need to align to meet students’ specific needs.
HOW will we proceed with implementation in 2016-17? Everyone will continue to do the good work they have been doing with MTSS. Elementary schools especially are busy learning how to work with student data to inform intervention design. This includes using students' data to compare progress to their peers in their classroom and in their grade level.
With our assessment framework, this is a year of tradition as districts are using different products. At the principals meetings this year, we will assess our framework and the products used to inform our decisions for 2017-18. We will have 2 key focus areas of our work this year:
#1 - ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
> 2016-17 Districts are using different assessment systems during this transition year
CF: Aimsweb/STAR
GCED: FAST
GD: FAST
KW: Aimsweb/STAR
LC: Aimsweb/NWEA
RW: Aimsweb/STAR
FAST (Sunnyside only)
ZM: FAST
> GCED Superintendents Council/Principals Group will evaluate assessment systems to inform 2017-18 Assessment Framework
> 2016-17 GCED Wide Assessment Framework Calendar is available on website.
#2 - BEHAVIORAL CONTINUUM
The WHY remains the same....
WHY implement a MTSS?
- All students deserve to achieve in order to become the very best they can be.
- We need to give our students the help they need, when they need it.
- Problem solving takes a team and it’s not easy; the system needs to support these efforts.
The WHAT remains the same...
WHAT is MTSS?
MTSS stands for a Multi-Tiered System of Support, which provides a continuum of effective supports aligned to all students’ needs for achieving high expectations. Achievement is key. Tiered interventions can help us go beyond a year’s worth of growth.
It is essential that we have a system in place that supports our students and our staff members on this important pursuit. The system and resources need to align to meet students’ specific needs.
HOW will we proceed with implementation in 2016-17? Everyone will continue to do the good work they have been doing with MTSS. Elementary schools especially are busy learning how to work with student data to inform intervention design. This includes using students' data to compare progress to their peers in their classroom and in their grade level.
With our assessment framework, this is a year of tradition as districts are using different products. At the principals meetings this year, we will assess our framework and the products used to inform our decisions for 2017-18. We will have 2 key focus areas of our work this year:
#1 - ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
> 2016-17 Districts are using different assessment systems during this transition year
CF: Aimsweb/STAR
GCED: FAST
GD: FAST
KW: Aimsweb/STAR
LC: Aimsweb/NWEA
RW: Aimsweb/STAR
FAST (Sunnyside only)
ZM: FAST
> GCED Superintendents Council/Principals Group will evaluate assessment systems to inform 2017-18 Assessment Framework
> 2016-17 GCED Wide Assessment Framework Calendar is available on website.
#2 - BEHAVIORAL CONTINUUM
- GCED will work with each site to design and build their Behavioral Continuum of Supports
- GCED will work with each district to align sites' Behavioral Continuum of Supports
- This is a work group team that will meet 2 - 3 times this year to build and to align this behavioral continuum. Jillynne Raymond will work with site's administrator or designee to schedule the meetings.
- Principals are asked to complete the Google Form to identify their team made up of:
- Administrative Representative
- School Psychologist
- Social Worker(s)
- PBIS Representative (or equivalent)
- General Education Representative
- Special Education Representative
Reading and Math Longitudinal MCA Data by District
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Reading Comprehension at the Secondary Level
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Research demonstrates...
Questions have sometimes been raised about the extent to which reading skills of struggling adolescents can be remediated ... ....Results of both group and individual analyses indicate these older struggling readers can be remediated and for some, gains of two, three, four, or more years can be accomplished with only 1 year of instruction. While two to three years of gain for students who are four to six years behind by no means closes the achievement gap, these findings are encouraging in providing information on which modality of instruction closes the achievement gap best,,, ...While more research still needs to be conducted in this area, this study lends credence to the different requirements this unique population of students may need in order to close the achievement gap in acquiring adequate reading skills. (Calhoon, M. & Prescher, Y., 2013; Vaughn et al., 2010, 2011, 2012) |
By Jillynne Raymond, GCED Assistant Director of System Development
In the 2010-11 school year Minnesota adopted the new MN 2010 ELA (English Language Arts) Standards. Minnesota exercised its right to expand on the common core standards to include more standards. This was fitting for Minnesota, which is a state that is known for its high standards. Do you remember the intention behind adopting these standards? 1. In theory, using common core standards better supports students' learning when moving between states. 2. The level of text complexity in the new standards increased to meet the demands to prepare our students to be College and Career Ready. Q: Do you know what the two professions with the highest text complexity needs do not require a 4 year degree? A: Auto mechanics and Informational technology All of our member districts are tackling literacy in the elementary schools. Plans are in place to help support the MN World's Best Workforce goal that ALL children will be reading well by third grade. I truly believe that all of this work will catch up to us so that by the time these students are secondary students they will all reading well and able to access complex text across the content areas. To support secondary students' literacy growth at the secondary level, it is important to keep in mind that all teachers help build literacy skills in their content areas through the use of effective strategies. In essence, all teachers are reading teachers. As educators model and apply reading strategies to their particular content area, students will learn how to do the same. Reading is an interactive process that involves the reader making of meaning of the text. In order to help students access more and more complex text, it is important that educators (1) help students understand the purpose for their reading and (2) help students learn and use strategies that help with their comprehension.
Our MTSS implementation work will focus on As a part of secondary focus with MTSS this year, we will work together to build a reading comprehension toolkit appropriate and effective for the secondary level. You may also contact your instructional coach or Jillynne Raymond for further assistance. |
Back to School: Special Education 101 |
Dr. Seuss's IEP |
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IEP Goals
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Do you like these IEPs? I do not like these IEPs I do not like them, geez Louise We test, we check We plan, we meet But nothing ever seems complete Would you, could you Like the form? I do not like the form I see Not page 1, not 2, not 3 Another change A brand new box I think we all Have lost our rocks Could you all meet here or there? We could not all meet here or there We cannot all fit anywhere! Not in a room Not in the hall There seems to be no space at all Would you could you meet again? I cannot meet again next week No lunch, no prep Please hear me speak No not at dusk. No not at dawn At 4pm I should be gone. |
Could you hear while all speak out? Would you write the words they spout? I could not hear, I would not write This does not need to be a fight. Sign here, date there Mark this, check that Beware the student's ad-vo-cat(e). You do not like them So you say Try again! Try again And you may. If you will let me be, I will try again You'll see. Say! I almost like these IEPs! I think I'll write six thousand three. And I will practice day and night Until they say "You've got it right!" Author Unknwon |
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Progress Monitoring,
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Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
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Infinitec: Infinite potential through technology
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Remember that all districts have access to Infinitec at www.myinfinitec.org/. Check out the resources below.
Books That Grow This great website called Books That Grow is worth checking into. Here you will find books that let you alter the reading level. Teachers can create classes, assign books to students and choose the reading level. Books can be search by interest level and read on a computer, Android tablet or iOS device. Take advantage of text-to-speech through the operating system of Google extension. Some books have teacher guides and there are plans to create comprehension guides in the future. Executive Function 101 eBook This free eBook is written for parents or those wishing to learn more about executive function (EF). It explains executive functions in a clear, understandable way and discusses the areas in which these struggles impact a child: learning, behavior, emotions, social situations and relationships. Tips for sup- port and practice in specific areas are included. |
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Whitewater Learning: E-education for Educators
Whitewater Learning may be accessed at whitewaterlearning.org/login/. See sampling of course titles below. Whitewater Learning is an excellent individual resource (college credit available), PLC resource, or schoolwide resource.
If you need help with usernames/passwords or other issues, please contact Cindy at cluhman@gced.k12.mn.us.
If you need help with usernames/passwords or other issues, please contact Cindy at cluhman@gced.k12.mn.us.
- African American People: Communication, Perceptions, Behaviors, and Beliefs©
- Alignment of Standards-Based Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Learning Environment©
- Best Practices for English Language Learners©
- Bloodborne Pathogens and Right to Know©
- Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities in High School©
- Cyberbullying: Hateful, Harmful, Insidious – 6 Students Speak Out©
- Data Driven Decision Making: An Introduction©
- Differentiated Instruction©
- How to Read and Utilize Instructional Data©
- Project-Based Learning©
- Teaching Reading: Evidence-based Best Practices©
- Traumatization of Youth and Adolescents: Implications for Educator Practices and Student Success©
- Word Study: A Tool to Improve Reading, Spelling, and Writing©
