Inside this issue:
Gifted & Talented 2
International Baccalaureate
2
Benchmarks 2
Student Services & Support 3 Response to Intervention 3 Instructional Technology 4 Professional Learning 4 Assessment Update 5 November 14, 2016 Volume , Issue
Spotlighting Teaching & Learning
Student Engagement in Ms. Massey’s Classroom
Greensboro Elementary Schoolteacher, Ms. Sharda Massey, makes student engagement a priority for her third graders. Upon entering Ms. Massey’s classroom, the students’ enthusiasm and engagement are obvious. The students are asking questions of each other and the teacher; raising their hands to answer
ques-tions; and participating in critical thinking activities. During a recent lesson about friction, Ms. Massey had her students draw pictures that represented friction. As the students processed the definition of the word friction and drew their pictures, Ms. Massey and inclusion paraprofessional, Sheila Williams, asked students questions about their work, provided individual assistance as needed, and provided positive reinforcement for them. The teachers and students also utilized graphic organizers and worked cooperatively – all during one lesson. All of the students seemed so excited about learning.
When asked about student engagement, Ms. Massey stated the following: “The first step I take in ensuring that students are engaged is focusing on my instructional planning. Taking the time and putting forth maximum effort in the planning process allows lessons to be engaging and fun for the students. When planning for the students, I put myself in their shoes, and take into consideration activities that would be interesting if I were their age. When planning, I also try to put as many hands-on activities in the lessons as I can. This consists of experiments, use of manipulatives, cutting and pasting, etc.
Another huge factor in my classroom for student engagement is collaborative learning. The students learn so much from working with each other rather than listening to me lecture on the topic. The students enjoy working together and sharing their thoughts and ideas with me as well as other students. I like to switch roles and allow the students to feel as though they are teaching me the material. The students are always eager to share what they have learned and eager to be the teacher for the day.
Differentiating the instruction for the students also allows them to be engaged in the lessons. When students are receiving work that is on their level, they are more comfortable with the material. If students are comfortable with the material, they are also eager to share what they are learning. They also get excited about what they are learning because they have a clear understanding of what is being taught.
Lastly, and most importantly, the way to get students involved and engage is to build a relationship with the students…. [Students] share things they like and things they don’t like. I like to share with students as they share with me. If the students feel as though they can relate to the teacher or the teacher is approachable, they are comfortable. Knowing the students allows me to plan and teach students in ways that are appealing to them.”
Ms. Massey is a great asset to both GES and the Greene County School System.
Thank you to all the teachers across the district who filled out Rating Forms on students to determine eligibility. Special Thanks to Dr. Kilgore who administered the CogAT to all the UPSA students and Mrs. Bridwell and Mrs. Smith for being instrumental in the process of collecting paperwork and answering questions. Of the 63 students tested in the district we have 23 students who are joining the Gifted Program!
After Fall Break I will be out in the classroom working with teachers for Gifted Collaboration. I look forward to being in the schools and working with the teachers. Upcoming Competitions and Events to keep a look out for:
Spelling Bee (December)
County Wide Science Fair (December) CPA 4-H Competition (January) Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (February)
Carson Middle School has hit the ground running with IB training. Our IB evaluation visit occurred November 7th-8th at CMS. Teachers are working hard to prepare real-world units collaboratively and challenge their students.
IB training at the High School will begin after Fall Break!
Moving forward, students will continue to be engaged in meaningful, real life lessons that focus on worldly themes to help students connect to the world around them.
Gifted & Talented
Submitted by: Ms. Tara Marshall, Coordinator of Gifted, Student Learning Objectives, IB, District Competitions
International Baccalaureate
Submitted by: Ms. Tara Marshall, Coordinator of Gifted, Student Learning Objectives, IB, District Competitions
Benchmark Update
Submitted by: Ms. Tara Marshall, Coordinator of Gifted, Student Learning Objectives, IB, District Competitions Benchmark data (previously SLO) has been entered into Infinite Campus. Thank you for
your diligence in making this happen in a timely manner.
Special thanks to Coach Strickland who worked with teachers and faculty to train teachers on accessing data and using the features of Performance matters. I appreciate all the teachers
who contributed and took their time to come in and help create new Science and Social Studies benchmarks. We were able to create twelve new benchmarks with moderate ease. We are in the works to moving to OLA (online administration) for next semester’s benchmarks.
RTI—Response to Intervention
Submitted by: Mrs. Tanisha Wright, RTI Coordinator
What is RTI? RTI is a systematic plan for responding to struggles children are having in the classroom. Struggling students are identified, problematic areas are targeted, and specific interventions are put in place to help the students before the problematic area begin to negatively affect a child’s performance in the classroom. If RTI is implemented early enough, and is executed correctly, a student’s area of concern should be lessened or corrected before they are failing in the classroom.
I have been working diligently with schools in the district as well as the SPED department to help begin the process of becoming more uniform district wide with the approach to RTI and its implementations. Each school has been very receptive and willing to ensure the right students are getting the extra support needed to be successful. One of my goals this year is to have all teachers familiar with appropriate interventions as well as comfortable with inputting information into the Infinite Campus. Kudos to each of our schools for a job well done thus far.
The Department of Special Education and Student Supports welcomes Ms. Jaqueline Evans back as our Parent Mentor. Ms. Evans joined us in the Spring last year and has been hard at work getting to know our parents and teachers. The Parent Mentor Partnership, through the Georgia Department of Education, is designed to encourage parents and |professionals to work together to improve outcomes for students with disabilities by enhancing communication and collaboration between amilies, educators, and the community. You will see Ms. Evans anywhere that parents are gathered because she is eager to get to know each and every parent in the county. She is a great listener and has a compassionate heart for our families.
During the 2016-17 school year, Ms. Evans will be implementing the ASPIRE Program. ASPIRE stands for Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement. Students in ASPIRE learn to advocate for themselves and to develop ownership of their learning. These skills are valuable during the students’ educational careers, but will also serve them well throughout their lives. Our department is thrilled to see this program move forward during this school year.
Our Parent Mentor Program was created with parents of students with disabilities in mind. If you are the parent of a student with a disability, please feel free to call upon Ms. Evans when you have questions or concerns. She is ready to assist you.
Department of Student Services
Submitted by: Mrs. Barbara Ross, Interim Director of Student Services
Ms. Jaqueline Evans, Greene County Parent Mentor, joined other Parent Men-tors from around the state at a training conference in October.
During the course of the 2016-2017 school year, professional learning in Greene County will focus on Classroom Management, Engagement, Relevance, Relationship Building and Rigor as means for bridging the gap between teaching and learning in Greene County and ultimately improving student achievement. You don’t have to wait for in-building professional learning on these topics. Remember, you have 24/7 access to professional learning by the experts via Edivate (PD360). Take a look at this video on relationship building:
https://www.pd360.com/index.html#resources/videos/7565. This is just one of many videos available through Edivate. And don’t forget to view the top 10 recommended Classroom Management videos shared through email. Take advantage of Edivate in your commitment to making the teaching and learning experience in Greene County the best it can be. Using this resource shows that we value Edivate and need it in the district.
Professional Learning Update
Submitted by: Mrs. Demestrus Mercier, Director of School Improvement & Staff Development
Instructional Technology
Submitted by: Kevin Strickland, Instructional Technologist
This school year, the opportunities to learn new technologies and software is at a premium. There have been numerous trainings for our teachers to demonstrate, teach, and advance their learning with the hardware and software tools our district has to offer. The new teachers to our district are catching on fast and our veteran teachers have found new avenues to improve the student’s learning with the technology that we have in place.
The Media Specialists and Technology Specialists at our schools have teamed up, and with the combined effort, look for a major push in the student use of technology in our schools. Our students have hours of seat time daily with our educational and assessment
software so far this year, and with this push, we expect the student engagement, collaboration, and creativity to increase. We are looking to bring back the Technology Fair to our district so our students will have the oppor-tunity to showcase their talent with technology.
The district is always looking to stay on the advancing edge of technology. New technology and new tools are being tested and compared so that we are able to provide our faculty and students with the latest tools for success. Our teachers continuously train on our educational tools in order to use the technology to improve student learning.
We have to begin with the end in mind. Benchmarking allows us to monitor student progress and preparedness along the way. Data from benchmarking identifies the standards and elements that students know well or might be struggling with. Performance Matters, NWEA, IStation, Study Island, USA TestPrep, and GOFAR are assessment resources that aid in preparing students for what lies ahead.
Assessment Update
Submitted by: Mrs. Demestrus Mercier, Director of School Improvement & Staff Development
State Mandated Assessments by Grade Level
Grade Band Test/Description Greene County Testing Window Grade K GKIDS-Inventory based assessment August 1, 2016 – May 1, 2017
Grades 3 Georgia Milestones EOG (ELA & Math only); Paper-pencil administration with online testing for students with read-aloud accommodations
April 11 - 21, 2017
Grades 4, 6
and 7 Georgia Milestones EOG (ELA & Math only); Online admin-istration April 11-26, 2017
Grades 5 and
8 Georgia Milestones EOG (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies); Online administration April 11-26, 2017
Grades 9-12 Georgia Milestones EOC (Economics Only); Online Winter
administration December 1-16, 2016
Grades 8-12 Georgia Milestones EOC (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies); Online Spring administration
*Middle School students enrolled in an ELA or Social Studies EOC courses are required to take the EOC and grade level aligned EOG in these content areas.
**Middle School students enrolled in Math or Science EOC courses are not required to take the grade level EOG in these content areas. They are only to take the EOC.
***Students in the B part of a Milestones attached credit recov-ery course must take the corresponding EOC.
April 27 – May 19, 2017
Grade 4 NAEP - Mathematics, Reading, and Writing (GES Only) January 31, 2017
Grade 8 NAEP-Writing (CMS Only) May 11, 2017
Grades K,
3-8, and 11 GAA-Portfolio based assessment Sept. 6, 2016 – March 24, 2017 Grades K-2 ACCESS for ELLs-Paper-pencil administration in Grades K-2 January 17 – March 3, 2017
101 East Third Street; Greensboro, Georgia 30642 www.greene.k12.ga.us
Board of Education
Arlie Collins, Chair
Velicia Cobb, District 1
Deborah Smith, District 2
Clarence Hunt, Jr., District 3
Leah Dukes, District 4
E d u c a t e - I n s p i r e - C h a l l e n g e - S u p p o r t
Rotonya Rhodes, Ed.S.
Assistant Superintendent
Barbara Ross
Director of Exceptional Children and Student Support
Demestrus Mercier
Executive Director of District Effectiveness, Assessment Coordinator
Tara Marshall
Greene County IB, Gifted, SLO, and District Competitions Coordinator Tanisha Wright
Greene County RTI Coordinator
Instructional Coaches Denise Bickers Kathy Magee Donna Moon Jeanette Glover Pricilla Jones Cynthia Sumner
