This week's reading selections are directly related to one of our questions: how do we develop an atmosphere that holds all of us accountable to student achievement in a Standards-based environment? As you are reading the answer is building a true Professional Learning Community! I really believe using the Adaptive School's framework is essential to doing this on a sustained basis. If I can change practice we all can!
To paraphrase, the consensus was that backwards planning is perhaps the most crucial element in a true Standards-based system.
At our next PST, this Thursday we will dig into some specific areas so be prepared to begin thinking about syllabi.
2 questions for discussion next week:
1. What specific things would you like to see in the new Altona Student Handbook; The Altona Way?
2. What specific things would like to see in the annual Altona PST for new teachers (Resistance is Futile)?
A place to gather and discuss education in general and Altona Middle School in particular!
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Altona's Staff Development Reading List
Books I Wish I Read Before Sending My Daughter To Middle School
What I'm watching
- Outsourced
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- The Beekeeper's Handbook
- The Hunger Games Trilogy!
- The Templar Trilogy
16 comments:
What I would like to see in the student handbook would be very specific guidelines as to how one enters and exits an advanced course. It seems to me that too many students are entering advanced courses without the fundamental background skills and motivation that are required to succeed. Often times I have heard parents say that their child will work harder in the future if given another opportunity to continue down an advanced path, or they will hire tutors and do additional work outside of class in order to stay on the advanced track. I absolutely agree that we must provide opportunities for students to excel and go beyond grade-level expectations, however, when students are unable to rise to these challenges on their own, I do not think they or their parents should expect to remain on the advanced path.
I would also like to see specific reassessment policies for each grade level and course. If a student is taking Algebra 1, for example, should our reassessment policies be in line with what the high school allows since this is really a 9th grade course? What grade can a student reassess to? What is the cut-off point for reassessment? Can a student reassess a 7 to an 8? How about a 7.5 to an 8?
The student handbook needs to have all of the specifics clearly spelled out, so there is no grey area. This will allow the teachers to have consistency among each other, and possible introduce the idea of a "liked" vs. "good" teacher. Topics that need specific clarification include: Late Work, Reassessments, SSR (read only, homework, library time, etc..), Electronics (passing periods, etc...), and more. Once the specifics are in writing and both the teachers and the students know what is allowed and expected, it will be much easier to reinforce this rules throughout the building as a team.
Other things in the handbook, include extracurricular activities and what is expected of the student by adding on more activities and responsibilities. If a student misses classes for another school event or one day for being sick - what school policy will we have for making up the work, or should this be a class-by-class policy. Coming in as a new teacher, I have no idea what is expected to be a building policy or classroom policy. Is there flexibility on certain issues in classrooms and if not, which ones and what is the purpose behind it?
I absolutely agree with Lauren. I also think our handbook should be tighter were there is less room for interpretation.
At times we will put a student in the class the parent requests rather than were they should be. This is a never ending battle that we can't win. Does it then become about the student being successful and advancing appropriately or abot the parent strutting that their child is in a higher level class? And, what is our responsibility: fight the parent or perhaps one another?
Are our guidelines clear enough? Is there room for parent "suggestions"?
I will make a more detailed entry later, but wanted to identify an already existing document that the sixth grade team has been using/modifying for years. For about 6 years, we would send out a team letter and Mrs. Pro was the keeper of it. I will put in an email to her and see if I can get a copy of it by Thursday to look over for the 6th grade portion of the Altona Way.
1. I agree with Jayme and Lauren on laying out aligned specifics. 'Nuff said. However, I think that a lot of Jayme's initial concerns were in fact already answered in the handbook; she just didn't have enough time or direction to go there and find the answers to her questions, and when you ask individual teachers, they have different ways of "interpreting" the rules. Therefore, I think #2 is a key element to solving some of the problems that we encountered with our new teachers last year.
2. Obviously, a good chunk of #2 should deal with allowing time and questioning over the handbook. In addition to that, I am now seeing a plan forming based on our reading for this class where the PST introduces the concept of PLCs and encourages those teachers to utilize the basic building blocks of a PLC into their "team" meetings. This will be directly influenced by what the meetings will look like (I'm not 100% clear on that yet), but I see the new teachers as a pretty powerful vehicle through which some of our training--both PST and adaptive schools-- can be spread.
Another component to Resistance is Futile has to be some general housekeeping/informative stuff. I am looking at this from a very personal standpoint; I would love to have some time to introduce the library program and how it can works for teachers in a very uniform and uninterrupted way. I think it would be very beneficial for everyone, especially the new teachers.
A personal aside-- I will be in Delaware for a wedding this weekend, leaving tomorrow. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with, though! This feels like real work to me. :)
One more personal aside-- Joe, do you have any idea how many times I pictured the Borg during Adaptive Schools? It got a little scary, so it's hilarious that you attached that picture!
I agree with everything stated thus far. I feel our handbook has always been pretty clear with expactations of teachers and students, but we just need to add some elements and details. To add to Jayme's comment, having all of those policies in writing for all students, parents, and teachers to see will do no good if not all of the teachers enforce it. I think our handbook is clear on many of those things (just maybe some editing and adding details), but all teachers need to carry it through. I know that builing an atmosphere of accountability will help, and I know this is one of the large goals of this PST anyway.
First, speaking broadly, I agree with Dana in that the handbook does address most if not all of the important issues that have been brought up (reassessment, late policy, SSR, electronics, etc.) What needs to happen, it seems, are more specifics and better organization regarding the different expectations within those areas for each specific grade level. These expectations need to be explicitly taught to students; additionally, they should be revisited fairly frequently by teachers to ensure that they are all in compliance. And when a teacher is not, we have to be willing to hold one another to those expectations. This year’s SSR is a case in point. It was INCREDIBLY frustrating to be a teacher who actually had my kids read and work on work when other teachers did not enforce the policy which we agreed upon as a grade level at the beginning of the year. How do you tactfully answer a student’s question, “Why doesn’t ‘so and so’s’ class have to read or work on work, but we do?” without undermining “so and so”? All that to say, we must not only hold our students to these policies, we must hold one another to them as well.
To be more specific, (I wish I had my handbook with me to answer this), “The Altona Way” and a PST for new teachers should address, with no ambiguity, the same issues our current handbook does, but it should do so by grade level. AND, I think grade level teachers should have input on this. I also agree with Lauren that a clearly outlined set of expectations for advanced students would be VERY helpful. (I’m thinking of a certain parent with whom I had to deal this year and how helpful that objective set of criteria would have been.) I also think it would be good to address academic expectations with regards to sports. As a coach, we were free to set our own policy regarding eligibility. For the two sports I coached, students were ineligible to participate if they got homework club for a given week. (I have no idea what other coaches did.) For some of my athletes, that was a real motivator to get work completed. One last issue that I can think of (which piggy backs off the previous) has to do with what was formerly known as Homework Club (HWC), now Brown Bag Club (BBC). Although I think all teachers knew for what reasons they could utilize it, it did not seem to be consistently implemented. So, a student failing a class who was not sent to HWC could participate in a sport; but one who may not be failing but did not turn work in and went to HWC did not get to participate. Consistent standards for being assigned to HWC/BBC would be helpful for students and teachers alike.
Whatever is included in the guidelines needs to be clear and concise, whether it is for late work policies or dress code expectations, and I would agree on the ideas submitted so far. But the big issue is consistency and having EVERYONE on board with implementing the expectations – no exceptions. It just doesn’t work to plead ignorant of the rules or worse yet, ignore them, and kids catch on all too quickly, taking advantage when an adult doesn’t follow them.
I've just returned from a trip to OR, Manitoba, Canada, and ND... I could say I didn't see a sign (or in SC a few years ago the sign was literally around the corner - but my car was still towed), but I would still have to pay the consequences for speeding or parking inappropriately. As has been stated in previous posts, the rules are in the handbook, but they are not all enforced by all staff. Like previous posts have stated, this makes it difficult for those who do enforce them.
I like the summer PST as a chance not only to learn, but to become more of a learning community. I agree with Michelle that part of the PST for newbies needs to deal with the handbook… There is so much to learn in a new school that taking time to read the handbook may not always happen. The idea of having guidelines for entrance into the advanced classes is good. It also helps if parents/students know exactly how a student qualifies for literacy…
I used the handbook quite a bit last semester, and it was beneficial to be able to answer students and parents that a given policy was not just mine, but Altona's. I don't know if it was received this way, but I'd like to think that it gave me some credibility. This held true for most everything, but especially if it was related to grading.
One thing that would be great to see in the handbook is some mention of being part of a community inside and outside of school. Just as in a larger community setting, everyone has strengths in different areas and can positively contribute to the health of the school as a whole. I hope that by setting that positive climate early on, it will eventually sustain itself throughout the year. WEB, NJHS, Student Council, and other organizations are going to help out a lot setting the tone of the school.
It would be helpful to have it specific for each grade level especially for homework and reassessments. Entering and exiting advanced classes guidelines as Lauren mentioned seems like a great idea as well. Some areas need to be a little grey so that you have room to move!
I agree with almost everyone's ideas. It would help to be specific to grade level with the homework and reassessments. Parents and students need to know what exactly is required. There are some issues though that need a little grey area so that we don't lock ourselves into something and have room to move. There are always exceptions!
I like what everyone is saying about consistency. This was the Achilles Heel for some of us last year. That is why I think the idea of PLC's is so important. Just by having the weekly meetings with the teachers who share students with us we can ensure that we are all on the same page in many areas. For example, we can brainstorm ways to improve the performance and/or behavior of specific students. I agree that we all need to support one ather and the school policies consistently. As Andy said, it gives us validity when speaking to parents, thus reducing the number of things that parents have to gripe about or practices they can question.
In looking at the previous handbook there are a few things I would add:
• Intramural information
• Club and other after-school activities
• Important dates for the school year (Conferences, Late Start days etc…)
• IMC hours and information
• GT information
• Brown Bag Group – How does the referral and exit process work?
• Planners ???
I also think it would be a good idea to have a grade-level packet. This might include:
• Materials
• Grading policies - re-assessments etc…
• Copy of the schedule
• Homework expectations
• Communication with teachers (via e-mail and Virtual Campus),
• SSR (what are the expectations for this time?)
• Brown Bag Group – specifics for that grade level
For the Altona New Teacher PST, I would like information on:
• Lockers – how does that work with lockers in the class?
• IMC
• Technology available for teachers
• Counseling – affective needs; when and how are they addressed?
• Office – how is information conveyed? Who is responsible for what?
• Positive Referrals – what things are in place to recognize students?
• Negative Referrals – what plans are in place for negative actions?
• SSR – what are the parameters for this time?
Honestly, there is not much of anything that I would change about the handbook. It sounds like it just nees some fine tuning, and maybe some grade level separation. I think the biggest thing is consistency in enforcement. In my opinion, the exact content of the handbook has little relevance if we are not enforcing as a staff.
As far as the PST for the new teachers, I think that there should be a certain amount of time allowed for them to observe other classrooms.
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