Teacher Evaluation and Special Education Settings

Section 30-2.9 of the Rules of the Board of Regents provides that, in order to be certified as lead evaluators, administrators must be trained in nine elements. One of the required components is: “Specific considerations in evaluating teachers and principals of ELLs and students with disabilities.” In our initial Lead Evaluator Training, at OCM BOCES, we address this topic specifically with the help of the Regional Special Education Technical Assistance and Support Center (RSE TASC). Recently, this year’s cohort did just that. This component, however, has not received the attention that it should in the continuing training we provide for Lead Evaluators who have been previously certified.

Next Generation Science Standards

I felt it was important this month to focus my blog on what is currently happening in NYS with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). A draft Statewide Strategic Plan for Science has been collaboratively developed by the New York State Education Department, members of the Science Content Advisory Panel, the Statewide Leadership Team (Science), and representatives of the NYS Science Education Consortium to guide a comprehensive approach toward improving P-12 science education statewide, while specifically addressing a mission and vision that incorporate six critical components simultaneously – Standards, Curriculum, Professional Development to Enhance Instruction, Assessment, Materials and Resource Support, and Administrative and Community Support. 

“Did you just say I have a disability?! An I-E- what, you say?!”

Image:collegedegrees360

How to Own Their Individualized Education Program in 10 easy steps

How many times have we worked with students that are aware they have these big meetings every year, but are not quite sure why? We know the purpose of the Committee for Special Education (CSE), but do our students? Have you ever asked yourself how many of your students actually know that they have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and why? How many of them know what an IEP is? More importantly, how many of your students know they have a disability?

Teaching Social Studies = Inquiry (C3 + ?)

The New York State K-12 Social Studies Field Guide was released last week and the idea of inquiry is a prominent feature of the document, especially as it defined in the C3 Framework. In fact the word “inquiry” or “inquiries” is used 32 times in the Field Guide! Inquiry and research also figure prominently in the Common Core Literacy Standards for Writing. So what are we talking about when we discuss inquiry in the social studies classroom? What does it look like? What does it mean for teachers? One of the C3 Framework’s Senior Advisors and Contributing Writers, S.G. Grant offers his thinking on that topic. (Grant 2013) Let’s see what he has to say…

Roaming Around the Known

Image: lisaboundliteracyprofile

At this time of year, literacy teachers are thinking about the best approach for fostering students to be active learners from the first day of their Reading Recovery® (RR) series of lessons. Teachers are closely analyzing and interpreting valid and reliable assessments to begin reinforcing one of many key concepts in a literacy lesson. The first key concept explored for every child selected in the Reading Recovery program is commonly known as Roaming Around the Known (RATK). This concept is about using what the child already knows based on the Observation Survey Assessment tasks results.

Clarity and Relevance

Image: Quinn Dombrowski

Recently, I read an article in Educational Leadership entitled 4 (Secret) Keys to Student Engagement by Robyn Jackson and Allison Zmuda. The article promotes ways teachers can capture true engagement in the classroom. What struck me most was a brief subtitle asking the question, “Compliant-Or Engaged”? I paused in my reading and thought about the “well-behaved” classes on which I used to pride myself. The kids did their work; they raised their hands; they were respectful; but, were they engaged? This got me thinking about the dangers of mistaking management for engagement, which then prompted me to ask the question, how do we design instruction that promotes engagement- real authentic engagement? Not a subdued space where nice kids turn in their work on time, but where students grapple with the learning in a busy, messy, sometimes noisy way? How do we get there, and more importantly, how do we sustain that energy?

Authentic Audiences: Making Connections with the Community

Blogger and Instructional Technology Integrator, Mike Arsenault, says it best when it comes to connecting up with your community to make a Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience authentic for your students: “My advice to teachers looking to add external partnerships within their schools is simple…ask for help.”

Where does efficacy fit into education? A lunch conversation.

Lunch Time:

Efficacy – I used this word recently with a group of teachers and we had a rich lunch conversation regarding what efficacy means in education. Our conversation meandered through the New York State Teaching Standards and how these have been translated into APPR plans and test scores. Are these measures of efficacy, efficiency or something else? Or is efficacy something that is felt and is not necessarily measured through observations, artifacts and test scores?

NYS and NGSS: The Saga Continues …

In a memo sent out last week by the NYS Board of Regents, it was discussed that NY would not be adopting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), but we will be re-writing our own State standards to incorporate some of the best ideas from the NGSS. Here is a quote from the recommendations:

“It is also recommended that the Board authorize Department staff to move forward with a process to update and develop New York State science learning standards that unify the existing New York State Science Learning Standards and the NGSS, as appropriate, and propose these new science learning standards for adoption in January 2016” (p. 5).

Tis the season…..for giving Thanks

What do you think about when I say Thanksgiving? Do you already have your plans? Will you see family and friends? Eat family favorites? Are there family traditions? A football game out back or on TV by any chance?

A typical Thanksgiving in the United States conjures up images of family and friends, holiday shopping, football and too many slices of pumpkin pie. In the back of our minds, we also remember our second grade class when we learned that this day is recognition of an abundant harvest and celebrating friendship across cultures and languages. Today, our Thanksgiving reflects and connects us to our family’s cultural heritage and traditions through time. Does it also connect us to other cultures and countries?