Together we learn, lead, support and serve
Instructional Planning Council - September 22nd, 2015
The Instructional Planning Council is made up of representatives from all component districts as well as TST BOCES. Each year the Instructional Planning Council creates a set of regional priorities that are student centered, systemic and data-informed. The council meets monthly to promote both organizational learning and teacher learning that leads to positive measurable outcomes for students.
Attendance:
Derfel 2015 - 2016
Together we learn, lead, support and serve
Alexis Abramo, SUNY Cortland
Jennifer Astles-Steinmetz, TST BOCES
Cheryl Button, TST BOCES
Lisa DeRado, Dryden Teacher Center
Berry Derfel, TST BOCES
Beth Dryer, TST BOCES
Lauren Faessler, TST BOCES
Angie Germignani, Trumansburg
Jenn Gondek, TST BOCES
John Hind, TST BOCES
Mark Jasinski, Newfield
Sunshine Miller, TST BOCES
Kim Nichols, Candor
Jane O’Brien, TST BOCES
Rhody O’Donnell, LGTC
Adam Rundell, South Seneca
Derfel 2015 - 2016
Together we learn, lead, support and serve
To Do:
· Barry will collate the questions from today’s meeting and begin to populate answers in a shared document. IPC members can add questions and answers. This document should be accessible here: https://docs.google.com/a/tstboces.org/document/d/15D7IMQGbGTgeYT8DCGquw1os4bR-q9B8ji7PkOtYbKs/edit?usp=sharing
· IPC members will prepare for our next meeting by doing the following:
o Review the five regional priorities and come prepared to share specific connections between one or more of these priorities and the efforts you and your organizations are making to promote both organizational learning and teacher learning that leads to positive measurable outcomes for students.
o Bring hard copies or send links showing specific district/building vision, goals, learning targets for this year.
· IPC members can continue to access resources from our meetings, and contribute to our blog discussions, by logging into schoology. The access code for our course is: Z24QC-8M6QP
Notes:
· An important APPR RFQ update was sent out via the SCDN listserv on 9.21.15. A copy is in Schoology.
· Barry shared hard copies of the following :
o 2015 -2016 Regional Priorities: http://tstboces.org/instructional-services/regional-priorities/
o SCDN Update – A copy is in Schoology.
o Workshop Fliers – These have been shared via the weekly bulletins
o Contextual Rounds Overview – A copy is in Schoology.
o APPR – APPR Guidance, SLO Guidance, Teacher Evaluation Roadmap, Principal Evaluation Road Map - http://barryderfelinstruction.wikispaces.com/Resources
· TST BOCES School Improvement Services folks shared their workshop fliers. These have been shared via the weekly bulletins.
Around the Table:
· Lynn VanDeWeert: Three initiatives in Ithaca – Chromebook rollout; 1:1 initiative grades 4 – 12. All iPads are now going to be available to all of the three Prek-3 students. Curriculum initiative is now in it’s 3rd year. It has been somewhat ambiguous, and teachers have been very flexible in working through this. It is focused on creating integrated curriculum through a case-study approach, especially including social studies and science. We have a vision that by all students will experience an integrated curriculum experience through a case-study approach. The third initiative is focused on inclusion – what does this mean to us, do we really mean it when we say it, how do students, families, and community members feel included throughout the district.
· Lisa – I would prefer to listen, since this is my first time. I have questions about APPR that I would like to know more about.
· Adam: In Dryden, we have a STEMA conference coming up – all of your music teachers are invited. We are hoping that other districts might like to host this in future years. Big change in Dryden is a K-4 change to the NYSED ELA modules. I am also working hard to help our High School English department begin shifting to the ELA Common Core. I would like to hear from others who are having success so that I can learn from this. I have a question about AIS, how do we provide this support, especially for students with disabilities and at the secondary level.
· Jennifer Astles-Steinmetz: We continue as a Youth Development Team as wanting to continue building positive social and emotional success in your districts. How do we best support you and how do we make that a high priority, along with curriculum and instruction?
· Angie Gemignani: I started this summer in Trumansburg with a strong background in special education and some less background in curriculum and instruction. We are in the third year of module implementation and people are somewhat comfortable, so we are trying only two initiatives: A K-12 STEM initiative and piloting some Project-based learning. We want to be purposeful and make sure we are aware of all the other work we are doing. K-6 is doing some work with FOSS and K-4 is working with Project Lead the Way. Does anyone have standards/reporting materials for Pre-K? Please let me know if I miss some opportunities.
· John Hind: I am going to run two Tech PLC’s, one K-6 and one 7 -12, to be responsive to last year’s feedback. I have heard that half-day workshops are difficult, but I am thinking of doing a series of half-day Google User Groups – sharing tools, apps, plug-ins. Give people common time to work on these. Would there be district support for an 8:30 – 11:00 or 12:30 – 3:00 workshop?
· Mark Jasinski: Admin team has committed to talking twice a month to every teacher about instruction, specifically. We have an expanded PreK grant, so we will now have a full day program, as soon as we get the money. I would like to hear how we support folks to take chances and risks and be innovative?
· Rhody O’Donnell: We are doing a beginning of the year survey to find out what our teachers would like, in terms of support, so that we can begin to provide this. We will likely start with some book groups, based on teacher-initiated interests. How can we avoid duplicating efforts and collaborate most effectively? I have a math parent training resource that I am happy to share, but it’s too big to email out.
· Lauren Faessler: Except for what is being mandated by NYSED, we are not starting any new initiatives. We are continuing to work on what we have already started. We adopted instructional priorities two years ago that focus on learning targets, and we are building in organizational structures/collaborative learning processes (such as peer visits), professional learning around the priorities for teacher leaders. We can up with the paradigm: learn, reflect, I think we will continue to slow down our work. We are working on how we engage in collaborative processes, continue moving forward while allowing for differentiated approaches, I share the APPR questions. We have been rolling out Chromebooks, as well.
· Adam Rundell: We are waiting on the official word so that we can get started on the full day PreK program now that the grant has come through. Like others, we are not starting too many new things. There is one big new initiative: we have elementary curriculum leaders for ELA and Math. We already had one set of teacher-led meetings, with our second happening today. Challenges will emerge, it’s too early to know what they are. APPR is an ongoing area of questions/challenge. We will be having a conversation today with staff. RtI – How do we manage this process with many students who need support and limited staff?
· Cheryl Button: We are continuing our technology initiative – we have purchased Chromebooks and iPads, and now have Wi-Fi access throughout the building. We are also buying interactive white boards, and moving to Google Apps for Education. We also have another initiative – unlike in the past, we have our students in the half-day Career Skills morning program working with Cornell University, on their campus, working in job-related opportunities on the Cornell campus. Our students are partnered with Cornell students. The Springboard Program (under Mary Meeker’s supervision) has been adjusted so that the high school students in this program will have access to credit-bearing classes/curriculum. One announcement: We are still waiting to hear when the NYSAA regional training will take place. We know that Pearson has received the contract, but they have not yet announced when the local training will be provided.
· Kimberleigh Nichols: We are in the middle of a capital project. All of the roof work that needed to be done has been completed, but much more work to come. My position is new – Director of Curriculum and Instruction. I am grateful for this opportunity, it’s what I love to do. We are also continuing with our Technology Coordinator – this is working out quite well. We now have 6 Chromebooks class sets to share, in addition to what we had last year. We are a Chromebook school – we presented together about Project-based learning and embedded technology. We recorded the first session to help those who were not able to be there could learn the information. Teachers created a project-based unit, and we are in the midst of launching these. The focus from the summer was also on student engagement, and we’ll be visiting their rooms informally to give them feedback on these units/this focus. Our summer retreat helped us come up with a goal about “Attitude of Excellence,” with four key words – Engage, Inspire, Collaborate, Reflect. These words are what the teachers are committed to, and we are asking students to give us feedback about what the “Attitude of Excellence” means to them. We are continuing with peer visits, and teacher feedback from the summer was to provide teacher support. We are also starting a Senior Seminar, with a Spanish teacher and an English teacher working together. We learned some ideas for this from a school we visited in Chicago. APPR questions, like others have asked.
· Jennifer Gondek: Pass
· Beth: Please reach out to Beth if you have Teaching is the Core follow-up support that you would like.
· Sunny Miller: I am the new Coordinator of Cooperative Enrichment. I have already started revamping our system of getting services to schools, making explicit connections to the Common Core. I also hope to increase connections to the Common Core in the Arts and Music. I will be offering Grant-writing workshops. I am working hard to increase our web presence, including a Facebook page and Twitter chats.
· Jane O’Brien – I want to call to your attention the SNAP media Catalogue – it provides access to K-12 resources - Streamed media. If you go to the TST BOCES webpage and click on “Faculty and Staff” you click on SNAP media catalogue. If your email does not work, you can create your account. Students can do the same. There is a workshop that Beth will be offering on questioning, as well as text complexity.
· Alexis Abramo: I represent the SUNY Cortland School of Education, with a specific focus on two grants – Special Education and Professional Development. We are bringing together teachers and teacher educators,
which has been valuable for both groups. Our proposal focused on using data/equity and inclusion/certification. The other part of the grant is supporting each individual school’s Professional Development Plans. There are two upcoming sessions, one “Facing History” and one on UDL/Cast. Both of these are in the TST BOCES Weekly Bulletin. We will work with participants to figure out how to do ongoing work.
Notes taken by,
Barry Derfel
Derfel 2015 - 2016