Curriculum News - August 16

Our first Executive Principals meeting is Wednesday, August 18^th from 11.am. to 2:00 p.m. at St. Edward’s Parish, Seattle. We are in good hands! Thank you! PRE-KINDERGARTEN: I had the privilege of attending the New Teachers Orientation last week and visited with a pre-K teacher who is interested in working collaboratively with other Pre-K teachers. Principals, if you have a pre-K teacher(s) who would like to work with me to share pre-K standards, resources, and develop an online professional learning community with me through our SCL forums, please just send me their contact information. I would love to help carve out a very special curriculum destination for these master teachers. Thank you!
K-8 ITBS /iRM CONSORTIUM: Moving from Spring to Fall? Is it worth it? Will it help me or hurt me tell the data story? Riverside Publishing shared the following:
The Iowa Tests were built using the American Educational Research Association (AERA) standards and framework with national norms established to diagnose relative strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the national norms allow educators to chart growth and performance of students and groups. Based on empirical national norms from an extensive national standardization, established in the fall, midyear, and spring, The Iowa Tests provide a reliable and valid score scale and percentile rank. Each administration of The Iowa Tests yields a National Percentile Rank (NPR) score related to the time of testing and the grade level comparison of the students. The time of year is dependent on the longitudinal data. For example, a reading test score of 75NPR achieved in the spring of the year would be a 75NPR if the test had been administered in the fall of the year since the comparison group is the key in determining the NPR ranking. Certainly, the move from spring to fall represents an opportunity to monitor academic performance in the early part of the school year in order to implement strategies to improve academic performance. The Iowa Tests were designed to track performance and growth, especially with the application of the new web-based Interactive Results Manager (iRM).

Students in grades 3 – 8 will use the prescribed test levels as before:
Grade 3 – Level 9
Grade 4 – Level 10
Grade 5 – Level 11
Grade 6 – Level 12
Grade 7 – Level 13
Grade 8 – Level 14

Below is a chart indicating the recommended levels:



Benefits of fall testing:

• Students’ strengths and weaknesses are identified early in the school year.
• Teachers can create remedial or enrichment activities to help their students.
• Needed curriculum changes can be identified and implemented in time to help students during the year.
• Test data can provide clues to professional development needs.
• Using student data early in the year focuses on the student rather than on teacher accountability.

12 Gardens of Stewardship for 2010 – 2011: The Office of Parish Stewardship, responding to feedback from the stewardship survey and CSD Leadership input, has made a commitment to create monthly teacher bundles to be sent directly to our teachers using AppliTrack’s email system. The teacher curriculum bundle containing September’s Garden of Decisions Resources will be sent out this week with new additional resources including….monthly focus on a Saint whose life modeled the call of Stewardship. September’s Garden of Decisions Saint: St. Teresa of Avila. Our office will be updating all Stewardship links so schools can have full access to these rich resources. Special thank you to Jackie Kerrigan, Scott Bader and Rick Fersch for their faithful commitment to assist our schools as we continue to plant the seeds of Stewardship….together!

Calling all K- 12 educators in Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts!
Arts Time 2010 Conference! Transforming Classrooms, Education and Lives
October 8 - 9, 2010 Foster High School, Tukwila SD
Featured Keynote Guests:
Mark Lewis, Storyteller & Dr. John J. Medina, Author, Brain Rules
Participants will take away methods and ideas for "everything arts" and arts integration! Visit www.artstime.org to see the list of presenters, sessions, agenda and registration. Questions: Please contact Pat Sylvia, Conference Coordinator at artstime2010@aol.com or patlsylvia@aol.com
Generously submitted by, Tami Smith, Art Instructor, at St. Anthony School, Renton. Tami will also be one of the instructors at this ARTS Conference on the state in-service day…October 8^th!

St. James Cathedral Youth Music Program is now registering students for the Fall semester which begins the week of September 13. This unique and dynamic after-school program is open to students throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle, and fosters full, active and conscious participation of young people in the liturgy of the church through singing. Please consider sharing this opportunity with the parents of your schools and parishes. For more information please see the attached flyer in our mailing, call the Cathedral Music office at 206-382-4874, email musicoffice@stjames-cathedral.org or visit
http://www.stjames-cathedral.net/music/youthmusic.htm

Have a great new week! The fall professional development opportunities are starting to be listed for your consideration, so please check the CSD calendar for specific information. Click here for current calendar information.

Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Barton Smith