Updates

Online Grades - We talked about moving away from our traditional bubble sheets for grading and to an electronic process. Unfortunately we have found out that we do not have the correct version of Easy Grade Pro to make this happen. We have contacted the folks at ITS (formerly TSC) and they do not have the manpower to get this conversion done in time for this grading period. As a result we will have a couple of options.

Option A - The first option all teachers have is to complete their quarter grades using the older bubble sheet system. The administrative team will be delivering your bubble sheets tomorrow (11/10). If you are ready to complete the bubble sheets and feel more comfortable using this method you can.

Option B - The second option is to move to a newer version of Easy Grade Pro and submit your grades online. In order to do this we need to know who is interested in this option. Please email Scott and based on the numbers of folks ready to make the conversion we will work with some of our staff here to develop a 'trainer of trainer' model. For those teachers interested in moving over to this electronic version we will need to update your Easy Grade Pro Software and put together either individual or several group trainings. Depending on the number of staff who choose Option B we will develop a workable timeline for getting this done next week.

In the end, grades are due to Carrie by November 17. We need to get report cards out prior to Thanksgiving break so we really can not move this deadline. If you are going to be using the bubble sheets to submit your grades there really is nothing to do as we will be bringing these to all staff tomorrow. If you would like to move to the electronic process please email Scott and we will work to get the software upgrades done as soon as possible.

GLE's and the Work Ahead- In case I missed the point this afternoon I wanted to follow up on a couple of questions raised in your meetings yesterday.

How can my writing activities in isolation help me increase student achievement? - The whole purpose of developing activities around the Grade Level Expectations (GLE's) is to help all staff understand how to read and incorporate the appropriate GLE into their courses. It was never intended for busy work but rather a teaching tool to help better define the work we need to do. Aligning each of our courses with the Reading, Writing, and Math GLE's is the work before us. It seems that to truly understand how to align an entire course we need to begin with a clear understanding of developing activities or lessons by starting with the end in mind.

Secondly, to really do this correctly we need to understand these expectations and then work backwards from there. What most of us begin with is a curriculum that is established and tested over time. For this work, we need to conintue doing what truly makes sense to do because it is clearly aligned with the established expectation. We also need to be able to let go of that part of our curriculum which no longer fits.

Please know I believe that there are things we need to teach for development of the larger expectations. I believe that is the art of teaching and why we will never simply teach to a test. I guess I have to come to an understanding that the work of the GLE's is more the science of teaching.

You don't get it Scott, we can not be about a single assessment for Sophomores but rather all our students. - You are absolutely right. The state assessment given to our sophomores is one measure of student achievement. However, it is the assessment that gives us the best picture of how well our curriculum is aligned to the stated expectations. Once students complete their sophomore year, if we have not worked out the "What's next?" then we are really in trouble. Instead of three years to make it work we now are down to two!

I guess that is exactly why we are asking all teachers to step up and take on this work. It makes no sense for us to believe we should only align our sophomore courses. We will have student, as juniors, who will need to be in classes that are even more closely aligned. If we do not do our very best work today, tomorrow will be even more difficult to get through.

Ultimately my goal is simple - No student at Rogers High School will go into their Senior year needing to pass any portion of the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning. That means we have two years to get this work done. After that we will be in a position to assure every student and family that enters our school that they will learn and be successful. Imagine you are a senior taking an assessment in the spring of your senior year, after you have ordered all your graduation materials and sent the invites, after you have done everything we have asked of you over the past 12-13 years and received great grades, only to find out 10 days prior to actually graduating you did not pass a state assessment. That just does not work for what we believe and say we are about.

I guess based on all this I want to go back to one of the closing scenes from Apollo 13. While Mission Control was stating all the things and disasters that could occur with the final re-entry of the Apollo capsule, Gene Krantz had the courage and faith enough to stand up to everyone else to make the statement, "I believe this could be our finest hour". For us, this really will be the very best time to be a RAM!