Strategic Direction 1Dirección Estratégica 1

During the second half of the 2015-2016 school year we launched the next phases of curriculum design. The evolution of our curriculum development process renewed our commitment to backwards design and gave us the opportunity to create a foundational layer of broad district outcomes, applied content outcomes, and commitments based on our beliefs about deep and powerful learning.

Over the summer teams of teachers expanded the district outcomes and applied content outcomes to include PreK – Grade 8 progressions and also transferable understandings for each subject area.  Staff will spend the first semester of the 2016-2017 school year becoming familiar with the outcomes, progressions, and understandings in order to prepare for successful implementation of a new learning experience mid year.

In the current phase of curriculum work, we are identifying the progressional essential skills and competencies that reflect student understanding.  This is an essential step whereby our staff becomes acclimated with the learning expectations prior to developing assessments.  By deepening staff capacity regarding essential outcomes, our staff can more clearly and efficiently define the common measures that most accurately assess student understanding.  

Once the progressions are complete, we will begin the process of developing measures.  An important step will be to align all assessments to curriculum outcomes and determine which assessments remain.  The district continues to build a comprehensive student data and assessment system that connects assessment to instruction and promotes the development of assessment literacy so staff can target instruction, student support, and intervention.  We have developed and provided staff with:

• Foundational MTSS/Assessment presentation facilitated by school Assistant Principal
• An enhanced Assessment Calendar
• A protocol for data collection, analysis, and use instituted in all D59 schools
• New assessment system instituted (FAST and Fountas and Pinnell)

The elementary report card continues to be revised to align with our district direction. There are updated descriptors for all areas and social/emotional skills and behaviors of a successful learner have been added. As we move forward the reporting system at both elementary and junior high will continue to be revised to align with our learning maps and to more comprehensibly and frequently describe student growth.

Parents in CCSD59 now have fall and winter opportunities for conferences with teachers. In both of these conferences the student plays a prominent role.  Fall conferences focus on goal setting and feature discussions on all aspects of a student’s learning while providing the opportunity to build the relationship between the student, teacher, and parents.  The winter conference provides an opportunity for both teacher and student to share progress, data, and reflect on learning so far.

The model for bilingual education in CCSD59 has now fully transitioned to a dual language approach.  Both one-way and two-way models are now part of our program offerings.  Ongoing professional development for our dual language teachers continued this year, thanks in part to our newly added dual language coach.  In addition, this year one of our areas of focus was to provide professional development for our ESL teachers to help sharpen our services for students in the ESL program.   

In other areas, such as the Talent Development Program, we are continuing to engage our staff to develop relevant curriculum to meet the needs of our students.  Our TDP program continues to focus on a problem/project-based, flexible curriculum designed by TDP staff.  This year we created TDP specific positions that have allowed for focused articulation and professional development.  (Josh: remain with no change)

Additionally, we have taken a close look at providing opportunities for students to participate in the Talent Development Program through enrichment and enhanced service delivery options.

We took another step toward enhancing our summer programming in 2016, moving toward programming that not only help students expand their skills but also apply those skills in meaningful and engaging ways.  This was accomplished through expanded choice options, increased STEM components, and increasing the duration of summer programs.   Moving forward, we will evaluate the success of the expanded programming and plan for next summer.   

We continue to evaluate self-contained special education programming within the district to enhance the service delivery and transition of the continuum of services.  Moving forward our goal is to embed systematic inclusion practices through a multi-tiered approach and collaboration with Instruction.

Throughout the school year, the district, building, and staff leaders planned and facilitated professional learning opportunities to enhance staff capacity and deepen understanding. The primary channels of professional learning were Professional Learning Time (PLT), Administrative Leadership Team (ALT), release-time and team/individual sessions with coaches. Over the course of the school year, over 250 internal professional learning opportunities were facilitated in District 59.

In addition local workshops, national conferences and thought leaders were utilized as secondary structures for staff learning and growth.  Areas of focus included:

• Social-Emotional Learning
• Instructional Practice
• Informing Instruction
• Innovation

Implementation of the Reading/Writing Workshop and the Fountas and Pinnell continuum have been major focus areas during the 2015-2016 school year. Staff embraced the workshop approach and enjoyed sharing and celebrating the success of  students of all ages as readers and writers.  Due to the enthusiasm and success of workshop last year, a multitude of additional sessions were offered and highly attended this summer. For next year the focus will be on refining the implementation of the workshop and conferring with students as well as the continuation of implementing innovative practices in all areas of instruction.

The team of instructional coaches (literacy, innovative learning, and dual language) gained momentum during the 2015-2016 school year. The coaches provided direct support primarily through joint planning, co-teaching, and model lessons. Last year 72% of our staff reported working with a coach during the year.  

In addition, principals, assistant principals, and district leaders provide staff with feedback and support to assist in the implementation of effective instructional practices.

In August  2014 a Conceptual Framework for Social Emotional Learning with a focus on developing the whole child was created. The framework is part of a 3 year implementation plan. In year one the focus was on building an awareness of the SEL Anchor Standards, ensuring that every kid has a champion, while exposing staff to a variety of resources for integrating the standards into the dedicated SEL time in each elementary school. A district level SEL Committee comprised of teachers, school psychologists, social workers, and administrators collaborated to determine the important moves that needed to occur within the district to ensure that SEL is part of our core existence.

At the beginning of this year, the district leaders in concert with building leaders developed key messages for School Climate and Conditions for Learning that are rooted in social/emotional learning. These key messages provided the foundation for designing opportunities to expose staff to daily practices that promote building relationships, such as, opening and closing circles or three-minute motivators.

Physical activity is important for both the physical and mental development of children, especially during the first five years of life. It’s during this time that parents and educators should begin to encourage kids to engage in physical activities at an early age and build good habits that can last a lifetime.

In this article, you will learn about the critical importance of physical activity for the development of children. We’ll also help you with some tips on how to implement an effective physical education program into you and your child’s lives.

Benefits of Physical Activity for Kids

• Physical and Mental Development

  The foremost benefit of physical activity for kids is that it helps improve the overall health of the child. According to the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center, physical activity can assist in early brain development of infants and young children.

• Brain Development

  The majority of human brain development occurs during the first few years of life. By age 2, a child’s brain has grown from 25% to roughly 75% of its total adult size. Physical exercise helps create connections between the brain and the nerves. It accelerates the brain development and the learning processes of motor skills, personal awareness, socialization, problem-solving, and creativity.

• Increased Lung Capacity

  Regular physical activity also helps improve lung capacity. Increased physical activity results in more oxygen being drawn into the body and more waste gases are expelled from the body. Moreover, regular physical exercise reduces the risk of lung diseases such as asthma.

• Heart Health

  Physical activity helps reduce harmful fats and cholesterol in the blood. It increases the flexibility of the blood vessels and keeps veins and arteries clear. Increased blood vessel flexibility reduces the risk of stroke or heart attack during adulthood. It also helps reduce the risk of various other serious health complications such as hypertension and other heart related disorders.

Tips for an Effective Physical Education Program for Children

Young children should be provided opportunities to be active and to develop control, coordination, and movement. Experts advise that children should take part in physical activities at least one hour each day to maintain physical health.

It is important to teach children at an early age to recognize the importance of physical activity for improved mental and physical development. Here are some suggestions that can help in implementing a strong early physical education program into your child’s life.

1. Group Activities

   One of the easiest ways to help your child get active is to help them get involved in group activities. Group exercises not only assist in keeping your child active but also helps your child see the fun side of physical activity. Playing with peers can also improve social skills and increase self-confidence. This is how nutrisystem works as a healthy supplement.

2. Activity Break

   As you probably know, it is very difficult for most children to sit still for long periods of time. Therefore, it is important to remind your child to take breaks between classes or on long trips to help them release energy and stretch their growing muscles.

3. Bone and Muscle Strengthening Exercises

   Bone and muscle strengthening exercises can help in the physical development of children. Some examples of bone strengthening exercises for kids include walking, running, and jumping rope. Muscle-strengthening exercises for children include swinging and climbing on the playground. Encourage your child to take part in a variety of activities to make sure they are engaged in a well-rounded physical routine, learn more about biofit.

4. Outdoor Locations

   School playgrounds, local parks, and outdoor recreation areas are ideal places for physical activities. Being outdoors provides kids an opportunity to take part in different types of physical activities that are typically not available in the home. Children can participate in physical activities of different intensities ranging from moderate physical activities such as walking to intense physical activities such as jumping and climbing. Be sure to apply proper sunscreen before outdoor activities.

5. Limit Use of TV and Video Games

   While TV and video games are certainly a form of entertainment for kids, it’s important to limit how much time kids spend on these two forms of entertainment. Try to encourage kids to spend as much time as possible taking part in physical activities and limit the amount of time allotted for television and video games in your child’s schedule.

Evidence of Social/Emotional Learning standards can be found in the mathematical practices as well as in the description of what good readers and writers do, and during weekly SEL time. Learner behaviors and characteristics are included in student report cards. As the district continues to design curricula and units of study, the goal is to become more explicit with embedding social/emotional standards into the learner expectations.  Erin’s Law was a systematic approach to provide instruction to all students prek-8th grade on personal safety, harassment, and other aspects of self-care.  Community collaboration has been consistently utilized to enhance programming and resources for SEL instruction.  A plan for deliberate instruction based on monthly themes will be developed for implementation during the 2016-2017 school year.

The district hired additional psychologists and social workers to support the social emotional needs of students in each school. School Counselors were hired for each of the junior high schools to focus on social, emotional, and academic development of students. Each school uses a Multi-Tiered System of Support to identify behavioral supports for students needing additional reinforcements.  A Family facilitator was hired for the ELC to provide a variety of lessons to parents (i.e. behavior management in the home and how to engage with children).  In addition, assistance with locating housing, food, clothing and medical resources for our families has increasingly taken place.

The district successfully implemented one prototype classroom at each of the junior high schools. A survey tool was developed and administered to students and staff as part of the first round of prototyping which concluded on October 9. A student and staff survey will again be administered at the conclusion of phase two which will conclude on November 23. Plans continue to be developed for the Friendship LRC prototype which will begin following winter break.

A learning space task force completed its initial work to determine what options were available at the junior high level to create learning spaces that best support students and staff in modern learning. The work will now expand to explore options for the elementary level.

A technology committee was established, and the group successfully planned and implemented an updated technology plan at all grade levels.