LI News Blast #1: Logistics and Reminders

Happy Friday!  9 WAKE-UPS UNTIL SPRING BREAK!

Short and sweet this week!

Summer Positions

• You all should have received an email inquiring about your availability and interest in working this summer.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  You are also welcome to indicate in the reflection if you are only interested in subbing.

Portfolios

• A few PTs have asked if the accumulation of points they receive on their assignments impacts whether or not they "pass" the program.  The answer is no.  Their assignments go into their Final Teaching Portfolio.  If they received a low score on an assignment, they can and should revise it before adding it to and submitting their Portfolio.  The overall score on their Portfolio does impact their ability to "pass" and teach in the Fall.

PT Survey #2 Data

• Be on the lookout for your individual data with next steps!  We are still disaggregating data by LI.  You will have it before our meeting on April 16th. 

Exit Tickets

• Exit Ticket submission is still very very low! Review Exit Tickets for the week by Friday, communicate to PTs who are consistently not completing them, and log FYIs.  Escalate to Level 2 FYIs if they continue not to submit.
• Please let me know how I can support you with this!

Important Dates

• Wednesday, April 10th and 11th: Draft Stages 1 and 2 of their Unit Plans are due.  PTs may encounter struggles planning this with their coaches, but they should not be turning up with nothing!  Support them and encourage them in the process and practice of unit planning, despite any hold-ups with with their coaches.
• Tuesday, April 16th: LI Virtual Meeting #2, 4:30-6:30.  Calendar this date and time!
• We will look at Gateway 2 data, identify trends, plan for RCS, and do a deep-dive into our PT data from Survey #2. 
• Additionally, we will train and plan for a Virtual SBS on May 9th via Google Hangouts or Free Conference Call.  
• Support staff who are leading RCS on April 26th are required to attend!

Upcoming SBS:
4.10 - Backwards Design Stage 2

• Always feel empowered to modify parts of the sessions as needed to meet your PTs' needs.  For example, changing a model text or the warm up.
• Stage 2 is focused on assessments.  Share with PTs your own examples of formative and summative assessments to help them make connections between concepts and final products, as well as understand how different types of assessments can illustrate student progress toward mastery goals.
• PTs should practice with the strategies presented in the session (such as GRASPS); however, you may certainly share other unit planning and assessment designing strategies.
• The practice at the end of this session requires that they have a draft of Stage 1 completed.  If they do not, emphasize that they cannot move on to developing assessments without all of the elements of Stage 1 done.
• Assignment Alert: Gateway 2 Reflection due May 1st.

4.11 - Backwards Design Stage 3

• In Stage 3, PTs develop the pacing calendar with daily objectives for their unit plans, sequence daily lessons and major assessments, and develop plans for learning activities.  
• They may not be ready for this stage but should engage in as much practice as possible so they are ready to complete this on their own.
• If PTs do not have their own summative unit assessment drafted, which is necessary for moving on to this stage, they can practice using the sample summative unit assessment linked in their handout.
• The WHERETO and AMT coding is typically challenging for PTs.  Please review and internalize the purpose and examples so that you are able to support them as they learn this concept. Please reach out if you have any questions!
• During the practice person at the end, PTs should work on whichever Stage of their Unit Plan draft that is still not done.  They cannot move on to a stage until the previous is done.

Remember: 

• PTs who have not discussed a topic or standards for their unit plans should either pick one on their own to start planning and get high quality feedback and practice; or, partner with another PT if they will be fully involved and engaged in planning to learn the process.