PLC Topics and Tasks iHigh Virtual Academy

Review: Professional Learning Cycle 1  Essential Question: How do we develop an academic, social and physical environment worthy of our children?  Focus on safe and welcoming classroom environments, positive and supportive school culture  Instructional focus on PURPOSE and ENGAGEMENT from 5 Dimensions of Effective Teaching and Learning  DISCUSSION and WORK PRODUCT (brief written summary from staff): 1) Progress check: How are we doing on meeting our goals for the above focus areas? 2) What actions steps and/or funding are needed to advance our efforts? For example, Rita suggested the Own It! program as an added support for our students. There is a demo account for you to preview. Please see directions on separate attachment and let me know what you think.

Review: Professional Learning Cycle 2  Essential Question: How do we create classrooms that are alive with collaborative conversations? Yes, most of our classes ARE online, but most of our teachers also teach at least one face-to-face course.  Focus on the effective use of questioning strategies to promote and sustain collaborative conversations; the teacher as facilitator; gradual release from teacher-directed to independent student learning; curriculum and pedagogy.  Continued instructional focus on PURPOSE, ENGAGEMENT and CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT from 5 Dimensions of Effective Teaching and Learning  ACTIVITY: View Dr. Doug Fisher’s PowerPoint on Collaborative Conversations  DISCUSSION and WORK PRODUCT (brief written summary from staff): 3) Progress check: How are we doing on meeting our goals for the above focus areas? 4) What actions steps and/or funding are needed to advance our efforts? For example, we talked about creating a “talking” classroom in the resource room as an alternative option to the “no talking” classroom that currently exists. How could we set up the furniture and supervision schedule to launch this option for students who wish to work collaboratively?

Introducing: Professional Learning Cycle 3 Differentiating Instruction

Professional Learning Cycle 3  Essential Question: How do we create the learning conditions that maximize the potential that lies within the variability of all learners?  Focus on the effective use of scaffolds to differentiate instruction; curriculum and pedagogy; assessments and adjustments. Instructional focus on PURPOSE, ENGAGEMENT, CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, STUDENT MONITORING, and ASSESSMENT  ACTIVITY: Please see separate attachment from Supt. Marten for Learning Cycle 3  DISCUSSION and WORK PRODUCT (brief written summary from staff): 5) How are we doing in effectively differentiating/scaffolding instruction for both our fulltime and dual students? For both our face-to-face and online courses? Even though the online courses may have limited options for teacher customizations, many of you have compiled your own web sites, Google docs, and/or other resources to scaffold the learning for your students. Let’s share your great ideas! 6) What actions steps and/or funding are needed to support/advance our efforts?

PLC Planning: Interim Assessments  District Interim Assessments for English Language Arts, Integrated Math I and Integrated Math II are coming up in early March. Principals have been told that these will be online assessments using Illuminate, in order to better simulate the Smarter Balanced testing this spring.  Please review the test schedule posted on our home page, form teacher teams, and devise plans for administering these assessments (which classrooms? teacher supervision? equipment and supplies needed? tech support?)  Please see separate attachment with links to the job aids for administering the online tests, printing answer sheets, and reviewing results.  WORK PRODUCT: 7) Please provide Donna and me with a copy of the schedule and roles for administering these assessments. Please include a list of any supplied or materials we need to obtain or order.

PLC Planning: CAHSEE Gr  Statewide testing dates are March 17 (ELA) and 18 (Math)  Sonia is coordinating the CAHSEE for grade  I typically administer the Practice CAHSEE to our 9 th graders. In my absence, we will need a staff-developed plan to supervise and administer both dates.  We ask students to be here by 8:30 AM on test dates. The tests are untimed, although most students finish by noonish.  We currently have the Ballard Auditorium reserved for grades 10-12…do we want to keep this or use our local classrooms instead? The CAHSEE schedule needs to include at least one teacher helping Sonia each day.  I suggest using the conference room to administer the grade 9 Practice CAHSEE to our 5 ninth graders. 8) WORK PRODUCT: Please develop a proposed schedule for March 17 and 18 that provides for classroom supervision and testing supervision for the regular and Practice CAHSEE, for Donna and Sonia to review.

As time permits…  Principals have been told that schools will be developing their Single Plan for Student Achievement in the March timeframe.  The SPSA will have the same 5 goals as previous SPSA’s: Improving English Language Arts proficiency Improving Math proficiency Improving academic proficiency for English Learners Improving the graduation rate (CAHSEE pass & proficiency rates) Improving parent involvement  In the absence of CST data, start pulling together the data from December district interims, end of course exams, teacher observation, final student grades, etc., to help establish our SPSA academic goals.  Audit files: Please review your audit file checklist to ensure that everything is in compliance with state requirements.

Thank you for all you do to make iHigh a GREAT school!