School spirit
A big "thank you" goes to everyone who has worked to prepare our students for TCAP. The pep rally was great fun and Mr. and Mrs. Mack did an excellent job planning and executing the event. The Pee Wee cheerleading squad was well-prepared and gave our students a real emotional boost as they cheered encouraging words. What a fun and positive way to approach this important event.
Students in action
Once again, Haskin Elementary students produced good writing in response to a SWEEP prompt, working through the writing process from planning to publishing. For the first time, kindergarteners and first-graders joined second- through fifth-graders in participating in this assessment. Here, the winners from each grade level posed with their certificates. Students also enjoyed a small monetary award and a sweet treat.
These assessments, posted throughout the school, offer a perspective on how the writing process develops throughout the grade levels. As a result of the good work that was done on the Action Plan, we now have a common way of planning, with common language that students will be able to understand as they move up through the grades. We have already seen a significant improvement in the quality of writing our students are doing and with the continued hard work by teachers and students, their skills will continue to increase.
These assessments, posted throughout the school, offer a perspective on how the writing process develops throughout the grade levels. As a result of the good work that was done on the Action Plan, we now have a common way of planning, with common language that students will be able to understand as they move up through the grades. We have already seen a significant improvement in the quality of writing our students are doing and with the continued hard work by teachers and students, their skills will continue to increase.
core beliefs in action
As we shared last week, several of us attended a session provide by the CDE on the portion of SB 191 that links student learning outcomes to principal and teacher evaluations. Exactly how this will look here in our district has yet to be determined, though some preliminary work has been done. The importance of high stakes testing is certainly a constant reality for us, but it can seem an issue only for third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers since they are directly linked to students when they take the TCAP. The reality, of course, is that each one of us has a shared responsibility for how our students perform on TCAP. Since the beginning of the turnaround here at Haskin, we have come a long way toward understanding this reality and the part we each play in helping our students achieve at high levels. Clearly, as our expectations for student achievement have been raised beginning with kindergarten and continuing up through the grade levels, we are seeing a much higher percentage of our students approaching, achieving, and even exceeding grade level performance as measured by DIBELS and NWEA. It is a tremendous privilege to work in a school and district where everyone is pulling together, working toward the common goal of helping and guiding our students to be successful in school and, more importantly, in life.
As we continue with the administration of TCAP this week, each of you is encouraged to reflect upon the work you are doing each day and how it fits into the big picture of accountability. While there is a certain amount of pressure and anxiety involved for teachers in the upper grades, teachers of kindergarteners and first-graders, Teachers Assistants, and support teachers are also encouraged to take a moment to put themselves in the shoes of teachers in these TCAP-tested grades. While we don't want anyone losing sleep over these high stakes tests, it is well for us all to feel the full weight of responsibility for student performance on TCAP. We are all in this together and what we do each and every day is contributing to the growth our students are making. Let's continue on, pushing ourselves and our students toward excellence in all we do.
As we continue with the administration of TCAP this week, each of you is encouraged to reflect upon the work you are doing each day and how it fits into the big picture of accountability. While there is a certain amount of pressure and anxiety involved for teachers in the upper grades, teachers of kindergarteners and first-graders, Teachers Assistants, and support teachers are also encouraged to take a moment to put themselves in the shoes of teachers in these TCAP-tested grades. While we don't want anyone losing sleep over these high stakes tests, it is well for us all to feel the full weight of responsibility for student performance on TCAP. We are all in this together and what we do each and every day is contributing to the growth our students are making. Let's continue on, pushing ourselves and our students toward excellence in all we do.