LMM+2-6-08

Leadership Team 2/6/08


 * Down to the wire: **FCAT Writes is next Tuesday. Encourage your kids that you are working with in Booster groups. This is the time we can simply motivate. From now until the March FCAT we need to hone in on specifics. We met with our directors yesterday and shared our current proficiency levels.


 * Reading Bursts:** Wireless Generation, Inc. is doing a pilot with us for reading. Kindergarten and 1st grade will be piloting this program. Freereading.com is a website that has activities created by other teachers. If you create a lesson you can have your lesson put on the site. Reading Bursts is the program we will be implementing. It is done for 10 days, 30 minutes a day with selected students. The students that will be administered the bursts are the low-end DIBELS students. The bursts are individualized based on student need and are created for the teacher. The teacher simply meets with the group for 30 minutes a day and teaches the concept through the Bursts.


 * New Students:** By law, we are required to assess students within 20 days to determine how we are academically going to address the needs of these students.


 * SLD:** 4th grade writing we feel ready to go! They know the difference between prompts and it is now a matter of encouraging the students in these final days. Dr. Schmook: How many SLD students total? Answer: 32. 11 are 5th graders.


 * ELL:** We are getting ready for CELLA. This is a new test that came from the state and is given at the end of the year. Every child in ELL is tested (K-5). There is talk from the state of CELLA being the “exit” test from ELL. The students are tested in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Kindergarten students are tested individually and it takes about 15 min. to test each child. 4th grade students know the difference between expository and narrative. Dr. Schmook’s suggestion for these students is to have them relate the prompt to something they can write about but STAY on topic. Give them a way they can respond.

IPT (Initial Placement Testing) is the testing that places students in ELL (K-3).


 * Math:** Dr. Schmook is reading a book about teaching math. She shared what this book is saying about the instruction of math. This book is intriguing and the whole idea is getting answers to mathematical equations in different ways. Applettes are small math programs that you can use. For instance, an applette may be a small application on shapes. Math has always been a problem and we need to address it. Julie: We are finishing Math at Large. We are interested in the comparison between Math at Large and PMA. We are noticing that certain PMA questions are not mirroring what the FCAT will look like. Julie is giving content limits to 3rd, 4th, and 5th. For example in 3rd grade, addends will not exceed 3 digits and products will not exceed 2 digits. Julie will inventory how many calculators LKO has and get what we need. Our goal is to buy a set for every classroom. Multiplication club: There are about 12 students still not mastering the multiplication facts. We are now going to address what is holding these students from mastering these facts. The drill and kill technique may not be working effectively with these students.


 * Kindergarten:** Out of 79 students tested, 6 are intensive and 10 are strategic. These students that are strategic are on a PMP. Brenda and Jackie will update the data board to reflect current K, 1, and 2 data according to DIBELS. Kristie will update 3rd grade data. Jeanne will take care of 4 and 5. Linda: FTP data was shared with the team. She explained the data boards that were created to show where our students are pertaining to reaching benchmark.


 * 1st Grade:** 17 are on a PMP. 1 is intensive, 5 are moderate and 11 are benchmark.


 * 2nd Grade:** 76% are at benchmark for ORF. 15% are at high-risk for ORF. 84% at benchmark for NWF.


 * 3rd Grade: **76% are reaching benchmark for ORF.


 * 4th Grade:** 64% are at benchmark for ORF.


 * 5th Grade:** 61% are at benchmark for ORF.