Region 6 Information: Post #9 - Asst Dir of Spec Ed, Network 6 Liaisons, Math Assessments

Carter students' artwork created in
collaboration with the MFA

PLCs

Now that the first three weeks of school are underway, PLCs have begun to meet. PLC IV met last Thursday. The group collaborated around the systems and structures used for CPT, the difference between shared and collaborative lesson planning, and working on their QSPs and/or Accountability message. This week PLCs I-III meet on Thursday and PLC V next Tuesday. I want to thank the Principal Leads for planning and executing these learning communities. I'm looking forward to upcoming meetings.

Quality School Plans

Your QSPs are due for feedback on October 15th.

Your Goals

Should be the same as/aligned to your QSP goals. The Academic Superintendents are working with OHC to use TeachPoint as the evaluation platform for school leaders. Hold off on entering your goals in EDFS because we may be using a different platform. Academic Superintendents have chosen some focus indicators; we will be communicating with you about these in another week.

Welcome Network 6 Assistant Director of Special Education!

Mary Shannon Marcella graduated with a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from Northeastern University in 2010. For three years prior to graduation, she worked as a teaching assistant, clinical aide, and teacher at Perkins School for the Blind. After graduation Mary started in the Related Services Department for Boston Public Schools. Following two years as a full-time Speech Therapist, working at both the Agassiz School and then the Murphy, Mary transitioned onto the Assistive Technology team. For three years she served as a district-wide Augmentative and Alternative Communication consultant and evaluator. In 2015, Mary took the Assistive Technology Coordinator position and organized, assigned, and supervised all Assistive Technology cases and evaluations for the district. Mary has also worked the last two summers as the coordinator for the Murphy Extended School Year program. Mary has spent her entire career working in special education with students with highly diverse learning styles and is committed to helping every student have a successful school experience.

Contact information:

email: mshannon2@ | fax: 617-635-6834 | office: 617-635-8599 | cell: 617-407-3939

Network 6 Liaisons

Here is a link to our <Network 6 Liaisons>.

BOY Math Assessments and Assessment Tasks in Mathematics - Resources

For those of you looking for additional assessments or tasks in Math:

Beginning of Year Assessments K-5 in Math are available in English and Spanish on the Academics Website. There is an answer key that aligns to the standards being assessed.

Click on:

Academic Department Website > Mathematics > K-5 Box > Grade Level > 2018-19 Assessments

Here are some performance tasks: Inside Mathematics Grades 2-12
Here are assessments for every standard in mathematics. (FYI - All files are in Word)

St. Joseph County Intermediate School District K-Geometry

What constitutes Chronic Absenteeism?

Chronic absenteeism is defined as the percentage of students missing 10 percent or more of their days in membership. In a typical 180-day school year, this is the percentage of students who miss 18 or more days. The chronic absenteeism rate for each school and group includes both excused and unexcused absences, and is calculated for students in grades 1 through 8 in non-high schools. In order to be included in a school’s chronic absenteeism rate, a student must be enrolled in the school for at least 20 days at any point in the school year. However, if a student is enrolled in multiple schools within the same district in a single school year, the student is excluded from school-level chronic absenteeism rates, but is included in the district rate. Chronic absenteeism rates are reported for each non-high school and subgroup with at least 20 students enrolled.

What about Progress toward English Proficiency?

K-8 schools that have at least 20 ELs will have a measure of progress made by English learners toward achieving English proficiency. This is measured by calculating the percentage of students who meet annual targets that get them to English proficiency in six years. In Massachusetts, “making progress” means that a student is on track to attain English proficiency within six years of entering a Massachusetts school. As such, DESE derived growth-to-proficiency targets (i.e., benchmarks) using a six-year period. A school district may consider a student proficient when they have achieved an overall composite score of Level 4.2 on the ACCESS test, based on a score scale that extends from Level 1.0 (the lowest level of proficiency) to Level 6.0. Students continue to receive annual benchmarks for as long as they are classified as ELs, even if they have earned a score of Level 4.2 or higher.

Each year that a student takes the ACCESS test and receives a score, DESE will provide a future progress target and difficulty index for the following year for the student.

The future progress target represents the minimum ACCESS proficiency level score needed on the following year’s ACCESS test to remain on track to reach English proficiency within six years in a Massachusetts school. Future progress targets are reported as an ACCESS proficiency level, ranging from Levels 1.0 to 4.2.