Friday Flyer - December 17, 2021

 

Thank you for persisting through these challenging months. The days will start getting longer next week, and we will begin to bounce back. Take time during holiday break to recharge and renew.
You are deeply appreciated every day.

From Grace and Jodi

Pre-collaborations have been going well. I appreciate your preparation in the process! These are the big buckets for January/February:

• January 15 - Formative Assessments for provisional teachers
• Budget/Staffing for 2022-23
• ACCESS and MAP Administration - aim to complete by end of January
• February 1 - Date by which teachers self-excess
• February 1-18 (3 weeks) - Analyze MAP, celebrate growth, prepare for seven weeks of strong standards/grade aligned targeted instruction from February 28-April 15 (7 weeks)
• March 1 Early Hiring Season begins

Region 6 Meeting Arc of Learning

January: After observing & analyzing, write feedback tagged to DESE Focus Indicators (Learning Walk - in person - January 19, 2022)

February: Above + Plan/Role-play coaching conversations

March: MAP Data Dive, turn-key for ILT

March: Bring ILT Agenda/Notes from Data Dive

May: Set up priorities for 22-23

June: Simulate root cause analysis with EOY data

January Region Meeting

Please put a hold Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 8-noon, to conduct a learning walk. We will try again a few weeks after the break.

Colleague Connections - Assessment and Data

Everett: 62% of Everett students are meeting Lexia Usage goals! This is reflected in student progress on grade-level skills. Students meeting usage goals who are working on skills in or above grade level increased by 18 percentage points. Students meeting usage goals working on skills two or more grade levels below decreased by 12 percentage points. Reach out to Karen to discuss her implementation and monitoring plan which is impacting student results!

* There are no district expectations for Lexia usage. Schools that opted in are encouraged to utilize the tool in ways that help them reach their student learning goals.  Lexia's own research shows that students show growth when they meet their suggested usage. Students that do not meet the recommended usage do not typically show impactful growth. These students may benefit from either increasing usage to meet the recommendation or from using time in a different way.

Murphy: The Mighty Murphy Team has a data-based student support team. This team uses data to monitor the effectiveness of behavioral interventions and collaboratively manage the cases of students that are struggling with social-emotional wellness. Reach out to Courtney to find out how she prioritizes time and leans into her team to get this work done.

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Friday Flyer - December 10, 2021

 From Grace and Jodi

Although we pivoted from an in-person learning walk to a virtual region meeting this past Tuesday, we successfully calibrated on observing instruction, calibrated on look-fors, and wrote targeted feedback. At our next meeting, we will do the same plus tag feedback to DESE Focus Indicators. The region arc of learning for the rest of the year looks like this:

January: After observing & analyzing, write feedback tagged to DESE Focus Indicators (Learning Walk - in person - January 19, 2022)

February: Above + Plan/Role-play coaching conversations

March: MAP Data Dive, turn-key for ILT

March: Bring ILT Agenda/Notes from Data Dive

May: Set up priorities for 22-23

June: Simulate root cause analysis with EOY data

January Region Meeting

Please put a hold Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 8-noon, to conduct a learning walk. We will try again a few weeks after the break.

Colleague Connections - Assessment and Data

Orchard Gardens: is setting plans to be ready to administer ACCESS during the first two weeks after the new year followed by the MAP assessments. Their target completion date is the end of January so that the team/school have enough time to analyze mid-year growth and create instructional plans to commence right after February break. They will maximize teaching/learning time from after vacation to April break, which is a solid seven weeks of school!

Murphy/Perry Interims: These are two examples of how third-grade students are beginning to shine at two of our schools.  Reach out to Mike and Courtney to find out what instructional leadership moves they made to get these results and what their next moves are to continuously lift instruction and improve student outcomes. 

Murphy: Grade 3 Math Interims

Perry: Grade 3 ELA Interims

Pre-Probable Org/Budget Collab

If I cannot attend your scheduled meeting, Jodi will be there in my stead. There will be a notation in the invite if I cannot attend. Some of your configuration maps are inaccurate because they are auto-generated from projections, so if you have questions, you should reach out to your PandA liaison.

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Friday Flyer - December 3, 2021

From Grace and Jodi

After this week, Thanksgiving seems like a distant memory! We've turned the page on the calendar, and it is time to put our attention on two big buckets (aside from the every complex and growing operational/health and safety work around Covid) - formative evaluations and projections/probable org/budget. If you have not heard anything about ESSER, you should be receiving a notification soon. 

As you know, Jodi and Rubén are currently the only two RRADs that have been able to transition to the role; they will be turning their attention to more district work and focusing on a few schools across the district. This is a loss for us, but I promise, although Jodi may be less present in the schools, you will feel the positive impact of the work differently. 

I am working on my schedule to make it more predictable, but realize with probable org and collabs, negotiations, already scheduled central office meetings, and Mission Hill, I may not be able to be as visible as I would like. Please continue to use our WhatsApp, call, or text for support. In advance, I thank you for your "flexibility, patience, and grace" - our motto all through Covid.

December/January Region Meetings

As a result of our 4:30 Friday meeting on the anticipated surge of Covid infections rates, we will not meet in-person at Orchard Gardens on Tuesday. We will meet remotely from 10:30-12 with an alternative plan to focus on the five observation look-fors.  Many thanks to Lauren for her willingness to host, and to Jodi for being a thought partner in the arc of learning. With formatives coming up the plan for December and January was:

December: Conduct focused observations using the five look-fors and provide OGPS with the school trends based on the data.

January: After analyzing an observation write-up, conduct an observation and practice authoring the write up with a partner.

Lauren suggested we each videotape lessons to bring to future meetings. This may be an option for January. 

Text Complexity

Our equitable literacy work has sparked curiosity about Lexile levels, grade level, and text complexity. Text complexity is measured using three factors. 1.) Qualitative factors  2.) Quantitative Factors 3.) The relationship between reader and task. 

The Lexile level is the most commonly used quantitative factor. Here is a tool for converting Lexile level to grade level.  That may help you address some questions that you are getting. 

Colleague Connections

Mission Hill: If you are looking for a way to facilitate dialogue about updating your 90-day plan with input from your staff reach out to Matt. Mshuman@bostonpublicschools.org

Timilty: If you are looking for a way to embed equitable literacy in your community's learning culture even with all of the other challenges you face on a daily basis reach out to Marvin. Mgutierrez2@bostonpublicschools.org

Perry: If you are looking for a way to motivate students and families connect with Mike. He dove in with a cool challenge that the community reseponded to. Mmacchi@bostonpublicschools.org

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Friday Flyer - November 19, 2021

We each experience this roller-coaster every year; it's just more pronounced for new teachers and new leaders. As we gain more experience the graph flattens a bit with disillusionment being less low and anticipation not as high. As we hit this low point of the year, be patient with yourselves, your staff, students, and families. 

From Grace and Jodi

Grace: Last week I reflected on my love/hate relationship with November. In the Catholic tradition, November is also a time to remember those who've died (ie. All Soul's Day). Last year this month, my mother-in-law passed away, and 48 years ago I suddenly lost my father. Every culture has its way of honoring those who have come before us. I would not be the person I am without my father, and my mother-in-law was in my life for over 30 years. 

I am thankful for all of you - and am thinking about how hard you are working to keep classrooms open and safe, while also growing the mindset needed to accelerate learning. I am worried about the dark days of November through January (see graph above) and the stress of budget/probable org season. But I know that you will persist through these stressors and continue to serve students and families. Please take time over the holiday for gratitude and time with friends and loved ones - there's much on your shoulders, and I appreciate you.

Jodi: Grace and I collaborate on creating this blog. When I read her reflection above I was struck by its stark honesty and a little worried that she was heading into the dark place I sometimes go to. (She's not) Then I realized the beauty that is in remembering even though sometimes it is bittersweet. I am who I am, as an individual, in a great part due to my grandmother. We are, collectively, who we are because of our ancestors. We are the leaders we are because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Someday our shoulders will serve as the pedestal for the next generation of leaders who will rise and serve. 

In the present I am thankful that my own leadership is made stronger because of you. That our journey has brought us together in this moment. The present moment may not be easy or simple but I know we hold each other both in community and spirit. I am thankful for that. I am thankful for you. 

December Region Meeting

Since formative evaluations are right around the corner, this in-person meeting time will be used to calibrate classroom observations together. Lauren Murdock has graciously agreed to host us at Orchard Gardens. The school is large enough to accommodate all of us; however, their parking lot is not. You may want to carpool with your colleagues that work closest to you. Another option is to find street parking near Bolling and walk over. 

Please make your best effort to block off the full morning on 12/7/21 8am-11am to engage in this work. This will be our first in-person meeting as a region in two years! 

Colleague Connections

Tynan: If you are looking for a model 6th grade math classroom reach out to Leslie at the Tynan. Mr. Fredericksen is talented at culturally affirming practices, weaving Sel-Well practices into lessons, and maintaining high standards for students. 

Timilty: Marvin and his operations team have created an incident report and follow up cycle that helps to keep everyone informed about what is happening and how resolution was reached. 

Orchard Gardens: Although there has been news about how we have problems with pooled/rapid testing and contact tracing, I would like to highlight that the Orchard Gardens effectively contained the spread. It only happened because the entire team rallied, from nurses to the operations team to the CIC coordinator to ensure the test/stay program was effective. So often we hear of when things are not working - we need to acknowledge times when they are. If you have concerns about an outbreak, contact Lauren.

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Friday Flyer, November 12, 2021

 From Grace and Jodi

We hope you had some time for self-care yesterday - even if it was just to have a late breakfast, be thankful for no commute, or just breathe! I have a love-hate relationship with November. 

• The additional hour of sleep, but the early darkness
• The beautiful leaves, but having to clean it up
• Time off, but how the choppiness of the month impacts continuity of  learning
• The cool crisp weather, but having to start wearing close-toed shoes, tights/pants/coats

It makes me think about how no matter what we do, there's always a flip side - no right answer... so we have to continue to make decisions based on each situation - knowing there will always be a flip side to address. 

Something to Think About

We have had an opportunity to listen to an incredible NPR Podcast with Jason Reynolds. If you are looking for some inspiration and validation of all the effort you all are putting in please give it a listen. It was well worth the hour! Jason Reynolds: The Antidote to Hopelessness.

Colleague Connections

Here are some colleagues that you may want to connect with for ideas and procedures on the work. These are the promising practices we observed this week. 

Candice: When she is in her office for 30 minutes she conducts a climate sweep of the building to be sure everything is on track and she is visible. 

Lauren: She conducted a listening session with her 7th-grade students for her leadership team in response to their data. Using a fishbowl format, the adults listened while the students explained what they needed to increase their success. This is a very simplified account of a powerful process. 

Alex: He used every resource available to him to provide coverage on Friday so that he could lead a CPT. Even in the midst of chaos, having 11 staff members out (about 1/3 of total staff), he kept teaching and learning at the forefront. 

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Friday Flyer - November 5, 2021

 From Grace and Jodi

Courtney shared this quote with her student review team this morning.

Self-Care:

That term creates anxiety. Many friends and colleagues abhor it because it seems as if it is one more thing to do on an already crowded list. Let's strip away the jargon and think of the small moments in each day or week that we treasure. For example, putting our babies to bed, taking that hour for a mani/pedicure, taking a walk, or soaking in the quiet of this beautiful season. Instead of adding self-care to a list let's work on being fully present and mindful of the small moments that restore us and bring peace to our souls.

Region Meeting Reflection: Thank you for your presence and engagement at this week's region meeting.  Slowing down to connect our regional data to will support you when thinking and planning for school, grade level, classroom, and group implications. Slides from the meeting are posted here for easy access. 

If we consider a three-year trajectory and aim for all students to grow at least 1.3 years every year, then all students would gain one year in three years. We know, however, that students don't progress in this linear fashion and that some years students will progress faster than others. We also know that if students feel successful, their own confidence grows as does their motivation, which then translates to more acceleration.

It may be less overwhelming for teachers to think about progress over a three- versus one-year timeframe to make progress; this would promote the notion that we each stand on the shoulders of those that come before us and that if each of us does our part, it IS possible for our students to be on track. Regardless, we have urgent work to do!

Chronic Absenteeism: A data point we did not explore is chronic absenteeism. We sincerely apologize for the timing of the monthly chronic absenteeism email. 

However, at today's Student Review Team, Courtney used the data to drill down to the student level. The team discussed a group of students from the whole child perspective and major discoveries were: 1) Chronic absenteeism is a data point that gives us a flag to look deeper, 2) other health or social-emotional factors may be at play and the team discusses whether they are being addressed, 3) Panorama allows the team to see grades or other assessment data to determine the impact on academic progress, 4) notes in Panorama allows the team to see what communication or other action that may have taken place, 5) the team uses the data to support, not punish.

***The important thing is NOT the number of plans, but the actions related to the plan

Connections:

We have observed some great practices over the starting weeks of school. Here are some colleagues that you may want to connect with for ideas and procedures on the work.

• Mike and Derrick: Creation of a small personal learning network to apply the ideas that they are learning about Equitable Literacy in their PLC.
• Leslie: Completion and monitoring of all student attendance plans in Panorama. Tynan is a single admin. school
• Courtney: A strong and impactful student support team 

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Friday Flyer - October 29, 2021

From Grace and Jodi

As of Friday, Jodi has visited every school in the region - many multiple times, and I have been more freed up to get into a schedule of visits. It has taken extra time for all of us to adjust and now that we have baseline data, we need to consider next steps for the region, school, grade, classroom, and student levels. 

Region Meeting - Tuesday, November 2, 11:00 a.m. 

Please prioritize this time because only meet once per month, and we learn with and through each other.

1. We will consider your next leadership move to generate urgency from district and region chronic absenteeism and NWEA MAP baseline data.
2. We will scale back observation look-fors (draft below) for all grades and content areas. The third and fourth bullets are directly related to equitable literacy. 

• Grade level standards aligned 
• Rigorous Task 
• 50/50 Student/Teacher Talk Ratio
• Representation of student learning through writing
• Student behaviors

Mid-week Updates from Geoff Rose

School Leader Call - 10.26.21: Please see the written updates/slides from this week’s canceled School Leader Call. Updates include: Labor Shortage, Academics, Student Testing, Staff Compliance Testing, & Transportation.

Update on Labor Shortage to School Leaders - Oct. 27: (email from Dr. Cassellius):

• Here is the Google Form for you to report and track daily absences for the sole purpose of helping us coordinate coverage support. 

• Wednesday, 10/27: 16 schools submitted form

• Thursday, 10/28: 17 schools submitted 

DESE and DCF released a joint updated advisory yesterday: Please see a summary of the changes here.

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Friday Flyer - October 22, 2021

From Grace's Desk

Now that the first administration of NWEA Map is complete, we have district data that is sobering. These data tell us where we are and provide a baseline reflection of our leadership and the resultant teaching. Jodi has been crunching our region data, but my prediction is that our region is performing similarly to the district. If this is true, we must proceed with urgency. 

What does that look like? No excuses. Strong tier one instruction, belief in the genius and capacity of each student. Teach grade level curricula, follow the pacing guide, plan intentionally, focus on student thinking, engaging in content through reading, writing, speaking, listening every day, in every class. Pinpointing foundational skills and building up. An environment of high expectations - fast pacing as a warm demander. Not one wasted minute.

What do we need to do? The results are a reflection of our effectiveness. Look in the mirror, support, and then evaluate. No exemplary ratings unless students exceed growth and achievement projections. No professional teaching status if you have concerns. This is serious business.

I acknowledge that we are returning during a pandemic, the world is different, we have a staffing crisis. A teacher told me yesterday she cried every weekend during the first month of school because she forgot how to teach in-person. How brave of her to say this to me! Remember that our students have also forgotten how to "do" school. This is how kindergarten teachers feel at the beginning of every year and by January the children are well on their way to be ready for first grade. We have all needed to re-learn how to "do" school. 

It’s a Really Tough Time for Teachers: is a blog post that acknowledges that returning to in-person learning has been really hard. We have returned to a changed world with students who’ve also forgotten how to “be” in school. This blog from Teach Like a Champion provides some 15 minute modules on ways to reduce stress by being really clear about what we expect. It’s a great resource that acknowledges that the struggle is real. These modules are available free for the next four weeks and could be an antidote for some staff.

Please view these slides on the baseline "state of the district." The first slide below explains the quintiles. The following slides gives a picture of how our students are doing by race, English learner, and students with disabilities. I hope  that you will join me in being even more resolute about our work ahead. 

As a leader, where do you get your strength? Are you outraged by the data? Do you feel urgency? I'm resharing an excerpt from the blog post from Jon Saphier of Research for Better Teaching - The Courage to Lead. It takes courage to lead and it requires a forcefulness that is hard because we want to be liked. Courage can be developed. Courage can be learned. Here is the language of forcefulness:

Friday Flyer

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Friday Flyer - October 15, 2021

 

From Grace's Desk

Happy mid October and happy Friday!

Academic Conversations: At Orchard Gardens professional development two weeks ago, the staff read the first chapter in Zweirs Next Steps in Academic Conversations. Zweirs reinforces the notion that students' conversations must be grounded in grappling with content knowledge, vocabulary, and building onto their schema. Discourse must result in a concrete task resulting in writing, drawing, graphs, tables - any representation of knowledge, but especially in writing. Here is an excerpt from the text:

... if tomorrow you ask your students to support ideas with evidence, how many will think, "Doing this will help us build up an important idea," and how many will think, "This is yet another thing we gotta do for school?" We must change the mindset that learning consists of memorizing disconnected piles of information and conversations are great opportunities to practice what I call a building ideas mindset.

Many students and adults think of conversations as free-association time or brainstorm sessions, in which participants either connect randomly to previous ideas or share randomly ("popcorn out") a variety of different ideas. But without doing the work of focusing on and building up an idea, these kinds of talk will not become academic conversations. (p.10)

Equitable Literacy Information: Marguerite Vichiere-Guerre from the Transformation Office shared this resource organizing the many resources from ALI and last Thursday's professional learning day. 

NWEA MAP Participation: I am proud that our region beat district MAP participation rates. Bravo to Region 6! Data are in Panorama and available in visual format and longitudinally for students who have been taking it over the last several years. These data can be sorted many ways - by grade, race, EL status, students with disabilities, chronic absenteeism. Jodi is working on creating a region 6 data set for us to review at our next meeting on November 2.

Panorama → MAP data has been synced into Panorama. Here is a resource on How to Monitor MTSS Progress in Panorama. Monitoring MTSS progress means fulfilling BPS policies, measuring the implementation of plans, and ensuring that all students meet their goals.

• This new training resource walks through key details.
• Direct any questions to David Fisher, mtssdata@bostonpublicschools.org.

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Friday Flyer - October 8, 2021

 From Grace's Desk

Five weeks of school completed! I know how challenging reopening has been with transportation, pooled testing and the follow-up required, the daily spreadsheet and follow-up required for staff vaccine compliance, the daily headache of unfilled positions, absences, and no substitutes. Creating systems to be proactive rather than reactive about these demands is daunting. Just know I get it. I am worried about the stress and burnout. So please, please take at least two whole days this long weekend - 48 hours - to disconnect, rest your mind, and take care of yourself. Our children need you.

I am not adding any other message as there is enough in the Friday Flyer for you to digest.

Friday Flyer

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Friday Flyer - October 1, 2021

"Deficit perspectives and thinking lead to poor and basic instructional practices" - Gholdy Muhammad

From Grace's Desk

Happy October 1! Much is due today, so please read today's blog carefully. I hope you have noticed an improvement on buses!

Region 6 Document Hub

If you haven't done so, your School Improvement Plan draft is due today and needs to be added here. Please share your school's calendar of meetings with both Jodi and me. 

DESE Math Acceleration Academies
The Department is exploring the possibility of creating a Math Acceleration Academy Grant opportunity and is seeking district and school interest. An Acceleration Academy is a week-long academic program designed to accelerate student learning through engaging, standards-aligned lessons that meet the specific academic needs of participating students. Acceleration Academy classes are small (12:1 student to teacher ratio) and can either provide students with targeted supports to master grade-level standards or provide accelerated learning opportunities for advanced learners.

School and district leaders who are interested in running a Math Acceleration Academy this school year during the February and/or April vacation week(s) are asked to please complete this short survey by Monday, October 4. The survey indicates interest but is not binding. This opportunity is open to traditional public schools, charter schools, career/vocational technical schools, and education collaboratives. Please email Thomas Zorich (thomas.zorich@mass.gov) with any questions.

College and Career Readiness through MyCAP:
My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) is a planning process that engages students in aligning current course taking with future planning. Beginning in grade 6 and continuing through grade 12, students identify interests, talents and skills that will drive the students’ work in the three domains of college and career readiness: personal/social/emotional, career development education, and academic achievement.

MyCAP (This might be good for our MS students and Identity)
The Department will offer a three-workshop training program for the design and implementation of MyCAP at the middle school level starting on Tuesday, October 19. The Department will also offer the three-workshop professional development series at the high school level again starting on Tuesday, October 26. For schools that have previously attended the training series, there will be a “MyCAP Refresher” on Tuesday, October 5. All trainings will be held virtually. For information about a grant that is available to pay stipends to planning teams attending these trainings, click here. For more information, email Lisa Harney at lisa.m.harney@mass.gov.

Elementary School Principals Networking and PD Series:
The Department’s Early Learning Team, the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association, and the Massachusetts Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators will host a series of networking and professional development opportunities for elementary school principals (preschool to third grade) and early childhood administrators and educators during the 2021-2022 school year. The theme for this year’s series is Anti-Racist Leadership in the Early Grades. The series will be virtual (unless otherwise noted), will commence with a statewide kick-off, and will be followed by webinars, networking sessions, book discussion groups, an EdCamp forum, and a culminating statewide convening in the spring. Register online for the first convening, which will be at 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19 with Matthew Rodriguez from Equity Imperative speaking on anti-racist leadership in elementary schools. Interested principals can download more information here (download), and updates will be posted on the Early Learning Team’s news headlines page.


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Friday Flyer - September 24, 2021

"Simple good intentions aren't enough.

The intentions must be deliberately connected to actions.”

- Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

(quote used at Murphy School at the top of a meeting)

From Grace's Desk

Update on Quality School Plans (QSPs)/ School Improvement Plans

Quality School Plans / School Improvement Plans should be completed and shared with me and Jodi by October 1st in our document hub. While we acknowledge there is interest in extending the deadline to 10/15, we will keep the 10/1 date for two reasons.  First, the 10/1 date allows School Leaders to receive feedback on their plans before 10/15, which will help schools more clearly target ESSER Investments. Second, the 10/1 due date allows time for plans to be finalized and prepared for submission to DESE.  Please reach out to us with any questions.

Training Opportunities from ODA (Panorama and MAP)

Please review this document and linked information about upcoming Panorama/MAP training dates for your team members/staff.

MAP Administration as of 9/23/21

Great job Everett and Lee Academy!

Administration support resources and assessment hotline information can be found on the BPS ODA Platform website. Professional learning opportunities on data analysis are available from ODA throughout October, and school leaders can sign up to host school based learning sessions.

City of Boston’s Covid Compliance/Vaccine Verification Requirement

Directions to upload proof of vaccination to the City’s platform. All BPS employees are asked to do this.

Transportation Support Funds

The Division of Schools and Budget Team collaborated to provide additional support for school communities based on the feedback from the transportation survey earlier this week. Please find the Transportation support funds update (9/24) here.

Updated Facilities Work Order Request Form

Our new Executive Director of Facilities, Brian Forde Jr., shared the updated link for facilities work order requests. Please add any new and previous work order requests to this form as soon as possible.

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Friday Flyer - September 17, 2021

 From Grace's Desk

Congratulations on completing your first full week of school! I am grateful to all of you for your patience with transportation delays - it has been and will continue to be a daily headache. Routes are getting consolidated and incentives are being offered to drivers who consistently show up.

Region 6 Document Hub

Please add your school's information to share here and share your school's calendar of meetings with us both. Jodi and I will use these resources to plan visits.

The MAP Window opens next week! All students need to be assessed so that we have a baseline information that will tell us what students need to accelerate growth. Remember assessment is part of our strategy to become an anti-racist district that ensures every student gets what they need.

Orchard Gardens leadership team reviewed and used these turnkey resources to plan CPTs:

MAP ELA Growth 

• MAP Growth Basics: Self-Guided Learning slide deck to understand MAP Growth’s purpose, administration, and recommended reports

• MAP Growth Test Session Set-Up flow chart. This will anchor our training for getting the testing window set for students.

• MAP Growth: Proctor Slides for Day of Testing These are the literal slides teachers can utilize to facilitate the administration of the assessment with students.

• MAP Growth: Troubleshooting Common Issues During Testing. These are the resources teachers should have open when administering MAP Growth as they will address the vast majority of challenges that come up for students.

MAP Fluency 

• MAP Fluency Basics: Self-Guided Learning slide deck to understand MAP Fluency’s purpose, administration, and recommended reports
• MAP Fluency materials available from ODA to support a successful administration: Proctor Slides for Day of Testing, Administration Checklist, and the Test Day Checklist and Troubleshooting Guide

Compliance Trainings: Schools do not need to provide time for staff to complete the compliance training for Equity Circulars and De-escalation.

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Friday Flyer - September 10, 2021

 Words from Grace

The adults created a warm and welcoming environment for students on their first day - THANK YOU! Everyone's hard work is paying off! 

First day for first year leaders!

Marvin @ Timilty

Candice @ Hale

Lauren @ Orchard Gardens

Wondering what expectations are for social workers? See this seven slide deck.

This week's Friday Flyer

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

From Grace's Desk...

For those of you who could join Friday's region meeting - thank you! During the meeting, we had open dialogue about the documentary "Black Boys" on Peacock. The discussion was powerful - we started with the 20 years of literacy data that show we have neither made progress in reading, nor have we improved outcomes for black and brown students.

We then viewed data on the disproportionate numbers of black and brown boys identified as students with disabilities and also in sub-separate programs.

The documentary is required viewing for us all if we intend to disrupt the outcomes above that are also predictors of higher incarceration rates. The quotes below poignantly describe first - how black and brown boys are punished if they do not respond to being "saved."

"It’s very easy to think, ‘I’m saving you,' and if you don’t allow me to save you, I’m going to punish you.”

In the end...

“These young people don’t need saviors, they need believers. Once you believe in them, and know that they are great beyond measures, by who they are, not by what you bestowed on them, then everything else will shift and change as a result.” - Conan Harris

Please observe, watch, how do we demonstrate that we believe in the brilliance of each and every student, especially our boys?

School Leader Call Links

Monday August 23, 2021 Update

From Grace's Desk...

During ALI last week, I experienced a full range of emotions from being eager to begin a new school year, joy at seeing us back in-person, to tears when listening to Corey share about how adults in his life saw and encouraged his potential and how being literate brought him liberation, but also fractured family relationships. When Heela shared her "why," I heard and felt pain from her sister's cries and  anger at the adults who gave up caring. My heart and my mind were challenged last week. As I enter my 33rd school year, I am full of hope for the children of Boston.

As you work on your year long professional learning planner, consider using this resource from ODA that details a nine-week Data Driven Instruction cycle. Teacher planning and execution are sometimes at odds (intention ≄ impact). The cycle includes lesson internalization, which could be one way to close the gap between intent and impact. Consider using this resource to define your common planning time cycles. (Refer to the last blog post to see Jodi's planner and for the link to the professional learning template.)

Assessment Information

Part of your planning should incorporate the assessment calendar. You can access the assessment memo and calendar.

• Assessment Memo

• Assessment Calendar

Below, find information from the district August 20th Friday Flyer. Please pay close attention to ODA Professional Learning and resources to gear up to encourage students to return to school and School Committee approved Attendance Policy Changes.

Important Dates

August 23-24 - New Teacher Institute

August 25 - Summer Graduation 

September 6 - Labor Day 

September 7-8 - Rosh Hashanah

September 9 - First Day of School - Grades 1-12

September 13 - First Day of school - Pre-K & Kindergarten

Division of Academics

Connect & Share Panel Discussion: Building an Equitable Classroom Community

Join us Thursday, August 26th for an educator-led panel discussion.  Hear from your colleagues about what’s working in their own classrooms and schools. This month's topic came from the Telescope Network's June survey where educators are thinking about how to rebuild classroom communities as we welcome students into the 2021-2022 school year.  Connect with peers from across BPS, get new ideas, and earn PD hours as well. Join us on Thursday, August 26th from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. Other sessions are coming in September and October. (RSVP | More info).

Division of Accountability

Observation and Coaching PLC for Administrative Team Members

BPS has partnered with New Leaders to offer a job-embedded opportunity for administrators to hone their observation and coaching skills. Sessions will be held September 21, 2021, October 19, 2021, November 16, 2021, January 18, 2022, February 15, 2022, and May 17, 2022. For more information, please complete the interest form no later than EOD August 23, 2021. New Leaders will offer two virtual information sessions on August 24th from 8:30 - 9:00am and August 24th from 5:30 - 6:00pm. Please join using this Zoom Link. You can register for the course here. A flyer with more detailed information can be found here. If you have any questions, please contact Monica Hall, mhall4@bostonpublicschools.org.

New ODA Professional Learning Calendar

The ODA team has launched a new calendar for all MAP and Panorama Student Success learning opportunities! Choose from four different sessions offered throughout August and September.  Access the new calendar here.  Register for sessions in TeachPoint. 

Panorama 1.0:  Platform Fundamentals	Panorama 2.0:  Do Plans Improve Outcomes?
After this session, you will be able to:  Understand how Panorama relates to Aspen and other BPS systems Navigate the platform’s basic features Create Support Notes and tier-2 or 3 plans in Panorama  Use the platform to collaborate	After this session, you will be able to: Plan to meet expectations for system use throughout SY21-22 Identify students who are not yet attending as often as their peers Ensure that plans are high quality and impacting students’ attendance
MAP Fluency Basics	MAP Growth Basics
After this session, you will be able to:  Build shared understanding of the purpose and design of the MAP Fluency assessment and its use within an anti-racist assessment system. Explore the dyslexia flag and decisions to support student learning. Describe and practice effective assessment administration practices for MAP assessment.	After this session, you will be able to: Build shared understanding of the purpose and design of the MAP Growth assessment and its use within an anti-racist assessment system. Explore major reports and decisions to explore student learning. Describe and practice effective assessment administration practices for MAP assessment.

Session Schedule 

 (please sign-up TeachPoint)

You can access a sign-in link via TeachPoint, or you can use these links to access the training sessions directly: MAP sessions and Panorama sessions.

Mon. 8/23	Tues. 8/24	Wed. 8/25	Thurs. 8/26	Fri. 8/27
	MAP Fluency Basics  8:30-10:30	Panorama 1.0 3:00-4:00pm	Panorama 1.0 9:30-10:30am
	MAP Growth Basics 11:30-1:30
Mon. 8/30	Tues. 8/31	Wed. 9/1	Thurs. 9/2	Fri. 9/3
MAP Growth Basics  8:30-10:30	Panorama 1.0 9:00-10:00am	Panorama 2.0 3:00-4:00pm	Panorama 2.0 2:00-3:00pm	Panorama 1.0 9:00-10:00am
MAP Fluency Basics 11:00-1:00			MAP Fluency Basics 9:00-11:00
			MAP Growth Basics 12:00-2:00
Mon. 9/6	Tues. 9/7	Wed. 9/8	Thurs. 9/9	Fri. 9/10
BPS Closed (Labor Day)	Teachers report Rosh HaShanah	Rosh HaShanah	1st day of school
Mon. 9/13	Tues. 9/14	Wed. 9/15	Thurs. 9/16	Fri. 9/17
Panorama 1.0 3.00-4:00pm	Panorama 2.0 9:00-10:00am		Yom Kippur	Panorama 2.0 12:00-1:00pm
Mon. 9/20	Tues. 9/21	Wed. 9/22	Thurs. 9/23	Fri. 9/24
	Panorama 1.0 9:00-10:00am	Social Workers Panorama Training* 3:00-5:00pm	Attendance Symposium Session** 2:30-4:00pm

*Social workers will receive a direct invitation. There will be a Panorama 1.0 session from

3:00-4:00, followed by Panorama 2.0 from 4:00-5:00. 

**Sign-up for the Attendance Symposium here.

Key Panorama Student Success Resources

The BPS Student Success Help Site includes key resources such as: FAQ, asynchronous training materials, and a platform data guide Questions: mtssdata@bostonpublicschools.org

MAP Fluency and Growth Resources

Assessment Memo Assessment Calendar Questions: formatives@bostonpublicschools.org

Division of Equity, Strategy, & Opportunity Gaps

Information about the Jewish High Holidays 2021: 

The following letter will be sent out to supervisors of school-based staff regarding how to accommodate and support staff members who may be observing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this upcoming school year. Please read the letter closely to learn how to support BPS staff members during the High Holidays in September.  

For more information about the Jewish High Holidays and additional support for staff observing the holidays, please reach out to Becky Shuster (rshuster@bostonpublicschools.org) in the Office of Equity.

Division of Human Capital

Please see updates on program area closures/re-openings based on movement in the last 24 hours, and based on grade levels of licenses available within program areas. We will be continuing to monitor both the overall numbers and numbers and availability by program areas and make adjustments as necessary. Below is the full, up to date list:

Fully Reopened	Partially Reopened	Closed to Limited Choice
Early Education General Science Music Visual Arts	Elementary Elementary Inclusion - OPEN Elementary - CLOSED to Limited Choice English/ELA High School - CLOSED to Limited Choice Middle School - OPEN History High School - CLOSED to Limited Choice Middle School -  OPEN Mathematics High School - OPEN Middle School -CLOSED to Limited Choice Physical Education Elementary - OPEN Grades 5-12 - CLOSED to Limited Choice	Computer/Instructional Technology English as a Second Language Guidance Special Education

Division of Operations

SY2021-2022 Process for Requesting Covid Materials:

As we enter the 2021-2022 school year, we have revised the systems for requesting COVID materials to ensure that BPS schools have everything they need to start the school year. The materials addressed in these systems are the following: Fans; Air Purifiers and PPE

Fans: August 20, 2021: School Leaders will have the ability to order additional fans for non-HVAC buildings through Operational Leaders. Please ensure you specify which type of fan is being requested.

 

Air Purifiers: August 20,2021: School Leaders will have the ability to order additional Air Purifiers through Operational Leaders. Specific room numbers and rationale will be needed as part of the request.

PPE: We are continuing the PPE request process this year and appreciate your partnership in ensuring a safe environment for our students (SY2021-2022 PPE guidance). Each school will receive an initial PPE amount beginning the week of August 23rd; this amount is intended to last through December 2021. If schools are running low on PPE at any time, PPE Coordinators can request additional materials through the request form starting August 30th. In terms of next steps:

1. Please register your school's PPE Coordinator by August 25th

2. Review the PPE request process and guidance linked here PPE request process.

PPE Coordinators are welcome to attend optional office hours for support and questions:

• Thursday, Sept. 2nd from 3:00 - 4:00pm

• Google Meet (515-218-2345‬ PIN: ‪354 245 606‬#)

• Friday, Sept. 10th from 9:00 -10:00am

• Google Meet (505-596-0206‬ PIN: ‪853 576 606‬#)

Facilities Contacts

We are excited to announce that Brian Forde Jr joined the Facilities Department of BPS in July. Brian has a background in engineering, construction and facilities management. We are equally excited to share that Tony Pomella is now the Assistant Director of Planning and Engineering for the Facilities Department. We would also like to share that Pat Mulvey- Welsh no longer works for BPS, and the department is activily recruiting for his replacement. Below is clarification  on who to contact for needs.

Item	Department Lead	Email	Cell Phone
Overall Department	Brian Forde Jr,  Executive Director Facilities	bforde2@bostonpublicschools.org	617-708-5782
Building Services	PJ Preskenis Assistant Director of Building Services Facilities	ppreskenis@bostonpublicschools.org	617-997-5350
Planning & Engineering	Tony Pomella,  Assistant Director of Planning & Engineering Facilities	apomella@bostonpublicschools.org	617-293-3912
Work Order Requests (8/21)	Brian Forde Jr,  Executive Director Facilities Tony Pomella,  Assistant Director of Planning & Engineering Facilities	bforde2@bostonpublicschools.org apomella@bostonpublicschools.org	617-708-5782 617-293-3912

Division of Student, Family, and Community Advancement

Update on Partnerships

BACKPACK PICKUP 

Backpack pickup is scheduled for August 30th to September 2nd from 9AM to 3PM at the West Roxbury Educational Campus (WREC) located at 1205 VFW Parkway in West Roxbury. Please find your backpack allocation here. Backpack boxes are slightly larger than the box for a playstation or DVD player and hold 12 backpacks each. At the same time, we are asking schools to pick up a box of 300 UNIQLO masks. Schools can send any representative to pick up, we will collect their name at the door. Delivery is not available. After September 2nd any uncollected backpacks will be reassigned to other schools. For additional backpacks, please email FBorders@bostonpublicschools.org with how many extra you are requesting. 

Division of Student Support

Department of Opportunity Youth

For questions or additional information, email Brian Marques (bmarques@bostonpublicschools.org)

“I’m In” Back to School Attendance Campaign

Resources to Condcut Home Visit Outreach

As we focus on how to RETURN strong from the pandemic, RECOVER from learning loss, and REIMAGINE our education system to promote greater equity and excellence, we must have a strategy to promote strong school attendance and prevent chronic absenteeism. Beginning in late August, all school leaders are asked to mobilize school staff to conduct virtual and in-person home visits for students who had a high rate of absenteeism over the past two school years. The goal is to build stronger relationships, while establishing a partnership with students and families to promote consistent attendance from the start of the school year.

• Process and Protocols for Home Visits: Detailed information describing the rationale, steps, and procedure for Home Visits

• Panorama Process Guide: Describes how to run the list of students for your school and how to create an Attendance Success Plan for each student following the home visit.

Student Back to School Videos

Hit record and help boost student attendance! As a way to promote school attendance, students are invited to submit a short video (less than one minute) by September 10, covering these topics:

• Why they are excited about returning to school

• What helps them to not miss school days

Students will have the opportunity to win gift cards and selected videos will be presented at the BPS Attendance Symposium on September 23, 2021. Please help spread the word by sharing the following with your school community:

• Promotional Flyer (English & Spanish)

• Video Submission Form

Register for the 5th Annual BPS Attendance Symposium (Virtual)

Please join us on September 23 as we explore best practices, frameworks, and insights to better support student attendance and engagement. Primary focus areas of the Symposium will be the introduction of the revised Attendance Policy and new "nudge-style" attendance letters, as well as improving the quality of Attendance Success Plans using Panorama and the benefits of the Tiered Attendance System (TAS) to schools. Click here to register. 

COMING SOON: New “Nudge-Style” Attendance Letters

As we continue to reimagine our attendance practices, our focus is reducing chronic absenteeism by building relationships with students and families, boosting engagement, and adhering to culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. This includes using language that is inclusive, student-centered, and non-punitive in our communications. Following this imperative, we will introduce new evidence-based attendance letters that model behavioral science theory to clearly communicate individual student attendance data, highlight the importance of consistent attendance, and engage parents and caregivers as partners in helping to improve their child’s attendance. These will replace the current attendance letters and be available to print and mail or distribute electronically via Aspen SIS. Guidance materials and key details will be communicated to school leaders in advance of the planned launch in late September. 

Revised District Attendance Policy - Key Attendance Policy Changes for SY21-22

Please note that the School Committee approved a revised attendance policy that is effective for the 2021-2022 school year. Key changes include: 

• Schools may no longer convert tardies to an absence. This includes high schools. 

• In order to facilitate competency-based grading across the district, schools may no longer assign grades of “No Credit (NC)” to students. The following guidance has been provided regarding credit recovery for students:

• Passing grades should be competency based, which may be impacted by attendance due to missed assignments or school work, but should not be tied exclusively to attendance or participation.

• It is essential that schools outreach early and often for students at risk of a failing grade.

• As an alternative, schools may mark a student with an “incomplete” grade to enable equitable learning recovery.

• In all cases, a student not earning a passing grade must be given the opportunity and responsibility to equitably recover any learning loss or make up the work missed within a marking period to earn a passing grade.

Provided below is an overview, as well as translations of the revised policy in multiple languages:

• Attendance Policy Overview

• Revised Attendance Policy and Translations

Remember, accurate attendance reporting is a critical process as we welcome students back for the 2021-2022 school year!