#14 Thank You, MCAS Practice Tests, TeachPoint, Projections

Thank you for all you do in service of Boston's children and families. I hope you will have time to disconnect from technology and truly connect with loved ones next week.

December Visits

I will be sending individual invitations for December by the end of this week. I have been waiting to see if there might be meetings at Bolling on projections/budget. I am still aiming for the proposed schedule on the Coaching Calendar tab of this blog. Don't put these dates in your calendar yet! My goal is to see each of you at least once between now and December 20th. Note: District dates such as No School, School Committee, and Build BPS are included on this calendar for your convenience.

Updated 2019 Practice Tests in Grades 3-8

Updated 2019 practice tests in MCAS Resource Center for grades 3-8 in ELA and mathematics. Science practice test for grades 5 and 8 are still from 2018.

TeachPoint

I have attached your QSP in TeachPoint to serve as documentation of your student learning and professional practice goals. I have also been attaching notes from my visits under the Instructional Leadership section of an observation form. 

Priority Indicators for Administrator Evaluation

Find example artifacts for the priority indicators for evaluation here. Many of you used a template similar to to provide rationale for your artifacts. Instead, use the Artifact upload in TeachPoint for the Priority Indicators below: 

I-A Curriculum, I-D Evaluation
II-A Environment, II-B Human Resources 
III-B Sharing Responsibility
IV-D Continuous Learning

Projections

The projections you received in Aspen are the beginning of a conversation starting now and through the budget season. This year, I feel more equipped to address concerns with you. Please text/email if you would like to discuss.

Overview notes from Projections and Analysis Office:

• District-wide enrollment is down about 1200 students compared to October of last year.  Last year, we projected a decline of roughly 200 students, so this decrease was larger than we anticipated. This is the first time in the last 7 years that we have seen 2 consecutive years of October enrollment declines.
• Enrollment declines are widespread and consistent across neighborhoods, grades and programs. However, it is worth noting particular declines in the following areas:
• The largest regional declines were amongst students living in East Boston and Northern Dorchester. The decline in East Boston has a more direct impact on the schools in that neighborhood, given its geographic isolation.
• We also saw significant decreases in K1 and K2 enrollment.
• A few larger cohorts of students are moving from elementary grades (3-5) into the middle grades (6-8). Those cohorts have been getting smaller as they move through the system, as we tend to lose a large number of students in the transitions to grades 5 and 6. In addition, those larger cohorts have been replaced by smaller cohorts of students that are now moving through all elementary grades. The combined result is a decline in elementary enrollment, which is concentrated in grades 3 to 5. We are projecting an increase in 6-8th grade enrollment.
• Our enrollment losses are concentrated in general education. Enrollment in English Learner programs is down slightly, and the number of special education students served in inclusion and substantially separate programs has increased.