February 25, 2011

Principal visits:
I have met with DeArmanville, White Plains E, Sardis HS, Etowah HS, and Weaver E.

Next week I meet with:  Ashville MS, Moody HS, Centre MS, Etowah HS, Coldwater E and White Plains M.

I will begin notifying all other AMSTI schools next week.  We will mail packets of info to them as well and email information to them concerning the 2011 New Hire Training.

Summit
For the Summit in May, we will not stay at the hotel where the Summit is taking place.  When I thought I reserved two rooms, (2 doubles), the only reserved one room with 2 queen beds.  Evidently in hotel speak that means 1 room, 2 queen beds since I guess 4 guest could stay in a room.  They wouldn't give me another room at the conference rate and wouldn't let me extend the stay at the conference rate since Kay and I have tot stay there until the 5th.  Anyway, we will be at the Springhill Suites in Montgomery.   Rate is less there anyway and we don't have to pay for parking there!

February 18, 2011

• If you do not have anything scheduled for July 5-22, please hold.  More info as I am allowed to share.  Waiting on word from SDE. 
• Important Dates
  September 13-14, 2011  - Material Managers Meeting - Huntsville
  September 27, 2011 : Director's meeting - UM
  October 11 - 13, 2011 :  OGAP training: Math Specialists - ??
  November 29, 2011:  Director's meeting - UM

I will be at UM AMSTI for meeting all day on this Friday,  February 18 and in Montgomery all day Tuesday, February 22. 

• Math Specialists: 

Do not schedule anything for April 15th.   All AMSTI math specialists, directors and assist directors will participate in a PD by Ban Har  , “A Day with Ban Har.”  MOre info as it is shared with me. 

• Science Specialists: 

DeArmanville and Coldwater have both responded.  Please contact Mr. Gover and Ms. Copeland to plan for sustainability cycles.  Please remember to "cc"  Maniscalco, Michael; Mitcham, Clay; Nothdurft, Debbie; Bennett, Roy; Goodwin, Khristie, and Dr. Goodwin.   During any planning sessions where you are aligning the curriculum to the standards please invite Ms. Goodwin.    Mr. Maniscalco is the assistant principal at Coldwater and Mr. Mitcham is the assistant principal at DeArmanville.   Let me know if you need email addresses.  

• Spring Break:

Please let me know which Spring Break you will be following.  The one in March (JSU is closed and some of our schools) or the one in April (when some of our schools are closed. )

• March, April and May Staff Meetings: 

We need to move our April Staff meetings of some conflicting dates.   Unless there is something I'm unaware of, lets move our April Staff meetings to April 11 and April 25. The March 7th staff meeting will be a normal staff meeting.  We will move Planning for Sustainability with Joanne to April 11 so that it can be connected to our training at the Statewide staff meeting March 28-31.  

• For your March PD planning sessions: 
• ·         Science specialists attended content deepening session at ASTA and can develop workshops to deliver to teachers in summer and or September
• v  MSP workshops
  v  Need pre and post test
  v  Order training materials but can’t check those out to teachers
  v  Sandy Ledwell developed one for the ACHE grant
  Ø  Talk with Sandy before starting from scratch
• Math specialists - Gadsden city specifically Donehoo wants a professional development on more math strategies and how and when to incorporate them into Investigations

• Director meeting updates: 
• Reminder from Cathy Jones
• o   Pre test and post test
• §  Required as part of the reporting process
• ·         Pay attention to the direction
• ·         Recognized as an indicator of success of PD
• ·         Must be able to match pre to post
• ·         We want to document teacher growth
• ·         We need to do a good job of administrating the test
• o   Get better information when they fill out the id info on pre and post at the SAME time
• o   Suggest phone number
• §  Pre and the number
• §  Post and the number
•    Run on a different color
• o   Or write “pre” and “post”  before running off test
•   Need to pre and post for anything in MSP proposal
• o   Compressed training (if not in your MSP proposal, then do not use MSP money)
• o   New hire
• §  Some of the questions are not covered in new hire training
• o   Ensure that all specialists are well versed in the administration of pre-posts
• o   Give a week or two notice
• o   Check behind trainers/participants to organize materials
• Math COS
• ·         COS for 2010 official version not posted yet  implementation date is 2012
  o   Stay with 2003 COS (testing stays with)
  o   Few more testing items in 2009 – if you go with 2009 then you will be ahead of the game
  o   If at 2009, then stick with it
  o   In trainings, if schools are using 2003 then use 2003, if schools have adopted 2009 then use 2009
  o   2009 tested differently at 3^rd , 5^th, and 8^th
  ·         2010 COS
  o   Alabama 2010 COS for mathematics includes the Common Core State Standards
  o   The 2010  COS for math adopted by state board in Nov 2010
  o   A committee at the SDE is working collaboratively to develop training for the 2010 COS for math
  o   The grade K-8 standards for AL COS in math is identical to the CCSS for math (Common Core State Standards)
  o   Om grades Grade 9-12 there are Alabama Added standards for some of the course
  o   Alabama adopted the traditional course structure of Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II, etc
  o    The CCSS Committee has discussed setting a training date for SDE and field staff to participate in the training developed for the CCSS prior to the LEAs receiving the training beginning with the Mega Conference
  o   MORE in MARCH
  
  
  I will be at UM AMSTI for meeting all day on this Friday,  February 18. 
  
  
  Important Dates
  September 13-14, 2011  - Material Managers Meeting - Huntsville
  September 27, 2011 : Director's meeting - UM
  October 11 - 13, 2011 :  OGAP training: Math Specialists - ??
  November 29, 2011:  Director's meeting - UM