November 16, 2012

Friday Updates - on Monday, November 19th, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you get to spend it with those you love.

Info/Reminder:

 travel reimbursement procedures.

• Remember to use  new travel form[July 2012].     It is on our shared drive. "G" drive
• Any travel (other than travel to schools) requires an agenda/conference booklet to be submitted with the request for reimbursement. If you attend a PD [training at another site] a sign in sheet with the date and times will work for documentation.
• For recording keeping purposes, please submit travel to schools separate from travel to state meetings or pd you attend.

Google Calendar:

Keeping your calendar up to date is documentation.

"inviting" Tanya and Kay to an event that takes you out of the office/school is notifying/requesting time off from work. 

Please remember: Just because it is "on your calendar" I will not see it unless you send me an invite. We have grown too big for all of your calendars to show up on my screen.

• Please, please, please, please remember to "invite Kay and Tanya" to any event that will take you out of the office/school regardless if it is NCD, annual leave, sick leave, using time spent/worked during summer training, etc.  
• If your event is after hours (after 3:30 or 4:30 depending on whether you arrive at 7 or 8) then we do not need to be invited.
• I can not stress the importance of this enough. This is very important.This has to become a habit for everyone. The invites need to be in advance and not last minute unless something comes up. 
• Please keep your calendar updated at least weekly. As soon as you know you are going to need to be out of the office, please place it on the calendar.  
• Please remember, if an emergency keeps you from work, please text or call Kay AND Tanya then update your calendar accordingly. 

Request to become an AMSTI School

• If anyone asks you about the possibility of joining AMSTI or their school becoming an AMSTI school, please ask them to put their request in writing and email to Tanya.  I keep an email file of everyone who wants information about joining AMSTI. I will begin recording the information on Steve's spreadsheet.   See quote form Steve's email. 
• From Steve:  "Many of you already have some way of recording who is contacting you to join AMSTI that indicates when, what was requested, contact info etc. It is very important that you build a record of this information. Should funds become available to bring on new schools, you will want to have a record to help with the selection process. Also, at an upcoming site staff meeting you should let staff know to be sure and share with you any questions or information they receive regarding requests for AMSTI. Otherwise, if someone other than you speaks with someone calling in, he/she may say “We aren’t accepting new schools” and let it go without you being aware and having a record of the contact."

Updates below apply to Specialists

• Update on dates:
• Math TTT :
• South: January 29 – 31 – USA and Troy
• North: March 5 – 7: UAH, UNA and Athens
• The following is tentative:
  Central : Feb 5-7:
  Central : Feb 26-28:
  March 12-14: ?

• CCRS:   Thanks for Everyone's help.  Kay and Melanie: great job facilitating sessions!
• Please enroll on STIPD for  CCRS.   
• The sign in sheets had been copied and given to Janis before I made sure everyone had signed in.  THEREFORE,  Melanie, Kay, Polly, Shelley see Janis to "sign in" on her copy of the CCRS sign in sheets.  
• Gadsden CIty and Cleburne County have asked for help in turning around the training.   Hold January 2nd for Gadsden CIty (Math specialists).  We will not do the training for them but will plan with them and be there for support.  They are going to do K - 8.
• Cleburne County is also asking for help.  I do not know the grade bands.   They are suppose to email me.

November 26, 2012:
Let's meet after lunch, 1:30 and go over a few things. 
Please read/look over the following before we meet on November 26th at 1:30.

AMSTI Guidelines: October 2012
Responsibilities: page 7
Site schedule: page 8
Responsibilities: pages 9-11
Module equipment and materials: compressed training: page 20
Logo Usage: page 36
Compressed training: pages 37-38
Professional Development Leave: pages 40-41
Previous Kit experience: page 50
Last sentence on page 52
2nd and 3rd paragraph on page 53

JSU Staff Handbook revised June 2010: should be the copy I gave you a few weeks ago
PR: page 12
Telephone: page 13
Personnel records: page 14
Use of University equipment: page 15
Regular, Full time employment: page 18
Professional Service Providers/Outside employment: page 18
Working hours: page 27
Last paragraph page 30
Health Insurance: page 33
Life Insurance: page 36
Retirement programs: page 37
Long term disability: page 39
Direct deposit: page 44
Flexible benefit plan: page 45
Holidays: full time staff: page 47
Annual leave/ absence report/sick leave: pages 48-50 and 52
Inclement Weather: pages 57-59
Jury duty/ Absence from duty: page 60
Resignation: page 62
Employee recognition and service awards/health clinic/parking/HR: pages 69-70

 

November 2, 2012

Dropbox:
If possible, (if you haven't already) install dropbox on your computer.  I've created a folder to share with everyone and when I add something to the folder, if you have dropbox installed on your computer, you will see a notification that a folder has change.

I have added the AMSTI Guidelines for FY 2013 to the dropbox folder.

I have updated the AMSTI school list with the most current changes of principals.  I've added email addresses for the principals and added a column of assistant principals (that we work with) and their email addresses. 

Research Articles:
Because of our MSP grant (s) I recieve articles on math and science.  Recently, I've been saving the ones that might be of use to us on the "G" drive.   There are other articles that I have collected over the years.   Anytime you need an article to share in a PD or with a group of teachers, check the "G" drive.  There are some really good research articles in the Article folder. The articles from MSP recently have dealt with Common Core for Math and for Science.

Calculators for the End of Course Test

From Steve:

Jeff and Martha Anne are working on a way to check out calculators. They will run it by several directors for “issues glitches” before we send it out.

I apologize that this was tossed upon you –but it happened to us too, without warning.

Please instruct whomever is speaking with schools calling to request calculators to explain that when the department wrote the FAQ, they knew that AMSTI had calculators but didn’t understand almost all were already out in the math classrooms-not stored at the site. If we don’t have calculators available just say we would furnish them if we had them, but they are all already out in schools.

Message should be positive, we wish we could help, but they are already in the schools.

Steve Ricks

Director

Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI)

Alabama Department of Education

Gordon Persons Building

50 North Ripley Street

Montgomery, AL 36104

www.amsti.org

(334) 353-9151

October 26, 2012

CCRS -

• No science specialists will be asked to lead a session.  Sandy and Martha Ann will hold a Go To Meeting to share the ideas and how to answer questions at the meeting.
• Math WILL need to attend and I'm hearing that something is being prepared for math to present.  Stay tuned for more info as it unfolds.

From our STaff meeting:

I wanted to clarify that all specialist will continue to keep up with their contact hours as they always have.  The only contact hours reported on the MSP yearly report in Sept 2013 will be contact with teachers concerning OGAP and Robotics.   That has nothing to do with an activity log or sustainability notes/documentation  or regular contact hours that you write down in your calendar.  We still need that info and will collect it with the new activity log when it makes it's presence. 

From Steve: 

• Good Morning.
•  During the weekend I received a memo that Dr.. Bice sent to superintendents that states that End of Course tests will be given this year in English 9-10, Algebra 1 and Geometry. However, legal council has advised that the tests CANNOT be counted as part of a student’s grade this year. Tests will be administered as planned at the end of a course, “whether that is at the end of a trimester, end of semester, or end of year depending on your local schedule.” As the tests have no impact on accountability or student grade this year, “you can now give the tests at the end of course or whenever it makes sense for you since there will be no pressure to have results reported in time to include on a student’s grade.”

Info from RPT meeting End of Course Test and Quality Core Facts

 

I have a PDF of Facts that I will share via skydrive or dropbox. 

 

 

Gloria Turner

Questions on assessment:

College and Career Ready Standards - 2nd Quarterly meeting. : JSU November 15

These are not  assessment meetings. Assessment will not drive instruction. THese meetings should be about instructions.

This training should be turned around.

LEA sharing -

Math lessons on CCRS, rubric

ELA literacy standards in content areas

Job alike sessions: math, ELA, administrators

LEA team planning - AMSTI, ARI, Instructional Service will let the systems know what they can assist with as they go forward

Teams can add media, career tech, etc. ARI team leaders have current numbers

From LEA meetings: questions about assessments: - see letter from Dr. Bice in the shared folder.

Global Scholar formative assessment - and ACT quality core: optional ACT quality core is an option for formative assessment for the HS,

One year contract with Global Scholar: Last year, LEA can get money for using something other than Global scholar -

Will give ARMT+, data from this year will be baseline - need a way to link scores from Explore to 3rd grade -- comment has been made that items on ARMT+_ That do not lineup with CCRS will not be counted

Accountability : know the terms - this is what we will be using when we look at data from districts

Common Questions about ACT quality core: current and final decision: this school year, quality core will not count as part of the student's grade. [end of course test]. This is a year for systems with no pressure of accountability to try our online and paper and pencil, etc. this is the transition year to try things without accountability tied to it. Biology will not be given. Doesn't match standards. Will next year.

92 commonly asked questions.

No calculators supplied. AMSTI calculators in a school can be used. - AMSTI supplying calculators is not a doen decision.  this is still up for debate and decision.  Not sure AMSTI knew this was going to be stated. AMSTI calculators in a school can be used but we don't have an endless supply so we can't supply the state with calculators.   

ACT educator resources : school systems should have a user name and password for educator resources: generic username and password

alstateuser Act001

Www.act.org/qualitycore

Alabama state

Educator resources: ENglish 9, 10, Algebra I, Geometry

Select a course and there is a list of resources

Course objectives: content standards -

Standard has a number adn it is different from the numbers on the CCRS, there is a document that matches CCRS standards and ACT standard - will be posted on CCRS website

ACT course standards worksheet - increase the rigor on the high school core courses

Gap 1 and Gap 2 - difference in written curriculum and taught curriculum

Gap 1 - yes or no I'm teaching this - some standards may not be in that course (may be in 8th grade)

Gap 2 - teachers get together and talk about

Blueprint: the weighting of each items- according to the content

Items level 1: recall, level 2 and level 3: strategic thinking

Launch test builder:

Cognitive level

multiple choice, open ended and short answer questions

Test will be two 45 minute test for the end of course test - 2 separate sitting - can be one day or two day

3 types of test : formative, benchmark and then an end of course test

Benchmark for each content cluster

ACT difference from Global scholar -- the formative and benchmark can't be given online. Must be printed and scored by hand --

PDs coming in January or FEbruary - instruction folks, Explore, Plan and Quality Core - some teachers, field staff, state dept, etc... 3 days and then 2 days total of 5 days - focus is to increase the rigor of core hs courses - program that has assessment built into it

No connection between quality core and Global scholar

Common among the districts:

Districts were well prepared

Lack of turn around -school calendar a barrier

Differentiate support is the right way to go

 

October 5, 2012

Sorry!  Forgot to post this on Friday so this is a Monday update! October 8,, 2012

• Thanks for a great week of OGAP PD.

Can we make some posters to use in all PD which establish NORMS for the PD?  That way it doesn't have to be in PP slides especially when we have visiting presenters.

No one is surprised that Mr. Baeza has already contacted me on how to bring OGAP to all of his teachers.   We will begin to work on an implementation plan and how to roll this out to all schools with a lead team over the 3 year grant period.

At our next staff meeting I will explain the MSP grant process this year.   As with each 3 year MSP grant plan, it is different than the previous one.

• From Steve:

Good Afternoon,

The SDE group responsible for the CCRS Implementation Team Meetings (Quarterly Meetings) with the School System Teams has made a request that ALL AMSTI Science Specialists, including ASIM Specialists attend the next quarterly meeting(s) scheduled during Nov. 13-15. (These are the meetings where AMSTI directors have been asked to help with set-up, registration, etc. each quarter –the first quarterly meeting was on Sept 11-14-you helped with it).

The topic at the quarterly meeting will be Content Literacy standards.

While all AMSTI Science Specialists should be in attendance, the Middle School Specialists will have an extra role. The AMSTI MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE SPECIALISTS should be available and prepared to answer questions regarding what content literacy practices look like, if asked by local school system team members during the meeting. This will mean that the AMSTI middle school science specialists will need to get with the ARI regional staff member and be sure they are on the same page. We suggest that this occur at the upcoming RSS meeting (Oct. 16-17).

Sandy will send the PPT presentation for the CCRS-IT Quarterly Meetings ahead of the meeting to the MS Specialists.

As teachers will be responsible for implementing Content Literacy Standards, the session should benefit all of us.

Please be sure to notify your science specialists of this.

More to come as we learn it. Please see me individually with issues.

Paul, please send to ASIM.

Steve Ricks

Director

 

ALSO from Steve:

• At the state board work session a few minutes ago Dr. Bice shared detailed recommendations for them to consider in the FY14 budget they will start looking toward at the next board meeting. There were a lot of changes, including improving the divisor for teacher units, etc. One single bullet among several said AMSTI-increase $10,000,000. The only comment was that this would be with a new differentiated delivery model that we were already beginning to implement.

  Later in looking at the actual line items I noticed ARI is set for a $10 million decrease. The phrase “repurpose of funds” was used a great deal during the entire presentation.

  It is good that we see a 10 Mil recommendation. However, a LOT would have to happen to make it a reality. Remember 10Mil was actually IN the budget the state board sent to the legislature last year and we got only about $1..7 mil. There was a lot of talk/support for expanding career tech and creating a virtual high school (the latter not in the budget).

  If you see a board member, be sure you continue to urge the $10 mil increase.

  Steve Ricks

  Director

   
• **** Be careful and Don't discuss the budget issue at any setting or meeting where other initiatives are present.  Steve just wants those that know state board members to urge the increase.

• JSU CCRS dates:  November 15, February 14 and May 2 - at the JSU InService Center and should be listed on STI PD.  I think registration is at 8 and sessions begin at 8:30.  We will need to help with registration.   
•  
• Our next RSS meeting is October 16 and 17.  October 16 we will meet at the JSU InService Cetner.  8:30-3:30.  October 17, we will travel to Birmingham(Lincoln Center, bring your laptop)  for a Global Scholar training.  Wednesday begins at 8:30 so will meet at the site and leave at 7 am so meet at 6:45.  I will invite ASIM (probably only Krystal is close enough) and the ARI team members from this area to ride with us.  We will take both vans.   Because we are leaving early on Wednesday,  Tuesday morning, everyone involved in the RSS meeting should  be here at 8 am, and as soon as we clean up on Tuesday afternoon, we will go home.
•  
• On Tuesday, October 16, we will have 90 minutes to present information concerning the Math Practice Standards and Key Concepts.  We will use what ever we already have developed.  We will need copies made for 25 people.   This will need to be done on Monday, October 15th.
•  
• Great website from MSP net for STatistics Lesson Plans for K - 12.  http://www.amstat.org/education/stew/index.cfm

 

I think this is all.  I've review all my emails and notes from the past two weeks and I think this is all the news I need to pass onto you at this time. 

Have a great week!

Tanya

 

September 28, 2012

Congratulations on a successful day with JSU PreService Students.

Dr. Troncale has schedule February 26th for next semester.  Different students so you can use the same activities and schedule.  It will be 8:00 - 2:30.  I didn't see anything on the calendar for that day.  If there is a conflict, please let me know immediately.

From Steve Ricks (Tuesday, 9/25/2012)

1) Here is the access information for Dropbox for Global Scholar materials. Please pass along to your staff. Visit the ALSDE Dropbox for all materials relating to Performance Series/Achievement Series here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fo00ind2dvun5gg/5CtvydJnuD

2) I have just learned that End of Course tests were renamed Benchmark Tests several days ago on a video that Dr. Bice and others produced. Since then, the name End of Course, then Benchmark Test has changed again!!! The new name is the ACT Quality Core Assessments. They will be given at the end of certain courses (Algebra I, English 9, etc.) and will be phased in over several years as was previously announced. Schools/Systems are being STRONGLY DISCOURAGED from having these tests count as part of the students’ grade. However, currently the SDE has not prohibited this from occurring-just discouraged it. Should a system choose NOT to follow the SDE’s advice and decide to count the tests, it is important that they ensure they are actually teaching the test’s course content standards. These can be found on the website given out about ACT where systems received a generic user name and password.

3) On the ACT website (referenced in #2 above), there is a “blueprint” that shows information about these tests, including the percentage of questions in math domains and the percentage by difficulty level of the questions. I believe 4 benchmark assessments are also located there, along with the formative item pool (launch test builder). While the Quality Core Assessments will only be multiple choice, the formative item pool also has items that are instructional response questions. Both types of questions are available for teachers to use to build their own formative assessments. Realize that there is no “save” feature, so it is important to print out a test as it is built or it will be lost.

4) We submitted the forms for individuals needing passwords to log into SHAREPOINT this afternoon. I will forward you the username and password when it is created.

The information above is current to 1:30PM this a afternoon. I will do my best to keep you informed as changes occur.

Steve Ricks

OGAP Monday through Friday  8:30 - 3:30 adjust your hours to 8:00 - 4:30 for those attending OGAP
Additive is Monday and Tuesday
Multiplicative is Wednesday through Friday.
Please do not sit as an AMSTI group.  Please separate and sit with teachers.  Spread out.
I will not be here on Friday.

For those of you who know Cindy Freeman, formerly with AMSTI SDE, her mother passed away yesterday.   Everyone please keep her in your prayers.  We need to send a card to Cindy and Deb OHara.

Statewide Staff meeting:  

October 8 - 11:  Math ONLY, begins 1 PM on the 8th and ends at noon on the 11th
Directors Oct 9 - 10.   Tanya will make reservations.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

September 14, 2012

• Blue Ribbon Schools:

Piedmont High School was one of 5 schools in Alabama to be named a Blue Ribbon School.  I have the memo and will share on Tuesday.

• OGAP

JSU specialists may attend our sessions of OGAP in October.  

Shelley - encourage the science teachers from Ohatachee HS, Etowah MIddle, Hokes Bluff Middle, Wellborn HS, Handley M, Weaver HS, and Saks M to attend the NASA PD. If there are others that want to attend, please let me know and I can probably make it happen.   

All participants who are have confirmed attendance are listed on the Google doc.  If you need access sent to you, please let me know.  

The materials need to be printed from dropbox, assembled according to the directions and taken to the printer on campus.  Text me on Monday  and I will get you access to the dropbox if you can take care of this on Monday.   We will need 50 copies of everything.   

• RSS meeting
• The room for our PD Tuesday and Wednesday is room 2112. Lynn has the key.  I moved all the materials into the room but the tables need to be arranged.  Please set up a refreshment table.  I will bring "fixings" for coffee.  And if someone can get the coffee maker from 2113 that will be great.  I will do my best to make some muffins for each morning.  
• Each participant needs a journal, a participant packets and the data sheets that are in Lynn's office. 
• I think I planned for 25 participants. 
• Remember:  hours for Tuesday and Wednesday should be 8 - 430.  (a little later on Wednesday since some will travel to JSU to set up for the Thursday PD as soon as we are finished on Wednesday.) 

• Monday:  I will be at a Leadership Development meeting in Auburn.  

See you Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

September 7, 2012

• We have September 10th as a debrief from the RSS and September 17th as a staff meeting day.  Let's have our staff meeting on the 10th and not meet on the 17th.  We can meet at 10 am. 
• Mr. Edge at Attalla Elementary emailed over the weekend that the 12th is better for his school for the science specialists to come and not the 11th. 
• Ms. Tice at Moody elementary said the 11th is fine for the math specialists to come. 
• Since Moody E is K 3, Mr. Odell at Wellborn Elementary  has requested Sept 14 so maybe Kay can meet with Wellborn E.  

Update:

October staff meeting is for Math specilists only - and Tanya-- October 8 - 11

October staff meeting is in Birmingham at the Lincoln center.  Begins at 1 pm on 8th and ends at noon on the 11th.

November 27 - 30 is a directors meeting in Montgomery.  November 27 is directors meetings, RPT on November 28 and November 29-30 is directors meeting.

August 29, 2012

On Site Support: In reviewing principal requests:

I have contacted Attalla Elementary (science K5) and Moody Elementary (mathK4) to see if specialist can meet with the teachers to schedule coaching cycle to begin September.

I will contact for science:
Striplin ,  Wellborn E, , Alexandria, and Moody E.

for math:
Wellborn E, Alexandria E, and Attalla.   Coldwater asked for January but I'm not sure if I will contact Coldwater or not.

Until we know more about the visits the RPT is making to the systems, I'm afraid to commit to anyone else.  I think 5 schools may take us to May since we have so many meetings.

We know Calhoun County wants us at Weaver E and Ohatchee E so those will be our backups.

We can start with Moody E for math and Attalla E for Science and once you are able to meet and plan some with them we can look at when you would be able to go to another school.  



Activity Log

The last info I have on Activity Log is that the SDE is thinking about placing that on Share Point (we were suppose to work with Share Point August 29-30).    We can do one of two things: 1) you can keep up with what you are doing in your calendar OR 2) I can give you another # from our current activity log and you can just place your info on the current date.  I don't know what the new form will look like or if you can transfer from a spreadsheet to it but I don't think will have changed much.  I believe the only change will be to seperate some stuff from "site duty" to reflect support a teacher just not face to face.


FYI

TO: City and County Superintendents of Education

Later today the district-designated staff who participated in training will receive notification from GlobalScholar indicating that the Performance Series and Achievement Series sites will go live tomorrow morning, Wednesday, August 29, and that your teachers can begin utilizing Performance Series within the site immediately. The notification will also include instructions for accessing the site that will include the format for Site IDs (both District and School Buildings), Staff IDs, and Passwords. GlobalScholar conducted multiple trainings on the Performance Series over the course of the last three weeks in to ensure that a cadre of educators exists in each system to help with access or test administration questions. Hopefully, those trained staff have been utilizing the materials and toolkit provided them to prepare your teachers for the Performance Series testing. If no one from your system has been trained, or if other questions arise requiring assistance, please notify GlobalScholar at the following link alsde@globalscholar.com . Please ensure that anyone who submits an e-mail to the GlobalScholar inbox indicates his/her school, district name, and the Inservice Region. This will allow site specialists to answer questions more quickly and identify issues that may be reoccurring in each region. GlobalScholar will offer training on the Achievement Series during the week of September 24-28, and more information on those sessions will be forthcoming.

I have copied your principals and your local technology coordinator so that they will also have this information.

Sherrill W. Parris

Deputy State Superintendent

Alabama Department of Education

P.O. Box 302101

Montgomery, AL 36130-2101

PH: 334-242-8154

E-mail: sparris@alsde.edu

STatewide staff meeting from June 2012

Our time together at the statewide staff meeting was very disjointed.  If possible, could I get a brief overview or debrief of information that was shared.  

I know math and science each had training but if there was info shared from math or science specialists at the SDE, it was not shared with directors.  Example, specialists PLT dates, materials needed for PLTs, 

7 Habits: 

Tuesday at 8:30 not 8:00.  Shelly will be here at 8:00 but we will not start until 8:30.  Melanie will set up the room on Friday, August 31st.  

More than likely, I will not be here tomorrow.  Since our meeting is canceled, I hope we can leave after Tim is finished at the hospital around lunch time.  

Happy Labor day weekend.  See you all on Tuesday.  RTR to the Bama fans. 

August 24, 2012

From JSU:


The Jacksonville State University Office of the Controller is pleased to announce the ability to payemployees via direct deposit (ACH) for non-payroll items. Effective 8/13/2012, reimbursements from JSU Accounts Payable will be deposited directly into your bank account, with no waiting for a check to be mailed. Notification of payment will be sent to you via e-mail. Direct deposit will be mandatory for all employee travel or other reimbursement payments.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

· You will get an email confirming the amount of your reimbursement and the date it was transmitted to your bank.

· Confirm with your financial institution that your reimbursement has been deposited into your account before writing checks against these funds.

· In the unlikely event that your bank does not accept the direct deposit, Accounts Payable will review the problem and notify you.

Initially, payments will be deposited into the primary account on file with Payroll. However, if a change is required for the reimbursement deposit, the employee must complete the Direct Deposit Authorization For Reimbursements Via Accounts Payable.

Send completed form or fax to (256) 782-5967.

Jacksonville State University
Accounts Payable Office

309 Bibb Graves
700 Pelham Rd N
Jacksonville, AL 36265

Please note: If you change account or bank after signing up, download and fill out a new form and return it to Accounts Payable with an indication that your information has changed.

• Remember to submit an agenda with all reimbursements for travel for meetings/conferences. 
• Out of state reimbursement requires RECEIPTS! Keep all receipts when traveling out of state. 

FYI:

• Monday, August 27, 2012:

The annual meeting of faculty and staff will be Monday, August 27 at 8:00 a.m. in Leone Cole Auditorium. Coffee and pastries will be served beginning at 7:30 a.m.

I'm fairly certain that after the annual meeting, you will need to go to the COE for that meeting.  Dr. Ryan will introduce Amber and Shelley.

Previous years, people close to the site met here and took a van.  Those closer to Jacksonville met the others in Jacksonville.  The Material staff will not be in attendance, kits are being picked up.

Tanya and Kay will be in Bham working on the MSP grant and will not be in attendance.  We will have one of the vans.

• Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tanya will be in Gardendale at the Key Leader meeting. 

• Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Specialists and Tanya will LEAVE the site at 6:00 am.   Please arrive 5 to 10 minutes early so we can load your luggage into the vans.   Our hotel: 

Fairfield Inn & Suites Montgomery Airport South7560 Mobile Highway,
Montgomery, Alabama 36105 USA Phone: 1-334-281-6882Fax: 1-334-281-6930

Confirmation numbers:  84359781, 84359765, 84359767, 84359766

The meeting begins at 9:00 am each day.  Wednesday the meeting ends at 4:00 and Thursday at 3:30.  

On Thursday, I will give a brief overview of our work.  We will have sentence strips with the names of the systems we serve on the wall.  I will ask everyone to pick a system that you have worked with and share 1 minute your work in that system.  Please everyone take a different system.  We haven't spent much time in Anniston City \, Piedmont City or Jacksonville City but we have been everywhere else, I think.   .   

Reminder: Tim will pick me up on Thursday so I will need some of my luggage from the van and I will send a bag with the van.  As well as my crate, the projector and my stuff from these two days. 

• Friday, August 31, 2012

Melanie is going to set up the room for 7 Habits which begins on Tuesday.  Monday is Labor day. 

Everyone remember to bring your 7 Habits workbook.  We will have journals for everyone. 

• I received notification today that our MSP grant is funded!  WHOOOHOOOO

We will provide OGAP training for faculties of ACHE schools over the next 3 years.   Additive, Multiplicative, Fractional and Proportional.  AND we will establish Robotic programs in the middle schools and hopefully they will compete in the robotic competition.  We will being with an OGAP training in June 2013.   We will get those dates set withing the next few weeks so we can plan for that.  The OGAP training will be at the InService Center, I think.  

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend.  Specialists:  safe travels today!  Someone text me to let me know you are home safely! 

August 10, 2012 part B

A couple of items I forgot::

• Travel Agenda

Please remember, for any travel to any meetings, please include an agenda with your travel reimbursement.
I can't remember if I shared this or not, but the week of July 4, campus called concerning our travel from the Statewide Staff meeting.  And they needed an agenda for everyone before they would reimburse us for our travel.
I had a copy of math because Shelia always "cc" the directors when she contacts the specialists.
Lynn attached it to all of the travel and it went through.
I contacted Martha Ann and Steve for agendas as back up but they accepted it because it didn't specific math specialists.
So.. from now on, please remember to include an agenda for any meeting.  This include conferences, any meeting you are requesting reimbursement.

• Math Specialists

Leigh Twigg said that Calhoun County is having training here next week for Math in Focus and if you are here and would like to attend, you are officially invited.

Monday is K
Tuesday is 1,2
Wednesday is 3.4
Thursday is 5,6

She wants support with grades 5 and 6.  She is familiar with the other grades but will need support in 5 and 6.  That is the discussion that lead to me sharing with her that I want to develop PD for grades 6  - 8 to help with objectives that have moved / shifted to those grade levels.

• Van for all the trips on the calendar

I have reserved the vans for all of our trips which are on the calendar:  OGAP, KLN, PCN, RSS, RPT, Statewide staff meetings, TTT, ASTA, NSTA, ACTM, director's meetings,PDs next week etc.

 

August 10, 2012

AMSTI Website Changes: From Jerry Cobbs

On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 9:51 AM, Jerry W. Cobbs <cobbsj@uah.edu> wrote:

Good morning all,

If you haven't noticed, AMSTI has grown considerably in terms of staff.  We have well over 250 Google Apps accounts, a good indicator of full-time staff numbers.

Due to school schedules, we tend to make staff changes in bunches at certain times of the year.  In the process of back & forth emails, sometimes it gets confusing to keep up with who is working where.

To streamline the process, we now have a "Staff Info Change Form" on the website.  The page is in the drop-down menu under "Staff Pages."  

This page is not visible unless you are logged in under one of the staff accounts-- "directors," "materials," "amstiscience," "amstimath," "SDEupdate."  This is to protect from random pranksters submitting a form.

Once you go to the page, the form should be self-explanatory.  Just fill out the change info and click the "Submit" button.  An email will be sent to me, to Ben Hicks, and to Debbie Newsome at SDE.

Below the form, there is also a file uploader for photos.  You can use it to send a photo with your request.  Please note that if you are ONLY updating a photo for an existing staff member, you still need to also submit the request form.  The uploader by itself does not send out a notice, so we will not know you have a new photo unless you use the form.  There is a checkbox on the form for "New Photo Only".

Thanks, and please let me know if you have any questions!

One additional note-- in re-reading this, I don't think I pointed out that we'd like to use this for ALL contact info changes, not just new hires.  New phone numbers, emails, office addresses, and title or position changes as well.  There are fields on the form to note each of these.

Next Week's PDs  - August 13 - 16

August 13, 2012

White Plains Middle School:  Data Driven

12:00 -2:00

Tanya

August 14, 2012

Attalla  Elementary

Data Driven

8:00-10:00

Kay and Cherie

August 14, 2012

Alexandria Elementary

Data Driven

3rd grade: 8:00 - 9:30

4th grade: 9:30-11:00

5th grade: 12:30 - 2:00

Amber, Tara, and Shelley

August 15, 2012

Saks Elementary

Data Driven

2;00 - 3:30

Tanya

August 16, 2012

Questioning

10:00 - 12:00

Kay, Tara an Cherie

Science Activities

1:00 - 3:00

Polly, Cherie, Tara and Shelley

Math teachers meet with Kay

1:00 - 3:00

Hokes Bluff Middle School

Data Drive

9:00 - 10:30

Tanya

10:30 - 12:00

PLT meets with Tanya

RSS meetings Sept - May

Good news!  Wendy Warren contacted me on Wedneday to reserve rooms at the In Service Center for the meetings Sept through May.  I have rooms reserved and we are waiting on an official form from the SDE requesting to use rooms at the InService Center.  But I think that is just a formality.  So yea!

I hope we are able to leave the morning of the 29th because I have a Key Leader meeting on the 28th.  We do not have times for the 29-30th yet.  I asked Wendy and she said they are working on a place and determining times and she will notify me when everything is set. 

I believe our training on the 29th and 30th will involve the InSights Database for College and Career Ready Standards AND the Global training that was held at the InService Center on Wednesday. 

7 Habits training

The PD is listed on the JSU website.  Please register.  Other AMSTI sites will send people too.   September 4 -6  is the PD.  Tuesday after Labor day.    The specialists and I will be at a meeting in Montgomery, August 29-30, (Wednesday and Thursday before).  Tim will pick me up in Montgomery and we will go to his brother's house for Labor Day weekend.    I will not be there on Friday.  The room for 7 Habits, (2101, I think,) needs to be set up on Friday because we will begin at 8 am on Tuesday morning.   We will need tool boxes (make sure they have post it notes and highlighters), chart paper.   The room should be prepare for about 32 people, (8 tables with 4 people).  Do we want to bring simple snacks and water? It will be 8 - 430 for the three days so everyone will need to adjust their work time to 8 - 430 for those 3 days.   

Updates:

• OGAP: and ACHE

We've heard for the past year or so... What is AMSTI doing for nonAMSTI schools?  Well we are going to provide OGAP training (Additive and Multiplicative) for 2 schools in June 2013 who are not AMSTI schools.  Steve has provided the funds for us to do this (no materials for the school, we will just need training materials and to print participant guides)  and extended our contract so we can do this.  I hope to get those dates set in the next week or so.  I would love to use our math staff to present these sessions.  Let me know if you think we will be able to present these sessions at that time.   You can co present, two for additive and two for multiplicative. 

OGAP for our ACHE schools will be October 1 - 5.  Rachel Broadhead will be the presenter.   Additive will be October 1 and 2 and Multiplicative will be October 3-5.  This is limited to Phase II PLT schools for Multiplicative (grades 3 -8) and since this is our first offering of Additive, then any school (k-2 teachers ) who has participated in the past 4 years in ACHE PLTs has been invited to additive.

ACHE : science for grades 6 -8, will be October 25.  Again, we haven't offered anything for these grades so anything ACHE PLT schools with grades 6-8 can send a science teacher.  A NASA specialists will present the Basics of Rocketry. 

If my MSP grant is funded, then we will build off the ACHE training and offer to ACHE schools over the three year period of the grant, Additive reasoning, Multiplicative, Fractional and Proportion reasoning to the whole math faculty at those schools.  We will also, work with the lead team, (the ACHE PLT members who have had OGAP training) to provide them  Coaching training so they can be the expert at their school and provide support at their school. 

The list of current ACHE Schools is on a poster in my room.  The list of all who have participated in on the G drive and in a folder possibly called ACHE. 

• Calhoun County concern and I'm sure other systems  have the same concerns

I met with Leigh Twigg on Wednesday and Natasha Scott attended the Alexandria HS COS meeting.   Leigh wanted to know what our support will look like since they now have Math In Focus as their text.  I said we will continue to support their schools and when we are in a school and ask to teach a lesson, we may pull from Investigations or use OGAP strategies or other strategies.  Everyone is worried about 6-8th grades. 

I really believe we need to develop a tool box of lessons for the major changes (objectives moved to a grade level) in each grade level.  Probability and statistics are always low.  I don't know how we can roll out the tool box of lessons, but those schools that have PLT teams could focus on those during one of their meetings.  Right now, we just need to focus on finding / developing lessons.   We need to think about this and come up with a plan.  This could also develop into grade level PD that we offer in the summer for all schools.  We have the Brain Compatible books and Worksheets don't grow Dentrites books that we could pull from for activities. I'm not sure how objective specific they are.

I would love to offer Pennant Fever and Pollster Dilemma (IMP books) training for all advanced math teachers.  That would have to be AMSTI specific because we would have to provide materials.  I'm going to think about that and how to make it happen.   Textbooks do not address the standards for advanced math when it comes to probability and statistics. 

I would also like to have BLOGS or Google Groups for each grade level in math or science kit in science.  Those could be used to post links to lessons found.  Teachers can subscribe and could have access to links to lessons.  Science could use them in the same way but also as a trouble shooting source.  None of this has to be in place when school starts on August 20 but I want us to think about these things and see if we can implement some.  Principals have actually asked me if we those types of online resources.   We can expand our help though online resources.  I bet Amber or Eric can provide this PD on how to make Blogs or create Google Groups. 

 

 

July 20, 2012

Correction:   Don't know if it was me or the Anniston Star or  a combination of the two.   Mr Andy Ward is the principal at White Plains High School, (formerly principal at White Plains Elementary) and Mr. Jonathan Gilbert is the principal at White Plains Elementary (formerly assistant at the HS and at one time the MS).  Summer Davis is assistant at the Elementary and Derek Cobb is at the Middle so I'm not sure where he was an AP last year.  


We need to move our staff meeting from August 13 to August 6 when we debrief from August 3rd meeting.

Schedule of PD request:
August 7, 2012: Alexandria HS MATH COS
August 13, 2012:  White Plains Middle (data and science help)
August 14, 2012: Alexandria E (data, meet by grade level) AND Attalla E
August 15, 2012: Sardis HS and Saks E (2:00-3:30)
August 16, 2012: Handley Middle (science and questioning)  AND Hokes Bluff Middle (data)
August 17, 2012:

• To be schedule:

Wellborn E has asked for help with math.  They also want data.  Maybe the math specialists can plan to go there August 21, 27 and 28.

Pleasant Valley HS: data
Ohatchee E: Data
Oxford E: time management and classroom management
Ohatchee HS:  instructional strategies

We are in high demand this year.   I need at least one more person to be able to facilitate data driven PDs.  Maybe two more people (a helper wouldn't be a bad idea for each person facilitating the data PD's). A math/science combo would be good as well as K-5/ms combo.    Let me know if you are interested and can help.  I will run a trainer of trainer for data PD on Tuesday, July 24 for anyone interested  presenting the data PD.

I will prepare a questioning PD. If someone is willing to work on preparing a time management PD and or classroom management PD, please let me know.  I have some resources and a PD for classroom management but it needs to be tweaked and updated.  Since it is an elementary school, the time management PD probably needs to be prepared by one of the K-5 specialists.  Sorry Melanie and Shelley.

I need lots of people entering data into spreadsheets so the PD's can take place.  Let me know if you will input data.  Tara has begun working on entering data.  The graphs will need to be updated and printed and glued to contruction paper.  The graphs will need to be inserted into a Powerpoint (already made) and saved by school.  

There is a PD that has been developed for Differentiated Instruction.  It needs to be "dusted off" and shared with those who have not presented it.   We may need it for Ohatchee HS.

There is a 5 E PD that has been developed.  It needs to be "dusted off" and shared with those who have not presented it.   We may need it for Ohatchee HS.

Alexandria HS wants a Math COS PD - date: August 7 at 9:00.   Only math teachers 7 - 12.

Attalla Elementary wants help with their 2nd grade math.  Donna can you go spend  3 days with them in August?  Help with Investigation?  We can take them some manipulatives too.  Maybe the week of August 13-17?

Anything that needs to be printed we will send to the print shop.  If there is a participant packet for Differentiated Instruction or 5E's, send it to me electronically with printing instructions.  (how many, single sided or double sided, hole punch, etc)   The print shop will NOT insert into folders.

Summary:
Questioning PD: Tanya will tweak and get ready but someone will need to present on August 16 at Handley M.

Need:

• Data PD presenters/helper:  Need 2 presenter/helpers total of 4 people
• To create / tweak a Classroom Management PD
• To create Time Management PD
• Differentiated Instruction shared with other and someone ready to present
• 5 E PD shared with others and someone ready to present

August 6-10 science training:
A couple of changes:
August 6 and 7:  K, 3rd and 4th
August 8 and 9: 1st and 2nd
August 9 and 10: 5th
August 6-9: 7th and 8th at White Plains Middle

We need someone to:

• sign in sheets/book
• participate packets made and mailed
• trainer packets made and mailed
• notebooks -empty notebooks - from 3170, one per person because the print shop does not make notebooks. 
• Participant guides are at the print shop being printed:  the participate packets will be 3 hole punched.  The participants can put the copies in the notebooks but we need to make sure we have notebooks for them.  

Housekeeping

• We have received a thank you note from Sandy Ledwell.
• Invitation to Dr. Carr's retirement reception: Houston Cole Library Monday, July 23 from 3:00 - 5:00

• The critters for the science kit training for August 6 will arrive on Thursday August 2nd since we will be gone on August 3rd.   Cherie, will you please prepare the habits for their arrival?  Critters for training on the 8th will arrive on the 7th. 

Equipment 
GPS, cameras, student response systems (clickers), and video projectors in the rolling bags, etc are in the vault in 3170 and borrowed, they should be check outed.   See Jason to check out the material.  .  As soon as you are finished with the item return it and he will mark it returned.   These items will eventually be bar coded and placed into AIMS for check out. 

July 13, 2012

July 13, 2012

• Info/Reminder:  new travel reimbursement procedures.
• There is a new travel form.   Please begin using the new form.  It is on our shared drive.  "G" drive
• Any travel (other than travel to schools) requires an agenda to be submitted with the request for reimbursement. 
• For recording keeping purposes, please submit travel to schools seperate from travel to state meetings. 
• My assumption is that unless I receive an "invite" from you on Google calendar, that you are here from 8-430 or 7-330 (guys 6-230).  
• Please, please, please, please remember to "invite Kay and Tanya" to any event  that will take you out of the office/school regardless if it is NCD, annual leave, sick leave, using time spent/worked during summer training, etc.   If your event is after hours (after 3:30 or 4:30 depending on whether you arrive at 7 or 8) then we do not need to be invited. I can not stress the importance of this enough. This is very important.This has to become a habit for everyone. The invites need to be in advance and not last minute unless something comes up.  Please keep your calendar updated at least weekly.  As soon as you know you are going to need to be out of the office, please place it on the calendar.    
• I think it would be a good idea to print your calendar each month at the end of the month and keep a copy.  Google calendar does NOT keep dates forever. 
• I am open to any other way that you may think of in order for you to "request/document" time off.   We do not "sign in" or have any other record  therefore our Google Calendar is our documentation. 
• I can keep a calendar in my office and you can come write you dates down in it. 
• I can create a form that you submit to me for days you are going to be off for whatever reason.  
• Regardless of what method we decide upon for you to let me know that you are requesting to be out of work, your Google Calendar will have to be up to date as our documentation of days worked.  

• August 3, 2012 meeting - RSS:   We will need to travel on August 2nd because as I understand it, the meeting begins at 8 am and is in Montgomery. We do not have details.  As soon as I have details, I will share them with you. 
• August 6, 2012 :  Staff meeting, debrief from August 3rd and make any adjustment to plans based on what we heard on August 3rd.    9:00 am
• Be prepared/forewarned: Something was shared with me that I feel the need to pass on to you.   The SDE boss, not anyone with AMSTI, from here on out, regardless of our plans, if we are asked to attend a meeting, (SDE) then we will have to change our plans and be there.  The SDE person in charge excepts no excuses and is not polite about it. We were advised to tell everyone that they had to be there on August 3rd.  Steve is the one that is giving us permission for those on vacation not to be there.  
• August 29-30, 2012 meeting:   RSS,  We will need to travel on August 28th.
• The other RSS meetings should be in our InService Region.  We will know more after August 3, and 29-30. 
• September 10, 2012 : Staff meeting if needed to debrief from August 29-30 RSS meeting.  We will plan to debrief as needed after each of these meetings.  9:00 am
• September 4-6, 2012:  7 Habits PD for all staff.  AMSTI JSU employees who have never had the 7 habits PD will receive a workbook.  Those of us who have been through it before, bring your workbook you used previously and we will use a journal for the writing.  If you want to clip it in the workbook you can or you can just use the journal.  
• The session is open to all AMSTI sites in case in one from another site contacts you.   They need to register through the InService Center and provide their own 7 Habits Workbook. 
• I need everyone's help in putting together some data. 
•  I need everyone to look up 7 schools and enter their data on a spreadsheet (that I will provide) for any year that we do not have their ARMT scores (levels 1, 2, 3, and 4).  You can work on past years scores now and add in this years scores when they are posted. I will add the spreadsheet to a google document next week and you can work on it whenever you can.  
• More changes for Calhoun County: According to the Annsiston Star, July 11 edition:
• Crystal Sparks (formerly AP at Weaver Elementary) is the new AP at Alexandria HS.
• Jonathan Gilbert (formerly AP at White Plains E) is new Principal at White Plains HS.  Polly will remember him as one of our LAMST teachers from Anniston. (Golden Springs E, maybe)
• Mark Proper (formerly AP at Pleasant Valley HS) is the new Principal at Pleasant Valley HS.
• Lynn attended a meeting on Wednesday in regards to Audits and Equipment.  
• I have created a Google Document.  Please record the serial number and the location (building and room where you are located) of all equipment issue to you. Laptops, desktops, any printer you use.  (shared printers need to be listed only once.) If there is a JSU sticker on it, please record that number.   
• Auditors will make random walk through checks.  
• Barry, please include the "Big Joe" and any other equipment in the warehouse that is pricey
• Pictures:  So, everytime I thought we would have picture day, I forgot.  So.... if someone will get a camera from 3170 and set a day for picture day, if you want your AMSTI.org picture updated, you can get a new picture made.  Who will volunteer to be the photographer?   Just let me know and set a date for picture day.  
• Dr. Carr's retirement:  We have received an invitation to attend Dr. Carr's retirement reception on july 23, 2012 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM at the Houston Cole Library 12th floor. 
• August 6 and 7th: Science year 1 kit training:  K, 2nd, and 4th
• August 8 and 9th: Science year 1 kit training: 1st, 3rd, and 5th
• 
  

June 29th, 2012 - Notes from Statewide staff meeting

Notes from Tanya's director's meeting

Angie Pelton

·         Common Core resources on AMSTI.org

·         Videos and basically lesson plans to use with PLT (PLCs)

·         Not on the AMSTI.org yet, but Angie will let us know when they are available

·         First portion for the teacher

·         Second portion for faculty meeting

·         Share with administrators, and they can take the knowledge back to the faculty

·         ALEX site!

Ellen and Maria and Online Courses

• Online kit training for compressed training
• Process for setting up training will be sent to directors
• A kit will be sent to the teacher to use in real time while they are completing the online training.
• Always plan with material manager to make sure a kit can be sent before a teacher can be offered compressed training

·         This course will be up 4 times a year with each cycle
o   Need it when the kit is scheduled for their school

Changes in SCIENCE:
o   Jeff:
  See the spreadsheet and check our numbers. 
 §  Half kits with 32 books and half with 16 books
    ·         We need to buy 16 books for half of our kits
    ·         We put 28 in a kit
 §  These will be packed into the red totes
 §  We might need to purchase 4 student books for each kit order for us
 §  Might need to purchase some conversion kits
 §  May have to purchase some red totes
 §  May be additional refurb items that we have not had to purchase before
 §  K5 literature books not purchased so we may need to purchase some but only purchase  the        safe list
 §  We think the 6-8 kits are safe
 §  None of the conversion kits for CE have been purchased
    ·         Sites will be responsible for ordering next year
    §  We will have items that no longer go into these kits
            ·         Battery chargers and rechargeable batteries are going away
            ·         There are other and Jeff will have a more detailed list in September
   §  Some items we will need more items (balance arm, example, one kit uses 8 and one uses 2 so if those are left in the classroom then we will not need more but if they are not left then we will need more
      §  All kits paid out of one budget will go to the site by September 1^st
      ·         JSU’s stuff will go to UM
               ·         As the shipment come in, let Jeff know
               §  Those of us with space issues?????
                        ·         Some renting containers
o   Estimates submitted
        §  Order should match estimates
  §  K-5 bundles are OK and Publishers and meet that order
  §  6-8 bundles will not be ready
  §  If you need more science kits, let Jeff know
  §  Products should arrive early September
o   FOSS is changing version of kits
  §  Some meet the standards
o   Question:
§  Projection for refurb cost : has anyone order all 4 cycles at once and is it accurate ?
  §  USA has and the projections are a little over
        ·         Better prices and have the materials
        ·         May make some small orders
  §  New packing slips by Christmas for the new titles
o   Sandy
  §  STC is now called secondary, not middle school
  §  Can be used from 6^th to 10^th
  §  Mega modules are now 2 modules
  §  Break our modules down in the two modules
  §  Lots of handling with these modules
  §  Life will change with New Generation Standards
        ·         Very different than before
        ·         Current COS committee, committed to mirroring the Next Generation standards and the draft will be revised
         ·         COS standards adopt in March 2013
         o   Voluntary implemented in 2013-2014
    o   Implemented in 2014-2015
         ·         Another draft in August or September
·         Safe kit list could change in August or Sept or it could grow
Next generation Standards        
  ·         Standard and performance expectation
  ·         If it covered 1 performance expectation then Sandy didn’t deem it safe
  o   Some grades have 30 performance expectation
      3 main ideas
          o   Cross cutting concepts
          o   Science engineer practices
          o   Disciplinary core ideas
§  Not one kit we have completely meet the New Generation standards
        ·         Standards are deeper
        ·         Rigor increased exponentially
§  How do we go to Conversion to STC secondary
       ·         We call them safe but not 100% match to Next Generation Standards
       ·         Plan for next year:
o   People will be identified at each site
        o   Face to face meeting with these people
        §  On the changes from old kit to new
  §  Or webinar
  §  PD on writing the 5E guides
  o   August to December : development phase
   §  Presenters guide
   §  Training power points
   §  Writing new lessons and correlating to the old module
   §  Jennifer and Kathy will work on a virtual product, no funding for face to face training so developing a virtual training
  o   December
  §  Face to face meeting with developers and the material managers
  §  Work on packing slip
  o   January /February
  §  Finish and polish
    o   March
  §  Print and prep for TTT
  o   April
  §  TTT – lead by the developer
  §  Video to train the masses
  o   Summer 2013 training on STC Secondary
  §  New 6-8 teacher
        §  Virtual training complete for previously trained 6-8 teachers based on the fact that they stay at the same grade level
     ·         The understanding is that if they have, for example, EMM TG, then they can use the EMM TG with the two new kits for 8^th
     ·         Carolina Science online will be available to every middle school person we have
    o   Disseminated though material managers
·         Question:  change grade level should come to the new STC Secondary training
        o   Fall 2013 teacher receive STC Secondary
·         Big shift: micro science shifting out of K-5, some out of 68 into high school
·         GLOBE will have to change not fitting currently
§  Question: Recommendation of purchasing Genetics kits
   ·         TGs for 6^th and 7^th grade not ready yet
§  Question: what will we do with the kits that do not match up to the COS
   ·         Hopefully we can use lessons out of them to meet individual lesson especially with the FOSS they no longer make them any more
§  Questions:
·         Will we keep the same k-5 kits 2012-2013 and 2013-2014?
   o   Probably not 2013-2014, we will leap to the new
   o   May can go to three kits and not 4 kits at the k-5 level
   o   Deeper topics not as many
§  New assessment will contain science from 3^rd grade up and that would begin with Spring 2015, can go down to K , school year 2014-2015
§  We don’t need to buy bulk for 2013-2014 based on the current k-5 kits, which means we would be purchasing out of the 2013 budget for the 2013 2014 new kits
·         Take out K-8 bulk items that do not fit the safe kits
·         GLOBE only matches 3^rd grade
§  Developing stand alone lessons 
Steve
o   Dr. Bice is about partnering and supporting
§  Keep calendars through September but after that everything changes
o   List of dates:
  §  onc a month, directors, specialists, ARI, and other field staff will receive a 2 day training --
  §  RSS – AMSTI, ARI, field staff,  people work full time in the field with school systems
  §  1^st one – Dr. Bice give great vision: and meet with AMSTI on  Aug 3
         ·         August 29-30: follow up meeting  for the new vision
       o   Montgomery  - still working on it
        ·         Tentative dates: the list of two days for the rest of the year  will be training for all field staff  - when approved, Steve will let us know.  Hold them for now.
       ·         August 3^rd is the vision day! In Montgomery - Polly, Amber and Melanie have vacation plans/trip plans are excused.  Did I miss anyone else that had a vacation/trip planned for August 3rd?
       ·         The other dates are with the RSS and maybe the Region 6 team
      o   Could be regional meetings not Montgomery
Math TTT
·         TTT
o   Site supply 4 per grade K-5 and 2 per grade level 6-8
    §  Same person will be trained year 1 and year 2
             ·         JSU professors can attend remember to invite Dr. Johns! and will not count toward our limit of 4
    §  Have conversations with systems so that they can be used as new hire trainers, preservice trainers, summer training, compressed training
    ·         May can use them in the systems to meet their training needs
Question:  Can specialists attend TTT ?
       ·         They will be trained in the October statewide staff meeting
       ·         What will specialists be certified to do?  Working on  it.
Dates:
o   South: Jan 22-24
o   Feb 5-7: Middle – UAB
o   Feb 26-28: North

Math:

Implementing Common Core State Standards and Assessment :   PDF free down load
www.parcconline.org/commonimplementationworkbook

My vision for Implementation of OGAP in our region:
Math specialists, please work toward "owing" the OGAP training so that you can become the expert and possibly co -train  it for us in the summer of 2013.   Get in the research.   If funded I want to offer additive, multiplicative, fractional and proportion to various grade levels.    Let's think about working closely with a teacher at each school during a sustainaiblity cycle and really POUR into them OGAP.  If you want to, in the future, train/ cotrain our teachers using OGAP, then it is imperative to learn to LOVE research and internalize it so that it flows from you without having to "look it up".  You will need to go to other OGAPs offered at other sites, just to experience it again.   Look at other trainings, be selective and internalize it if you think this is valuable for our teachers.  We can't go, go, go and ignore our schools, but you need to "hear" and experience it more than once.  Our work this year should be about your learning about it.  Use the assessments in classes, work with the teacher to sort the assessments and have discussions. 

MSP
I'm working with JSU Office of REsearch and Assessment to write for the MSP grant. The science will be concentrated on 6-8 science of robotics and K-8 (9-12 maybe) OGAP math. Someone from Technology and Engineering will provide the robotics training. If funded, we will train OGAP the summer of 2013 to 5 schools who have had a lead team receive the OGAP training. (PLT/ACHE) schools. 5 -6 schools each year for 3 years.
  7 Habits training
I'm working with Shelly Hollis to bring 7 Habits PD to our site since we have had so many changes in the past year.  All new staff  (8 people) that have not participated in 7 Habits will be asked to participate and everyone who has participated my participate again.  Other sites will be allowed to send staff as well.  We will be the host site.  As soon as I have concrete dates from Shelly, I will let you know.  I've given her dates in August and September.

Statewide Staff meeting debrief
At our next staff meeting on August 13, please provide a debrief, a summary of what you learned/information shared in your sessions at the statewide staff meeting.  Note if that info needs to be shared with materials or Lynn.  Do not make any assumptions that informationg

Google Calendars
Somehow I have failed to communicate the importance of our shared Google Calendars. Now with all of us in seperate rooms/buildings/floor they are more important than ever. And not being together at the statewide staff meeting we have been seperated.

Google calendars should reflect your work schedule: contract days, non contract days, vacation days, meetings (state dept, school meetings, etc) PD plans (both receiving and delivering). 

Please keep your Goolge calendars updated, at least weekely.  Please place all dates on your Google calendar as soon as you are aware of dates.  Example: Some time in March, I reserved the last week of July and then in May,  I change it to July 12 - 13 to be off to go to Tim's family at the beach.   Last Friday, June 22, I discovered I was the only one planning a trip. :)   I'm reserving dates in October to go to Point Clear.  In January or February I blocked off time to go to Texas for the AL- Michigan game.  Now we are not going and I will take it off my calendar.  It is better to hold the days than for them not to be on there and something is planned for the whole site and you all of a sudden tell me you have a trip planned and I've notified schools of PD on that date.  etc.....   I have plan with schools and systems, several months in advance and I use the Google Calendars to do that planning.  Thank you in advance for being very diligent in keeping it updated. Most phones will sync (wirelessly) with Google Calendar so if you change it on your phone your Google Calendar is updated. 


FYI
By October 1, Lynn Vaughn will not be "based" at our site.  Decision made by other people above my pay grade. 

I hope everyone has a great week of the 4th.  I will work Monday (July 2) and Tuesday (July3). 

Math has a COS PD with Weaver on July 9th.  I will load the van for the PD on Tuesday, July 3rd.   Amber and Donna will bring the van to Grace Baptist in Oxford and Melanie and I go directly to Grace Baptist.   We will meet at Grace at 8 AM. 

I have a Leadership Development meeting in Pelham on July 10th so I be back in the office on July 11th.