Weekly Dispatch

The 2016-17 testing calendar for Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics, Grade 4 and 8 Science, NYSAA, and NYSESLAT is now posted on the Office of State Assessment web page.

It turns out the rationale for having kids sit on the carpet isn’t clear. It also turns out that kids find it hard and don’t like it. So why do it?

Most students don't think their voice and opinions matter in their school. This article suggests a few ways to change that.

The coherence maps illustrate the interconnectedness of the math standards as well as express the math learning progressions.

SUNY Cortland is hosting a screening of Most Likely to Succeed on February 24th. This feature-length film explains our current system of education and offers a different, project-based deeper learning alternative.

Several districts have had personnel changes during the middle of the year which has prompted the need for emergency Lead Evaluator Training. To meet this need, we’ve scheduled a special two-day, intensive course for February 25th and 26th. Here’s the registration link.

Standing desks may have an influence beyond the classroom (or work space), according to this study.

Here’s some specific advice to helping students with ADHD concentrate better. Many of these suggestions are easy to implement. Sometimes the very things we prohibit in classrooms are the things that will help students. Doodling, for example, actually helps people pay attention.

Preparing and supporting learning for diverse students can be challenging! Scaffolding for Student Outcomes: Meeting Diverse Needs meets for four days during February and March. Educators will examine how standards-based education and differentiation work together to promote appropriately high levels of achievement for all students. Join us starting February 24.

Authentic assessments may not be easier to make than copying and pasting old Regents exam questions, but they tell you so much more about what students understand and can do. If you are assessing understanding, go authentic.

We’re getting closer to the adoption of new requirements for K-12 Counseling Plans. Board of Regents action is imminent. A special session has been planned to help districts get started with the implementation of the new planning model, based on the National Model form ASCA. Trained BOCES facilitators will work with designated leadership pairs from districts (one administrator and the district’s counselor leader) to launch and support the new process.

Here’s an overview of Understanding by Design (also known as standards-based planning or backward design.) We have a few resources in the ASCD collection to help you go deeper:

This video urges educators to "keep it real" by authentic connections to the real world.

PBL 101
3/1, 3/2, 3/8, 3/9	McEvoy 701
3/14, 3/15, 3/21, 3/22	O & M
5/11, 5/12, 5/18, 5/19	Main Campus Canandaigua Room

PBL-101 is the foundational four-day workshop inspired by the work of the Buck Institute for Education, New Tech Network, Edutopia, and Expeditionary Learning. It provides attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to design, assess and manage a rigorous, relevant, and standards-based project. A Cortland cohort begins March 1st. Another Syracuse cohort launches March 14th.

Here’s a story about a PBL project in a 3rd grade classroom. Many of the important components of a good project are described, in context.

Middle-level and high school math and science teachers will gain an understanding of the key differences between Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Problem-Based Learning (PrBL) at this May 2nd workshop. We will analyze different ways to link your curriculum and technology with a PrBL approach to create a rigorous and engaging learning environment for your students.

This author suggests that our application of the math Common Core Learning Standards has led to a greater emphasis on memorization than was intended.

If you were shut out of the February Myron Dueck session, you can take advantage of another opportunity in March 10th through CNY NYS ASCD.

Leadership Networks meet several times during the year in order to provide the latest information and build content-specific leadership expertise in our districts. Upcoming sessions include:

This report suggests that kindergarten is more like first grade then it is like kindergarten. Children now spend less time on art music science and play then they used to.

Here’s some good advice for new leaders: use “rookie mode” to your advantage.

A two-day Responsive Classroom advanced session about effective management is scheduled for February 25th and 26th.

As you continue your work on standards-based grading and find yourself getting stuck, consider these common obstacles and how to get through them.

The pairing of foods is critical when getting kids to eat healthier in the cafeteria and towards reducing waste. Whether kids eat their broccoli depends on what else is on the tray.

Education funding is less today than in 2008 in most states, including New York. Both local and state funding fell in many cases.

January 29, 2016