CWCS September 2008 ES Agenda
Please read the agenda, along with each
of its links .
The agenda quiz must be completed
in F.R.E.D. by 3:00 pm the day before the ES meeting.
CWCS
Goals:
Improve
student achievement in reading and writing
Improve
student achievement in mathematics
Improve
STAR attendance to 100 %
Assess Post
Graduate Student Success
|
Dates
to Remember and Dated Duties |
Things
to Do |
Training
Items |
|
September 12: Student Detail Screens |
HQT ES Duties |
CAHSEE Information |
|
September 15: WorldStrides deposit due |
Moodle Support |
Contract Programs |
|
September 17: Constitution Day |
New PLIP Policy |
December Grad funding |
September 15-19: 1st Quarter Benchmark |
CAHSEE Intensive |
Community College |
|
September 26: Deadline for FRED info |
AESS |
ROP |
| October
1: 1st Progress Report |
Surpass
Library |
Mid
Semester Transfer |
|
October 6: Scantron Pre-test |
Student Council |
Special Education |
|
October 7 & 8 CAHSEE |
ESLRs for Parents |
Note from CTCC |
October 10: PLIP email |
CWCS Events Calendar |
|
October 15: Spelling Bee |
CWCS Nametags |
|
|
December 12: Grad Ceremony Paperwork |
Items for your Parents: |
|
|
CWCS Paperwork Timetable |
(Newsletter, Yearbook News, Picture Day) |
|
|
|
School Departments: Assessment /
Curriculum / IT / Lang. Arts / Math / Vendor
Relations
|
Dear
ESes,
We did it again! We met
our Academic Performance Index (API) growth target! The results will be released
to the public September 4th . The state set our growth target goal at 7 points
and we exceeded the goal with a growth of 18 pts!!! The API is what the district
will use to determine the renewal of our charter and the CDE uses this to
determine the level of funding for charter schools. Our 10th grade students
made phenomenal gains in passing the CAHSEE the first time, showing an increase
in ELA from 67% to 77% and in math from 63% to 69%! We continue to make the
case for choice in education! Keep on doing what you are doing! Thank you,
Sherri Nelson
A)
Dates to Remember and Dated Duties
1)
September 12: Student Detail Screens-
Check your Student Detail Screens by September 12th for the following:
a) check for
any new contact info (address, phone, e-mail, etc.) for the families. To
change a student’s address or phone number, please e-mail stuaddresschange@ieminc.org
b) check that Instructional Funds were deposited for each student
c) check the student grade level and courses on report card. STAR Tests
will be ordered early using this. If grade levels need to be changed, e-mail
stuassign@ieminc.org
d) for any 2008 potential graduates that didn't graduate, change their grad
date to 2009
If you have any questions regarding the information on the student detail
screen, please e-mail studentrecords@ieminc.org.
_
2) September
15: WorldStrides
non-refundable registration deposit of $79 is due.
_
3) September
17: Constitution Day- Federal
legislation requires that schools receiving federal funds teach or give access
to a program about the Constitution. Please forward this optional link to
your families: http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=constitution_day
_
4) September
15-19: 1st Quarter Writing
Prompts/Benchmarks- Mention
these dates when you do your first meeting of the school year so that the
topic will not seem like a foreign concept when it is time to do them in September.
The Writing
Prompt Booklet is now posted on the Assessment page. (Use the same password
as the hqt page, found on your password tab in FRED).
_
5) September
26:Deadline
for FRED, for
checking
report cards and transcripts, for completing and entering all info from parent
checklist, and for entering information from the Graduation Requirement Agreement..
Please note, the way the student name is entered into FRED is the way
that it will print on their diploma.
_
6)
October 1: Deadline for ESes to email 1st Quarter Progress Report
for student enrolled in HQT Department Courses. (Generic
Report, Math
Report)
_
7)
October 6: Scantron Pre-test: ESes must complete their pretest
for all students no later than October 6th. Here are the Scantron
Proctor sites/schedules. (Note that the Manteca location has been changed
to the Manteca Library.) Please check your Scantron list of students before
scheduling to test a student. If the student is not on your Scantron list
email cwcstestclerk@connectingwaters.org
least one week before your testing appointment to have them added
8) October
7 and 8 CAHSEE for 11th and 12th graders.
a) There will be three opportunities for CAHSEE this year,
depending on the grade of the student. Grade 10 students must attempt one
time per year, and it must be in February 3 and 4. Grade 11 students may attempt
two times per year. Grade 12 may attempt three times per year. Students who
desire to participate in the graduation ceremony must have passed the CAHSEE
prior to the date of the May exam.
b) CAHSEE Prep Courses offered at each Learning Center.
_
9) October
10: PLIP email
sent to your advisor with a list of all students that need a PLIP
_
10) October
15: Spelling Bee- Deadline
to sign up for the Spelling Bee is October
8th. To register, parents call the Waterford office or email cwcs@connectingwaters.org.
_
11) December
12: Graduation Ceremony paperwork for
Senior Graduation
(cap and
gown info) and 8th
Grade Graduation is posted on the forms page and is due by Dec. 12. Letters
are being mailed the first week of Sept. to each senior and 8th grade student
to invite them to participate in the graduations. Please confirm that the
letter was received at your next visit with your families. Due to
the need to make a statement of certification of all of the graduates at the
ceremony this year:
-No student will be allowed to participate in the graduation
ceremony who has not passed both portions of the CAHSEE.
-No student who receives a failing grade in a class required for graduation
will be allowed to participate in the current graduation ceremony.
-If a 12th grader has not passed the CAHSEE by May, they may not participate
in the graduation ceremony.
-Please inform your potential 2009 grads who have not yet passed the CAHSEE
as this is a new policy.
-If a student has not passed the CAHSEE, they can, if they choose, submit
the graduation ceremony paperwork by the deadline in hope that they will pass
in the February CAHSEE administration.
_
12) CWCS
Paperwork Timetable 2009: Use
this Paperwork
Timetable as a guide when planning your school year work duties. (Also
posted on Index page of the ES Manual)
_
B)
Things to Do
1) HQT ES
Duties: The
following has been added to the HQT
Overview
All ES Required
Duties Beginning 2008/2009 school year :
* Remind your parents/students: They must attend a required
Parent Moodle Training. They should check Moodle weekly for each of their
courses for announcements, changes in class meeting dates or changes in due
dates for students’ assignments.
*Initiate contact HQT at the beginning of the year to be sure they have your
correct e-mail address and work phone number, and to be sure they have a current
number where your student can be reached if necessary.
*Read and print for reference the class syllabus.
*Grade daily work assignments: done by parent or ES (if AESS)
*Sign off and date class assignment sheet on syllabus at each learning record
meeting, and keep for records.
*E-mail quarterly progress sheet (Progress sheet may be included in the syllabus,
if not, use the generic progress report. The Math Department would like you
to use the Math Progress Report) Oct. 1st, Dec. 1st, March 2nd, & May
1st.
*Contact HQT if student is dropping the course, or having any difficulties.
2) Moodle:
a)The following has
been added to the Moodle/Elluminate
information. ESes must submit their Moodle questions to moodlesupport@connectingwaters.org
Please include in your email:
1. Student first and
last name (not parent's name)
2. ES name
3. Specific issue and when it happens so I know at which step below they are
having trouble...i.e:
-name when logging on
-enrolling in their course
-loading an Eluminate Live Session
b) Please note, course numbers are no longer required for
Moodle log in.
c) Moodle Refresher for ESes:
Use this short guide if your student needs help logging into Moodle:
1. Log into moodle with your username.
username: jtinley
password: Jamie (capital on first letter)
I suggested first initial, last name as in the above example, however,
most of you created your own username so it may be different. If you forget,
just click "help me" at moodle and read the last paragraph of instructions
for the 3 easy steps.
2. Click on a course to enroll in it. (For your students, check first to make
sure they are enrolled in the correct course.)
3. Click “elluminate”, and then “join” to start Elluminate Live if the teacher
is teaching at that time. If not, see when they hold their course and join
at that time.
_
a)Using
Data to Drive and Improve Instruction is a new document in the ES manual
on the curriculum page.
b)The
PLIP Checklist has been revised to be used for all students requiring
a PLIP. Please complete this checklist for all students who score basic
or below on ELA or Math on the STAR or who have not passed the CAHSEE. The
PLIP Checklist states that the Goals/Strategies are to be entered into the
learning record. (It is posted as a webpage so that it can be copied and
pasted into a document for typing/emailing/copying to emails and LRs, etc.)
c)The “old”
PLIP checklist will be referred to as the PLIP Curriculum Checklist and
will still be used for those families opting not to use a CWCS
Recommended Curriculum (found
on Curriculum page under Curriculum Suggestions).
e)The
following will be added to the First Meeting information sheet and Post
intake meeting sheet:
______My ES has reviewed and explained the current Scantron
results, the previous year’s report data for STAR/CST, and/or CAHSEE (for
students who did not pass). Students scoring basic or below require a PLIP
(Personalized Learning Improvement Plan); and the ES and parent have developed
Goals and Strategies for Math and/or English for those students. (If the
scores are not available at this meeting, we will develop the goals and
strategies at our next meeting.)
_
4) CAHSEE
Intensive Plan: The
following additions have been made to the CAHSEE
Intensive Plan document:
a)
Sophomores required to participate in CAHSEE Intensive, must participate
in a semester long course.
b)
ESes document the CAHSEE Intensive in the student's Learning Record under
CAHSEE PLIP.
c) Students must be attending their chosen option from
the class start date; however, attendance tracking will begin Sept. 8th. All
students are expected to be in a class and/or receiving tutoring by this date,
and can receive an unexcused absence/truancy for failure to attend class and
/or meeting with a tutor starting the week of Sept. 8th.
d) Waiting list students who have not been moved into a class
from the waiting list after the 2nd week of instruction must either obtain
approval from the teacher to remain in the class or choose another option.
e) Courses are assigned credits in Math Standards or
English Standards course titles, and are for Special Interest Elective credits
only. (If you have a student in 10th grade who is taking CAHSEE Intensive,
but has not yet passed Algebra, consult with your advisor for credit assignments.)
f) Students not in CAHSEE Intensive courses, that
are doing CAHSEE prep work, are not assigned additional credits for the work;
it is incorporated into their course of study for their current math or English
course.
g) The CAHSEE
Intensive Plan Options have been updated to include the number of credits
to assign per option.
_
5) AESS:
The following
has been added to the AESS policy-
When an ES
provides AESS there are many times when the parent is not present at meetings
and the ES only has communication with the student. However, the ES should
remember that the parent is responsible for the education of the student and
needs to be informed of any requirements and student progress. To ensure that
the parent is provided this information, the ES should snail mail or email
pertinent information to the parent or confirm by phone call that the student
has relayed the information to the parent.
_
6)
Surpass Library reminders and
additions: Review
the Return Policy and Important Reminders in the Surpass
Library system policy, and note that it has been revised to include the
following updates
1)
The Due Date for all bar-coded items checked for Summer School 2008 (last summer)
is September 15, 2008.
2) Please allow at least 15 minutes to check in your returned books and get
a receipt. The Library desk closes at 3:45 pm each day so please plan accordingly.
The Library desk closes at 3:45 pm each day so please plan accordingly.
3) If an ES plans to check out books on behalf of their student(s), they will
need to have permission from the parent to do so. This can be in the form of
an email or written request from the parent, or by telephone from the library
if you are present and need to obtain a parent's approval last minute. This
is to ensure that the parent is aware of the items being put in their student’s
name for which they are responsible. If an ES is unsure if the family will want
or need an item they are checking out for them, the ES should put the item in
their name and, if the parent decides to keep it, the ES can then email the
center (with an email approval from the parent) to transfer the item to the
appropriate student by providing the bar-code number, title, student name and
ID number
_
7) Student
Council : Congratulations
to our Student Council Officers for the 2009 school year:
President: Janell England
Vice President: Catharina Bjelovitic
Treasurer: Mackenzie Farruggia
The first Student Council meeting is October 6th at 10 AM at the Modesto
Learning Center. Please discuss with your students the leadership
opportunity with participating in Student Council. A leadership workshop is
tentatively set for September 29th in Fresno if enough interest is shown.
Watch the listserve for more information on the retreat.
_
8)
ESLR
Suggestions for Parents: Here's
a link to our
Expected Schoolwide Learning Results suggestions for parents. Please forward
this link to your parents and encourage them to post September's poster for
their students.
_
9) CWCS
Events Calendar: The
CWCS Events
Calendar that was included in the August Newsletter had an error. It included
a March CAHSEE testing date that is not an option this year. Please let your
parents know that this was in error, and the Assessment Dept. will mail a
revised calendar with the CAHSEE letters.
_
10)
Items for your parents:
c) Picture
Day - Please
encourage your families to attend.
_
11)
If you have lost your CW name tag, you
will need to purchase another one at a cost of $8.62 per badge. (This includes
tax.) Please email Karen at kjohnson@connectingwaters.org
to make arrangements for a new one. Every employee must wear their name badge
at the staff meetings in August and February and while at test sites or learning
centers.
_
C)
Training Items
a) The
CAHSEE nutshell
document has been updated to state the following:
-All Students in 10th grade should be using CAHSEE Prep materials which should
be part of their English and Math curriculum. Students in 10th grade who score
Far Below Basic or Below Basic on their 9th grade STAR test for math or language
arts must participate in the CAHSEE Intensive plan and be enrolled in an CAHSEE
prep course (may be independent) as part of their CAHSEE PLIP.
-Students in 11th Grade, who have not passed one or both parts of CAHSEE,
will be required to do a CAHSEE prep course as part of their CAHSEE PLIP.
-Students in 12th grade
who have not passed either section of the CAHSEE, must participate in the
CAHSEE Intensive plan for their CAHSEE PLIP.
b) Curriculum Policy: The
Curriculum Policy has been updated to correspond with the CAHSEE Nutshell.
An explanation of the difference between CAHSEE Intensive and CAHSEE Prep
has been added. (CAHSEE Intensive Plans involve directed instruction with
an instructor, CAHSEE Prep Courses may be done independently.)
c) The procedure for enrolling
a student for 1-2 days for the CAHSEE has also been updated.
d) October
Test Sites
e) CAHSEE ES
Instructions for FRED
_
2) Contract
Programs Policies:
"Connecting
Waters Hiring Policy: CWCS will not employ any minors to work for the Charter
School."
_
3) December
Grads funding: CW
has never had a policy stated regarding 2nd-half funding for December Grads.
Funding will not be deposited into ES accounts for any student expected to
graduate in December. If it is accidentally deposited, please know that it
will be removed at the time of graduation.
_
4) Community
College: The
following changes have been made to the Community
College document (changed portions italicized).
a)
Attendance: The ES must know the number of college units a CWCS student
is earning at a community college. If a CWCS student is enrolled
in 20 units or more in the charter school, (not counting any college
credits), the charter school can claim full attendance. If a student wants
to take community college classes, but is not attempting to earn a minimum
of 20 units (not counting any college credits) in the charter school, the
student can not enroll in the college class.
b) College Tuition: Connecting Waters
Charter School cannot pay for community college courses although many community
colleges will waive the tuition for high school students. Check with the college
you are interested in attending for their requirements. Delta College is a
vendor and a PO can be made for per unit tuition fee to be paid with instructional
funds; student fees, other than tuition, must be paid for by the parent.
Modesto Junior College waives the per unit tuition/enrollment fee, but
the student fees, other than tuition, must be paid for by the parent.
_
5) ROP:
Additional information has been added to the ES Manual regarding ROP.
_
6)
Transfers:
a) Mid
Semester Transfers: An addition has been made to the Mid-semester
Transfers document. The addition is italicized below-
If the previous
school has assigned “incompletes”, or has assigned passing grades with “0”
credits, or has a part on the transcript that denotes “work in progress”,
the ES can have the student continue in the same course, but in order
to complete the semester and receive full credit, they must first take and
pass the corresponding HQT Department Course mid-term.
b) Summer Transfers: Please note: transfers that occur
over the summer still require the completion of a Transfer/Drop
Checklist.The summer transfers, however, do not require that you send
the checklist to your Advisor (as you are required to do with transfers that
occur after the start of the school year.) Contact information for the transferring
ES should be included in the transfer notification email. If you need additional
information regarding your transfer student, please contact the transferring
ES. If you have any trouble obtaining the needed information, please
speak with your ES advisor.
_
7) Special
Education : An
addition was made
to the Special
Education document:
"If you
have a student being served by the Special Education Department, please know
that any work that is done through special education is done to reinforce
learning done through their General Education teacher, YOU! Work assigned
by the Special Education Department is not what should be collected as work
samples and recorded in the learning record. Those items should be the work
that is assigned/collected by the parent and ES."
_
8)
Note from
CTCC: CTCC
sent notification that all credentials must now be printed from their
website.
_
D) Messages from School
Departments
1) ASSESSMENT
a) October CAHSEE test sites
and information
b) Scantron:
In August, Scantron Performance Series released the Student
Profile Report wizard, which allows you to print a group of students/subjects
at once. It also allows you to choose from layouts that include combinations
of score list, longitudinal progress graph, and the next three skills appropriate
to student’s instructional level.
c)
STAR: Results from last year have all been mailed so check that your
parents have received them. Review and explain the STAR data (use both sides
of the the score sheet) to your parents and students as stated in Task 1A
of the Using
Data to Drive Instruction document.
d) WRAT:
Directions for administering WRAT
4 Sentence Comprehension are now available for reference in the Assessment
webpage under WRAT Information.
e) Assessment report: Here is a copy of the Assessment
Report made to the parent council with links for STAR and CAHSEE data.
2)
CURRICULUM
a) September
Curriculum News
b) Youth Digital Arts flyer
c) Home Tutoring
Plus: All PO’s received at the previous rates will be adjusted
to extend the number of hours. For example, if you ordered an 8-hour package
at our previous $50 rate, we will extend the package so it lasts 8 ½
hours. This gives the student the opportunity to have a one or two longer
lessons (one 1 ½ hour lesson or two 1 ¼ hour lessons).
d) K12 Information
from Lisa Compton
3) GUIDANCE
a) If
you have a student wanting to take an AP Exam in May, please have the student
contact Mary Halter as soon
as possible to find a testing site.
b) Any
students interested in joining CSF or NHS can find out more information on
the Guidance Page under Academic
Clubs. Applications are due by September 14.
c) Upcoming
Events: College Tour 10/10; PSAT 10/15; PLAN 11/7
IT
a) Dell Computers: All DELL computers (teacher or
student) have a 3 year warranties. Call DELL support, 800-274-7799 option
3, before taking any DELL to be serviced.
b) On
the Student Detail screen, in FRED, some of the grade levels are in black,
some in red, and some are grey. It shows red if it is high and grey if it
is low.
c) Here are directions for how to create
a distribution list using the school's exchange server.
3) LANGUAGE ARTS: Welcome Terry Leppien,
New CWCS Literacy Director/LA Specialist
4) MATH
a) Family Math Night
5) VENDOR RELATIONS
a) PO Requests:
Several PO
Requests are in the PO Request file that have not been marked done. This is
OK as long as you are aware that they are still waiting for you to OK their
processing. Never fax a PO Request to a vendor. This has happened a couple
of times with IEM, and they'd like to make this clear. The VR department sends
the PO to the vendor after you mark it "done" and it is approved.
Thank you!
E) ES Networking
1)
Computers
no longer under warranty:
Please come prepared to answer this question when your AF makes a tally:
How many computer systems do you have checked out to your families that are
no longer under warranty? What type of computers are they?
How many non-Dell computers they have that they have that are still under
warranty?
_
2) Share
how you related your student STAR scores to your parents. Be prepared with
one example that required a PLIP to share in a small group:
-How did
you explain the STAR scores (bring one sample STAR result to roleplay)
-Share the
goals/strategies you developed for the student.
_