Curriculum & Instruction
Elementary Principals
RE: K-5 Math GVC Cadre
The Curriculum and Instruction Department is seeking participants to represent K-5th grade in work around the 2021-2022 Math GVC. As we begin to prepare for the 2021-2022 school year, it is imperative that we create a collaborative process. Through collaboration and the work of the Math GVC Cadre, refinements will be made to the current GVC. Based on feedback from the field and needed updates, this cadre will make the necessary refinements that need to be completed for the 21-22 school year. The cadre will update the K-5th grade curriculum calendar, review the pacing guide and student evidence documents, and refine and identify priority standards embedded within the GVC. If you have any teachers who would be a great fit for the cadre, please encourage them to apply using the link below. Coaches, SPED, and ESL teachers are also encouraged to apply. Multiple perspectives will ensure that the needs of all of our students are continuously at the forefront.
Applications are due December 18, 2020.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact (marica.rhone@kckps.org).
Criteria For Selection:
- Ability to meet with your team a majority (90%) of the time.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a group of educators from various buildings.
- Ability to complete tasks by the given deadlines.
- Ability to advocate for the needs of students.
- Success utilizing the GVC to impact student learning.
Time Commitment: A maximum of 10 hours distributed over five 2-hour sessions.
(Cadre members will be paid at the extra duty rate.)
2021-2022 Math GVC Cadre Application
NEW ITEM:\
Quarterly Midpoint Progress Reports Reminder
ALL School Administrators
Per Board Policy IHA, report cards for all students shall be sent home and posted in the online grade book four times a year at the end of the quarter (please see district calendar for the end of quarter dates). In addition, progress reports for all students shall be issued at the midpoint of each quarter.
The following weeks will be dedicated to sending home Quarterly Midpoint Progress Reports:
Quarter 2- Week of December 14-18, 2020
Quarter 3- Week of February 22-26, 2021
Quarter 4- Week of April 26-30, 2021
REPEAT ITEM:1st Quarter Grade Adjustments Due by Friday, December 4th
ALL School Administrators
- Please share this information with teachers and counselors.
This is a friendly reminder that 1st quarter grade adjustments are due by the end of the day Friday, December 4th. To correct the issue of changing grades for 1st Quarter we had to close the window for High Schools and Middle Schools in Infinite Campus. Since all middle school gradebooks are built on the semester, any new assignments or scores would impact the first quarter grade. Teachers at the Middle and High Schools should still update scores on missing or regraded assignments for 1st quarter, and if it impacts the student’s 1st quarter grade, please turn that into the counselor so they can change it for the course.
Grades and credits will not be posted to the transcript until we are done with all updates, so Counselors do not have to enter grades twice.
Elementary teachers can update scores and post again, it will not affect the second quarter since their grade books are built on the quarter.
Diploma+
Connector training sessions are happening throughout the district elementary schools and requests are coming in for new sessions with industry professionals. The contest continues…..which ever building reaches 25% of their staff hosting requested sessions first will win a prize for all. The overall goal for the school year is:
| November 30 |
Early adopters complete at least one session by November 30 |
| December | Early Adopters – Share positive Connector experiences with Faculty during meeting |
Competitions Begins – 1st Elementary to 25% using will receive a Prize
| January 22 |
25% of Elementary teachers will have completed one Connector session (End of semester Jan. 22) |
| February |
50% of Elementary teachers will have completed one Connector session |
| March | Status check |
| April 1 |
75% of Elementary teachers will have completed one Connector session (End of quarter April 1) |
| May |
100% of Elementary teachers will have completed one Connector session (End of quarter May 27) |
Celebrate a great year of sharing industry speakers with our students!
Why is this so important, you may ask.
- “Institutional leaders, policymakers, and philanthropists recognize that it is no longer enough to ensure that students make it to graduation. Rather, if education is to serve a as tool for social and economic mobility, it matters what students are graduating into. Jobs-and ultimately careers-are an important metric of whether a K-12 and postsecondary education are expanding opportunity or simply reproducing the status quo.” Unlocking Career Potential
- According to researchers, 94% of parents approve of expanding access to Career Technical Education and other vocational programs that prepare students for job, with 60% strongly approving. Phi Delta Kappa
- In 2016 Arkansas found that students who concentrated in CTE programs were 21% more likely to graduate from high school than their peers. What the Research Says by ACTEAZ
Elementary Specials Grades
Elementary Administrators
- Please share this information with your elementary specials teachers.
We understand that the amount of time a specials teacher has with students to fully engage them with the content and standards on a weekly basis is very limited. This limited amount of time makes it difficult to submit a weekly grade (Board Policy). Therefore, to allow more time for specials teachers to teach and students to engage in learning around the content and standards, we are suspending the weekly grade submission for elementary specials until further notice. Specials teachers will submit a grade every other week which would equate to 4-5 grades per student per quarter.
Human Resources
Notice for Upcoming District Board Policy Review
Greetings,
This is a notice of upcoming training starting February 2021. HR along with other departments is working on putting together a series of district board policies that need to be reviewed throughout the school year. Beginning in February, staff will be assigned to activities on Frontline that will include various videos covering district polices. We ask that as you begin to plan your professional development you include time for staff to complete these trainings.
More information will be shared including a schedule and instructions on how to access the activities. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ana Perez-Sievert at Ana.Perez-Sievert@kckps.org.
Operations
The Board of Education supported the administration’s revised proposal to postpone the reopening of schools in January 2021 due to the increase in the COVID-19 positivity rates in the county. Due to the delayed reopening of in-person instruction, the administration has also made recommendations to implement rotating work schedules for some hourly operational staff while we continue to refine our reentry plan to meet the requirements of the Unified Government Public Health Department.
The temporary rotation schedule for in-person, remote, and standby work for hourly operational staff includes the following employee groups:
- Transportation
- Nutritional Services
- Shop and Custodial staff
Some of these employee groups have been temporarily assigned in your buildings to other job functions; we wanted to make you aware that our temporary rotation will begin on Monday, December 7, 2020 and will impact those employee’s temporary assignment.
These employee groups will be contacted by the end of business day on Friday, December 4, 2020 with rotation details. Should you need additional information from Operations to help support your building affairs, please contact Lenora Miller for assistance.