Curriculum & Instruction “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. ~John Dewey What’s new from the Curriculum & Instruction Department?
August 2014
A Note From Dr. Jovan Wells Associate Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment As we prepare to embark upon a new school year, I would like to extend a heartfelt 'Welcome' to all of our teachers and administrators. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer with friends and loved ones. You certainly deserve the break with all of the dedication, diligence, and hard work you provide throughout the school year. Teaching is the most important profession, and we understand the sacrifices you make for the students in GISD. Special Thanks Special thanks to our Curriculum Writers! During the summer, many of our teachers worked diligently alongside curriculum coordinators to enhance current curriculum documents. Special thanks to all teachers submitting curriculum feedback during the past year. Curriculum coordinators will respond to curriculum feedback via email no later than 9/2/2014. Reminder: Please continue to provide your feedback related to the Garland ISD Curriculum. Your experiences working with the curriculum on a daily basis are very important, and you are a vital member of the instructional team. Your feedback is requested to help ensure that quality curricular materials are provided to all students throughout the district. Curriculum Feedback Link: https://docs.google.com/a/garlandisd.net/forms/d/1ljndTU3_Lt8eglAuMI3YMbcDe6qj2IWq8Shmd7lt49c/viewform We all have a very important role to play in the success of our students. I look forward to working closely with you throughout the 2014 2015 school year to ensure that this is an exciting, fulfilling, and rewarding year for all of our students. I thank you for your continued dedication and service to Garland ISD. Best Wishes for a Great School Year,
Never Fear Training Will be Here! #GISDSchoolnet
Unit Assessment Previews Open-ended assessment items will be made available, in the online curriculum planner, at the beginning of every unit. Unit Assessments District-wide common unit assessments will be available online, in the online curriculum planner, one week prior to the end of the unit as detailed in the year-at-a-glance pacing calendars. Semester Assessments Two cumulative Semester Assessments will be conducted during the 2014-15 school year Results Student performance on Common Unit Assessments will be reported through our new online content management system, Schoolnet. The content management system will contain variations of commonly accessed reports in previous data systems (i.e., Edugence), including summaries of performance, disaggregation by various student groups, and item/student expectation performance analysis.
STAAR…did you know?
STAAR Modified is no longer an assessment. STAAR Accommodated is a new online assessment for Special Education students starting in Spring 2015. It has a similar format to STAAR L with built in online accommodations. Tutorials and eligibility criteria/ARD Resources will be made available this Fall. 1