Jefferson County Public Schools
April 2013 May 2012
Staff developers help teachers help students (page 2)
Seneca holds first mock trial in new courtroom (page 5) Are you as smart as a JCPS junior? (page 7) JCPS has more nationally certified teachers than many major cities (page 11)
www.jcpsky.net Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
Staff developers help teachers build strong math and science skills
Staff developer Karen Stull works with Medora Elementary students.
GE Foundation funding supports staff developers at 34 JCPS schools What’s a typical day like for a Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District staff developer? “I’m not sure there are typical days,” says Karen Stull, staff developer at Medora Elementary. “My days vary greatly because I move from classroom to classroom as needed. “Most days, I’m in at least two classrooms for math instruction. This can be in the form of actually teaching a lesson to model strategies for a teacher or in the form of co-teaching to support student mastery of a particular learning target. I also work with two groups of students each day to help 2
master foundational skills. Throughout the day, I am available to plan with teachers or assist during math and science instruction.” Thanks to funding from a GE Foundation Developing Futures in Education grant, the JCPS School-Based Staff Developer Program provides math and science staff developers to 24 elementary and 10 middle schools. All of the staff developers take on a wide range of tasks to support instruction and boost student achievement. Stull says her additional duties include helping administer district tests and analyzing data from them
to make instructional decisions. She also provides professional development (PD) through embedded sessions and staff meetings, and she locates “any additional resources teachers need to teach math and science,” she says. “I work with a cohort of teachers from around the district to help with the successful implementation of the new Common Core State Standards in math.” JCPS staff developers know the strengths and the needs of their schools and can provide intense focus on these areas because, for most of the positions, they
were recruited from existing faculty. Stull has been on the staff at Medora since 1998.
to begin implementing new, world-class curricula in math and science at every grade level.
“I taught math to various grade groups from second to fifth grade,” she says. “I was the math lead for Medora for about eight years, and I attended district math training and brought information back to my colleagues.
The district’s School-Based Staff Developer Program receives funding through a $10.5 million four-year extension grant that the foundation provided in 2010.
“I also worked with district resource teachers to present math program implementation training to thirdgrade teachers.” A 2005 GE Foundation grant of $25 million allowed JCPS
Besides supporting staff developers, GE Foundation funding also has allowed JCPS math and science teachers to receive targeted PD on the Common Core State Standards from national experts, curriculum developers, and university partners.
The grants have supported a range of related activities, including Math and Science Family Fun Nights at many schools. The grants also have supported middle school field trips to the Challenger Learning Center at the Academy @ Shawnee, where students experience a simulated shuttle mission to rendezvous with a comet or explore the moon. Click here for more information on the GE Foundation’s Developing Futures in Education grant.
Students develop a taste for science JCPS schools have implemented new, in-depth math and science instruction during the past few years, thanks to the GE Foundation funding. Many schools also have begun offering more activities and clubs to show students that math and science can be fun.
sugary, salty, fizzy, and bitter mystery liquids. The students recorded notes on a chart and rated the effects of the liquids on their taste buds. As shown in the photo, the most visibly passionate reaction came when students tasted a strange
brown sludge, which they were surprised to learn was water with unsweetened cocoa powder. “The students love the club,” says Wheatley instructional assistant Jamie Matheney. “We have a waiting list.” (continued on next page)
Wheatley Elementary, for instance, began offering a new after-school Science Matters Club this year. Third- and fourth-grade students have joined for five-week themes, such as Totally Toyriffic, Kitchen Chemistry, and Way Out Water. During the Kitchen Chemistry theme, students tasted 3
To join the Science Matters Club, students have to compete in an academic exercise. For example, students applied to Kitchen Chemistry by writing a short essay about their favorite foods. Wheatley Principal Kristi Gregory says the club not only boosts enthusiasm for science but also increases students’ knowledge of underlying concepts.
“Students are able to make more real-world connections and get a deeper understanding of the science content,” Gregory says.
One parent, Nia Somone Groves, says she attended the evening event to see what her fourthgrade son and his friends were learning.
“It goes one step further than the students get in classroom instruction,” she adds. “They are able to explain why something works instead of just telling what happened.”
“I just want him to think beyond the surface,” Groves says. “It’s really interesting to me that [the instructor] is showing them ingredients and how things come about— like the fizz in soda.”
Wheatley also hosted a family-oriented Science Night earlier this year.
JCPS tobacco-free policy Q&A The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) has approved a new tobacco-free policy that prohibits smoking and other forms of tobacco use throughout the district.
No. Smoking will be completely prohibited not only in JCPS facilities but also on all district grounds.
JCPS has had a policy for many years that prohibits student smoking, but the new policy is for adults too. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the new policy.
Yes. Smoking and other forms of tobacco use will be prohibited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Will the policy prohibit smoking after school hours?
Mon., July 1, 2013 Is the new policy just for JCPS employees?
Will smoking be allowed at school events?
No. The policy is for everyone—parents, students, and visitors as well as district employees—when they are on JCPS property.
No. Smoking will be prohibited even at such outdoor events as football games— even in the parking lot.
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Will the new policy apply to community groups that use JCPS facilities? Yes. Members of community groups will not be allowed to use tobacco products on JCPS property even after school hours. Why is it important to make JCPS schools and offices 100 percent tobacco-free?
When will the new policy go into effect?
Will JCPS schools or offices have smoking areas for adults?
No. Adults will not be allowed to use tobacco products when they are away from school property and students are present.
Can adults smoke if they are away from school on field trips?
A comprehensive policy ensures that students are not exposed to secondhand smoke. It also helps reduce youth smoking and makes sure adults model a tobacco-free lifestyle on JCPS properties.
Seneca High students hold first mock trial in new courtroom In February, Seneca High pre-law students held their first mock criminal trial in the school’s new courtroom, which includes a judge’s bench, tables for opposing attorneys, podiums, and a jury box.
The pre-law students played the roles of juror, attorney, witness, bailiff, and even the victim, who testified against a man who she said robbed her on the sidewalk and took a valuable necklace.
The students scrutinized depositions, drafted opening and closing arguments, compiled questions for witnesses, and scrutinized logical gaps on both sides of the case. The school’s Pre-Law Magnet Program, now in its second year, is overseen by two teachers—Emily Fritts and Justin Cornell—who are also attorneys. The new courtroom “gives students a wonderful head start,” Fritts says. “They’re learning how to do the skills that I didn’t learn until my first year of law school.”
Nominations accepted for Teacher of the Year Nominations are now being accepted for the Kentucky Teacher of the Year Awards sponsored by KDE and Ashland Inc. Parents, students, and other educators can nominate any full-time public school teacher with at least three years of experience.
Teacher Achievement Award winners will each receive $500. Two of the three finalists will receive $3,000. The Teacher of the Year will receive $10,000, and he or she will represent Kentucky in the national competition.
duPont Manual High, was named the Kentucky High School Teacher of the Year.
You can submit a nomination on the Kentucky Judging will occur in August, Teacher of the Year Web and as many as 24 teachsite simply by entering the ers will be honored with teacher’s name and a brief the Ashland Inc. Teacher explanation of why you Achievement Award. Adthink he or she should be ditional interviews and site selected. visits will be held for nine Last year, Allison Hunt, semifinalists in September. social studies teacher at 5
Have you reviewed your child’s ILP? Sixth- through twelfth-grade students throughout Kentucky are required to complete an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) every year. JCPS students use the online Career Cruising ILP Tool to record their academic achievements, extracurricular experiences, college and career interests, and life goals. The online tool also offers career exploration activities, college searches, and scholarship and financial aid information. You can use the Parent/Guardian ILP Tool to:
Parents and students can log on to the ILP tool from any computer with Internet access. All students are required to have a parent review their ILP each year in the sixth through twelfth grade. To access your child’s ILP, you’ll need a username and password, which are available from your child’s school. Use the following steps to log on: 1. Go to the JCPS Parent Portal Web page.
2. On the portal page, click the green Parent Portal Acceptable Use Policy link to read the terms. 3. Click I agree to accept the terms. 4. Click the red See my student’s career interests (Career Cruising) button. 5. Enter the username and password you received. For more information on the ILP, contact your child’s school. Your child’s ILP is available through the Parent Portal on the JCPS Web site.
• View the information your child has entered in his or her ILP. • Record your own thoughts and comments. • E-mail your comments to your child’s advisors. • Explore your child’s career interests. • Explore educational opportunities after high school. • Assist your child with financial aid and scholarship searches.
Mark your calendar Apr. 13: ACT testing May 3: No school for students—PD Day for teachers
May 27: No school—Memorial Day
May 4: SAT testing
June 1: SAT testing
May 6–10: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
June 5: Last day of school
May 6–10: School Food Service Employee Appreciation Week 6
May 7: 15th District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Awards Banquet
June 8: ACT testing
Are you as smart as a JCPS high school junior? The answers to the middle school math questions in the last issue of Parent Connection are 1: D, 2: D, 3: A. To review the questions, visit the newsletter’s Web site. The first parent to send the correct answers was Carla Lake, grandmother of a Shelby Traditional Academy student. Other winners were Sonya Smith (Atherton High), Chanelle Caffey-Brown (Chancey Elementary), and Sanjay Singh (Bates Elementary). This month, Parent Connection offers a quick quiz with eleventh-grade math questions. The first three parents who send the correct answers to the Parent Connection office via e-mail and the first three who send the answers via regular mail will receive a free JCPS T-shirt. Please include the name of your child’s (or grandchild’s) school. Click here to send the answers via e-mail. The regular mailing address is Thomas Pack, Communications and Publications North, C. B. Young Jr. Service Center, Building 4, 3001 Crittenden Drive, Louisville, KY 40209. You don’t need to write the questions or answers. Just send the question numbers and the letters for your answers—or print this quiz and mail it.
Shelby Traditional Academy student Brianna Kelman and her grandmother, Carla Lake
1. The Venn diagram below represents proportionally the number of students who reported, in a survey, that they had pizza, hamburgers, tacos, or none of those foods last week. If 12,000 students were surveyed, how many had pizza, tacos, or both, but no hamburgers? A. 800
B. 2,800
C. 3,600
D. 4,800
2. Monica wants to earn an A in math. • An A requires an average greater than or equal to 92 percent. • The final project is 20 percent of the grade. If Monica has an average of 95 percent, what is the lowest possible score she can earn on the final project and still earn an A? A. 75 percent B. 80 percent C. 86 percent D. 92 percent 3. Chris correctly measured the length of a line segment and rounded his answer to the nearest centimeter. If the rounded measurement is 6 cm, the most accurate statement about the actual measure of the line segment would be: A. Between 5.00 cm and 7.00 cm. B. Between 5.4 cm and 6.5 cm. C. Between 5.5 cm and 6.4 cm. D. Between 5.75 cm and 6.25 cm. 7
Art students earn 107 Gold Keys
Students at JCPS middle and high schools earned 107 of the 173 Gold Keys awarded in the Louisville Metropolitan Region of the 2013 National Scholastic Art Awards. The competition accepted entries from public, private, parochial, and home-schooled students in Jefferson and the 12 surrounding counties. Presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the awards are the nation’s longestrunning and largest recognition program for teens involved in the visual arts. According to the alliance, Gold Keys are presented only to works “demonstrating the highest levels of originality, technique, and personal vision.”
Minotaur Man by Victoria Ciarlante (Ballard High), Category: Sculpture
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JCPS students earned Gold Keys in Ceramics and Glass, Comic Art, Design, Digital Art, Drawing, Fashion, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Art Portfolio. The winners are students at Atherton High, Ballard High, Brown School, Butler Traditional High, Central High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA), duPont Manual High, Eastern High, Fern Creek Traditional High, Highland Middle, Jeffersontown High, Louisville Male High, Meyzeek Middle, Noe Middle, Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) High, and Western Middle. Watch for details on national award winners in the next issue of Parent Connection.
Darius by Darius Henderson (Pleasure Ridge Park High), Category: Drawing
Old Piece, Gold Piece by Mary Cundiff (Highland Middle), Category: Sculpture
Orville by Wyatt Wasz-Piper (duPont Manual High), Category: Sculpture
Peter by Jessica Booker (Butler Traditional High), Category: Painting
Cheserae by Alexander Bizianes (Louisville Male High), Category: Drawing Click here to access a digital book with images of all of the JCPS artworks the earned a Gold Key in the regional competition. School Spirit by William Kolb (Brown School), Category: Photography 9
Strategic Plan: Vision 2015
Strategies to maintain safe, resourced, and fully equipped schools The JCPS Strategic Plan: Vision 2015 includes goals in four focus areas: Increased Learning; Graduation and Beyond; Stakeholder Involvement/Engagement; and Safe, Resourced, Supported, and Equipped Schools. Each issue of Parent Connection highlights the strategies that the district is using to meet one of the goals or the measures it is using to track success. This month, the focus is on Goal 4. To read the complete strategic plan, click here. Focus Area: Safe, Resourced, Supported, and Equipped Schools Goal: All schools are staffed, resourced, and equipped to support student needs. Strategies: • Review and revise JCPS Board policies as the basis for quality educational programs and practices. • Create Central Office structures and services to support high performance in all schools per Recommendation No. 1 of the Curriculum Management Audit and the Level II Organizational Review. Ensure that Central Office services exist to support and foster student achievement. • Provide equal access to programs, services, and opportunities to advance achievement for all students. • Develop a comprehensive system of proactive student supports and interventions to ensure that all students are safe, feel secure, and possess a sense of belonging—primary foundations for learning. • Develop and implement a three-year budget spending plan and a five-year overall revenue projection that aligns 10
district- and building-level resources to curricular goals, strategic priorities, and financial responsibility for the return on investment. • Collaborate with the Jefferson County Teachers Association (JCTA), the Jefferson County Association of School Administrators (JCASA), and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to develop and implement a teacher and principal evaluation system to promote effective student instruction and achievement. • Provide, monitor, and support Cultural Competence training (that includes pedagogical strategies) for 100 percent of staff. Utilize the expertise of JCPS staff, community partners, and institutions of higher education to develop the training. • Retain and recruit high-quality staff who reflect the diversity of the student population. • Create a system of targeted professional development. Assess the impact (footprints) of the professional development on the students’ desks. Our formula is: Teacher Talent + Professional Development = Improved Student Achievement. • Create a system of support for collaboration in Professional Learning Communities. • Create structures for ongoing engagement of stakeholders. • Create communication strategies to inform and to rally all citizens of Jefferson County.
JCPS has more nationally certified teachers than many major cities More than three dozen JCPS teachers earned certification this year from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This brings the district’s total of National Board Certified Teachers to 266, which means that JCPS leads Kentucky and is among the leading districts in the nation in terms of the number of educators who’ve earned the certification. In fact, JCPS has more teachers with National Board Certification than the school districts in Philadelphia (152), San Francisco (260), and New York City (180). Earning the certification requires 300 to 400 hours of work to complete a portfolio and study for assessments. The entire certification process can take one to three years to complete.
(Eisenhower), Jennifer Funk (Kerrick), Kerri Gray (Kerrick), Lauren Hoard (Stonestreet), Adrienne Matson (Stopher), Brianna Moss (Shacklette), Kelly Russell (Maupin), Ann Nicole Smith (Greathouse/ Shryock), Kimberly Spivey (Kenwood), Jennifer Todd (Frayser), and Leslie Wooten (Wilder) • Middle schools: Tonya Artman (Ramsey), Elizabeth Best (Westport), Julie Fox (Lassiter), Michelle Lowe (Moore Traditional School), Michelle Purlee (Olmsted Academy North), Valerie Rueger (Ramsey), Deborah Russell (Lassiter), and Valerie Watson (Noe Middle) • High schools: Scot Entrican (Jeffersontown), Sally Ann Francis (Jefferson-
town), Lisa Garrett (Fairdale), Allison Hunt (duPont Manual), Emily Nall-Crist (Western), Paul Shepherd (Ballard), Renee Shumate (Jeffersontown), Scott Wade (Atherton), and Ann Walsh (Central) The following teachers renewed their National Board Certification: Jonathan Baize (Central High), Betsey Bell (Manual High), Jameson Bowden (English as a Second Language [ESL] Newcomer Academy), James Gilbert (Central High), Jennifer Kiser (Meyzeek Middle), Katherine Welch (Western High), and Jeffrey Wright (Louisville Male High). Renewal, which is good for ten years, involves a rigorous process similar to the original certification.
The following JCPS teachers received the certification this year: • Elementary schools: Angela Allen (Coral Ridge), Susan Baucom (Chancey), Jennifer Baum (Sanders), Angela Billiter (Middletown), Leanna Brennick (Young), Susan Buehner (Brandeis), Venita Burnett (Blake), Shelia Ciarlante (Chancey), Shannon Crutcher (Coral Ridge), Sarah Cunningham (Middletown), Tiffany Embry
These are just a few of the JCPS teachers who earned National Board Certification this year.
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Atherton students win Penguin Bowl A team of Atherton High students won first place in the Penguin Bowl, 1 of 25 regional competitions that tested students’ knowledge of ocean science. Team members Megan Schrader, Alida Roorda, Molly White, Kaelin Kinney, and John Kolb are now preparing to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, which will be held this month at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. The team’s coach is Atherton teacher and Marine Biology Program coordinator Barbara Bennett. Parent volunteer Dr. Julie Toner serves as assistant coach.
with help from JCPS itinerant teachers of the deaf Emily Lomax and Christy Delk, Shelby teacher Laurin Metcalf, and interpreters Rebekah Board and Kara Herdt. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Spelling Bee is the only competition of its kind in Kentucky.
Josefa Lopez, a student at Auburndale Elementary, won second place. The competition, held in Bowling Green, included 35 students from 11 school districts. Camerron and Josefa competed in the thirdand fourth-grade division. The students participated 12
You can listen to the choir singing the chorus from Foreigner’s 1984 hit “I Want to Know What Love Is” in a clip from their audition tape on the radio station’s Web site. Another JCPS group also has sung with Foreigner. In 2010, the Eastern High Choir performed with the band at Belterra.
Brown School students sweep essay contest awards Camerron McPherson
Students win regional spelling bee Camerron McPherson, a third grader at Shelby Traditional Academy, won first place in the annual Western Kentucky Regional Deaf and Hard of Hearing Spelling Bee.
petition sponsored by The Eagle 107.7 FM.
Josefa Lopez
PRP Choir sings with Foreigner The PRP High School Choir performed on stage with Foreigner during the rock band’s February concert at Belterra Resort and Spa in Belterra, Indiana. The choir, directed by Phillip Jennings, won a com-
Brown School students Hunter Spurlock, Marlee Renn, and Sammie Ashby earned first-, second-, and third-place honors, respectively, in the middle school division of the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. Sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Minority Empowerment, the contest accepted entries from students throughout the state. Hunter, Marlee, and Sammie received U.S. Savings Bonds and were honored on January 17 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Celebration in Frankfort. The contest theme was “Moving Beyond the Dream to Brighten the Future.” The essays had to be inspired
by a Dr. King moment or speech, and they had to explain how the students have been inspired to shape their lives and communities.
signed to guide them into private-sector opportunities or on to a college business major.
Association for Career and Technical Educators.
Psychologists earn state honors Two JCPS psychologists received top awards from the Kentucky Association for Psychology in the Schools (KAPS).
The essays were judged on purpose, awareness of audience, idea development, and organization.
Eastern student is nation’s secondhighest scorer on business exam Joseph Kline, a student at Eastern High, earned the second-highest score in the nation on the Principles of Business portion of the High Schools of Business Exam, which is offered by the MBA Research & Curriculum Center.
Joseph is a student of Jodi Adams, who began teaching business and information technology at Eastern in 2010 and helped launch Kentucky’s first High School of Business.
The three-year High Schools of Business Program takes students through a collegepreparatory curriculum de-
Last year, Adams received the Outstanding New Career and Technical Teacher Award from the Kentucky
Joseph Kline
Susan McGurk received the KAPS Psychologist of the Year Award. It recognizes outstanding leadership, extensive professional expertise, accomplishments, and dedication to the profession. Amy McClain received the KAPS Regional Award. It recognizes school psychologists who provide highquality services to students, parents, and school staff. Contact the Parent Connection editor, Thomas Pack, at 485-6315 or at thomas.pack@jefferson. kyschools.us.
Learn more to earn more
Did you know that high school graduates or adults with a General Educational Development (GED) Certificate earn an average of $7,827 more a year than nongraduates? Free GED and skill-building classes are available throughout Louisville. For more information, call 485-3400 or visit www.adulted4u.com.
Your PTA: there’s strength in numbers
Don’t forget to join the PTA or PTSA at your child’s school. The power of these organizations is in the strength of their memberships. Every additional member adds clout and enhances the learning environment for all students.
Are you getting the e-mail newsletter?
Parent Connection eNews is a JCPS newsletter that offers new, brief articles in a monthly e-mail. You can view the latest issue and sign up for future ones on the Parent Connection Web site. 13
Next year’s calendar JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
School Calendar 2013-14
First and Last Days for Students
AUGUST MON TUE
8/20, 6/4*
*6/4 will be the last day of school unless there are days to be made up. Inclement weather may alter the school calendar, grading periods, and report card distribution dates.
First and Last Days for Teachers (No School for Students) ................................8/16, 6/5
No School for Students Labor Day ................................................................9/2 Thanksgiving Break ...................................11/27–11/29 Winter Break .................................................12/23–1/3 Martin Luther King Jr. Day .....................................1/20 Spring Break ...................................................3/31–4/4 Primary Election Day..............................................5/20 Memorial Day .........................................................5/26 Professional-Development Days .........10/4, 10/7, 10/8, 11/11, 2/24, 2/25, 5/2
Make-Up Days for Students Missed school days will be made up in the following order: 2/26, 2/27, 2/28, 6/5, 6/6, 6/9, 6/10, 6/11, 6/12, 6/13. If 2/26, 2/27, and 2/28 are not used as make-up days, individual schools will decide whether to use those days to host enrichment activities for some students or to have a no-school day for all students.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Conferences will be scheduled on the following dates: 10/8, 2/24.
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
WED THU
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
WED THU
FRI
7 14 21 28
SEPTEMBER MON TUE
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
WED THU
FRI
OCTOBER MON TUE
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
4 11 18 25
WED THU
FRI
NOVEMBER MON TUE
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
WED THU
FRI
6 13 20 27
DECEMBER MON TUE
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
FRI
4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
JANUARY MON TUE
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
MON TUE
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
MARCH
MON TUE
3 10 17 24 31
4 11 18 25
APRIL
MON TUE
7 14 21 28
1 8 15 22 29
MAY
MON TUE
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
MON TUE
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
FRI
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24 31
WED THU
FRI
FEBRUARY
JUNE
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
WED THU
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
WED THU
FRI
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
WED THU
FRI
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
4 11 18 25
WED THU
FRI
1 8 15 22 29
2 9 16 23 30
WED THU
FRI
7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
www.jcpsky.net