Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
November, 2011
Parent NEWSLETTER A Message from Heidi...
Inside this iOlweus s s u e : story
Continued Olweus story Continued New cut scores MEAP/MME New cut scores MEAP/MME IXL‌.Math IXL‌.Math
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Dear Parents, We have had a busy but great start to the 2011-2012 school year. I am hoping that you have also had a great start and have settled into your routine. Similar to last year, I will be sending out a quarterly Parent Newsletter. It is my goal to provide you with recent curriculum, instruction and assessment information. Please also know that you can contact me at any time with questions, concerns and/or praise. Respectfully,
OLWEUS BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM GOING DISTRICT-WIDE Most recent bullying statistics reveal that bullying is a crime that is not going away anytime soon. There are about 160,000 children that miss school everyday out of fear of being bullied. One in seven students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade is either a bully or has been a victim of bullying. Sometimes a teen or child who has been bullied eventually becomes the bully as a way to
retaliate. In fact, revenge for bullying is one of the strongest motivations for school shootings, according to recent bullying statistics. A reported 61 percent of students said they believe students shoot others at school because they have been victims of physical violence at home or at school. This is a true indicator that bullying can occur in all forms by other students, children, teens as well as
adults. We as a school district and community have the responsibility of keeping our children and young adults safe. Lake Orion Community Schools is committed to implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program district wide. Currently, Oakview Middle School, Lake Orion High School, and Pine Tree Elementary have or are in the process of implementing the program. In the next
two years, we hope to have all buildings using the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. The Olweus program goals are to reduce and prevent bullying problems among school children and to improve peer relations at school. It is important to note that it is not a program aimed at the bullies in the school or even just at the bullies and victims. (Story continued on page 2)
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It is a school wide program that is implemented at the school level, the classroom level, through individual students, and in the community. The program has been found to reduce bullying among children, improve the social climate of classrooms, and reduce related antisocial behaviors, such as vandalism and truancy. For further information go to http://www.clemson.edu/ olweus
Lake Orion Community Schools has partnered with the Lake Orion Education Foundation (LOEF) to fund this program. The main cost of the program involves having 3—5 certified trainers ($4,200 per trainer) instructional materials (approximately $1,000 per building), and an annual student survey ($1 per student).
Assessment at: hkast@lakeorion.k12.mi.us or by calling her at 248-6935400.
If you would like to commit to this cause by volunteering and/or making a monetary donation please contact Heidi Kast, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and
New Cut Scores for MEAP/MME In order to meet federal requirements, Michigan lowered the minimum scores needed to be deemed proficient. This fall, however, the “cut scores” will be raised. The State Board of Education has adopted more rigorous standards for scores on the state-wide achievement tests—the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) and the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). This shift forward will better reflect whether schools are preparing their students to be on-track to being career and college ready when they complete their high school educations. Michigan now is only the third state in the nation (New York and Tennessee) to have moved to this rigorous level of assessment scoring. Like in those other states, this action will result in an adjustment in schools’ overall scores on the MEAP and MME tests, but one that is more accurate to where schools need to be, according
to the Michigan Department of Education. With the more rigorous cut scores, students will need to get roughly 65 % of the answers correct to “pass” the state test, instead of only 39 % as was the previous benchmark.
See District chart of scores, old vs new ~ ATTACHMENT 1 State Board of Education projection ~ ATTACHMENT 2 Here are a few FAQs about cut scores and what they’ll mean for students and our district:
Q: What is a cut score? A: The cut score on a test (or on multiple tests ) is the score that separates test takers into various categories, such as a passing score and a failing score. For example, if the cut
score on an exam is 70 percent, that means that anything below that score is a failing grade and anything above is a passing grade.
Q: Who’s making the changes to the cut scores? A: The State Board of Education approved raising the standard (cut scores) for passing the MEAP and MME exams. Local districts or boards of education don’t determine cut scores.
Q: When will the new cut scores be applied? A: The new cut scores will be applied this school year (201112) to the MEAP exam, given to third through eight graders, and to the MME exam given to 11th graders.
Q: Why is Michigan changing its cut scores? A: Previously, Michigan’s cut-
off score was based on whether students showed a basic understanding of the materials. Students on some tests could have answered as little as 40 percent of the questions correctly to be considered proficient. The new plan will make the cut scores consistent with the skills students need for college and careers. This change means fewer students will be considered proficient, or college and career ready. Other states have lower cut scores, which create a perception of proficiency that’s actually better than reality. As other states are required to change their scores to become “more truthful” about their academic progress, Michigan schools will benefit from the early implementation of cut scores.
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Take a moment to think back to the time when your child was learning to walk. It was a difficult process, correct? From the first signs of her trying to get up on those pudgy little legs to the joy of him walking those few steps from dad to mom for the big hug, there was much energy put forth. Learning to walk is very hard. Each of us worked through the bumps, bruises, and tears so that we could be a part of the world around us. Think about the pride you saw on your child’s, as well as your own, face when he had mastered the act of walking. For many students, learning math is hard. They toil, they fall, they cry, they get frustrated, but the struggle makes “getting it” all that much more satisfying. Our self-esteem comes not from simply being successful, but from working hard to find that success.
Lake Orion has purchased IXL Math as a way to help students work through math to find the success and pride that comes from mastery of a skill. IXL is a comprehensive math practice site with an unlimited number of math practice questions in hundreds of skills — all of which are aligned to state standards. Your child’s teacher may have sent home a letter with information about this program.
If your child has not yet logged into the program, it is very simple. Simply go to the homepage of your child’s school, and under the “Students” tab, you will find IXL. Here your child can login. His username is the first letter of his name, his whole last name, and the last two digits of his graduation year (mmiddleton23). Her password is her 5-digit student ID number. This number can be found on Powerschool or by contacting your child’s teacher.
In addition to making math practice exciting, IXL is designed to help your child learn at his or her own pace. The website is adaptive and will adjust to your child's demonstrated ability level. The site also saves all of your child's results, so you can monitor your child's progress anytime by clicking on the Reports tab.
Learning to walk took lots and lots of practice. This is true for many of the tasks we as adults have mastered over the years. IXL is a fun way for students to practice math so that they can feel that sense of accomplishment that comes from doing something they have never been able to do before.
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT CONTACTS Heidi Kast……...Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Marysue Schwartzmiller….Administrative Assistant 248-693-5409 or Ext. 3908
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