The Courier May 2016 | Volume 23, Issue 8
a division of Independent School District 15 Community Education | St. Francis, Minnesota Serving the communities of Andover, Athens Township, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township
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www.the-courier.org | news@isd15.org
Standardized testing in full swing, aligning with core value Nichole Rens
ISD 15 Curriculum & Instruction Director
Trina Schultz
ISD 15 Curriculum & Instruction Data, Assessment, Intervention
Springtime is upon us and many activities are taking place in Independent School District 15 (ISD 15). Of those spring activities, the season of standardized testing for many Minnesota students is underway. Each year students across the state take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA). This spring students in grades 3-8 were tested in reading and mathematics. Students in fifth and eighth-grade were also tested in science. High school students in tenth-grade are tested in reading and in 11th-grade, they are tested in mathematics. Also during their high school career, students take the science test. The administration of this assessment typically takes place after students have completed a high school level biology course. MCAs will conclude May 6 for both reading and math and May 13 for science.
The core value of ISD 15 that is this month’s focus is, “We believe that responsibility and accountability are essential for personal growth, organizational improvement and community engagement.” The statewide tests align with that core value as they help districts measure student progress toward meeting Minnesota’s academic standards. Students’ academic progress is being measured and reported, and areas of strengths and weaknesses are identified. MCA student test results become available to school districts in late summer and families receive individualized student reports in late summer or early fall. Letters reporting results, along with Learning Locator codes, will be sent home at this time. Learning Locator codes can be used both at home and school to work on skills identified from the assessments that are tailored for each student’s individual academic needs. Each letter will further explain how to utilize the codes along with a website
address for Perspective, a Pearson Education website. While MCA data is vital information for the district to analyze, it is only one piece of the data puzzle used to determine areas of strength and areas needing growth and programmatic changes. Other data, such as classroom common formative and summative assessments, are used to monitor student learning and effectiveness of instruction on an ongoing basis. At the high school level, students were engaged in testing April 19. During this time, students completed various tests. Of those, the ACT, a college and career readiness assessment, was administered. This assessment is used by many colleges during the admissions process. The ACT is a nationally recognized assessment in math, English, reading and science. Thank you, parents, for all you do to prepare your children for this snapshot in time of their academic learning to date, and for your continued support year round.
Staff engage in summer learning Linda Ericson ISD 15 Office of Teaching and Learning
Did you know that many licensed staff in Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) will be attending summer school over the next few months? Every licensed staff in ISD 15 creates an annual plan for thirty hours of professional growth in the spring to be carried out during the summer and following school year. Professional growth plans, or Student Performance Improvement Plans, include a goal that identifies the skills that a teacher wants to improve, along with a goal that addresses improving student outcomes. The teacher will gather data over at least a six week period. The data will be analyzed and changes in teacher practice will be implemented to determine which instructional strategies are most effective. Staff present their findings and growth experience prior to the end of each school year. At that time, a new goal is set for the following year. This yearly practice aligns with the ISD 15 core value, “We believe that responsibility and accountability are essential for personal growth, organizational improvement and community engagement.” To support licensed staff in their professional growth, the ISD 15 Teacher Academy provides support to each staff member through Academy courses, study groups and individual plans. Staff can improve the assessment methods and strategies they use with students by taking Take “Classroom Assessments: Making Data and Classroom Assessments Work for You.” They can also build their knowledge of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) by attending the PLC Institute in June and then participating in a Continued Page 2
What’s Inside
Cedar Creek Community School fourth-graders took an educational field trip to Target Field March 24. The trip included a tour of the stadium where students were able to step onto the field and try out of the batting cages. Read more on page 36.
Photo by Laura Lamson, Community Member
Schools in Action.................................................. 2 Community Ed Summer Offerings............ 9 Community & Business...................................15 School Board Highlights................................27 Sports & Outdoors.............................................29 Meetings, Events & Benefits.........................31 Life...............................................................................32