Learning Improvement Day

7:45 Welcome/Intro/Goal Review.............................................................................Lee Ann

8:00 Cognitive Content Dictionary/Vocab Development.........................................Melissa

8:30 RACES Strategy..................................................................................................Kara

9:00 Discussion Stems ..............................................................................................Jill & Amy

9:30 Mood Meter Check-In ....................................................................................... Monica & Nate

10:00 Break

10:15 Technology Update/Processes ......................................................................Nate

10:30 Morning Routines / Expectations....................................................................LeeAnn

11:00 TAT Process / SPED Referral Process............................................................Jordan

11:15 SOAR Time Clarifications and Materials ........................................................LeeAnn

11:45 Lunch

12:30 Moving Beyond Trauma Informed Practices..................................................Paul

1:30 Grade Level Collaboration: Score Boards, New Staff Needs, etc.

3:30 Happy Weekend!

In order to accomplish the goals above, East Omak Elementary will deliver high yield, research based instructional practices and strategies focused on high expectations for ALL students. Grade levels will be displaying scoreboards around the school demonstrating progress toward the goal of raising our combined MAP score by 10% between spring of 2018 and spring of 2019. Below are a few strategies we will be using building wide to achieve this goal. Using a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support approach (link below) we are focused on rigor, relevance and relationships.

Melissa spent 30 minutes describing how she teaches academic vocabulary into her daily curriculum. She shared her Cognitive Content Dictionary (GLAD strategy) and then how she extends the lesson. She led staff through a lesson as if they were students. She had them look up the word in the dictionary, she related it to a personal story, she incorporated a physical movement (motion, action) when saying the word and a quick definition, she drew a picture, had staff look up antonyms and synonyms, and used the word in a sentence. She shared how she adapts it to the needs of her students and how she holds students accountable using a notebook for each student.

Kara shared how she uses the RACE strategy and the color-coded posters to help teach a systemic process for constructed response questions. Our SBA data shows that constructed response questions are an area that our students do not score well on. Kara shared and distributed different resources she uses for students to practice including a rubric to score a constructed response. She also shared how she differentiates instruction and how she uses a para to support students. Kara explained the importance of using the specific colors (red, orange, green, blue) for each part of the strategy.

Jill and Amy shared different strategies to encourage discourse and writing strategies with students. They shared several resources such as discussion frames, sentence starters and accountable talk speech bubbles. They also shared ideas for immediate implementation and raffled off several ready-made resources.

Main points:

· That these strategies work across our subject areas and they work with all students including ELL, special education and other diverse populations.

· They shared a video demonstrating one of these strategies in a classroom.

· The importance of encouraging students to speak in complete sentences all the time and to hold ALL students to a high standard.

Jill and Amy presented the different options each building has on how best to use them as instructional coaches. They asked staff to choose two or three things from the Instructional Coaching Menu (see below) that would be most helpful this year. They asked for teams to discuss at a grade level meeting and get back to them within the next couple of weeks.

Monica and Nate described the Mood Meter. It is a tool created by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. It is a stem from the "Ruler Approach." It focuses on self-awareness and self-regulation. The mood meter chart was explained and then how to analyze the chart. Monica shared how she uses sentence frames to help students describe the emotion they are feeling and the color they are in.

Main points:

• RULER Skills: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, Regulating (Emotions)
  
• The mood meter is easily differentiated with the different emotions presented within the quadrants.
  
• Tips were shared on how to easily incorporate this into a daily routine and the parameters of using it.
  

Jordan described East's Teacher Assistance Team and the process to refer a student to the team. Typically, a child goes through the TAT process and interventions are implemented and then if there are still concerns, there may be a need for a Special Education referral if all interventions have not been successful. Jordan also stressed the importance of documenting discipline referrals through Skyward. See resources below.

Our district's EL coach from OSPI was with us much of the day. He presented on the power of relationship, the importance of "future talk," and giving ALL students hope and aspirations for their future. He also referenced the PBIS framework that is currently in place at East. Some discussion took place on what things are working well and things that could be improved upon. Paul gave some insight on building our culture on the premise that we truly believe that ALL students can be successful no matter what. Discussion also took place on the difference between "it is what it is," and "it will be what it should be." Clearly having and living with a growth mindset paradigm is equally as important for adults as it is for the students we teach! I think that if we could put a theme song to Paul's time with us on Friday...it would be this song: High Hopes by Panic at the Disco! It embodies everything we need to instill into each other and EVERY ONE of our students! Cheers to being hopeologists and visionaries for our students! Please listen...you will LOVE it!! I promise!

If you were a presenter for this training....

you could use this document as evidence for Component 8.3!

Email: lschrock@omaksd.org
Website: https://www.instagram.com/learn.lead.love/?hl=en
Location: East Omak Elementary School, Omak Avenue, Omak, WA, USA
Phone: 509-826-3003