Dear Students and Learning Coaches,
We are consistently endeavoring to create an overall learning experience that allows students the freedom to learn, create, collaborate, and succeed. Throughout last school year, we assessed the student experience at TOPS and determined that for us to truly Empower and Equip students in learning and life, we had to take a closer look at the individual student and their holistic needs. One of the critical components we measured was data related to the instructional practices of both our teachers and our students. This led to the addition of the TOPS Habits, which you’ve just received through the onboarding and orientation process, as well as how we intend to work through our instructional and assessment cycles.
Two Big Discoveries:
- Students who have been exposed to the course material prior to attending live class connect sessions have greater success in the online setting.
- Flexibility to learn at one’s own pace, based on their own mastery of course content, was key to parent/student choice in determining educational setting.
Necessary Changes:
Implementing The Flipped Classroom Idea (reference the “how it works” section): https://www.austinisd.org/technology/featured-teachers/sheas-flipped-classroom
How it Works @ TOPS:
The curriculum (daily/class plan) is sequenced so that students have an opportunity to “touch” the material prior to attending a class-connection session. Mastery is not the expectation, and remember that students have multiple attempts on assignments. It’s always okay to go back and re-attempt those assignments after a class-connect session. Our expectation is that students come with questions, which the teacher will lead them through, and that they will collaborate on learning for mastery as they go through the class-connect session. This does not replace the work of the classroom teacher, as the teachers will still have regular lesson plans and material to cover, but it does allow teachers the ability to “look-for” what isn’t being mastered/discovered and to address that during and after the class-connect session. We believe that by implementing Habits that encourage students to plan, show up, and communicate in daily class-connects, students will be able to go farther and ultimately succeed.
How your Class-Connect Schedule Works:
Within the next few weeks, you will also receive a brief video that explains the overview of our instructional framework and assessment cycle. But, generally, students are assessed on a quarterly basis (benchmarks or readiness), and the data captured on those assessments is used to determine how much progress your student has had with state standards (TEKS). Depending on their success, they will be assigned class-connect sessions to help target their needs. If, for example, a student is really struggling at the beginning of the year (Readiness) with Mathematics, they may receive 1 or 2 additional sessions, as well as 1, whole group session. If after the Quarter 1 benchmark is complete it is determined that the student has progressed through the standards, then that student may only see 1, whole group session on their schedule in the Quarter 2.
If you have questions or concerns related to the above, please contact your student’s advisor (MS/HS), homeroom teacher, or the campus principal (Mrs. Watt, EL/Mrs. Nelson, MS/Mrs. Finka, HS)
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Charles Forrest Smith, MLS
Head of School, Texas Online Preparatory School
