Austin Packer Bulletin - 1/19/24
Volume 2, Issue 23
As the new year unfolds, I'm excited for all that 2024 has in store for Austin Public Schools. Already, the district is working to plan for the next academic year – including several notable milestones.
At Woodson Kindergarten Center, teachers and staff are working hard to prepare for next year's transition: relocating kindergarten classes to neighborhood schools. This change will reduce transitions for students, support collaboration, improve resource sharing, and increase cost-effectiveness and community involvement. As the kindergarten center marks its last spring, it is a special time to honor and celebrate its history. We look forward to finishing this year positively and embracing the future.
I appreciate everyone's efforts in making this transition smooth. In addition, the district plans to introduce science specialists into our elementary schools starting in 2024-25. Not only will this mean students receive more specialized science instruction, but it will also allow classroom teachers to dedicate more time to math and literacy.
Further, the success of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) program at Austin High School has paved the way for its expansion to Ellis Middle School next year. Since the program's introduction this past fall, its positive impact has included reduced behavior issues, higher grades, strengthened family engagement, and stronger connections between students and teachers. I'm eager to see how this program continues to help students succeed.
Thank you for all you do for our students and our schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent
Great things are happening at Austin Public Schools!
With a wide range of partnerships and programs to benefit our students, staff, and the community, our #PackerPride shines through in all we do. Thank you for all the support, and check out our Points of Pride!
Minnesota Bilingual and Multilingual Seals were legislated in the Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS) Act 2014. Austin Public Schools may award Minnesota bilingual and multilingual seals to our high school students upon graduation who have demonstrated the required levels of language proficiency through assessment in languages other than English, including American Sign Language (ASL) and Indigenous American Indian languages. The necessary proficiency levels are ACTFL Advanced Low for a Platinum Seal and ACTFL Intermediate High for a Gold Seal in all four modalities—listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Contact Council for Educational Equity Integration Collaboration Coordinator Kristi Beckman with any questions.
Congratulations to AHS Teacher, Varsity Assistant Football Coach, and Austin Education Association President Tom Compton on his NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence nomination. This award honors individuals not only for their educational work but for their union involvement/leadership as well. This award recognizes educators with outstanding professional practice who:
- Excel in the classroom.
- Advocate for the profession.
- Engage the community.
- Exhibit professional development leadership.
- Pay attention to diversity.
The Minnesota READ Act aims to have every child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals.
Literacy Curricula Selection Update
Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota have identified five curricula and supporting materials that are evidence-based and focused on structured literacy.
More information about the five identified curricula is posted on the Minnesota READ Act webpage.
Professional Development Opportunities
The Minnesota READ Act provides funds for training in structured literacy for educators. MDE has partnered with three professional development vendors for teachers and district staff to ensure that every child in Minnesota receives quality reading instruction based on evidence-based practices in literacy instruction and the research that supports those practices.
The three providers are:
- CAREIALL (University of Minnesota),
- OL&LA (CORE),
- and LETRS (Lexia).
Informational webinars about the three vendors are available on the Minnesota READ Act Professional Development Opportunities. Registration for districts and charter schools will begin early next month.
Have a question?
Please review the updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpage for current information about commonly asked questions or email Katie Baskin, Executive Director of Academics and Administrative Services.
About the Minnesota READ Act
Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act, was passed and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on May 24, 2023. This legislation aims to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals. The READ Act replaces Read Well by Third Grade (RWBTG) and is in effect as of July, 1, 2023.
Read the full legislation, Minnesota Session Law, Chapter 55, Article 3, READ ACT or visit the source information at MDE.
Gifted and Talented
The GT team has been looking at identification processes and procedures outlined in the audit and used in other districts across the state. We are outlining procedures in a document to more clearly communicate with students, families/caregivers, and staff on how and why students are selected for our district's different advanced academic programs. During PLC time, teachers have started working on a scope and sequence to provide a consistent outline of learning for the advanced academic program at each grade level.
Math Audit K-4
Work in grade-level meetings has been focused on reviewing the math audit recommendations. The grade levels agreed on the following:
- Which forms of unit assessments will be utilized
- How assessments would be recorded in Infinite Campus
- Using pre-tests
- Creating a visual math environment in the classrooms and hallways
The classroom teachers have begun to focus on the MN My Math lessons and how to enhance them to meet the standards' intent better.
Math Audit 5-12
Math data was shared with the math teachers, and they debriefed:
- Emerging themes in the data
- Where and when benchmarks are taught in the scope and sequence
- How testing data compare to classroom data
- How this data will help inform future instruction
The math team will also begin discussing math vocabulary, looking at consistency across grade levels.
Grading and Reporting
The District Grading and Reporting Committee of Practice is continuing its work in learning and development for recommending guiding procedures to the school board. The group will be joined this year by Nicole Dimich, a leading author and presenter in student assessments. During the most recent session in December, Dimich led the committee by learning about assessment shifts in formative and summative assessments. They used this learning to refine the guiding procedures in formative assessment, summative assessment, class participation, practice work, and retakes.
The Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Symposium will be return June 11-13, 2024. Stay tuned for more information as we gear up for another great Symposium full of learning and fun.
Don't forget - thanks to the generous funding of the Hormel Foundation, APS staff and Austin community members can attend the symposium free of charge.
In this week's Alumni Spotlight, we catch up with alumna Rebecca Swegle.
Are you an alumnus of Austin Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to hear about your accomplishments and are eager to share your successes and advice with our current students, families, and the Austin community.
All you need to do is take a minute to answer a few quick questions at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/alumni-spotlight.
Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all your wonderful stories!
