Coastal Plains RESA
March 2022
A Note From The Director
Lance Heard
Executive Director
Job Fair Held At Coastal Plains RESA
Professional Learning: Addressing Learning Loss
ELA
Thanks to all who participated in the Young Georgia Authors Competition this year! We are very proud of all of our students for their persistence and dedication to writing and we would like to congratulate everyone that participated.
Each winning entry will receive a certificate from Coastal Plains RESA and the student writing will be displayed at the Valdosta Mall from April 11- 18 and the Tifton Mall from April 19-26.
Cook County teacher, Angela Harry, is very excited that she will be able to take all of her K-12 winners on a field trip to see their writing displayed this year.
We would also like to send a great big shout out to the teachers for challenging your writing students with this task. Writing is the vehicle that students can use to grow and learn in all areas and we are so thankful for what you do every day.
*RESA winners will be announced March 24 and sent to state competition. Good luck to all!
Jenni Anderson
ELA Specialist
Writing is more than doing what someone asks you to do, writing brings the “child” into the classroom and helps them know they are valued. It is a reminder that this learning is about “them”.
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South GLRS Updates
Also, we are wrapping up the year of our Teacher Provider Retention Program for teachers of students with disabilities with 1 to 3 years of experience. The whole year has been filled with HLP (High Leverage Practice Trainings) and MRS sessions (Mixed Reality Simulations.) Participants have been provided the opportunity to practice teaching in the MRS sessions as well as practice having IEP meetings. We have one more session for the year and the program has served more than 62 participants who have consistently attended every monthly session throughout the year. GLRS looks forward to starting a new TPRP program next year, while continuing to provide coaching opportunities to the current class.
Dane Heard
GLRS Director
Key School Climate Dimensions
NSCC National School Climate Center:
Positive results of strong school climate improvement work can be grouped into five “buckets”:
SAFETY
Dramatic decrease in risky behaviors (Catalano, Haggerty, Oesterie, Fleming, & Hawkins, 2004)
Lower rates of student suspensions and discipline issues in general (Lee, T., Cornell, D., Gregory, A., & Fan, X. 2011)
Physical, social, and emotional benefits (Devine & Cohen, 2007)
TEACHING/LEARNING
The effect of positive school climate not only contributes to improved academic outcomes among diverse groups of students (Astor, Benbenisty, & Estrada, 2009; Haahr, Nielsen, Hansen, & Jakobsen, 2005; OECD, 2009), but its effect seems to persist for years (Kerr, Ireland, Lopes, Craig, & Cleaver, 2004)
Higher graduation rates (L. Ma, Phelps, Lerner, & Lerner, 2009)
Powerful correlation between improved school climate and increased motivation to learn (K. B., & Pachan, M. 2008)
Positive school climate is correlated with decreased student absenteeism in middle school and high school and lower rates of student suspension in high school (T. Lee, Cornell, Gregory, & Fan, 2011; Gottfredson & Gottfredson, 1989; Rumberger, 1987; deJung & Duckworth, 1986; Sommer, 1985; Purkey & Smith, 1983; Reid, 1982; Wu, Pink, Crain, & Moles, 1982)
INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
School connectedness is a powerful predictor of and is associated with adolescent health and academic outcomes (Whitlock, 2006)
Improved staff morale (Vezzuto, 2011)
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
In schools where students perceive a better structured-school, fair discipline practices, and more positive student-teacher relationships, the “probability and frequency of subsequent behavioral problems” is lower (M. C. Wang, Selman, Dishion, & Stormshak, 2010)
Safe, caring, participatory, and responsive school climate fosters greater attachment to school and provides the optimal foundation for social, emotional, and academic learning (Blum, McNeely, & Rinehart, 2002; Osterman, 2000)
SOCIAL MEDIA
Claudia Parker
Creacy Sermons
School Climate Specialists
Content Mastery is the Thing in 2022
Good performance on the Content Mastery component is the key to avoiding the CSI and Promise Lists this school year. Therefore, our Accountability staff has designed a Content Mastery Tool so you can calculate this important metric as soon as your GMAS scores come back in MAY! Normally, principals will have to wait until Halloween for the Trick or Treat delivered by the CCRPI Hobgoblins. Be the first school in your district to know your Content Mastery score in time for your end of year school improvement planning session. Shown below, this Tool has separate tabs for Elementary, Middle and High Schools and will be fully demonstrated at the Principal and AP Academies later in March.
Elementary Principals Academy March 16
Middle/High Principals Academy March 17
Assistant Principals Academy March 23
Bobby Smith
School Improvement Specialist
Technology
Spring feels like it's just around the corner; the school year may feel like it's beginning to wind down. You and your students are probably beginning to daydream about spring break and some down time. As you finish out the year, I'd like to share a blog post from Sarah Kiefer of Tech You Can Do on how to make the most of your "fourth quarter" with technology. It's not her most recent post but her tips are worth revisiting.
Also, you may want to check out some of the most recent updates from Google, in these videos created by my colleague Daniel Rivera of First District RESA.
Leanne Nesmith
Technology Specialist
Wraparound
GaDOE Whole Child Resources
The Office of Whole Child Supports assists districts/schools and communities in identifying and addressing student non-academic barriers to success while expanding learning opportunities. Educating the whole child means to acknowledge AND address non-academic factors that impact academic outcomes while expanding learning opportunities. A toolkit was developed to provide a "one stop" location of basic information to support efforts of educating the whole child. Check it out here: www.georgiainsights.com/wholechild.html
School-based Health Centers
The Office of Whole Child Supports Webinars are continuing this month focusing on school-based health centers on March 18th from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Click here for the registration link.
Adequate healthcare and wellness are fundamental to academic success for Georgia's students. The Georgia School-Based Health Alliance, Inc. (GASBHA) works with community partners to develop and support school-based health centers around the state. The Alliance provides technical assistance, training, planning grants, and startup funds to develop implementation of School Based Health Centers (SBHC). For more information on healthcare and wellness supports in your community, visit the Georgia School-Based Health Alliance.
Stephanie Butler
Wraparound Coordinator
Do you have boundaries in your life?
For the first several years of my “servant-leader” style principalship, I didn't think I was allowed to have boundaries in my life with my time. Servant principals give it all, every day and every minute, and are described as ones who “burn the candle at both ends”. I thought the 24/7 on-the-job expectations meant always being available and I was to drop what I was doing or stop to whom I was speaking with and address other issues that arose. I allowed these interruptions to happen at work and at home; neither of which was healthy. These interruptions came in the form of emails, phone calls, text messages, social media notifications, and unscheduled visitors. Many of our successful veteran principals figure out early the secret to healthy longevity in leadership. Happy principals learn quickly that healthy boundaries within their life, communicating these to others, and then following through with them consistently is not only healthy but wise. The principal's desk must not ever become an emotional dumping ground for everyone. I have listed the questions below for you to answer and decide what works best for you. Are there changes that you need to make in your leadership? Some general suggestions would include setting your phone or computer down when you are home; protecting your family time, others are never more important than your family. While at school, let your staff know your boundaries. If your office door is closed, that means everyone should respect your time. If you are doing observations, let your front office staff know that you are not to be disturbed unless the superintendent or other person you deem important needs to speak to you. For me, my secretary was my greatest line of support at school. She made sure I had time to get the important work done first. Communicating your expectations to others concerning your boundaries can be a tough thing to address, to begin with, but in the end, you will be thankful you did.
Questions to ponder:
Do you have protected time at home and school?
What time do you stop letting parents and staff contact you at night? Do you have a set bedtime?
What time do you stop/start looking at work emails?
Do you give your personal cell number to parents?
Are you friends on social media with your staff or parents?
Does your school have a social media presence? How does your school monitor it?
What notifications have you silenced on your phone? Can you silence more?
Does your front office staff protect you?
Richard Fisher
School Improvement Specialist
Upcoming Classes
School Counselors & Social Workers Job Alike 3/2/2022
Virtual Teacher Induction 3/2/2022
Growing Readers Meeting 3/3/2022
Special Education Directors Meeting 3/9/2022
Virtual Teacher Induction 3/9/2022
Aspiring Leaders: Legal Updates 3/9/2022
GAA Training 3/14/2022
School Psychologist Job Alike 3/15/2022
Primary & Elementary Leadership Academy 3/16/2022
Instructional Coaches Job Alike 3/2/2022
Middle & High School Leadership Academy 3/17/2022
Curriculum & PL Directors Job-Alike 3/18/2022
Georgia Teacher Provider Retention Program 3/22/2022
Federal Program Directors Meeting 3/22/2022
Visual Supports for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder 3/22/2022
Google Educator Prep 3/22/2022
Finance Directors Meeting 3/23/2022
Assistant Principals Leadership Academy 3/24/2022
Behavior Interventions That Work With Amie Dean 3/24/2022 & 3/25/2022
Specially Designed Instruction 3/24/2022
SLP Job Alike 3/30/2022