Classroom Corner

This introductory spot this week is reserved for a massive thank you to all who plowed through the MAP learning curve and worked so hard to make sure we have baseline assessment data on all our first through eighth grade students. As you may know, state proviso 1.74 requires administration of a formative assessment three times each year. Switching to MAP for this assessment meant learning to roster teachers and students through ClassLink, navigating a new platform, setting up testing sessions and assigning tests, patiently waiting on headphones for the younger grades, and spending time teaching students how to approach a new test. There were lots of learning moments - clearing cache and cookies fixed a lot of issues, using pinch and expand to zoom seemed to kick kids out of the test session, and, as one student learned, it's not impossible (though inadvisable) to choose the wrong name from the drop-down and take the test as someone else. But through it all, you prevailed! When we ran reports at the end of the week to see which students had not tested, it was a VERY short list and most on the list were due to known situations. We could not have done this without your persistence, your can-do attitude, and your embrace of new learning. THANK YOU for making this change smooth and positive.

Next Steps:

This week, administrators and instructional coaches come together to learn about the different MAP reports and take that information back to share with their buildings. The power in formative assessment comes in seizing the opportunity to act on the data collected. The reports make it easier to do so, but it's important we all know what we're looking at and how to read them. Family reports are being printed to deliver to schools so they can get sent home with students at the end of next week.

A major component of MAP testing is goal setting. We will be spending time introducing that as well, but if you're interested in a sneak peak, this provides a great preview.

As we continue with State Board of Education Regulation 43-170 (Uniform Procedure for Selection or Reconsideration of Instructional Materials), there will be a growing list of books and instructional materials that are prohibited from being made available to students either by determination of the State Board of Education, local determination, or because content conflicts with the provisions in the law.

A running list of these books and materials can be found on the WIX page. Access to this list is restricted to district personnel signed in to Google with a Lex2 email address. Materials will regularly be added to the list, so while it's important to evaluate your classroom collections now, you will also want to reference the list on an ongoing basis as you look to add any new books or instructional materials to your classroom. At this time, there are no listings under the Instructional Materials tab of the sheet.

Two important reminders:

1. This applies to both school libraries and classrooms, regardless of whether the books are school-owned or personally owned.
2. Just because a book does not appear on this list does not mean it is okay under the provisions of the law. You must evaluate all books and materials you use with students for compliance with the new law.

SC Reads partnered with SC-ETV this summer to develop training for the first-grade social studies textbook, South Carolina Right Under Our Feet. The course is now on SC-ETV's website, Moodle.

Moodle has been upgraded and the course is now available. Teachers can register by clicking this link: Register for SC Right Under Our Feet. Once they are registered and login (if they don’t have an account, they will need to create one. They will receive an email with their login information). The course will be listed under “My courses” on the navigation bar as SCRUOF24.

The contact person for help with login etc. is Director of Education Instructional Design and Technology, VJ Allred. His email is vjallred@scetv.org if teachers have any questions or need assistance.

• Last year, Google announced a new tool in Google Classroom called practice sets that enables educators to transform new and existing content into engaging and interactive assignments. Students get real-time feedback on answers as they complete practice sets and then teachers receive performance insights and snapshots into student progress. Google knows teachers have already invested a lot of time creating quiz assignments using Google Forms. They can simply import a Google Form into practice set questions, and benefit from the assistive features, such as suggested resources and hints, in-the-moment support for students and insights.
• Now, Google has a new feature that will enable teachers to visually illustrate concepts being assessed in practice sets. Teachers can import images, like graphs, charts or photos, into practice sets using files from Google Drive or directly from their computer. In addition to image editing capabilities within practice sets, this update will be extended to the Forms conversion workflows so if a teacher imports a Form into a practice set, any images you have in the Forms will also import.

• Additionally, Google released a new feature in Google Classroom that enables teachers to create groups of students to make assigning differentiated content easier. This update will allow them to quickly assign classwork to pre-defined sets of students without having to tediously select individual students. Now, teachers can differentiate content across sub-sections of their class based on their students' needs. For example, teachers can create groups based on reading levels and as their class adapts, they can edit members of a group or delete groups within their class.

As we prepare for eLearning Day on October 14th, here's a reminder that young students have access to Seesaw.

• Sign into Seesaw: Students and teachers can access Seesaw through ClassLink using the icon pictured here.
• Introduce Seesaw: Follow the steps in this starter guide to introduce your students to Seesaw.

Your students have taken ACCESS for ELLs, you’ve received their scores, and you understand how scores are calculated and how to interpret the results (or you're about to once you read this article: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know: Scoring ACCESS for ELLs). So, how do you take those scores and help your students? WIDA Professional Learning experts Terri Mossgrove and Emma Wright give some tips and resources to help you get started.

The link between teaching and learning is assessment: When teachers collect and analyze evidence, they can determine what students have learned and what they still need to learn. This process of checking for understanding should influence future instruction that students receive. Since understanding develops over time, teachers can use short, medium, and long cycles of assessment to increase the likelihood that students are learning (Wiliam, Fisher, & Frey, 2024).

PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR ANY GRANTS, PLEASE BE SURE YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE LEXINGTON TWO GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS.

Lexington Soil and Water Conservation District Mini-Grant

Lexington County public schools are eligible to apply for up to $500 in grant funding to support conservation projects and youth environmental education initiatives.

Deadline: December 31, 2024

Application: Click here

Classroom Catalyst Grant Program (Colonial Life / UNUM Group & Center for Educational Partnerships @ USC)

The Classroom Catalyst Grants are designed to provide funding and resources to support teachers in implementing inquiry-based activities that enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. These grants are intended to help you foster an environment where students are effectively prepared for careers and post-secondary education. Mini-grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded for innovative classroom projects and lessons focusing on inquiry-based learning and preparing students for future careers and education.

Eligibility: All certified staff in eligible districts for grades 9-12 can apply.

Application Window: September 3, 2024 - September 30, 2024

Application: Click here

Dr. Santa Chester is new to Lexington Two, joining us as a special education teacher at Cayce Elementary. In addition to meeting the needs of the students on her caseload, she devotes time to meeting the professional development needs of her colleagues. Dr. Chester produces monthly strategy videos designed to help teachers understand and support the students in their classrooms. September's video on the four functions of behavior is linked below. Great work, Dr. Chester!

• September 23: Education Technology Day
• September 25: Early Release / Cohort Day
• September 27: National Teacher Assistants' Day
• October: Bullying Prevention Month
• October: National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
• October: National Principals' Month
• October 1: Hispanic Heritage Celebration (PAC, 5:30 PM)
• October 2: National Custodian Appreciation Day
• October 2: National Walk to School Day
• October 5: World Teachers' Day