Assistant Superintendent Update

The last several months of school we have continued to be very busy with productive and positive professional learning! We are very proud of our administrators, teachers, and students who have engaged in learning a great deal through our District goal of Blended Learning and more in Grade level/Content professional development all year!

• Completed Spring District Universal Screening Assessments at the Elementary (AIMS Web) Secondary Levels (STAR); analysis ongoing with related stakeholders; Increases in reading and math achievement at all levels based on this assessment data

• Professional Development in Math for both Elementary and Secondary levels as we examined and analyzed our current curriculum, tasks, and assessments

• More continued work on our District Math curriculum at both the Elementary and Middle School levels

• Conducted successful RICAS Infrastructure Trial to test our technology

• RICAS Assessment and the RI (RINGSA) Science Assessment have been completed successfully

• Successful completion of the PSAT10 and SAT at NPHS

• Facilitating Teacher and Administrator Evaluations successfully as we finalize phases for this year

• Revised Elementary Reading Intervention Progress Reports

• Facilitation of District Reading Specialists creating digital and other Reading resources to use across district at all levels

• Facilitation of Kindergarten teachers professional development to collaborate on next year's program, schedules, and staggered start in August with screenings

• Professional Development at both Elementary and Secondary levels: Math, ELA, Social Studies, Science and integration of Blended Learning resources in all curriculum

• Ongoing Science Professional Development in coordination with East Bay RI Collaborative at the Elementary level: calibration of student work and online FOSS Science support; Support with released items for new RI Science Assessment, Spring, 2018

• Blended Learning Professional Development all year and embedded at all levels through our Technology, Curriculum Integration Specialist, Mrs. Theresa DeRiso; The focus for Elementary has been best evidence based reading practices integrated with Blended Learning practices

• Professional Development work with District Media Specialists/Librarians and Special Education Teachers to support best instructional practices infused with Blended Learning

• Completed blended learning professional development in Math at the Elementary level; The focus was the Math Workshop model, best practices in math instruction with integration of blended learning resources
  

• The Middle Schools and High School have examined content such as ELA, Math, and Social Studies while integrating Blended Learning tools as well; We have completed a second round of professional development with the Middle School content specialist teachers.

• Coordinated District Summer Reading Committee for Elementary, Middle, and High School levels. We now will have a cohesive summer reading experience for all students; Expectations for students include student choice of multiple project options and a variety of texts

• Coordinated and completed a very successful and first District Reading “One Book” event for Reading Week March 5-9 with the book “Dream” by Susan Bosak; related to our theme of “Follow Your Dreams...Read”

• Co-facilitate a District Family Engagement Committee which supported a successful District Wide Family Literacy Month in March and school based family literacy resources

• Succesful completion of District Spelling Bee in February

• Successful completion of first District Elementary Global School Play Day in February to encourage social skills, creativity, and hands-on learning

• Coordinated “Shadow a Student Challenge” February 19 - March 2; administrators shadowed a student at all levels to learn from the students’ perspective as a method of school improvement

• Personally continuing to mentor an elementary student at Marieville Elementary School

• Successfully coordinated and trained elementary teachers in how to create clear and simplified mid-trimester progress reports for students

This year we created Summer Reading activities for all students in Grades K - 12. Students will have motivating and creative ways to share their reading experiences and what they have learned and enjoyed this summer. All students have several choices of activities and projects and will return their wonderful work when they return in late summer! Special thanks to all of our committees at each level for outstanding work on this initiative!

Please Stay Connected with Us!

Email: louise.seitsinger@npsd.k12.ri.us
Website: http://npsd.k12.ri.us/
Location: 2240 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence, RI, USA
Phone: 401-233-1100
Twitter: @NPAsstSupt

• Technology: 1:1 Devices for all students Grade 8-12; continuing to add more devices for students at the Elementary Level; Next Year adding devices 1:1 in Grades 3-5

• Introduced new 504 forms and procedures Grades K-12

• Continuing work with Induction Coaches and new teachers to support their professional growth

• We are on our way to finalizing our District RtI/MTSS guidance document! We will be including a Grades K-12 Referral Sheet and Data Sheet so that all school based teams will be aligned to our shared philosophy and procedures. The focus is to support our students with interventions, progress monitoring, while reducing achievement gaps and ultimately referrals to special education.

• Continued Universal P.B.I.S. programs at Elementary and Middle level with further expansion at Elementary schools with no formal behavioral support programs.

• Continued M.T.S.S grant work (American Institutes for Research) with McGuire and Birchwood Middle School who has recently joined the grant.

• Our PTECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) program at North Providence High School continues to be successful! We recently had a very successful student highlight at the Commissioner's state of Education address!

• We have applied for a $50,000 grant for our Marine Trades Program at North Providence High School
  

• Our Marine Trades program at both the North Providence High School and Middle Schools continues to be an outstanding and real world pathway for our students.

• Our Mechatronics and Hydroponics programs at our Middle Schools are successful and lead our students to embrace different pathways

• Facilitated our NPHS enrollment in the Advanced Coursework Network so our HS students may enroll in coursework offered by the Network; Coursework are offered by Rhode Island LEAs, Community-Based Organizations, Institutions of Higher Education and approved Department of Labor and Training course providers

• Facilitated our application for CTE Program Approval for the Marine Trades Program at NPHS

• At NPHS our Marine Trades Program has been recognized as a CTE approved HS program.

• NPHS is one of only two schools in RI to earn the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll recognition for our commitment to increase AP scores and access to AP courses

• HS Graduation rate has been recognized at 98%!

• Accepted for PreSchool Grant (Boston Pre K) RIDE to support programs and training for your Early Childhood Team
  

• In addition to our Induction Coaches meeting with our new teachers this year, we met with them as a team to discuss instruction including classroom management strategies. We calibrated using the educator evaluation document and a related teaching video. We are also conducting a text study using the text "Your First Year...How to Survive and Thrive as a New Teacher" by Todd Whitaker, Madeline Whitaker, and Katherine Whitaker

• District Elementary Schools all participated in Global School Play Day 2018! Students and staff engaged in unstructured play ( up to an hour in the morning and afternoon) with all types of creative board games, toys, crafts, and more; Technology was not utilized during this time; The focus of the time is to encourage creativity, collaboration, communication, and social skills for our students
  

• Superintendent Morisseau and I enjoyed participating in the NPHS Student Government Days as students shadowed us, we held a mock School Committee meeting, and we visited schools in our district with these amazing High School students. What a tremendous authentic learning experience for the students!

• We recognized and celebrated our school Guidance counselors for National School Counselors week

• We recognized and celebrated our school Media Specialists/Librarians

• We recognized and celebrated our School Nurse Teachers through National Nurse's Week

• We recognized and celebrated our District Teachers and Staff through our District Teacher and Staff Recognition Week

• Coordinated District Teacher of the Year Interviews and Selection

• Conducted, participated and supported District administrative, teaching, and staff interviews in an effort to recruit, select and retain highly qualified staff