AssistantSuperintendent BoardReport

All Bonham ISD campuses engage in regular PLC meetings. But what exactly is a PLC and why do we have them?

A professional learning community (PLC) is a group of educators who work together to improve their teaching skills and student learning. PLCs are a form of professional development characterized by collaboration, action-orientation, and a focus on student learning.

PLCs can be organized by grade level or subject area. PLCs typically include a facilitator who leads a team of teachers that meets regularly to learn new topics, share ideas, and problem solve.

PLCs can have many benefits for both students and teachers, including:

• Building stronger relationships: PLCs can create a bond and build a team of leaders within the school or district.
• Staying up to date with new research and technology: PLCs can provide opportunities to learn from each other and share ideas.
• Reflecting on ideas: PLCs can help teachers identify ways to enhance their teaching and adjust their practice.

The Bonham ISD PLC Norms is linked here.

Students in grades 3-12 participated in the beginning of year MAP assessments September 3-12, 2024. Administrators and instructional staff will review and analyze student performance data from these assessments during the September 13th Staff Development Day.

What is MAP Growth and what does it measure?

Unlike paper-and-pencil tests, where all students are asked the same questions and spend a fixed amount of time taking the test, MAP Growth is a computer-adaptive test. That means every student gets a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. By the end of the test, most students will have answered about half the questions correctly, as is common on adaptive tests. The purpose of MAP Growth is to help educators understand where a student is on their academic journey, if they are growing over time, and where a student’s strength and opportunity areas are.

Friday, September 13, 2024, BISD staff participated in a variety of staff development activities across the District. Campus and District Leaders planned meaningful, timely learning opportunities from analyzing student assessment data to reviewing safety protocols. An outline of the activities is shown below:

• Bailey Inglish = Region 10 "Classroom Management for Difficult Students" on-site training
• MAP Assessment Data Review in PLCs
• IXL Training for new teachers (10am; 1pm)
• Beginning of Year LPAC Training with Crystal Buckaloo (11am-1pm)
• Standard Response Protocols with Chief Templeton
• BI-8:30am
• IWE-9:30am
• LHR-10:30am
• FO-1:00pm
• BHS-2:00pm

I am currently wrapping up the task of completing the required annual SpEd Self-Assessment. The purpose of the special education self-assessment is to assist Local Education Agency (LEA) leadership teams in evaluating and improving their educational program serving students with disabilities receiving special education services. The special education self-assessment is completed annually by all LEAs, regardless of RDA framework determinations, and is intended to engage leadership teams in proactively addressing special education compliance and support student performance. The Self-Assessment Guide can be found HERE.

The due date for the completion of the 2023-2024 school year Special Education Self-Assessment is September 27, 2024. All districts are required to complete the 23 compliance/strategy areas. The Self-Assessment Rubric with all 23 areas can be found HERE.