Vision:

Prepare all students to be competitive in a global society

Mission:

Graduating holistically prepared students by providing rigorous curriculum, extracurricular activities, and multiple opportunities to cultivate student' innovation in order for communities to flourish

Last week the campus administration team conducted a series of learning walks with the primary focus of observing cognitive engagement.


When we think of student engagement in learning activities, it is often convenient to understand engagement with an activity as being represented by good behavior (i.e. behavioral engagement), positive feelings (i.e. emotional engagement), and, above all, student thinking (i.e. cognitive engagement) (Fredricks, 2014). This is because students may be behaviorally and/or emotionally invested in a given activity without actually exerting the necessary mental effort to understand and master the knowledge, craft, or skill that the activity promotes.

In light of this, research suggests that considering the following interrelated elements when designing and implementing learning activities may help increase student engagement behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively, thereby positively affecting student learning and achievement.

1. Make It Meaningful

2. Foster a Sense of Competence

3. Provide Autonomy Support

4. Embrace Collaborative Learning

5. Establish Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

6. Promote Mastery Orientations

Link: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/golden-rules-for-engaging-students-nicolas-pino-james

The video clip above is a group from Mrs. Rudd’s Biology Class. The students are presenting the difference between primary succession and secondary succession. Each group was to create a visual aid to describe the changes and present their findings to the class. As students presented their information, their classmates completed a peer evaluation tool scoring the students in overall presentation, posters, and information presented. In addition to this, students were to provide 2 positive comments and 1 question for the group.

During Content PLCs, each teacher will review the common assessments data and complete the data analysis template/reflection form.

All classrooms should have the following posted daily:

• Learning Objective (LO)
• Aligned TEK/SE
• Demonstration of Learning (DOL)
• Essential Question (EQ)
• Agenda (with times indicated)

This includes bell-to-bell instruction. Utilize extended class periods to work on RtI (Response to Intervention) support with students who need additional support. It may be the first week, but utilize MyData Portal to identify those students who have historically struggled to determine your groups for intervention.

I can't emphasize the important of taking attendance enough. Attendance impacts almost everything that happens on the campus. Please ensure they you are taking attendance every period, every day! The unsubmitted attendance report is downloaded daily no later than 4:00pm -- make sure you submit before the list is distributed!

Listed below are 3 of the campus distinction reports from the TEA Accountability Report. Our campus attendance rate had a huge impact on earning distinctions. Our campus fell in the 3rd Quartile. Submitting Attendance timely and accurately has significant impact on our campus.

As indicated on the Distinction reports above, college placement and AP testing is largely factored in campuses earning distinctions. You will see that we fell into Q2, Q3 based on students achievement on these tests. We need to find ways to incorporate different strategies within daily instruction to better prepare students for these assessments. Below is a link to the LearnStorm Challenge by Khan Academy. This program will run for 6 weeks to support students in all content areas (including college/advanced placement).

Students count toward the College-Ready Graduates indicator used for distinction designations if they meet an ELA benchmark on one type of assessment and meet the mathematics benchmark on another type of assessment (e.g. => 350 on the mathematics Texas Success Initiative assessment and => 25 English and Composite ACT)?

Yes, this is the College-Ready Graduates indicator gives credit for students who meet the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) standards on a Texas Success Initiative assessment (TSIA), SAT, or ACT within the respective subject area. To be included, the student must meet the standards in both ELA and mathematics.

The upcoming test dates are:

Oct. 3 - SAT (12th grade)
Oct. 11 - PSAT (10th grade)

Let's keep the LearnStorm Challenge Momentun Going!

LearnStorm is a national back to school challenge aimed at supporting students in all content areas. With LearnStorm teachers can track student progress with supplemental supports provided by the program. Digital and real-life prizes will be provided to classes that reach milestones using the program.

LearnStorm is a free, six-week challenge to start the school year strong with:

• Six Growth Mindset Activities and lesson plans
• A class progress tracker to celebrate and recognize learning
• Prizes like digital badges, certificates, and school supplies

2017 TEI Scorecards for Teachers

Teachers will have access to Scorecards on Friday September 15 at 5 pm via Oracle Self-Service. Instructions for viewing Scorecards will be emailed to teachers directly.

Annotated Scorecard: Click here to view

How to Calculate Salary: Click here to view

Contact the TEI Office directly with questions regarding salary:

TEI Call Center September 11th-29th
7AM-6PM
972-749-5712 or email tei@dallasisd.org

Balanced Literacy is a district-wide initiative being implemented to promote literacy across all classrooms. All content areas are needed to support this initiative to ensure students are getting exposure to different types of reading materials. We cannot place this burden on the ELA/R department. It has to be addressed in all content areas. Statistics show that students' Reading comprehension improves when Balanced Literacy programs are implemented with fidelity.

In the upcoming weeks, students will be given an assessment that will determine their Lexile Levels. A part of the initiative, requires all staff to know each of their students' Lexile levels. A Lexile measure is a valuable tool for teachers, parents, and students. It serves two unique functions: it is the measure of how difficult a text is OR a student's reading ability level.

The image to the right provides the measure and the grade level correlation. We will discuss more on this in upcoming PLC meetings to see how we can best support students in the classroom.

Email: conradcollegiate@dallasisd.org
Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS36cNx9lBk&t=42s
Location: 7502 Fair Oaks Avenue, Dallas, TX, United States
Phone: 972-502-2362
Facebook: facebook.com/conradcollegiate

The ECHS instructional consultant shared the 4,3,2,1 with our team on her last visit. Each teacher should incorporate this into their daily instruction.

4-3-2-1

4 - academic vocabulary

3- classroom talks
2 - Writing to learn
1 - reading activity (at least 5 minutes of content reading)

Next month, we will have instructional rounds. The walkers will visit 2 collegiate classrooms (listed below). Throughout the school year, all teachers will participate in Instructional Rounds.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Subject #1: Alg. II - Mrs. Tran

(1:25-2:40)

Subject #2: Biology - Ms. Rudd

(1:25-2:40)

Marzano: "Instructional rounds are one of the most valuable tools that a school or district can use to enhance teachers' pedagogical skills and develop a culture of collaboration. The goal of instructional rounds isn't to provide feedback to the teacher being observed, although this is an option if the observed teacher so desires. Rather, the primary purpose is for observing teachers to compare their own instructional practices with those of the teachers they observe. The chief benefit of this approach resides in the discussion that takes place among observing teachers at the end of the observation as well as in subsequent self-reflection."

Link: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Making-the-Most-of-Instructional-Rounds.aspx

Sept. 18-22 - College Awareness Week

All Faculty/Staff allowed to wear jeans with a college t-shirt

Monday, Sept. 18:

• ECHS Weekly Report Due
  

Tuesday, Sept. 19:

• SS ECHS Training with Tracey Hurst - Shook Building (Fitzwater)
  
• 6:00/7:00 Volleyball game vs. Hillcrest at Conrad

Wednesday, Sept. 20:

• Collegiate Admin Meeting 3:00-5:00

Thursday, Sept. 21:

• 8th Period - Collegiate PLC 3:00-4:00
• 4:30-5:30 SBDM Meeting - Collegiate Conference Room 2211 (Admin)
  

Friday, Sept. 22:

• This will be an C-Day
• AP Rubric/All in Learning Training 8:00-9:30 (Allums)
• Football vs. Adamson @ Sprague Stadium 7:30
  

Upcoming Events:

• 9/25 - ECHS Science Training (Rudd)
• 9/27- Denver Public Schools Visit
• 9/28 - Conrad Global Steering Meeting
  
• 10/3 - ACT Testing 12th Grade
• 10/6 - Compliance Videos due (submit to Allums/Esparza)
• 10/9 - Parent Conference Night 4:30-8:00
• 10/11 - PSAT Testing 10th Grade Testing
  
• 10/13 - Staff Development/Student Holiday
  
• 10/17 - Instructional Rounds
  
• 10/20 - Secondary Fair Day (student/staff holiday)