Friday Notes from Guilford County Schools

January 19, 2007

Our Vision, Mission/Thematic Goals and Core Values

Our vision – what we will become, Our mission/thematic goals- how we will get there -- Our
core values - what we believe -- solidify the underlying foundation for all Guilford County Schools’ decisions and actions.

Phase II Mission Possible Schools Learn More

The US Department of Education (DOE) recognized the Guilford County Schools in September for its innovative Mission Possible model, a process for recruiting/retaining and rewarding teachers and administrators who are teaching in hard to staff schools.  The DOE provided $8,000,000 to expand the original number of schools by seven.  These Phase II schools will also receive the incentive/recruitment pay and will participate in staff development.

Over the past two weeks, representatives from Human Resources have met with the staffs of Bessemer and Union Hill Elementary schools and Penn Griffin School for the Arts to explain the model.  In upcoming weeks, meetings will occur at Allen and Aycock Middle schools, Cone and Falkener Elementary Schools. 

For more information on Mission Possible, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer, at 370-8340 or Tim Moose, Mission Possible Coordinator, at 370-8340.

Board of Education to Hold Winter Retreat

The Guilford County Board of Education will meet on Saturday, January 20 from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administrative Offices located at 712 N. Eugene Street, Greensboro.

The Board will discuss and may take action on all matters that may come before it including, but not limited to – bond referendum issues, AYP report/graduation rates/balanced scorecard and discussion of strategies for improving academic achievement for students.  For more information, please contact Sonya Conway, Chief District Relations Officer, at 370-8386.

Bus Routes for Northern Middle School Now Available

Bus routes for the soon to open new Northern Middle are now available. Parents and students can access the routes online at http://www.gcsnc.com/transportation/transmain.htm. In addition, hard copies of the routes can be picked up at the following locations: Northeast Middle, Northwest Middle and the GCS Transportation Office at 131 Franklin Blvd., Greensboro.  For questions or concerns regarding bus routes, please call 605-3305.

Finding Money for a College Education

If you’re dreaming of a college education for you or your kids, but your dwindling bank account gives you nightmares, remember that financial aid can help make college affordable. Learn how to find money for college on Tuesday, January 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Greensboro Central Library, 219 N. Church Street.  Get funding tips from representatives of NC A&T, the College Foundation of North Carolina and the Greensboro Public Library.  For more information, please contact Robbie Owens at 373-4552 or Cecilia Adams, Manager of Community Partnerships, at 370-8355.

Sammy 2007 Award Nominations Needed

America's milk processors and USA TODAY are pleased to announce the 10th annual "Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year" (SAMMY) 2007 Award program. This award program recognizes outstanding 12th grade scholar athletes from throughout the United States. An athlete from your high school could be one of the 25 winners who will receive the following:

• A $7,500 college scholarship
• An invitation to the winners and their parents to attend a SAMMY 2007 weekend at the Disney World Complex In Orlando, Florida in June 2007
• An opportunity to be pictured in a special congratulatory Milk Mustache ad in a June 2007 edition of USA TODAY and other national magazines

From now through March 9, anyone may nominate a student athlete, students are also encouraged to nominate themselves!  Judging will be based on:

• Academic performance (35%)
• Athletic Excellence (35%)
• Leadership (15%)
• Community Service (10%)
• Mike Experience (5%)

Applications may be downloaded/submitted at https://www.sammyapplication.com/
until March 9, 2007 For rules or more information, please visit http://www.bodybymilk.com or contact Sonya Conway, Chief District Relations Officer, at 370-8386.

School Improvement Teams

North Carolina statute is clear about the processes that must be used to create school improvement teams and school improvement plans in the state’s public schools.   All GCS schools are required to comply with the North Carolina statutes when creating their school improvement teams and school improvement plans. Click here to view these statutes.  For other statutes, click here go to the North Carolina General Assembly Web site.  Please call me at 370-8992, should you have questions.  

Greensboro College Middle College Students Recognized for their Creative Writing Talent

Earlier this fall, students from Greensboro College Middle College entered a poetry contest.  Josh Brethauer, GCMC English Teacher, is proud to announce that two students, Danielle Rassette and Erin Sipsis, have been recognized for their creative writing talent. Both students wrote poems that are found worthy of publication by Creative Communication, Inc.  These two students will have the opportunity to have their poems published in an anthology titled, A Celebration of Young Poets. Creative Communication’s next essay contest deadline is February 15, 2007.  The next poetry contest deadline is April 5.  To have your students enter, you can visit www.poeticpower.com to receive more information.  For more information, please contact Principal Denise Francisco at 370-8300.

Students Prepare for the Future at Kirkman Park Elementary

It’s never too early to start thinking about the future, as students at Kirkman Park will learn. Today, fourth- and fifth-grade students attended a Career Fair. Various professionals from the community attended the fair to encourage students to start thinking about future career paths. Some of these guests included: Attorney Duane Bryant, entrepreneur; Officer Prevost and Officer Burchette, High Point Police Department; Ms. Tiffany Lee, social worker and others. For more information, please contact Principal Karla Loria at 819-2905.

Wiley Elementary to Celebrate Black History Month with Performing Arts

On February 1, 1960, four young African American men in Greensboro stood up so that others throughout the nation could sit down. To celebrate this great accomplishment, the students in the Wiley after-school program will present a dramatic production featuring the play, Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins, written by High Point resident Carole Boston Weatherford. Two other poems will also be performed, including “The Phenomenal Woman” by world-renowned Winston-Salem resident Maya Angelou and “See It Through” by Edgar Guest. The production will be presented on Thursday, February 22, at 1 p.m. for students and at 6 p.m. for parents and the community.  Weatherford will visit the students on January 31, for a special assembly at 10 a.m. For more information, please contact Principal Sadiyah Abdullah at 370-8295.

Winter Dance Concert at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts

On January 4, seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade dance students presented a winter performance at Penn-Griffin. The performances featured the original choreography of Dance Teacher Cheri Stokes. Costumes were designed by Cathy Jordan, media assistant, and Michelle Walker, high school theatre arts teacher. For more information, please contact Principal Bobby Ann Hayes at 819-2870.

Sedalia Elementary Students Receive Lesson in Finance

Understanding the importance of finance is a critical concept for students of all ages. On Friday, January 12, Steven Squire, branch manager of Stoney Creek State Employees Credit Union, presented “FAT CAT Smart Money” to third graders at Sedalia. The slide show program uses student-friendly vocabulary to explain concepts such as producer vs. consumer, need vs. want, saving vs. interest and deposit vs. withdrawal. Information concerning savings accounts, passbooks, check registers, check books and budgeting was also presented, leaving students enthusiastic about their new-found knowledge. For more information, please contact Judith Hyman, Counselor, at 449-4711.

Seventh-Grade Winner of Local History Essay Contest to be Honored

Congratulations are in order for Jada London, the Penn-Griffin School for the Arts seventh-grade winner of the history essay contest sponsored by the High Point Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). To celebrate this accomplishment, Jada and her family will be recognized in February with a luncheon at Emerywood Country Club. At the luncheon, her essay will be presented to the DAR Chapter. For more information, please contact Principal Bobby Ann Hayes at 819-2870.

Diversity Office Up and Running

The addition of a Diversity Office is providing much needed support and resources to schools and personnel in the GCS district.  Among an extensive list of short and long term objectives, the Diversity office has created an opportunity for district personnel to dialogue about diversity as part of its “Diversity Brown Bag Lunch” series.  Among the extended list of offerings, the sessions will cover such topics as culture, class, language and oppression in education.

Please note the following dates of scheduled sessions for three of the district’s offices.

712 North Eugene Street Sessions:
January 31, February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9
(Always at 11:30 a.m. in the Board Room – Except January 31 and April 11 in PTA Room)

501 West Washington Street Sessions:
February 21
(Always at 11:30 a.m. in Room 300)  

120 Franklin Boulevard Sessions:
March 21, April 18, May 16
(Always at 11:30 a.m. in the Board Room)

Please RSVP your attendance to Mildred Wiggins at  wigginm@gcsnc.com or call 370-3284.
The Diversity Office has also scheduled onsite trainings for the following schools: Foust Elementary, Parkview Elementary, Sternberger Elementary,  Kiser Middle, and Peeler School for the Open Arts. Schools interested in scheduling onsite training or simply seeking additional information, please contact Monica Walker, Diversity Officer, at 370-3284.

Personal Education Plans (PEP) for High School Students

Personal Education Plans (PEP) are designed to assist students who do not pass required End-of-Course (EOC) tests. This document serves as a way to help teachers provide focused intervention strategies prior to re-testing. EOC tests and also serve as a benchmark to determine a student’s likelihood of passing all exit standards.  These standards are graduation requirements for the present class of ninth graders.  PEPs will be developed for any student at risk of academic failure. High School Instructional Improvement Officers (IIO) will work collaboratively with principals and their Site Based Management Teams (SBMT) to refine tools that have a positive impact on student achievement.  A series of mini professional development activities will be provided to improve student achievement.  Sessions will focus on developing effective Personal Education Plans (PEP), student portfolios, use of district benchmarks and use of value added data.  The first training sessions will be interactive Web conferences sponsored by Value-Added Research and Assessment Services SAS Institute, Inc. For more information, please contact Debra Barham, Instructional Improvement Officer, at 370-8101.   

Year Two of GCS/UNCG Content Area Cohorts Underway

Three content area masters degree cohorts, targeting comprehensive science, mathematics and social studies are all functioning exceptionally well with 50 GCS middle school teachers. The program is designed to deepen and expand teacher knowledge and expertise impacting classroom performance and student achievement. Programs of study involve 39 hours of course work (13 courses). By the end of this semester, the science cohort will have taken seven courses; the math and social studies teachers will have taken six courses of study by the end of this semester. Students go through the program in cohorts, taking all their courses with members of their cohort.  This has enabled the university to schedule classes with consideration of the teachers’ schedules.  It has also enabled the university to adapt and design course work to the participants’ needs.  

The GCS/UNCG collaborative proves mutually beneficial as both organizations work together to serve the unique needs of our schools, university and community. For more information, please contact Valerie D. Collins, Chief Organizational Development Officer, at 370-2305 or Dr. Betty Epanchin, University of North Carolina Greensboro, at 334-5993.

Phi Delta Kappa Audits GCS Curriculum

January 16-19 Elementary and Secondary Curriculum Specialists and Executive Directors participated in the Phi Delta Kappa’s three-day training program on auditing district and school level curriculum management systems.  The training prepared the department to examine and evaluate deep alignment issues in order to improve student achievement.  Along with an overview of audit premises, standards, internal review, and external audits, the program addressed issues related to the design and delivery of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

During the three days, participants used sample documents and select GCS documents to practice evaluating the quality of pacing guides, Total Instructional Alignment documents, curriculum maps, sample lesson plans and assessment items.  Additionally, the team determined that a comprehensive plan to identify and address deficits in the curriculum management system was a priority need for GCS.

During the second semester, the department will focus on ensuring that teachers are provided a guaranteed and viable curriculum with the appropriate supporting resources. Refinement and standardization of current documents, as well as the addition of supplementary materials allowing teachers more time to focus on the delivery of instruction in the classroom and the optimization of student achievement. For more information, please contact Dr. Beth Folger, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction-Secondary, at 370-2313 or Lee Ann Segalla, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction-Elementary, at 370-2657.

Elementary Math Initiative Focused on Developing Teacher Leadership

This week, approximately 150 lead mathematics teachers from grades three, four and five met in grade level groups in Greensboro and High Point to collaborate on improving instructional practice. They reviewed the upcoming concepts in math for the third quarter and addressed the most challenging ideas.  Direct instructional practices, as well as differentiated center activities, were provided. The teachers will bring these lessons and center activities back to their schools to share with their grade level colleagues. The teams will collaborate to implement the lessons provided. The lead teacher groups will reconvene in February to follow up and problem solve. They will provide feedback to improve the lessons for next year.  In addition, plans are underway to launch a Web site to increase communication among these math lead-teachers, their colleagues, and math curriculum specialists and to address issues that may arise in implementing this standards-based improvement initiative.

This elementary math initiative arose out of concern about the higher math standards implemented by the NC State Board of Education last year, plus the delay of state math End-of-Grade test results until early November.  Despite the best efforts of teachers and GCS curriculum leaders to anticipate and teach to these higher expectations, the results showed a significant percentage of former level four (high achieving students now scoring a lower level three (proficient), with similar declines of proficient students into lower levels.  While GCS schools did exceptionally well in meeting AYP standards, these declines among students who would have scored highly proficient or proficient under the former standards produced much less growth in meeting state ABCs standards and created a sense of urgency to address these higher math standards during the current school year.

GCS math curriculum specialists and administrators quickly concluded that with only two elementary math specialists, and school already underway, the only way they could help schools district-wide quickly understand and teach to these higher standards was to identify and invest in math teacher-leaders in every building.  Trying to provide experiences and materials to every teacher in grades three through five simply would have overwhelmed the capacity of schools and the district to deliver and participate in training.  A limited number of math teacher-leaders would minimize time out of the classroom for training, plus enable teachers to concentrate on the new learning required to teach to higher standards.  These higher standards imply different teaching approaches to build not just skills but conceptual understanding.  Finally, the hope was that GCS could begin to increase communication and feedback among math teacher-leaders in every building, establishing a foundation for continued improvement in math instruction and student learning. 

This concern also led to the strong recommendation for schools to consider departmentalization in grades three through five, identifying one or more teachers to teach all math at that grade level.  This creation of elementary math specialists was recently recommended by the president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, given the difficulty and learning curve of learning to teach mathematics to the higher standards prompted by international competition.  In GCS, the concern was that since the higher standards also required a change in instructional methods, to incorporate increased use of questioning strategies to build student conceptual understanding, and use of "hands-on" centers to help students visualize and explore mathematical problems, it was unrealistic to expect math teacher-leaders to train other teachers when they themselves were trying new instructional strategies for the first time.

While done quickly to address these higher standards during the school year, the plan was critiqued and improved by leading math educators across the state, and by GCS principals, whose feedback helped reduce training time out of the classroom to four days.  Principals were also asked to lead efforts in their school to identify math teacher-leaders, to consider whether and how departmentalization might improve student learning in math, to ensure that the math initiative did not accidentally interfere with current Read GCS training and implementation, and to remove obstacles of time and duties that might interfere with math teacher-leaders participating in training. For more information, please contact Lee Ann Segalla, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction-Elementary, at 370-2657.

Retirement Seminar

The Benefits Department will conduct a Retirement Seminar, Thursday, January 25 at Southwest Middle.  The seminar will be held in the school’s cafeteria from 4:30 to 6 p.m.  For more information, please contact Patty Kinkade, Director of Benefits, at 370-8092.

Math Pilot Update

In September, President Erskine Boyles (University of North Carolina System) and I announced a new math pilot focused on improving math at eight high schools.  This initiative is funded by Action Greensboro and includes the collaboration of North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

In this development year, several plans and structures have been developed to support the math initiative at these schools (see above), including: 

• Differentiated salaries for math teachers at Eastern and Southern High Schools
• Development of intense professional development to be delivered in the Summer of 2007
• Mentoring and Coaching of math teachers through a focused mentoring process developed by NC A&T State University
• Professional Learning Communities, with lead teachers

Math teachers involved in this process will receive laptop computers as early as the Spring of 2007.  Information about the development and expectations of this model will be shared with teachers and principals by key members of the Steering Committee in an upcoming meeting scheduled at Smith High on January 29 from 4:30 – 6 p.m..  An invitation will be sent to all math teachers and their principals by the Project Coordinator, Dr. Traci Howell.  For more information, please contact Traci Howell (thhowell@uncg.edu) or Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer,  at 370-8340.

Working Conditions Project Team Shares Strategies

On Wednesday, January 17, the Guilford Education Alliance (GEA) and GCS provided an update to board members on the Teacher Working Conditions Survey.  Dr. Margaret Arbuckle, Executive Director of the Guilford Education Alliance, shared the purpose and the process used in examining working conditions within the district, while Scott Emerick, from the Center for Teaching Quality provided a national and state perspective on teacher working conditions.  Latoya Scott, a teacher from Welborn Middle School and the GEA intern who disaggregated the GCS data, discussed her findings and offered her perspective on the results.

Teachers who participated in project team work in December shared feedback from other GCS colleagues by summarizing common themes and suggested strategies for improvement.  Those teachers included Millie Thomas -  Sternberger Elementary, Christopher Sciandra - Pilot Elementary, Tammy Shaney - Northeast Middle, Virginia Hoover - Aycock Middle, Elizabeth Foster - GTCC Middle College of Entertainment Technology at and Shawn Watlington - Greensboro College Middle College. For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer, at 370-8340.

Central Office Evaluation Instrument Training

On Friday, January 19, twenty-eight central office supervisors were trained in the use of the state-adopted evaluation instrument.  Dr. David Bryant, original architect of the instrument, provided leadership for the training. 

The central office instrument was created in 2001 to provide a goal-setting model for central office staff to use.  The model provides the structure for supervisors who oversee diverse job functions to use.  For more information, please contact Dr. Peggy Thompson, Chief Human Resources Officer, at 370-8340.

GCSTV 2

GCS/ABC 45 Partnership Continues

GCS continues its partnership with ABC 45 television to share the current news and feature stories about our district. The segments run on ABC 45 (Cable Channel 7) during “Good Morning America” each Wednesday and Friday at 7:25 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. You can also learn more about GCS by tuning in to GCSTV2 (Cable Channel 2.) For more information, please contact Leonard Simpson, Broadcast Production Manager, at 370-8167.

NON-GCS EDUCATIONAL NEWS

Student Promotion Site Redesigned

North Carolina public school students are required to meet statewide standards for promotion from grades 3, 5 and 8 and high school graduation. The standards, also called gateways, will ensure that students are working at grade level in reading, writing and mathematics before being promoted to the next grade. The Student Accountability Standards' site has recently been revamped to enhance its functionality and to make it more user friendly. The site includes information about policy, standards, intervention strategies and more. Additionally, the site features information designed for parents. Bookmark http://www.ncpublicschools.org/promotionstandards/ today.

New Kindergarten Health Assessment

The new North Carolina Kindergarten Health Assessment (KHA) form and Instruction sheet are now available at no cost from the School Health Unit in the Division of Public Health or the form may be downloaded from the Healthy Schools' site. Visit http://www.nchealthyschools.org/ and click on the appropriate link for more details.

Resources for Algebra (REVISED)

Resources for Algebra was revised in July 2006 to reflect curriculum changes with the adoption of the new 9-12 North Carolina Mathematics Standard Course of Study. Resources for Algebra present Algebra 1, wherever possible, as calculator-assisted and activity- or application-centered.  Teachers should feel free to build upon and remake this document to fit their classrooms by modifying and/or rewriting any or all of the ideas and activities. Click here for more information. (Item # MA134, 2006, $15.00)

Are Highly Educated Teachers Worth the Extra Pay?

Dallas-area school districts spend nearly $20 million a year on extra pay for teachers with master's degrees. The payments make intuitive sense: Advanced training must help teachers teach better. But scores of studies show no ties between graduate studies and teacher effectiveness. Even among researchers who see some value in some master's programs, many urge dramatic reforms and an end to automatic stipends. A large body of research casts doubt on the value of master's programs, of any kind, in the classroom. Critics say the nature of large-scale research makes it impossible to see valuable details. Perhaps, they argue, certain programs produce consistent results that disappear among the crowd in a statewide study. Perhaps master's programs help a certain kind of teacher. Yet school districts have long paid premiums for teachers with master's degrees. And the premiums have led to a large increase in the share of American teachers with the degrees, from 26 percent in 1960 to 56 percent in 1995. In much of the nation, salary premiums for master's degrees exceed $5,000 a year, but locally only a few districts pay more than $1,500 extra. Most pay less, reports Andrew D. Smith in The Dallas Morning News. Master's premiums represent a tiny fraction of total school expenditures. Still, that money, some argue, could make a tangible impact elsewhere, buying student laptops, tutoring sessions, field trips or additional courses. Click here to read more.

Six Tips for High Schoolers About to Start College

The holidays are over and another season has begun: the season of college admissions decisions for many high school seniors.  Those who have already heard from their school of choice are heading into their senior spring with a smile, and those who haven't are eagerly awaiting that thick envelope in the mail. But all students should remember that a lot can happen between now and August, said Beverly Low, dean of first-year students at Colgate University. "Just because you have confirmed your admission to college does not mean that the school year is over yet," she cautioned. "Most institutions of higher learning will review your final high school transcript and peek at your spring grades. So stay focused and finish strong." Here, Low offers some advice on preparing for the challenges of college life: (1) Read a book that isn't required for a class but that relates directly to one. It really pays to get used to the extra work early; (2) Get yourself a calendar and write everything down. Pay particular attention to the dates of your quizzes, tests, papers, and projects; (3) Schedule your own appointments. In college you'll have many more appointments to track while also managing a busy social and academic life; (4) Plan a trip all by your lonesome. Many undergraduates have to arrange their travel around class and exams, so consider this a fun dry run; (5) Read the news. Any informed college student should read a newspaper that covers hard news -- not pop culture -- at least once a week; and (6) Put yourself on a budget. Establish a definite amount of spending money each week and stick to it. Click here to read more.

The Few. The Proud. The Male Teachers.

The percentage of males in teaching has hit a 40-year low, the National Education Association reports, at slightly fewer than one of every four teachers in U.S. public schools. Florida logs in lower than the national level, and Hillsborough County below that. The state ranks Hillsborough 64th of 67 counties when it comes to the percentage of men in the classroom. The vast majority of them teach in middle and high schools. Elementary schools, which serve 47 percent of the school district’s students, employ just 21 percent of the county’s male teachers. Twenty-four of the 130 elementary schools have just one or two. There is little to no hard evidence that this affects student achievement, reports Jeffrey S. Solochek the St. Petersburg Times. Male teachers can be just as good, or as bad, as their female counterparts. Still, there remains a general sense in some corners that kids should be exposed to both genders as teachers. The steadily dropping percentage of male teachers unsettles many experts, who see the trend as a signal that teaching holds little esteem as a profession. Culturally, men are expected to support their families and be respected in the community. Teaching offers neither the high pay nor the high profile. When it comes to elementary school, considered by many the "nurturing years," the prospects for attracting men are even lower. The perception among many in society is that there’s something wrong with a man who wants to work with small children. Some of the same issues that repel men have the same effect on women, whose job options are vastly broader than 50 years ago, when teaching and nursing were the two main professions for women. Click here to read more.