Shadow Notes and Interview Summaries
Friday, February 10, 2006 w/ Jim Tarber 8:30-11:30am
-looked at written explanation of CRCT prep session
-made additional handwritten notes on a copy of this explanation sheet
-copied notes for teacher
-sat with connections teachers, reminded of importance of CRCT, briefly shared last year’s scores, December practice test scores, explained that after school courses will begin in two weeks, solicited for teachers willing to instruct in sessions
-attended same session with 8th grade teachers – basically the same spiel, teachers more concerned than in earlier session, ask more specific questions about what options existed for students who fail test
-back in office, we look at students that will need after school sessions and prioritize their needs: math or language arts or both
-time spent looking at funding for next year, concern over the funding formula used for staffing – figures are rounded down to whole numbers by one district employee, rather than left as decimals – this means fewer teachers would be allocated
-other principals are emailed regarding staffing issue
-one principal phones regarding formula – brief discussion
-teacher comes to office to ask about money for professional development trip
-another teacher comes to verify date for basketball banquet
Friday, March 31, 2006 w/
-talked about challenges of test administration: collating materials, ensuring that all teachers return materials properly
-carried CRCT roll and teacher instructional booklets to 6th grade teachers
-discussed some of the peculiarities of particular students: those who must have test read aloud vs. some who can not
-reminded teachers of process for picking up booklets and returning materials each day
-two or three teachers entered late and had to be told essential information that they had missed
-returned to office and separated booklets, answer forms and pencils into bins for teachers
Friday, April 14, 2006 w/Jim Tarber 11:30-4:30
-looked at open positions for next academic year
-discussed staffing changes and possible shifts of existing faculty
-took call from concerned parent re: student recently suspended
-talked to two students involved in cafeteria fight and one student who was a witness – both boys were suspended for escalating conflict
-parents of both boys were called
-teacher comes to discuss the need for some additional monitoring of hallway
-another teacher comes to talk about the transition from connections classes back to academic classes – connections teachers are believed to be releasing students too early
-office manager asks for some checks to be signed
-office manager reminds principal of a Monday meeting
-student in ISS is suspended for refusal to work
-afternoon announcements
-dismissal
-students who miss bus are corralled and taken to office to call home
-principal leaves “early” to go camping
Friday, April 28, 2006 w/Candie Jewell 8:30-11:30
-monitored hallways to ensure students had appropriate notes for passage to class after late arrival
-discussed upcoming disciplinary hearing with school resource officer re: student caught with marijuana
-reviewed personnel files of all certified staff to create Teacher of the Year ballot form – only tenured teachers qualify for TOTY
-mediated dispute between two 7th grade girls who created a disturbance arguing in the classroom; one girl apologized, another refused; completed ISS assignments for two students
Brief Report of Interviews of Jim Tarber, Sandy Denny and Candie Jewell by Kelly Girtz
Jim
believes that teachers mostly have an understanding of the importance of the
CRCT tests, particularly since this is the first year that the tests are going
to keep 8th graders from advancing to high school. Teachers have been guided in this
understanding from the beginning of the year, through faculty meetings and
practice test sessions, so this is not a surprise. In addition, Jim believes that they have
worked hard to communicate to students the significance of the tests by sharing
with them their scores from last year and defining the cut (or passing) score that
is necessary for success. Jim does not
know why math is the weaker area of the two; particularly since many students
in the school are not native English speakers, he would expect that
Regarding the staffing issue, Jim believes that district-wide personnel often leave behind their understanding of school and classroom issues. When they make funding decisions, they do not connect the dollars with staffing and learning as they should. He believes that there needs to be better support from district staff across the board. This includes the time that some school based staff members are expected to be involved in district-wide meetings. Careful preparation of these meetings is necessary to ensure that time out of the school building will be limited and that the sessions will be productive and meaningful when staff members come back to their classrooms.
Sandy, the ILT feels badly that the students who are most likely to do poorly on the CRCT because of learning disabilities and language difficulties can hold back the entire school. If this year finds the same areas of noncompliance with AYP as the last three years, the school could face reorganization. Sandy points out that each year the school has improved, just not enough to make “safe harbor,” but nonetheless has shown gains that deserve to be recognized in a formal way. She mentions that the test distribution and collection process makes here nervous, that there is always the risk that one test booklet or answer sheet could be lost, and that there is no room for error. There are some particular teacher and students that create great concern, as the emotional/social aspect of the child gets in the way of successful administration of the test. She mentions one young man, who will sometimes refuse to take the test, even though he is capable. This is not reflected in the low score he may receive, but it becomes part of the school’s data.
Candie, the Assistant Principal, believes that there are some students who are in need of a basic alternative setting by the time they reach middle school. She encounters so many behavior problems repeatedly that it is impossible for her to imagine that the system is set up to deal effectively with some students from the start. She is a proponent of a more active, hands-on curriculum for some students, and wishes the school district would provide this option. She mentions community service work as an outlet for kids that can make them feel better about themselves, as well as provide an educational outlet. In a district where she once worked, there were a greater variety of learning experiences, such as vocational-technical high schools, which she believes had a positive impact on behavior management concerns. She also mentions that parents of some of these students were kids that she taught twenty years ago, and that there are some inter-generational problems that are played out in schools.