Author: Erica Peron

It’s time to ask ourselves as educators the hard question. Are we communicating clear, coherent, actionable, timely, and honest information about student progress?

 “More than 90 percent of American parents, across socioeconomic lines, believe their kids are on or above grade level, meaning they can successfully tackle the core work for students of their age. They are on-schedule, so to speak, to be ready for college and long-term success in work and life.

Consider that only 39 percent of the more than 2 million students who took the ACT in 2017 earned college-ready scores in at least three of the test’s four subjects. Of the 1.8 million students in the Class of 2017 who took the SAT, only 46 percent met or exceeded college and career readiness benchmarks. About 70 percent of high school graduates go straight to college, but many of them arrive unprepared and in need of costly, time-consuming remediation before they can do college-level work. Perhaps unsurprisingly, nearly half of them do not earn a degree within six years.

The hard truth: Most students are less educated than their parents believe.”

                                                                       Source: EdNavigator, “Muddled: How Confusing Information from Schools is Failing American Families”

Read the full EdNavigator article complete with case studies!

Are you feeling concerned about having the clear, honest, and difficult conversation with some of your parents? It’s important to remember (and to remind your teachers) that in order to build a positive growth mindset in our students, we must first be honest about the real progress or lack of progress our students are making!

Check out this article from Edutopia on Framing Difficult Feedback for Parents.

Remember good feedback includes clear, coherent, actionable, timely, and honest information about student progress. One assessment or assignment should not tell the whole story of a student’s academic status. Consider the option of creating a student portfolio of work. This way, students and parents can see a more complete picture of performance and growth in the classroom. This may even be a great way of initiating student-led conferences in your classroom!

Read this article from Edutopia on creating student portfolios and introducing student-led conferences.

Don’t forget!  Step Up for Students offers free Professional Learning courses on Student-Led Conferencing.

 

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Check Out these Resources for Students with Unique Abilities!

Shriners Hospitals for Children is teaming up with the legendary rock band Foreigner to remake a classic and sell the group’s CD’s as a fundraiser. The band is donating a version of their chart-topping song, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” which was recently recorded and sung by band members and children who are Shriners patients in Tampa. Watch this inspirational video and see how you can help support the Shriners Hospital right here in Florida! Click here to learn more!

 

For schools serving students with unique abilities, the Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) is a wonderful resource.  FDLRS Centers across the state provide an array of instructional and technical support services to school district Exceptional Student Education programs statewide. The four central functions of each FDLRS Associate Center are Child Find, Parent Services, Human Resource Development, and Technology.  Find your local FDLRS center for free professional development related to serving exceptional student education, parent information and training, adaptive technology resources and much, much more!

 

To view all previous School Leadership Resources postings, click here.

Click here to read about the powerful growth our schools have had!

 

Click here to register for an informational webinar!

 

Rest & Recharge With These Resources Over The Winter Break!

Are the mid-year blues making you feel a bit overwhelmed and drained? The holiday break can be a great time to relax and recharge your educational batteries. We’ve compiled some resources below to reignite your passion for education, and to provide you with some inspiration over the break!

Read: Thought-provoking articles to encourage your mid-year reflection and resolutions for the New Year.

• Looking to increase enrollment next year? Explore this article about using data to improve enrollment.
• Thinking about implementing a new program? Read this article from Education World on the 5 phases of program implementation.
• Spend some time over the break thinking about your school’s vision and culture. Read this article from Education World.
• Read this article from the BetterLesson.com Blog on how to create a classroom focused on student centered assessment & feedback.

Refresh: Inspiring videos from teachers and administrators to reignite your passion for education.

• Check out these TED Talks from Inspiring Teachers.
• See how Project Based Learning has impacted student achievement in high poverty areas.
• Explore the use of makerspace in classrooms to help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

 

Revitalize: Upcoming webinars to further your professional learning and inspire new ideas for your school!

• Click here to register for a free webinar from Step Up for Students on effectively implementing Florida Standards (Dec. 11).
• Check out this webinar from Ed-web on the use of technology & makerspaces to personalize instruction (Dec. 12).
• The Center for Educational Leadership has several free pre-recorded webinars available here.
• Explore this extensive list of free ASCD webinars.

 

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Updates & Reminders from the Office of Student Learning-

• Don’t forget to nominate your students for our annual Rising Stars event! Nominations are due by January 4^th. Nominate here!
• Mark your calendars for the SUFS FTC & Gardiner Conference on June 20 & 21^st at Victory Christian Academy in Lakeland, FL.

To view all previous School Leadership Resources postings, click here.