Weekly Teacher Download for January 8

ALL TEACHERS

New Benefits Provider:  Starting January 1, 2018, HISD will welcome Cigna as our new medical plan and flexible spending account administrator.  As a welcome and introduction to Cigna, the Benefits Department will be providing a series of communications through email and on myHISD called ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ during the month of January. Read more here on how you can start taking advantage of your medical plan.

Attendance Tip of the Week:  What better time than the start of a new year to make improving student attendance a top priority. Teachers can be the first line of defense for implementing best practices and strategies for a great attendance foundation, and can help students and families improve attendance throughout the school year.  Research-based evidence from Attendance Works, states students often respond better to positive recognition and peer pressure through incentives and contests than they do to lectures from parents and teachers.  Learn what incentives you can provide to help increase attendance here.

OnTrack Report Metrics: Did you know OnTrack uses two metrics (Average Percent Correct and Proficiency) to provide you with information on your students’ assessment results?  When reviewing data reports in OnTrack, please note that the different metrics provide different information.  For more specific details about the metrics used in the reports, please refer to the Average Percent Correct vs. Proficiency document linked here.  If you have any questions, contact a Formative Assessment Administrator in the Student Assessment Department at (713) 349-7460.

Report Cards Completion: The 2017-2018 Report Card schedule is now available here.  Please note, teachers will have Jan. 8 – 9 to enter grades.  Please refer to the schedules for 6 and 9 weeks grading cycles.

K-12 MOY Assessments:  The middle of year assessment window using Renaissance 360, HISD’s K-12 Reading and Math Universal Screener, is Jan. 8 – 31. All students should be assessed using the Reading, Early Literacy, and Math Assessments in English and/or Spanish.

Tech App Instruction:  Curriculum and Development has developed additional resources to support K-8 teachers in their use of technology applications. The resources include scope and sequence documents for grades K-8, quick start guides, and instructions for ancillary teachers.  Curriculum materials, such as the scope and sequence documents, can be accessed here.  Teachers and students can also access Learning.com from the HISD Digital Resources page here.

 ELEMENTARY

Professional Development: The Elementary Curriculum and Development Office is pleased to offer a variety of professional learning opportunities for teachers during the month of January, including literacy training to support Literacy by 3 (OneSoure courses #206001, #111001).  For more info, click the course list here.

2018 Math & Science Summit: Interested in stepping up your math and science instruction? Join the Elementary Curriculum and Development Office for the 2018 Math & Science Summit on Jan. 20, at Kingdom Builders Center.  Attendees will have the opportunity to network with colleagues, expand their learning, and deepen their understanding of effective instruction.  Those interested can register in One Source using course #835001.  Learn more about the event here.

SECONDARY

Strategic Reading and Writing Monthly Meeting: Join the Secondary Curriculum and Development Literacy Team at the next Strategic Reading and Writing monthly meeting Jan. 11 at Lanier Middle School from 4 – 5:30 p.m.  Teachers will learn how to focus on the implementation of literacy practices in reading, writing, and small-group instruction for students in need of intervention. Register now in OneSource using course #171003. For more information, click here.

AP Teacher Training: Are you an AP teacher looking to take your skills to the next level? The College Board’s AP Fellow grant program is now accepting application until Feb. 15.  AP Fellows is an annual competitive grant program that provides AP Summer Institute scholarships for teachers at high schools serving minority or low-income students.  The $1,000 scholarships cover the cost of APSI tuition; any remaining funds may be applied to travel and expenses. Apply today, here.

HISD Tech Summit and Expo: HISD is excited to announce the 2nd Annual HISD Tech Summit: Together with Tech Student Conference for all High School Campuses.  This year’s tech summit topics include: sound, nutrition and community safety. To stay up-to-date on event details, click here or consult your Campus Instructional Technologist.