Weekly Teacher Download for March 4

ALL TEACHERS

Lead4ward Educator Survey: The Research & Accountability department is asking that all teachers complete the Lead4ward Educator Survey that was developed to gather educators’ perceptions about the utility and effectiveness of the tool. The information will be used to inform decision makers and to improve instructional practices in the district. Lead4ward was implemented in HISD to provide instructional resources to educators.

2017 When I Grow Up Career Expo: Join us for HISD’s Seventh Annual When I Grow Up Career Expo on Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Hattie Mae White (4400 West 18th St., 77092). More than 60 local and national businesses will provide exhibits for HISD students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, that will enable them to be able to discover and learn about various careers. To learn more about the event, click here. The City of Houston will also host an on-site hiring event for the Hire Houston Youth initiative which offers students the opportunity to interview and gain summer employment on the spot with Houston area businesses. To learn more about the event, click here.

PD Opportunity for HISD Teachers: The World Affairs Council of Greater Houston presents the program Global Perspectives Workshop for Educators – Portrait of Romania & Bulgaria on Saturday April 6, 2019 at the Federal Reserve Bank (1801 Allen Parkway, 77019) from 1:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The workshop will offer six hours of professional development credit and six hours of gifted and talented credit for HISD educators. Teachers will walk away with ready-to-use lesson plans, resources and ideas for classroom activities. Reserve a seat today for $10 (members) or $12 for (non-members). Breakfast and lunch are included. Fore more information on topics, click here.

Lead4ward Trainings: There are three new Lead4ward sessions available for HISD teachers on March 5-8. Register in OneSource for sessions focused on math, history and literacy. Register in OneSource for the March 5-8 sessions titled, “Building Capacity—STAAR Released Data Dig and Review,” (#1183002) “Contemporary America (HS US History),” (#119003) and “Math Rockin’ Review” (#1189001).

SECONDARY

Spring Break Writing Camp: The Secondary Curriculum and Development Department is offering a Spring Break Writing Camp for teachers. During this week-long camp, teachers will experience and practice new strategies to support student writing achievement during the last few weeks before STAAR. Strategies will focus on teaching grammar in context, review mini-lessons, and maximizing the use of mentor texts. Teachers will receive a stipend for $100 per day for their attendance and can register in OneSource, using course #1435043.

CTE Job Fair: Do you have graduating seniors who might be interested in a career in construction? C3 – Construction Career Collaborative is hosting a Construction Career Fair for graduating seniors on April 4, 2019 at Wheeler Field House (16325 Lexington Blvd., 77479). Students will have the opportunity to network with 24 companies and associations to hire and help students get training beyond graduation. Students and teachers can register for the event here. For the flyer, click here.

Achieve 3000 Read-to-Succeed Contest: Achieve 3000 is hosting a Read-to-Succeed Contest through Friday, March 29, where every time a student completes an Achieve 3000 activity, their class will earn a point. For every activity score of 75 percent or higher, the class will earn two points. For every activity score of 88 percent or higher, the class will earn three points. At the end of the contest, the class from each area with the most points on average per student, wins a gift card to spend on a class celebration of their choice. To qualify for the contest, each student in the class must complete at least eight activities during the contest window.

OnTrack Item Bank Survey: In December, HISD teachers and campus leaders were given access to the STAAR Test Maker item bank as part of an HISD pilot program within OnTrack. As part of the pilot program, HISD monitored the use of the STAAR Test Maker item bank questions for the spring semester to determine campus utilization. To gather additional feedback from campuses, campus and district personnel who used the STAAR Test Maker in OnTrack are asked to complete a survey regarding the quality and rigor of the items available OnTrack, including STAAR Test Maker items. Teachers and campus leaders can access the STAAR Test Maker Item Bank Survey in OnTrack through the launchpad, followed by clicking the survey flip card and selecting OnTrack Item Bank Survey.