Weekly Teacher Download for the week of Oct. 10, 2016

ALL TEACHERS

• ASPIRE Award model update: For the 2015–2016 ASPIRE Award model, the district will use Comparative Growth on STAAR instead of EVAAS when calculating award amounts. Comparative Growth, which was already being used in other district evaluations, measures the progress of a teacher’s students on a given assessment compared to all other students in the district who start at the same test score level. This change was made after the Board of Trustees voted in June not to extend the contract with SAS EVAAS®, which meant EVAAS for the 2015–2016 school year was not calculated. The 2015–2016 ASPIRE Award Model, which previously used EVAAS as an award indicator, was amended to use Comparative Growth on STAAR as a replacement indicator. Click here to read more about the ASPIRE Award model and click here for more information on Comparative Growth. You can also click here for additional information about the ASPIRE Award model change. If you have any further questions, contact the ASPIRE Support Team at ASPIREaward@houstonisd.org.
• New partnership with Houston Public Library gives your classroom access to their resources: The Houston Independent School District announced on Monday along with the Houston Public Library that every HISD student can now access numerous library resources at school and home through a new virtual library card known as the Learning Link. Through the Learning Link, students will have free, 24/7 access to the Houston Public Library’s assortment of books and resources at any library location, and at school and home through the district’s HUB, HISD’s online teaching and learning platform. Students can use a laptop, tablet or smart phone to access more than one million books, e-books, magazines and research materials, as well as online resources and complimentary Wi-Fi. All HISD students will be automatically enrolled in the program and can use their student ID as their library account number to access these resources. Click here for an FAQ on how students can register for their free library card. All HISD staff members also can join using the instructions included in this link.
• Learn, implement framework for classroom management from Safe and Civil Schools : The Department of Social and Emotional Learning will host two two-day classroom management training sessions for instructional staff and administrators. CHAMPS is tailored to K-8 teachers and administrators while Discipline in Secondary Classrooms (DSC) is tailored to 9-12 grade teachers and administrators. Participants will gain an understanding of the Safe and Civil Schools’ framework for proactive and positive classroom and behavior management, which aligns to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) principles. School staff will explore comprehensive and practical strategies to improve their current classroom management plan. These trainings are designed to help teachers manage student behavior more positively with the end result of engaging students in the learning process. Register using OneSourceMe, course number 136001 for the K-8 session (Nov. 1-2) and 136002 for Grades 9-12 (Nov. 3-4).
• Register for computer science education summit in Houston: CS4TX is a meeting that brings education leaders, teachers, business leaders, policy-makers, parents, and Computer Science professionals together to address the challenges faced in K-12 computer science education. The purpose of the meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 19, is to bring together education leaders, teachers, business leaders, policy makers, parents, and computer science professionals to address the challenges we face in K-12 CS education, and ensure every child in Texas has access to computer science in school. Come ready to participate in this interactive experience and offer your best recommendations. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Click here for the summit agenda and click here to register.

BILINGUAL/ESL TEACHERS

• Upcoming professional development opportunity: Dealing with myths and realities of bilingualism in the classroom, using SIOP in a high school science class, or building a vocabulary for academic success. These are the three upcoming topics for the Houston Area Association for Bilingual Educators’ 2016 Fall Professional Development Event. The seminar is set for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, and is free for HAABE members and $10 for non-members. Seating is limited, and teachers can register by clicking here.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

• ReadyRosie is ready for use in Pre-K classrooms: As the district moves toward empowering parents and guardians to take a more active role in their children’s educational journey, HISD is providing a free subscription to Ready Rosie to pre-kindergarten parents and caregivers. ReadyRosie is an online early-education tool that delivers daily emails and/or videos to families that they can use to strengthen a student’s academic readiness. In addition, teachers have the ability to push content out to parents to help them in certain areas where a student may be struggling. Some parents may have already signed up, and teachers are encouraged to link those student profiles to their own in order to track progress and suggest content for families to use. Click here for instructions on how to link your account to students/parent accounts. If you have additional questions, contact Rachele Vincent at rvincent@houstonisd.org.
• Master the Independent Investigation Method for K-5 students: Take the fear and frustration out of research projects by implementing the Independent Investigation Method (IIM) for 21st-century learners. Educators who attend this training will learn how to use the tools to teach research to students using the Independent Investigative Method, and topics will include IIM seven-step method and TPSP resources for implementing research in K-5 classrooms. Register in OneSourceMe using course number 20008. The training is offered Oct. 13, Oct. 18, and Oct. 27. For more information, contact Mikelle Holmes at mholmes3@houstonisd.org or 713-556-6954.

SECONDARY TEACHERS

• Nominate a student for the Shepperd Trailblazer Award: If you have a high school junior or senior who is an exemplary leader on your campus, nominate them for the Shepperd Trailblazer Award, which is given out by the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute at the University of Texas – Permian Basin. The award recognizes the demonstrated leadership behaviors of Texas high school juniors or seniors, and they must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of the award presentation. Nominations are due Nov. 11, 2016. Click here for more information and the nomination form.
• Time, location change for early release professional learning sessions: The locations and time for early release professional learning on Tuesday, Oct. 11 have changed. All Grade 6-12 teachers are invited to participate in early release professional learning on Oct. 11, but please note that the session at Barbara Jordan High School (5800 Eastex Freeway, 77026) will be the main location for all middle and high school core professional learning.  Sessions will begin at 2 p.m. A secondary location for middle school teachers will also be open at Ortiz Middle school. Registration is in available through OneSourceMe.

 

READ OF THE WEEK

• 5-Minute Film Festival: Classroom Makeovers to Engage Learners

TEACHER DEAL OF THE WEEK

• Jo-Ann Crafts & Fabrics: Teachers can get a 15% discount when they enroll in the Teacher Rewards Program