HISD | Employee News: HISD’s news for district employees

ALL TEACHERS

• The Superintendent wants to hear from you: During his first few weeks on the job, Supt. Richard Carranza has spent much of his time traveling around the district on his Listen & Learn Tour, hosted by our Board of Trustees. The goal is meet engaged parents, community members and staff to gather input on what’s working, what could be improved, and how we can work together to improve student outcomes. For those who were not able to attend any meetings, there’s still the opportunity to make your voice heard. Click here to complete a confidential survey to provide your input on the district’s strengths, weaknesses, and challenges that need to be addressed.

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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.

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ALL TEACHERS

• TADS deadlines are extended: The following deadlines have been extended:
• Measures assignment for teachers extended to Tuesday, Oct. 4
• Deadline for teachers to acknowledge measures extended to Monday, Oct. 17
• Goal Setting Conferences extended to Friday, Nov. 11
  Student Measures assignment for the 2016-2017 school year will take place from Sept. 29-Oct. 4. Principals will receive a message from their PCIM when campus measures have been completed. Once a teacher is assigned their measures, they will receive an email from the system to acknowledge their measures so they can begin completing their Goals Worksheets. If a teacher wishes, s/he may request a meeting with his/her assigned appraiser to discuss the measures assigned. Additionally, Student Performance Goals Worksheets must be completed by the teacher and approved by the appraiser no later than the Goals Setting Conference, which is due Nov. 11. It is a district requirement that all teachers be on a developmental plan. Those teachers not on a PPA, must complete their IPDP and send it to their appraiser prior to the Goals Setting Conference. The 2015-2016 annual summative appraisal ratings are to be completed and shared with teachers at the Goals Setting Conference.
• Register today for the free ‘unconference’ at Heights High School: Come enjoy a day of discussion and networking with educators from across the district during EdCamp on Saturday, Oct. 8. Bring an idea for a session that you would like to lead, or come with the anticipation of a day of learning. A session might feature exploration of a technology tool, discussion about best practices, or a collaborative presentation with multiple facilitators. Click here to watch an informative video about EdCamp or to register.
• How to use data to effectively drive instruction: We’ve all heard about using data to determine how we approach our instruction, but how exactly do we do that? The Professional Support and Development team has a simple way to help you approach data and its incorporation in your practice: just think of getting G.A.S. to reach your destination. G.A.S. stands for “gather, assess, strategize,” and is a method teachers can remember as they determine how to best utilize the data gathered. A quick summary tells us to “gather” all scope and sequence information, lesson plans, best practices, and school approved resources to determine where students need to be and what they have yet to master. Then “assess” your students to see where they are by creating a standards-based assessment and grading rubric where questions are strategically grouped to quickly determine strengths and weaknesses by TEKS/ELPS, etc. Finally, “strategize” carefully both individually and then with your content team to determine how you can best further growth and student understanding by creating an instructional plan that will help students master the concept. For a full explanation of the G.A.S. method, click here.
• Bilingual Teach Like a Champion Sessions: This year, bilingual Teach Like a Champion sessions with be offered at Coop Elementary School. The sessions will be presented by Lourdes Houston, a teacher at Coop, as well as a Teach Like A Champion Specialist within the Career Pathways Program. Houston has received training from the author of “Teach Like a Champion 2.0” Doug Lemov. The next session is set for Oct. 18 and will cover “Show Call: Let’s Check for Understanding.” This training is designed to help teachers develop the technique of “Show Call,” a type of cold call that involves taking students’ written work and displaying it to class. The session is scheduled for 4:30-6 p.m. in the Coop Library. Register in OneSource using course number 140010.
• Get computer science certified, earn $1,000: As the district embraces digital learning and STEM education, teachers have the opportunity to earn a $1,000 stipend for becoming computer science certified. Teachers who take and pass the TExES CS 8-12 Certification Test in October/December 2016 or February 2017 will receive a $1,000 stipend just for passing the CS test. Additionally, the University of Texas-Austin is also sponsoring a face-to-face a certification prep course and reimbursing the cost of travel. Additional funding for the Certificate Incentive Program (CIP) has been secured through the February 2017 testing window. So, if you plan to take the certification exam or did not pass this summer, you can still take advantage of this opportunity. Click here for more information.

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