LET’S SHINE!

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Even the most interesting of lessons could

use a little “shining.” The “shine” of a

lesson captures the attention of students

and refocuses them on their learning.

Adding “shine” to a lesson infuses brief

periods of time (1 minute or less) in

which students practice what they are

learning or recall previous learning.

“Shining” requires upbeat, short,

connected actions that link to the content.

“Shining” moments must be developed

and implemented with care, otherwise, they

could take students off task. For example,

in a lesson covering action verbs, students

would stand up to “do” what the

predetermined verbs require---“shake,”

“dance,” “stretch,” and “hop.” Once the

students “act out” the verbs, they should

quickly refocus. To maintain order,

ground rules must be declared early in

the “shining process.” The “shining” of

a lesson reinforces academics in general

and supports the learning goal of the day.

How will you “shine up” your lessons to

better engage your students?

Congratulations to our FABULOUS Teachers of the Year! We are so very proud of your

accomplishments and celebrate that your colleagues have selected you represent all that is

E X C E L L E N T in Teaching! On Thursday, October 8, 2015 the Newton County School

System, along with The Newton County Chamber of Commerce and Chamber

Champions, will celebrate twenty-three teachers who were identified by their peers as being

the best in their respective schools. The Teacher of the Year celebration gives us an

opportunity to thank our teachers and recognize their efforts. What our teachers do

matters! Teachers are dedicated professionals who go “above and beyond” when it

relates to the growth and development of the students they teach. They work diligently to

ensure our students face the world beyond high school prepared to deal with the challenges

they will encounter. With our selected Teachers of the Year leading our classrooms and

schools, I am confident that our students will be “college and/or career ready.”

Congratulations to each of our NCSS Teachers of the Year!

CELEBRATING OUR TEACHERS!

TEACHERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

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Research indicates that the single most important influence on students’ achievement is the classroom teacher! Last week, I visited

the classrooms of the three teachers of the year to surprise them with the great news: “You have been selected as one of the three finalists

in our Teacher of the Year program.” This visit was my third visit as Superintendent to make this declaration, and each visit has been an

honor--- I must admit, it is a “goose-bump” moment for me as I am so proud of our teachers and recognize their dedication, commitment,

love for the profession, and desire to “be the best.” Our teachers are unsung heroes who work diligently to provide our students with

everything they need to be successful as they move from grade-to-grade and ultimately into the “real world.” Mrs. Angulo, Mrs. Bagwell,

and Mr. Holder epitomize all that is fantastic, awe-inspiring, and wonderful about teaching and teachers in general. I am proud of the

accomplishments of each of our finalists, and I look forward to learning, October 8, 2015 at Newton High School who will represent the

Newton County School System in the state level Teacher of the Year Program. I hope you will join me at the event as we celebrate and

honor the work of our teachers! GOOD LUCK, Mrs. Angulo, Mrs. Bagwell, and Mr. Holder---you make us PROUD!

Our Grading Smarter, Not Harder PLC met in September to discuss the topic of homework. Homework can be the key to academic success for one

student and the downfall of another. It’s crucial to determine the extent to which homework is needed, and students must complete the homework themselves

if the homework is to provide information about students’ understanding/learning. Homework should be thought of as a tool in the learning process, not an

instrument for measuring understanding. In the text, a science teacher recounts her experience with a student whose homework habits were dictated by her father’s arrival home from work. The student had to do her homework by the light of her father’s vehicle’s headlights. It was then

that the teacher realized that students’ grades were influenced by factors outside of the student’s control; she stopped assigning

homework as a method to check for understanding. Check out Myron Dueck’s thoughts about the impact and influence of a student’s

life at home on their learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAAvbns3do4

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. –Nelson Mandela

IS HOMEWORK THE ANSWER?

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The CCRPI has been changed for the 2014-2015 school year (yes, that’s right, for last year.) This means that FY 14 CCRPI scores cannot be

compared to FY 15 CCRPI scores as both the indicators and methodology for scoring has been adjusted in FY 15. The FY 15 data is our baseline given

our new Georgia Milestones assessments and the change in indicators and calculation methodology. FY 16 (Spring Milestones of 2016) CCRPI indicators

mirror the changes seen in the FY 15 document. I have received notification from the Georgia Department of Education’s Assessment and Accountability

Department indicating following changes will be applied to FY 15 and FY 16:

Content Mastery For all Content Mastery Indicators for all grade levels and high school courses, Developing Learners will earn 0.5 (one-half) point,

Proficient Learners will earn 1.0 (one) point, and Distinguished Learners will earn 1.5 (one and one-half) points. o These revisions acknowledge the level of proficiency attained by students at each achievement level of the Georgia Milestones

Assessment System. Developing Learners have demonstrated partial proficiency, Proficient Learners have demonstrated strong (not basic) proficiency, and Distinguished Learners have demonstrated advanced proficiency.

Exceeds Indicator 2015 High School Indicator 15, Middle School Indicator 10, Elementary School Indicator 11

2016 High School Indicator 14, Middle School Indicator 10, Elementary School Indicator 11 o These indicators in the Post High School Readiness (High School) and Predictor for High School Graduation (Middle and Elementary

School) components of CCRPI award points for the percentage of students achieving at an exemplary level on state assessments. For the CRCT and EOCT, this was the Exceeds level. The indicator has been revised to award points for the percentage of students achieving at the Proficient and Distinguished Learner levels on Georgia Milestones. This indicator will not be benchmarked. This revision adheres to the intent of the indicator, which is preparing students for the next educational level. With Georgia Milestones, Proficient Learners have demonstrated strong (not basic) proficiency and are prepared for the next grade, course, or college and career.

Middle and Elementary School Predictor for High School Graduation Indicator 2014 Middle School Indicator 12, Elementary School Indicator 13

o This indicator has been removed from the 2015 and 2016 CCRPI in order to simplify calculations and reduce redundancy. The indicator was largely a duplicate of the indicator that followed but was restricted to one grade level. This revision simplifies calculations and enables scores at all assessed grades in the school to count equally towards the indicator.

High School Pathway Indicator The IB Career-Related Certificate component of Indicator 10 has been moved to Indicator 9 to better align the Pathway Completer Indicators. The

SBOE previously approved this revision for the 2016 CCRPI. This revision makes it effective for the 2015 CCRPI, as well, in order to maintain consistency in calculations.

CCRPI Component Weights The weights of the CCRPI components have been revised to incentivize and reward student growth and progress towards the state’s higher

achievement expectations associated with the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. Increasing the contribution of Progress recognizes the work districts and schools are making toward the increased expectations for student achievement; importantly, growth is independent of proficiency classifications.

COLLEGE AND CAREER READY PERFORMANCE INDEX (CCRPI)

Previous Weights

Achievement 60%

Content Mastery 40%

Post Readiness 30%

Graduation Rate 30%

Progress 25%

Achievement Gap 15%

New Weights

Achievement 50%

Content Mastery 40%

Post Readiness 30%

Graduation Rate 30%

Progress 40%

Achievement Gap 10%

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IT’S ALL LATIN AND GREEK TO ME!

Simply put, teaching Greek and Latin roots and affixes (beginning in elementary school) allows students to construct their own

vocabularies. Educators who choose to teach roots leverage word parts, creating opportunities for students to grow their

vocabularies exponentially. Each root a student acquires can lead to the understanding of twenty or more English words

(Rasinski, Padak, Newton, & Newton, 2008.) Over 60% of the words students will encounter in school textbooks have

recognizable word parts and many are Latin and Greek roots. Latin and Greek prefixes, roots, and suffixes have predicable spelling

patterns (Rasinski & Padak, 2001) Content area vocabulary is largely Greek and Latin-based and research supports this

instruction, especially for struggling readers (Harmon, Hedrick, & Wood, 2005). Finally, since Spanish is also Latin-based,

Latin and Greek can be used as a bridge to help Spanish-speaking students use knowledge of their native language to learn English.

Below, you will find a few websites that list Latin and Greek roots and affixes and articulate varied teaching strategies. As you are

aware, one methodology for building background knowledge is to teach vocabulary using Marzano’s Six Step Process. It’s

not a bad idea to discuss with your Professional Learning Community the possibility of utilizing an Interactive Notebook for the

study of Latin and Greek roots and affixes. Preparing students for success beyond high school will require our students to possess

vocabulary knowledge. Understanding Latin and Greek roots and affixes will position our students to be competitive whether

entering the workforce or going to college. Additional Reading: ASCD article--http://lsurl.me/13ZXE (Great for a PLC discussion)

http://lsurl.me/13ZNV http://lsurl.me/13ZNW http://lsurl.me/13ZNX http://lsurl.me/13ZNY

WORDS TO KNOW---TODAY!

The following fifteen words have prefixes or roots that are part of over 15,000 words; that’s as many words in most student

dictionaries! Students should know/learn the words and meanings of the prefixes and roots below---doing so, will significantly improve

their vocabulary knowledge and skills.

1. inaudible (not, hear)

2. dismiss (away from, send)

3. transport (across, carry)

4. unsubscribe (not, under, write)

5. predict (before, say)

6. remit (again, send)

7. encounter (in, against)

8. offer (against, carry)

9. inspect (in, see)

10. epilogue (upon, word)

11. antigen (against, people)

12. empathy (in, feeling)

13. intermediate (between, middle)

14. destruction (apart from, middle)

15. superimpose (over, in, put)

“Vocabulary words are the building blocks of the internal

learning structure. Vocabulary is also the tool to better define a

problem, seek more accurate solutions, etc.” - Ruby K. Payne

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The Advanced Placement (AP) Program recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through AP courses and exams with the AP Scholar Awards. Although there is no monetary award, each award-winning student receives a certificate, and the award is acknowledged on any AP score report that is sent to colleges after the award has been conferred. The Newton County School System has received notification that 82 students have been identified as AP Scholars. To be an AP Scholar, students must earn a score of 3 on three or more AP exams. The AP Program further delineates AP Scholars into the following additional areas of recognition:

AP Scholar with Honor--Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or

higher on four or more of these exams

AP Scholar with Distinction--Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of

3 or higher on five or more of these exams

National AP Scholar: Granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and

scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams

Twenty students were designated at AP Scholars with Honor, and an additional twelve students were identified as AP Scholars with

Distinction. Forty-nine students qualified for the AP Scholar Award.

Congratulations to our students, families, faculty, and school leaders! Expanding access to Advanced Placement courses enables our

students to experience the rigor associated with college courses and prepares them for life beyond high school. Keep up the EXCELLENT work!!

Public Education and the systems that support public education are

political footballs that are often tossed around in the “political

stadium’ in an effort to improve. It is important that we remain

attentive and involved in the political conversation. Stay abreast of

the legislative changes that are discussed throughout the course of

a school year. Each time our legislature meets, I read the

proposals to determine what each means for our school

system’s students and staff. Each of our employees must do

the same. Connect to your professional organizations and

affiliations to learn about the potential “after-effects” of legislation and

study the legislation for yourself---to make informed decisions

when necessary-ask questions to clarify. Most importantly, each

and every time you have an opportunity to VOTE, you should “give

your opinion.” The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) is

an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that does a

fantastic job analyzing data and educating to inspire informed

discussion and decision-making. You can get to GBPI here:

http://gbpi.org/ STAY INFORMED! YOUR VOICE COUNTS!

Our Newton County School System Strategic Plan “School Strategy” calls for

the use of effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). High-

functioning PLCs focus their efforts on improving student outcomes by defining

what we want students to know, do, and understand. PLCs spend time

determining how best to engage students, and how to identify whether or not

students know, do, or understand that which has been taught. Finally, PLCs

should determine how they will collectively serve students who don’t know, do,

and understand what we want as well as students who do know, do, and

understand the material taught. Data discussions should drive the PLC work.

Over the next several months, our school leaders will discuss with each school

team their learnings taken from the text, Learning By Doing. It is imperative that

all schools have in place high-functioning PLCs committed to the students they

serve.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES STAY INFORMED!

The NCSS Strategic Plan can be found here:

http://lsurl.me/140AA

ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOLARS

The Newton County School System's Strategic Plan can be found at the link below.

Take the time to review the plan!

http://www.newtoncountyschools.org/about/accountability/strategic-plan.aspx

TWITTER HIGHLIGHTS

Students, teachers, and our community working to ensure our students are the

beneficiaries of a high quality, relevant, engaging education.

Check out Twitter- See for yourself! #NCSSBeTheBest

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