Week+1+Assignment+Discussion

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**Week 1 -- Starting Fresh -- A discussion page to begin with:** //(From past experience, let's add our comments to the top of the page. Believe me, it will be MUCH easier as our discussions go on)// =====

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(Betsy) Thanks, Darlene! I was beginning to want to throw in the towel on this one. I'm finally home and able to sit down with all the reports, etc. and try to finish this up. Usually I have a minute here and there at school to pick up info, but I'm so busy I forget to drink any water, look around the room (I'm doing mostly computer work right now), or even run down the hall.=====

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(Darlene) Cathy you may want to look at an elementary campus for AEIS. I will send you an electronic copy of my CIP if you would like to use my data for Part 3. This is a very long, frustrating assignment! Betsy, I can't find anything for the Administrative Procedures at the State level. I will ask my principal tomorrow. Did you find anything?=====

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(Cathy) Your not letting me down, I am just frustrated. I am assuming the content area is Eng/Lang Arts, Math, Science and Soc Studies.(From the AEIS???) I chose grade 11 and I am assuming the Evidence is the score percentage showing on the AEIS. I can only find a district CIP so I guess I will just read through it for something that looks good. When you are not is the K-12 enviroment, this is absolute jibberish. Good luck.=====

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(Betsy) Well, this is not the first assignment that I have truly disliked. I, too have worked what seems an eternity, and I'm not at Part 3 yet. I have our school's CIP, and helped write it, so, I am not so worried about that. I am just overwhelmed. I'm sure it's a combination of all that has happened since the beginning (middle) of July, but sometimes, I cannot move. I looked over what I wrote on Part I within my assignment, and it's just words. I know we have until tomorrow night before we lose points, and I will have to look it over tomorrow. I'm sorry to let you down. .=====

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(Cathy) This will be the first assignment that I have truly disliked. I have worked for an eternity to also get to part 3. I am not sure any of it is correct because I don't work on a K-12 campus. Without sounding totally ignorant, would this information be easier if I was in that enviroment? For example, I found the CIP for the district (finally) would the Content Area 1,2,3, or4 be the information listed in the Long Range Goals? The CIP Identified Objectives would then be the information listed in the Annual Performance Goals. Iam about ready to turn this is AS is. I could sure use any advice I can get. Thanks=====

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(Darlene) Thanks Betsy! It won't be late until Tuesday midnight right? I think we can nail this part by then. I'm wayyyyyyyyyyyy behind. I thought there were only two sections. I found section three today! Thank goodness I have the newest CIP in my bookbag!=====

(Darlene) The book is Using Data to Improve Student Learning..not much help for this part, but will later.
The state does not provide minimum curriculum documents. TAKS results are used as the State's measurement system.

Betsy -- isn't ASPIRE's "value added" also part of measurement?

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(Cathy) I have started putting together some of the information and should have it complete enough to key it in this page later tonight. None of this information is familiar to me so I would rather send it directly to you (Betsy) and see if I am in the right ballpark before I post it...or I can post it with a BIG RED WARNING to read at your own risk. (Just kidding, I am a little frustrated still...but getting there.)=====  (Betsy) Cathy -- the information that Sarah sent is going to be quite helpful. Thanks for writing her and sharing her reply!

Basically: Minimum State Provision = TEKS Desirable Local Provision = HAPGs (HISD), ASPIRE, Professional Development (E-Train) Preliminary Suggestion for Improvement = Ideas we can imagine for district-wide implementation

I will create more pages (I was thinking one per component) and three headers on each page for jotting down our ideas. If you want, I can send along a copy of a Horizontal Alignment Planning Guide (HAPG) so you know what we're talking about. We also have Vertical Alignment Matrices (VAMs) and YAAGs (Year-at-a-Glance).

(Betsy) The first thing we need to do is figure out what a "Learning System" is and of what it is comprised. Is it curriculum? Is it instructional method? A combination of both? Or does it encompass curriculum, instructional methods, schools, districts, et al?