PSUG National Information Exchange

1. PSUG National Information Exchange Users Helping Users

2. Implementing Standards Bob Cornacchioli DERO Technical Services CEO www.derotechnical.com GET2BOBC@GMAIL.COM bcornacchioli@gmail.com

3. Agenda/Participants will be engaged in: • Understanding Common Language • Constraints and “Givens” in PowerSchool • Best Practices- Standards are Coming! • Importing Standards using Excel • Conversion Scales • Looking at PowerTeacher Gradebook • Report Card options www.derotechnical.comfor more resources

4. CEO - DERO Technical ServicesEvangelist/Process Lead- Level DataMarketing/ - ParkBench Software Trainer Director of Technology and Media Services Shrewsbury Public Schools (16 yrs)PowerSchool Administrator (6 yrs) Bob Cornacchioli

5. Who are you? • Traditional or Standards Grades? • Teachers have graded • Teachers will be grading • Start Date- THIS FALL 2014 • Hybrid Anyone? • Common Core?

6. What is this Standard Based Movement • Do you know? • Do your teachers know? • Do your parents know? • Does your district have Parent FAQ? • What kinds of PD has your district conducted? • How is mastery defined in your district? • What is the expectations for At-Risk population • Have you discussed Special Education students

7. CURRICULUM/ADMIN & TECHNICAL DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND Collaborate and learn the constraints

8. Illinois Standards Task Force - 5 Steps to Success Kathy Dinger, Former Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Libertyville D70, Libertyville, Illinois C http://www.derotechnical.com/STANDARDS/DingerKeystoSuccess.pdf

9. Change requires continual checking of your stakeholders temperature! Parents Teachers Tech Team

10. Read anything by Ken O’Connor aka The Grade Doctor C Far more important than the keystroke of a grade is how the district has trained teachers in the proper techniques in determining that grade. What Ken and others are saying about student achievement is mission critical. PowerTeacher has been designed with these principles.

11. Learning Conversations: The Culture of Grading C Same Curriculum Across all classrooms Same Grading Practices Across all classrooms?? Have you had these chats yet?

12. C Average Temperature in Myrtle Beach in the Summer? 100 Average 100 100 100 100 100 Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Is it REALLY an 80 Average 100 100 100 100 Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Rick Wormeli – check out YouTube

13. Your Conversion Scale has been set… now what does a 4 or a C really mean? C • With teachers at your Grade Level • With teachers at your School • With teachers in the District • What does it mean for next placement? Everyone on the Same Page

14. C Unwrapping the Standards “unwrapping” – the analysis of a standard and the indicators to determine exactly what the students need to: Know (concepts) Be able to do (skills) Develops a deeper understanding Assists in planning instruction and assessment

15. Clarity on Evidence C If using a 4,3,2,1 scale, “3” = MEETS/PROFICIENT • Has your district provided time to UNWRAP selected standards? • District must provide time for teachers to decide what it looks like to MEETS a given standard! • Discuss Special Education students – as no parent or students want a report card with all “1’s”. • Do “Gifted” students use the same scale? • Have teachers decide on evidence for all other scores.

16. CT Other Conversion Scales Technical Note 8 Character Limit

17. C Homebound Assessment • Avoid Confusion- Adjust Rubrics and assessments Sending Home Letter Grades and Percentages will confuse Parents and Students

18. G R A E B O O K I D E N T I F I E R U N W A P S C L E S S T A N D A R D S CHEDLE C O U R S E S

19. STANDARDS NAMING SCHEMA CT 65*-75 Character Limit

20. Consider a user friendly schema for standard identifiers Removing a,b,c will save time- import template and report cards

21. # of Reporting Periods dictates the # of characters 75 70 65

22. Curriculum vs. Technical Labor Cost

23. STANDARDS • Create the standards collaboratively- Excel • Teacher Involvement = Ownership • Provide ample time for unwarping standards • Less is more- 65*-75 character limit • Number of Standards • Report Card vs. Curriculum Guide • Core Content vs. Specials • Essential Skills, Effort or Habits of Mind • Assessment Per Term • Changes and Real Estate – Text vs. # • Conversion Scales- Drop Downs for Teachers

24. CT STANDARDS TIMELINE(considerations) • District initiative or single school pilot??? • Pilots can pose some issues • Invite participation from non pilot schools • 6+ Months in advance- identify standards • Decide your scale ( avoid traditional grading- A ) • Do all teachers have rosters in PS? • Create - Import File of Grade Level Standards • Set Expectations for Comment Writing • Discuss Assignments vs Standards Assessment • Communicate with all stakeholders

25. SAMPLE May 3,2013 – Standards Finalized-uploaded to Google Docs May 8,2013 – Onsite development of preK-5 SBRC May 30, 2013 Onsite training of Vanguard Teachers Sept 14, 2013 – Modifications to SBRC and WIDA

26. Should Common Core Standards Impact Scheduling? How many courses are you planning to use for English Language Arts? Reading – Writing – Speaking & Listening - Language

27. Standards associated to Courses CT Check Enrollment: Schools - Sections Do you see courses in the left navigational areas? Check ELA – do you have separate classes for READING, WRITING, SPEAKING & LISTIENING?

28. CT Homeroom has enrollment and this school has 5 sections 1st Grade

29. CT If the course exists but there isn’t any enrollment - you have to address scheduling before teachers can grade students! All standards associated to HR is not recommended Mass enroll students into each core content area & specials using dependent sections

30. CT Create an Excel Import File ELA.3.07< What do you think .07 represents?

31. Create an Excel Import File 95003 < The course this standards are associated to? If you have multiple schools- do they do they have the same course #’s? NEW Best PracticeState Reporting – Associate different content standards to courses

32. Create an Excel Import File Allowassignments < False- Will not be seen in the Gradebook- TRUE visible** IncludeComment < MOST are FALSE, only the comment standard is TRUE Conversionscale < Internal PS #’s – represents pull down options** ** ** if blank – can’t grade!

33. Conversion Scales CT Habits of Mind/Effort Proficiency Levels Grades 1-8 / MCAS Proficiency Levels For K

34. Conversion Scale #? T • Gen Table (6) • Search for “scale”

35. T Or install Jason Springel’s customization

36. CT STANDARDS by TERM

37. CT Standards Associated to Courses Elementary teachers teach all core subjects So why not tie them all to HR? Are you going to have specialists grade? Art – Music – PE – Library – World Languages Only those teachers who are scheduled in PowerSchool can access their students.

38. CT Final Grade Entry For Teachers In Gradebook, If all standards were tied to HR, they would run from here to the Atlantic Ocean Remember – 95003?? Associating standards to specific courses can reduce or eliminate scroll RIGHT.. Just switch classes and reveal content specific standards

39. CT Access: PowerTeacherGradebook • Will the Art, PE, Music, Media, Computer, Band, Chorus… teacher be grading students? • If YES – they must have rosters in PS

40. CT Next Steps • Communication with: • Teachers - expectations for comments • Parents – how to interpret 4,3,2,1/your scale(s) • Specialists going to grade? Schedule? • Create Standards • # of standards per content area per term (C vs T) • Create the Conversion Scales ( GEN(6) table ID # ) • Create excel import file for PS • Altering Rubrics / Common Assessments • Create Sample Report Cards before EOY

41. C BEST PRACTICES: CULLING STANDARDS • Less is More! In the Gradebook & on the Report Card • Grade Level teachers review all available standards (CC,SS,&LS) and CHERRY PICK • Consider CC Sub-Category headers • Discuss/Decide which will be on the report card and which will only be in the gradebook • Wordsmith any standard over 65/70/75 characters • Choose standards that lend themselves to being easily associated to an assignment- not all do!

42. Download Web Gradebook and Standards PPT

43. Grade Value of Conversions Scales CT When teachers assess a standard more than once associated to multiple assignments, PTG averages these scores. Grade Value can’t be ZERO as seen earlier in this presentation. Round Up Scale– Cut off Scale = 50% of the Grade Level Delta

44. Grade Value of Conversions Scales Depending upon which standard based educator your curriculum folks have read, the concept of AVERAGE isn’t part of the standards movement. YET the Gradebook has to apply some sort equation in order to convert scores to these Grade Labels 4,3,2,1. Feedback from districts to Pearson has resulted in a new version (2.6) of PowerTeacher with the installation of PS 7.5. Averaging of standards scores assigned to multiple assignments is now becoming clearer. CT PowerTeacher Gradebook is still evolving!!!!

45. CT Controlling Web Gradebook If defined as PT Admin** - School Usage – Site Specific!!

46. CT Calculations • Using PT Admin- your district will have to set policy on grading standards. The Gradebook will have to be set per school to look: • Default setting for final grades • Allow teacher modifications OR NOT • Calculations for Most Recent Scores Decisions Decisions

47. CT Gradebook Preferences: Calculate Higher Level Standards

48. Essential Question – Will categories be assessed? IDENTIFIER LIST PARENT IF YES – The LIST PARENT of the SUB STANDARDS must be the Category

49. FOR AUTO CALCULATING HIGHER STANDARDS TO WORK YOU MUST IMPORT YOUR STANDARDS A CERTAIN WAY!!!

50. CT Gradebook Preferences: Assignment Grades