Recent ActivityThe Curriculum and Instruction Department serves the needs of the teachers and administrators of the Northwest Community School District by providing the services and support to enable schools to provide the best educational program possible for all students. Every possible effort is made to provide support, resources, and professional development to assist teachers and principals to provide quality top notch education for all children.
Instructional Content for Northwest Community Schools
The primary sources of instructional objectives for the Northwest Community Schools are the Grade Level Content Expectations and the High School Content Expectations from the State of Michigan Department of Education. These documents guide all instructional content, grades Kindergarten through twelfth. They are utilized throughout the instructional process: lesson planning, implementation, presentation, and evaluation.
All subject areas are aligned to these content standards and paced according to the length of the school year or course. Common Assessments are designed by the teachers for each grade and or course. Technology is a major mode of instruction in the secondary classrooms with the usage of SMART interactive white boards in all high school classrooms and in most of the middle school classrooms. Document cameras and sound systems are a major support as well. Teachers utilize data as a part of their common collaboration time to make informed decisions in their instruction. Data Director is the data management system that is used by Northwest Community School teachers for this process.
2009-2010 Priorities:
1) Increase the percent proficient in all content areas on the MME and MEAP.
2) Provide an instructional delivery system that meets the needs of all learners.
3) Provide a challenging curricula for all students at all levels.
4) Provide interventions and support for struggling students.
Curriculum Announcements May 2010• Summer school will be available for students using hands-on and technology based tools to help boost reading and math skills. Students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade will be recommended by the learning specialists in each building. High school students wishing to attend summer school may sign up for the program. The grades will meet in the following locations:
• Kindergarten - 2nd Grade: Parnall
• 3rd - 8th Grades: Alternative Ed. Building
• 9th -12th Grades: High School
• PE Curriculum Presentation: Carla Briggs, Cindy Dillon, Lee Ingles, John Moffitt, Nicole Tokar, and Chris Gumper completed the physical education curriculum with grade level alignment and pacing guides.
• Technology Curriculum Presentation: Heather Church, Gina Frederick, Joanne Bahlau, Joanie Koflin, Linda Cossel, and Brandon Baker completed the technology curriculum for the district with grade level alignment, pacing guides, and a technology assessment.
• Health Curriculum Presentation: Cari Bushinski presented the grade level aligned health curriculum and pacing guides designed by the Health Curriculum Team: Dan Good, Tina Delbridge, Stephanie Williams, Nicole Tokar, and Dede Rush.
• High School Curriculum Guide: A new curriculum guide outlining the Michigan Merit graduation requirements for high school students was completed. This guide will be updated each year as changes occur and will be available online.
• English/Language Arts: ELA teachers will meet June 14, 2010, and for three days in August to work on curriculum, pacing guides, power standards, and common assessments.
• Math Department: Math teachers will meet August 16-19, 2010, to complete curriculum work, pacing guides, power standards, and common assessments.
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• Technology Professional Development - The Technology Team has organized a vision for Northwest Schools. Included in this vision is a plan for professional learning. This plan will consist of opportunities for teachers during the summer, during the school year, and after school in the evenings. Northwest will hire a consultant that is trained in SMART technology to conduct these trainings. The details are listed below.
• SMART technology training will be essential to utilize the technology available in the classrooms. The SMART Boards must not be used as an overhead projector, but it must be interactive. Making lessons interactive will engage special education and at-risk students as well as the general population.
• A rubric is available for teacher to self-assess their technology proficiency. This self-assessment will help determine the professional development needs of the staff.
• Plan:
• Needs Analysis and Staff Survey - Surveys have been conducted and will continue throughout the technology training to align training to needs of the staff.
• Planning - The Technology Team will continue cooperative planning to enhance the training of all staff members.
• Professional Development - Training sessions will be available throughout the summer and the next school year.
• Follow-up - The Technology Team will follow-up with the teachers in their buildings to ensure implementation of technology in all classrooms.
• Technology Training Before School:
• Technology JCISD offering - Smart Board, Weebly, and PhotoStory training will be offered through the JCISD in August. A cost to the teachers is involved in this program.
• SMART Summer School - A free training for teachers will be available August 9-12, 2010. This will include SMART Board training and application and School Fusion training. Two credits will be available for a fee through Spring Arbor University. This course will most likely be taught by Jann Kilgore and Brandon Baker.
• Web Design for Educators - This course, taught by Brandon Baker, will be available for a fee. Three credits through Spring Arbor University can be earned through this training.
• SMART Introduction - A session for beginning users of the SMART system will be available on August 26, 2010. A stipend will be available for participants.
• Technology Summit - On August 31, 2010, the opening day of school, the focus will be on technology. The keynote speaker for all staff will be Rushton Hurley. The afternoon sessions will include further training by Rushton Hurley for the secondary staff. The elementary staff will return to their buildings for the mid-morning and afternoon sessions. This time will focus on SMART Board training.
• Technology Training Throughout the 2010-2011 School Year:
• Jann Kilgore, a current Northwest teacher is retiring and being trained through the SMART Systems company. She will possibly be contracted for the next school year to conduct the SMART Board training sessions.
• T Drive access will be available for teachers to create and share SMART Board lessons and information.
• Kindergarten through 5th Grades will receive one day per month of training and lesson creation based on GLCE’s and Northwest curriculum. The goal of these sessions will be to provide the teachers time to develop interactive lessons that enhance the current curriculum and that can be implemented immediately in the classroom.
• Secondary teachers will receive training every other month and will meet with their departments to collaborate on developing SMART lessons for their specific curriculum.
• This training schedule will be evaluated in December and adjustments will be made as needed.
• Additional coaching will also be available to teachers throughout the school year.
• Monthly after school technology training will still be available for intermediate and advanced SMART Board users. Dinner will be provided at these sessions.
• Professional Development training will be funded through Title II funds. This money is designated specifically for staff professional development.
• School Fusion training for elementary teachers will be scheduled. Information will be sent via email.
November 18, 2009· Kathleen Kryza led the second day training on differentiated instruction at the middle school.
· K-2 Literacy Coaching training is taking place at Parnall.
· Special Education Leadership Team is completing their list and prioritizing their needs for Assisted Technology.
· NCA Conference – Linking the school improvement process to Power Standards. Each School Improvement Team will meet to look at this connection.
· SMART Board intermediate training with Jann Kilgore on November 17th.
· Lifeways – Meeting November 17th to discuss continuing partnership without the psychologist component. Although this was a good service, this cut will save money for the district.
· Coordinated School Health Team will be coming to each school on January 29th to introduce the staff wellness program Active For Life. This introduction will take about fifteen minutes of the early release time on that day.
· Student Study Teams will meet on December 14th to coordinate district-wide ideas and accommodations. This date is a change from December 10th.
· The foreign language team is looking at meeting the graduation requirement changes that will take place starting with the class of 2016 (current 6th graders). They will coordinate curriculum to align it with the state standards and create common assessments.
· The Marzano strategy for November is Similarities and Differences. Curriculum Update November 2009· MEAP – An extension was granted for Northwest due to the two-day school closing during the MEAP window. The administration would like to thank Rachel Martel and Joann Kosinski for their hard work as the MEAP coordinators for their buildings.
· Data Director – It is critical that teachers using the Data Director system allow for site sharing of the Power Standard, End of Year, and End of Term Assessments. Without this step, future teachers of these students will not be able to view the assessment results and build on these findings. Please see department and grade-level chairs for information on set-up procedures.
· Coordinated School Health – Nicole Tokar, Carla Briggs, Tina Delbridge and Amy Sandford are the district chairpersons of this committee and are implementing the Coordinated School Health Program.
· Summer Outreach – This past summer, an outreach program was initiated in the Sherman Oaks and Walnut Ridge communities. This program offered free lunch, recreation activities, and art projects to the kids living there. Ten to fifteen kids took advantage of this program daily.
· Foreign Language –Leslie Weesner, the new elementary Spanish teacher, will join the other foreign language teachers for a curriculum meeting. Beginning with the graduating class of 2016, all students will be required to have two credits in a world language other than English as part of their graduation requirements.
· Power Standards – The first set of Power Standard should have been assessed by this time in the school year.
· Technology Flowchart – A flowchart was designed and distributed to all staff to help resolve technology issues in a timely manner.
· Assistive Technology – Special education leaders are taking inventory of needs per building for accommodating special ed. students. Stimulus money is designated specifically for the purpose. The inventory will help determine how to best utilize these funds.
· Marzano – The focus of Marzano’s strategies for the month of November is based on homework.
· SMART Board Training – Jann Kilgore will conduct SMART Board intermediate training on November 17, 2009.
· Student Study – The district-wide student study team will meet December 10th to update policies and discuss student interventions.
· Early Release Update – High school staff reported improvements in the value of this year’s teacher collaboration time. The elementary staff has used their early release time for staff consolidation and issues that have come up during the merge of the elementary buildings.
Curriculum Update October 2009o Coordinated School Health Team is providing Mounties on the Move, a 5k run/walk on October 10, 2009.
o Trouble Free Playground program is being implemented at the elementary schools
o Special Education Leaders are meeting on the second Friday of each month to coordinate programs district-wide and with the ISD.
o Kidder Middle School – Kathleen Kryza is training teachers in differentiated instruction.
o Art and Craft of Writing – Literature focus for 3rd through 5th grades
o Lessons That Change Writers by Nancie Atwell—KMA LA teachers are attending a conference on Friday, September 25, 2009.
o SWIFT training – for high school teachers
o Guided Reading/Writing Focus – K-2nd grade training with Brenda Ludwig
o Beginning SMART Training on September 29th with Jann Kilgore
o District Foreign Language Meeting – October 21st
o District School Improvement Meeting – October 5th
o Algeblocks – Training December 10th
o Kick Off for Leaning – Friday, September 25th
o ISD – SELECT Program for special ed. teachers – SBCEU’s available
o Safe and Drug Free program for 2009-2010 includes Girl Quest, Reducing Underage Drinking, and the Nutrition Module Department Files
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