1/12 - Module 6 Fluency (Principals, AP, Elem K-8) Course # 24246 4-6 p.m. Join Meeting 

1/21 - Module 8 Sentence Composition (PLC Coaches. Instructional Facilitator) Course # 24329 4-6 p.m. Join Meeting 

1/22 - Module 6 (Repeat) Fluency (Principals, AP, Elem K-8) Course # 24246 9 -11 a.m. Join Meeting 

2/4 -   Module 7 Sentence Composition & Vocabulary Acquisition (Principals, AP, Elem K-8) Course # 24246 4-6 p.m.

          Join Meeting 

2/8 -   Module 9 Vocabulary Acquisition (PLC Coaches. Instructional Facilitator) Course # 24329 4-6 p.m. Join Meeting 

2/19 - Module 7 (Repeat) Sentence Composition & Vocabulary Acquisition (Principals, AP, Elem K-8) Course # 24246 

          9 -11 a.m. Join Meeting 

Please register in PLZ. If any questions, please contact Gwendolyn Ingram INGRAMGM@scsk12.org or LaShanda Simmons SIMMONSLD@scsk12.org.

January Virtual Learning Opportunities

January Leader Learnings Flyer 

1/14 - Servant Leadership Series Part III- "The Power of Listening to Build"-Audrean Bond Jones/Dr. Monica Fleming

1/25 - TEAM A4- Progress Monitoring - Rita White & Kimberly Adams @ Westside ES

1/25 - TEAM B4- Ownership -Tracie Scott & Robert Davis @ Levi

1/25 - TEAM C4- Teacher Leaders-Alisha Kiner

1/26 - Servant Leadership Series Part IV- Unleashing with Foresight-Dr. Sam Shaw/Dr. Charlie Reese

1/27 - TEAM B5- Recognition & Celebration- Kymberli Chandler & Kimberly Rodriquez

1/27 - TEAM C5- Self Practice- Dr. Canidra McGuire & Melita Thomas

1/28 - Lessons from the C-Suite: Model the Way-Clarify Value and Set the Example -Dr. Antonio Burt & Chief Leon  Pattman

PSAT 8/9: The PSAT 8/9 will be administered February 23rd. The make-up exam dates are February 24-25. All ninth-grade students included in the district's baseline enrollment report will take the PSAT 8/9 as a universal screener for identification for Advanced Academics coursework. Additionally, the PSAT 8/9 is a very important component in identifying students for all Advanced Academics classes, including Advanced Placement (AP), Statewide Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment and honors.  

The PSAT 8/9 exam will not only contribute to our capacity-building but also offer several other positive contributions:

• The PSAT 8/9 provides each school their students’ AP Potential for each AP course.


• The PSAT 8/9 student performance directly correlates to SAT performance; if a student scores a 1060 on the PSAT 8/9, he or she could score a 1060 on the SAT (21 on the ACT). 


• Students can link their PSAT 8/9 exam results to Khan Academy (free) for individualized learning plans, and teachers can set up a classroom dashboard to monitor student progress.


• SAT and ACT are now so closely aligned that when students use Khan Academy, based on PSAT 8/9 exam results, this will still contribute to an increase in ACT exam results.

If you have any questions, please contact Linda N. Sklar (416-5338) or Serita S. Covington (416-3471).

Registration is FREE.

New Memphis presents 2021 Principal Booster Shots Professional Development.

Leadership vs. Management with Luis Orbegoso

Time: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

• Wednesday, February 10


• Wednesday, April 14


• Wednesday, September 15


• Wednesday, November 10

Whether you've attended before or not, join New Memphis in 2021 for an entire new series of development specific to school leaders! Learn from high-performing corporate leaders at quarterly professional development sessions that equip you with out-of-the-box strategies to drive retention in your schools.

Register via link

Contact:

Erin Wendell | Manager of Educator Engagement

New Memphis 
erin@newmemphis.org
901.646.0629  
www.newmemphis.org

Data Week will be January 25th - January 29th. 

PLZ # 24794

• 1/26  Zone 1- 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 2- 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 3- 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 4- 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 5- 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 10- 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 12- 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.


• 1/26  Zone 13- 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.


• 1-26  Zone 14 WEZone- 8:00 A.M.-11:45 a.m.

PLZ# 24555

• 1/29 Central Office 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. or  12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

February 2021 Professional Learnings

2/3 - Culture & Climate – Part II “Learning Environment: The Premier Place to Learn” – Tommy Elliott

2/17 - Culture & Climate – Part III “Scaling Up Excellence: Establishing a Growth Mindset”

2/22 - “The Consciousness of Leadership” – Dr. Charlie Reese/Audrean Bond-Jones

2/24 - Culture & Climate Part IV “Scaling Up Excellence: Using Evaluation and Feedback” – Melanie Nelson, Aimee Marsh

2/25 - Inspire a Shared Vision: “Envision the Future” – Chief L. Visvanathan &  Inspire a Shared Vision: “Enlist Others” – Chief Gerald Darling

Please see the new due dates:

• Re-entry plan- January 15


• 90-day plan - January 22

Please join the meeting via the session links below.

Monday, January 11

• 8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.  - iReady (Elementary/K-8th Principals ONLY) Click here to Join iReady- Elementary/K-8th Principals


• 8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.  - Ready Graduate for Every Student High School Principals ONLY) Click here to Join Ready Graduate for Every Student- High School Principals


• 8:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m.  - Main Session for Principals Business Meeting (ALL Principals) Click here to Join Main Meeting at 8:35 a.m.


• 2:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.  - Project Graduation/Division of Alternative School ( High School Principals ONLY)- Please stay in the main meeting link for this session.

Agenda will be emailed to all Principals.

Happy New Year! As we embark on a new calendar year, we know that some of your students, families, and employees may have experienced challenging events. We wanted to let you know that if you become aware of certain severe situations, the Academic Operations and School Support (AOSS) Manual includes information regarding suicidal threats. For detailed protocols, please review the following section of the AOSS Manual.

http://bit.ly/SuicidalThreats

The Curriculum and Instruction Science department found it essential to provide a document that will help building administrators and ILT Leads support teachers in science for the remainder of the school year. 

These bi-monthly one-pagers are designed to assist administrators, and Science ILT leads stay abreast of current science standards in elementary, middle & high school grades as they support teachers daily. These documents also help provide suggested student activities that will assist in pacing classes that are not on pace. 

If you have questions feel free to contact the science team members: 

K-5 Advisor; Angela Deberry: Pattersona@scsk12.org

6-8 Advisor; Kimberly Jackson: jacksonkd@scsk12.org

9-12 Advisor; LaShaudra Cox: Coxl2@scsk12.org

Manager; Terilyn McChriston: mcchristontj@scsk12.org

ES Quarter 2 Bi-Monthly One-Pager.docx
HS Quarter 2 Bi-Monthly One-Pager.docx
MS Quarter 2 Bi-Monthly One-Pager.docx

The RTI2 Team is hosting a 3-Part Academy Series focused on planning and executing high-quality intervention instruction. Come Dive In and DEEPen your practices for providing differentiated instruction to address the needs of all learners. Check out the Flyer here for more information and be sure to share with any staff member responsible for providing intervention instruction.

RTI2 Spring Academy Flyer 2021-FINAL.pdf

Several types of Air Force ROTC Scholarships are available for qualifying students. The deadline to apply is January 14 at 11:59 p.m. CST Details can be found at https://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/high-school/types/ . This information has been shared with all SCS High School Counselors.

Students who organize virtual blood drives can earn up to $1000 in one-time scholarship dollars. The application deadline is February 28. Details can be found at www.vitalant.org/scholarship . This information has been shared with all SCS High School Counselors.

Check out this week's RTI Lead Update below. This newsletter is emailed biweekly to all RTI2 Leads and co-leads. https://www.smore.com/1tjfc

Click here to access the RTI2 January professional development offerings

Please remember that SEED Open Labs will be offered every Wednesday from 3-3:30 p.m. during the month of January. These informal sessions will be designed to take questions from participants concerning the following Chronic Absenteeism topics:

• Attendance Reconciliation


• Truancy


• Enrollment


• Suspensions/expulsions


• State Reported Data

This is simply an additional tier of support beyond our normal daily consultations and an opportunity to ensure that we are addressing the specific needs and questions of each participants. If you are not able to make the Wednesday Open Labs and would like additional support opportunities, feel free to email Dr. Blocker, Manager of Attendance, Equity & Discipline blockerj@scsk12.org. Also, continue to check PLZ for SEED trainings.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 901-602-6178,,184807132# United States, Memphis

Phone Conference ID: 184 807 132#

Find a local number | Reset PIN

Learn More | Meeting options

All returning CCTE teachers should already have a username and password for the eTIGER data reporting system.  As Semester 1 draws to a close, please take a moment to visit the following website, https://orion.tneducation.net, and login to test your eTIGER credentials.

If you are a new teacher with a license, OR if you have forgotten your TNEducation.net Single Sign On (SSO) login information, please email Michael Toney, toneymd@scsk12.org or Lisa White, whiteld1@scsk12.org as soon as possible. FYI - your scs.k12 login should not be entered.

GREAT NEWS! A training will be scheduled in the coming weeks. Please be on the lookout for an email to register.

Please take a few moments to review the January CAO Digest 2021 before January 11th. Inside you'll find required actions for the month of January, spotlights from December, and Equity in Action connections for each Academic department.

Thank you for your cooperation with managing device operations at your school sites. As you continue to execute this work, please be reminded that the Digital 1:1 Initiative: Operations Manual has been added to Edugoodies (www.edugoodies.com/scs) for your convenience and reference. The manual is listed under “SCS Daily Links” in the “Administrative Tools” section. Please continue to refer to the manual for guidance around all device operations processes and procedures.

One process in particular that we would like to emphasize is the process for break/fix hotspots and receiving replacements. Many schools have reported that their hotspot inventories are running low or have been depleted, however, we have not received many broken hotspots or requisitions into Central Warehouse, in accordance with the process. Please remember that when you receive broken/damaged hotspots from students, you must submit a Footprints ticket to have a Field Tech to access the damage. If the hotspot cannot be repaired by the Field Tech, two steps will need to happen:

(1) The Field Tech will package the damaged device to be sent to Central Warehouse for replacement, and

(2) Your staff will also need to enter a warehouse requisition into APECS requesting a new hotspot in order to receive a replacement.

Please refer to the “Break/Fix Hotspot” section in the manual on pages 11 and 12 or the “Break/Fix Hotspot” flowchart on page 27 of the manual for details of this process.

If you have any questions or are in need of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact devicesupport@scsk12.org for support.  

Unlike last year, Advanced Placement exams will cover the full scope of the course. College Board has designed newly, developed course pacing guides to ensure students are exposed to all the course content and skills even if they have only completed 25% of the course content to date. 

Please click here to access course specific pacing guides. If you have any questions please call 416-3471 or email Serita Covington.

The Mid-South Leadership Symposium 2021 Call for Proposals is now open. Please see the flyer for full details of this year's learning on how to submit. If you have questions, please contact Randi Scott Howard, scotthowardrk@scsk12.org .

Given the continuation of Remote Learning, the Winter i-Ready Diagnostic will be administered remotely. Use these three key practices to ensure you get the reliable data you need to support students.
 

We appreciate the positive response so far and would like to provide some insight regarding the request this semester. Although schools provide an orientation annually, we received meaningful feedback from the Memphis Youth City Council concerning the need to increase students’ awareness of counseling and mental health services available in our District. This orientation will allow School Counselors and Mental Health Clinicians (School Social Workers) to define their role, their responsibilities, and how they help connect students and families to services. Please see previous advisory below:

School Counseling and Mental Health Student Orientation: In an effort to increase student awareness of school counseling and mental health services, the Office of Student, Equity, Enrollment and Discipline (SEED) is asking that you allow time within the school day for your school counselor and mental health clinician to co-facilitate a student orientation session. During this virtual meeting, your students will learn who these professionals are, their roles and responsibilities, and how to access services. 

Orientation Session Expectations:

• School counselors and mental health clinicians will consult with school administration about the particulars of scheduling, for instance to decide if the session will be offered to all students at once or by grade level.


• Sessions will be scheduled between January 11 – February 12.


• The time frame for each session will range between 30 to 45 minutes. Schools may modify the time frame for K-2 students as appropriate.


• Sessions will be interactive to promote student engagement and include a question-and-answer segment and post-session survey.

Please send all inquiries to Dr. Angela Hargrave, Executive Director of SEED HARGRAVEAL@scsk12.org

We are excited to present another opportunity for educators to engage in the Microsoft Innovative Educator Training Academy. This Academy is for recently appointed MIE Ambassadors who did not attend previous certification trainings offered by SCS during September and October 2020. During this exciting two-day Academy, educators will learn how to leverage Microsoft’s hottest tools and resources to empower students to achieve more. In addition, participants will be equipped to serve as site-based trainers for others in the building.  

The ideal participant for this Academy will possess the following qualities:  

• Effective use of technology in K-12 classrooms 


• Eagerness to adopt technology integration into all areas of student learning 


• Passionate about technology


• Strong facilitator presence and rapport to redeliver content to peers

Academy dates are January 19 & 20, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Attendance both days is required. Please submit the name of selected educator(s) using the following link: http://bit.ly/MIE-Jan2021 by noon, Friday, January 15th. If you are submitting more than one educator to attend, please complete a separate form for each participant.

This is an investment we are encouraging you to make as there is no stipend being provided for this training nor substitute teacher coverage for participants. Selected participants will receive session access links via email prior to the session. Participants will also receive PLZ credit for attending. 

This is a FREE opportunity that would benefit your college bound students at a time that they are not easily connecting with these colleges and universities – NATIONALLY!

We know schools are working hard to keep their students safe, while also providing the best instruction and college planning support possible, and we want to help ensure your students have access to connect directly with colleges they’re most interested in. 

 I am excited to share that College Board will launch its inaugural BigFuture Days, a regional series of virtual college fairs for high school sophomores and juniors to help connect them with hundreds of colleges, admissions officers, and current college students. BigFuture Days are designed to give students a tailored experience so that they can establish connections with colleges and take action on important college planning tasks, like building a college list and identifying scholarships to apply for.   

 Students and educators can register for multiple events, including the region they live in and/or the region(s) that represents the schools they are most interested in as well as learn more about the event(s) here: cb.org/bigfuturedays

• BigFuture Day West + Southwest, Saturday, February 6, 4:00 – 8:00pm ET


• BigFuture Day Southeast, Tuesday, February 23, 5:00 – 9:00pm ET


• BigFuture Day Northeast, Sunday, March 7, 4:00 – 8:00pm ET


• BigFuture Day Midwest, Thursday, March 11, 5:00 – 9:00pm ET

In addition, if parents have questions about BigFuture Days they can learn more about the event(s) here: Parent Information

Below is a list of important updates regarding the portfolio process.  Please reach out to Content Advisors and/or the Office of Employee Performance and Support if you require further assistance.

 Portfolium Access: If you have received your email from Portfolium regarding access, please remember to click the link to fully activate the account. If you have not submitted your information, HERE is the link to complete the form to be submitted to the State for access.

Portfolio Submissions: HERE is the TEAM Portfolio Guidebook for Administrators and Teachers provided by the State.

Expectation for Submission:  Per the State: The Tennessee Department of Education is aware of the new and unpredictable current educational landscape.  The Department continues to support State board policy and education statutes. As such, student growth portfolio implementation and all other educator evaluation practices will continue unless otherwise dictated by the legislature.

Student Recording: Portfolio Evidence Collections: Per Policy 4041, teachers are permitted to record (Microsoft Teams) lessons for evaluative purposes. However, teachers should be sure to obtain the necessary media release consent when recording students. Recordings should be securely stored with restricted access. Upon completion, recordings should be destroyed.

Media Release: The media consent form is captured during new student registration and returning student updates. A list of students without a consent form on file will be emailed directly to portfolio teachers and school administrators by January 8.

State FAQs: HERE is a list of FAQs provided by the State.

The FINAL TEM Certification training will be held on January 12th-13th.

Those seeking TEM certification are asked to register to attend this session.

The course number for the training is 22702. Please register in PLZ by Monday, January 11.

If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Office of Employee Performance and Support.

The Aspiring Teachers Program is continuing to support SCS employees! Educators teaching on a permit, waiver, or Practitioner license are EXPECTED to participate in Online and Tutoring Supports if they are being offered for any outstanding exam educators still must pass.

Online Praxis Support

Review details about online study supports here. Through the program 240 Tutoring, SCS offers online study material for Praxis exams, National Evaluation Series (NES) exams, and/or Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCEs) at no cost to our active employees. Exams with online study guides may be reviewed here.

Tutoring Praxis Support 

Praxis study sessions are being scheduled now and are open to any active SCS employee. Currently Praxis tutoring is available for:

• Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (code 5001) Praxis




• 5002 – Reading and Language Arts Subtest – tutoring schedule available here


• 5004 – Social Studies Subtest – tutoring schedule available here




• English to Speakers of Other Languages (code 5362) Praxis – tutoring schedule available here


• Spanish: World Language (code 5195) Praxis – tutoring schedule available here

We are scheduling tutoring sessions for additional Praxis exams and will share updates in Teacher Weekly and Leaderboard as they become available.

Hard-to-Staff Special Education Praxis Support

Hard-to-staff support is available to any full-time, active SCS employee. Interested employees should:

• Watch our info session recording here: https://youtu.be/HfM1Ww9SdOI


• Complete this interest survey no later than 1/12/2021: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BBLWQG6

Wednesday, December 18 was the end of the progress report period for Quarter 2. Progress Reports were scheduled to be distributed on Wednesday, January 13, but given our online environment, parents will be directed to the PowerSchool parent portal where they can see their students’ grades at any time. Districtwide communication will be shared reminding parents to view their children’s grades via the portal.

If parents cannot access the portal after having received assistance from your staff or are insistent a hard copy is needed, you may still print Progress Reports and provide a process for which these parents may pick them up. For parents who do not need a printout, you could consider emailing a pdf of the Progress Report to the parent.

Please ensure your teachers are keeping grades current in their PowerTeacher Pro grade books and that they have caught up on grading prior to January 13, such that parents have access to the information regarding their children’s progress that would normally be provided on Progress Reports.

High schools that may be considering offering a new course which does not already have a state code need to inquire about the state’s special course application. Please contact William (Bill) White at whitewe@scsk12.org by Wednesday, January 13 for more information.

Tennessee public school districts are required to report to EIS when students are present and learning virtually. This is done by creating a daily attendance record using the D code (Distance Learning) for those students in PowerSchool. Please review the Automatic Attendance Procedure (D Code) memo for additional information.

An updated Assessment Calendar has been posted on our website here. 

The following changes were made:

• The state changed the WIDA Access assessment dates from the tentative dates provided at the beginning of the year. The window now starts February 2 and ends March 26.


• NAEP testing has been delayed until next school year, so it has been removed from the calendar.


• The description of who is supposed to take i-Ready has changed. All K-8 students should participate. This assessment is coordinated by the RTI group in Curriculum and Instruction (rti2@scsk12.org).


• PSAT 8/9 for 9^th graders was moved to a new date in February (February 23 with make-up dates on February 24 and 25). This assessment is coordinated by the Optional Schools and Advanced Academics Department.


• A January 26^th PSAT date for 11^th graders was added (new date added by College Board). This is not a required assessment, but it is an additional opportunity being offered by College Board to students who were not able to test in the fall.

*Also, please note that the spring TCAP 3-8 and EOC windows currently listed may change also. The state recently provided multiple testing window options for these assessments.