Please register for your support needs by clicking here ReThink SEL Support.

Review the MANDATORY Discipline Training on Threats & Fights  (i.e., Counselors, administrators, teachers, etc.). The previously posted link was damaged and has been restored for your review.

The new Teacher Disciplinary Act will become effective on January 1, 2022 (TCA 49-6-2803). This Tennessee Code Annotated revision will allow teachers to request classroom removals for students who exhibit extreme disruptive behaviors to the learning environment, as in times past; however, in addition to requests for removals, teachers can now appeal to the school principal and district to review a principal’s decision to refuse the removal. A mandatory presentation has been developed and submitted into the Safe Schools training que for appropriate staff. 

Please ensure that your staff participates in this mandatory training, once it is sent out district-wide. This training video will explain the expectations for teachers, administrators, and district leaders when implementing and reviewing classroom removals and appeals. Appeals will be required to be reviewed first by the executive principal and can possibly be appealed beyond the principal to the Office of Student Equity, Enrollment & Discipline. District-level appeals can be submitted by accessing the following link: Teacher Appeal: Classroom Removals

If you have questions regarding the Teacher Discipline Act, contact Dr. Blocker, the Manager of Equity, Discipline & Attendance at BLOCKERJ@scsk12.org. 

Although we strongly encourage and require to readmit conferences for students returning from out-of-school suspensions, please remember that students cannot be held out of school beyond the suspension’s end date. If parents are not able to meet for re-admit conferences during your designated time slots due to work or other unavoidable circumstances, students should still be allowed to return to the instructional environment and an alternate meeting time should be scheduled for the re-admit conference. 

If parents arrive for late check-ins with multiple school hours remaining in the day, they should not be turned away. Turning students away from the instructional environment will detrimentally affect your school’s chronic absenteeism and academic achievement rates. The state law allows students to return to the school building during school hours. If you need additional clarity about equitable attendance and discipline practices, please contact SEED support at 901-416-6007.

The Office of Student Equity, Enrollment, and Discipline will provide information sessions on Registration and Enrollment for all school clerical support staff (Registration Teams). The course will emphasize the IMPORTANCE of schools having a Registration & Enrollment Team; provide required information to navigate the different components centered around Registration and Enrollment while assisting parents during this critical period. All information presented is significant as it relates to enrollment, funding, and state reporting for the opening of Registration & Enrollment on January 10, 2022. 

Please follow the link below to register for one session only. For additional questions, contact SCS Registration - Enrollment Team at Registration@scsk12.org or 901-416-6007. 

• Course Number: 29604
• Course Name: Registration and Enrollment Workshop and Training
• Dates: 12/7/21, 12/9/21, 12/14/21, 12/15/21, 12/16/21, 1/03/22/ 1/04/22, 01/05/22
• Times: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., or 3:00 p.m. (Please register for one session only)
• Location: Teams Meeting (December dates) & TLA (in person) (January dates)
• Website: https://shelby.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/login/guest

Thank you for a great semester. We hope you are able to take advantage of some much-needed rest and rejuvenation over the Winter Break. As you reflect during this holiday season, we wanted to provide you with some friendly reminders of supports available from the FACE office that is included in the AOSS Manual:

• Customer Service/Issue Resolution Process
• Customer Service W O R K S Core Values and Guidelines
• Family and Community Engagement Department Information and Team Contact Information
• School Support Organizations Process
• Volunteer Process

Wondering where you can locate Curriculum & Instruction updates and reminders? Well, look no further than the monthly Curriculum Connection newsletter! The December edition serves as the initial publication for this 2021-22 school year and can be accessed here: C&I December 2021 Newsletter

K-5 Winter Screening - January 3-21

• With the assessment window right around the corner, make sure your school has a plan in place for winter screening. The RTI2 Winter Illuminate FastBridge Assessment (Universal Screening and Benchmarking) window runs Monday, January 3, 2022, through Friday, January 21, 2022. All K-5 students are expected to participate in the screening and benchmarking process.

K-8 i-Ready Winter Diagnostic - January 3-21

• The i-Ready winter diagnostic window runs Monday, January 3, 2022, through Friday, January 14, 2022. All K-8 students are expected to participate in the reading and math diagnostic assessment.

RTI2 Leads are expected to submit their school-level assessment schedule to their assigned RTI2 Advisor before leaving for winter break. Consider the following questions when organizing the assessment schedule with your administrative team:

• Have you identified and communicated with your staff members that will administer the assessments? Have they been trained to administer the assessments?
• Do all your teachers/staff know how to access Illuminate FastBridge and i-Ready?
• Are teachers and staff informed of the testing schedule and expectations?
• Has your school informed parents and students of the RTI assessment window?
• Does your school have a data team meeting scheduled to review the screening, benchmarking, and diagnostic results?
• How can your ILT leverage this data to inform core instruction supports?
• Does your school administrative team have a plan and schedule in place to monitor the completion of these assessments and ensure students are taking their time to show 'what they know?

Reminder! The Winter i-Ready Diagnostic window opens January 3, 2022 immediately upon return from break. It will be open through January 14, 2022. These i-Ready Central resources can help schools/teachers prepare 

To make access to Curriculum & Instruction resources easier we have reorganized! Please see the attached flyer that outlines the path to the resources and what you will find in each folder. Keep in mind that we are continually adding to these resources so be sure to check back often for updates. A “release date” list is outlined below for your convenience.

• Pre-filled PLC Guides for January
  • ELA: 12/15 COB
  • Math: 12/15 COB
  • Science: 12/10 COB
  • Social Studies: 12/14 COB
• Annotated PBOs for January
  • ELA: 12/17 COB
  • Math: 12/15 COB
  • Science: 12/10 COB
  • Social Studies: 12/14 COB
• ELA Reading Prescription Q3: 12/14
• We have included a writing component for grades 6-10 in the Q3 Reading Prescriptions and will provide a supplemental writing component for grades 3-5 in the coming days. If you need any assistance with access or have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to support you!

 2021-2022 District Curricular Resources 

The Written Expression Benchmark window closes TODAY!

Student List (Grades 1-8): All RTI2 Leads/Co-Leads were emailed the link to access the Written Expression Student List on Monday, December 13. RTI2 Leads/Co-Leads can also access the link to the spreadsheet on the Home Page of RTI2 School Submission SharePoint site. All students (Gen. Ed and SWD) listed are expected to participate in the Written Expression screening assessment. The spreadsheet includes an instructions tab and a student list tab to enter students’ benchmark scores. Please do not alter the spreadsheet or it will be considered incomplete and sent back to the RTI2 lead to update. Columns I-N on the spreadsheet must be filled in completely with the correct information to be considered for completion. Submit your completed Written Expression benchmark spreadsheet to the RTI2 School Submission SharePoint folder on or before Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Contact your RTI2 Advisor if you have any questions or need additional support.

Students with Disabilities: Per DECHS guidance, students with disabilities will complete the universal screening assessments (reading, math, written expression) and any required benchmarking with their general education peers during the district-designated screening periods. Accommodations and modifications in the IEP are NOT allowed during the universal screener. If a district-designated screener is attempted with a student in a self-contained class (BIC, FS, AFS, and DHH) but the student is unable to respond to the screener, an alternate screening tool can be considered.

Written Expression Training Packet & Screening Resources: The Written Expression training packet and screening prompts can be found in the C&I Curriculum Maps RTI2 Resources SharePoint folder --> subfolder RTI2 Assessments http://www.scsk12.org/ci/maps.php?PID=1226

Written Expression Screening and Benchmarking Timeline: Schools must adhere to required submission deadlines to be considered On-Track for SOAR Cycle 2.

• December 13: RTI2 Leads receive WE benchmarking follow-up list via email
• December 13-December 17: Schools administer WE benchmarking assessments
• January 5: RTI2 Leads submit completed WE benchmarking spreadsheet to RTI2 School Submission SharePoint site.

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction is seeking input as we finalize the scope of work for the upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) for selecting high-quality intervention(s) that meets the needs of all high school learners. Please take a few minutes to complete the brief survey by COB Friday, January 7, 2022. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. https://forms.office.com/r/eKujcFaSU8

Please take a moment to review the RTI2 Lead Update newsletter content shared with RTI2 Leads on Tuesday, December 14. https://www.smore.com/yd2rz

According to the 12-month hourly work schedule, SEAs are scheduled to work December 20-22, during Winter Break unless they have accumulated vacation days and the days are approved by the school administrator.    

During Winter Break, SEAs do not have to report to schools. Instead, SEAs who do not have/use vacation days will be required to complete 18 hours of professional learning that includes Canvas courses and Bridge to Practice exercises by December 23. 

• NOTE: All hours can be completed remotely, provided that SEAs have access to the Internet. If a SEA does not have internet access, she/he must report to the TLA Auditorium from 8:30 AM-3:30 PM on December 20-22 to complete the full 18 hours of professional learning. 

Principals should provide SEAs with a device to utilize during the Winter Break. There will NOT be any devices available for use at the TLA. 
 

The following professional learning sessions will be available for SEA completion during Dec. 20-22:

1. SEAs can register in PLZ and engage in the following K-2 Early Literacy Canvas courses: 
   1. K-2 Early Literacy: Fluency, Canvas CADRE1189 
   2. K-2 Early Literacy: Phonics, Grammar, Comprehension, Canvas CADRE1190
   3. NOTE: All Fall Canvas Courses must be completed by December 23 to receive credit.  
       
2. SEAs can register in PLZ and engage in the following PLS Canvas courses:
   1. K-1 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 1: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1192
   2. K-1 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 2: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1199
   3. K-1 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 3: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1197
   4. K-1 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 4: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1195
   5. 2-5 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 1: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1193
   6. 2-5 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 2: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1198
   7. 2-5 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 3: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1196
   8. 2-5 ELA Planning for Instructional Practice 4: English Language Arts, Canvas CADRE 1194
      NOTE: All Canvas Courses must be completed by December 23 to receive credit.  

REMEMBER:  

• If a SEA has access to the Internet at home or another location (not in the school), s/he does NOT have to report to the TLA. However, the CADRE courses and Bridge to Practice tasks still have to be completed and submitted by December 23 to receive credit for working the full three days.
• SEAs who choose to report to the TLA for Internet use must sign in (8:30 AM) and sign out (3:30 PM) at the TLA. (Lunch is on your own @ 11:30 AM-12:30 PM)
• SEAs must complete at least 5-6 Canvas CADRE courses and the Bridge to Practice task to receive credit for working the full three days.  The Bridge to Practice task can only be accessed via this link beginning December 22 at 8:30 AM.
• Refer to the step-by-step sheet for directions on how to register and complete Canvas courses.
• If the domain on a SEA's email address ends with scsk12.onemicrosoft.com, s/he will NOT be able to access the Canvas courses.  SEAs will need to call the IT Helpdesk and ask them to change their email domain to scsk12.org.  Contact the Helpdesk at 901.416.2700.
• Please direct all other questions to EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org or call 901.416.4801.

Get ready to explore the greater Memphis area on a first-ever teacher and counselor blue ribbon tour to further develop your skills in launching your middle school students into their high school careers. Join CCTE and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South (JA) and be the first group to tour JA’s new home and then hop on board the bus as together we explore emerging careers in our community and explore the places and meet the people who are shaping the economic future of our region. 

This will be a day of hands-on learning where participants will develop a deeper understanding of how the Junior Achievement curriculum partners with SCS’ CCTE program to support educators, counselors, and students in grades K-12 for career preparation and a successful life launch. We have planned four tours throughout the community where we surprise you at each stop with special guests and activities that will equip you with new tools to bring back to your schools. 

Explore how being “makers” can be a career in any industry cluster, enjoy a fabulous lunch and the careers that agriculture and hospitality can bring as we think about “farm to table” and understand cutting edge opportunities in healthcare. Be prepared for surprise performances as we think about the 1,000’s of career to move a song from studio to stadium. We will end our day with a full backpack (literally) of new tools and a mind and heart full of inspiration. 

• Course: Career Connection Training with CCTE and Junior Achievement (Grades 5 -8 School Counselors Only)
• Description: Career Exploration Experience and Tour, Breakfast, and Lunch will be provided 
• Date: January 27, 2022 Time: 7:30 am – 3:00pm (Please arrive between 7:15 – 7:45am) 
• Location: 516 Tillman Street Course # 29693 Section # 60059 

Get ready to explore the greater Memphis area on a first-ever teacher and counselor blue ribbon tour to further develop your skills in launching your middle school students into their high school careers. Join CCTE and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South (JA) and be the first group to tour JA’s new home and then hop on board the bus as together we explore emerging careers in our community and explore the places and meet the people who are shaping the economic future of our region. 

This will be a day of hands-on learning where participants will develop a deeper understanding of how the Junior Achievement curriculum partners with SCS’ CCTE program to support educators, counselors, and students in grades K-12 for career preparation and a successful life launch. We have planned four tours throughout the community where we surprise you at each stop with special guests and activities that will equip you with new tools to bring back to your schools. 

Explore how being “makers” can be a career in any industry cluster, enjoy a fabulous lunch and the careers that agriculture and hospitality can bring as we think about “farm to table” and understand cutting edge opportunities in healthcare. Be prepared for surprise performances as we think about the 1,000’s of career to move a song from studio to stadium. We will end our day with a full backpack (literally) of new tools and a mind and heart full of inspiration. 

• Course: Career Connection Training with CCTE and Junior Achievement (Middle School CCTE Teachers – STEM and Career Exploration Only)
• Description: Career Exploration Experience and Tour, Breakfast, and Lunch will be provided 
• Date: January 21, 2022 Time: 7:30 am – 3:00pm (Please arrive between 7:15 – 7:45am) 
• Location: 516 Tillman Street Course # TBA Section # TBA

Save the Date for January LDW the week of January 10-14, 2022!

Please see the January Leader Learning Flyer and join us for a great month of learning.

Happy Holidays from the Professional Learning and Support Team!