Attention: Middle School, K-8, & High School Principals

Please CLICK HERE to review a list of students enrolled at your school without a 1:1 device.  Currently, students without a 1:1 device owe a fine for a previously lost or damaged device or accessory. 

Digital Device Ambassadors should continue to work with parents to complete waivers and satisfy fines to ensure that all students have their personal device in time for testing. During check-ins, please ask your DDA to provide the number of parents they have connected with to ensure that parents of students who are Direct Certified have been notified of their eligibility for a Device Cost Relief waiver. 

Waivers can be used to cover the cost of lost or damaged devices only. Forms must be completed in their entirety to ensure grant compliance. Please email device_support@scsk12.org with devices related questions.

In order to teach Algebra I without a secondary mathematics endorsement, educators must pass the Middle School Mathematics Praxis (5164) or the NES Mathematics (Middle Grades and Early Secondary) (105) test and must meet one of the following:

Attend a state-approved training*** - OR –

Take and pass a supplemental test approved by the department. The department has approved the following supplemental tests. 

1. College Board CLEP test: College Algebra (Passing Score 60), 

2. College Board CLEP test: College Mathematics (Passing score 60), or 

3. Algebra 1 Praxis (5162) (Passing score 157)

MSCS will be offering the state-approved training June 3 – 7, 2024. Please share the attached flyer below with teachers who currently hold a teaching license that includes grade 8. There will be a virtual informational on April 23, 2024.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LdJOtKmhb9346vHUckPWrlHsYZwLx7EN/view?usp=sharing

All current MSCS 7th-grade middle school students will have the opportunity to take ALG I during the 24/25 school year pending eligibility. The District is preparing for 7th graders to take a placement exam to determine their eligibility to take Algebra I in the 8th grade. The testing window opens May 6th and closes May 10th. EVERY seventh grader will have an opportunity to take this assessment. The eligible students who enroll in 8th Grade Algebra I can participate in Algebra Bridge Camp to support proficiency in Algebra I. We are asking that all middle school principals and counselors attend one virtual informational. See the meeting links below. 

April 18, 2024 (4:00-4:30 pm) Join the meeting now

April 25, 2024 (4:00-4:30 pm) Join the meeting now

In celebration of March Literacy Month, the Math Family Fluency Activities are now available.  This suite of resources provides simple and practical guidance on math fluency activities available for caretakers of students in grades PreK-2nd grade. Each collection of resources is aligned to an anchor text available from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and contains text-based related math activities, extension activities, and caretaker supports. For each grade level, there is a video explaining the standard-specific math activities, a printable version of the math activities, and a video resource of the anchor text being read aloud. Please share the suite of resources with PreK-2 families that can be downloaded from the Family Math Fluency Resources Hub in Best for All Central.  

We're excited to present the March Newsletter!

The attached invite may be useful to the staff you work with. Eagle’s Nest is providing a Mental Health Simulation for the community. During the simulation participants will:

• Be given scenarios of different Trauma related obstacles
• They will then be given an opportunity to circulate the venue to be navigated to resources and supports for their particular challenge
• By the end of the process, participants would have gained insight on how to navigate others to supports for particular challenges though this simulation
• The event is for all community members (schools, parents etc.)

Feel free to join us! 

As you continue to navigate the ins and outs of Spring, please be mindful of the following when dealing with student misbehaviors:

• Assemblies and faculty meetings should be held with students and teachers to reiterate expectations. As we get closer to the end of the year, our energy begins to wain. It is imperative that we remember to reward our students and staff for their hard work thus far! Self-care will also be beneficial!
• Every effort should be made to use non-exclusionary disciplinary responses prior to
• Students who are expelled during standardized testing should be given alternate times to take make-up exams.
• Per Policy, make-up opportunities should be provided to students who have unexcused (suspensions included) or excused absences (at least 1 or more days of make-up for each absence).
• Manifestation meetings must be held for students who have disabilities or who are “suspected of having a disability” (going through the evaluation process), prior to the DHA process.
• Please remember that the TCA does not give principals the autonomy to suspend for off campus fights, unless they rise to the level of a felony charge and have a nexus to the school environment.
• Report the following types of incidents by emailing brief, yet detailed narratives to SEEDMandtoryReporting@scsk12.org
  • Possible adult to student abuse or neglect
  • On campus criminal behavior (possible felony level)
  • Student Sexual Activity/Severe harassment (acts involving penetration, brute force, under clothing touching or law enforcement investigations-especially non-consensual sex acts)
  • Title IX Issues (especially gender related, sexual orientation/preferences etc.)
  • Looming threats of safety to the school environment (i.e., evidenced threats of school shootings, bombs etc.)

NOTE: This email should NOT be used for general discipline issues.

KUDOS for the following WKNO Highlighted Schools, for their positive data outcomes as a result of providing GREAT RESTORATIVE PRACTICES! 

SEED spot (Dr. Blocker) - https://youtu.be/5d7eZ0PfC2M

Trezevant High School-   https://youtu.be/tW_VyeuW6Dk 

Hollis F. Price - https://youtu.be/mCkCKTjEy6E

Dunbar Elementary - https://youtu.be/15Iq-nggCb4

Ridgeway Middle School - https://youtu.be/FvXkZUPOA0c

Hickory Ridge Middle School https://youtu.be/2KgGSiPom38

Downtown Elementary https://youtu.be/h9kJ_qWnBgM

Westside Elementary https://youtu.be/3Zn8C65nEYw

Brownsville Rd. Elementary School - https://youtu.be/4-80h5MzZ_w

Newcomers International School (Coming Soon!)

Windridge Elementary School (Coming Soon!)

In preparation for the 3rd-grade aimswebPlus universal spring screener and the TCAP Retake for applicable students only, please make plans to PowerUp at 9:01 a.m. on April 30th to get those devices test ready.  It is only necessary to PowerUp 3rd-grade devices. Full details along with contact information for questions and quick start guides can be found on the flyer.

Greetings Principals,

As a helpful reminder, we wanted to provide you with a copy of the AOSS Manual protocol 10.1 Flag Protocol.  This guidance should be utilized to ensure compliance with this state statute.  Please review it and share it with your team.

Elementary and K-8 Administrators…The last day to complete all 3rd grade exemptions in the MSCS Exemption's PowerApp is Friday, April 26.  

If you have general questions regarding the law or exemptions, contact Latosha Wiseman at wisemanlk@scsk12.org.

If you have questions regarding suspected disabilities/RTI-A students and exemptions, contact Emily Vuoso at vuosoeb@scsk12.org.

If you have questions regarding ELL and exemptions, contact Carol Richardson at richardsoncr@scsk12.org.

If you have questions regarding SPED students and exemptions, contact Rebecca Fik at fikra@scsk12.org.

If you have questions regarding 504 students and exemptions, contact Thomasena Stuckett at stucketttd@scsk12.org.

If you have questions regarding the exemption's PowerApp, please email daimsupport@scsk12.org 

New Releases:

Q3 Grades are available in Student Grades! See the user guide for more information!

Literacy Commitment – 3rd Grade Exemption Tracking Report in Power BI and the standalone screening app for inputting exemption requests is now available. See the user guide for the Power BI report here and the guide for the app here!

Summer School Eligibility Report is now available! This report has a new location in Student Grades. Also new for this year is the inclusion of OAG Summer School Eligibility! See the user guide for more information!

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Coming Soon:

• District 360: Pre-K Enrollment and Attendance
• Early Literacy: K-2 Walkthrough Report
• RTI-A Dashboard – HS RTI Screener Tracking Using EWS

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Monthly Newsletter:

Check your inbox! On the first Wednesday of every month, the DAIM team sends out a monthly newsletter to all Power BI users. 

In it, you will find more information on upcoming trainings, new releases, and how-to guides.

To see this month’s edition (and all archived editions), visit our support page.

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Training and Support Resources:  

This week (4/16 and 4/19), we’ll discuss the recently updated 1:1 Devices dashboard.

Next week (4/23 and 4/25), we’ll do a review of 3rd Grade Exemptions (the app to submit and approve exemption requests; and the tracking report in Power BI).

Sign up today! For more information on Virtual Office Hours, check out this flyer! 

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Check out our new page of all updated features and recent releases on our DAIM Support Page!

You can reach out to us at DAIMSUPPORT@scsk12.org if you need support.  

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Power BI Access:

Principals can give school staff members access through the PowerBI Access App. For more information about how to use the app, see this user guide! 

Non-Tested Grades and Subject Teachers (NTGS).  

Please encourage your teachers to log into their Portfolium Account to select their model and collections for SY2023-24. The NTGS Educators listed below will submit Student Growth Portfolios for SY23-24:

• Fine Arts
• Physical Education (Elementary)
• Pre-K
• World Languages (French & Spanish)

While there is no deadline for Point A Submissions, educators are strongly encouraged to submit their Point A and B Submissions before the 5 p.m. local time, May 6, 2024, deadline.  
 

*Please note:  Per the State, no further submissions will be allowed after the deadline.  Any Portfolio missing any of the four collections will be marked Incomplete (I) and an LOE (Level of Overall Effectiveness) score will NOT be generated for the 2023-24 school year. 

QUESTIONS/SUPPORT

If any NGTS educator is having issues accessing the platform, has general questions about submissions, or has had job/role changes that do not require Submission of the portfolio, please contact the District Portfolio Lead, Ayodele Hall, at hallam@scsk12.org . 

UDEMY is no longer a supported district PD platform as of March 31, 2024. Should this change, it will be promptly communicated. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

If you would like a copy of your completed certificate(s), please submit your request to Starlett Calhoun, joness3@scsk12.org. 

** Please note, ALL requests for course completion certificates MUST be submitted by April 29th. 

Professionalism represents 5% of the overall TEM rating for both tested and non-tested teachers and must be completed and finalized by both the educator and the administrator to receive an LOE (Level of Overall Effectiveness) score. 

Professionalism containers are currently live and educators may begin inputting narratives, uploading artifacts, and completing self-scores.  The suggested deadline for teacher completion is Friday, April 19, 2024.  

Be reminded, 100% of Professionalism and EOY Conferences must be completed and locked by the Administrator and Educator by Friday, May 10, 2023.  

For questions and/or concerns about instructional evaluation, please contact EPS by phone at 416-2475 or via email at eps@scsk12.org.

The NIE End-of-Year Conference container is now open in PLZ! The DEADLINE to complete ALL NIE End-Of-Year Conferences are as follows:

• School-Based – May 17th
• Central Office – June 14th

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:   

• The Goal Setting Conference AND Mid-Year Conference should be completed in its entirety BEFORE completing the End-of-Year Conference in PLZ.

Note: Staff who have not completed the Goal-Setting Conference will need to do so.

• The Mid-Year Conference is NOT required for NIE Partial plans and will not appear as a container to complete.
• Need a refresher? The following resources are also found in PLZ under the Resources tab. 
  • NIE End-of-Year Conference Tutorial
  • NIE Evaluator Step Guide
  • NIE Employee Step Guide

Questions? Please reach out to eps@scsk12.org.