What To Expect in 2017-18 for PBL Work

What a great start to the 2017-18 School Year!  Before I dig into what you can expect for Proficiency Based Learning (PBL) work in the area of assessments, grading and reporting this year, I just have to share some awesome pictures from our first few days of school (I just couldn't help myself).

   

  

  

What a great start to the school year!  Just had to share!  Now on to some PBL information. . .

The Gorham Schools has been working to create a Proficiency Based Learning (PBL) system within our schools because we believe that student engagement and achievement improve when the components of a PBL system are fully implemented in all grades and content areas.  Those components are:

·      Clear Learning Targets

·      Aligned Instruction and Assessment

·      Timeline Interventions

·      Aligned Grading and Reporting Practices

For several years now, we have focused our work on the creation of clear learning targets, aligning instruction and assessment to those learning targets across all grades, and on creating solid structures and practices for interventions that allow our students to receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs. 

In these areas we have made great progress!  We now have a comprehensive system of clear learning targets K-12 which you can view by going to our website (www.gorhamschools.org) and clicking on “About Us” and then clicking on “Proficiency Based Learning System”.  Once there, click on “Gorham Curriculum Overview”.  On this page you can find our 2017-18 PBL Handbook which is a comprehensive guide to any parent that wants to learn more about our PBL system.  Also on this page you can find our “2017-18 Progress Report” which gives parents access to view all of our Graduation Standards, Performance Indicators and Scoring Guides for Grades K-12 across all content areas.  Our teachers have worked hard over the past few years to develop these clear standards and to align their instruction and assessment practices with these standards!

In the area of interventions, we have also made some significant improvements, albeit there is more work to do!  At the K-5 level we have strengthened our Response to Intervention (RTI) processes to include social/emotional learning for our students as well as the traditional academic supports.  In grades 6-8 we continue to refine and strengthen our RTI processes and utilize the EICAL block to provide both intervention and enrichment services for students.  In grades 9-12 we have completely changed our bell schedule and worked to create a daily intervention/enrichment period for our students now fondly known as “Auxilium”.  Across K-12 we have changed our benchmarking assessments from NWEA testing to STAR 360 testing to allow for more detailed interventions based upon students performance to be used and we continue to offer strong supports for students in our learning labs and learning extension programs through our already strong Gifted and Talented Program.

The area that we are focused on for this year is assessment and on the alignment of our grading and reporting practices to our PBL system.  This is likely the most difficult work yet because this will require making changes to the way we communicate student learning to students, their families, and to the community as a whole.  Here in Gorham we are taking a very measured and calculated approach to these changes.  Teachers, students, and parents have been involved in helping to plan this approach.  This year, the Gorham School Department is entering the first year of a four year “phase in” plan to align our grading and reporting practices to our PBL system.  Here’s an overview of that plan:

2017-18

Student learning in grades K-6 will be reported out utilizing a 1-4 grading scale via our standards based grading and reporting software, currently known as Jumprope (see scale below).

Existing Jumprope pilots in 7^th and 8^th grade science will remain in place and student scores will be reported out via Jumprope on the 1-4 scale.    Allied Arts grades for students in grades 6-8 will also utilize the 1-4 scale and be reported out via our standards based grading and reporting software.

All other learning scores for students in grades 7-12 will be reported out using the “blended scale” (see scale below) in a similar manner as they have always been reported out via Infinite Campus.

2018-19

Student learning in grades K-7 will be reported out utilizing the 1-4 scale.  Existing Jumprope pilots in 8^th grade science will remain in place and student scores will be reported out via the 1-4 scale.  Allied Arts grades for students in grades 6-8 will also utilize the 1-4 scale and be reported out via our standards based grading and reporting system.

All other learning scores for students in grades 8-12 will be reported out using the “blended scale” in a similar manner as they have always been reported out.

2019-20

Student learning in grades K-8 will be reported out utilizing the 1-4 scale across all content areas.

All other learning scores for students in grades 9-12 will be reported out using the “blended scale” in a similar manner as they have always been reported out.

2020-21

Student learning in grades K-12 will be reported out utilizing the 1-4 scale across all content areas.

Throughout this transition, we will continue to calculate honor roll, GPA, class rank, extra and co-curricular eligibility, etc.

As we go through this school year we will be spending a great deal of time working with students and parents in grades K-6 helping you to understand how to read these new reports.  We will be spending time during Parent/Teacher Conferences this fall on familiarizing parents with these new reports and we have a parent informational meeting scheduled for the night of November 13, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at Village Elementary School.  Additionally, we will have online materials prepared for parents to reference using our district's website. (www.gorhamschools.org).  

With the changes we have planned over the next four years, our goal is to ensure that our grading and reporting system gives students, parents and other stakeholders clear information about where students are in their learning so that we can all continue to work together to ensure each student’s continued growth and learning success!  Ultimately we want ALL our students to graduate "College and Career Ready" and to be “Prepared and Inspired” to take on the complex challenges facing our current and future world!

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at heather.perry@gorhamschools.org.

Thank you!

1-4 Grading Scale

Score	Description	Proficiency Description
4	Distinguished	The student consistently exceeds the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student grasps, applies, generalizes, and extends key concepts, processes, and skills independently.
3.5	Exceeding Proficiency	The student’s body of work falls consistently between a “3” and a “4” for proficiency requirements for the course level.
3	Proficient	The student consistently meets the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student, with limited errors, grasps key concepts, processes, and skills for the course level and understands and applies them effectively.
2.5	Approaching Proficiency	The student’s body of work falls consistently between a “2” and a “3” for proficiency requirements for the course level.
2	Developing	The student is progressing toward meeting the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student is beginning to grasp key concepts, processes and skills for the course level, but demonstrates inconsistent understanding and application of concepts
1	Emerging	The student is making some progress toward meeting the competency requirements.  Performance Indicators show that the student is not demonstrating understanding of course-level key concepts, processes and skills and requires additional time and support.
IE	Insufficient Evidence	The student did not turn in enough work to determine his/her level of proficiency.

Blended Grading Scale

Proficiency Score	A,B,C Score	100-Pt. Score	Proficiency Description
4	A	100	Distinguished - The student consistently exceeds the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student grasps, applies, generalizes, and extends key concepts, processes, and skills independently.
3.75	A	96.7
3.5	A	93.3
3.25	B	90	Proficient - The student consistently meets the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student, with limited errors, grasps key concepts, processes, and skills for the course/grade level and understands and applies them.
3	B	86.7
2.75	C	83.3
2.5	C	80	Developing - The student is progressing toward the proficiency requirements for the course/grade level.  Performance indicators show that the student is beginning to grasp key concepts, processes, and skills for the course/grade level, but demonstrates inconsistent understanding and application of concepts.
2.25	C	76.7
2	D	73.3
1.75	D	70	Emerging - The student is making some progress toward meeting the competency requirements.  Performance indicators show that the student is not demonstrating understanding of course-level concepts, processes and skills and requires additional time and support.
1.5	D	66.7
1.25	F	63.3
1	F	60
IE	Insufficient Evidence		The student did not turn in enough work to determine his/her level of proficiency.

* Note:  Scores lower than a 60 will not be given to students using this grading scale.

2017-18 Opening Parent Letter

August 14, 2017

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It is with great anticipation and excitement that I welcome you back for another incredible school year here within the Gorham Schools!  The first day of school for students in grades K,6, and 9 will be Monday, August 28, 2017.  The first day of school for all other students will be on Tuesday, August 29, 2017. 

Bus routes have recently been published in the Gorham Times.  You may also view them by going to the Gorham Schools website (www.gorhamschools.org) then clicking on “District Departments” and then on “Transportation”.  Once there, click on bus routes for either Elementary or GMS/GHS.  I would like to kindly request PATIENCE and UNDERSTANDING for the first few weeks of school as we iron out the details of our bus routes for another school year.  Also, a reminder to parents who will be having their children transported to area Day Cares, please be sure to go onto the website to complete the “Day Care Transportation Request Form” also found on the transportation page of our website.  If you, or a neighbor you may know, has not yet enrolled students within the Gorham Schools, I encourage folks to please contact your school’s office immediately.  You can find school contact information on the district’s webpage.

If you have specific questions about bus routes, please contact Judy at the Transportation Office (893-2547).

Our schools are excited to welcome you and your children to another tremendous school year here in Gorham!  There are lots of outstanding things happening at our schools so be sure to check out those school websites, keep an eye on your mail and email, and watch for flyers and other materials that will be sent home with your students the first few days of school to let you know about many of these exciting planned events!  You can also check out my blog, which I update monthly to help parents stay informed about the various things going on in our schools.  We are also active on social media, so you can check us out on Facebook or Twitter – all of which are linked from our webpages.

Our schools are also eager to welcome you as parent Partners In Education (PIE).  Each of our three elementary schools has a PIE group who work tirelessly to help our schools and the children we serve (THANK YOU). You also may not realize it, but Gorham Middle School and Gorham High School both have parent groups that would love to see more participation. Did you know that there is a direct correlation between the level of parent involvement in your child’s education and the academic achievement of your child?  As parent involvement increases, student achievement also increases!  We want you to be involved and there are lots of ways (both little and big) to be involved, so don’t be bashful!  If you are interested in being a member of a PIE group in any of our schools, please reach out to your school’s teacher or principal via email or phone and let them know.  They can give you all the details on when meetings occur and how you can get involved!

As we get ready to open a new school year, I also want to draw your attention to the importance of school attendance.  As you know, our schools have focused on improving attendance over the past few years and we continue to work hard to make sure our students attend school regularly, but we need your help! 

Did you know that absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year?  Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school during the year!  Did you know poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade?  Did you know that by 6^th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school?  Finally, did you know that research shows missing 10 percent of the school year (or about 18 days in most school districts which defines chronic absenteeism) negatively affects a student’s academic performance?  That’s just two days per month!

Encouraging regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success – both in school and in life.  When you help us make school attendance a priority, you help your child get better grades, develop healthy life habits, and have a better chance of graduating from high school ready to meet all that life’s challenges may have in store for them successfully!

I also want to remind all parents/guardians of our incredible volunteer program! The Gorham Schools are well known for our robust volunteer programs where parents and community members are encouraged to actively participate in the educational processes of our schools in various ways.  Last year we had well over 2,000 hours donated to our schools by our awesome volunteers!  Thank you! In order to continue to keep this program vibrant and strong, WE NEED YOU!  To volunteer in the Gorham Schools, you need to first register.  This registration process is required for both short and longer-term commitments.  All of our forms can be found on the district website.  Just go to www.gorhamschools.org, click on the “Human Resources” tab and click on “Volunteer Program” and you are there!  You may also inquire at your school’s Principal’s office for more information.

In closing, the Gorham School’s staff continue to work hard to make our schools a place where your child wants to come each and every day to challenge themselves, to socialize, and to achieve all that they can achieve as learners!  Our teachers and support staff are excited about the work they do every day with your children to help them learn and grow!  Our schools are lucky to have this talented staff and we are also lucky to have a strong community and our supportive parents.  Together, we all care deeply about the success of our children – and our schools care deeply about our community and its success as well!  Our students understand what a community truly is, because our community models it for them every day!  Our students strive to live our Code of Conduct by demonstrating respect, honesty, courage, compassion, and responsibility because our parents and community as a whole actually lives it!  I am proud to be your Superintendent of Schools and will work tirelessly to make sure this strong spirit continues to thrive in Gorham!  We are all so very proud to be GORHAM RAMS!  

I look forward to another great year!  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions, comments, or concerns.  My email is heather.perry@gorhamschools.org and my office phone number is 222-1012.  See you all soon!  GO RAMS!

Sincerely,

Heather J. Perry,

Superintendent of Schools

Proficiency Based Learning Series Post #6

What to Expect In Our PBL System for 2017-18 

I can't believe we are already at the end of another great school year here at the Gorham Schools! We've accomplished so much, and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with your children day in and day out for the past 10 months.   It truly is an honor to be entrusted by the community of Gorham to serve, cultivate, and grow our most precious resource - our children!  Thank you for giving us this honor!

When I mention that we have accomplished so much in our schools over the past year, our work in moving our Proficiency Based Learning (PBL) system forward has been one of those accomplishments.  Our teachers, administrators, community members and students have worked diligently through our district-wide PBL committees to help clarify our beliefs, define what our system is, and how it will operate for our children and this was no easy task.  Over the course of the school year, we regularly met in seven different committees to conduct this work.  Those committees were:

*  PBL Steering Committee

*  K-5 Grading and Reporting Committee

*  6-12 Grading and Reporting Committee

*  K-12 ELA Committee

*  K-12 Math Committee

*  K-12 Science Committee

*  K-12 Social Studies Committee

Countless hours were spent thoughtfully reviewing our graduation standards, our performance indicators, and our scoring criteria (see earlier posts for definitions of those terms) to make sure they focused on essential learning and created a clear K-12 progression of learning for our students.  Needed revisions were noted, some made, and some will be made, but all identified.  Common definitions were created, grading and reporting scales were created, new report cards and transcripts were created and revisions to policy suggested.  All was done in an effort to make sure that we had a solid plan for how we will move forward with our PBL work and to ensure we are ready for our first class to graduate from GHS with a PBL diploma in the year 2021.  We made decisions about implementation plans for the coming year and for a four-year "step in" process that will get us to our ultimate goal using a methodical and careful approach, making sure that meeting the needs of our students remains at the forefront of all that we do.

The purpose of this last PBL post is to give you an overview of both what to expect for PBL implementation in the coming year at each grade span (K-5, 6-8 and 9-12) and to also provide insights into how we see our students moving through our PBL system over time.

K-5 Grade Span

There really won't be a lot of changes at the K-5 level next year in actual classroom practices.  Our K-5 teachers have been working on the implementation of our PBL system for several years now.  The biggest change you will see is that next year's grading and reporting will be done solely through our standards-based grading and reporting software called Jumprope.  For the past two years teachers have been working to track student learning using this software, but at the end of each trimester teachers had taken those scores and simply input them into the Infinite Campus reporting software so that parents saw very few changes to how student learning was reported.  For the coming year, we will be "removing the curtain" of Infinite Campus and reporting directly through Jumprope.  We will still be sending home reports to parents at the end of each trimester, but those reports will contain a lot more information than what you are used to seeing in Infinite Campus, which is good.  

Of course, it is still a change and one we want to be very cognizant of moving forward because it involves the all-important tool of communication that is our report card.  It is important to us that parents and students understand how to read these new reports, what to look for, and what specific trends might mean for your child's learning.  Therefore, we will be spending considerable time in the fall of next year (likely during the month of October) helping to educate parents on these new reports.  We'll be working with each school's PIE group to get information out to parents on when these events will be held and we'll make sure to offer up multiple methods for learning that will range from face to face meetings to online links and resources and more.

Other than this change, students will pretty much move through our K-5 system just as they have for the past several years.  Students who need support in meeting standards will be provided timely interventions to make sure they don't fall behind in their learning and students who need enrichment will be provided challenging experiences that continue to push their learning in meaningful ways.  Long story short - we'll continue to work hard to meet the needs of each individual learner to take them from where they are in their learning to where they need to be, supporting and challenging in appropriate ways as they move forward on their learning journey!

6-8 Grade Span

Here is where things start to get a little more interesting.  Beginning in the fall of 2017 students in the 6th grade will have their learning reported out utilizing the same standards-based grading software that is being utilized K-5: Jumprope.  Student learning will be reported out on a 1-4 scale by standard and by performance indicator across all content areas.  Additionally, our allied arts courses will utilize Jumprope to report student learning as well as those content areas that were piloting this past year (7th & 8th grade Science).  

One thing that will be different from the K-5 implementation of Jumprope, however, is that parents of students in grade 6 (and others utilizing Jumprope) will have access to the parent portal.  This parent portal is much like Infinite Campus and is intended to help make sure parents are able to follow what their children are learning and how well they are doing in that learning in relative "real time".  Once again, we know this is a change in format so we will also be spending a considerable amount of time this fall offering parent forums and online resources and materials to parents in order to help them better understand how to navigate the parent portal, and what all those colors and drop down menus can show for information and what that information means.  Additionally, we will be placing special emphasis on making sure that our 6th-grade students themselves know how to understand the software so that they can navigate it, and so that they can help their parents to navigate it.

Also as part of our "step in" approach, students in grades 7 & 8 will utilize the "blended scale" for grading and reporting that was outlined in my last PBL post.  I did want to be clear, however, that we have made a few "tweaks" to the original blended scale based upon recent staff, student and parent feedback. The new blended scale for students in grades 6-12 is below:

Proficiency Score	A,B,C Score	100-Pt. Score	Proficiency Description
4	A	100	Distinguished - The student consistently exceeds the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student grasps, applies, generalizes, and extends key concepts, processes, and skills independently.
3.75	A	96.7
3.5	A	93.3
3.25	B	90	Proficient - The student consistently meets the proficiency requirements for the course level.  Performance indicators show that the student, with limited errors, grasps key concepts, processes, and skills for the course/grade level and understands and applies them.
3	B	86.7
2.75	C	83.3
2.5	C	80	Developing - The student is progressing toward the proficiency requirements for the course/grade level.  Performance indicators show that the student is beginning to grasp key concepts, processes, and skills for the course/grade level, but demonstrates inconsistent understanding and application of concepts.
2.25	C	76.7
2	D	73.3
1.75	D	70	Emerging - The student is making some progress toward meeting the competency requirements.  Performance indicators show that the student is not demonstrating understanding of course-level concepts, processes, and skills and requires additional time and support.
1.5	D	66.7
1.25	F	63.3
1	F	60
IE	Insufficient Evidence		The student did not turn in enough work to determine his/her level of proficiency.

* Note:  Scores lower than a 60 will not be given to students using this grading scale.

The adjustments made to this scale were to allow a teacher to utilize EITHER the 1-4 scale in their classroom or the 100 point scale in their classroom and still have Infinite Campus be able to report out the same score on the 100 point scale.

Grades will be reported to parents using this blended scale approach next year for students in grades 7&8 for all core content areas except science (who will continue their pilot work in Jumprope).  Learning for all students in grades 6-8 will be reported on by standards so parents will see a lot more information than what they have in the past.  Additionally, all students will be scored using our Skills for Life Rubric.  Student learning in these areas will also be reported out to parents separately from academic skills.

Students at GMS will move through the grades very similarly to how they have always moved through the grades at the middle school level.  Students who need support to meet standards will be provided timely and immediate support through our Response to Intervention (RTI) programs, our EICAL program, or through other supports as determined by the needs of each child.  Students who need enrichment and challenge will be provided enriching experiences within the classroom.  All students will be challenged to do their very best regardless of what classroom they are in or what standards they are working on.

9-12 Grade Span

Here is where the proverbial "rubber" begins to really "hit the road" for our students.  The Gorham Schools are moving forward slowly and methodically in our PBL practices at these grade levels because we want to make sure that whatever changes are made, are made for the direct benefit of our students and does not disadvantage them in any way - perceived or otherwise.  We have a very clear PBL "vision" for GHS that we will be moving towards over the course of the next four years.  During this time we will be making sure to take our time educating our students and our parents as to what changes are occurring, why they are occurring, and how those changes will benefit our students in moving closer towards our mission/vision.

That being said, there are still going to be some significant shifts in the coming year.  The first major shift will be in the fact that all of our grading and reporting will be done by graduation standard.  Students and parents will still see scores for Algebra I or English I for example, however, students and parents will also see individual scores for each graduation standard that is contained within those courses.  Additionally, as outlined in the middle school section above, we will be utilizing that same blended scale.  Utilization of this scale will allow teachers who are comfortable to begin grading on a 1-4 scale, while also allowing teachers who are still learning about PBL grading practices to grade on the 100 point scale while all scores will be translated utilizing infinite campus into the 100 point scale.  Bottom line is that parents will still see grades for each course based upon a 100 point scale, at least for the next few years.

Another big shift will be our expectation for what is "proficient".  Students must meet proficiency for their course in order to pass the course and receive course credit.  For the coming year, proficiency will be defined by a student receiving a grade of between a 2.0 - 3.0 on the 1-4 scale which can be translated to between a 73.3 - 86.7 on the 100 point scale.  This is a slightly higher requirement than in the past when a "passing" score was considered a 70. 

Another big shift will be that teachers will score academic standards and skills for life standards separately from one another.  Parents will see a score for each course a student takes.  Additionally, parents will see a score for each standard contained within that course - one of which will be the skills for life score.  These skills for life scores will be recorded and reported on report cards and will be seen on the student's college transcript.  Additionally, students will need to demonstrate proficiency on their skills for life scores (as well as their academic scores) in order to be eligible to participate in extra and co-curricular activities.

Speaking of the college transcript. . . another change for GHS next year is that we will be moving to a 2-sided transcript.  The first side of the transcript will seem very similar to what we have now.  It will list a student's year (freshman, sophomore, etc) and the courses they took each year.  For each course there will be a final score.  There will also be a score for the skills for life standard on the transcript.  These individual course scores will be calculated into a total GPA for each student just as they always have been.   On the back side of the transcript however, will be a rolling report by graduation standard where scores from all four years will feed into a single score for each graduation standard in each content area (Math, ELA, Science, etc.).  For students who are seniors next year, this report will include just one year's worth of work, while underclassmen who continue to move through the system will accumulate scores each year as they move through our system.

We will still have a requirement for each student to earn 22 credits in order to graduate from GHS.  Similar to in the past, 4 of those credits must be in ELA, 4 in math, 3 in science, etc. etc.  In order for a student to receive course credit, they must pass the course with a proficient score as outlined above. We will still be using these individual course scores to determine quarterly honor roll, latin honors, and overall GPA calculations.

Once again, students in grades 9-12 will move through our system in a very similar manner to how they have in the past.  Students will take courses, earn credits towards graduation, and once graduation requirements have been met, will graduate from GHS.  Students who need support will be provided timely and targeted support through our Response to Intervention (RTI) System, through Auxillium, our learning labs, and other support programs.  All students will be appropriately challenged and supported to meet their highest potential.

That summarizes the changes we are planning for next year as part of our PBL implementation.  Please know that the Gorham Schools will continue to support our students with some of the strongest and most effective educational programs possible, carried out by some of the best teaching staff in the state!  We will continue to collect data to inform our practices and measure our success.

We look forward to continuing to serve the children of Gorham and in making sure that they leave our schools "prepared and inspired" to take on the complex challenges facing our current and future world.

If you have additional questions, or wish to learn more, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email (heather.perry@gorhamschools.org).  THANK YOU!