About
The Agency of Education created the weekly field memo to keep subscribers up-to-date with current education policy, state-wide education initiatives, and official messages from the AOE. The Weekly Field Memo contains education-related posts from the Agency of Education (AOE), other State of Vermont agencies, federal agencies or Vermont's congressional delegation.
Contents: October 4, 2023
- Vermont Department of Libraries
- STEAM Challenge Grant Opportunity
- The Vermont 250th
- Vermont Alliance for the Social Studies Annual Conference
- Family Engagement Networking Series
- Strengthening and Streamlining Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems: Guidelines and Support for Leadership Teams
- Benchmark Assessment Grant Application: Round 3
- 2023 Vermont Proficiency-Based Graduation Hierarchies
- Vermont Public: NOVA Science Studio
- Portrait of a Graduate: Fostering Stakeholder Engagement
- Professional Learning Series for Early Warning Systems (EWS)
- 10 Years of Act 77: Reflecting Upon and Celebrating Student-Centered Learning in Vermont
Vermont Department of Libraries
Empowering Elementary Education: Maximizing Vermont Online Library's Gale Resources
Audience: Educators
Join us on Thursday, November 16, 2023 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. for an engaging webinar as we explore how Vermont Online Library's Gale resources can support elementary grades in their educational journey. Discover a treasure trove of age-appropriate articles and multimedia content that will captivate young learners. Learn how to seamlessly integrate these resources into your curriculum to enhance reading comprehension, foster critical thinking, and promote information literacy skills. From science to social studies, language arts to personal finance, the Vermont Online Library's Gale resources offer a wealth of opportunities for engaging and enriching elementary education. Don't miss this idea inspiring webinar where we'll share practical strategies, inspiring examples, and answer your questions. Register to attend or receive the recording online.
Contact: April Shaw, april.shaw@vermont.gov
Encouraging Curiosity and Inquiry: Supporting Secondary Grades with Vermont Online Library's Gale Resources
Audience: Educators
Join us on Thursday, November 28, 2023 from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. for an enlightening webinar as we delve into the ways in which Vermont Online Library's Gale resources can support secondary grades in their academic journey. Explore a vast collection of articles, authoritative references, and multimedia content that will inspire critical thinking and enhance research skills. Discover how to seamlessly integrate these resources into your curriculum to foster deeper understanding across various subjects, from history to science, literature to social sciences. We’ll also cover your new VOL resource, Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep. Unleash the power of Vermont Online Library's Gale resources to empower secondary students in their pursuit of knowledge. This webinar will provide practical strategies, real-life examples, and an opportunity to have your questions answered. Register to attend or receive the recording online.
Contact: April Shaw, april.shaw@vermont.gov
*Please note corrected date: November 28, 2023.
STEAM Challenge Grant Opportunity
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Curriculum Directors, CTE Administrators, Educators, School Librarians, SU/SD Afterschool Program Directors/Staff
The AOE is offering a competitive grant to support programs providing students with a holistic STEAM experience. This short-duration, competitive grant opportunity will make awards of no more than $15,000. The intent of the grant is to promote rigorous, relevant and authentic STEAM learning experiences that encourage students to apply STEAM concepts to real-world situations. Vermont public secondary schools, including career technical education centers, are invited to organize interdisciplinary student teams to address a problem within the state. Grant applications are due October 16, 2023.
Contact: Lisa Helme, lisa.helme@vermont.gov
The Vermont 250th
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Curriculum Directors, CTE Administrators, K-12 Educators, Librarians, Afterschool Program Directors
The Vermont 250th Education and Outreach Committee is currently sharing information on the Agency of Education Social Studies website. Resources and tools are linked that can be used by educators to engage students in learning about the founding of the nation. The committee is focused on sharing the underrepresented voices of the American Revolution, and making the work inclusive of the diverse communities that have contributed to Vermont’s past and will continue to shape its future.
Contact: Martha Deiss, martha.deiss@vermont.gov
Vermont Alliance for the Social Studies Annual Conference
Audience: Principals, CTE Administrators, Curriculum Directors, K-12 Educators, Librarians
The 29th Annual Vermont Alliance for the Social Studies (VASS) Conference will be held on December 7, 2023, in Burlington, Vermont. The conference will include two keynote speakers and several rich K-12 sessions led by local educators, as well as state and national social studies leaders on topics including Holocaust education, humanities extracurriculars, Vermont-centered education, instructional methods, and war-time history. To register, or for more information, see the flyer, brochure, or VASS website.
Contact: Martha Deiss, martha.deiss@vermont.gov
Family Engagement Networking Series
Audience: Family Engagement Personnel, Administrators
Please join the Family Engagement Networking Series facilitated by the AOE Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports (VTmtss) Team. The next Networking Session on October 11 from 1-2 p.m. will focus on Family Engagement in Early Education. Amy Murphy, and Michele Johnson, of the AOE Early Education team, will share resources and best practices that support building partnerships with families of young learners. These are informal monthly one-hour virtual sessions for family engagement colleagues to connect and discuss problems of practice regarding family engagement. Save the dates for future sessions held every second Wednesday from 1-2 p.m.
Contact: MJ Jaird, meghan.jaird@vermont.gov
Strengthening and Streamlining Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems: Guidelines and Support for Leadership Teams
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, K-12 Educators
The Strengthening and Streamlining Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems: Guidelines and Support for Leadership Teams provides information to help educators in supervisory unions and districts develop a streamlined, balanced local comprehensive assessment system (LCAS) for all students. This document was initially produced in 2017 following a thorough review of the literature and current practices in the field of student assessment by AOE staff as well as educators in the field. It was updated by staff at the AOE with additional work completed on Appendix B that now includes assessment resources for content areas beyond mathematics and English language arts (ELA).
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons, pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
Benchmark Assessment Grant Application: Round 3
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, and Instructional Coaches
The third round of applications for the ARP ESSER Benchmark Assessment Grant for Vermont LEAs is available in the Grant Management System. This grant encourages LEAs to purchase new or expand on existing benchmark assessment system(s) for English Language Arts and Mathematics that report Lexile and Quantile measures, and/or to support staff participation in the Educator Academy for Lexile and/or Quantile Frameworks. Applications are due on Oct. 12, 2023. Additional information including an Addendum that clarifies priorities and contains responses to frequently asked questions can be found on the ARP ESSER Funding Opportunities webpage.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons, pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
2023 Vermont Proficiency-Based Graduation Hierarchies
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, and Educators
The Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirement (PBGR) Hierarchies for each content area support equity by providing a cohesive and coordinated vision of student-centered learning across Vermont schools. These hierarchies serve as a foundation for the implementation of standards adopted by the Vermont State Board of Education, Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems, flexible pathways, and personalized learning plans. Since considerable time and effort towards developing proficiency-based learning systems has already taken place across the state, this work is intended to serve as a resource for SUs/SDs to consider as they reflect on key concepts and skills that students should develop within each content area.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons, pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
Vermont Public: NOVA Science Studio
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, Teachers
New from Vermont Public and NOVA, the PBS LearningMedia collection NOVA Science Studio is designed to provide students with the skills and tools to tell their own stories about science issues happening in their communities. The curriculum, developed by NOVA staff, focuses on science journalism and video production. It provides support for engaging in discussions and activities as well as editorial guidance for students as they develop their stories for their videos, conduct research, and shoot and edit their videos. The curriculum is designed to be completed over seven to eight months in sessions at least twice a week.
Contacts: Emily Leute, emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel, hduhamel@vermontpublic.org
Portrait of a Graduate: Fostering Stakeholder Engagement
Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, and K-12 Educators
The Portrait of a Graduate articulates a community’s hopes, dreams, and priorities for learners. It clarifies the destination, serves as a promise to Vermont students and families, and guides the development of curriculum, teaching practices, and strategic plans. This session facilitated by Great Schools Partnership will center on improving equitable community engagement in the PoG development process. Ideally, steering committee members will join and participate in this session as a team. The webinar will take place on October 17, 2023 from 6-7 p.m. Registration for this event as well as additional upcoming PoG events is open.
Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons, pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov
802 Smiles Network
Audience: All
The 802 Smiles Network is a partnership between the Vermont Department of Health, the Agency of Education, and other partners. 802 Smiles connects Vermont's various school dental health programs under one umbrella, with the goal of eliminating oral health disparities and improving oral health for all Vermont children. Two new videos featuring 802 Smiles, a short version (less than 2 minutes long) and a longer version (5 minutes), are now available online. Joining the 802 Smiles Network means that your school is part of a growing movement to expand access to oral health care for all Vermont children. Feel free to share broadly and to visit the 802 Smiles website to learn more.
Contact: Debora D. G. M. Teixeira, debora.teixeira@vermont.gov
Professional Learning Series for Early Warning Systems (EWS)
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors, Data and IT Managers
Thank you to the Supervisory Unions/Supervisory Districts (SU/SD) staff that joined us last week in Berlin! For those who were unable to attend, our virtual make-up workshop will be held on Thursday, October 12 from 1-3 p.m. This virtual session has similar goals to introduce data and concepts around EWS, discuss interventions, and begin to map out implementation. Please RSVP online to receive the agenda and meeting link from Resultant.
Contact: Ryan Parkman, ryan.parkman@vermont.gov
10 Years of Act 77: Reflecting Upon and Celebrating Student-Centered Learning in Vermont
Audience: Legislators, Educators, Students, Parents/Caregivers, and Community Members
Come celebrate ten years of Act 77 at the Vermont State House on Thursday, December 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This convening will offer a chance to celebrate achievements, make connections, and reflect on what we have learned since the passage of Act 77. It will also provide an opportunity for networking with others and contribute to shaping the next ten years of student-centered learning in Vermont. Registration for this event is now open and more information can be found on the UP for Learning website.
Contact: Ryan Parkman, ryan.parkman@vermont.gov