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Volume 11, Issue 40

Weekly Field Memo
October 4, 2017

Proficiency and Personalization Networking Series

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, Guidance Counselors, Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders
In this two-part series, participants will focus on graduate student profiles, PLPs, proficiency-based grading, and the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle. Day one will feature whole group work around learning a process for and developing a graduate student profile. Participants then will break into smaller groups concentrating on Building a Better Personalized Learning Plans (PLP), facilitated by Amy Rex, former principal of Harwood Union High School, or Proficiency-Based Grading and Reporting Practices. Day two will continue this work, refining the graduate student profile, increasing knowledge and making a plan for the PDSA cycle, and gathering more ideas and strategies around PLPs. Participants will leave with 1) resources around PLPs, graduate profiles, and grading practices; 2) tools and processes that could inform their Continuous Improvement Plan around one of the above themes; and 3) info about moving work forward by participating in related learning networks in the spring. The series has two sessions: October 13, 2017 at Franklin Center at the Howe, Rutland, Vermont and November 17, 2017 at Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, Vermont. Register for Proficiency and Personalization Network Series.
Contact: Sigrid Olson, Personalized Learning Team Lead, at sigrid.olson@vermont.gov, or Pat Fitzsimmons, Proficiency-Based Learning Team Lead, at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov

Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K Observation Training

Audience: Administrators, Assessment Coordinators, Program Directors
There are still spaces available in the upcoming Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) Observation training. CLASS® is an assessment and professional development tool that measures and strengthens the interactions in a classroom, which are essential indicators of learning outcomes. It is recommended by the Vermont Agency of Education and is used as part of the Vermont Step Ahead Recognition System (STARS). Prepare to fairly and accurately observe and code classrooms by attending this free two-day training - the first step in earning your CLASS observer certification. There will be five sessions offered throughout the state. Register for the CLASS PreK Observation training.
Contact: Ellen Cairns at (802) 479-1443 or ellen.cairns@vermont.gov

Updated Web Pages for Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Audience: All
We have recently updated our MTSS web pages. Please take this opportunity to review Vermont’s definition of MTSS and the Vermont MTSS Field Guide. You will also find resources related to Educational Support Teams, PBIS, SWIFT, Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems, Instructional Coaching, Restorative Practices, and more. The MTSS Team welcomes your ideas for needed tools and resources to add to these pages.
Contact: Tracy Watterson, MTSS Program Manager at tracy.watterson@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1353

Vermont Work-Based Learning Manual: Guidelines and Tools to Support Work-Based Learning for All Learners

Audience: Secondary Educators and Administrators
The updated Vermont Work-Based Learning Manual Guidelines and Tools to Support Work-Based Learning for All Learners reflect the state’s Act 77: Flexible Pathway Initiative and the Education Quality Standards. This manual offers a variety of tools to support safe, meaningful, and sustainable work-based learning experiences for all learners. The Vermont Work-Based Learning Manual is designed to assist practitioners with the development, implementation, and evaluation of well-rounded work-based learning experiences for all learners.
Contact: Veronica Newton at (802)479-1408 or veronica.newton@vermont.gov 

Social Studies Standards Update

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Curriculum Directors, Social Studies Teachers
Last week, the State Board of Education voted to adopt the College, Career & Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards to replace the History and Social Sciences Grade Expectations. This K-12 Framework is national in scope and allows for relevant content and instructional practices to be selected and developed by supervisory unions/districts. The C3 shares the focus on inquiry with the Grade Expectations but adds an important dimension of applying knowledge and skills through informed action.  Links to valuable resources can be found on the Agency of Education’s Global Citizenship web page. Elementary, middle and high school teachers have volunteered to write sample proficiencies and proficiency-based graduation requirements aligned with the C3 standards.
Contact: Martha Deiss at Martha.deiss@vermont.gov

Responding to Cyber Attacks/Incidents

Audience: IT Directors, Personnel Dealing with IT-Related Cyber-Security Issues
Over the summer, the Tech Coordinator Summit Meeting provided a workshop on dealing with Cyber attacks and the investigations IT Departments should prepare for if this happens locally. A great session, it was led by Jennifer Vanderveer, FBI Special agent that handled the Essex and S. Burlington attacks last Spring. Local IT Directors from both places will join on the call. We are offering this same information in a webinar format on October 11, 2017 from 1-2:30 p.m. The session will be recorded. Register for Responding to Cyber Attacks/Incidents.
Contact: Peter Drescher at (802) 479-1169 or peter.drescher@vermont.gov

21st Century Community Learning Centers Application Now Open

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Non-Profit Organizations
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Grant Application is open for the purpose of purpose of providing high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities. Applications are due February 5, 2018. Applicant workshops for teams will be held on October 11, 18, and 19, 2017 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Read the significant 21CCLC funding update. View the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant application.
Contact: 21C State Coordinator, Emanuel Betz, at (802) 479-1369 or emanuel.betz@vermont.gov

Sample Arts Proficiencies/Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements Launch and Work Session

Audience: Arts Teachers, Administrators
Please join us for a professional learning day centered around proficiencies in the arts room on Thursday, November 2, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vermont Agency of Education. Sample Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements (PBGRs) with Performance Indicators for Music, Visual Art, Dance, and Theatre are posted on the Agency of Education website. (Media Arts coming soon). They are aligned with the National Core Arts Standards. This session is for Arts educators PreK-16 and from all five arts disciplines. Teams are welcome to attend, as well as, curriculum directors and other administrators. The launch and workday will include an introduction and discussion of the new state sample Arts Proficiencies/PBGRs and sharing and collaboration to write learning targets, proficiency scales, and/or rubrics. Register for the Sample Arts Proficiencies/PBGRs Launch & Work Session. Space is limited to 28 participants.
Contact: Emily Titterton at (802) 479-1378 or emily.titterton@vermont.gov

Visual Art Resource Sharing Day

Audience: Visual Art Teachers
Please join us for a professional learning day at the Vermont Agency of Education on Friday, November 3, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., where participants will have the opportunity to share and learn about a variety of resources from their fellow visual art teachers. Prior to the day, educators will select and upload a resource that they use in the classroom to be shared with the larger group. Time will be provided to explore and collaborate. Topics for sharing may include: curriculum, instruction, and assessment aligned with the National Core Arts Standards, performance assessment, learning targets, learning platform hacks, personalization, arts integration, proficiencies/PBGRs in the art room, transferable skills, contemporary practice, Teaching for Artistic Behavior, S.T.E.A.M, transferable skills, etc. The content of the sharing day will be participant driven. Participants will be introduced to the #VTOpen group on OER Commons, Vermont’s open educational resource site, as an option for staying connected to resources. Art teachers K-12 are welcome with an acknowledgment that any great resource can be adapted to any age group and vertical alignment of arts programs benefits all students. Register for Visual Art Resource Sharing. Space is limited to 25 participants. Depending upon the popularity, a second resource-sharing day will be planned for the spring.
Contact: Emily Titterton at (802) 479-1378 or emily.titterton@vermont.gov

Music Resource Sharing Day

Audience: Music Teachers
Please join us for a professional learning day at the Vermont Agency of Education on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., where participants will have the opportunity to share and learn about a variety of resources from their fellow music teachers. Prior to the day, educators will select and upload a resource that they use in the classroom to be shared with the larger group. Time will be provided to explore and collaborate. Topics for sharing may include: curriculum, instruction, and assessment aligned with the National Core Arts Standards, performance assessment, learning targets, repertoire, learning platform hacks, personalization, arts integration, proficiencies/PBGRs in the music room, transferable skills, etc. The content of the sharing day will be participant driven. Participants will be introduced to the #VTOpen group on OER Commons, Vermont’s open educational resource site, as an option for staying connected to resources. Music teachers K-12 are welcome with an acknowledgment that any great resource can be adapted to any age group and vertical alignment of arts programs benefits all students. Register for Music Resource Sharing Day. Space is limited to 25 participants. Depending upon the popularity, a second resource-sharing day will be planned for the spring.
Contact: Emily Titterton at (802) 479-1378 or emily.titterton@vermont.gov

School Safety Table Top Exercise- Bus Accident

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, School Crisis Planning Team Members
This facilitated dialogue is designed to facilitate a conversation about how you would respond to a bus accident involving some of your students and to test and evaluate exiting crisis response policies, plans and procedures. Watch the School Safety Table Top Exercise - Bus Accident.
Contact: Rob Evans, School Safety Liaison, at revans@margolishealy.com

Statewide Farm to School Gatherings

Audience: All
This October, gather in your region of Vermont to build local connections with school nutrition peers and Farm to School practitioners, access resources and find support for your efforts.  Celebrate successes and find energy and solutions to strengthen the work in your area. There will be six gatherings in: Norwich, Glover, Waterbury, Shelburne, Rutland, and Fairfax. Registration is free, and all are welcome- refreshments will be provided. Gatherings are held 4-7 p.m. Learn more and register for statewide farm to school gatherings.
Contact: Ali Zipparo, at (802) 505-1822 or alexandra.zipparo@vermont.gov 

Assistive Technology School Swap Service Improvement Survey

Audience: Special Services Director, Special Education Teacher, Technology Integrationist, School Librarian
The following is a brief survey about Assistive Technology (AT) School Swap, an online assistive technology exchange for Vermont schools. In order to improve our services, and determine the usefulness of this program for schools, we would very much appreciate any and all input you have about this service. Take the AT School Swap Service Improvement Survey.
Contact: Emma Cobb, AT Services Coordinator, at (800) 750-6355 or emma.cobb@vemont.gov

Digging Deep Expert Series

Audience: All
The Vermont Professional Learning Network is pleased to announce that Allison Zmuda, co-author of Students at the Center: Personalized Learning and Habits of Mind, will be presenting as part of the Digging Deep Expert Series. On December 4, 2017 she will be leading a workshop on "Flattening the Hierarchy of the Classroom: Making Space for Students to have a Seat at the Design Table." On May 8, 2018, she will be leading a session on "Generating and Cultivating Ideas - Growing Learners through Intention Use of Habits of Mind." Register for the Digging Deep Expert Series.
Contact: Michael Brownstein or Carisa Corrow at vtclg@ccebos.org

Courtesy Postings

The views, opinions, and resources shared in this section of the WFM are solely those of the original contributors. The Agency of Education does not endorse the views expressed by these contributors and reserves the right to refuse submissions. Questions related to any of these resources should be directed to the organizations, people and opportunities as shared.

Connecting the Dots: Using Best Practices to Support Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families

VT-HEC is offering a four-part Early Childhood Connecting the Dots series that has cross-cutting themes: the importance of relationships, understanding development, responsive and individualized care and learning experiences, collaboration, and family engagement. The four workshops are presented by experts in their respective fields who will provide interactive, integrated learning experiences that blend theory and practice. Participants may take workshops individually or as a whole, or the set of workshops can be taken as a three-credit graduate or undergraduate course through Lyndon State College.
Contact: Julie Medose at (802) 498-3350 or julie.medose@vthec.org

Trauma of Poverty

In this 45-hour course, participants will gain an understanding of poverty-related stress and its impact on brain function. Participants will establish a framework for developing social and emotional learning competencies in their students. The course will address the impacts of poverty, how children experience trauma and stress, how to create a trauma-informed learning environment, and ways in which educators can take care of themselves throughout the process of helping at-risk youth. Held at Richmond Elementary School in Richmond, VT from 3:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays from October 10, 2017 to April 10, 2018. Register for Trauma of Poverty.
Contact: Caitlin Niland, Intake Coordinator for Professional Learning, at (802) 878-2332 or proflearning@sterncenter.org

Primary Number and Operation Assessment: What's Next?

Primary Number and Operation Assessment (PNOA): What’s Next? will be hosted at two locations and dates. Richmond: October 6, 2017 at the Richmond Congregational Church.  Springfield: October 13, 2017 at the Holiday Inn Express. All conferences begin at 8:00 and end at 3:30. Register for PNOA: What's Next? The fee is $175 and includes all materials.
Contact: Loree Silvis at lsilvis@cornerstonemathematics.com

Free Bookshare Workshop

This session is called "Learning Through Technology: Bookshare & Accessible Reading."  This hands-on workshop focuses on teaching educators to effectively implement Bookshare in the classroom with students who are blind or have low vision.  Participants will access and integrate accessible educational materials into the classroom for students with visual impairments and use compatible assistive technology tools to read Bookshare books. The workshop will be held  October 20, 2017 from 8:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Granite State College, 25 Hall Street, Concord, NH, 03301. Register for the Free Bookshare Workshop.
Contact: Perkins Training Center at (617) 972-7712 

Environmental Programs for Grades 7-12

Students interested in learning more about environmental issues and in getting ideas for service-learning projects should consider attending the Youth Environmental Summit. Students interested in teaching younger students and increasing their environmental literacy on topics like renewable energy, water, forests, food systems and waste solutions should consider applying to the Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) for the Environment. To learn more, visit the UVM Extension 4-H website. Deadlines are October 15, 2017 for YES and November 8, 2017 for TRY for the Environment.
Contact:  Lauren Traister, 4-H Teen & Leadership Program Coordinator, at lauren.traister@uvm.edu or (802)888-4972 x 402

C-3 Framework for Social Studies

Save the date for this two-day institute on March 14 - 15, 2018. Project Lead and Lead Writer Kathy Shaw will lead this event at the DoubleTree in South Burlington. The Vermont State Board of Education just adopted the C-3 Framework on September 20, 2017. Learn more and register for C-3 Framework for Social Studies.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org

Multi-Tiered System of Supports

The course offered by the Center for Health and Learning focuses on creating a culture and climate that supports the interdependence of both an academic and social/emotional system to support student success through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, along with how to develop a comprehensive and systematic plan for implementation that includes effective collaboration, high-quality instruction and intervention, balanced and comprehensive assessment and professional learning.  Cost $465.00 with one graduate-level credit through Union Institute and University or audit for $300. The course will be held November 9, 2017 and December 7, 2017. Learn more and register for Multi-Tiered System of Supports.

John Brown Day: Take Action Against Racism

On May 5, 2017, the Vermont Legislature adopted a resolution naming October 16, 2017 "John Brown Day," to honor the legacy of the radical abolitionist. The push for officially honoring Brown began with Brad Archer, a Woodstock High School social studies teacher and co-founder of the Woodstock Social Justice Initiative (WSJI). The WSJI will be hosting an anti-racism symposium on Saturday, October 14, 2017, at Woodstock Union High School. Workshops, facilitated by activists, educators and artists, will cover issues such as “Teaching about Controversial Topics in School” and “Activism through the Arts”. The keynote speaker will be author Louis DeCaro. Learn more about John Brown Day: Take Action Against Racism event.
Contact: Brad Archer at barcher@wcsu.net

Math Menu for Teams

This three-day workshop series will be facilitated by Christian Courtemanche on November 30, 2017, January 12, 2018 and February 13, 2018 at the Hampton Conference Center in Colchester. This series will guide you through how the math menu differentiation approach can connect with and augment the programs and practices already in place in K-6 classrooms. Coaches Corner will be the last hour of the day, and will target supporting teachers, data systems and using implementation rubrics. Includes the book "Guided Math in Action K5." Register for Math Menu for Teams.
Contact: The Champlain Valley Educator Development Center at info@cvedcvt.org

Subscribe Online

The field memo has time-sensitive and relevant information designed for students, teachers, and staff. The agency encourages principals, headmasters, and superintendents to share the memo with their education community. Additionally, individuals can subscribe or unsubscribe online.

Questions? Email Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov.