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Volume 12, Issue 31

August 9, 2018

Professional Learning: Understanding the NGSS Through a Proficiency-based Lens

Audience: Teachers, Teacher Leaders and Administrators
Registration is open for Understanding the NGSS Through a Proficiency-based Lens on August 17, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester. Practice unpacking the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), build proficiency scales and begin or continue building a coherent K-12, 7-12 and/or 9-12 science curriculum. Learn about the strategies and tools that will help you implement the NGSS in your school and district. This workshop will be used as a springboard into future professional learning surrounding performance assessments, curriculum alignment, and building three-dimensional lessons.
Contact: Margaret Carrera-Bly at margaret.carrera-bly@vermont.gov

Adverse Effect Documentation Required for 2018

Audience: Special Education Administrators
Historically, determining whether a disability has an adverse effect on a student’s educational performance has been inconsistent throughout the state. In 2016, through a collaboration of stakeholders, criteria, training, and resources for determining an adverse effect were updated. This new information can be found on the agency's Special Education Educator Resources page Please remember that on or before December 15, 2018, each special education administrator is required to submit signed documentation that all special educators new to their supervisory union have been trained in the area of adverse effect.
Contact: Tonya Rutkowski at AOE.SpecialEd@vermont.gov

Save the Date: Math for All Learners Conference 2018

Audience: K-8 Math Teachers, Coaches, Math Instructional Leaders, Principals, Special Educators, District Leaders
The 2018 Math for All Learners Conference will take place September 21, 2018, at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center. Math educators will have the chance to attend a one-day conference on the All Learners Project (ALP) – a systemic approach to math instruction that asserts that all students can understand and do mathematics. The All Learners Project began as a grassroots attempt on the part of coaches in northern Vermont to test the maxim that “all children can learn”. Through the use of focused instruction (using the High Leverage Concepts), deliberate inclusion, differentiation, and a rapid cycle of inquiry, the All Learners Project has helped teachers in Vermont, Maine, and Maryland support every learner. ALP has developed (and continues to develop) tools and techniques for helping students develop conceptual understanding of mathematics, especially students who might have difficulty. This year the Vermont Agency of Education has supported ALP to create ongoing cohorts for schools or districts who are interested in becoming involved in this project. The conference this fall is a kickoff event designed to allow current participants to present learnings from the last two years and to recruit new schools and districts for the coming year. Presentations will include four strands that help to organize the content of the conference. Participants can attend any of the workshops: Workshops for Teachers, Workshops for Coaches/Math Leaders, Workshops for Special Educators, or Workshops for District/School Leaders. Registration will be available soon.
Contact: Heidi Whipple at (802) 479-1379 or heidi.whipple@vermont.gov


Courtesy Posts

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.

Professional Learning: “Reading Solzhenitsyn”

Registration is open for Reading Solzhenitsyn” at Northern Vermont University (Lyndon) dedicated to Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize Winner in Literature and Vermont resident for 18 years. The event will be held September 7, 2018, as part of an international conference dedicated to the life and works of the writer organized by NVU. University professors and experts from several countries will share their knowledge and expertise with Vermont educators. Participants will learn teaching strategies through the lens of Solzhenitsyn’s life and works. Special certificates will be issued event participants.
Contact: Alexandre Strokanov at alexandre.strokanov@northernvermont.edu or (802) 748-3256

Professional Learning Opportunity from CVEDC

Registration is open for The Art and Science of Grading, a one day workshop on October 9, 2018, at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier. This workshop is for K12 Teachers, Instructional Coaches, Principals and Curriculum Leaders who are implementing proficiency-based grading. Andrew Jones and Gabe Hamilton are co-facilitating this workshop that aims to provide strategies for putting PBL grading practices into action. Topics include zeros, extra credit, homework, calculations methods, midterms/finals, GPAs, weighting, aligning assessment with performance indicators and other grading nuances. Breakfast, lunch and the book: How to Grade for Learning are included.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642


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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.