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Volume 12, Issue 14

Weekly Field Memo
April 4, 2018

CTE Perception Survey

Audience: Everyone
As part of a process for developing a strategic vision and goals for career technical education (CTE) in the state, the Agency of Education is asking for participation from you and your school community. The CTE Perception Survey will be available until April 9, 2018.
Contact: Jay Ramsey, State CTE Director, at jay.ramsey@vermont.gov

Online Licensing System (AKA ALiS) Upgrades

Audience: Educators, Administrators, L/RSBs
The Agency of Education is working on upgrades to our online licensing system, which will address ongoing browser compatibility issues. Upgrades will be completed during non-business hours. These will allow users to access ALiS across all browsers, including Macintosh users. This upgrade will also affect Firefox users. Follow the AOE on Twitter for updates on this upgrade.
Contact: The Licensing Help Line at (802) 479-1700.

Vermont’s Early Childhood Outcomes Practices and Procedures Manual and Memo to the Field

Audience: Early Education Professionals
The Vermont Agency of Education Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) team is pleased to share Vermont’s Early Childhood Outcomes Practices and Procedures manual. This document was developed in collaboration with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy), and several key stakeholders. The Practices and Procedures manual is intended to assist those that are responsible collecting, reviewing, understanding, and/or reporting Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) for children receiving Early Childhood Special Education Services (ECSES). It may also prove useful to others who could benefit from understanding the ECO data collection for ECSES. Read the Memo to the Field about the manual.
Contact: Katie McCarthy, ECSE/IDEA 619 Coordinator, at katie.mccarthy@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1401

Educational Support Team – A Deeper Look

Audience: Principals, Teachers, Interventionists
The Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) team has developed a more detailed description of this essential element of school systems of support. Educational Support Team – A Deeper Look defines the Educational Support Team (EST), provides clarification about some common misconceptions and offers suggestions for creating and maintaining an effective EST.
Contact: Tom Faris, Multi-tiered System of Supports Coordinator, at (802) 479-1359 or thomas.faris@vermont.gov

Free Professional Learning: English Language Arts and the Brain for K-12 Learners

Audience: Classroom Teachers, Instructional Coaches
Registration is open for this professional learning opportunity on April 27, 2018 at Randolph Union High School, Randolph, VT and on May 2, 2018 at Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro, VT from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be a mix of presentation, small group activities, and work time resulting in practical, next-day strategies for classroom instruction. The focus is on how the latest research into learning and the brain impacts the English Language Arts classroom. Please note that registration is capped at 30 people. Lunch is on your own and there are places nearby to purchase lunch.
Contact: Sarah Birgé, English Language Arts Specialist, at sarah.birge@vermont.gov

Whole-School Restorative Approach Resource Guide

Audience: All educators
This publication provides readers with an orientation to a whole-school restorative approach and points readers toward more in-depth resources and current research. This guide does not replace comprehensive training. Readers are encouraged to use the Whole-School Restorative Approach Resource Guide to locate relevant resources and to seek out training that provides opportunities for practical application.
Contact: Tracy Watterson, MTSS Program Manager, at (802) 479-1353 or tracy.watterson@vermont.gov

Information Meeting About New Vermont Science Assessment

Audience: Teachers, Teacher Leaders and Administrators
The Vermont Science Teachers Association, partnered with the Vermont Agency of Education, will host regional information sessions on the VTSA (Vermont Science Assessment). The sessions will be led by the Vermont Science Teachers Association with moderation from Margaret Carrera-Bly, Science Specialist. All meetings will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and will be held on April 12, 2018 at Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT and April 26, 2018 at North Country Career Center, Newport, VT.
Contact: Margaret Carrera-Bly at margaret.carrera-bly@vermont.gov

Teaching Strategies Gold Introductory Training

Audience: Early Childhood educators, administrators, directors, and staff in public and private Prequalified PreK Programs
The Agency of Education is offering free Teaching Strategies Gold (TSGOLD) Introductory trainings throughout 2018. TSGOLD is the recommended formative assessment measure in Vermont. Prequalified prekindergarten programs are required to use TSGOLD to document children’s progress. The 12-hour training sessions are offered through the state’s Early Learning Challenge Grant. The first session will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2018 and Sunday, April 15, 2018 at Burlington Courtyard Marriot at Tafts Corners, Williston, VT from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants are expected to attend both days of the training. Space is limited to 20 participants. More dates and locations are forthcoming.
Contact: Shirley Rawson at shirley.rawson@vermont.gov

Sexual Health Professional Development Workshops

Audience: Health Educators, School Counselors, School Nurses, Other Educators Interested in Improving Their Skills in the Classroom or When Working with Parents
On May 18, 2018, the Agency of Education will be hosting two half-day workshops in Burlington, VT, designed to increase the quality of sexual health education being provided in Vermont. The free workshops will run concurrently from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Workshops will be limited to 40 participants. Workshop A: Skills Building for Quality Sexual Health Education will focus on three of the six core skills needed to effectively facilitate sex education. This workshop does not include information on content such as birth control methods, STDs, healthy relationships, etc. Educators are strongly encouraged to brush up on their content knowledge prior to participating in this workshop. Workshop B: Training of Trainers (TOT) for Implementing Parent Workshops will prepare attendees with everything they need to successfully implement a parent education workshop developed by Vermont sexuality education experts. You do not need to be a sexuality expert to teach this workshop, you just need to be willing to lead parents in how to have conversations about relationships, health, and human sexuality with their children. Register for Sexual Health Professional Development Workshops.
Contact: Tom Aloisi, M. Ed., Adolescent Health Program Manager at (802) 479-1869 or thomas.aloisi@vermont.gov

Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Field Guide 2.0 Expert Panels

Audience: All educators
The Agency of Education has contracted with Partnerships for Literacy and Learning to revise the MTSS Field Guide. The goal of these panels is to provide us with feedback, from various perspectives, about the existing MTSS Field Guide and to hear your stories about overcoming barriers in putting a multi-tiered system of supports in place in your setting. If you are willing to devote a half-day in April to meet us and other professionals from around the state, please complete the linked form to indicate the areas of your particular interest/expertise.
Contact: Tracy Watterson, MTSS Program Manager, at (802) 479-1353 at tracy.watterson@vermont.gov

Survey on Descriptors for Performance Levels in Annual Snapshot

Audience: Everyone
The Agency of Education is requesting your input in helping us determine the descriptors for the four performance levels for Annual Snapshot indicators. Please take a few minutes to take this survey to evaluate the options under consideration. The survey will be open through Friday, April 13, 2018.
Contact: Patrick Halladay at (802) 479-1712 or patrick.halladay@vermont.gov

Vermont MTSS/BEST Summer Institute

Audience: SU/SD Leadership Teams or School Teams
Register now for the Vermont MTSS/BEST Summer Institute to make sure you get your first choice strand and workshop selections at the Vermont MTSS/BEST Summer Institute being held June 25 to June 28, 2018 at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel. The deadline for registration has been extended until we are at full capacity. The Summer Institute provides opportunities for school teams of educators, family members, and community stakeholders to share and learn strategies for improving and strengthening the systems, data, and practices within a multi-tiered system of supports. This year’s theme: All Hands on Deck: Working Together to Chart a Course for Social and Academic Success.
Contact: Sherry Schoenberg at sherry.schoenberg@uvm.edu

Asthma Friendly Schools Award to Recognize LEAs

This is the last call to apply for the Asthma Friendly Schools Awards. The deadline is April 13, 2018. This award is a collaboration between the Vermont Department of Health’s Asthma Program and the American Lung Association to recognize Local Education Agencies (LEAs) who can demonstrate the highest commitment to improving and maintaining asthma friendly policies and practices in their schools and promoting good asthma management among their students. The maximum award will be $2,000 for up to three LEAs and distributed in an award ceremony in May during National Asthma Awareness month.
Contact: Alex Crimmin, Health Education Coordinator at the American Lung Association in Vermont at alex.crimmin@lung.org or (802) 876-6861.

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.

Power 2 Summit: Youth and Adults Shaping Vermont Education Together

Registration is now open for the Fourth Annual Power 2 Summit, Tuesday, May 1, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Morey Inn and Resort in Fairlee, VT. The conference is for high school students, teachers, administrators, school board members, and other individuals partnering in school change efforts. It will showcase examples of youth voice and youth-adult partnership in learning and decision-making at the individual and school level, as well as in social justice issues on a local, state, and national level. The Power 2 Summit is a collaborative effort of Vermont’s youth and adults with support from the Bay & Paul Foundations and coordination from UP for Learning.
Contact: Harry Frank at harry@upforlearning.org

Working with Math for Students on IEPs - 2 day Summer workshop with John Tapper, Ph.D.

This workshop will be held June 21 and 22, 2018 at the Hampton Inn in Colchester, VT. Special Educators and Math Interventionists will use key components of John's book "Solving for Why" and the All Learners Project to leave with new skills that you can put into practice for more successful work with students on IEPs who struggle with math.
Contact: Champlain Valley Educator Development Center at info@cvedcvt.org

Discrete Mathematics for High School Educators

The Vermont Mathematics Initiative (VMI) is hosting a summer course for High School teachers and VMI grads July 9 to 13, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m at the University of Vermont. Discrete math topics are becoming more common in high school curricula and there is an increasing need for teachers to learn ideas and methods in this field. This one-week course is taught by Susan Ojala from UVM and Dr. Greg Petrics of NVU-JSC, and will draw from topics in the following areas of study: basic counting methods, the binomial theorem, recursion, modular arithmetic, graph theory, set theory, fair division, voting methods and more. No previous experience needed. The course’s problem-solving structure will promote assisted discovery, communication of process and routes to alternate solutions. Three UVM graduate credits and catered lunches are included in the cost of the course.
Contact: Susan Ojala at sojala@uvm.edu

NEW DATE: Democracy At Risk: Holocaust and Human Behavior (May 1, 2018)

In partnership with Facing History and Ourselves, The Vermont Holocaust Memorial has created this workshop to provide educators with the tools to teach the many moral questions confronting students today. Studying the Holocaust through Facing History’s unique approach allows students to examine history and the dismantling of democracy by using ethical reasoning, critical thinking, empathy, and civic engagement – all of which are essential for sustaining democracy. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Stowe. Learn more and register for Democracy at Risk: Holocaust and Human Behavior.
Contact: Marcie Scudder at marcie@marciescudder.com

Acro-Yoga Workshop for Families

The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts is hosting Acro-Yoga on Sunday, April 8, 2018 and May 13, 2018 from 2 to 3 p.m. In this workshop families with children 7+ learn to fly and play as a whole family. Try acro-yoga and learn the yoga of play, trust, and community - you will build strength, flexibility, and just plain have fun together. The workshop is for beginners who want to connect as a family. Pre-registration is recommended. The cost is $25 per family per session.
Contact: Sarah at flynnarts@flynncenter.org

VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Cafe: Microplastics in Lake Champlain

VTeen 4-H Science Pathways Cafe will be hosting its third and final teen science cafe for this school year on Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the University of Vermont. Our cafe topic will be Fibers, Fragments, Films & Foams: Microplastics in Lake Champlain with Professor Danielle Garneau of SUNY Plattsburgh. These cafes are planned and run by teens for teens and open to all youth in grades 7-12.

Contact: Lauren Traister, 4-H Teen & Leadership Program Coordinator, lauren.traister@uvm.edu, (802) 888-4972, ext. 402

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.