SEEC Monthly
news & updates
October 2021
What's in this issue?
What's new with SEEC?
- Child Care Aware Contract = We're hiring!
- Meet the SEEC Literacy Team

Member HIghlights:
- Barnes County North Mobile Cooking Carts
- Fargo's Patricia Cummings receives Special Education Director of the Year
- SEEC's LETRS for Admin reaching 19 SEEC districts, 8 non-SEEC districts, DPI, higher ed

Program/Service Updates:
- Literacy: K-6 ELA Curriculum Fair, LETRS for Administrators, Foundations of Reading
- English Learners Bootcamp, Federal Programs Monitoring Support for EL & Title III
- ND Social Emotional Leaning Network website launched
- ND Afterschool Network: DPI Grant Competition, Quality Standards, Lights on Afterschool

Shared Resources & Outside Opportunities
- Foundational Reading Assessments with Schools Cubed
- Making Your PResentations Meaningful with Marzano - Great for those who support PD!
- STEM Workshops on the Go, Sources of Strength
- Choice Ready Resources, ND Learning Continuum Draft/Feedback
SEEC news... come and get it!
SEEC & Child Care Aware

SEEC submitted a proposal and was awarded the Child Care Aware contract which includes professional development, technical assistance, and parent resource and referral across the state.

The program has temporarily been housed at the Department of Human Services after Lutheran Social Services closed. Over the past few years, our work in early childhood has continued to grow and we see the opportunity to create a continuum of supports for providers who work with birth to school age by having CCA work closely with the ND Afterschool Network.

With this new program, we have several position openings across the state that we will be hiring - check them out and share!
Curious about what SEEC does in the area of literacy - especially reading? Take a dive into this update on SEEC Literacy Staff!

- Jolene Garty, Director of Student Services

- Kerri Whipple, Literacy, English Learner, and Professional Learning Specialist

- Erica Kindem, ND Reading Corps Coaching Specialist

- Dana Sell, ND Reading Corps Program Coordinator

- Erica Carney, Instructional Literacy Coach

- Emily Koterba, ND Reading and Math Corps Coaching Specialist
SEEC Member Shoutouts!!

Barnes County students will have a hands-on opportunity to learn about nutrition this year with new mobile cooking carts. The carts offer teachers and/or guest dietitians the tools they need to help students create healthy recipes in the classroom that align with state nutrition standards and benchmarks for health.

The mobile cooking cart project was funded by a three-year federal outreach grant that City County Health District (CCHD) received in 2018 with the goal of combating childhood obesity.

The project was a collaboration between CCHD, Valley City Public School and NDSU Extension. One focus of the grant was to enhance the availability of healthy foods in schools.

Schools that received the carts included Washington Elementary, Jefferson Elementary and St. Catherine School in Valley City and Barnes County North and Litchville-Marion.

Dr. Cummings has dedicated her career to ensuring all students have access to high-quality education and students identified with special needs have the fundamental right to instruction.
A total of 61 administrators have registered between the May 2021 session and the upcoming cohort. So far it's reached 51 individuals from 19 SEEC districts and 8 non-SEEC districts, DPI, and higher education!

There's still time to join in! Another kick-off webinar is available Dec. 20th. Register here!
N.D. Science of Reading aligned Literacy Opportunities
Considering a new ELA Curriculum?
SEEC & CREA have worked collaboratively to develop a guidance document based on conversations/work with stakeholders and national guidance documents. We hope this will help guide your discussions and decision-making process - also check out the K-6 ELA Curriculum Fair details below!

K-6 ELA Curriculum Fair
Nov. 22, 9am - 12pm | Fargo
FREE!

Wondering what Tier 1 ELA curriculum materials to invest in that align to the Science of Reading? This is the perfect opportunity to learn and explore!

The fair begins with familiarizing everyone with Science of Reading, discuss implementation considerations, and two great tools:
  1. The Reading League's Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  2. Colorado's Approved Curriculum List K-3.

Everyone then has access to review and dive into the following materials:
- Core Knowledge Language Arts
- EL Education
- Fundations
- Into Reading
- Open Court
- Pathways to Reading
- SuperKids
- Wit & Wisdom
- Wonders
Kicks-off Feb. 2

Aligned with the Science of Reading, this series provides educators with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to address a variety of students’ needs in reading.

It targets the Five Big Ideas of Reading (phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary) in three key areas: instruction, assessment, and intervention.

Audience:
K-5 Classroom Teachers, Title Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Interventionists, Coaches, Administrators. Educators that wish to improve outcomes for all students in the area of reading.
LETRS for Administrators
3 Sessions: Kick-off webinar Dec. 20, Jan. 12, April 20 $250/participant

In light of the HB1388 requirements (Section 9 parts 2-3) this opportunity meets the requirements and includes all literacy focus areas - a perfect fit for K-3 principals!

It combines LETRS literacy instruction content with A Principal’s Primer for Raising Reading Achievement in an online component and face-to-face training to help instructional leaders create the systems and structures needed to improve overall literacy instruction.

LETRS for Administrators helps literacy leaders:
- Create efficient methods of analyzing student data
- Establish effective instructional blocks in literacy
- Examine resources for all tiers of instruction
- Support their LETRS professional development
participants

The research-based course complements LETRS and guides state, district, or building leaders in implementing research-based, multitiered instruction. Administrators are provided specific steps for facilitating change, developing a comprehensive assessment plan, managing resources, assembling a school leadership team, and making data-based decisions.

Last year, SEEC offered LETRS training for the first time and had a LARGE cohort of nearly 60 educators enrolling in Vol. 1 (of two) which consisted of online learning through an LMS plus in-person, hands-on training.

Forty-four of them are continuing with Vol. 2 to further study the elements of effective reading and spelling instruction – Vol 2 focuses on (the top half of the Reading Rope or the Language Comprehension part of the Simple View of Reading – show visuals) or vocabulary and language structures required for skilled reading.

127 educators from across the state are beginning their journey with Vol. 1 to learn about the decoding part of skilled reading and the diagnostic assessments that help teachers to differentiate their small group instruction.

Understanding the why behind literacy instruction helps all teachers use their time and material resources more effectively. It also helps teachers to choose the strategies that have the most leverage in producing skilled readers.

This year's cohorts are already in session and are full, but if you have questions or are interested in future cohorts, please submit your via the button below!
Program/Service Updates & Opportunities

Anyone newly assigned to the EL teacher or EL coordinator role - this is FOR YOU! Many participants come back year after year to stay up on changes in the EL field.
Dec. 2, Virtual - FREE
This training will help schools prepare evidence for their desk audit or site visit from DPI's federal programs office.
[Self-Paced Webinar Series]
FREE! | Individual and Team-Based Options

  • Empowers Educators
  • Increases Student Achievement
  • Builds Systemic Alignment of teaching and learning
  • Design focused learning cycles based upon prioritized state content standards and effective teaching practices

These two FREE, self-paced webinar courses will support practitioners or teams of practitioners as they navigate standards, processes, resources, and supports. As educators engage in this coursework, they reflect on their current practices, identify ways in which to prioritize their content standards and essential vocabulary and work to improve their instructional design, engagement, feedback, assessment to support and redefine the student experience. 
The courses are populated with recorded webinars facilitated by Jan K. Hoegh, Marazano Resources, and LaCosta Potter, and provided via collaboration between the Northeast Education Services Cooperative (NESC), South East Education Cooperative (SEEC), Central Regional Education Cooperative (CREA), and supported by the North Dakota Healthy Return to Learning Team and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. 
Member profiles, curriculum & content standards crosswalk resources

Virtual: Oct. 26-28 | $50

Virtual Cohort begins Nov. 15

Virtual Cohort begins Nov. Nov. 18
Outside opportunities worth checking out
Presented by Dr. Tammy Heflebower, Marzano Resources | FREE!

Jan. 6, 7, & 10, Feb. 15 & 23, March 2
Recordings will be made available.

Sessions highlight valuable strategies for creating a memorable message, as well as tips and techniques for impressive delivery. Do you know the skills? Do you have the skills? This session is a must for educators of all backgrounds who seek to refine or elevate their presence and poise with boards, parents, and teacher audiences. 

Great for educators who support professional development:
- Administrators
- Instructional Coaches
- Coordinators
- Staff Developers
- Workshop Facilitators

This webinar series is supported by the ND Department of Public Instruction and the former Learning Forward ND.
Presented by Pati Montgomery, Schools Cubed | FREE!

Feb. 3, 2022 | 9:30 - 11:30am CST

A quality assessment can guide our instruction in the teaching of the foundational skills in literacy. During this session you will learn what assessments you could be using, the subskills they measure, and general instructional strategies for each of the subskills.

Schools Cubed is an educational consulting group that takes underperforming schools and works with district and school leaders to create self-sustaining, high-achieving school systems. We focus on the three S’s: Systems, Structures and the Science of Reading.

Engaging, hands-on learning experiences for K-12 students that cultivate interest and 21st Century skills. As your district is making decisions about how to spend ESSER funds, please consider the STEM enrichment programs offered by North Dakota’s Gateway to Science. Additional funding sources are available to assist you with the cost to bring STEM programming to your students.

Pick the option best fit for you:
- Classroom STEM Workshops
- Virtual STEM Workshops
- STEMzone Event

Questions?
Contact Janet Rosario, Program Director at janet@gscience.org or 701-258-1975

Initial Implementation OR Recalibration opportunity!
Looking to start or revamp and upstream, evidence-based approach to substance abuse, bullying, and suicide prevention?

Sources of Strength is designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture.

Questions?
Contact Natalie Couture, CREA, at natalie.couture@k12.nd.us.
Highlights / Articles Worth Sharing
On the 5's Resource Guide - Five-Minute Brain Breaks Can Help Us All!
Created to aid in self-regulation, this guide provides numerous activities, ideas, and tactics that can be taught and practiced in short, five-minute intervals throughout the day. There are self-care ideas for caregivers, as well as an additional list of resources. Guide | Assessment Tool

Choice Ready Regional Workshop Resources - DPI, in partnership with the NDCTE and NDREA, sponsored Choice Ready Regional workshops the first two weeks in October in Minot, Bismarck, and Fargo. Between the three events, there was representation from almost all of the 157 high schools!

North Dakota Learning Continuum Preliminary Draft - This learning continuum will serve as a transparent statewide framework of grade-banded competencies for students, educators, families, and the community. Check out these resources and consider completing the comment/feedback survey.

Mental Health First Aid Training - Offered FREE online through Assessment and Therapy Associated of Grand Forks through December 2021!

NDCEL Innovation Academy - Sessions held once per month from November - April focused on four "Big Shifts" that deeper learning schools make: Higher Level Thinking, Student Agency, Authentic Work, and Technology Infusion.

SLDS 102 - Nov. 10 virtual session on trend and current student-level data; trend data for continuous improvement, and create reports using SLDS Analysis.
What's coming up on the SEEC Calendar...
(Events with active links are open for registration.)
Anytime:

October:
26: NDSoR LETRS For Teachers - Cohort B
27: NDSoR LETRS For Teachers - Cohort C

November:
1-2: English Learner Bootcamp (9:00am, Agassiz-Loft, Fargo)
3: NDMTSS Advanced Applications of Data-Based Decision Making (8:30am, Jamestown MS - Thompson Rm)
4: NDMTSS Evaluating Your System
4-5: The Well-Equipped Therapist (OT/PT) Conference (8:00am, DoubleTree by HIlton, West Fargo)
9: SEEC Principals Meeting (9:00am, AmericInn, Valley City)
12: CHAMPS & Discipline in the Secondary
15: NDMTSS Developing Schoolwide Behavior Expectations (8:30am)
18: NDMTSS Developing Pathways for Academics (8:30am)
22: NDSoR K-6 ELA Curriculum Fair (9:00am, Fargo Location TBD)

December:
2: NDMTSS Evaluating Your System
6: NDSoR LETRS for Teachers - Cohort D
9: NDSoR LETRS for Teachers - Cohort A
13: NDMTSS Developing Schoolwide Behavior Expectations
14: NDSoR LETRS for Teaches - Cohort B
15: NDSoR LETRS for Teachers - Cohort C
16: NDMTSS Developing Academic Pathways
22: CHAMPS & Discipline in the Secondary
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