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Do you have exceptional individuals who teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science in grades 7-12? Nominations for the 2020-2021 program year can be made at www.paemst.org now through March 1, 2021.
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Schoolwide SEL: Focus on Adult SEL
In this 5 minute video, learn ways to cultivate a community of adults who engage in their own social and emotional learning and model SEL throughout the school. Developed in partnership with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), this video is part of a series that provides practical applications for educators pursuing high-quality, schoolwide SEL.
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Nominate a STEM Star!
We are excited to partner again this year with MiSTEM, East Central Michigan Region, to recognize STEM Stars in our region. A STEM Star may be a K-12 classroom teacher, Robotics Coach, STEM Coordinator, or someone else in your district/ISD who makes incredible contributions to STEM education. A district may nominate more than one individual; however, priority will be given to nominees who have not been previous recipients of the award. All nominations will be reviewed by a committee and those selected will receive a $250 award to enhance STEM education in their classroom or program.
Nominations are due by Friday, February 26th
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inPACT @ School
School and classroom-based strategies that foster movement and activity are critical for children’s health, achievement and social-emotional development. The InPACT@School program emphasizes children’s natural physical activity patterns through the implementation of short, intermittent bouts of activity in the classroom throughout the school day. InPACT@School is comprised of classroom curriculum and management resources, instructional exercise videos, and floor plans that equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to get their students moving and ready to learn.
Program Outcomes
- Improved physical health from activity breaks implemented throughout the school day
- Improved cognitive function, with students having greater focus and attention in the classroom following activity breaks
- Enhanced behavioral self-regulation from students setting and achieving goals for themselves
Saginaw County is the recipient of a pilot program to implement InPACT@School in elementary schools as well as look at building/district strategies to strengthen wellness policies. Amy Wassmann recently sent out emails regarding the InPACT@School to all elementary principals in Saginaw County. If you did not see yours in your inbox, please reach out to Amy at wassmanna@sisd.cc
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4 Items to Share with Staff
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NEWLY RELEASED!
MDE and the MiMTSS Technical Assistance Center are pleased to announce the release of the document, "Intensifying Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices!" The purpose of this document is to increase our state's capacity to support a broad range of learners who need literacy supports to become skilled readers and writers. More specifically, it focuses on the advanced tiers of an MTSS framework (Tiers 2 and 3); however, its contents can and should impact Tier 1, class-wide instruction since an effective Tier 1 instruction supports all learners regardless of their pressing needs.
Educators and leaders should use the "Intensifying Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices" guide in conjunction with the Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy documents. This document describes five practices and considerations for understanding how students' learning and behavior are enhanced.
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Free Webinar Series!
Microsoft Tools for Learning
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Engage students and staff remotely, enhance and simplify collaboration, and increase accessibility. 2 SCECHs for each webinar.
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In celebration of African American History Month, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Library of Michigan are excited to release the first week of outstanding African American authors and their literary works that have been selected through nominations from Michigan educators.
This month-long series is coordinated with MDE’s release of its Equity in Literacy resource guide to help local schools and teachers improve literacy skills of all students, with a particular emphasis on children of color and working class and poor children.
Seven African American authors and their literary works will be featured each week during the month of February along with information about the nominator and a brief description of the nominator’s use of the work with students. The weekly calendar will be posted on MDE’s Equity in Literacy website.
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Memo Recap:
January 15 - February 1, 2021
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- February 2, from 2:00-2:45pm
- This webinar will demonstrate how to use the free online AP potential tool provided to all districts by College Board. This will help identify students who have potential to be successful in AP courses and exams.
- The AP potential tool can be customized to courses currently taught at the school
- A recording will be available for future access
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Per MCL 380.1310b, if a local school board or PSA board of directors creates a new anti-bullying policy or amends an existing policy, state law requires a copy to be submitted to MDE through MEGS+
- MDE is seeking public comment on its request to the US Department of Education on the waiver of certain assessment & accountability requirements.
- If approved, these waivers would:
- Prioritize the state-required administration of benchmark assessments.
- Suspend administration of the statewide annual summative assessment in English language arts, mathematics, and science.
- Suspend administration of our alternate assessment (MI-Access) for the 1% student population.
- Suspend federally required administration of our English language proficiency assessments (WIDA).
- Suspend the calculation and reporting of annual differentiation of schools using 2020-21 data.
- Dr. Rice encourages all of us in education to reflect on the thought, "The coming school year should be a pivot to a new, better normal, not simply a return to a pre-pandemic normal."
- Plans are in place to convene a group of local and ISD superintendents to develop the specifics of a return to a new, better normal.
- There are also plans to engage groups of teachers, principals, and others to gather input and thoughts around this theme to improve public education for our children.
- Section 380.1281(3) of Revised School Code allows districts and ISDs to apply for a limited time waiver from a State Board of Education or MDE administrative rule
- In an effort to support school districts in meeting new requirements set forth by Return to Learn laws, as they pertain to special education, MDE will process waivers when districts, in collaboration with ISDs submit application requests for any or all of the four rules under MARSE.
- Waivers are available for all districts and ISDs for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
- Districts may apply to waive day and/or hour requirements for the following:
- R 340.1738(b)(i): Programs for students with severe cognitive impairments
- R 340.1748(2)(a): Programs for students with severe multiple impairments
- R 340.1754(2)(e): Early childhood special education programs
- Districts may apply to provide 72 clock hours over a calendar year for the following:
- R 340.1755(2)(c): Early childhood special education services
- The State of Michigan is offering a free program to stop adult-oriented ads from reaching email and mobile phones.
- Schools can support this program by:
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Registering the school domain through the WEBSITE
- Send a notice to all families informing them of the registry & encouraging them to sign up their family
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Add the www.ProtectMiChild.com button to the school's website for easy access to the registry.
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- A BIG congratulations to the following districts for being awarded FIRST Robotics (VEX) grants!
- Bridgeport-Spaulding
- Carrollton
- Chesaning Union
- Frankenmuth
- Freeland
- Hemlock
- Merrill
- Saginaw
- St Charles
- Swan Valley
- Award letters are generated in MEGS+ and will receive awarded funds through SAMs in February state aid payments.
- Monies awarded will support districts in their pursuit to improve mathematics, science, and technology skills.
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Testing Waiver Request
A request was submitted by MDE to the US Department of Education on January 25, 2021 to waive certain assessment and accountability requirements of the federal ESSA for Spring 2021.
WIDA Testing
- WIDA testing opened this week. Districts/Schools are to continue to plan to assess ELs as safely as possible. Even if the waiver is approved, WIDA testing is still encouraged as completed tests will be scored and used for EL exit purposes.
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OEAA has a new COVID-19 School Closures page that is to be used by a district or school that is closed for in person instruction during one of the assessment windows (including WIDA).
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WIDA testing must be completed in person. Assessment coordinators must keep track of why students might be unable to test - including parent refusals and issues related to COVID-19. Reasons for untested students should be submitted in the OEAA Secure Site during the Students Not Tested window.
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WIDA Assessment Office Hours are to continue through the testing window. See page 2 of the Spotlight for dates, hours, and the Zoom link.
- Reminder that some information still needs to be bubbled in by hand, even if a Pre-ID label is affixed to the student test booklet.
M-STEP Test Administration Manual
- The 2021 M-STEP Test Administration Manual (TAM) is now available on the M-STEP webpage.
- Updates include:
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Test Administrators are no longer required to read the TAM; however, they must read the Test Administrator's Directions and Manual documents for each test they will administer.
- Incident Reporting Guide has been updated to reflect policy changes.
- Most incident reports are to be submitted within two school days
- Any authorized user of the OEAA Secure Site may submit incident reports ad determined by policy/procedure of your district/building.
- Documentation for incident reports involving errors in designated supports and/or accommodations has been updated.
- TTS for Directions only is available on all M-STEP tests. Decision to use this feature is made by the District and/or Building Assessment Coordinator.
MI-Access Science Alternate Content Expectation
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Reminder: New science alternate content expectations were posted to MDE's website in 2020. They can be accessed HERE as needed.
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Item Writers Needed! Educators who work with students who typically take the Functional Independence level of MI-Access assessment for science are needed.
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Those interested may fill out this APPLICATION for consideration as an Item Writer.
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Focus on Assessment Literacy:
How do English Learners Participate in Michigan State Assessments?
The Title I and Title III portions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) mandate that English learners (ELs) (defined as any student whose home language is other than English) must participate in statewide and district-wide summative assessments. Besides providing results for accountability purposes, assessing ELs provides important information that schools and districts can use to
determine whether their EL students are making progress toward English language development standards as well as academic content standards. However, there are some challenges involved with assessing ELs for both the students and their educators, which are discussed on page 5 of this week's Spotlight.
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Reach out to Saginaw ISD Instruction for support
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