Parkway North Principal: March and April Are Going To Be Busy

March is a very busy month for school leaders because we are planning for next year, the next few months, and the next day all while trying to make sure that things are going well ‘right now.’ Some days I just have to take a deep breath to clear my mind and get focused. I want to share with you important information about upcoming events and about changes that will be taking place for next year. Hopefully your head won’t be spinning by the end of the letter!

We will have End of Course Exams, District Choice ACT and Technical Skills Assessments during the month of April. Students enrolled in algebra 1, biology, English 2, and government will take an online exam as part of the Missouri Assessment Program. The exam will be graded electronically and the score will be calculated as part of the student’s second semester grade. Students who receive special services may take the exams in an alternate location or with varied testing parameters. If you have questions, contact your son or daughter’s counselor or IEP case manager.

All juniors will be taking the ACT on Tuesday, April 24. Most of the juniors will be assigned a testing location in one of the gyms; students with special needs may have an alternate location. Juniors will report to their testing location by 7:35 on Tuesday, April 24, and will remain in the testing location until all ACT exams have been collected. ACT has extremely strict rules about the use of electronic devices and what can be brought into the testing area; we will share those details with you when we are closer to the testing date.

Lastly, Missouri has begun administering a Technical Skills Assessment to determine the effectiveness of our Career and Technical Education classes (FACS, business and tech ed). The state determines which students have taken enough courses to show proficiency in each career area. Students whose names are sent to us from the State will be contacted so they can take the required exam during academic lab.

As you can see, our students will be busy completing a number of exams that are important. The data will help us know what we are doing well and where we can improve as a school.

If you look at the 2012-2013 Parkway District Calendar you will see changes in how we will structure the professional development time for our staff. Instead of having periodic full days for professional development, we will have shorter and more frequent periods of professional development time. Once a month from September through May all schools will start two hours later than normal so that staff members can participate in collaborative professional development. The development model we will be following is called Professional Learning Communities. At we have already been using this model for development and have found the development to be very positive. Through PLC groups, curriculum is discussed, assessments are created, data from the assessments is reviewed and decisions about changes in instruction are made or interventions for students are put in place.

In fact, it was through these discussions that we decided to implement our three week progress monitoring process with the RADAR reports and make the changes with academic lab so that students who are struggling get the help they need to be more successful. It can be a labor intensive process and changes need to be made in a timely manner which is why we need to have the professional development time scheduled more frequently. At the last Principal’s Coffee, I shared information about how the PLC model is being used here at North and the benefits we are seeing as a result of this model for development. I have included a link to a website that lists many more details about Professional Learning Communities and the benefits for students and staff. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me. www.parkwayschools.net/plc

Once we return from break, the days and weeks will fly by. The last day of school will be here before we know it! I hope you take time over the break to read, relax and spend time with family and friends.