​K-5 Math Professional Development Opportunities starting in November

K-5 Math  is offering a number of PD opportunities for elementary teachers.  All classes are on the Learning Campus and teachers must register for the class in order for them to be paid their hourly rate for attending.  Class sizes are limited so please encourage your teachers to sign up soon!

 Bridges Grade Level Professional Learning Communities 

Teachers will meet in grade level teams five times throughout the school year. In this PLC, they will preview upcoming units and Number Corner, deepen their understanding of the CCSS mathematics being taught, and discuss best practices for student success.

 First Session is on November 4th from 3:45-5:15 for grades 1, 3, and 5.

First Session is on November 18th from 3:45-5:15 for grades K, 2, and 4.

 K-5 Mathematics Performance Task

This on-going five session series will support  K-5 classroom math teachers in understanding the development of Performance Tasks as well as  an opportunity to create and pilot grade level  tasks to use with their students. Teachers  need to sign up under a specific grade level on the Learning Campus.

 First session is on November 12th from 3:45-5:45.​

K-5 Math Assessment Resources & PD Updates

New Assessment Resource

There are new electronic recording sheets for 2^nd-5^th grade, Number Corner Assessments, 1^st grade Year Long Assessments and Kindergarten Interviews available on the K-5 Math web site. Using the new electronic recording sheets, teachers can input their class data and a report will generate to show if students are meeting standards, approaching standards, strategic, or intensive.

Fall 2015 Professional Development Calendar

The K-5 Math team has posted trainings (scroll to the second page) for teachers who are new to Bridges or new to a grade level.  Please register for these trainings on the Learning Campus. 

   

K-5 Portland Metro STEM Center Summer Courses

STEM Education Professional Development - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math - Graduate Courses For Elementary Teachers Summer 2015

We are excited to offer an array of STEM Courses through the Portland Metro STEM Center again this summer. These are eligible for tuition invoicing and employ the Common Core for Math and the Next Generation Science Standards as well as cutting edge pedagogy for teaching STEM courses. There is a focus on equity and student centered classrooms as well as content and practices.


Follow the link below for more information.
http://pdxstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Flyer-Elementary_2015_FINAL_REVISED.pdf

K-8 Teachers: Sign up for Close Reading PD in April

Kindergarten - 8th grade teachers interested in a deeper understanding of the skills around the Close Reading process are invited to attend a day-long PD offered by the Office of Teaching and Learning. This is a great time of the year to try out the various components of the close reading process with your students, so you can better implement in the fall. The morning will be used to understand the mechanics and expectations of a close reading lesson cycle, while the afternoon will be spent developing close reading lessons for your students.

Deeper Understanding of the Close Reading Process

Dates/Locations (Pick One)

April 21st, 2015: Tubman, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

April 28th, 2015: Marshall, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Sign up on The Learning Campus​

Teacher Nominations for 2015 Mathematics Instructional Materials Evaluation

The Oregon Department of Education is looking for nominations of teachers, curriculum specialists, and other experienced professionals who have interest and expertise in Mathematics to participate in the evaluation of instructional materials. Those individuals chosen to participate on the committee will receive training, travel reimbursements, and a stipend.

The evaluation committee will meet the week of July 20th to July 24th, 2015 (unless fewer days are required) in West Linn, OR. Work will involve the evaluation of instructional materials in mathematics, to be voted on by the State Board of Education in October.

In accordance with Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 581-011-0066 the Oregon Department of Education shall include classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and others having experience and expertise in the subject area. Completion of this nomination form does not guarantee that person will be selected to the committee.

To nominate, please fill out the nomination form here.
Self-nominations are not allowed, so please have a supervisor or peer complete the nomination form.

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact Vanessa Clark at vanessa.clark@ode.state.or.us or (503) 947-5746.

Oregon Writing Festival (Grades 4-12)

The 31st annual Oregon Writing Festival will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015, on the Portland State University campus. This event has showcased the writing of more than 33,500 students (grades 4-12) from school districts all across Oregon and has been an exciting event for students and teachers from PPS who have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate. The festival includes author keynotes, workshops, and the opportunity for students to share their own writing. To learn more about the event, go the the Oregon Writing Festival website.

Schools interested in participating need to have at least one teacher attend the event for up to 10 students. If a school has 11-20 students participating, two teachers will need to attend. The cost per student is $35 and transportation is not provided.  Each student should bring a copy of his/her best writing to share in a breakout group.

Please sign up at this link by January 30th.

Questions should be directed to:

Grades 4-5: Jennifer Buchanan, ELA TOSA, jbuchanan@pps.net

Grades 6-12: Beverly Daggett, ELA TOSA, bdaggett@pps.net

Proficiency Practices: PSU Course for PPS Teachers

PPS is partnering with PSU and Diane Smith, the Teaching and Learning Initiative Director at the Business Education Compact, to offer a 3-credit course focused on Proficiency-based practices.  Whether you are relatively new to proficiency or looking to deepen your understanding, this course will provide opportunities to collaborate with other teachers in PPS, to share ideas and resources, and to apply your learning to your classroom practice.

The class will meet at the BESC two days a month from 5-8pm starting January 22, 2015 through May 19, 2015. All classes are held on Tuesdays, with the exception of the first meeting, which is on a Thursday. Credit will be awarded spring term, and PAT members can use their tuition reimbursement to pay for the course.  For more detailed information on the course content click here.

In PPS, teachers are encouraged to use best grading practices. A train-the-trainers model of professional development based on Ken O’Connor’s Fifteen Fixes for Broken Grades began in middle schools and high schools last year. Grading Fixes Boot Camps for K-5 and K-8 schools will take place in the spring of 2015.  Proficiency-based practices extend beyond the realm of grading and incorporate shifts in approaches to curriculum, instruction and assessment. For more information about proficiency in PPS, see the Proficiency-Based Grading page on the PPS website.

If you are interested in enrolling in this course, please email Susan Payne at spayne@pps.net.

PK-3 Reading PD Opportunity: CCSS Reading Foundations

The Department of Instruction, Curriculum, and Assessment in collaboration with Dual Language Immersion will be offering a series of three after school workshops for PK-3 teachers around CCSS foundational skills, flexible instructional grouping and culturally relevant instructional strategies to support struggling readers.

Session 1 - Reading Foundational Skills (PK-3)
Session 2 - Data and Instructional Grouping (K-3)
Session 3 - Instructional Strategies (K-3)

PD is open to all PK-3 teachers and will take place at three different locations; teachers should sign up for the location that works best for them and attend all three sessions: January, February, and March. Teachers will receive extended responsibility pay. Sign up on The Learning Campus.

Dates/Locations
North: Vernon: 3:30 - 5:30 on Jan. 14, Feb. 12 and Mar. 4
West: Hayhurst : 3:30 - 5:30 on Jan. 21, Feb. 19 and Mar. 11
Southeast: Marysville: 3:30 - 5:30 on Jan. 28, Feb. 26 (Arleta) and Mar. 18​

Looking for K-5 Science Teacher Leaders!

The PPS STEAM Team 

is looking for K-5 teachers from each elementary to become a science specialist for their school.  

This will be come our K-5 Science Leadership Cadre.  We will provide training on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) so that these teachers can become leaders in their schools to help with implementation of the NGSS.  We are looking for nominations from teachers!  Much support and development of teacher content knowledge will be a big part of this work.  

Please contact Nancy Lapotin with your responses.  

nlapotin@pps.net

(503)916-2000x71327