Wall of Thoughts

Welcome to the SISD Instructional Blog, Wall of Thoughts.

On this site you will find resources, articles, and information regarding some of the most pressing instructional needs across our county. From STEM to Early Literacy and how to build capacity and leadership to implement, we hope you will find this site useful and noteworthy. As you begin to visit this site more often, please let us know how we can assist with your challenges, celebrate your success and be a part of your journey for continuous improvement. Know that we are here to serve, innovate, and empower.

Rebekah Hornak; Director of Instructional Services

Science and Engineering Practices

The Michigan Science Standard Performance Expectations (PE’s) are made up of three parts including the Science and Engineering Practices (SEP’s), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI’s) and the Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC’s). The Science and Engineering Practices are the instructional shifts for science instruction in the classroom. The Science and Engineering Practices are similar to the Mathematical Practices and the ELA Practices.

Appendix F: NRC Framework: Science and Engineering Practices

K-12 Science and Engineering Practices Progression Document

Asking Questions and Defining Problems: Students should be able to ask each other questions about what they are reading or observing. Students should also be able to ask questions about investigations or explanations of their peers. Students should also ask questions to help further define the problem.
Developing and Using Models: Models start as concrete pictorial models and physical scale models to more abstract representations of relevant relationships. Modeling is an instructional strategy that can transform a classroom from a traditional classroom to a 3 dimensional science classroom.
Planning and Carrying out Investigations: Students should have the opportunity to plan and carry out several different types of investigations throughout their classroom experiences. The investigations should range from teacher structured (in order to expose students to an idea) to student created (designed to answer a student question).
Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Students should be able to organize and interpret data to make sense of patterns and relationships. Once data has been displayed in an understandable way, students can use this as evidence.
Using Mathematical and Computational Thinking: Mathematical computations and thinking can help bring together science and engineering. Engineers use the mathematics to connect to scientific theories and scientists can use the mathematics to connect to the powerful technologies of engineers.
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: The goal of science is to construct theories that explanation the real world and the phenomena around us. Students can use observations and data as evidence for their explanations.
Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Students should engage in argument to defend the explanations that they have constructed and use evidence to present their argument.
Obtaining, evaluating and communicating Information: Students need to be able to read and write scientific information. They will also need to present their findings, explanation or argument, based on the information that they have found.

Learn more about the Michigan Science Standards and the Science and Engineering Practices at our upcoming Professional Learning opportunity at the saginaw ISD Transitions Center. Registration form.

Megan Coonan - STEM Consultant

Chesaning’s Big Rock Elementary to Launch the Book Bus this Summer!

Recently, while on my way to Lansing (again), I passed the ever present Nelson Mandela inspirational value billboard “What can one person do? - Pass it on.” Well, I am going to pass it on!

In a recent meeting with Heather Phelps, our lead early literacy coach, she was telling me about the work around summer reading and brought up the Book Bus that Chesaning Union Schools is creating for the summer of 2018 and I just knew the story needed to be passed on. I reached out to Jill Nieman, Principal of Big Rock Elementary and here is what she said.

Who developed the idea of the Book Bus?

The Book Bus was Michelle Schroeder’s idea. She is the Literacy Coach at Big Rock Elementary. She always dreamed of having a mobile library for students, and when she asked the school board about using one of our retired buses for this purpose, they agreed! Many students can't make it to our community library, and many students in our district can't use the community library because of a millage issue. We think it is imperative for our students to have access to high quality literature year round.

When will the bus run and where will it go?

The Book Bus will run at least two days a week all summer long. It will stop at different areas in our district and be available for students to come and check out books and enjoy a free lunch!

Who is the author that is allowing his artwork and what are his books?

We have contacted Mo Willem's, a children's author and illustrator, and he has agreed to let us use his artwork on the bus. Mr. Willems has written many award winning children's books including Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and the Elephant and Piggie series for beginning readers.

How was it funded?

The Book Bus has been funded by the school district, the Big Rock Parent group, private donations, and grants.

How will you measure the success of the project?

We assess our students each spring and each fall. We hope to show less of the "summer slide". We hope that students maintain their skills over the summer by reading all summer long. We will also measure our success by the number of families that participate in this project.

Who is driving the bus?

The bus will be driven by the Literacy Coach, and other highly qualified educators.

The Saginaw ISD is looking for more inspirational stories to share. Please contact Rebekah Hornak rhornak@sisd.cc to share your story!

Recent Post 11.20.17 (Systems & Improvement)

NCII Tier III Module - An Excellent Resource!

Recently, the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) released a new learning module: Module 1: Introduction to Intensive Intervention. The module, on average, takes 30-45 minutes to complete, but viewers can select components from which to choose to view and learn. The goal of the module is “to increase users’ knowledge of intensive intervention and data-based individualization (DBI)”. DBI is the method NCII uses to address intensive interventions.

Highlights of the module include:

Descriptions of intensive intervention and the Data-Based Individualization (DBI) process
Two case studies - one third grader with significant behavior concerns and another third grader with significant reading concerns
Excellent resources for various aspects of intensive intervention are located in the Conclusion section (including data meeting tools, sample lessons and activities, and the DBI framework

This module seems to be a strong resource for learning about intensive interventions. Potential use of the module might include discussions within a professional learning community, small group study of the module components, or individual use of the module to meet educator needs and interests.

Lindy Beckman - MTSS Consultant

The Grieving Student: What Schools Can Do to Help

“I had so many unanswered questions running through my mind. Why did he have to die? What was going to happen to me? Would my pain ever go away? I felt angry and alone. None of my friends understood what I was going through. A lot of them stopped talking to me, probably because they didn’t know what to say and didn’t want to upset me. What they didn’t understand was that not being there for me hurt me more than anything they could have said.” —Crystal, 23

“When my mom asked how I was doing, I would quickly reply that I was fine, not wanting to confide in her what was really happening to me. I had no support from any of my friends, so I felt the need to isolate myself. I was battling grief all by myself, because I knew my parents and siblings were busy dealing with their own grief. Emotionally, my family and I were on different planets.” —Hannah, 15

November 16, 2017 is National Children’s Grief Awareness Day. Research shows that 1 in 20 youth will experience the death of a parent before they graduate from high school. Many more will experience the death of a sibling, grandparent or close friend. Children and teens often feel alone when they are dealing with the loss of a loved one and teachers are sometimes unsure of the best way to help their student when they return to class. Here are a few tips on what you can do in your classroom (taken from www.dougy.org/grief-resources/death-impacts-your-school):

Talk with the bereaved student before he/she returns.
Talk to your class about how grief affects people and encourage them to share how they feel.
Discuss how difficult it may be for their classmate to return to school, and how they may be of help.
Provide a way for your class to reach out to the grieving classmate and his/her family.
Provide flexibility and support to your grieving student upon his/her return to class.

Here are a few quick dos and don’ts:

Do listen.
Do follow routines.
Do set limits.
Do NOT act as though nothing has happened.
Do NOT say things like, “I know how you feel.” “You’ll be stronger because of this.” “He is in a better place.”
Do NOT expect the student to complete all assignments on a timely basis.

For more tips on what to do and how to help, see the resources below:

Signs of Grief in Children: “normal” vs. “worrisome” behaviors http://www.griefspeaks.com/id4.html
The Dougy Center: The National Center for Grieving Children and Families: https://www.dougy.org/
Children’s Grief Awareness Day Resources: https://www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org/cgad2/index.shtml

Amy Wassmann; Health and Drug Coordinator

Recent Post 11.6.17 (Systems & Improvements)

Section 31a At-Risk Updates

For those who have been following Section 31a At- Risk, the Governor signed the supplemental budget on November 2. This means that many of the concerns brought about by changes to 31a legislation have been addressed. Here is the link to Legislation (link to Enrolled Senate Bill No. 133) and the updated 31a Documents from MDE. The following contains the updated information about Section 31a At-Risk as posted on MDEs webpage.

Program Description: Section 31a of the State School Aid Act provides funding to eligible Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and Public School Academies (PSAs) for the intent and purposes focused on the following student outcomes: attending school regularly, reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade, being proficient in mathematics by the end of 8th grade, and being career and college ready by high school graduation [Section 31a(1)]. An "At-Risk Pupil" is a pupil for whom the LEA has documentation that the pupil meets any of the following criteria listed in Section [31a (21)]:

Economically disadvantaged
English learner
Chronically absent as defined and reported to CEPI
Victim of child abuse or neglect
Pregnant teenager or teenage parent
Family history of school failure, incarceration, or substance abuse
Immigrant
Did not complete high school in four years and still in school
Did not achieve proficiency on ELA, mathematics, science or social studies state summative assessment
At risk of not meeting the LEA's core academic curricular objectives in ELA or mathematics based on local assessments

Funds afforded through Section 31a At Risk are limited to instructional services and direct non-instructional services to pupils. They are intended to be spent in the current State fiscal year and may not be used for administration or other related costs. LEAs may carry over funds for one year. Legislative and technical assistance documents are available below.

Resource Materials

Legislation (link to Enrolled Senate Bill No. 133)
2017-18 Technical Assistance Schedule (updated 10/26/17)
- Register For Regional Workshops Here
Please visit the Google Drive Here for the following Section 31 documents:
- Pupil Identification Worksheet (maintain one/per grade for auditing purposes)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Monitoring Indicators
- Monitoring Indicator Resource Document
- Session #1, Legislative Update, Revised November 3, 2017

School Breakfast - Updated Guidance

Per Section 31a (6), LEAs operating a school breakfast program are to use up to $10/student for the costs associated with the operation of this program. This is not an optional expenditure of Section 31a funds. Please refer to Frequently Asked Questions for further guidance.

Program Reporting

The 2017-18 Section 31a Program Report (due July 15, 2018), is being revised to align with updated legislation. It will be submitted through the Michigan Electronic Grants System Plus(MEGS+). Technical Assistance on completing the Program Report will be conducted and available in late Winter-early Spring.

Program Contacts

Shereen Tabrizi Ph.D., Manager, Special Populations Unit, Office of Field Services, tabrizis@michigan.gov
Lisa Francisco, Section 31a, Early Literacy and MTSS Consultant, franciscol@michigan.gov
Stephanie Holmes-Webster, Section 31a, Early Literacy and MTSS Consultant, holmeswebsters@michigan.gov
Alex Schwarz, Accountability Specialist, Office of Assessment and Accountability, schwarza@michigan.gov

Alison Cicinelli; Data and Grants Coordinator

Student Ranking and College Admissions

In a recent ASCD Education Update article by Sarah McKibben titled “Stepping Out of Rank,” they referenced a hot topic in both the K-12 and postsecondary worlds: student ranking. This has become an issue largely because of the competitive nature of college admissions and scholarships. However, more and more locations that they are no longer reporting rank in the traditional sense. In fact, according to the author, “a 2016 analysis from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), fewer than half of U.S. high schools still report class rank.” Instead, one option is to do as colleges and universities do with the Summa Cum Laude, Magna, etc. It acknowledges the groups of students that are excelling rather than pitting people against each other solely for the sake of a GPA rank. The old system necessitated creation of weighted GPAs because some students might take “easier” classes to get the guaranteed A whereas someone else might challenge themselves more but score the A-. Jeremy Branch, from Penn State University admissions said, "Rank can make a top-flight kid, with an A average and who's challenged himself with all sorts of honors and AP classes, look middle of the road to admissions counselors." There is no good way to remedy that situation as weighting GPAs has their flaws as well. Schools that have moved away from ranking can actually provide the information from their student information systems when requested or required, but they don’t have to make it a regular part of the school culture. The ranking issue is one that is playing out across the country as schools either drop it or make it optional. It would seem that the fairest system is the college-like system mentioned above that recognizes student academic achievement based upon GPA ranges. That way, all students can push themselves, and each other, to their greatest potential.

Lucas Peless; Great Lakes Bay Early College Director

Recent Post 10.30.17 (Systems & Improvement)

Differentiated Instruction in a Nutshell

Carol Tomlinson is a leading expert on differentiated instruction. In her book, How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms (ASCD 2017), Tomlinson defines differentiated instruction in layman’s terms: “Differentiating instruction means ‘shaking up’ what goes on in the classroom so that students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn.”

Differentiating instruction is a sound practice in all grade levels and does not mean creating a separate lesson plan for each student in your classroom. It is, rather, how a teacher responds to the needs of learners in a class. The teacher carefully plans specific instructional strategies to maximize learning for each student.

What to Differentiate

Content - what the students need to learn or how students access the content
Process - how students make sense of the learning through “sense-making activities”
Product - to what means a student demonstrates their proficiency (assessment, project, or evidence)
Affect/learning environment - classroom climate, physical environment, and emotional attributes, student relationships

How to Differentiate

Readiness - matching the student’s prior knowledge, understanding, and skills to a learning task that will extend the student’s learning
Interest - activities that capture student likes, engage students, and motivate by being personally meaningful to students
Learning Profile - Conditions that affect how a student processes ideas or learns, which include learning style, intelligence preference, gender, and culture

Carol Tomlinson discusses the non-negotiables of differentiation in a short video clip. Here she explains how differentiation depends on effective use considerations with the learning environment, curriculum, assessment, instruction, and flexible management. The resources below can guide you into taking small steps toward differentiating instruction in the classroom. Differentiation is a key component of effective Tier I instruction.

Resources:

Lindy Beckman; MTSS Consultant

Number Talks Build Numerical Reasoning: NCTM by Sherry D. Parrish

What is a Number Talk? A number talk is a “brief daily practice where students mentally solve computation problems and talk about their strategies, as a way to dramatically transform teaching and learning….in mathematics classrooms”.

Number talks are an instructional routine for 5-15 minutes per day separate from the daily lesson. They help students to understand that there can be many ways to solve a mathematics problem. This routine also helps students develop flexibility and confidence when working with numbers. Students begin to trust and defend their own reasoning, which will help them to build autonomy. Number talks helps to build a classroom community of mathematicians.

The key components of a Number Talk are:

Classroom environment and community
Classroom discussion
The role of the teacher
The role of mental math
Purposeful computation problems

1. Classroom Community: In order to have successful number talk routines, it is essential to create a risk free learning environment for all students. Students should be comfortable in offering responses for discussion, questioning themselves and their peers and investigating new strategies. The teacher should model of culture of acceptance of all responses by considering all of them without offering a verbal cue as to whether they are correct or incorrect.

2. Classroom Discussion: Number talks are grounded in communication.There are several benefits to sharing and discussing computation strategies. These include; to clarify thinking, investigate and apply mathematical relationships, build a repertoire of efficient strategies, make decisions about choosing efficient strategies for specific problems, and consider and test other strategies to see if they are mathematically logical. These conversations may help to lead students to thinking about and trying new strategies. The classroom can also make a group decision about which strategy works the best and then decide if it can be generalized to be used in other situations.

3. Role of the Teacher: During number talks, the role of the teacher shifts from being the sole authority to impart information and confirm correct answers to the role of the facilitator that is a questioner, listener and learner. As a facilitator, the teacher will guide the students to ponder and discuss examples that build your purposes. Teachers need to change the question from “what answer did you get?” to “how did you solve the problem?” This helps to move the emphasis from just having the correct answer to sharing relationships and strategies with their classmates.

4. Role of Mental Math: Mental math is a key component of number talks because it encourages students students to build on relationships to solve problems instead of relying on procedures. Mental math helps students to use number relationships to develop efficient, flexible strategies with accuracy. Mental math also helps to strengthen a student’s understanding of place value. Teachers can write mental math problems horizontally to encourage students to focus on the whole rather than try to solve the problem using a procedure.

5. Purposeful Computation Problems: Teachers can craft problems that encourage students to focus on number relationships. The “just right” problem should be carefully designed before the number talk to align them to the strategies that the teacher wants the students to practice.

Number talks are a strategy that can be used with students in grades K-12. Even high school students can benefit from a carefully crafted computation problem that they solve mentally using different strategies. They are a useful tool for developing a strong number sense in students and building that foundation as students work through these problems. Number talks are a tool that can make a significant difference for your students.

Megan Coonan; Math & Science Consultant

Recent Most 11.3.17 (STEM/CTE)

Math in the Mail Partners with the Girl Scouts

One of the great aspects of Math in the Mail is the partnerships that are formed with community organizations. One such recent collaboration has been with Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan.

The first two kits of the 2017-18 year have been designed by two members of Girls Scouts Heart of Michigan, Isabel Kutz and Paige Terry, for their Silver Projects. The Girl Scout Silver Project requires the Scout to choose a project that will take at least fifty hours of work and have a positive impact on their community. Isabel designed the Math in the Mail kit based on Eric Carle’s 1,2,3 to the Zoo book. Paige designed the kit based on Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno. Both kits focus on preschool counting and quantifying skills.

Each Scout researched the foundational math skills addressed in her kit, then searched for the best book and counter options. She wrote the activities in the Tools for Talking cards included in the kits, and presented her ideas to the committee that decides what components will be included in the Math in the Mail kits. Each Scout also reached out to other community organizations in the Great Lakes Bay Region to invite them to be kit partners. Each Scout set up the assembly line to create 1,500 kits and then worked the entire assembly day from start to finish. She also found resources to be shared on the Math in the Mail social media pages, and her kit’s resource page.

Kudos to Isabel and Paige for their initiative, effort, and positive impact!

Lindy Bryce, Math in the Mail Coordinator

What is Mi STAR?

Mi STAR is the Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform project for middle school science that is being led by a team from Michigan Technological University. The project is being funded by a grant through the Herbert and Grace A Dow Foundation to create a middle school science curriculum that is aligned to the ner Michigan Science Standards. They are working to create a 3 dimensional curriculum that is designed around a “unit challenge” which is a real world problem that the students work to find the best solution for. The units are created based on 21st century themes including built environment, water and earth in space, energy, food, sustainability and health. The units are also Michigan centric.

There are six units currently available, 2 for grades 6, 7 and 8.

These include:

6th Grade

6.1: Water on the Move

6.6: Interactions Within Ecosystems

7th Grade

7.1: Off the Energy Grid

7.3: Life Cycle of Building Materials

8th Grade

8.6: Natural Hazards

8.7: Climate Change

Mi STAR Teacher Professional Learning Pathway: Teachers that are interested in gaining access to the Mi STAR units. When teachers sign up for a face to face session, they will be sent an invitation to access the online Mi STAR Curriculum Primer. Teachers should complete this online learning before they attend their first face to face session. After their first day of professional learning, the teacher will complete a Unit Primer form to request the unit they are interested in teaching. The unit primer is an online tool to help teachers to prepare to teach the Mi STAR unit. When teachers have completed the first two modules, they will be given access to the unit. PLC meetings for the teachers will be set up on a regular basis to help support classroom teachers as they work their way through the implementation of a Mi STAR unit.

Our next Mi STAR teacher training will be held on February 9, 2018 (Day 1) and April 25, 2018 (Day 2) at the Saginaw ISD Transitions Center. Please contact myself mcoonan@sisd.cc or Alison at acicnel@sisd.cc if you are interested in more information. FLYER

Megan Coonan - Math & Science Consultant

Recent Post 10.16.17 (Systems & Improvements)

John Hattie Happenings

Since the release of Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning in 2011, many of us have heard of and read John Hattie’s research on what really matters when it comes to improving student outcomes. Did you know that Hattie continually researches and updates the Visible Learning list? Check out the 2017 list, which now contains over 250 influences on student achievement and their relative effect sizes. Through this site, you can sort the list by source of influence, by aspect, by factor, or by effect size. This is a great tool when thinking about, discussion, and choosing where to focus in classroom instruction and school improvement.

Heather Phelps - Early Literacy Consultant

Hartley OEC and "The E in STEM"

Here at the Hartley Outdoor Education Center we are constantly searching for new and exciting ways to improve our STEM offerings and better align our curriculum with state guidelines. Our staff is always on the lookout for innovative resources that provide creative, hands-on activities that allow us to diversify and offer cross-curriculum STEM opportunities that aid us in bolstering our STEM offerings.

One such resource is the Scholastic magazine Teacher. One of the best issues we have found is the Spring 2017 issue; “The E in STEM”. This issue provides some great hands-on activities that show how you can integrate engineering activities in a cross-curriculum manner. While each activity may not be perfectly suited for our specific lessons, they can provide a great inspirational point to build from.

Eric Rutherford - Hartley OEC Director

Global Read Aloud- Join Now!

Global Read Aloud, started by Pernille Ripp seven years ago, is about global collaboration and connecting through read-aloud. Over the next month, help your students connect with over 2,000,000 students in 60 countries. Here’s how:

Visit globalreadaloud.com
Technology resources and Global Read Aloud FAQs
Check out these educator resources Google Sheet
Follow on Twitter: #GRA17

Happy reading! Use #sisdchat to share what with the Great Lakes Bay Region!

Heather Phelps - Early Literacy Coach

Take a Safari Through Early Childhood Math Skills!

Math in the early years can be an adventure! It’s a safari in which children seek out and discover math “animals” such as subitizing, counting, spatial relationships, shapes, comparing/sorting, measuring and patterns. They develop problem-solving skills as they hunt for the solutions to challenges presented in their play each day.

Numbers are in every part of a preschool child’s world! When a child knows about numbers, they:

· Count by saying numbers in a certain order

· Match each number with one of the items being counted

· Figure out how many objects are in a group

· Group things together and try to figure out the total

· Make smaller groups of things from a larger group of things (sorting & comparing)

· Make equal groups of things (often seen when sharing)

· Compare groups and use words like “less”, “more”, or “fewer”

· Understand first, second, third, etc. (order)

· Try to write numbers

Counting involves number sequence, one number name is given to one object, and the last number named when counting a set of objects tells how many are in the set. Working with a ten frame is a way for a young child to visually and physically make groups up to ten. There are many ways to fill a ten frame, and many variations of games to make the process fun.

Subitizing is like counting, but instead of a child counting each item in a group, they recognize the number by the shape of the group. The most common example of this skill can be seen when someone rolls a die and can tell the number they rolled almost instantly (without counting each pip). Research has shown that recognizing groups of one, two and three is a skill that we are born with!

First, second, third, and so on refers to order. These are called ordinal numbers. Most young children understand first, but have a harder time with second, third, and the other ordinal numbers. Understanding this will come with time, and using these words when speaking with children helps them to understand how to use them.

Numerals (Numbers) should be displayed so children can begin to understand what they represent. Pointing them out in daily routines helps young children “put a face with the name”. However, parents and teachers should remember that knowing the names for numbers and knowing their numerical meanings are not the same skill.

Adding happens with sets of objects during the preschool years. Getting more of something and then finding out how many they have all together is a way for preschool age children to add.

An introduction to numbers and counting is a crucial part of each child’s foundational math skills and begins their “math safari” - but it doesn’t have to be something that causes stress for the child or the parent. There are many ways to incorporate these skills into daily family life. Math in the Mail not only provides resources for this in the kits (free to those who qualify!), but also on its Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter platforms. Children enrolled in Math in the Mail this year will begin their math safari with the 1,2,3 to the Zoo kit, which was designed by Girl Scout, Isabel Kutz, for her Silver Project!

Lindsay Bryce - Math in the Mail Coordinator

Timed Tests and Math Anxiety

Research Suggests Timed Tests Cause Math Anxiety By: Jo Boaler

Timed tests have been a common practice in many classrooms and schools throughout the country. Teachers and administrators use timed tests with the very best of intentions to assess fact fluency. However, recent neuroscience research suggests that timed tests can cause math anxiety in students across all achievement levels. Early math anxiety can lead to low achievement in math, avoidance of math and negative experiences with math throughout their lives. Research is showing that students are experiencing higher levels of stress when they are being timed on a basic facts test as opposed to performing the same exact math without being timed. Research is also showing that even students that can perform proficient on a timed test can experience math anxiety which in turn can lead to a negative mindset surrounding mathematics.

When students are recalling basic facts, they are stored in their working memory. Brain research has shown that the more that can be held in the working memory, the more academic potential a student has. However, when a person is stressed, it blocks retrieval from their working memory. Interestingly enough, researchers have found that students with a high working memory are affected more than the students with lower working memory. Therefore, the students that have the greater potential to excel in mathematics can be more greatly affected by math anxiety which will lead to these students underachieving and then questioning their math ability.

Not only do timed tests affect how students feel about themselves and math, they also send a very strong message about what is important in math. Students begin to believe that math is a subject where students are expected to know math rather than to learn about math. These ideas really block a student’s growth mindset and interferes with their future math performance. Students come to believe that memorizing math facts is the most important thing they will do in math class. Students also began to believe that to be good in math, they need to be fast. As students continue through the grades, they begin to believe that if they are slower and deeper processors of the math that they are not “good” at math and eventually turn away from higher level math courses which would lead to math professions.

The Common Core State Standards do have fluency expectations for each grade level. It is expected that students will become automatic with their facts, however, it is much better for them to build a conceptual understanding of numbers and a foundational number sense to help them become more automatic with their facts. Students with number sense are flexible with numbers, able to decompose and regroup numbers easily.

Number talks is one strategy that can be used to build number sense for students. In a number talk, teachers give students a problem that they need to solve. For example, 25 + 18 = or 12 X 32 = . Students are given a chance to solve the problem as many different ways as they can. Then students are given the opportunity to share the different ways they solved the problem. Students will begin to find more than one way to solve a problem and the students will learn from each other and all of the ways they are solving the problem. This discussion can be so very powerful and should only take about tn minutes. Students that work to solve problems during number talks start to become more and more automatic with their facts as they work through solving problems.

I started looking into timed tests and math anxiety last year because fluency was a topic I was genuinely interested in but also because of my daughter. My daughter was in third grade last year, at the height of timed tests. She is a high performing student in school and things usually come fairly easily to her. One day she came home with a test all marked up and had 0 correct. It was the x2 family so I was really surprised that she didn’t get any of them correct. I asked her what happened? I said you know your 2’s facts. She said “I know! I don’t know what happened!! 2’s facts are just doubles and I learned those in first grade but as soon as she passed out the paper and started the timer, I couldn’t think of anything!” The rest of the year in Math was terrible for both of us. She hated it and thought she wasn’t any good at it and I was trying desperately to rebuild the confidence that was being destroyed by the timed tests she was continuing to take and continuing to do very poorly on. At this same time, I was working with third graders in another district on their fact fluency and I was seeing huge gains after we worked hard at rebuilding their number sense. I started reading the research and found that my daughter was a classic example of the students that were cited in the research. High performing, struggled with the timing aspect and began to have very low confidence in her math abilities. Luckily, I was able to work with her and use number talks and conceptual understanding to rebuild some of her confidence. I am hopeful that this year in math will be different for her and she will be able to see herself as successful in Mathematics.

Megan Coonan - Math Consultant

Irma and Harvey Bring Current Events Roaring into Our Classrooms

What is a hurricane? How is a hurricane formed? What is a storm surge? When and how do people evacuate a city? These are just a few questions that may be swirling in many students’ minds these past two weeks. Current events such as Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey can provide authentic learning experiences and can be very motivating for students. Research tells us that just by increasing motivation we can increase achievement!

Some authentic ways to engage students in current events include:

Develop and research self-created or team-created questions
Create interest clubs to learn about various topics related to the event
Take a stand on an issue and engage in debate by making a claim and providing evidence as well as producing counterclaims (and yes, even early elementary children can do this!)
Promote higher order thinking by asking questions that allow for multiple entry points and ideas related to the event
Compare news sources
Analyze photographs to build visual literacy. The New York Times recommends asking the following: What’s going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can you find?
Take action in response to the event. For example, with the hurricanes, organize donation drives, or with other topics students could educate others through writing, infographic, or media

A few sources for current events include:

Share ideas and the great work you’re doing with current events at #sisdchat!

Heather Phelps - Early Literacy Coach and Consultant

Michigan’s Literacy Coaching Model

What’s the latest about literacy coaching? Michigan has placed a renewed focus on early literacy and ensuring research-based practices are utilized in every classroom, every day, for every child. As part of that effort, there has been a call for an increase in literacy coaches across the state. The Michigan Department of Education has created a research-based literacy coaching model designed to impact student achievement. The model states that literacy coaching should be supported by districts and administrators as part of a multi-year initiative. This means that this is an ongoing effort and that significant change takes time.

The model also provides insight into how coaches spend time effectively. The majority of the time is spent working alongside teachers, literacy coaches, and leaders through a variety of ways to meet colleague’s needs. Time is also spent working as a literacy leader engaged in activities such as committee work, school planning or presenting. Coaches should also possess specialized knowledge of literacy and adult learning principles. For a quick overview, watch the following video. The GELN’s Essential Coaching Practices for Early Literacy heavily influenced this model and provides more details about many aspects of the model. As coaches across the state work to support colleagues and impact student literacy achievement, this model serves as a guide.

Heather Phelps - Early Literacy Coach and Consultant

Recent Post 9.4.17 (Systems & Improvement)

Assessment Scores Released

On August 29, the Michigan Spring 2017 Assessment embargo was lifted and the results were released publicly. The link to the Michigan Department of Education News Release containing an overview of Statewide scores can be found HERE.

Below are few of the M-STEP highlights listed in the news release:

Of the 18 grade-subject combinations tested, 10 showed gains in the percent of students proficient or advanced. When compared to 2015 statewide results, this year’s increased proficient or advanced M-STEP scores occurred in:

Grades 5,8 and 11 in social studies
Grades 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in mathematics Grade 11 in science, and
Grades 5 English language arts (ELA)

Ackley, August 29, 2017, MDE News Release

To view district and building results, you can visit https://www.mischooldata.org/ to see the results. If you are new to MI School Data, CLICK HERE for a video tour for new users. A login is NOT required.

MDE has also created a number of resources for districts, schools, and parents to use to better understand the assessment results. From the August 31 Spotlight, you can find the following resources:

The Customizable M-STEP Data Release Communications Toolkit – for Districts and Buildings
The M-STEP/MME Parent Report Video – visually walks viewers through the M-STEP/ MME parent reports
M-STEP: How to Read a Student Score Report for Grades 3–8 and MME: How to Read a Student Score Report for Grade 11

Alison Cicinelli - Data and Grants Coordinator

GLBEC Now Offers Lunch Program for Students

It is common knowledge that a student who is hungry is a student who is less likely to concentrate, perform at peak performance, or participate as widely in classroom activities. The National School Lunch Program has long sought to remedy these issues on k-12 campuses nationwide. However, there formerly was an exception in place for Early Colleges throughout the state with regards to providing students with affordable meals on campus. Part of this stemmed from the cost differential between what a typical college student pays for their meals and what a typical high school student in a regular high school pays. Anywhere from a $5-6 difference is common making it very difficult for programs to offer meals for their students. Unfortunately, Great Lakes Bay Early College students used to be in this same boat. But no longer! Beginning on August 21, when our new cohort of students began, GLBEC embarked upon a new chapter in its long partnership with Saginaw Valley State University. With the support and blessing of MDE’s School Nutrition office, we are now making lunch available for all students in our program. Students eat in the Marketplace Cafeteria on SVSU campus alongside their college peers. We still have to follow the nutritional guidelines and meal components and students don’t get to eat unlimited, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Since Early Colleges, by design, target low-income, first-generation students to provide them support as they transition from high school to college, not having meals was a distinct disadvantage to those that needed it most. We are grateful for the hard work of those that met repeatedly to iron out this new approach to providing food to our neediest students.

Lucas Peless - Great Lakes Bay Early College Director

A Great Math Read

Putting Practices into Action By Susan O’Connell and John SanGiovanni

This book is a great read for classroom teachers of Mathematics in all grade levels. The book walks through each of the Mathematical Practices and explains what these practices. The descriptions of each of the practices are written in a very teacher friendly way. However, that is not the best part of this book. The book also includes activities for each of the practices that can be easily incorporated into the classroom in any grade K-12.

What does it mean to be “Mathematically Proficient?” “Putting Practices into Action outlines the following guidelines for mathematically proficient students. They are able to blend their content knowledge with the ability to apply this knowledge to solve problems. They can communicate their math ideas. Mathematically proficient students are able to justify solutions and model math concepts. They can also reason to make sense of mathematics.

Mathematical Practice #1: Make sense or problems and persevere in solving them.

Some of the ways students can use this practice include; explaining the problem to themselves and organize the information, monitor their work and change their plan if it isn’t working out, and check to see if the answer is correct and makes sense. Students are also able to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work.

Classroom Activities:

Focus the Question:

Provide students with a piece of data for the week. Ex. picture graph of colors of jellybeans in a bag, list of the cost of snacks at the fair, a circle graph of favorite sports, a list of heights of students, etc.. Each day pose a different problem which students must use some form of the data. Have partners share their ideas. Teachers can then facilitate a discussion where students will share their thinking.

Open Ended Questions
1. Examples:
  1. Ten children went to the movies. How many were girls? How many were boys? Explain your answer. Could there be other answers
  2. Molly has 6 coins in her piggy bank. She has more than 85 cents but less than $1.10. What coins could she have? Explain your answers.
  3. Three children are sharing a pizza. How might they share it? What fraction of the pizza could each child get? Justify your answers.

Mathematical Practice #2: Reason abstractly and quantitative

Students use Math Practice #2 by making understandable representations of the problem. Students are also careful and think about the units involved, while also paying attention to the meaning of the numbers. Students are also able to use properties of operations or objects. The meaning behind this practice is to “contextualize the numbers to words and decontextualize the words to numbers.”

Classroom Activities:

Number Webs

Number webs encourage students to be flexible with numbers. Students use a graphic organizer with a number in the center. Older students can use decimals or fractions. Then students brainstorm all of the ways to make the number.
Headline Stories: The headline is the equation for a word problem or number story. Here are some examples on how to use headlines.
- Post it: Create a bulletin board with many different examples of problems for the same equation.
- Book it: Create a class book with different problems for the equation
- Reverse it: Present students with a word problem and have students write the equation. Have them tell you what each number represents
- Match it: Provide students with 2 sets of index cards- one set with different equations on each card and the other set with problems that correspond to the equations. Have students work with partners to match the equation with the problem.
- Question It: Tell students the answer and have them come up with the problem and the equation.

Mathematical Practice #3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

Students are engaging in Math Practice #3 if they are able to justify their answer and defend their process for finding their answer. Students are also able to judge the reasonableness of others answers and strategies.

Classroom Activities:

Eliminate it!

Students are presented with 4 math concepts and asked to decide on the one that should be eliminated based on a mathematical fact or reason. Students are expected to share what they would eliminate and state why they would eliminate it. There may be more than one way to eliminate an item. An example could be add, subtract, multiply or join.

Agree or Disagree

The teacher poses a math statement, asking students to agree or disagree with the statement. Students must include math data or reasoning to support the decision. An example could be: Jim has 12 pencils and Annie has 8. Jim has more than Annie.

My 2 Cents

Provide students with an argument that has flawed or incomplete logic. An example could be :Jenny has 2 bags of candy with 4 pieces in each bag. Ali has 3 bags of candy with 2 pieces in each bag. Who has more candy?

Mathematical Practice #4: Model with Mathematics

Students that are able to model math ideas and problems in varied ways and to analyze models to draw conclusions and solve problems when they are proficient with Mathematical Practice #4.

How do we get there?

Give students lots of experience constructing math models.
Provide manipulatives and paper and pencil.
Challenge students to think about the math and determine a way to represent it.
Have students create their own models and then share with a partner to see how their models are the same or different.
Examples: 3 + 1, 27-15, 23 + 57, 3 ¼, 4.5, 40 % of 30, 3n-36

Mathematical Practice #5: Use appropriate tools strategically.

Students that are proficient with Math practice #6 are able to decide when to use tools appropriately and accurately and be able to select when to use the tools.

Classroom Activities:

Number Partners

Put a list of numbers on the board. Ask students to give you a number partner to one of the numbers on the board to make the number you have decided upon. For example: Give students the number 10 and then list different numbers 0-10 on the board. Have students pick one number and then give the number partner to get to 10 or any other number including bigger numbers (250), decimals and fractions.

In my head??

Students are given a problem and before solving must decide whether they will calculate in their heads, on paper or with a calculator. Then students meet together and discuss how they solved it

Mathematical Practice #6: Attend to precision

Students that are mathematically proficient in math practice #6 are able to calculate accurately and perform math tasks with precision. They are also able to communicate their thinking precisely.

Classroom Activities:

Vocabulary Word Wall:

The word wall can be an instructional tools built with students. It should include a diagram, or an example to illustrate the meaning. Teachers should help students refer back to the word as needed throughout instruction.

Vocabulary Sort and Label

As students explore words, give them words to sort to identify similarities and differences between math concepts as they explore the list of words.

Vocabulary Mystery Word

Give each pair of students a set of word cards One partner pulls a card. Their mission is to describe the mystery word without actually saying the word. The partner tries to figure out what the mystery word is. The partner continues to give clues until the word is figured out.

Mathematical Practice #7: Look for and make use of structure

Students that are proficient in Math practice #7 are able to understand the structure of mathematics and are able to use properties to explore and simplify math computations. These students are able to see the flexibility of numbers, understand properties and recognize patterns and functions.

Classroom Activities:

Exploring Patterns and Functions:

On the board write a number pattern, covering each number with a sticky note so students cannot see the numbers. Remove one sticky note to reveal a number. Ask students to predict what the covered numbers might be and describe the patterns they suspect is under the sticky notes. Students can predict what they think the pattern is and then reveal a number under a sticky note and decide if any predictions can be eliminated.

Patterns in Hundreds Chart and Multiplication Chart

On a hundreds chart, can students explain the vertical and horizontal pattern? Do they see diagonal patterns? On a multiplication chart, can students explain vertical and horizontal patterns? Do they see diagonal patterns? Can they find patterns that explore equivalent fractions or proportions

Mathematical Practice #8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Students that are proficient in Math Practice #8 notice patterns and are able to discover shortcuts and generalizations.

Classroom Activities:

1. Organizing and displaying data to discover rules:

Extend patterns
- Number of cars 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
- Number of wheels 4 - 8 - 12 - 16 - 20

Students see the repeated pattern. Can they come up with a formula to make finding the answer easier?

2. Extend the pattern to find generalizations

Show 3 or 4 steps of a pattern. Give students hands on materials to explore and extend the patterns. Have the students tell you what comes next and why. Have them record the data on a table. For older students, have them graph the data and discuss what they observe.
Student investigations
- Provide students with opportunities for investigations. Some critical components of these investigations are:
- Opportunities for all students to gather data with partners or teams
- Creating compilations of class data
- Observing compiled ata and discussing insights

Megan Coon; Math Consultant

3 Year Old + 1 caregiver + 6 Math in the Mail Kits = Strong STEM Learning for Life!

Have you heard about one of the newest ways to have fun while preparing for kindergarten? Math in the Mail focuses on developing mathematical skills in three-year-olds by providing the tools needed in the home environment for parents, guardians, and other caregivers. Research has shown that children build their foundation of math skills in the earliest years of life, so Math in the Mail is designed to make learning those foundational math skills a positive and engaging experience.

Children from Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, and Saginaw counties can be enrolled in the program. Qualifying families receive a free kit in the mail, six times per year, which contain materials, resources, and instructions for several age-appropriate math activities. A subscription option is also available for families who do not qualify for the free program or who live outside the targeted region.

To enroll, families should visit www.mathinthemail.org, or call 989-399-7415. Enrollment is ongoing.

To qualify for the FREE program, families must

· Live in Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland or Saginaw county

· Have a three year old child in the household

· Have a household income that is at or below 250% of the federal poverty line and submit proof of that income

Math in the Mail is part of a region-wide focus to better prepare our students for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experiences and STEM careers.

This initiative is funded by Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor through the Dow Corning Foundation, and represents a collaboration between the Bay-Arenac ISD, Clare-Gladwin RESD, Gratiot-Isabella RESD, Midland ESA, and the Saginaw ISD. Many community partners, such as Head Start and WIC programs, have also been supporting Math in the Mail by referring families for the program.

Math in the Mail also partners with Great Lakes Bay Region organizations and businesses to help bring valuable resources to the families receiving the kits. Two of the ways that “kit partners” can be involved: providing supplemental resources in the kits; and by utilizing their employees as volunteers to assemble the kits. Partners for the 2016-17 kits included Mid Michigan Waste Authority, The Castle Museum of Saginaw, PNC Bank Grow Up Great, The Great Start Collaborative of Saginaw County and Consumers Energy, The Public Libraries of Saginaw, SVSU Math and Science Center, Bay County Historical Museum, Midland Center for the Arts, Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum, Saginaw Career Complex, Saginaw ISD Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds program, MSU Extension, Musico Lessons, Hartley Outdoor Education Center, Chippewa Nature Center, and Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.

While the Math in the Mail kits are designed for preschool age children, anyone can follow Math in the Mail on social media to gain information and ideas that will help them strengthen their child’s preschool math skills.

Lindsay Bryce, Math in the Mail Coordinator

Recent Post 8.21.17 (Systems and Improvement)

MTSS and RtI - Differences Uncovered

Working with many different educators, the question is often asked as to how MTSS and RtI are different. Essentially, RtI (Response to Intervention) is one component of MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support). RtI is the process of providing high-quality instruction, identifying student needs, providing specific student interventions, progress monitoring, and making decisions based on student response to the interventions. MTSS, on the other hand, includes the process of RtI, and systems for these additional components: student behavior and social-emotional learning, comprehensive assessments, problem-solving data-based staff collaborations, professional learning for staff, parent and community engagement, curriculum alignment, instructional practices, continuous school improvement, and other systems affecting student progress. MTSS is a proactive approach as compared to RtI which tends to be reactive.

In conclusion, MTSS is a much more encompassing approach to addressing all student learning needs - those at benchmark as well as struggling and accelerated learners. MTSS includes collaboration from the staff in order to meet the variety of learning needs with a strong emphasis on high-quality Tier I instruction. As the old adage states “it takes a village to raise a child”, a solid MTSS can be the village for all of our children.

"What Is the Difference Between RTI and MTSS?" What Is the Difference Between RTI and MTSS? :: OnHand Schools. 25 Aug. 2015, Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

The following chart captures some of the major differences between MTSS and RtI:

Lindy Beckman - MTSS Consultant

Laying the Foundation: One Social-Emotional Brick at a Time

August is the time where my brain starts to really kick into “Back to School” mode. Things I want to do start invading my time at home with my children. That is when I KNOW that I am ready to get back and do my thing! As a teacher or administrator you probably feel the same way… but sometimes those first few days (or weeks) can be hectic as students need to learn the rules and expectations of a new classroom. You may work diligently on creating activities that help students adjust to new schedules and routines. What if I said that there is a simple, easy to implement curriculum that can help you teach your students the following skills:

self management
self awareness
social awareness
relationship skills, and
responsible decision making

What if I said that taking time to focus on these skills will help improve your students’ academic performance as well as their behavior within the classroom? And that the curriculum, resources, training and support afterwards are FREE for as long as you use the curriculum? Please contact me for more information about Michigan Model for Health (Grades K-12) at wassmanna@sisd.cc.

Here are some resources for more information on strategies, tools and research on social emotional learning in the classroom or school.

Michigan Department of Education’s SEL Page

Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) page

Edutopia’s Social and Emotional Learning Page

And a blog I just read this morning on revamping your first 15 minutes of the day! Great read on meeting the students where they are at every day.

Amy Wassmann - Health and Drug Coordinator

"I am Just a Teacher"

Over the summer I read Jon Gordon's book The Power of Positive Leadership and I came across an unfamiliar name to me in education, Marva Collins. My curiosity was sparked based upon her thriving non-traditional education process and positivity, so I did a little research. Marva Collins began her educational career as a substitute teacher for Chicago Public and after 14 years, began her own school, Westside Preparatory School in 1975. Her reasoning behind opening up her own school was to escape the bureaucracy that she felt was failing the students. Through the process of developing a new school, Marva Collins created and coined the Collins Method, an educational philosophy that focuses on mathematics, phonics, reading, and discussing the classics. But what caught the media's attention about Marva Collins was her optimism that all kids can learn. She not only stated it, but she believed it and breathed it.

Marva Collins is most noted for the statement "Kids don't fail. Teachers fail, school systems fail. The people who teach children that they are failures, they are the problem." This powerful statement resonates with me as I have spent the last few years focusing on a growth mindset with both students and teachers. I have heard the phrase "These kids can't do this work" or "The standards are too difficult for my students". While these statements may never be said to the students they can feel it when you teach and they will not succeed because they feel they can't. I have also heard "I am just a teacher, what can I do?" You may be just a teacher, but to a large portion of your students you may be the only consistent adult in his or her life. You never know the impact you will have on a child, remember that every morning before class begins.

As we head into 2017, I wish I could say that the disparities and inequalities that existed in education during Marva Collins time (late 70s/Early 80s) no longer exist, but they do. I see them throughout our county, region, state, and country. The recent events in Virginia are a prime example of this growing concern. So even though we may "just" be teachers, I will try my hardest to remain positive, support my students in anyway I can, and fight the gaps I see in our system every day.

Rebekah Hornak - Director of Instructional Services

Classroom Libraries and Student Engagement

Alright Great Lakes region, it’s August and time to prepare for the new school year. When it comes to literacy achievement, we know (and research tells us) that motivation and engagement matters and so does the classroom library. Here are some things to consider as you set up your space and library.

Do I have a wide variety of books that fit children’s interests? How will the books be organized?

Children need the opportunity to access texts that interest them and reflect children’s backgrounds and culture. When organizing libraries, some teachers prefer to use a leveled system while others use topics, characters, authors, text types, or interests. Consider a combination, allowing children to select books from both organization systems as seen below. From: http://lessonswithlaughter.com/classroom-library/

Some teachers use labels with pictures, colors, or numbers to help students easily identify where to place texts when finished. Stickers work too. Other teachers make the classroom librarian a classroom job, responsible for placing books away each day, such as in this example.

Some teachers use stickers or labels with pictures, colors, or numbers to help students easily identify where to place texts when finished. Other teachers make the classroom librarian a classroom job, where students place books in one location and the librarian is responsible for placing books away each day.

Where will children read?

How will you make comfortable and inviting spaces available for children to read? We know the pleasure of curling up with a good book. How can we help our students experience that same feeling inside our own classroom walls? Consider alternate seating or decorating spaces in a warm, inviting way like the examples below. It doesn’t have to cost a lot, even allowing children to flip their seats over can offer a change.

How will children gain and share interests in the books?

There are so many ways to expose children to new texts whether that is initiated by you or the students. Read alouds are always a great way to peak interest and motivate children to read a book. Book talks, author studies, spotlight books, countdowns to when new books are released or arrive, book battles in which children vote for favorite books, and displays such as the example below with the first lines of books are all great ways to share books with children. Jim Bailey, principal of Hemmeter Elementary in Saginaw recently wrote a blog post about using a principal’s bookshelf.

Children should own some of this too! As adults we read books recommended to us and also share great books with others. Children should have the same opportunity. Children can do book talks, video book trailers, read their recommended books with partners, or have a system or display for book recommendations as in the fish bowl, tree, and bulletin board examples seen here. These are just a few of the many ways to help children read a variety of texts and share the joy of reading.

How will children share and reflect on their personal reading lives and goals?

Whole group and partner share after reading allows children to share and reflect on the work they are doing, how it connects to daily lessons, and how they are growing as readers. Using a combination of conferring with readers 1 on 1 and small group instruction during reading also allows you to work with children on their individual strengths, needs, and interests providing instruction and feedback to support them. You can also encourage students to keep track of their own reading and progress through strategies such as reading logs or calendars of the books they’ve finished, digital logs in which they snap pictures of the books they’ve read, written reflections or responses to text, the use of “I can” statements and personal goal setting.

Don’t forget to set aside time daily for children to read self-selected text. Some teachers prefer to start and/or end their day with choice reading. Others fit it in before or after lunch or special. Still others have the time as part of their literacy block. Support additional choice reading at home by providing texts students can take home or access to digital texts such as through Epic or MEL.

So Great Lakes Bay Region, what great ideas can you share? Share your classroom library photos or ideas on Twitter at #sisdchat.

Heather Phelps - Early Literacy Consultant

College and Career Readiness

With all the noise surrounding National efforts to increase the number of youngsters attending college, it’s nice to see what Saginaw County has done in response to the movement. Two things stand out locally: The College and Career Advisors and the Great Lakes Bay Early College.

The College and Career Advisors program is an initiative and partnership between the Saginaw Community Foundation, the Saginaw ISD, and the local school districts. The premise is this. Students need someone who can walk them through all the nuances of applying for college. The first thing some people think about is that this is the job of the high school guidance counselor. While that is technically true. Consider that in 2013-2014, Michigan’s student to school counselor ratio was 732 to 1. The recommendation is 250 to 1. The reality is that our wonderful counselors can’t do it all for all students. So, this innovative idea was pitched several years ago and has grown every year to enable a half-time or full-time College and Career Advisor in every high school in the district. These passionate individuals plan FAFSA nights, work one on one with students and their families, stay abreast of college deadlines and policy changes, and help students see the possibility that attending college is attainable.

The Great Lakes Bay Early College is a local initiative that began in 2011. This year marks the 7th cohort that takes a different approach to finishing high school. While their residency stays with the home school, they attend high school and college classes at either Saginaw Valley State University or Delta College (or both in some cases). The goals of any early college should be to enable those students who are historically underrepresented i.e. low-income, First Generation, demographic, etc. the opportunity to be intensely supported in the transition from high school to college classes to attain either an associate’s degree or 60 credits along with their high school diploma, and a state recognized MEMCA (Michigan Early Middle College Association) certificate. They have weekly mentor meetings, attend regular college classes so are fully immersed in the college experience, and have the opportunities at both high school and college afforded to them. Naysayers have long questioned (since 2002 when the Early College movement began) whether this was an effective vehicle to help students with college attainment. However, the data is impressive. “Michael Nakkula, a researcher following cohorts of early-college students, concludes: “When anticipating their college experience, students at [the schools] shifted from hope to belief in their capacity to succeed, and finally from belief to knowing that they can succeed.””

Together, these programs are offering additional supports to Saginaw County students as they transition from high school to their post-secondary lives.

Lucas Peless - Great Lakes Bay Early College Director

Recent Post: 8.7.17 (Systems & Improvement)

SI Glossary

As we make preparations for the upcoming school year, it is a time for new faces, new schedules, new school supplies, and new educational jargon. A common understanding of key school and district improvement language is essential to have crucial and deep collaborative conversations around the continuous school improvement process. Be sure to check out the School & District Improvement Glossary created by the Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Education Improvement and Innovation as a resource.

Alison Cicinelli - Data and Grants Coordinator

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