March 2020--Even though I am no longer working officially as a teacher, and certainly not for corrupt (administration) at NHUSD, it's the kids that matter, and we are supposed to teach them to think and learn and be critical thinkers. With the coronavirus and school closures, many students are not going to be doing much learning. This site, in its creation over 20 years, has many good resources for parents and children to keep learning, so I want to share it to help all students.

Since this site migrated to the new format, it has been wonky, but hopefully it is navigable. I will work on it to see what I can do. Sometimes the links I mention are sub links, so keep clicking on the sidebar until you find it. I will keep adding.

Navigate by clicking on the three horizontal lines on the upper left corner by "AMSPurcell" and the sidebar will come up.

This work was created for students mostly at grade level in middle school, but the ideas can be cut down for students at lower abilities or grades, and certainly levered up for the higher grades, though I find a lot of high school level students aren't at this level.

For ideas as to what you and your children can do to keep learning, look on Summer Learning (There are two pages, so look on the longer one. I'm still trying to get the shorter one to delete.) Useful Information for Parents, Your Child's Brain, and Essentials of Good Learners. I will work on adding information and organizing the site.

Anyone can contact me at any time at purcellshareen@gmail.com I will respond.

Fall 2018 --In true district fashion, my emails there have been blocked and all of my work deleted. Luckily I did this site separately. When I tried to email the board from my personal email, my emails to them and the superintendent were blocked.

I agreed to resign so I can speak out about the grading policy and not be unendingly harassed and retaliated against. (Yes, this is illegal and immoral, but when no one will do anything about it and when there is no one to go to to get help, they can do whatever they want.) I have spoken at two board meetings in the open speak (where I can only speak for three minutes) and will try to speak at every one. I have spoken to the superintendent, Lisa Metzinger, and Tracie Noriega. I have presented them all with all of the information, facts, and evidence. The response has been nothing, blocking me, and refusing to give the information I requested. (Oh, and for all of the teachers wondering where all of the money went during the strike, they gave me a huge payout and spend a lot on wasting time making up fake documentation, lawyer's fees, etc., to the tune of about a half million dollars. Does anyone care?)

I want testing data from the NWEA and the SBAC for several reasons. One is because I want the evidence that I know is true (because I have been told over and over by counselors and administration) that my students every single year have made the largest jumps in testing. I was only given the last two years, which showed 70% of my students tested proficient on the SBAC, while only 55% of other same grade students at IVCMS did (and only 50% for the district.) What I want to know, and what I suspect, is that that has increased dramatically in the last few years because I have a higher standard grading, while the rest of the teachers are doing the five point, 50% for missing work, 80 to 100% summative, etc. (All of this is explained on the grading page.) The district is refusing to respond to me, delaying, lying to their lawyer and having him lie to mine, or he is lying, etc. about giving this to me.

Additionally I have asked for more data, specifically to pull up the data sheets showing the grades versus NWEA and SBAC for a whole grade level in math and LA. I watched this done literally in a few minutes a few years ago when math was grading the standard way (the way I do, mostly) and most of LA was in the new, inflated way. Math grades and testing scores pretty much correlated. In LA, the grades were FAR higher than the testing scores. The district is refusing to give me this so I can inform parents and students so they can know what is going on. If they are changing grades and it's not helping the students, shouldn't the stake holders know and have a say? Are parents OK with a standard of grading that says their child is average or above average when the testing scores say they are not? Is it OK to experiment with students this way and possibly have a huge affect on their future? Are you aware of what is going on? Shouldn't the board and the superintendent want to be as transparent as possible? Shouldn't standards be higher to prepare for the world to come?

Colleges and most schools do not grade with 80 to 100% summative work, on the five point scale, let alone give 50% for missing work. So what is the purpose of K-12? Is it to prepare students for college and real life? Or is it to make life easier for parents, teachers, students and administrators by just making sure everyone has passing "good" grades? Should they cater to the few parents who threaten, harass, and threaten to sue if their child doesn't get good enough grades? (No parent ever sued a district because their child got inflated grades and didn't learn.) Is it all about feeling good and easier for everyone, or is it about stepping up and doing the hard work to make it better for everyone?

There are some things worth fighting for, no matter how hard it is or what it costs.

http://www.sunjournal.com/proficiency-based-learning-is-a-cruel-experiment-that-has-failed/

https://pinetreewatch.org/frustrated-maine-parents-rally-against-proficiency-based-learning/

http://www.fosters.com/news/20180415/colleges-support-use-of-proficiency-based-learning

"PBL is not new. It is neither an initiative nor a pilot project. It is far more than a grading system. PBL is about:

• Being crystal clear with what we want our students to know and be able to do.

• Teaching in multiple ways to ensure that everyone learns.

• Being crystal clear with what it looks like to be proficient for every learning target/competency.

• Having a plan for supporting a student when he/she did not demonstrate proficiency.

• Having a plan for extending student learning when a student was proficient already.

• Developing strong habits of work that will lead to success in the 21st century.

PBL is about rigorous and engaging teaching and learning for all students."

Implemented correctly, it's great, and good teaching has required this for a long time.

http://www.sunjournal.com/teachers-parents-defend-pbl/

"Proficiency-based learning is a system of instruction, assessment, grading and academic reporting. It is based on students demonstrating they have learned the knowledge and skills expected of them. It grades work on a scale of 1 to 4, instead of 0-100. . . . Students know that a two means “they’re almost there,” she said. “A 3 means they nailed it. Students are owning their learning in a way I have never seen before.”

Email for this site: purcellshareen@gmail.com

zennioptical.com You can get $10 prescription glasses here in less than two weeks. I have been getting my glasses here for years and usually get at least four pair. Great for kids who need them and lose/break them!

Welcome to Ms Purcell's Class Site. If you need to contact me, the best and quickest way is by email: spurcell@nhusd.k12.ca.us You can also leave phone messages at school, and are welcome to drop by before or after school any day. PLEASE contact me with questions or concerns, as I am the one to best have your answers.

You're welcome to drop by before or after school most days. I am available for help besides class time if there are questions or extra time needed on work. I am here by 7:45 am most days and here after school. My door is always open for extra time to work or help. After school I have duty in S cluster outside, so you can come and grab me there, or I will be back to S-8 soon.

I update journals on Friday afternoons, so you can see how many they have or are missing. They are 5 points each, so if they have 5 out out of 10 points, they are missing one journal, 10 out of 15 means they are missing two, etc. Any missing need to be made them up over the weekend. I DO NOT expect most journals to be done over the weekends, but turned in the week given. That's just a fail safe to give them some extra time on occasions when they need some extra time. I chart them on the wall (as well as reading) so everyone knows how many they've done.

Online history book access:

my.hrw.com

username: gstudent855

password: great

It works. Once you get in, you have to click on the link Go to the History Book Online. Once there, there is a drop down menu "Select a unit or chapter" which takes you to the beginning of each chapter. Then click "Go." You click through the pages by clicking "next."

I try to put in grades as soon as I get them. You should be able to see what I have online. If it's not in there, it wasn't turned in. If you notice any errors, let me know right away. http://sis.nhusd.k12.ca.us/studentconnect

Everyone should have this and their username and password in ink in the front of their binder. If you don't have this, check with the office. I have no way of knowing their usernames and passwords.

Google Classroom--I attach information, videos and assignments here. https://classroom.google.com

Codes for language arts: 69vu2u

history: 4c7m587

Steps to Student Success

Student Responsibilities

--Write down homework in calendar each day.

--Come to class prepared each day with all materials.

--Go through and organizer your binder once a week, putting all materials for each class in the period it belongs—have an adult check this.

--If you miss something in class, ask the teacher or another student to get what you need. Check my website, the Calendar, and Classroom for materials and information.

--Do your homework at a set time and place each day in a way that is most efficient for you.

--Check assignment sheets and check off things as you do them, making notes and questions that you have.

--Recheck directions and requirements after you are finished with an assignment and have someone else look at it.

--When you are done with an assignment, have an adult check that it is done and check it off in your calendar.

--Read 20 to 30 minutes each day MINIMUM. (Successful students always read much more.)

--If you forgot something, check the class website, Classroom, Calendar to see what you're supposed to be doing.

Parent Help

--Observe your child doing homework and reading each day.

--Look at the calendar and check off homework with your child when it is done.

--Go over completed assignments with your child and see if they are following directions and it makes sense.

--Ask your child about what he/she just read in his/her independent reading book and have him/her explain it a bit. You don’t have to know the book to do this.

--Check the homework on the website to make sure it matches what your child has in his/her calendar.

Other Resources

--Come to school 15-20 minutes early or stay after 15-20 minutes to ask the teacher questions or to get work checked. Come in 5th period lunch to work/get help.

--Use the library or counseling center to get work done.

--Have a study buddy or two from class and work on homework together and to have someone to call with questions.

copyright Shareen Purcell, AMS

What Grade Student Are You?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A * Comes to class prepare with all materials each day.

* Writes all homework and due dates in calendar.

* All reading is done ahead of time, and always has an reading book with them.

* Does EVERY assignment on time, as directed.

* Studies for tests ahead of time and ASKS for help.

* Reads assignment directions, discusses directions with other students, asks teacher about assignment, asks parents for help.

* Always does more, spends more time, tries something better each assignment.

* Helps other students in their work, and learns more that way.

* Keeps binder and all work organized—never throws anything away.

* Knows that “A” work isn’t done quickly—it takes time, redoing, rewriting, and changing, because excellence requires time, work and change.

* Knows that learning can be work, and not always fun.

* Loves to read.

* Always checks grades and work because the teacher WILL make mistakes.

* Asks lots of questions.

B* Comes to class prepared each day.

*Calendar has all homework and due dates.

*Always does SSR reading without being checked on.

*Does every assignment, but may have one small one late.

*Studies for tests and pays attention, but not the best test taker.

*Reads assignment directions and usually understands them pretty well, though occasionally forgets to do all the requirements.

*Tries to do a good job on all assignments.

*Keeps binder and all work organized.

*Most of the time takes time on work and redoes it until it is correct.

* Sometimes finds schoolwork a little hard or boring.

C *Not always prepared for class. Calendar not always filled in.

*Usually does all SSR. Missing some journals or WAGS.

*Doesn't do a few smaller assignments or a bigger one.

*Doesn't really read directions. Just does what seems right and doesn't check.

* Doesn't really study for tests, but is a pretty good test taker. Or, studies hard for tests, but is a bad test taker.

*Doesn't put extra work into assignments.

*Not really organized and doesn't want to work that hard.

*Below grade level or behind in skills, but works really hard to try to catch up.

D/F

*Not organized in work or calendar.

*Doesn't really care about succeeding and thinks things should be easy and fun.

*Only does work that is easy and doesn't take too long to do.

*Never asks for, or refuses, help when confused or behind.

*Lies to parents and teachers about work or problems.

*Doesn't like to read because it's hard or boring.

*More than a few grades below grade level in skills and not putting the time in to catch up.

You're not down here at the bottom, are you?

copyright Shareen Purcell AMS