School Improvement

This is a podcast designed to help people evaluate what they have for a schedule and how to consider changing it. As usual this podcast involves lots of my opinions and observations. This episode is a process to follow and all the things to consider when you look at your current schedule and other options.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This is an overview of the setup and issues surrounding special education in the public schools. This one is full of opinions of mine but based on my experiences. Special Education is ahead of regular education in many areas but has huge issues of their own.  Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or opinions.

[email protected]

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This episode helps people to understand the difference between a Middle School and a Junior High. There is no research that says one is better than the other. A middle school focuses on the whole student and most commonly has an SEL program like Character Counts in a homeroom, and core classes run for longer times than electives and students get lots of elective choices. A junior high is a high school preparation program that focuses on preparing students for high school as its primary goal. Often students are moved up a grade level based on performance and high school credit classes are offered in 8th grade using a schedule which the same as the high school.

The grade configuration of the building plays a role in this decision. In a 7-8 building most people use a junior high concept. When a building is 6-8 you can be either with a transition program for 6th grade as a junior high but as a middle school 6th grade would be the same as 7-8. When a building has 5th grade involved a middle school is almost always the choice based on high school readiness is to soon in 5th grade. However, very effective building who are big enough can and should run a 5-6 middle school and a 7-8 junior high in the same building. In this case the 5-6 teachers use the elementary contract rules and the 7-8 use the high school rules.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This is an overview on evaluating master schedules for a secondary school. The staffing needs and other issues that a schedule can address. The schedule used is only second to the quality of staff you hire in importance. The demographics, size, grade levels and non-curricular issues you want to address are directly tied to the schedule chosen.  There is lots more information available on Trimesters.org.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This some common sense practice to use when you get transfer students. The key is to have a practice written down for your schedule. There is an example on the trimesters.org website on how to do it.  They have to take as many required classes as possible but be given some room for failures based on the potential credit they can gain in your schedule. Students who come from a schedule with more credits available should be held accountable to a policy you have in place for not having any part time students. For example, "All students must take at least 6 classes per semester to be considered a full time student". When you get a trimester student in the Winter (usually mid January when their semester ends) you place them in the same courses but their grades determine if they go in the A or B section of the class.  If a student has an A or B in the semester class, put them in the B section of the trimester. If they have less than a B put them in the A section of the class assuming they need some extra time.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This is a simple explanation of what district fund balances mean and why it is important to know. 17% represents 2 months of operational cost and should be the goal of all  district to achieve and maintain.  Don't systematically spend more than you take  in. It is important to know the difference between "Need to Do" and "Nice to Do".  Staff expenses range normally between 60-80 percent of a budget. The closer your district is to 80% the more difficult it is to have a fund balance at 17%.  Fund Balance is a snap shot at the end of a year to give you the starting point for next year and it's like GPA, easy to lower and hard to increase.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This episode talks about the different types of work experiences a student can get in high school.  For example; Work Experience - no credit usually 1 period per day for a senior in good standing and on track to graduate. Co-op is usually 2 periods or more a day and the student gets high school elective or CTE credit based on monitoring from the school. The student should have completed the high school pre-reg courses in the CTE area.  Apprentice or Intern position are half the day or more where the student is getting not only work experience but licensing or endorsements for the career.

I highly recommend districts look at the ACT Workkeys program and have student take and complete Reading for Information, Applied Math and Locating Information. This is another area where special education is way ahead of the rest of the school. Every student should have a post secondary plan with an A and B option.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This is a very simplistic policy on weekly checks on students to make sure they are passing all their classes. A student with a failing grade, sits out until they are passing all their classes. The student still attends practice and games but does not participate in the events. This grade check should be after the second week of each marking period and be done weekly on all students. Band and Choir are co-curricular and do not follow this policy. The goal is to keep them engaged in the activity and use it to motivate them to get their work done. 

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

How to do merit pay for teachers. Simple formula; decide on a total dollar amount, put a point sheet together, divide the total points earned into the amount, write out checks to teachers.
Key items: 1. Must have a satisfactory evaluation. 2. Building academic goals are set. 3 Attendance is rewarded. 4 PD and committee work on non-paid time is included. 5. Attendance at school events is rewarded.

Here is a sample to look at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vZdkg0FNgVw39hM5zebvkS6kQPAV9HeDdG5NSgIsHF8/edit?usp=sharing

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091

This is a review of what the role of social studies should be in high school. Social Studies is 4th in importance of the required core curricular, however is usually more required than math or science. Very few states have a secondary social studies test for students and therefore it becomes a state by state mandate issue. The key to a quality program is to; create critical thinking, enhance language arts in reading and writing, do charts and graphs for ACT prep, and most of all to give student historical and geographical knowledge.   Obviously, like most of the episodes this is my perspective on social studies in high school.

Trimesters.org - CLEP testing - Larry Bell - Merit Pay - Bart goes to SP.Ed. - Homework Strategies - CLEP - ASVAB

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trimesters.org
Text: 269-449-6091