We had a large group of visitors spend the day with us this past Wednesday.  Our district's Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Principals, Assistant Principals and other Central Office administrators spent the day observing classes and collecting data on teaching practices they observed.  This exercise, known as Instructional Rounds, is an educational practice employed in the district and conducted several times a year in different schools on a rotating schedule.  This week was our turn and it turned out to be a very successful day on many levels. 

 

The goal is to provide the school's Principal and Assistant Principal data from fresh, unbiased eyes on a topic chosen by the visited school.  In consultation with our School Data Team, the  topic chosen for this activity was "feedback," which based on research, is a highly leveraged area in terms of bringing about improvement in school achievement.  Our visitors were asked to collect data on many aspects of feedback, including teacher to student feedback, teacher to group feedback, written vs. verbal feedback, etc.  In addition, they were asked to also collect data on the elements of feedback, including, was it timely, specific in nature to the task, did it extend learning, etc.  A wealth of information was collected followed by rich discussions.  This information will be shared with the teachers and used as a springboard for setting goals of improvement.  

 

During their time here, they were not only impressed with the caliber of teaching they observed, but were very impressed with the independence and insight our students displayed.  They also remarked on the high levels of achievement, as well as how "happy," "comfortable" and "enthusiastic" our students seemed to be.  Mr. Matejek and I were very pleased and proud of the feedback we received and are eager to analyze the data collected.

 

On Tuesday, October 20th, the PTA is sponsoring Math Night from 6:15 to 7:15.  Teachers will be here to facilitate math games and other activities to promote the enjoyment of math and reinforce its importance in everyday life.  I hope you are planning to attend.  

 

Terry Ricci