QUESTION/ANSWER DOCUMENT-SECOND GRADE

10/3/02

 

QUESTIONS

ANSWERS

1.  What are second grade teachers doing for Handwriting? How do we get teacher materials? What is the articulation of handwriting K-2 now that K students are writing? Are we using D’Nealian or Handwriting Without Tears?

Handwriting writing instruction will be provided in grates K-3, using the District adopted D’Nealian handwriting Program materials from Scott, Foresman, Inc.  Each teacher should have a copy of the teacher edition from the grade level/span.  Students need to be given opportunities to learn legible letter formation initially, but final emphasis is on uniformity-the letter always looks the same, legibility-the letters are readable, and individuality-the letters are “my style.”  Handwriting is a developmental skill, requiring time, maturity, and practice to achieve.  The District adopted and Board approved handwriting program is D’Nealian.  Currently, a few teachers are trying the Handwriting Without Tears program to support the students who have handwriting on their IEPs.  See the Handwriting section of the Literacy Support Guide.

2. Will the writing section of the report card be collapsed from the 6 traits to match the state scoring method? Will the essential learnings be aligned on the report card?

This is a question that will be considered and researched.  The current report card was adopted by the Board.  However, the assessments could  be reviewed/revised to match.  Is there interest to do so this year from the second grade teachers? If so, please see your principal so we will know of the interest.

3. Do we write improvement plans for students in the borderline range or for all students not meeting the standard? Is this a state expectation?

All students not meeting standard need an improvement plan.  This is a state requirement.

 RCW 28A.300.320.3a.  Starting in the 1998-99 school year, school districts must select an assessment from the collection adopted by the superintendent of public instruction.  Selection must be at the entire school district level.  3b.  The second grade reading assessment selected by the school district must be administered annually in the fall beginning with the 1998-99 school year.  Students who score substantially below grade level when assessed in the fall shall be assessed at least one more time during the second grade.  3c.  If a student, while taking the assessment, reaches a point at which the student’s performance will be considered “substantially below grade level” regardless of the student’s performance on the remainder of the assessment, the assessment may be discontinued.  3d.  Each school must have the assessment results available by the fall parent-teacher conference.  Schools must notify parents about the second grade reading assessment during the conferences, inform the parents of their students’ performance on the assessment, identify actions the school intends to take to improve the child’s reading skills, and provide parents with strategies to help the parents improve their child’s score. 

4. What is the content of the second grade science? How do we get alignment with K and 1 so that they are not teaching our units (Bees, Birds, Fish and Butterflies)?

Board approved content has been identified on the 2nd grade curriculum/resources handout that is attached.  This may be a good topic of conversation at a school meeting.

5. Should we really be using Painted Lady Butterflies which are not indigenous to our area and die when released?

Good question.  The Curriculum Department will check into this.

6. How do we fit science, social studies and Health, Second Step, art, music into our schedule?

An approach is using the unit planning template shared at the grade level meeting.  Start with identifying the “Big Ideas” or understandings that students should know.  Then, describe the performance and list the skills and knowledge that students need to know in order to do the performance.  Now, a teacher can begin to think what content and skills might enhance the development of the big idea.  Next, think about an “essential question” that will create a sense of wondering.  For example, take the idea that “You need to ask questions as you read in order to make meaning”.  Teachers can model asking questions as they read in social studies, science, health, music, math etc.  The trick is to look for connections and ways to integrate the subject matter where it makes sense.  If each subject matter is taught as a separate entity, you will not have time.  Remember that students learn when facts and concepts are connected to a framework and taught with authentic application.

 

7. Is TERC becoming the district-adopted method of teaching? Will there be support for this material? How do we ensure that students know the facts if we use TERC? 

An Elementary Math Task Force has been assembled to write a document that outlines the Core Understandings and Common Practices for Mathematics.  Once the guidelines are determined, the Task Force will be outlining a process of professional development to support teachers in the implementation.  “Facts” should still be taught as part of Number Sense.  They should be measured & respected asked in the Report Card Manuel.

8. How do we report TERC on the report card?  What math concepts are reported within each strand on the report card?

Use the Bellingham Mathematical Rubric found in appendices of Report Card Manual.

9.  What’s the policy on parents as drivers on field trips?  How much money is allocated for field trips to our building?  What field trip transportation does the district money pay?

Board Policy 2320—School district buses are the primary and preferred transportation mode for field trip however, private vehicles and public transportation may be used when deemed appropriate and approved in advance by the principal.  If private vehicles are used, parent drivers must file an Approval For The Use of Private Vehicle form with the school on an annual basis.  All students traveling in private or district-owned vans must use seat belts.

 

Each school has an allocation to cover transportation for the district-approved trips.

10. Is there a curriculum for PE and Music for us to follow?

There are curriculum guides for both PE and Fine Arts.  The PE content is covered in Health and Fitness/PE Curriculum Guide and music is covered in the Fine Arts Curriculum Guide.  There is also a booklet guiding PE activities for Primary Grades.  You can request if from the Curriculum Department.

11. What social studies materials should every teacher have in his or her rooms? Are there “safe” units not to be taught by other grades? What happened to the materials being developed for social studies by Janet Oakley?

See the list of curriculum/resources. Curriculum guides outline content that is required at each grade level.  One reason that we create curriculum guides is so that we can try to reduce overlap from grade level to grade level.  Concepts might be covered in more that one grade level, but they are often approached from a different perspective. It is important to follow the guides so that the same units are not taught over and over again from grade to grade.  The Janet Oakley materials form the basis of the third grade curriculum and should not be used in second grade.

12. Will there be more in service related to diversity?

Buildings have identified professional development needs in their Strategic Plans that respond to the needs of diverse learners.  Special Education is offering a course that will provide sessions on accommodation in February.

13. Are there lists of videos for each building and are they updated yearly?  Where are the SLOS for Computer skills?

The librarian at each school can print off an annotated bibliography listing all of the videos in the school library collection, and will also assist teachers by creating bibliographies of books and videos in the library by topic.  We can do the same with the district video library, upon request by a teacher.  The online library catalog enables teachers to do these searches themselves from any computer in the school, and librarians will assist teachers in knowing how to use the Library Search effectively.

The Technology Standards for Students are on the district web page in the “Technology” section.  The first page lists the overall standards for all learners, and the second section lists the standards for grades K-2.

http://www.bham.wednet.edu/standards/6OctProposedTechnologyStandards.pdf

14. Why is support services started so late each year (speech, title I, etc.)?

Title I services should begin as quickly as possible.  Students should first be identified and parents notified.  Speech-language services usually begin the 3rd week of school.  This follows an intensive two weeks worth of screening, evaluation & IEP meetings, and reviewing student transfer paperwork.  This school year however, services to students did not begin until the week of October 7, 2002.  Two SLP openings occurred late in the summer.  There is a significant shortage of SLPs in this state and nationwide.  We have been unable to fill one of those positions, even though we continue to advertise locally and nationally.  At this point, we are hoping that potential November graduates will apply, and we plan to interview them ASAP.  In the interim, a plan to use substitutes to provide speech-language services to IEP’d students in some locations began October 14th.