District 6 News and Events

LAUSD's New Math Web Site

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:01:00 -0700

September 21, 2009

via Nigel Nisbet
PreK-12 Mathematics Expert

The NEW LAUSD Mathematics PRE K - 12 web site is at http://www.lausd.net/math

(You can also find this link on our District 6 Website on the Mathematics Page)

You can use the website to access the following:

Instructional Guides: Within the Mathematics Instructional Guides or MIG, you can choose to either download the whole instructional guide (large PDF document of several hundred pages) or choose your grade level(s) / subjects and find individual documents. Please note, there is more information available within the grade level / subject pages so it is worth the time to explore. You will find Concept Organizers, Concept Tasks and Lessons (where available) Textbook Connections and many other useful planning resources.
Instructional Resources: Links to external mathematics websites split into three categories, manipulatives, reference, and practice.
Professional Development: Here you will find materials for past professional developments in many subjects, links to publisher online professional development, and information about any upcoming professional development run by the LAUSD math program.
Assessments: This is a link to the CoreK-12 website (formerly Princeton Review) where you can access copies of the periodic assessments, as well as data on your students’ performance on these assessments. You can also access student data on LAUSD’s myData system at mydata.lausd.net You will need to use your LAUSD single sign on (the same as your email login).
Memos & Bulletins: All the current LAUSD memos, bulletins, reference guides and other official communications relevant to Mathematics
Calendar: Contains all the relevant dates pertaining to the LAUSD math program.

President Obama Addresses our Students

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:28:00 -0700

President Obama Addresses our Students:

September 8, 2009

President Obama will be addressing our nation’s students on September 8th, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. pst. — the first day of school for many children across America. He will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of education. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.

Let’s join each other on the Local District 6 Ning to watch, share, and discuss our thoughts, ideas and reactions. [For new members, you will be asked 2 questions in order to create an account.]

The conversation begins now. There are two ways to share your thoughts: 1) Use the #ld6 hash-tag on Twitter. 2) Join the discussion. Please share at your school and join the nation in connecting our students with our President.

CST Test Scores

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:14:00 -0700

August 19, 2009

Education changes lives. Through our actions each of us changes lives on a daily basis. I would like to thank each and everyone of you for the positive actions you have taken that have impacted our student’s lives as well as our communities over the last school year. In reality each of us directly impacts the health of the cities of Bell, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Maywood, South Gate and Vernon. One measure of our success is test scores. Test scores cannot be the only measure of our student’s success, but it is definitely one of the tools we must use to inform and guide the work with our students and staff that leads to our ultimate goal for everyone in Local District 6-fostering passionate life long learners prepared for the challenges of the 21st Century.

Attached you will find the LAUSD Board informative addressing test scores for the 2008-09 school year that was presented to the Board of Education on August 17, 2009. The informative begins with the overall results and trends for LAUSD and then later in the informative identifies the percentage gains by each local district. The report ends with the individual results for each school in all of LAUSD including iDesign and charter schools. We will be preparing a comprehensive summary for our local district showing 2009 results as well as trends over the last number of years which will be presented to our various stakeholder groups as well as posted on our Local District 6 website.

I look forward to the 2009-10 school year as we positively change and impact the lives of our students and adults in Local District 6 and in the communities of the southeast cities.

Sincerely,
Martin Galindo
Superintendent, Local District 6

Attachment: 2009 STAR Informative Revised.pdf

Book Giveaway at District 6!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:23:13 -0700

August 10, 2009

Book Giveaway today and tomorrow at the Local District 6 Office, 3rd floor. All teachers are invited. Hurry! Supplies are limited!

5800 S. Eastern Ave.
Commerce, CA 90040

Elementary English Language Arts Resources

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:55:00 -0700

August 2009

All current, available resources (fluency norms, SOAR reporting dates, pacing plans, and student answer sheets) for the ELA unit have been posted on the Elementary Language Arts website under publications.

Student Answer Sheets - Elementary Literacy

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:53:00 -0700

July 2009

Due to state and district budget reductions, students in Grades 4-5/6 (using Open Court Reading 2000, Open Court Reading 2002, Foro abierto, or Lectura) will not be permitted to write in the student booklets purchased for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Students are required to use student answer sheets. Read more in Memorandum 4807.

2009 - 2010 Periodic Assessment Program

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:09:00 -0700

July 2009

via: William Tarr Jr., EdD
Coordinator, Periodic Assessments
Los Angeles Unified School District
333 S. Beaudry Ave., 21st Floor
Los Angeles CA 90017
(213) 241-6873

Hello all,

As we begin the 2009-2010 academic year, I would like to give you information about the Periodic Assessment program. There have been some revisions this year:

The Princeton assessment division was acquired by a company called Core K12 Consulting Solutions Inc. All the same people moved over to the new company, so the only apparent program change is to the name. The previous url for the Princeton score reports will not function after October 1st, so teachers and administrators should bookmark this new url for score reporting:

https://lausd.corek12.com

Also, for 2009-2010, the Quarter 4 Elementary Mathematics assessments, the high school Integrated-Coordinated Science assessments and the new Grade 11 History-Social Science assessments have been suspended. If additional funding is available, these may be reinstated at a later date.

Additionally, the multiple choice booklets for Grades 4 and above, all subjects, must now be re-used in subsequent years and should not be discarded. Schools will not receive any additional multiple-choice booklets for the 2010-2011 academic year. The covers of all affected booklets have been revised to reflect this change.

Multiple-choice booklets for Grades K through 3 elementary mathematics will continue to be consumable, as well separate Constructed Response Items - e.g. Secondary ELA Short and Extended Constructed Response materials, secondary mathematics and history-social science short constructed response items.

All this information can be pulled from the Periodic Assessment Reference Guides and Calendar Memos that are posted on the Periodic Assessment webpage.

Finally, booklets for multi-track schools will not arrive in schools until the week of August 10th. Booklets for single-track schools will arrive, as usual, the week of September 14th (the week after Labor Day). However, please remember that the system is able to accommodate answer sheets turned in at any time.

For additional information, please contact Chris Mullins in the Periodic Assessment Unit. His email address is chris.mullins@lausd.net and his phone number is 213-241-3376. The Core (formerly Princeton) helpdesk number has not changed, so they can be reached at 888-745-7737.

All the best and thank you for your support!

Cheers,

Bill Tarr

William Tarr Jr., EdD
Coordinator, Periodic Assessments
Los Angeles Unified School District
333 S. Beaudry Ave., 21st Floor
Los Angeles CA 90017
(213) 241-6873

Elementary MIG (Math Instructional Guide)

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:01:00 -0700

July 2009

The 2009-2010 Mathematics Instructional Guide (MIG) is an electronic document only. It is available on the Elementary Mathematics Website. The documents will remain a draft until teachers have had an opportunity to use them and provide feedback.

The Grade 4 Quarter 1 Concept Lesson documents have been uploaded to the Elementary Mathematics Website today. Grade 4 is the only grade level that has a Quarter 1 Concept Lesson based on the new organization of the MIG. The Quarter 2-4 Concept Lessons for grades 3-5 will be added to the website at a later date.

ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE (MIG) AND CONCEPT LESSON
ELECTRONIC COPY

Login to Inside LAUSD
Click on Offices
Click on Elementary Mathematics
On the margin of the Elementary Mathematics Homepage – Click on Resources
You will see the MIG posted for Grades Kindergarten – Five and the Q1 Concept Lesson posted just below the Grade 4 MIG

District 6 READS ACROSS AMERICA...and more!

Tue, 12 May 2009 09:26:00 -0700

by Joan Kramer, Coordinating Field Librarian, Local District 6

District 6 schools held a variety of spectacular events for Read Across America this year and Reading is Fundamental, the group that distributes books to children for their home libraries.

In a District that has not one bookstore, and not enough public libraries, our school libraries are the GO-TO PLACES for books and information for research and recreational reading.

One event at Bryson Elementary included everyone wearing pajamas while the Principal read to the entire student body from the roof. Principal Lisa Trujillo is a supporter par excellence of reading and libraries.

Nimitz Middle School held a beautiful event, inviting policemen, firemen, and local businessmen who went into participating classes and read to the students. Librarians Carla Barrera-Ortiz and Anna Lee pulled out all the stops, decorating the library and serving a beautiful breakfast to all the volunteers. They couldn’t have done it without Mayra who has been the Library Aide for several years.

Hughes Elementary invites community people and politicians, teachers and District employees to read to students in classrooms. Students receive special gifts and incentives to read more. Cindy Gonzalez, their Library Aide, is a spectacular artist who brightens up every corner of the school.

Nora Gonzalez is the Library Aide at Stanford Primary Center. She is also studying for her Masters Degree at San Jose State University to become a public librarian. Every year she holds Reading is Fundamental activities to give books to her students to take home. This year was no exception, with CAMP LIBRARY. Students read stories by campfire, read books in a tent, watched the stars at night, and rowed a boat around a lake.

These are just a few of the events that you will find at our wonderful District 6 schools where every effort is made to instill the love of reading and create life-long learners.

Outstanding Teacher Award, Mr. Gonzalo Bayardo, Holmes Ave. Elementary School

Tue, 12 May 2009 09:12:00 -0700

Mr. Gonzalo Bayardo, a teacher at Holmes Avenue Elementary School, has been awarded the prestigious honor of being selected for the “Outstanding Teacher Award” for his dedication and commitment to the educational advancement of students and the community by the TELACU Education Foundation. Congratulations!

Margarita Gonzalez, EL Coordinator, Featured in ASCD's April Podcast

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:30:00 -0700

April 22, 2009

Dr. Margarita Gonzalez-Amador, EL Programs Coordinator for Local District 6, was recently featured on the April edition of ASCD’s Whole Child Podcast. She was one of three leaders in ELL education across the nation chosen to be interviewed for this podcast. She shares the unique opportunities and challenges that our students in LAUSD encounter and talks about the strategies that Local District 6 is taking to address the learning opportunites for our ELL students.

You can listen to the podcast at the ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) website. You will find it in the April Podcast section.

Local District 6 Operations Meeting

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:34:00 -0700

March 13, 2009

The Local District 6 Operations Meeting on March 11, 2009, was held live online virtually using various collaboration tools.

The archive of the meeting can be found at http://district6.wikispaces.com There you will find video archives, presentations with linked audio, and all files and media shared at the meeting. All information can be accessed for a period of at least one month.

You can also download the audio recordings from the meeting by subscribing to our Local District 6 Podcast.

Special Board Meeting Explores Tough Budget Options

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:03:32 -0800

March 4, 2009

During a special meeting on February 26, 2009, Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines shared the district’s dire fiscal picture of facing a cumulative $894 million budget deficit for the 2008-09 and 2009-2010 school years, The presentation from that meeting can be downloaded from the LAUSD website.

ChalkWalk - May 3, 2009

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:29:00 -0800

March 4, 2009

LAUSD and LACOE are teaming up with Phi Delta Kappa International to sponsor the Los Angeles Chalk WalkSM, the first ever walk-a-thon fundraiser to honor great teachers and support the next generation of great teachers. Read more and register through the LAUSD homepage.
Shared via Lisa Regan, Secondary Literacy Coorinator, Local District 6

Inauguration Resources

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:03:00 -0800

The Presidential Inauguration will take place on January 20th, 2009. Below are some suggestions and resources for this important day.

Suggestions for Viewing, via Ramon Cortines, LAUSD Superintendent

Watch the inauguration in groups. Try to assemble students in large common areas such as a cafeteria, library, auditorium, gym, or multi-purpose room and project the broadcast onto a large screen or provide multiple viewing locations in one large room.
Whenever possible use a television or VCR that receives over the air broadcast channels. If the TV or VCR is not connected to a roof-top antenna a set of rabbit ear antenna should work. Test the location of the TV or VCR to assure reception. Some TVs and most VCRs, have an “audio/video out” connection and can be used with an LCD projector to project onto a large screen. KLCS will broadcast live, begining at 8:00 a.m. and will rebroadcast later that day at 4:30 p.m.
Some schools have cable or satellite service. If so, use that service whenever possible.
If schools want to observe the inauguration over the Internet through any one of the media streaming sites, then they should view them in large groups. It is not recommended to have individual students or employees watch the event online. This will cause an increase in network usage that would exceed the available bandwidth and could cause the stream to be interrupted for all users, spoiling the experience for all. Consider grouping students together (as noted above) or in larger classroom and have the teacher project the inauguration for multiple people to view.

The following should help you if you plan to use the streaming over the Internet option: (recommendations via Themy Sparangis, LAUSD Chief Technology Director)

Small schools and elementary schools should consider no more than 10 computers to simultaneously watch the inauguration online.
Middle schools should consider no more than 20 computers to simultaneously watch the inauguration online.
High schools should consider no more than 40 computers to simultaneously watch the inauguration online.

Online Viewing Resources

With the above considerations in mind, here are some resources for online viewing:

Inauguration Day 2009 - This site has a list of sites to view the stream live, as well as suggestions for listening on the radio and on tv.

Some additional streaming sites not mentioned on the above resource

Using My Right Hand - a live stream
LBP Don’t Miss a Moment - live stream (has central times listed)

Online Educational Resources

NYC Department of Education has put together an 18 page resource on classroom activities for learning about the Inauguration. It’s divided into elementary, middle, and high school resources. via The Innovative Educator blog.

Additional Resources

LAUSDnet Kids has some great Inauguration Day educations resources.

Maywood Academy wins Title 1 Academic Achievement Award! Congratulations! December 18, 2008Maywood...

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:26:00 -0800

Maywood Academy wins Title 1 Academic Achievement Award! Congratulations!

December 18, 2008
Maywood Elementary was among only 200 California schools to be selected for the 2008-2009 Title 1 Academic Achievement Award. State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell stated, “These schools deserve high praise for improving student achievement.” Maywood Elementary was the only school in District 6 to receive this award. Congratulations! For more information about this prestigious award, please visit the news release on the California State Education website.

CERTIFICATED ADMINISTRATIVE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:04:00 -0800

November 12, 2008

The Certificated Human Resources Division is announcing the Assistant Principal, Adult Counseling Services; Secondary Principal; and Elementary Principal administrative examinations this coming Spring 2009.

The filing period for Assistant Principal, Adult Counseling Services will open Monday, December 8, 2008 and close Thursday, January 22, 2009.
The filing period for Secondary Principal will open Monday, January 5, 2009 and close Thursday, February 5, 2009.
The filing period for Elementary Principal will open Monday, January 26, 2009 and close Thursday, February 26, 2009.

All candidates applying for any of the above examinations must participate in the new Recommendation of Readiness (RoR) process. The new RoR process serves as a tool to develop and recommend certificated staff for school leadership roles. This RoR process includes the new Success Indicators that standardize criteria upon which supervisors make recommendations and facilitate candidate preparation for higher level positions.

Candidate Examination information is available at: http://www.teachinla.com/research/exam_announcements.html

Administrator Examination information is available at: http://www.teachinla.com/AdminExamInfo.html

Individuals interested in applying for the examination should contact the Administrative Selection Unit (ASU) at (213) 241-6886 for further information.

CONGRATULATIONS CORONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR BEING THE MODEL LIBRARY FOR LOCAL DISTRICT 6!

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:01:00 -0700

October 7, 2008

On October 3rd, Library Services celebrated the Model Elementary School Libraries in each Local District. Model Libraries are chosen because they exemplify the highest standards for Libraries set by the State of California Department of Education and LAUSD. Local District 6 is represented by Corona Avenue Elementary, with Principal Jack Baumann, A.P. Vinita Bhasin, and Library Aide Stephanie Sanchez.

Stephanie shared with us some of the wonderful things she is doing at Corona. She has implemented a dot system of colors that enables the students AND parents to find books to read for the Accelerated Reader program. She is coordinating the Book-It Program in cooperation with Pizza Hut, rewarding students for setting and reaching a goal for reading books with a free pizza. Stephanie keeps the library open after school so that students can study and parents can visit at any time. Friday afternoon, Corona held their Reading Tea, inviting parents to listen to their child’s own story written in conjunction with Open Court Reading Unit, Sharing Stories.

Stephanie is sharing her wonderful program with our other Model Libraries.

From School Photos

CalSTRS Pre-Retirement Worshops - 2008/2009

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:40:00 -0700

CalSTRS Pre-Retirement Worshops - 2008/2009:

September 12, 2008

Approximately 30 pre-retirement workshops are conducted at different LAUSD school locations throughout the school year. These workshops are presented by CalSTRS counselors. Employees are encouraged to attend at least one pre-retirement workshop at some time in their career. This is especially important for those employees anticipating retirement in the next 2-3 years and those approaching their 55th birthday. Schedules for pre-retirement seminars are now available for download at this site.

Summer School Transition Program August 5, 2008Soon-to-be...

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:41:00 -0700

Summer School Transition Program

August 5, 2008
Soon-to-be Southeast Middle School students had the opportunity to Think Green for their Transition Program Service Project during July. Students really dug into the project of creating an organic green space to grow vegetables and flowers. Over 180 incoming 9th graders participated in this special summer school program that gives students early access the middle school experience while boosting math and literacy study skills. This program is a success in large part to the dedicated and enthusiastic staff at Southeast. Thank you for Thinking Green!