MATRIX: Spring Rollover & other goodies...

1. SPRING ROLLOVER PACKETS                        

2. SURVEY                                                              

3. CH-CH-CH-CHANGES                                        

4. TEACHER LED CHANGES                                 

5. CAREER DAY - APRIL 5                                     

6. COLLEGE FAIR - APRIL 24                                

7. MASTER PROGRAM INSTITUTE                        

 

1. SPRING ROLLOVER PACKETS

Your Spring Rollover Packet will be delivered to you by tomorrow for you to pass out in your advisory.  Please distribute them tomorrow in advisory.

 

Included in the Spring Rollover Packet are:

• The tentative Spring Schedules - Although schedules have been rolled-over, they are tentative mainly for juniors and seniors (I have to double-check all their credits to make sure they have all their right courses)
• Career Day Survey
• Schedule Change Request Forms

They will receive an updated course schedule (if they had changes) on the first of school when we return.

 

2. SURVEY

Ms. Chang and Ms. Yan would like to survey interest around the career speakers students would like to come at a tentatively planned Career Day.  Please survey your students during advisory.  Thank you very much.

 

3. CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

I have included Change of Schedules Request in your packet.  Please note that I will not honor any request that does not have the approval of the teacher they are requesting changes for.  SO... please do us all a favor and try not to approve any schedule changes that is absolutely unnecessary.

 

4. TEACHER LED CHANGES

If there is a huge sweeping change that you need to make in terms of your classes, please contact our administrators for any sweeping changes.  Huge sweeping changes might include:

• moving all SpEds into one class or vice-versa
• moving all ELs into one class or vice-versa
• moving an entire period into another period

For smaller changes that doesn't involve a large intensive change, please see me.

 

5. CAREER DAY - APRIL 5

We are planning on hosting our first ever secondary career fair for April 5.  The counseling team consisting of Ms. Chang, Ms. Yan, City Year, the Fulfillment Fund and myself is planning a day where students can meet and greet different speakers from different career field.  I will send a separate e-mail regarding Career Day.

 

6. COLLEGE FAIR - APRIL 24

We have tentatively set a date for our second annual College Fair on April 24, not to be confused with the student-led college fair that 11th grade team just led.

 

7. MASTER PROGRAM INSTITUTE

Please note that begin Wednesday, January 17, I not will be on campus for 10 consecutive Wednesdays to attend the Master Program Institute.  While I already serve the functions of an APSCS (the Assistant Principal in charge of the Master Schedule), I have never really been trained to run it.  Over the years, I have watched and observed how my previous APSCSs have done it and followed their leads.  As a part of the MPI program, I have to concurrently run our Master Schedule as well so Fall Master Scheduling will begin on January.

 

It's time to make it official!  And to get myself out of the RIF list.

 

"Winter always turns to Spring..."

"Winter always turns to Spring..."

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TIMELINE

NEEDS

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

MATRIX REVOLUTION

AQUINO'S SPRING

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TIMELINE

As we begin to go into the ending parts of the Fall Semester, it is time to look towards the Spring Semester and looking to making sure we transition into the Spring Semester in as smooth a fashion as possible.  Here is my proposed timeline for the rollover master schedule.

1. Pre-thanksgiving: Counselor prepares the Course Directory and Master Schedule in the Student Information System
1. Administrators inform counselor of any vast staff changes.
2. Post-thanksgiving: Teachers make student switches by grade level
3. December (Week 1): Students receive their Spring Schedules and change requests are done in the first week.
4. December (Week 2): Final changes are made
5. January (Week 1): Students return and met in advisory first to get copies of their schedules.

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NEEDS

Before I invest a huge amount of time in rolling-over the Spring Master Schedule, I will meet with our administrators to make sure that a Spring Staff Roster is finalized.  Given that we rolled-over early last year and unfortunately had some changes in our staff roster, I will wait until given the final staff roster.  It is my hopes however that we can rollover our master schedule within my proposed timeline.

When such a change is completed, I will then be able to create the Spring Schedule and begin the rollover.

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CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

After given the green-light to begin the Spring Rollover, I will need all the grade levels to make changes in their student's schedules.

After teacher changes are made, I will give students their new schedules and request for schedule changes.

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MATRIX REVOLUTION

Looking beyond the spring, we need to begin to look at how we want to create the Fall 2013-14 Master schedule.

Because of the number of 8th grade students possibly moving to the 9th grade, it is possible that we might have 3 sections of each class in each grade level.

This would of course mean that might have to grow in staff.

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AQUINO'S SPRING

Please note that for 10 weeks in the Spring, I will (with our administrator's blessing) be joining the Master Schedule Institute to officially learn how to create a Master Schedule.

This will mean that for 10 weeks, I would not be present on campus.

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MATRIX: What's the 411?

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1. CRYSTAL BALLS AND TAROT CARDS: THE DISTRICT'S FUTURE PLANS

2. +1: OUR NEW LOCAL DISTRICTS

3. SUMMER SCHOOL: WHAT'S THE HAPS?

4. SS04: THE SCHEDULING MADNESS HAS BEGUN

5. MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORT

6. HIGH SCHOOL REPORT

7. WAITING ON MATH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE

8. ELECTIVES & PE
9. THANK YOUS

10. WHAT'S NEXT?

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1. CRYSTAL BALLS AND TAROT CARDS: THE DISTRICT'S FUTURE PLANS

After going to all the district meetings with counselors and APs, there are some major shake-ups with our district's requirements.

• The district is looking to lower its credits requirements from 230 to 170/180ish.
• The district is planning to raise the high school course requirements to the A-G Requirements which means 3 years of Math and 2 years of Foreign Language for the Class of 2016 and following.
• The district is planning to get rid of "Ds" for high school for the class of 2017 and above.  Should we start a year earlier and get rid of Ds altogether?  As a pilot school, we can.  That's something to discuss as a group.
• Because the amount of credits (G: College Preparatory Elective = 10 credits) are going to be dropped, the amount of electives needed will drop.
• The Common Core Standards is looking to be adopted in the next few years obseleting the CSTs.  I was in a professional development with Jeanne Fauci and the Linked Learning team from the LA Small Schools and she reported that a new Common Core Assessment which is closer to what our practice is as a small school.  There will actually be writing in the new Common Core Assessment.

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2. +1: OUR NEW LOCAL DISTRICTS

Local District 4 will longer exist next year.  We are scheduled to be a part of "Local District +1," which is scheduled to be the district for "options" school like pilots, charters, and magnets.

I'm not sure how I feel about us being in this +1 Local District as we are lumped in with the charters.  However, that might only change the public's perception of pilot schools, it would not change our own mission and vision and our burgeoning practices.

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3. SUMMER SCHOOL: WHAT'S THE HAPS?

From the word on the mandatory meetings that I have gone to, here is the happening for summer school:

• This is the last summer school EVER... apparently...
• It is only available for credit recovery or make-up of Ds for A-G purposes
• It is only available for current 10th graders (class of 2014) and above
• Students can only make-up 1 class
• Non-graduating seniors are to be prioritized
• We only have 15 spots.  Over 50 students have turned in summer school applications...  All will not be able to get in to summer school...

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4. SS04: THE SCHEDULING MADNESS HAS BEGUN

The tedious task of inputting all 500+ students have begun.  While the middle school students are not that hard to schedule, it becomes increasing difficult for high school students.

In order to course request enrollment data in the next PD, I will need to push and make sure that I am able to put in schedule requests into SS04.

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5. MIDDLE SCHOOL

For the most part, 7th and 8th graders have been scheduled.  Because of the overwhelming amount of 7th and 8th graders (approximately 170+), the electives are super impacted.

I have not scheduled any incoming 6th graders.  I am waiting for the feeders from 6th grade NOW and other elementary schools, in order to schedule the students.  Mr. Ortiz will be helping me get datas from elementary.  I have already e-mail Michelle Hernandez, my counseling coordinator to provide me with the "other" elementary feeder database.  From what I have received from Mr. Ortiz, we are scheduled to receive the following:

• 95 6th graders
• 12 of the 95 students are special day self-contained students (SLD)
• 4 of the 95 students are resource students (RSP)
• 37 of the 95 students are classified as ELD
• 3 of the 37 ELD students are classified as Level 1 or 2
• The majority of the 37 ELD students are classified as LEvel 3, 4, and 5.  Many are ready to be reclassified.
• 26 of the 95 students scored BB or FBB in the 2011 ELA CSTs.  This does not include the SPED SLDs.
• 26 of the 95 students scored BB or FBB in the 2011 Math CSTves.  This does not include the SPED SLDs.

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6. HIGH SCHOOL

For high school, it will take longer to schedule them because of all the different electives, math levels and foreign language that I have to review.  I will literally have to review all students and check what they need versus what they chose.

I am scheduled to finish as much as possible by the week's end.  Here are something's that I will need:

• I need the 8th Grade Culmination Team to meet and look at which 8th graders with Culminate to the 9th Grade.
• I need Foreign Language to look over the selection data and look at the 9th graders students who did not choose anything and to place them into a Foreign Language.

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7. WAITING ON MATH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE

I am waiting on the following data from Math:

• Intervention List for future 7th and 8th graders.
• Students ready for Algebra 1 for future 7th and 8th graders
• Intervention List for incoming 9th graders
• End-of-the Year Exam Results for Algebra 1 and for Geometry.  We have 3 8th graders in Algebra 1, 1 7th graders in Algebra and 1 8th grader in Geometry.
• I need Foreign Language to look over the selection data and look at the 9th graders students who did not choose anything and to place them into a Foreign Language.

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8. ELECTIVES & PE

• Because of the increase of students in Middle School for next year, we will need a total of 6 sections of Middle School Electives (170+ / 30 students = 6 sections). So far, we have 1 section of Art, 1 Section of Digital Imaging, 1 Section of Drama, and 1 Section of Math Lab.  It looks like we will need more.
• Because of the increase of students in Middle School for next year, we might need another section of PE.  Middle School (280+ / 55 students = 5 large sections or 6 smaller sections) and High School (unknown until we get our feeder data)

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9. THANK YOUS

• Thank you Ms. Chang for helping me with the Senior Survey.
• Thank you Ms. Chang for helping me with scheduling Foreign Language
• Thank you Ms. Alvarado for helping me alphabetize and notate students requesting honors classes.
• Thank you Mr. Ortiz for getting me 6th grade data.

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10. WHAT'S NEXT?

We will be reviewing course selection data on Monday and this will help us determine, how many sections of what will be needed and then departments can begin to finalize teaching assignments.  Also, our administrators will have data to see what new staff if any will need to be hired.

LOWERING STANDARDS?: My thoughts... And then some...

I was met by some staff members yesterday who alerted me to the LA Times article that the district is planning to lower it standards by lowering the number of credits needed to graduate from 230 to 170 credits.  From what I read, the LA Times focused on the credit minutia of the proposal and didn't focus on what else was being proposed which sounds like it would be even harder to get a diploma.  The times didn't get it all right... figures...

:-/

I researched more into the proposed plan.  From what I read, the requirements might become even more stricter and more aligned to A-Gs.
1) The district's passing grade is already a D.  The times was flat out wrong on this one.  The district's proposal instead plans to eliminate Ds because they are not accepted by the CSUs and UCs.  Something which NOW Academy's Mr. Deligencia and the Math department has already adopted.
2) The district plans to raise the minimum Math years From two years to three years making Algebra 2 a mandatory class something we already aim to program students into.
3) The district plans to add 2 years of Foreign Langauge as a requirement rather than being an "elective" for LAUSD.  Currently, Foreign Language is not a district requirement but it is an A-G requirement.
4) The district wants to do away with Applied Technology and Health out of the requirements.  Hhmmmm...  I son't know how I feel about this.
5) The district wants to lower the 70 unit elective to 10 college preparatory elective.
6) The district wants to lower the number of credits required from 230 to 180 so that students can focus on passing the core-classes.
7) PE and the extra year of social studies remain because they are state requirements.

===MY THOUGHTS===
If these new curricular standards are adopted, this will definitely change our schools' master schedule even more which we are already hard at work.  why can't the district ever put a policy out that isn't at the end of a school year.

It sounds like the district wants to align its requirements to the A-G requirements which is indeed raising the requirements which sounds reasonably like it is raising the standards.  I'm not quite sure about Lowering the number of credits though.

If we do adopt these standards, I wonder if it will create a "gentrification effect" of sorts in which a number of students would be pushed off into the adults school's 170  diploma track.  While I am all for the tougher requirements, I really won't if this will mean that LAUSD will become more college-elitist rather than college-preparatory.

I wonder if by doing this, Adult Ed will also raise its standards to align to the new District proposal.  As it stands right now, Adult Ed has a diploma track that allows its students to graduate with 170 credits.  Will this force students to be tracked into either adult Ed or regular school even further.  Is this new rigor simply going to split Los Angeles' students to the haves and have-nots.

I also wonder if this change is not somehow monetarily tied.  Less credits means leass classes needed means less teachers means saving money. Hmmm... Yes, I'm jaded as to how altruistic the district is really being...  This talk has gone on for years, but with the budget crisis, this seems the most convenient time to implement this new requirement.  This will save them a lot of money.

While I support raising standards, I wish the conversation would instead turn to meaningful standards, adopting curricular practices that are relevant, enriching and actualizing for our students.  It's not just about outcomes, it's about processes.  It's about the journey and not just funneling our students to college.  The high school experience does matter.  It's not just a stepping stone to college.

I wish that the district would have more relevant requirement than just the A-Gs.  What if they had diversity or social justice requirement much like the UCs have on their campuses, a college/career requirement, an outdoor education requirement, an internship requirement, a project-based requirement, and an exhibition requirement.  I wish that the conversation would turn more into holistic, inquiry-based and integrative curriculum instead of just changing the requirements to match the A-Gs (which, yes, I support).

I should start a school... anyone interested?

LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-college-20120418,0,1437173.story

CBS Article

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/04/18/lausd-looks-to-raise-the-bar-for-graduating-seniors/

Daily News

http://www.dailynews.com/education/ci_20420056/lausd-plan-calls-raising-graduation-standards

InvestmentWatchBlog

http://investmentwatchblog.com/la-schools-may-lower-graduation-standards-to-curb-dropouts/#.T5Dy2BB5mSM

MATRIX: Course Selection Sheets Ready

Course Selection Sheets will be placed in your boxes by tomorrow along with instructions and a PowerPoint Presentation to help guide the High School Students with course selection.

Please collect by Monday.

MATRIX: Fit and Polish... wrapping up the semester switch...

1.  LOCKED IN SCHEDULE
2.  RETROACTIVE HONORS CREDIT
3.  LOOKING AHEAD
4.  LAST DAY TO CHANGE CLASSES
5.  APPRECIATIONS
6.  DATA IS COMING!
7.  COLLEGE CLASSES GOOD TO GO
8.  WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD

===1.  LOCKED IN SCHEDULE===
Some teachers have raised concerns regarding why I had to change certain schedules from 1 period to the next.  Please know that it is deliberate and that I am not having the students period-shop.

For example, particular students who have Trigonometry, Spanish Speakers 3, Physics and the like are all locked into a schedule.  That is the case for a lot of students across grade levels.  I know that some classes may become inbalanced where a teacher has 20 in period and 25 in another.  I understand the ideal is 23 in eacher class but let's keep it in perspective that some teachers have close to 40 in their classes.  I have to balance their class so that may mean imbalancing your classes by a few students.  Some teachers have to have multi-level rosters in their classes and they have acquiesed in order to ensure that student schedules were not disrupted.

I wish I didn't have to change the whole master but unfortunately we lost 2 teachers and that impacted everyone's scheudle in some way.


===2.  RETROACTIVE HONORS CREDIT===
I will be putting a couple of forms in teacher's boxes regarding Honors credits.

I want to make sure that the students receiving honors are in the right placement as well as students who shouldn't be receiving honors credit be in the right placement.

In addition, I want to give you guys the opportunity to retroactively give students honors credits or to not give them honors credit if they didn't fulfill some project they were supposed to do for honors credit.


===3.  LOOKING AHEAD - MASTERING A NEW SCHEDULE=== 
So... now that we are slowing down with schedule changes, let's be proactive and look ahead to creating a master schedule.  Here are things that need to be done in order to make a master schedule by the end of the semester:
1. Have students choose classes for the Fall by end of first week in March.
2. Teachers fill out preference sheets
3. Counselor and a team create a tentative master schedule
4. Teachers see the new master schedule
5. We start plugging in as a collective where teachers are needed and can shine


===4.  LAST DAY TO CHANGE CLASSES===
Please note that the last day for students to request changes is Friday, February 10, 2012.

Of course, teachers will still be able to recommend schedule changes for students.

===5.  APPRECIATIONS
Thank you to Ms. Nunez (our parent liaison) and Ms. Grissom for regulating the front office space on Monday.  That really helped out with the drop-ins and ensuring that as much students as possible were following protocols.

Thank you everyone who has wished me Happy National School Counselor's Week!

Thank you to my new TA, Norman Sevilla and Yesenia Ramos, who are very quick and efficient.  When I asked them to do something, they were very much on-task.

===6.  DATA IS COMING!===
When the grading period closes, please be on the lookout for the following data.

• All grades: Report Cards, Honors Roll Data
• 8th Grade: Copies of Culmination Letter
• 9th: LAUSD Requirement and College Application Transcripts
• 10th: LASUD Requirement and College Application Transcripts
• 11th: Personalized Credit Appraisal, LAUSD  Requirements and College Application Transcripts
• 12th: Copy of Senior Letter, Personal Credit Appraisal, LAUSD Requirements and College Application Transcripts

===7.  COLLEGE CLASSES GOOD TO GO===

Huzzah!!! Both college classes are good to go.  The Community Orchestra class is off to a great start with 56 enrollees.  We have 11 out of our allotted 7 spaces.  LAHSA came through with a whopping 20 students as they should because they are a performing arts high school.  IT more than made up for the high school that did not recruit.  All but 1 of our students showed up! :-(

The Music Appreciation class filled up with a whopping 43 students.  We had 15 out of our allotted 7 spots filled.  And all of our student showed for the class.

WAY TO GO NOW STUDENTS!!!

===8.  WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD===
So... I'm talking to the other schools and I think that in comparison, we are in a much better state than some of the other schools.

We had our rollover earlier than some other schools who had easy rollover and some of the other schools are inundated with changes while we are stabilizing changes.

I think this is due to the team who came out to help with the scheduling.  Thank you very much again to Velia, Kim, Sookyoung and Chuck.

TECHNOLOGY: What does it mean to be a technology school?

When I think of a technology school, I like to think we as a "technology school" is really defined not  by the way we deliver curriculum or the way our students express gained knowledge through technology.  I like to think that we are more a school that sees technology through the "Critical Studies" lens.  When I think back at how The School of The Future delivers curriculum, I like to think that is the direction we are headed eventually as a "technology."  As we talk about the direction of our school as being technology-driven, we often talk only about using technology but sometimes I think media literacy and critical studies about technology is not discussed.

CONSUMING TECHNOLOGY

I think that it is very important to gain the knowledge needed to use emerging technology such as PowerPoint, Google Docs, Web Design, Film Production and the like, but is that what makes us a technology school.  Does the use of technology make us a "technology school."  Is having a computer in every classroom define us as a "technology" school.  For me, that is only an appetizer to being a "technology school."  After all, you can make the most beautiful PowerPoint presentation and still say nothing.

versus

TECHNOLOGY AS A MEDIUM

It's a natural step that when you learn to use technology, you would use it to express one's thoughts and create new and innovative way to express ideas.  But does the delivery of ideas through new medium really define us as a "technology."  If a student critically expressed themselves in "old media" such as skits, poster boards and the like, would that not be equally valid?  I'm not sold that ethnology just means emerging new media.  I think technology is also about the old school technology that worked.  I understand that as we send students to the workforce, they need "new media" skills in order to function in college and in the working world.  Let's face it, computer knowledge is truly a must in the 21st Century.

versus

CRITIQUING TECHNOLOGY

I think a lens that we often don't discuss when we talk about technology is the "Critical Studies" aspect.  I think that a part of being a "technology" school is to help students critically look at how they consume technology, how technology plays a part in their world, how they shape the direction of technology and how they can use technology to further the goals of social justice and environmental stewardship.  I don't think it is enough to simple consume technology or express oneself through emerging technologies, I think as a "technology" school, we have to help students understand technology from a critical standpoint.

To learn more about the School of the Future, check out their website:

http://www.sof.edu/