Sunday, April 23, 2023

Week of April 24

 UAI Staff News

Volume X
Issue 27
April 24th, 2023


Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead. 
 As we wrap up April and enter into May, this is the time to reflect on the lessons we learned this year and look ahead to next.

Each year our school generates a Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP).  Typically, this is something that I do during the summer, simply because time always gets away, and the document, historically, has played more of a compliance role than a driving force.

This year is different.  This year, we have been classified as a school in need of Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI).  This designation only applies to Title I schools, so schools that have large percentages of poor students, and CSI applies to the schools in the bottom 5% of these poor schools, according to various metrics.

In the middle school, those metrics are the NYS Middle School exams in ELA and Math.  Last year, many parents were still wary of sending students to school right after the Omicron and Delta waves of COVID, and many felt that because their child had missed so much school, they preferred opting students out of the exams.  As a result, many of our students opted out.
  • Opting out meant Low Participation  
    • NYS MS ELA:  (6th: 12/36.   7th: 12/58.    8th:  8/45).  
    • MYS MS Math: (6th: 9/36.   7th: 11/58.    8th:  0/45). 

  • Our CSI designation is based on the number of kids who are enrolled not tested.  So, because we had such high levels of opt out, those students are counted as being a Level 1, and thus it appears that our school has extremely low proficiency when in fact, we really had high refusal rates.

  • Additionally, the state measures proficiency on the Regents exams as scores that are >80 if they take the exam in middle school.  If they pass the exam in high school, they are considered proficient, but if they take it in 8th grade, then they are not considered proficient unless they get an 80 or higher.   So even though, 86% of our 8th graders who took the Algebra I Regents satisfied their graduation requirement, and 19% scored College Ready scores, NONE of them were considered proficient by the state. 
The math of all of this makes zero sense and there seems to be an underlying political agenda at work that seems intent on shaming schools with high numbers of poor kids.  But that's a whole other blog post one day.

For now, as I do with any low blow, I choose to look for the opportunities that arise.  Even a gut punch gives you the chance to bend over and stretch your legs, right?

So, taking hold of the silver lined reigns, we going to make the most of what we have to do as a CSI school to better understand our school, galvanize our community, and make UAI that much stronger.

As a CSI, we need to engage our full community in a schoolwide needs assessment and in the writing of plans (the CEP) to address those needs in the upcoming school year.  While our designation is based on data points in the middle school, we have areas throughout the school that can always be better. 

The CEP has required priorities, dictated by the DOE, for which we need to submit a needs analysis, priority goals & relevant action plans.  We will be split into teams to address each priority:
  • Priority #1:  All Students Learn to Read Well
    • Team Leaders: Marsha & Kelly (Annie)
    • Team Members: Rebecca, Laura, Sarah M, Mike, Jake, JRob, Fatima
      NOTE:  Must in

  • Priority #2:  All Students are Physically and Emotionally Safe
    • Team Leaders: Jen & Jean
    • Team Members:  JJR, Nicole, Alaisha, Leonela, Roger, Denyea, Marni. Noelle

  • Priority #3:  All Students have a High-Quality Academic Experience
    • Team Leaders:  Phillan & Judy
    • Team Members:  Kaitlyn, Joanna, Amanda, Danielle, Tiffany, Alison, Lillie, Matthew

  • Priority #4:  All Students Graduate College & Career Ready and Have a Strong Plan and Pathway to Economic Security
    • Team Leaders:  Liza, Danielle I (Kiri)
    • Team Members:  Jelissa, Camryn, Thomas, Tom, Sarah R, Junior

  • Chronic Absenteeism
    • Team Leader:  Freida (Annie)
    • Team Members:  Elena, Shan, Patti, Pauline, Adelle

  • Quality Individualized Education Program
    • Team Leader:  Mary (Kiri)
    • Team Members:  Christina, Martine, Lia, Juelle, Brenda

Each team, with the support of their team leaders (and admin), will be charged with completing the same tasks within their assigned Priority/Topic:
  • Identify Priority Needs and Root Causes
    • Indicate the high leverage priority needs determined by your school that, if resolved, will advance equity and result in measurable, positive impact on student outcomes. 
    • Summarize the data trends (gaps in student and school performance) for each priority need. Use the most current data available and cite the data source and year.
    • Identify the root causes (and/or contributing factors, theories, hypotheses) that explain the current student and school outcomes.
  • Establish Progress Measures and Targets
    • There must be a priority target for General Ed, Special Ed, and ENL Students
    • There also must be interim targets for each end of year target.

  • Develop a Fall and Spring Action Plan
    • Once goals and interim benchmarks are set, the team must come up with an action plan of how to get there AND
    • The Action Plan MUST include Multi-tiered Supports & Intervention plans AND
    • The Action Plan MUST include a plan for Family and Community Engagement

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be using our Monday PD time to reflect on our school's performance.  We will look squarely at the data that illustrates needs and the root causes of those areas where we fall short.  We will also closely examine our strengths.  We certainly are not perfect, and like every other school in the city, we have a lot to improve upon.  That said, we also have a a fair amount to celebrate.  Our task is to figure out how to leverage our strengths to optimally improve our school as a whole.

During tomorrow's PD, we will begin our work promptly at 3PM in the farm.  We will be breaking up into teams to do this work, but we will start together to make sure we establish a shared understanding and vision of our work.  Here is the schedule for the next five Mondays.
  • Monday, 24APR23 - Launching the Work, Norming & Initial Data Analysis
  • Monday, 01MAY23 - Root Cause Analysis
  • Monday, 08MAY23 - Prioritization of Goals
  • Monday, 15MAY23 - Action Plan & Progress Monitoring
  • Monday, 22MAY23 - Team Presentations to full staff
While we may not have ended up with this task from the best source, the task is extremely worthwhile.  We have the opportunity to come together to take a strong hard look at our work and at UAI.  Through this, we also have the chance to work with a group of super talented, smart, and committed professionals who will collectively set the goals and actions for our year to come.  I have always wanted to do this work with our entire community, and I always let other priorities take the front seat.

But now, we are here and about to finally engage in our school improvement work together, and I for one am super excited about doing this work with you all!

The goal is definitely to complete this work within our PD time.  However, your team may need more time to meet.  That is OK!  

You can use Tuesday time to reconvene your committee.  Then, you will each have an hour of per session to complete your outreach at a later time that works for you (yes outreach can be done at home).  (Team Leaders will be charged to report Tuesday attendance to Dai for per session purposes, FYI)




Important dates. 

  • Wednesday, 26APR23 - Affinity Lever Visit to Math Team
  • Wednesday, 26-28APR23 - Trip to Washington DC
  • Tuesday, May 2nd - Tuesday Outreach Time - MP4 Progress Report #1 Grade Entry
  • Tuesday, 03MAY23 - HS Mock Regent Day 3 (Social Studies)
  • Thursday, 04MAY23 - UAI Math Team Citywide Lighthouse Visit
  • May 2, 3, 4, 9 - AP Exams and AP Exam Roster
  • Monday, May 8th and Tuesday May 9th - Progress Report #1 Distributed
  • May 15st-22nd - NYSESLAT Testing
  • Tuesday, May 23rd - Tuesday Outreach Time - MP4 Progress Report #2 Grade Entry
  • Monday, May 29th - Memorial Day - NO School
  • Tuesday, May 30th & Wednesday May 31st - Progress Report #2 Distributed
  • Thursday, Jun 1st - US History Regents - NO School - grades 8-12
  • Friday, Jun 2nd - 8th Grade Prom
  • June 5th - 12th - Final Exam Week
    • Monday 05JUN - English Final Exams
    • Tuesday, 06JUN - Math Final Exams
    • Wednesday, 07JUN - Social Studies Final Exams
    • Thursday, 08JUN - Brooklyn Queens PD Day - NO Classes
    • Friday, 09JUN - Science Final Exam
    • Monday, 12JUN - Breadth/Elective Final Exams
  • Tuesday, 13JUN22 - Last day of High School Classes




Announcements & To Dos

Support our UAI Math Team Lighthouse. 
Judy, Tiffany, Amanda, and Danielle H have been working with the book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl to improve their instruction and student outcomes.  Not many folks have signed up yet.  Please help them get the word out by sharing this brief May the 4th Be With You in Math promo, and please help them get the word out by directing folks to register using THIS LINK.

Mock Regents Exams.  There was an April 26th & April 28th Mock Math & Science regent on the calendar for Tuesday but I took it off, because we just don't have enough time to thoughtfully plan that out!  I will double check that with Judy & Liza, but if that sticks - no worries we'll put those mocks back on the calendar soon.  This week, I'll be meeting with the teams to figure out Mock Regents plans and get that info out to everyone by the end of the day tomorrow (Monday)!

MP4 Log of Support.  We're going to pivot from the MP4 Outreach Log to an MP4 Log of Intervention & Support.  Outreach is only 1 form of support.  What we really need to track is the wholistic record of intervention & support that our students are receiving to prevent failure.  These interventions can be things such as (but not limited to): 
  • In-Class Supports:  1:1 Conferences, Individualized Assignments, Small Group Intervention, 
  • Advisor Academic 1:1 Coaching (regular grade checks and conferences about course progress)
  • Family Outreach: Calls Home, Texts of Progress (e.g. screenshot of grades), Emails home
All classroom teachers must update this MP4 Log of Intervention and Support each week.  Teachers should use regular planning & prep time to update this log.  Entries can be brief (e.g. "Held 1:1 Conference about xyz", or "spoke to mom saying student did abc").  I am asking that folks complete this form weekly so that I can track the support any student who failed a course in MP3 is receiving and so we can better support teachers who need extra help in intervening on failure with students & families.

Advisors:  For any advisee that is on the MP4 Log of Intervention and Support please make sure that you are meeting with them weekly to 
  • Have them show you their grades and outstanding assignments
  • Review their attendance
  • Make a plan for completing assignments and improving course grades
  • Call home 1x per week to update family on progress. 
    You can even call with the student during advisory - or text together during your conference.
Classroom Teachers:  For any student that is failing your class and listed on the MP4 Log of Intervention and Support, please update this document weekly.  For any 8th grader or 12th grader that is failing your class, you MUST make weekly contact home to inform students of progress in class.  You must share a weekly progress report towards graduation.  Because they are in matriculating grades, failing your course may mean that they will not graduate.  So, please emphasize the importance of passing your course with the student and their families each week.



Monday PD.  Monday PD will be our next meeting in circles, planned by our Equity Team.  This week's circles will develop our understanding what "culturally relevant pedagogy" is and what it means within our own professional practice. In circles, staff will explore and discuss Culturally Responsive Teaching: 4 Misconceptions, interview with Zaretta Hammond.



MP3 Report Cards.  Please print and distribute your Advisory's MP3 report cards from
THIS FOLDER.  Please distribute during Advisory on Monday or Tuesday.  To print
  • Open the grade file
  • Find your advisee's report cards (you can search for their names and print 1 by 1 or you can find your first and last advisee's names (sorted by last name) and print the range.  If you don't know how to print a range, just print 1 name at a time.  It will be easier and most likely, it will take about the same amount of time it would take you to find someone to help you to print the range (LOL)!
  • Alternately, you can take screen shots of the report cards or pics on your phone and text or email the report cards to kids and families.



MS ELA Testing.  Beginning Wednesday 19APR, our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will be taking the NYS Middle School ELA exam.  All ELA teachers MUST review the lists, room assignments and schedule with kids on Monday &/or Tuesday.  For all students in grades 6, 7, or 8, this the annual English test they take in grades 3-8.  8th graders wanting to take the Regent exam, may also take the English Regent exam in June.   Liza & Judy will be managing this exam with Annie's support.  Any questions or concerns should be directed to them.


Mock Regents & MS Math Testing Next Week.  In 2 weeks, the Middle School will be taking the MS Math exam on 02&03MAY.  We'll also be holding mock regents on those two days.  For Grades 8-12 there will be a special schedule on those two days.  Please stay tuned!  We will be offering Per Session for grading of these mock regent exams.  MS exams are sent out for central grading.




Attendance & Lateness to Your Classes.  Please make sure to keep showing students how important it is to get to class ON TIME.
  • Start classes on time - no matter how many kids you have.  The ones who are there came on time. Honor that.  Don't make them wait.  Make a plan for catching kids up that doesn't require making those kids wait.  

  • Show Them Why it Matters.  Remember our kids need to know that you care (first and foremost) and that you don't want them to fail.  Being in class is the best way for them to thrive academically, and they miss a lot when they're not in class on time (which is why you need to start your class on time).   So, when kids come late, go directly to them, find out what happened and why they were late, and then catch them up and make sure to get a commitment to being on time to class tomorrow.  Keep at it - even if they are late again.  Your persistence will pay out!

  • Celebrate the Win.   When a students starts coming to class on time, connect that effort to their understanding in your class.  Help them see how good feels, and how they can keep it going.

  • Be their Model.  For this last marking period, make it a point to model excellent attendance.  Please schedule all appointments OUTSIDE of the school day (or at least during non-instructional days - like Regents Days, or Brooklyn Queens Day). If you're going to be out, avoid calling out on Fridays or Mondays.   

    NOTE:  Please try really hard NOT to be absent during MS Testing Days (19APR, 20APR and 02MAY, 03MAY, 04MAY).  We are using our in-house subs to support proctoring, and if folks call out, we will have to ask teachers to cover classes.

    Also, be clear to your students as to what is happening and why - post it up on Google Classrooms or send out class emails so students are clear why you are out.  

    • If you are out for a Professional Development activity - please make sure your students understand that you are not absent, but that you are fulfilling your professional responsibilities elsewhere.

    • If you are out sick or on personal business, please let them know that and remind them that you have only been out x number of days for the year - which gives you an overall attendance rate of y (put it in their terms of understanding)












Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities (view all 2022-23 postings here),
please complete Per Session Application For

Summer School.  If you are interested in working summer school, please complete THIS FORM.


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