Questions & Answers

Does your school use a specific computer designed program for your student check-in prior to the first day of school?

dzatkoff@cvs k12 mi us — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:06:30 -0500

Wondering if anyone is using an electronic check-in program that immediately tallies when students proceed through your check-in process.

Administrators

At the middle level, what types of efforts are being made to build student awareness related to sexual harassment?

dpowers — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:43:54 -0500

Administrators

For students who do not meet MMC requirements, is any school awarding a certificate of completion in lieu of a diploma?

dburley@plainwellschools.org — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:56:57 -0600

Beginning with the graduating class of 2011, there may be students who do not meet all the requirements of the MMC. What options have you considered for the student, a certificate of completion? Something else?

Scheduling, Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

Testing Out and No Credit Grading

Eric Proseus2 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:33:46 -0600

How do you record/document students who attempt to test out of a class? Do you figure the results in their overall GPA whether they pass or not? Also, when a student receives a no credit grade (NC) do you calculate the NC as a zero in the GPA or is the NC not included?

Assistant Principals

Been using common-pacing & common assessments? We'd like to visit

Pat Dillon — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:50:21 -0600

I am looking for a HS within approximately 1 hour radius of Jackson County that has been using common-pacing and common assessments for at least a few years in ELA 9 & 10.

I am specifically looking for a place to send my team to see that this is common practice and the norm in effective schools, as well as have Q & A among teachers related to lesson planning, instructional techniques, collaborations, and basically all-things PLC. Please contact me if you would be willing to host about 4 of my teachers for a 1/2 day session this Spring. The sooner the better.

We are a Class C size rural school utilizing modified trimesters and are in our second year of developing teacher-created common midterm & final exams in core areas. My vision is to have MUCH more "common" than not in every core-course. If your staff influence can help us see that and move in that direction, please call/email.

Patrick Dillon
Co-principal
Napoleon HS
517-536-8667
hsdillop@mail.ncs.k12.mi.us

Region 6

F1 Visa Student

Paul Shoup — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:07:51 -0600

Does anyone here accept F1 Visa Students and what is your policy if you do? If you don't why not?

Policies, Laws, and Court Decisions

Lockdown Drill and Cellphone use

esuender — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:27:10 -0600

Does anybody have procedures on cell phone use during a lockdown drill? We heard that some districts are collecting student cell phones as part of the procedure. Does anyone do that and what success/failure have you had?

Career and Technical Education

iPod Nano in classroom as "Accommodation"

Pat Dillon — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:55:25 -0600

I have a VI student intending to use iPod Nano to audio & video classroom instruction. Currently it is not written into the IEP but plans are being made to do so.

Are there legal guidelines/case-law to refer to regarding Gen. Ed. teachers rights if they are opposed to such an accommodation?

Patrick Dillon
Co-principal
Napoleon HS
hsdillop@mail.ncs.k12.mi.us

Policies, Laws, and Court Decisions

Students Smelling Like Marijuana

terra1aa — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:24:56 -0600

What do you do with students who come to school smelling like marijuana and do not have possession of it, and no proof that have been the actual user?

High School Principals

Extra Curricular Eligibility Policy?

lynchs — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:29:02 -0600

Can anyone give some insight as to either the success or lack of success in implementing more stringent athletic/extracurricular academic eligibility policies? (fyi--we recently went from a policy where students had to pass at least 5 (out of 6) classes where at least 3 of the grades had to be a "C".....and now it is stated that you have to pass all 6 classes, with the same requirement for "C"s) Feel free to comment on any aspect of this.

Assistant Principals

Sample Student Cell Phone Policy

Kristin Earles — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:56:50 -0600

I am interested in reviewing the policies other districts have established in regards to student cell phones (particularly during the school day).

Region 8

Sample Letter

rsteel — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:24:59 -0600

I need a sample letter to send home for seniors that won't be walking at graduation because they are off track with credits. We have never sent one home before and have relied on verbal notice but last year this was an issue.

High School Principals

Would anyone be willing to share their 6-8 Health curriculum maps, especially with regard to a "Life Skills" orientation?

Chris Ebsch — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:37:37 -0600

We're attempting to revise our M.S. Health curriculum to ensure a broad "Life Skills" focus, offering different health-related classes all three grades, with a clear progression, or distinction, between topics of study from grade-to-grade. If anyone has done something similar, I would love to see your course outlines or curricula maps.

Scheduling, Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

Drug Testing?

mnewman — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:55:08 -0600

We are trying to get some input on drug testing within schools. Have any of you been down this road? Any suggestions/insight you can share would be greatly appreciated.

mnewman@chsd.us

Administrators

Positive Behavior Support at the High School Level?

Kent Henson — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:25:47 -0600

If your high school is using a Positive Behavior Support Model, please call me asap! Thank you.

1-616-994-5099.
hensonk@westottawa.net

Administrators

Podcast #36 won't open for me. Is this a problem on your end or mine?

kentk — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:03:42 -0600

Administrators

Does anyone have an example of an effective parent survey? We would like to post a survey on-line for our parents.

Gary Goetzinger — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:58:50 -0600

Region 5

What process did you use to determine 4th year math RELATED courses?

Kent Henson — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:47:33 -0600

We had departments apply for Math related credit by aligning their elective courses with HSCE's. We used state objectives from pre-algebra thru Algebra II. Most of our courses align with pre-algebra or algebra objectives. The courses that were approved were from our business and industrial tech departments. Our courses include:

Business: Accounting I (A and B), Accounting II (A and B), Advanced Personal Computers, C++ Programming, Personal Finance, Advanced Personal Finance, Personal Computers, Visual Basic I and Visual Basic II.

Industrial Technology: 3D World, General Metals (A and B), Advanced Metals (A and B), Home and Auto, Mechanics, Pneumatics and Hydraulics, Principles of Technology, Wood Manufacturing I (A and B), Wood Manufacturing 2 (A and B), CAD+, Engineering Graphics and Senior Engineering.

If you would like more information on the process that we used, please give me a call. If you have anything that you did different, please email it to me. hensonk@westottawa.net

Region 3

Saturday School?

willickr@bas-k12.org — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:33:47 -0600

Does anyone currently have what you would call a successfully ran Saturday School option for discipline? If so, any details on how it is ran would be great. We are contemplating on some pros and cons to starting one and wanted some feedback. Thanks.

High School Principals

Trimesters?

Jeremy Hughes — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:59:20 -0600

Has anyone with a trimester schedule done any study of student achievement before vs. after the change?

Scheduling, Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment