The 12 days between spring break and the start of CRCT April 11-26 will be extended one hour for all grades, preschool-12. Starting times will remain the same.
The time will be designated as follows:
*K-2 classes will utilize the time with Writing Workshops and Hands-On Science and/or Math activities that will be developed by the system. This is not a time for "more of the same."
*Grades 3-8 will utilize the additional hour to further prepare our students for the Reading/ELA and math portions of the CRCT.
*Grades 9-12 will add approximately 9 minutes to each period with the expectation of maximizing this instructional time to delve deeper into the content covered.
Post-planning will be extended to five days, May 23-27. During this time, grades 3-12 will provide morning remediation, with transportation for students who failed the CRCT and those high school students who must take the summer GHSGT.
Additionally, 8-10 hours of this time will be set aside to develop digital content for every class we teach, grades k-12 in the following six categories: math, reading/ELA, science, social studies, fine arts and career tech.
Any additional class days missed because of inclement weather will be made up at the end of the year (seniors and graduation excluded).
"We are currently developing a plan that will allow our classified employees to complete any time missed by completing meaningful work that benefits our system," Supt. Will Schofield said. "We will ask the board to act upon such a plan as soon as possible."
February 21 has already been added back in to the instructional calendar as a student day.
"We are requesting that our testing windows for the CRCT and GHSGT be moved back to the latest possible date," Schofield added, "to allow the maximum amount of instructional preparation." For the CRCT, April 27-May 4, with retests on May 31 and June 1, and for the GHSGT, March 21-25.
Schofield said many questions remain as to the "letter of the law" regarding the practice of lengthening the school day to make up contracted professional time, however, "we have been assured that with the current chaotic situation, it will be allowed."
A major snowstorm January 10 left much of north Georgia paralyzed for several days and most school systems lost a whole week of class time. In some cases, several days had already been missed this winter because of snow and ice.
Also Monday night, a 2011-12 school year calendar was adopted that includes two built in snow days.
Dr. Terry Sapp, principal of Chestatee High School was named "Educator on Special Assignment" to over see Race To The Top Professional Development. Chip Underwood, the current assistant principal at Chestatee, was named interim principal through June 30.
The annual board planning retreat will be held at the central office on Green Street Feb. 25-26.
Supt. Will Schofield (file photo)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/1/235579