|
|
Learning Record Procedurerevised 9/25/06
It is the responsibility of the Education Specialist (ES) in conjunction with the parent (as determined by the agreements the parent signed) to regularly document the learning of each student. This is accomplished through face-to-face meetings between the ES, parent and student, held at least once every 20 school days. For some families, meeting once a month is adequate. However, some students require more frequent meetings, e.g. weekly or twice a month.
Meet Face-to-Face with the Parent/Student
The following activities must occur during the face-to-face meeting:
Assessment of Work Product
It is the responsibility of the ES to evaluate the work product of the student in order to determine if adequate and appropriate progress towards the student standards has been made during that assignment period. This assessment occurs when the ES meets face-to-face with the parent/student at the end of each assignment period. During this regular, required meeting, the ES will read examples of the student's work, listen to the student's explanation of a concept learned, watch while a student demonstrates an activity, taste a sample of a baking assignment, etc. As the interview progresses, the ES can either write the learning record on their laptop or take notes needed to prepare the learning record later.
It is the responsibility of the ES to assess the student's progress and to prepare the learning records. While parents are required to record one educational activity per day of attendance on the Attendance Rollsheet, they are NOT REQUIRED to keep lesson plans, take notes or write learning records. Parents can choose to keep notes or a journal if they wish. Parent notes can be written by hand or sent to the ES electronically via e-mail. If the parent does document their observations of the child's learning, that documentation can be used as the basis of the learning record along with the ES’s own observations. Even with parent documentation, the ES is still required to meet face-to-face with the parent/student in order to assess the work product. While the parent is not required to maintain written records in a specific format, s/he must be able to convey the entirety of the learning that occurred during the attendance period. If the parent and/or student has difficulty recalling the details, the ES may encourage or even require the parent to record the student’s learning in a particular format. If the parent and student are repeatedly ill-prepared to show/tell the ES about the student’s learning, an evaluation as to the appropriateness of the student’s placement in GVCS may be conducted.
It is the responsibility of the ES to determine in which growth areas the learning fits. It would be prudent to discuss the placement of learning in various growth areas and student standards with a concerned parent. Often, such a discussion helps the parent to "see" educational value in activities they had not before considered educational. This enables parents to maximize GVCS’s educational possibilities for their child. Learning may not have occurred in every growth area at every meeting. This happens often with elementary age students who do not always learn content that would fit in the political process growth area, for instance. And it happens with high school students who may be concentrating in a specific growth area to meet graduation requirements or who may have already completed the graduation requirements in an area. While learning is not required in every subject/growth area for every learning period, an adequate amount of work is required, in order to substantiate the claim of attendance. Additionally, for K-8 students, a balanced program, including English/Language Arts, History, Math, Science and physical activity is required over the course of each semester and school year. Visual or performing arts, languages other than English and other special interests are also encouraged. High school students must be making adequate progress toward fulfilling their graduation requirements, each semester.
The ES must become skillful in "interviewing" the parent and student in order to find all learning which occurred. The technique of interviewing is a balance between questioning and careful listening. Every student is an individual. Each student learns in different ways and at varying ability levels. All students in charter schools are required to achieve at least as much learning as would be required in the regular schools in California. Keep in mind that there is no requirement that charter school students learn in exactly the same way as students in traditional public schools. The Charter School gives parents the opportunity to allow their child to learn in ways that are not typical in regular public schools, thus we can meet the needs of students on an individual basis.
The ES verifies that learning has occurred, so it is the responsibility of the ES to learn the various ways learning can take place. There are many philosophies of education and styles of teaching. Again, it is the responsibility of the ES to learn what these philosophies and styles are, and how to recognize the learning that has taken place. Much of this information will show itself during the monthly interview for the learning record if the ES asks the right questions, listens carefully to the parent/student and recognizes the various ways learning occurs. Make sure to ask the student questions about what s/he learned.
All learning must be documented, even if there is no concrete sample for the ES to take. A drawing can be completed, a sentence or paragraph written or dictated or a log can be kept. Even if no physical sample is present, do document the learning on the learning record.
Here are some examples: -A child may not have a lot of papers to show you, but can explain what kinds of birds build which kinds of nests.
-A boy diagnosed with ADD may not be able to sit quietly and take tests easily, but he would love to explain to you how his science experiment foamed over, almost exploded and why.
-A low-level reading high school student may want to share with you the works of a composer he just discovered through listening to an audiotape.
Often, you will find that the parent may not even be aware of all the concepts their student has learned. The work product the ES is looking for is not just workbooks, test scores or written comprehension questions. The student's work product includes a wide variety of activities used to reinforce the course of study objectives.
Example: History - Mandy is studying about the Civil War. She has: read about the life of young boys who fought in the Civil War; analyzed old photographs to draw conclusion about life during the Civil War; read about the history of African Americans from slavery to freedom; learned about slavery in America, runaway slaves, Alexander Ross, Jackson, fugitive slaves, hardships endured by slaves; read and wrote an essay about the battle between the Merrimack and the Monitor, the history of naval technology, naval technology and the Civil War; and sketched a picture of the battle between the 2 ships.
Educational Support and Counsel
These regular meetings provide an opportunity for the parent to ask questions and for the ES to share different teaching strategies, suggest activities and resources with educational value, offer support and encouragement, or identify appropriate work samples to be included in the student's semester portfolio. The time spent with the parent during the face-to-face meeting is an opportunity to help parents and students.
Attendance Rollsheet
Make certain to collect the signed Attendance Rollsheet for the previous learning period, and leave a new one, for the next learning period. After assessing the work product, take some time at the meeting to thoroughly look over the rollsheet, to make sure that the parent has accurately and completely filled in the appropriate information, using blue or black ink. Make any necessary corrections there at the meeting; this will save you time!
Even if they ask you to keep it and have them
fill it out at the next meeting, you must leave a new rollsheet with the parent
each time. The records must be kept contemporaneously, which means the parent
must mark the X or O and record the educational activity on a daily basis. Set Next AppointmentMake certain you have arranged for the next meeting, prior to the end of the next 20 day period. Work SamplesCollect one sample per subject, per month.
After the meeting - Prepare the Learning Record
The main purposes of a completed learning record are to document the learning represented on the Attendance Rollsheet and to document a student's progress towards student standards. Time spent in preparing this documentation is a significant portion of the ES job responsibilities.
Preparation of the learning record requires that the ES complete the following steps:
Documentation
Learning records will include descriptions of the major objectives and activities of the course of study covered by the agreement that were used within each assignment period.
The course of study objectives can be identified directly or inferred by the content topics written about in the learning records and supported by the learning activities listed.
The activities selected to reach the objectives include, but are not limited to: reading; research; essays; term papers; flash cards; illustrations; oral reports; demonstrations; participation; group projects; lesson exercises; games; projects; comprehension questions; computer programs; excursions; simulations; discussions; note-taking; videos; audio tapes; coloring; and other educational activities.
Because learning records must be written to reflect the requirements of independent study law, just a listing of the topics covered in each growth area is not enough information. Those activities that support the attainment of the student standards must be reported on the learning record. The learning records must also include descriptions of the major objectives of the course of study covered by the student agreement.
If the student participates in an educational activity paid for with Instructional Funding, that activity must be documented on the learning record. Document such activities by including the term “Educational Activity,” prior to your description of its objectives and activities.
Example: If GVCS instructional funding Is used to pay for a track class, make the entry on the learning record look as follows: Physical Education – Educational Activity – Johnny attended a weekly track class. This learning period, he learned about the pole vault and running relay races. He was introduced to the materials associated with each track event, practiced identifying and using each item, and ran relay races.
Document any Special Education activities and objectives by writing “Special Education Programming,” prior to its description. In the description, include a record of the number of hours spent in special ed activities, in addition to the content of those activities.
The documentation of learning should include content of what is learned but not where it is learned. As stated in the school’s charter, the student's community is the school's campus. And since GVCS is performance-based rather than rule-based, our purpose is to document what the student learns, not where s/he learns it. The ES documents what the student has learned but does not mention by name any organizations, community college, or church or community-related groups. This includes groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H or any other community organizations.
Example: Community Service - Ramon helped at the local food bank putting received food goods on the shelf, assisting in distributing food, cleaning and organizing the storage shelves, helping carry boxes as needed, and keeping inventory. He wrote a report on his activities with regard to this volunteer service and received a letter of appreciation from the manager of the food bank. Objectives include developing job skills and an appreciation for service to less fortunate people.
Specific textbook titles may be but do not need to be mentioned. GVCS maintains a Materials Checkout Sheet, which acts as an accounting of what was purchased for use by the family. Exception: A list of book titles should be listed for a student completing a high school literature course or as examples of student reading.
Specific examples are helpful to show progress and new learning. Include specific examples of spelling or vocabulary words on each learning record. Include as many details as possible.
There is no need to mention the amount of time that learning took place or the dates that learning took place for an activity. As a charter school we are held accountable for the performance or achievement of our students (performance-based) rather than traditional methods of attendance accounting based on "seat time" (rule-based). Portfolio samples, however, do require the designation of an amount of time. The exception to this might be for PE. In the case of a high school PE course, ESs frequently record the number of hours spent engaged in the physical activity(ies).
You may also include chapter numbers if you wish, but that is not required. Recording the page numbers or chapters completed is a good way to demonstrate student progress and track the completion of required work.
There is no documentation of any kind of religious study. Any references to religious content must be in the context of the study of social studies, world religions or world history. And in those cases, the study should include comparisons of multiple religions rather than the singular study of one religion and its practices and/or beliefs. Any non-secular study must not be considered for documented attendance.
Examples: Art: Kent learned how to use paper mache by creating seasonal decorations.
Home Economics: Francis is learning how to entertain a large group of people. She planned all aspects of a large family seasonal get together: menu planning; budgeting; making shopping lists; shopping & choosing bargains; creating holiday table settings & center pieces; and the cooking & baking of the meal.
World History A: Jane is reading about the history of the Mormon culture and their religion. She is also learning about Korea through communicating with a Korean pen pal. She has learned about the Buddhist tradition and the history of the country. Jane is in the process of reading "The Great Wall" which is an account of the building of the Great Wall of China. She finds this a very fascinating account.
A learning record will include nontraditional learning, as well as traditional. School is more than textbooks. Include anecdotal evidence of learning through activities, excursions, etc. Activities and events can help create a more comprehensive picture of student learning. When you are presented with a unique achievement, breakthrough or insight while interviewing the parent or student, celebrate it by including it in the learning record. By improving your interviewing skills, you will discover nontraditional learning which the parent does not include. Many families will not tell you the "fun" stuff because they do not know it counts, or they forget. These include trips, excursions, board games, computer games, videos, educational TV, etc.
The learning record may include teacher comments.
Examples: English 9A: Fred shows much improvement writing essays.
Math: Francis writes addition and subtraction problems daily. She needs to improve her times tables by reviewing orally using flash cards.
A properly written learning record should provide a record of student progress, which may be used to support the life goals of that student. If a student wants to attend a college, then the ES would write up the learning records in such a way that they could be of use for college entrance, resumes, etc. If a student wishes to become employed in a trade or a specific field of work, the learning record would be written to document the student's interests and achievements in that field.
Example: Career Exploration 1A: Joe is learning to be in food services field. He works at a cafe preparing food, cashiering, counting & balancing the cash register, preparing food for catering jobs, waiting tables, washing dishes, cleaning, weighing portions for food platters & dishes, and making sandwiches.
The information presented on the learning record should be organized. It should stand alone, so the reader can make sense of it without having to be instructed in what a learning record is. There is great latitude in how the ES organizes each learning record. Each record will reflect the personality of the ES and the learning style of the student. The ES would organize the information differently for a high school student earning credits than for an elementary student. An ES would organize the information differently for an "unschooling" student than for a student using traditional texts and workbooks.
Take time to write your learning record professionally. This includes using your spell checker, re-reading for grammar errors and omissions, organizing the information and making sure that information is complete. Learning records should be typed into Word first and then copied and pasted into Teaams. First impressions are important. Take a little extra time to create a document that you would be proud to show anyone; a document that positively represents the learning achievements of your students.
Student Standards
The charter school objectives are the student standards and the student must make adequate and appropriate progress toward the attainment of the student standards outlined in the charter document. Each learning record must document the student's progress towards the student standards. Below each growth area text field on the learning record is a list of the student standards for that growth area. The ES indicates that the student has made progress towards the mastery of them by checking appropriate standards. For example, the standard, “Reads actively and derives meaning from written word,” might be checked off for both a 3rd grade student and a 10th grade student. Each would be progressing towards that student standard at a different level of ability. Before submitting the learning record, the ES evaluates learning by indicating the student standards in which progress has occurred during the learning period.
The amount of learning (or progress toward the attainment of the student standards) must support the number of days of attendance assigned by the ES. As a charter school we are held accountable for the performance or achievement of our students rather than traditional methods of attendance accounting based on "seat time". It is the responsibility of the ES to verify that adequate and appropriate progress has occurred to justify the number of attendance days assigned to a student. If a student has earned 5 days of attendance, their learning record will not show the same amount of learning as a student who earns 20 days attendance. The definition of a day of attendance for a charter school student is one in which the student has performed what was required of him/her by the charter school. Remember that the requirement will vary for each student, depending on the student's needs and abilities. The requirements for individual students are discussed with the parent at the time the Student Agreement is signed. The parent keeps the Attendance Rollsheet during the learning period, marking those days on which learning occurs and recording an educational activity. However, it is the Education Specialist who determines how many days of attendance that student's learning period represents. A parent may feel that their student earned full attendance, and the ES may judge that the work product does not support the number of days claimed. An ES can disagree with the parent's claim of attendance. Since it is the ES’s job to assess and document the student's progress towards the student standards, it would be unprofessional of the ES to assign attendance credit to a student who has not met those requirements.
Match Dates
In order to accurately match the dates on the learning record and the Attendance Rollsheet, the ES must be clear on the difference between the assignment period and the learning period recorded on the learning record. The assignment period is the time identified by the ES and the student/parent between face-to-face meetings. The assignment period can be weekly, bimonthly, monthly or any other amount of time agreed to as long as it is at least five days and no more than 20 days. The learning record includes documentation of learning that took place on 20 or less school days. The learning record can include a learning period of one or more assignment periods.
Example: ES meets a family on 1st Thursday of every month at 10 AM. There has been only one assignment period included in this learning record, 18 days from 1st Thursday in September to the 1st Thursday of October. The Attendance Rollsheet corresponding to this learning period includes those same 18 days.
Example: ES meets a student every Wednesday at 4 p.m. There are four assignment periods included in this learning record; 17 attendance days from 1st Wednesday to the 4th Wednesday. The Attendance Rollsheet corresponding to this learning period includes those same 17 days.
Example: ES meets a family every twenty days. There has been only one assignment period included in this learning record. The Attendance Rollsheet corresponding to this learning period includes 20 days.
High School Students' Learning Records
The ES will be assigning credits to the high school student for work completed. Accountability for the assignment of credits is of utmost importance when completing the high school student's learning record. The ES must be able to explain to an outside party why any particular student was assigned credits. When you assign credit, you are verifying that the student has performed the work required in order to earn that credit. You need to have sufficient documentation to "prove" learning took place. Precisely written learning records and other backup documentation are essential. Since documentation and other record keeping are so important, the following additional requirements must be met:
-The course title must be listed on the learning record.
-Keep copies of graded chapter tests or pertinent documentation. These papers are necessary to be able to substantiate the credits assigned to a student. You may wish to keep them at your home or store them electronically.
-Keep your high school learning records up-to-date, detailed and accurate. If for some reason your high school student transfers to a different ES or enters another school, your accurate record keeping will make the transition much easier for everyone involved.
-The ES checks the student standards for a high school student the same as for any K-8 student. On the very last learning record before a student graduates, the ES will check the “Requirements Met” boxes for all growth areas. Do not check this box for any student for any growth area, until the last learning record prior to graduation.
Examples from some learning records for high school students:
English 10A: Abe continues to read Great Expectations as part of his English course. He completed answers to questions after each chapter read and is beginning a short essay about the life of Charles Dickens. He is also reviewing grammar principles as he completes written exercises in his work text. Grammar topics covered include: subjects not in prepositional phrases, finding subjects and verbs.
English 10A: Reading Great Expectations. Completed answers to questions after each chapter read and began a short essay about on Charles Dickens. Reviewed grammar principles as he completed written exercises covering the following topics: subjects not in prepositional phrases, finding subjects and verbs.
English 10A: Objectives - read Great Expectations, review prepositional phrases, subjects and verbs, write a short essay. Activities - written answers to questions after each chapter read, write outline and draft for short essay, complete written grammar exercises.
Health: Gina is working diligently to complete the Health requirements. She is reading daily in the textbook and completing the answers to all questions in the chapter review, completing each chapter test and all workbook exercises. The topics she has covered this learning period include: what is health; who is healthy; health factors; heredity environment; the five senses; eyes; eye disorders; how to keep your eyes healthy; ears; how do ears hear; hearing problems; healthy ears; being blind or deaf; touch; taste and smell; your muscles; voluntary muscles; sports and muscles; back muscles; and how to have healthy muscles.
PE 3B: The objectives of this PE course include developing strength, endurance and personal fitness. David is keeping a journal of his PE activities, which included the following - working out on free weights and riding his stationary bike. Every other day he walks two miles. He completed 16 hours of physical activity during this learning period.
Ancient and Medieval History: Mary is studying ancient and medieval civilizations. She reads in her textbook daily, completing written questions at the end of the chapter. She enjoyed watching a video series documenting the Roman way of life. The topics covered this learning period include the following: Rome; origins and rise of Christianity; causes of the fall of the Rome; role of church in providing services during the Middle Ages; civilizing the Germanic invaders; Frankish kings in preserving culture; religion in western Christendom concepts of feudalism; purposes and results of the Crusades; effects of trade on medieval society; contributions of medieval scholars; and origins and development of modern languages.
Math: H.S. graduation requirements in this area completed.
Physical Science A: Educational Activity: Mia is studying the science of atoms. She is required to take notes, participate in lab experiments, complete written assignments and complete written exams. The topics covered this learning period include: elements; atoms; molecules; compounds; what they are and how they work; elements from supernova star dust; common elements and different compounds; radioactivity and nuclear energy; chemical reactions; observed demonstrations and a variety of hands-on experiments; common chemical hazards; and pollution.
Latin 1A: George is learning Latin grammar by completing a chapter a day in his textbook; he completed chapters 4-7 this learning period. Each chapter includes written grammar exercises in verb conjugation, vocabulary definition and translation of simple sentences. His tutor gives him weekly written tests covering the topics he studied during that week. This learning period he studied pluperfect tense, future perfect tense, syntax - comparing six tenses, synopsis of verbs, adjective prefixes, and suffixes - ia and -tia.
Algebra 1A: Educational Activity: Saxon Algebra - topics include Lessons 10 - 45; Marvin completes a chapter a day, completing written problems at the end of each chapter and checking his own work. Every five lessons he then completes a written test, which his teacher grades. The topics covered this learning period include the solution of equations, more complicated equations, the distributive property, fractional parts of numbers, negative exponents, algebraic phrases, equations with parenthesis, word problems, products of prime factors, canceling GCF, graphing inequalities, LCM, polynomials, coordinates, and abstract fractions.
|
|
|
