DTA Staff Handbook 2024-2025 PDF

Staff Handbook 2024-2025 School Year 10200 Curran Boulevard New Orleans, LA 70127 Main Office: (504) 570-6354 Website: dta.renewschools.org Our Mission, Vision & Core Values Our Mission Our mission at Dolores T. Aaron Academy is to provid...

Staff Handbook 2024-2025 School Year 10200 Curran Boulevard New Orleans, LA 70127 Main Office: (504) 570-6354 Website: dta.renewschools.org Our Mission, Vision & Core Values Our Mission Our mission at Dolores T. Aaron Academy is to provide a positive learning environment that inspires excellence, fosters integrity, and stimulates critical thinking to support our students as they fulfill their academic and personal potential. Our Vision Dolores T. Aaron Academy strives to be a high-performing educational institution where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our school prioritizes the whole child through personalized learning experiences that emphasize a love of literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking. At DTA, all stakeholders collaborate and are accountable for the growth and development of our scholars. Our commitment is to create confident scholars who can compete on a global stage due to their robust skillset. Our Core Values We are powerful as a family because we work to make each other Community better. We take charge, solve problems, and inspire others to strengthen Leadership our community. We do our best by being honest and doing the right thing even Integrity when no one is watching. Perseverance We never give up no matter how hard things get. We have high expectations for our academic success and turn our Scholarship mistakes into learning opportunities. 1 2 School Leadership Team Name Position Phone Number Email Address Tiffany Robinson- Elementary School Principal (504) 906-8569 [email protected] Brown (Grades PK-4) Middle School Principal Nikeisha Jackson (352) 538-7721 [email protected] (Grades 5-8) Tiffany Lane Assistant Principal (504) 905-1664 [email protected] Allen Powell II Assistant Principal of Culture (504) 352-2553 [email protected] Keisha Dominique Assistant Principal (504) 570-0050 [email protected] Elementary School Jamela Dermish (504) 564-3535 [email protected] Special Education Coordinator Middle School Christina Lewis-Keith (504) 209-4755 [email protected] Special Education Coordinator Crissy Pellerin Intervention Coordinator (504) 939-6248 [email protected] Real Washington K-3 Instructional Coach (504) 419-4001 [email protected] Cameron Pierre 3-8 ELA Instructional Coach (504) 298-8082 [email protected] Kellie Richardson 2-8 Math Instructional Coach (314) 323-7155 [email protected] Grayona Bailey Director of Operations (504) 236-7110 [email protected] 3 Staff Member Expectations Professional Norms As staff members, we agree to live by the following Professional Norms, which are aligned to our Core Values: COMMUNITY We are powerful as a family because we work to make each other better. ★ We volunteer our time or skills for school community events (e.g., fundraisers, community service projects) ★ We give “Shout-Outs” to our peers and greet each other by saying “Good Morning!” and/or “How are you doing?” ★ We provide exceptional support to students outside of regular duties (e.g., tutoring, counseling). ★ We assist colleagues with challenging tasks. LEADERSHIP We take charge, solve problems, and inspire others to strengthen our community. ★ We take on additional responsibilities or leadership roles within the school. ★ We independently create solutions for problems on our team or within the general school culture. ★ We volunteer to teach other staff members based on our individual skills, interests, or resources. ★ We serve as positive role models for students and colleagues. INTEGRITY We do our best by being honest and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. ★ We arrive on time to meetings, transitions, and duty posts. ★ We are actively engaged in instruction from start to finish. ★ We demonstrate consistent adherence to school rules and policies, maintaining tone and professionalism. ★ We consistently meet deadlines for lesson planning and grading. PERSEVERANCE We never give up no matter how hard things get. ★ We are committed to developing skills that may be personally challenging to us. ★ We brainstorm ideas when problems arise. ★ We assume the best with staff, students, and parents. ★ We consistently practice restorative behavior practices with students, even when success is delayed. SCHOLARSHIP We have high expectations for our academic success and turn our mistakes into learning opportunities. ★ We implement new teaching strategies or activities that enhance student engagement. ★ We develop resources or lesson plans that we share with colleagues. ★ We analyze data regularly and share the results with students and parents. ★ We build behavior habits that positively impact student academic success. 4 24-25 ReNew Priorities Daily Schedule Staff hours are 8:00am-4:30pm on Monday- Friday. Staff members are also expected to stay late on campus for the following mandatory parent events: Event Date Time Parent Orientation Wednesday, July 31st 1:00-6:00pm Open House Wednesday, September 11th 5:00-7:00pm Q1 Report Card Conferences Wednesday, October 16th 5:00-7:00pm Q2 Report Card Conferences Wednesday, January 15th 5:00-7:00pm Q3 Report Card Conferences Wednesday, April 2nd 5:00-7:00pm Additionally, we strongly encourage our staff members to volunteer their time to attend special events throughout the school year; Honor Roll Dinner, Holiday Spotlight, Band Concert, athletic events, etc. Morning Huddle Our staff work day starts at 8:00am which means you are expected to be in your assigned morning location no later than 8:00am. The chart below lays out our morning meeting structure. Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Whole School Management 3-8 Content: 3-8 Content: Whole School Week A Huddle Support Group Sci, SS, Math ELA Huddle (8:00- 8:10) (8:00-8:55) (8:00-8:55) (8:00-8:55) (8:00- 8:10) Whole School SPED Team 3-8 Content: 3-8 Content: Whole School Week B Huddle Meeting Sci, SS, ELA Math Huddle (8:00- 8:10) (8:00-8:18) (8:00-8:55) (8:00-8:55) (8:00- 8:10) 5 In the event that you are running late, you must text your Floor Leader and Coach ASAP. Please do this before you get in your car. Staff attendance is taken each morning at Morning Huddle. If you are late/absent to Morning Huddle, you are considered “Tardy” to work. The following actions will be taken to address a staff member’s tardiness to work (within two weeks): ❖ 1st Infraction: Email reminder from a School Leader ❖ 2nd Infraction: Email reminder and Conversation with a School Leader ❖ 3rd Infraction: Meeting with Assistant Principal/ Principal/Dean of School ❖ 4th Infraction: HR Letter of Reprimand ❖ 5th Infraction: Further HR Involvement (e.g. Professional Improvement Plan, unpaid time off, termination of employment) Professional Dress Code In order to model professionalism for our students, staff members are expected to present a neat, professional appearance at all times. See the table below for what is appropriate/inappropriate. This list is not exhaustive. In cases of doubt, please err on the side of business attire and check with your coach or principal. If a staff member arrives to work out of compliance with our Professional Dress Code, their assistant principal or principal will follow-up and provide next steps, which may include being sent home to change. On Friday (or any last day of the week), staff may dress down in jeans or other appropriate casual attire. Appropriate Inappropriate ❖ Dress slacks, khakis, capris/cropped pants ❖ Blue denim (jeans, skirts)except for Fridays ❖ Polo shirts, Collared shirts, dress shirts/blouses, ❖ Shorts, cargo pants (w/ side pockets), or sweaters/vests sweatpants/joggers ❖ Dresses and skirts that fit at the knee or below ❖ Shirts w/ low or plunging necklines ❖ Suit jackets ❖ Crop Tops ❖ Yoga pants, spandex, leggings, exercise clothing/mesh ❖ Tank tops (any shirt w/ spaghetti straps or straps that are less than 3 inches in width) ❖ Excessively tight clothing ❖ Clothing with rips/tears/holes above the knee ❖ Rubber Flip-flops or Slippers (athletic/furry) Personal Time Off (PTO) All full-time regular ReNEW Schools’ staff members qualify for 64 hours (8 days) of sick leave per year, which must be approved by their principal. These can be used if you’re sick, traveling out of town, your child is sick, 6 etc. Any PTO taken that exceeds one hour will be deducted from your annual allotment of 64 hours. PTO taken for less than one hour will be tracked but not deducted from your PTO balance, except in cases of excessive use. Staff members who started after the beginning of the school year will receive sick leave prorated based on their employment date. Sick leave is a gratuity and does not accrue. Staff members will not be paid for unused sick leave upon separation of employment. If a staff member needs more than 64 hours of sick leave, s/he must seek administrative approval from the School Leader and Human Resources. Staff members that exceed their allotted sick leave will not be paid for all subsequent absences. Documentation may be requested by the School Leader and Human Resources for absences. If more than eight Personal Days are taken, then you will be docked pay based on the number of days that are over eight. Absences for more than 4 hours will be considered a full Personal Day. Absences for less than 4 hours will be considered a ½ Personal Day. For planned absences, an email must be sent to the Leadership Team at [email protected] at least five school days in advance to get approval from your coach and principal. The email should be in the form of a REQUEST: “I would like to request a Personal day for Monday, September 28th. I want to use this day to travel back from visiting Chicago that weekend. Please let me know if this is okay.” For day of absences, you must contact your Coach and Principal via text message no later than 6:30am. We have 2 additional days off for all ReNEW staff members for the 2024-2025 school year! As a sign of appreciation for all the hard work our team puts in every day, we are scheduling ReNEW Yourself Days on the following dates: Friday, August 30th Thursday, April 17th ReNEW Attendance Incentive ReNEW Schools offers incentive pay for those employees who do not use all of their PTO for the school year. This becomes effective starting on Monday, July 22nd , our first day of work for the 24-25 school year. Staff members who have 4 or more Personal Days remaining at the end of the school year will receive a $1,500 incentive payment. Staff members who have Perfect Attendance (zero PTO hours used) will receive a $3,000 incentive payment. Perfect means perfect. Tardies, Early checkouts, late arrivals may not count against PTO but does count for Attendance Incentive. Blackout Days 7 Critical Days (also known as Blackout Days) are defined as periods of school operations where it is critical that all staff be in attendance. All days immediately before and after a school break/holiday, PD days, Report Card Conference days, first and last days of school, state testing days and any other critical day as determined by the school leaders are designated as Blackout Days and requests for PTO will not be approved. In the event that a staff member is absent on one of these days, they will not be paid for that day. 7/24 7/25 7/26 7/27 7/28 7/31 8/1 8/2 8/3 8/4 8/7 8/31 9/5 9/13 10/6 10/16 10/17 10/25 10/27 11/17 11/27 12/21 1/8 1/9 1/12 1/16 1/17 2/8 2/19 Report 3/28 4/3 4/4 card 5/1 5/2 5/3 5/6 5/7 5/8 5/16 5/17 Substitute Plans All teachers are expected to have work prepared for students in their absence. There are 2 types of Substitute Lesson Plans: Sub Plans for Planned Absences and Sub Plan for Emergencies. Specifics are laid out below. Sub Folder to include: General Classroom and School Expectations Seating Chart Class Roster Detailed Daily Schedule Sub Plans for Planned Absences All teachers are expected to have substitute plans prepared no later than the day before a PTO day. Your Substitute Plans should be turned into your Floor Leader the day before your planned absence. Your Substitute Plan should include: ❖ All copies of student-facing materials with directions and answer key (enough for all classes) Students will not have access to Chromebooks so work must be printed. Sub Plans for Emergency/Unplanned Absences All teachers are expected to have at minimum three days of Emergency Coverage Plans. These plans will be used in the event that you have a day of unplanned absence. Your Emergency Coverage Plans should be turned into your Floor Leader by the end of day on Friday August 16th. Your Emergency Coverage Plan should include: ❖ One class set of student-facing materials with directions and answer key (Floor leader will create copies for the remainder of the classes) Class Coverage To ensure that our students don’t miss a moment of high-quality instruction, the Leadership Team will determine the best way to support all students in the event of an absence and will communicate this plan to 8 all affected teachers. Based on the needs for class coverage on a given day, the Leadership Team will decide if/what substitutes are needed and what will be covered by a DTA staff member. In the spirit of teamwork, there may be instances when a staff member will be needed to cover a class. The Leadership Team will work to make sure to give as much notice as possible. “Cell Phone Standard Time” To norm on time across our whole school, we use our cell phones as the “standard time”. We do this to prevent any unforeseen discrepancy in the clocks that we have in the building. Communication Norms ❖ Phone: Our designated “contact hours” are 7:00am-6:00pm for staff members, students, and families. Teachers are expected to give their phone number to their students’ families (if you don’t want to give out your personal cell phone number, a school leader can show you how to obtain a Google Voice number). Staff members are expected to respond to all missed calls, voicemails, and text messages from their students’ Parents/Guardians within 24 hours during the work week and no later than the upcoming Monday at 6:00 pm during the weekend. During the school day, staff members are expected to respond to missed calls and text messages in a timely manner. ❖ SchoolStatus Connect: We will use an app called “SchoolStatus Connect” as our tool for streamlined staff and family communication. All staff members are asked to have the SchoolStatus Connect app downloaded on their phone and sign-up with the DTA account. ❖ Email: Staff members are expected to respond to all email communication within 24 hours OR by the specified deadline during the work week and no later than the upcoming Monday at 6:00pm during the weekend. During designated school breaks, staff members are expected to respond to all email communication by the day before we return back to school. ❖ “The DTA Weekly”: At the end of each week, the Leadership Team sends out a “one-stop-shop” email that includes information, updates, and action items for the upcoming week. Staff members are expected to read “The DTA Weekly” AND complete all action items by their assigned due date. ❖ “Take Home Tuesday”: We have designated Tuesday as the day that we send home communication to our students’ families. The Homeroom teacher is responsible for distributing and collecting all family communication. Communication with Parents & Families We expect all of our teachers to communicate frequently with their students’ parents/families throughout the school year. Teachers are required to have at least one touchpoint per Quarter with all of their students’ parents/families (for example, a teacher with 90 students can contact 10 students’ parents per week). Teachers must log ALL communication with parents/families in SchoolRunner. 9 All communication with students, parents, and families must be appropriate in tone, language, and subject matter, and must be consistent with the teacher-to-student relationship. This includes phone calls, text messages, written notes, instant messages, and emails. If a staff member feels that any part of a parent interaction was inappropriate, immediately notify your Coach, Principal or Dean of School. Staff members should respectfully terminate any conversations that become inappropriate. In the event that you need support with meeting a student’s parent/family member, make sure to proactively reach out to a school leader or someone on our Student Support Team. If a student’s parent/family member informs you that their contact information is different than what is listed in SchoolRunner, please email the correct information to the Main Office staff. Cell Phone Usage Staff members should only use their cell phones for work-related purposes during the school day. This includes communication related to instructional activities, coordination with colleagues, and emergency situations. Personal cell phone use is only permitted during designated break times, including lunch breaks and planning periods. Phones should not be out otherwise. Staff should ensure that personal conversations are conducted privately and away from students to maintain professionalism. Staff should be mindful of the content of their conversations and any visible content on their screens, ensuring that it is appropriate and professional, especially if students are nearby. Additionally, earbuds are not permitted during instructional times or in areas where students are present. Social Media Norms Electronic social networking sites, personal websites, virtual reality sites, and blogs (“social media”) have become prevalent methods of self-expression in our culture. ReNEW Schools respects the rights of employees to use social media for personal reasons during personal time. But because the use of social media may impact fellow employees or our business, employees must not use or access personal social media during working time, whether by using the ReNEW Schools’ electronic media or personal electronic devices. Student Attendance Homeroom Attendance Teachers are required (by law) to submit Homeroom attendance in SchoolRunner by 9:00am each day. Students are Tardy if they arrive at school after 8:35am. The Main Office inputs all Tardies and Excused Absences in SchoolRunner; Homeroom Teachers DO NOT need to do this. If a student arrives to your Homeroom after 8:35am without a Tardy Pass, they should be sent back to the Main Office. If a student misses two consecutive days of school (without prior notification from a parent/family member), the Homeroom Teacher/Buddy is expected to contact that student’s Parent/Guardian and 10  log the communication in SchoolRunner. For excessive tardiness/absences during the school year, the teacher should inform the designated School Worker. Class Attendance Attendance will also be taken at the beginning of each class block for all 3rd- 8th grade classes. Students should be marked present, absent or tardy. Students are considered tardy, if they are not seated by the end of the transition period. Students may be permitted to enter the classroom with a tardy slip. Each day, the front office will send out an email with a list of absent students. If a staff member notices a student is on the absent list but physically present, please notify the front office staff as soon as possible. Duty Assignments We have an “all hands on deck” approach during Arrival and Dismissal, which means that ALL staff members have an assigned duty post for these critical parts of our school day. Some staff members will also have an assigned Lunch and/or Recess Duty. While on duty, staff members are expected to be actively monitoring students 100% of the time; cell phones can only be used for appropriate work communication; no laptops permitted. If there’s an emergency and you are not able to be at your duty assignment, let your Floor Leader know immediately. This does not apply if you are absent for the whole day. Due Dates & Deadlines Staff members are expected to meet 100% of all due dates/deadlines (lesson plan internalization, data analysis and action plans, SBLC/IEP/504 paperwork, Report Card grades and comments, assessment scanning/grading, survey completion, etc.). If you know that you are going to miss a due date/deadline, you must submit an extension request by email to your coach and principal at least 12 hours in advance or as soon as possible in case of an emergency. Missed due dates and deadlines will be tracked by your coach and principal, and follow-up emails will be sent. As a reminder, professionalism is a competency on the official AIM Rubric and all staff members will receive a rating for each observation based on the above criteria. Planning Period Expectations A teacher’s Planning Period is part of the school work day, and as such, must be used to complete school-related tasks. These tasks include, but are not limited to, preparing materials for class, annotating lesson plans, making copies for class, contacting parents, inputting grades/behavior in SchoolRunner, completing assigned paperwork, responding to work-related email, grading Exit Tickets. If tasks are not completed during planning, the expectation is that they get done by the deadline regardless. We also reserve this time for Grade Level Team Meetings, Coaching Meetings, Parent Conferences, and IEP Team Meetings. Your Planning Period should not be regularly used to handle personal business. 11 Tiered Responses for Non-Compliance The following actions will be taken to address non-compliance with the expectations outlined in the DTA Staff Handbook (e.g. Professional Dress Code, meeting due dates/deadlines, professional conduct, etc.): ❖ 1st Infraction: Email reminder from a School Leader ❖ 2nd Infraction: Email reminder from and Conversation with a School Leader ❖ 3rd Infraction: Meeting with Assistant Principal/Coach and Principal/Dean of School ❖ 4th Infraction: HR Letter of Reprimand ❖ 5th Infraction: Further HR Involvement (e.g. Professional Improvement Plan, unpaid time off, termination of employment) Technology/Chromebook Care All staff members are issued a ReNEW Chromebook. If a staff member’s Chromebook is lost or damaged, they will be charged for the damage or for a full replacement, which is $300. Classroom Carts: The Chromebook Cart in each classroom is the joint responsibility of the Homeroom teacher and any additional staff members who may use the classroom. It is essential to ensure the proper care and maintenance of the assigned Chromebooks. Students will be assigned a specific number chromebook and must promptly report chromebook issues or damages to their teacher. The teacher, in turn, is responsible for submitting a Zendesk ticket before the end of the day, providing details of the damaged device for timely resolution. Students should not take Chromebooks out of the classroom. Chromebooks from the classroom cart should be used solely within that classroom, unless approved by the Floor Leader or Principal for specific educational purposes in another classroom. To ensure the optimal condition and accountability of the Chromebook Cart, we will conduct monthly audits. These audits will help us identify any missing, damaged, or malfunctioning devices, allowing for timely repairs and replacements. The Homeroom teacher, along with IT staff, will perform these audits, promoting a systematic approach to maintain the technology resources. Confidentiality While working at DTA, staff members will have access to Confidential Information. It is against ReNEW Schools’ policy for staff members to use or disclose Confidential Information to third parties without prior authorization. “Confidential Information” means any information that has been or which may be disclosed to, created by, or obtained by staff members (examples: student records, financial information, computer programs, processes, and passwords, personal information concerning students and/or staff members). Mandated Reporting Staff members are considered Mandated Reporters under the Louisiana Children’s Code and therefore 12 required by law to report abuse/neglect if a child discloses to them, they are aware that the child may be a victim of abuse/neglect, or if it is observed on campus. If a staff member becomes aware that a student may be the victim of abuse or neglect, he or she must: ❖ Make a report to DCFS by calling (855-452-5437). ❖ Complete a Written Report Form for Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse/Neglect and fax it to (504) 680-9103 within 5 days of making a report. ❖ Turn the Written Report Form into Makeba Scott (Elementary School Social Worker) or Kodi Trahan (Middle School Social Worker). Academics Daily Schedule Here is where you can access the Daily Schedule for all grade levels, including individual teacher schedules. Progress Reports Progress Reports will be distributed to students mid way through the quarter. Report Card Conferences Here are the end of Quarter dates for this school year and information about how Report Cards are distributed during each Quarter. Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter ends on 5/16 Quarter ends on 10/4 Quarter ends on 12/20 Quarter ends on 3/15 No Quarter 4 Conferences held 10/16 Conferences held 1/15 Conferences held 4/2 Conferences Grading Scale Here is the ReNEW Schools Grading Scale: Percentage Letter Grade (3-8) Grade Description (PK-2) 90-100% A Exceeding Grade Level Expectations 80-89% B Meeting Grade Level Expectations 70-79% C Progressing Towards Grade Level Expectations 60-69% D Below Grade Level Expectations 13  40-59% F Significantly Below Grade Level Expectations *40 is the lowest grade a student can receive. Major Assessment Calendar Dibels MAP Benchmarks LEAP Connect ELPT LEAP % of Quarterly Assignment Type Assignment Descriptions Report Card Grade This is a short quiz that is graded based on incorrect and correct. Students may be allowed to Exit Tickets/Weekly Assessments 30% improve their grades with an extra credit test based on teacher discretion. This is work done during the class period and is Classwork 30% graded based on completion and effort. These are longer quizzes that all Renew students take. They are graded correct or Network Assessments 20% incorrect and cannot be improved with extra credit. This is work to be completed at home that is Homework/Blended Learning 10% graded based on completion and accuracy. This grade is based on student effort at Participation 10% completing work, answering questions and being a high quality class member. Network Assessment Achievement Level Scoring Student’s Raw Score: Student’s Achievement Level: Student’s Adjusted Score: 100-70 Advanced 100 69-60 Mastery 90 59-40 Basic 80 39-30 Approaching Basic 70 14  29-0 Unsatisfactory 59 *Unit level assessments will receive the above raw score and achievement level after students complete testing and teachers complete grading through Pear Assessment. When transferring scores to SchoolRunner, teachers should edit students’ raw scores to the above adjusted scores. The following assessments should be adjusted each quarter by teachers: Mid-Quarter Assessments (all subjects) ELA: New Read Assessments (the adjustment does not apply to End of Module Tasks) Math: checkpoints Social Studies: unit checkpoints Science: weekly checkpoints *Benchmark scores will be put into SchoolRunner from Pear Assessment and adjusted to the above scale by the Data Team Weekly Grading Expectations (24-25) All grades must be entered using the following naming convention: “Type of Grade - Name of Assignment (Date)”. Here’s an example: Classwork - Louisiana Purchase (8/21/23). Kindergarten-1st Grade Content Area Exit Ticket Classwork Participation Homework ELA 2 1 1 1 Math 2 1 1 1 Reading Mastery 0 1 1 0 Foundational Skills 0 1 1 0 2nd Grade Content Area Exit Ticket Classwork Participation Homework ELA 2 2 1 1 Math 2 2 2 1 Reading Mastery 0 2 2 0 Foundational Skills 0 2 2 0 3rd-8th Grade Content Area Exit Ticket Classwork Participation Homework ELA/Math/Sci/SS 2 2 2 1 15  3rd-8th Grade Literacy Block *Include progress monitoring Grading Category Minimum Grades Per Week data as Exit Tickets Participation 1 Options: choral responses, individual responses Options: workbook, fluency practice WCPM, Classwork 2 Brookins Method Exit Ticket 1 Options: Mastery Test when applicable Enrichment Grading Category Minimum Grades Per Week Participation 1 *Include assessments as Exit Tickets Classwork 1 Missing Work Policy If a student is absent for any reason, they are required to make up for all missed work. It is the responsibility of the student/parent, on his or her own initiative, to contact the teacher(s) to determine make-up assignments and establish a mutually agreeable time for daily and test make-up. When a student fails to complete a graded assignment, a grade of 40 (lowest possible grade) will be entered for that assignment in SchoolRunner. Students will be given at least one week to complete the missed work. Teachers can give additional extensions at their discretion. After completing the missed work the parent/student must notify the teacher informing them that the assignment is complete. The teacher will then re-grade the assignment and change the grade in SchoolRunner. Failure to make up missed assignments will be reflected in the student's grade and the initial grade of 40 will remain with no option to change after the deadline. Students missing school as a result of any suspension shall be counted as absent, considered unexcused, and shall be given failing grades for work missed in compliance with State Statute Bulletin #741. If a suspension is modified or reversed through the suspension appeal process, related absences will be excused and the students will receive make-up work for those excused days. Teacher Development & Coaching Meeting Structures As part of ongoing development for all of our teachers, here is an outline of our school-based meeting 16 structures. This is a general overview and may not include meetings that occur for staff members in specific positions. Meeting Participants Day/Time + Frequency Facilitator Weekly Core Content Teachers Content Team Meeting K-2= during planning Content Coaches & TCMs 3rd- 8th = Morning Meeting All Teachers and Coaching Meeting Weekly Assigned Coach Interventionists Core Content Teachers Bi-Weekly during SBLC Meeting Pellerin Interventionists Enrichment block Grade Level Team Core Content Teachers Bi-Weekly during Leader Meeting/SPED Check-in TCMs Enrichment block Teacher Evaluation At ReNEW, we use the Assessment of Instructional Mastery (AIM) Rubric for Teacher Evaluation. All teachers will receive at least two (2) Full AIM Rubric Observations during the school year. The teacher’s Instructional Coach, Assistant Principal, Principal, or someone from the ReNEW network team may participate in the AIM Rubric Observation as well. This is the minimum expectation and additional AIM Rubric Observations may be completed for a teacher. At ReNEW, Teacher Evaluation is not directly tied to our Teacher Compensation Model. However, your AIM Rubric Observation scores are reported annually to the Louisiana Department of Education for compliance. AIM observations can and will be used for rehire decisions. Instructional Coaching Model Coaching leads to increases in student learning as well as measurable changes in teacher performance. At DTA, we believe that all teachers, regardless of experience or performance level, can improve in meaningful, measurable, and significant ways over short periods of time. We believe that teachers deserve great coaching and support, and we want to make sure that all teachers have the opportunity to receive coaching. Throughout the school year, teachers will experience “coaching” in a variety of ways to ensure that their development drives student learning. These include, but are not limited to: classroom observations, coaching meetings, real-time coaching, modeling, video review and feedback, peer-to-peer feedback, data meetings, unit/lesson internalization, co-planning, lesson execution practice, etc. Coaching Meetings All teachers have an assigned Instructional Coach, who is responsible for coaching, developing, and supporting them throughout the school year. Coaching Meetings will occur on a regular schedule based on the individual 17 teacher’s needs. During a Coaching Meeting, the following may take place: unit/lesson internalization, lesson execution practice, data analysis/action planning, observation feedback/debrief. Student Support Services Student Support Team Intervention Coordinator Crissy Pellerin Special Education Coordinator Jamela Dermish (Elementary School) Special Education Coordinator Christina Lewis-Keith (Middle School) Social Worker Makeba Scott (Elementary School) Social Worker Kodi Trahan (Middle School) PK-8 School Counselor Monique Mitchell ESL Teacher Joan Rodriquez ESL Teacher Special Education Programming Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are serviced in the following categories of our Student Support Continuum: ❖ Mainstream: Students in this setting do not require any special educational support. ❖ Inclusion: Students receive support in the general education setting through co-teaching and accommodations/modifications. ❖ Resource for Remediation: Students in this category are working on same or similar objectives as core content (grade level), aligning (strategically collaborating with core content teachers to identify pre teach/reteach activities/standards) with support in foundational skill building.). Students sometimes need additional social skills support. Students who need heavy accommodations, differentiation and instructional services to be able to access core content and instruction in foundational skills. These students' needs 18  require a smaller setting and often modified work, pacing or remediation to be successful. ❖ Core Content Replacement: These students are functioning three or more grade levels below in ELA or Math. These students qualify to take, or will qualify to take, the LEAP Connect Alternative Assessment. Some students may need this level of support for one or both core content areas, depending on deficits. ❖ Community-Based Instruction: Students in this setting receive 80% or more of their daily instruction in the special education setting. School Building Level Committee (SBLC) The SBLC is a general education, data-driven, problem solving, and decision-making committee. SBLC Meetings occur within grade level teams bi-weekly, or as necessary, to discuss student supports. Crissy Pellerin is the SBLC Chairperson. She will schedule and facilitate all SBLC Meetings. The major functions of the SBLC are to: ❖ Review and analyze universal screening data, including MTSS data, to determine what options are available to meet the academic and behavioral needs of students. ❖ Identify, implement, track, adjust, and document three tiers of intervention. ❖ Create, monitor, document, file and update 504 Plans. ❖ Refer students with possible disabilities to the Pupil Appraisal Team for evaluation. ❖ Refer students for possible Gifted and Talented determinations to the Pupil Appraisal Team for evaluation. ❖ Ensure a mechanism for parental input and feedback within the decision-making process. ❖ Consider retention/placement of general education students. 504 Plans Crissy Pellerin is the 504 Coordinator who oversees referrals, evaluations, and implementation of 504 Plans through the SBLC process. Students may be referred for a 504 Plan during SBLC Meetings for any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity. Referred students will be evaluated using a variety of diagnostic screening tools (GORT-5, Key Math, Conners, etc.) to determine if a 504 plan is needed for daily instruction. DIBELS is a universal screening assessment administered 3x a year to all students at DTA. The beginning of the year DIBELS results are analyzed to determine student placement in an intervention group that provides instruction at the student’s instructional level. Students who enter the RTI process will be monitored closely to ensure student’s needs are being met. In the event a student does not make significant improvements after interventions are implemented, student’s can be referred to SBLC for further screenings to create a plan that meets their needs. 19 504 Plan accommodations are provided with the intent of allowing students, regardless of disability, the opportunity to participate effectively in programs and activities with their peers. The SBLC team will use screening results to decide students’ accommodations. ESL Services For our students who are identified as being an “English Language Learner”, they receive push-in and pull-out instructional support from our ESL Teacher. These students also have a Limited English Proficiency Plan, which outlines the accommodations that they should receive in class. The ESL Teacher DOES NOT translate materials for teachers; however, they will provide resources so teachers are able to do this on their own. Accommodations Formal testing accommodations may ONLY be provided through an IEP, 504 Plan, or LEP. By law, these accommodations must be provided to students as identified in their IEP, 504 Plan, or LEP in class and on assessments. All accommodations will be reviewed and updated annually through SBLC Meetings, IEP Meetings, and parent meetings. For students with 504 Plans, reach out to Crissy Pellerin. For Special Education students, reach out to Jamela Dermish (PK-4) and Christina Lewis-Keith (5-8). Counseling/Social Work Makeba Scott is our Elementary School Social Worker. Kodi Trahan is our Middle School Social Worker. Monique Mitchell is our PK-8 School Counselor The counseling team is available to assist with any of the following: ❖ Attendance concerns ❖ Students experiencing grief or family loss ❖ Loss of housing for students ❖ Difficulty in communication with parents/families ❖ Consultation for student specific concerns; academic or behavior School Operations Operations Team Director of Operations Grayona Bailey 20  Operations Coordinator Gloria Thompson Operations Associate Lisa Clanton Print/Copy System We offer “same-day turnaround” for color and bulk, print/copy requests submitted by 9:00am. These requests will be fulfilled by 4:00pm on that same day. Requests received after 9:00am are not guaranteed same day. You will receive an email from someone on our Operations Team once your print/copy job has been completed. You can submit your request online HERE or in-person in the Main Office. All large color copy requests must be pre-approved by Tiffany/Kiki before submitting to the front office. Classroom Budget Each teacher is given a $200 classroom budget to spend on approved resources/supplies for their students. This budget is used in the form of a reimbursement. BEFORE you purchase something, make sure to get approval from your principal. Failure to do so may result in your reimbursement request being denied. Your classroom budget can be used for items such as: decorations for your classroom, items needed to set-up your classroom (storage bins, shelves, etc.), or anything else you deem necessary for your role. Make sure to save all receipts. No Receipts = No Reimbursement! Finance & Reimbursements ALL financial documents must be signed by Tiffany or Kiki. This includes Reimbursements, Check Requests, and Purchase Requisitions. Keys/Access Cards During Opening PD, staff members will sign-out the keys that they need for their classroom/office space. This may include keys for the classroom door, filing cabinet, storage cabinet, etc. Staff members are required to pay a key replacement cost of $10 if keys are damaged or lost. Maintenance Repairs For any maintenance repair requests, you need to complete a request in Zendesk. This serves as our clearinghouse to make sure all repairs get fixed in a timely manner. You can use Zendesk for the following: broken desk, door won’t shut/lock properly, broken chair, lights that are not working, etc. Technology Repairs (including student Chromebooks) For any technology repair requests, you need to complete a request in Zendesk. This serves as our clearinghouse to make sure all repairs get fixed in a timely manner. You can use this form for the following: 21 Chromebook is missing keys, Chromebook screen is broken, Chromebook is not working properly, Promethean Board is not working properly, etc. Requests must be submitted within one week of noticing damage. Lost & Found Our “Lost & Found” is located in the Gym. At the end of each month, the “Lost & Found” will be cleaned out and the items will be donated. Building Hours During school days (Monday-Friday), the building is open for staff members from 7:00am-6:00pm. Occasionally, the building will be open during the weekend and we will communicate those hours via email. Crisis Plan HERE is where you can find our school’s Crisis Plan. This includes protocols and procedures for Fire Drills, Lockdown Drills, and other school emergencies. Food Allergies Documentation for students’ food allergies must be turned in to our School Nurse. This information can always be found in SchoolRunner on a student’s demographic page. Because of the potential of severe allergic reactions, we are “NUT FREE” and “SHELLFISH FREE” when students are required to be at school. No staff member should bring in any shellfish or nuts at a time when school is in session with students present. Special events, outside of normal school operations or when students are not required to be present, where students and families make an active choice to be on campus, are an exception. Field Trips Prior to any Field Trip being scheduled/reserved, a staff member must have permission from Tiffany or Kiki. Once permission has been given, the staff member who is serving as the point person for Field Trip will meet with our Operations Team to coordinate the logistics. Drills Here is the list of Drills that we are required to have throughout the school year: ❖ Fire Drill: 1 per month ❖ Bus Evacuation Drill: 2 per school year ❖ Lockdown Drill: 2 per school year 22