• Number of students on campus = 2,873,692
• Number of staff on campus = 800,078

• Students = 64,574
• Staff = 38,011

Data suggest that very few cases are due to student to student spreading of the virus

National School Counseling Week 2021 "School Counselors: All In for All Students," (National School Counseling Association) will be celebrated from Feb. 1-5, 2021, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within our schools.. School counselors have a tremendous impact on helping students achieve school success, and this is an opportunity to recognize them for their meaningful work.

Ideas for Principals

--Have students decorate the counselor’s office door.

(Give each student a sticky note to write or draw a message.)

--Recognize your counselor on morning announcements.

--Recognize your counselor in the school newsletter or on the marquis.

--Treat your counselor to an off-campus (or on-campus) lunch.

--Coffee or Sonic drinks are always good!

--Utilize a video collection site like Vidday www.vidday.com or Flipgrid www.flipgrid.com

to send out to teachers/students --- and share with your counselor.

--Send a Padlet link to teachers so they can express their appreciation. www.padlet.com

Optional Beginning-of-Year Assessments Data Help Quantify Initial Impact of COVID-19 on Texas Students

Follow the link to read about the research study on the initial impact of COIVD on student learning-it projects students have a 3.2 decline

Spring 2021 State Assessment Guidance -New guidelines for state testing this spring.

• Look specifically at #9- For specific assessments, including STAAR, TELPAS online assessments, and certain college readiness assessments (SAT, PSAT, ACT, ACT Aspire, and TSIA), if a district cannot assess all students during the district-scheduled assessment days and comply with local health protocols, the district can submit a waiver to require students who are not scheduled to take that assessment to learn remotely on a scheduled testing day.

AUSTIN, Texas – December 10, 2020 – The Texas Education Agency announced today that A-F ratings would be paused for 2020-21 school year due to the ongoing disruptions associated with COVID-19. The STAAR test will proceed for the 2020-21 school year in order to provide critically important information about individual student learning that teachers and parents can use to help students grow. For those schools that incorporate STAAR results into teacher evaluations, TEA is providing flexibility to allow them to remove that component this school year. Click here to read the full press release.

TTESS/TPESS Updates

• TTESS Virtual Instruction Rubric

• TTESS Virtual Guidance Document

• TPESS Rubric Update and Refresher

• Optional for 20-21 but required in 21-22

ESC 6 - TRS Resources and Activities Collection Update

AVAILABLE NOW! The Resources and Activities Collection of TEKS Resource System is accessible exclusively through education service centers (ESCs). These resources are intended to support the TEKS Resource System curricular content, can be used in both synchronous and asynchronous environments and are password protected.

If you are a TEKS Resource System subscriber and would like more information, contact Jill Rouse at rouse@esc6.net.

Curriculum Management

TEKS Resource System Gap Tools are available! A recording of the Gap Tool Implementation training can be found on the web page listed below.

In addition, a TRS Navigation Training was developed.

A recording of this session can be found on the following web page.

esc6.net/curriculummanagement

Educator Collaboratives

Fall 2020

Register today!

• Mini Series

• Individual Courses

• Self paced courses

• Book Study

• 2020–2021 STAAR and STAAR Alternate 2 Progress Measures:

• Since STAAR testing was suspended for spring and summer 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, this year’s calculation differs slightly and measures progress across two years, from 2018–2019 to 2020–2021.

• While 2020–2021 STAAR progress measure outcomes will be provided on STAAR data files, whether they will be used for 2021 academic accountability evaluations in the School Progress and Closing the Gaps domains in the same manner as in the past has yet to be determined.

• 2021 Accountability System Context

• Incomplete data (Comparability)

• Pandemic-influenced data (Reliability)

• Stifled continuous improvement efforts (Validity)

• While there are significant unknowns for 2021, TEA will plan for an adjusted 2021 accountability system.

• STAAR cut points may be adjusted based on the COVID-19 slide experienced by the All Students group.

• CCMR cut points will not change.

• Graduation rate cut points will not change.

• Adjustments to the Closing the Gaps domain would require USDE approval.

• Academic Growth may include a 2-year growth measure.

• The goal is to test as many students as possible.

• In order to not penalize districts for students who are unable to test due to COVID-19, we plan to submit a waiver request for the 95% assessment participation requirement for 2021.

There are many updates and professional development opportunities. Please share the attached flyers with your staff.

Email: szielonka@esc6.net
Website: https://www.esc6.net/principal-information
Location: 3222 Montgomery Road, Huntsville, TX, USA
Phone: 9363488213
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Esc6Principals
Twitter: @escregion6