ASSESSMENT

In my initial teaching role, I assumed the position of Head Coach for a high school Track and Field team. Despite lacking prior experience in this role, I accepted the responsibility to ensure the continuity of the team and to support the student athletes. While my expertise lay primarily in coaching distance runners, I recognized the need for assistant coaches proficient in other events such as shot put, hurdles, sprints, and pole vault.

Embracing a model of shared leadership, we orchestrated a successful track season where several student athletes advanced to the Maryland State Track and Field competition. Central to our achievements was the establishment of collective objectives, fostering a sense of ownership among coaches and athletes for their respective events. This experience underscored the importance of trust among colleagues and instilled a culture of teamwork and accountability.

Recently, we convened a team of dedicated professionals committed to cultivating a data-informed culture to propel school improvement efforts. In collaboration with our principals, we assembled a diocese-wide STAR Champion team with a unified aim of aligning best practices for implementing the STAR formative assessment program.

Our session was structured around three core objectives:

• discussing best practices for test administration,

• providing technical support at the building level,

• effectively communicating STAR results to parents.

The meeting proved fruitful as STAR Champions shared insights on successful practices, identified areas necessitating clarification, and posed pertinent questions to enhance our processes.

Moving forward, our aim is to craft a comprehensive best practices document for presentation to principals, seeking their feedback and recommendations. This document will serve as a blueprint for STAR implementation in the upcoming academic year, marking the third year of diocesan-wide adoption. Special thanks goes to Laurie Wojtaszczyk for her leadership in facilitating the training for all participants in test administration and tech support, who graciously dedicated their time to engage either in-person at the Catholic Center or virtually. Notably, our gathering comprised representatives from 20 out of 29 schools participating in STAR across the Diocese of Buffalo.

STAR and Data Implementation:

April

1. Develop data school board reports.

1. Sample Board Report - Make a copy and edit document to fit your needs

2. Guidelines for sharing academic data with a school board

4/30/24 NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Year 10 Purchasing Deadline

5/17/24 Erie 1 BOCES Title IIa Consortium Leadership Meeting from 1-2:30pm

5/20/24 Last Day to Register for Free UB Summer Graduate Classes

6/1/24 Last day for Parents to Request Special Education Services from Districts

6/27/24 NYSED Nonpublic Safety Equipment (NPSE) Claims Due

TBD NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due

NYSED NPSE Forms Released: You should have received an email from NYSED on Thursday that described the release of the Year 10 NPSE forms, allocations, and guidance. I sent you a school-specific email on Friday with my take on the funds you have available to spend through 4/30/24 (today!) if you plan to submit those expenses using the Year 10 forms. Click here for the updated information.

Erie 1 BOCES Textbook Update: Domenic Liberta from Erie 1 BOCES sent an email to the listed textbook coordinators on Thursday, April 25th. This email has all of the information school’s need in order to use their textbook ordering website so there will not be an in-person Annual Textbook Loan Meeting. Please email me if your school did not receive this information. You can email Domenic at dliberta@e1b.org if you have a new textbook coordinator.

NYS Assembly District 140 Survey: Assembly Member William Conrad, representing Kenmore, Tonawanda, North Tonawanda, and part of North Buffalo, is looking for resident feedback. If you live in that Assembly district, please consider completing the online survey at https://nyassembly.gov/mem/William-Conrad/story/109952. Although education is not directly asked about, consider entering something about the importance of continued support for Religious and Independent schools (or private or nonpublic schools) in question #13.