OCTOBER 2026

As we step into October, let’s take a moment to celebrate the progress we’ve already made this school year. Routines are taking shape, relationships are growing, and our students are settling into a strong start.

Like the changing leaves, October brings a fresh energy and a reminder that every new season is an opportunity to grow, reflect, and begin again. May we continue to lead with kindness, care, and love in all that we do.

Thank you for the creativity, dedication, and heart you bring each day. Every classroom, office, and hallway plays an important part in creating a positive and welcoming experience for our students. Together, let’s continue to make this a school year filled with growth, connection, and kindness.

Fall weather is here, inclement weather won't be far behind! Be among the first to know when schools are closed by updating your communication preferences in Infinite Campus.

• If you have an Infinite Campus account and can login, navigate to My Account > My Data > My Demographics and select Request Demographic Update. More details and a visual guide can be found here: Updating your Phone Number in Infinite Campus.
• If you do not have an Infinite Campus account, you can still receive notifications! Reach out to the Data Department and let us know your title/position, which schools or buildings you work at, the cell phone number you would like us to add to the notification list, and if you prefer voice calls, text messages, or both.

Please review the following slides for further details about posting grades and to ensure your quarter grades and grade level standard grades are posted correctly and on time:

Grades & Gradebook

Future Dates:

You can use the Parent Annual Update Data View in IC to check the status of Submitted PAU's.

This tool will assist staff with processing, verifying all student accounts are up to date, and that we have the most recent contact information to keep our families informed.

Q1 Interims are underway! They give us a snapshot of how students are doing on the standards taught this quarter. Interims are not for a grade. They're a tool to help us decide what to teach next and who needs what support. For step-by-step guidance, check out the Before, During, After doc.

✅ Before: Take the Test Yourself
If you haven't yet, complete Step 1 of the Data Analysis Protocol before students test. Take the Interim with the Blueprint beside you, predict how students will do, and jot down 2 or 3 items or standards you're curious about. This makes your TBT data dive faster and more focused.

✏️ During: Make Student Thinking Visible
Before students start, remind them this isn't for a grade. Their best effort shows you what to teach next. Walk the room, keep the setting focused like state testing, and hand out scratch paper. Students can start with a quick "brain dump" of key formulas, strategies, or vocabulary. Then try one of these:

• Number the work: Give students scratch paper with a numbered box for each test question (or have them fold and number their own). Collect it at the end to see the work behind their answers.

• Check confidence: Fairfax preprinted scratch paper with a sad, neutral, and happy face in each numbered box. Students circled the face that matched how sure they felt about their answer. During data dives, teachers could see whether a wrong answer was a guess (sad face) or a misunderstanding the student felt sure about (happy face), which pointed to different next steps.

🔍 After: Look Closer, Then Act

• Find your top 5 and bottom 5 items in CRS. Compare them to your predictions. What surprised you?

• Study the questions. Look at point value, complexity, and question type. Does your instruction match the rigor students saw on the test?

• Dig into the Item Analysis Report. Check which answers students picked. If many chose the same wrong answer, that's a shared misconception worth reteaching.

Bring your worksheet, Blueprint, and scratch paper to TBT. Use what you find to plan reteaching, flexible groups, and enrichment for students ready to go deeper.

🤝 Need Support?
I'm happy to help you preview assessments, facilitate a TBT data dive, or plan next steps. Reach out to Becky McDonald, Data and Assessment Specialist, or sign up for an Instructional Data Support Session.

🤔 What is EVAAS Value-Added data?
EVAAS is the tool Ohio uses to measure student growth on state tests. Think of all the students in Ohio standing in a line based on their test scores. Instead of asking "Did students pass?", EVAAS asks "Did students keep their place in line?" If students hold their spot from one year to the next, they made a typical year of growth. If they move up in line, they grew more than expected. If they slip back, they grew less. Teachers of state-tested grades and subjects receive their own Value-Added reports, which show how their students moved in line during the year they had them.

💡 Why attend?
These reports can be hard to read on your own. The ESC of Northeast Ohio is offering free virtual sessions to walk teachers through their Teacher Value-Added Report and Teacher Diagnostic Report, including which student groups grew the most (and least) in your class.

🗓️ Thursday, October 29, 2026 (Virtual)
Choose the time that works for you:

• 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

• 3:00 to 4:00 PM

Questions about registration? Contact Eva Rosbach at 216-264-1611 or eva.rosbach@escneo.org.

🔎 Spotlight on Success: Roxboro Middle School & Baumgardner Middle School

🔎 Spotlight on Success: Math 7 Team, Roxboro Middle School
Shout-out to the Math 7 team, Jen Parks and Kristen Leonard, for thinking carefully about how to use MAP data in meaningful ways. The team kept in mind that MAP is a universal screener: it gives a broad picture of where students are and flags who may need more support, but it isn't designed to measure mastery of specific lessons or units. By pairing MAP insights with classroom evidence, they're using each tool for what it does best.

Way to use data with purpose and keep the right tool matched to the right question!

🔎 Spotlight on Success: K-3 Teachers, Districtwide
Shout-out to our K-3 teachers for their follow-through on fall Math MAP testing! This year, a new Ohio law requires all students in grades K-3 to participate in a beginning-of-the-year math diagnostic, which we meet through MAP Growth. Teachers made sure make-ups happened for students who were absent or missed testing, helping us reach as many students as possible. That extra effort gives us a clearer picture of where our youngest learners are starting and who may need support early.

Way to make sure every student counts!

🔎 Spotlight on Success: Intervention Specialists at Roxboro Middle School and Baumgardner
Shout-out to Katie, Jen, Joni, and Adriana for taking a proactive approach to preparing students for the upcoming Interims. Instead of waiting until test day, they set up practice runs so students could try out their Speech-to-Text accommodation ahead of time. When students already know how to use their tools, they can focus on showing what they know instead of figuring out the technology.

Way to set students up for success before the test even begins!