School Leaders Newsletter
november 6, 2023
Dear School Leaders,
On Monday, October 30 we held a Principal Town Hall where I shared information about our academic data from the 2022-23 school year, provided an update on the District’s financial standing, and spoke briefly about our swing space planning efforts. We have collected answers to the questions that you raised at the town hall – please find them in this document. You can also watch the recording here. We will make it a practice of providing answers to questions and recordings in this school leader newsletter as soon as possible after each town hall.
There are two specific items from the town hall I want to mention here. First, I want to reiterate my statement that we must work together to develop an improved culture of communication and customer service. To that end, I am asking all District and school leaders (including myself) to commit to returning calls and emails within 48 hours. Second, with specific regard to swing space, our Operations Division has led the work to develop a draft swing space plan for review here. I ask that you provide honest and transparent feedback on the draft plan – leave your comments on this feedback document.
The school selection application closed on October 27. Since then, our colleagues in the Offices of Student Support Services; Evaluation, Research & Accountability; and Information Technology have been working around the clock to evaluate applications and monitor the systems that run school selection. I am grateful to the many District administrators who have worked so hard to improve the school selection process. In November:
- Applicants undergoing individualized review will begin to receive their review outcomes.
- Eligibility statuses (eligible, ineligible or pending) will be updated and communicated.
- The appeal window will open for applicants wishing to appeal an “ineligible” status.
Finally, last week, math teachers and many of you school leaders participated in professional development focused on the implementation of Illustrative Mathematics, our new core instructional resource for math. I want to thank you for your leadership surrounding this work. Implementing new instructional resources is not easy, but it is necessary as we seek to accelerate student achievement in Philly.
In Partnership,
Tony B. Watlington Sr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Mark Your Calendar
November 11.06 - 11.10
11.07.2023
11.11.2023
11.12.2023
11.13 - 11.17
11.13 - 11.17
11.13 - 11.19
11.23 - 11.24
11.06.2023
11.07.2023
11.08.2023
11.09.2023
COVID-19 Test Kits School Requests Due
Principals interested in tests for their school can sign up here.
Election Day; schools closed for students and staff
Two-Way Walkie-Talkie Survey Due
The survey can be accessed here.
Office Hours with Deputy Commissioner James J. Kelly and Chief Kevin Bethel (8:00-9:00 am; Join here.)
Important Dates
Monthly Observances and Celebrations
Native American Heritage Month
School Psychology Week
Election Day
Veterans Day
Diwali
Homeless Youth Awareness Week
American Education Week
Transgender Week of Awareness/Trans Day of Remembrance
Thanksgiving Break
Items Due
Professional Development Assessments
Summer Program
COMMUNICATIONS
REMINDERS
Save the Date: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, January 15, 2024
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is just around the corner, on January 15, 2024. While the Day of Service is a day that schools and administrative offices are closed, we consider a day of action that could deeply impact students, families and communities.
ACTION: Please begin considering whether you will host a Day of Service project at your school. If you decide to host a project, follow the procedures outlined here, which include submitting a request in Facilitron to open the school building on a holiday. Also, please share more about your activities and events with the Communications Team using this link, so we can help spread the word about your activities on our Cultural Celebrations website!
For facilities questions contact: Krystal Clark | Facilities Use Specialist | klclark@philasd.org | (215) 400-5361
Contact: Adam Northam | Internal Communications | anortham@philasd.org
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
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School Leader Updates
Attention School Leaders! To support PLCs and school-based PD days, the Math Team created this support calendar. These support sessions provide school leaders with possible content that can be used for school-based PD days. More sessions will be added the first week of December in preparation for the 12/15 school-based PD day. Additionally, between 12/8 and 12/14, school leaders can sign up to meet with a member of the math team if they want any individual support in planning for 12/15.
Contact: math@philasd.org
Math Leader Newsletter
Attention Math Community Leaders! Thank you all for helping to make our District Math PD on 10/27 happen! Without your organization and teacher support, we couldn't have provided PD to as many educators as we did. Linked HERE, you will find the Post PD Newsletter for October 10/27. There you will find responses to general questions we received, key takeaways named, and resources shared during the session. We shared this document with teachers, but it may be even more helpful for you as you think about school-based PD days, coaching teachers, or simply norming around how to create access for our diverse learners. This document also lives on the Math Website so you don’t have to bookmark something new.
Contact: math@philasd.org
K-8 Leaders→ Vocabulary Coaching
As you are coaching teachers around building vocabulary during shared reading, you might consider asking the following questions: Does the teacher provide students with explicit instruction about a vocabulary activity or word-learning strategy? Does the teacher model how the word can be used in context (Frayer/Four Square, Concept Definition, Map, Two-Column Notes)? Does the teacher explicitly teach the meaningful parts of content vocabulary (prefixes, suffixes, roots)? Do students utilize the vocabulary in discourse and in writing about the text?
Contact: ela@philasd.org
K-8 Leaders→ Foundational Skills Coaching Support
K-8 Leaders→ As you are coaching teachers around reinforcing known letter/sound patterns during Foundational Skills instruction, you might consider asking the following questions: Does the text contain highly consistent patterns? Are the phonics features repeated many times throughout the text? (Students benefit from multiple exposures and practice when learning to read the words) Does the teacher push the students to “grunt and groan” their way through sounding out words in the text? Does the instruction expect students to apply previously learned skills to the decoding and encoding done with the text?
Contact: ela@philasd.org
ATTENTION: PRE-K - 8 PRINCIPALS
Scripps Spelling Bee Registration Now Open!
The Scripps Spelling Bee Registration is now open for grades 4-8! Interested schools should complete the official registration on this website here. When checking the payment option, please select "Pay By Check" and then share the invoice with dschultz@philasd.org via email. The Office of Curriculum and Instruction will process the payment and communicate all next steps with registered schools. Please see the flyer for more information.
Contact: Danielle Schultz | Senior Project Manager | dschultz@philasd.org | 215-400-6266
District Performance Office (DPO)
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QlikBAM: Dropouts Monitoring App Refreshed with Data Through October
This week the QlikBAM Dropouts Monitoring app in the Enrollment and Projections stream will be refreshed with data through the end of October 2023. The application provides a monthly and cumulative summary of enrollment records for SY2023-24 that ended in a dropout exit code (WD01 or WD09).
ACTION: Click here to access the Dropouts Monitoring App.
The data in the app will refresh monthly, around the 8th of each month, to reflect student exit records for the whole school year through the end of the prior month. We know that student exit dates and exit codes are applied/updated retroactively; each time the data in the app is refreshed it will capture the data for the current school year, including any changes made since the prior refresh date.
NOTE: Data for prior school years are frozen.
Contact: performancedashboard@philasd.org
QlikBAM Climate Matters App Refreshed with Data Through October
The QlikBAM Climate Matters app displays attendance, suspension, and serious incident data through October 2023. Preliminary data is available, and the final data load for October data is scheduled for today, November 6.
Click here to access the Climate Matters App.
REMINDERS:
Attendance and Suspension data in QlikBAM differs from SchoolNet and Infinite Campus in the following ways:
- QlikBAM only includes data for students enrolled at your school for 10+ days. IC and SchoolNet include all students enrolled today and yesterday (respectively).
- QlikBAM will include data through the end of the prior month. SchoolNet displays data through yesterday, and IC is live and reflects all entries as of today.
NOTE: Any corrections made after the end of last month to attendance, suspensions, and/or serious incidents data will be reflected when the data is loaded in early next month.
Contact: performancedashboard@philasd.org
QlikBAM: School Employee Attendance App Refreshed with Data Through November 3
This week, the QlikBAM School Employee Attendance app in the Talent stream will include employee attendance data through the end of the last payroll cycle (November 3, 2023). The application now includes a complete set of data through the month of October.
ACTION: Click here to access the School Employee Attendance app. This application loads new data a few business days after the close of each payroll cycle (every two weeks).
NOTE: Any retroactive corrections made to leave codes/dates will be reflected in the data refresh that occurs after the corrections were processed in the payroll system.
Contact: performancedashboard@philasd.org
EARLY CHILDHOOD
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Attention: PRE-K Principals
PreK Head Start Federal CLASS Review
November 13- November 17, 2023 -The Office of Head Start will conduct CLASS reviews in Head Start classrooms. Classrooms are randomly selected for monitors to examine teacher/student interactions using the CLASS observation tool.
ACTION: Click here for more detailed information.
Contact: Joy Diljohn | Exec. Director, Prekindergarten/Head Start | jdiljohn@philasd.org
Conquering Kindergarten: Report Card Conference Resources for Teachers and Families
The Office of Early Childhood Education is providing information about an initiative called Conquering Kindergarten (CK) which was created in partnership with the Penn Child Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania. CK provides resources for teachers and families to help support students’ development of the 14 critical social and emotional learning skills on the district’s kindergarten report card.
Your school is receiving a packet via Pony Mail for Kindergarten teachers that includes copies of the information sheet, pencils and stickers to give to your Kindergarten students, and a pen and notepad for teachers.
Information Sheet (English and Translations)
Conquering Kindergarten Website
ACTION: Review the Conquering Kindergarten letter for more information and ensure that your Kindergarten teachers provide the CK resources to their families at report card conferences.
Contact: Shelley Crognale | Program Manager: Operations and Grants Development/PreK-3 Alignment scrognale@philasd.org | 215.400.5585
REMINDER
Employee EFFECTIVENESS AND EVALUATION
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Updated Framework for Leadership (FFL) Reflection Doc for 2023-2024
The FFL Formative Feedback reflection document has been revised for the 2023-2024 school year. Assistant superintendents and school leaders should use this document when completing fall and spring formative feedback. If you are currently using an alternative document for your Fall Formative Feedback, the revised document must be used moving forward for spring formative feedback.
Access the FFL Formative Feedback Template here (make a copy of this doc BEFORE attempting to edit).
Contact: Employee Effectiveness and Evaluation | effectiveness@philasd.org
Goal Setting Deadline Reminder
Student Performance Measure (SPM) and IEP Goals Progress goals are due to be review and approved in Cornerstone by November 8, 2023. Here is the updated stepper for "How To: Reopen A Step" if a teacher's SPM or IEP Goals Progress needs revising.
ACTION: If you'd like to participate in a focus group, please sign up here. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Employee Effectiveness and Evaluation.
Contact: Employee Effectiveness and Evaluation | effectiveness@philasd.org
FINANCE
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Board of Education Policy No. 331 - Clarification on Meal Exceptions
Effective immediately, non-student meals that meet certain requirements are defined as, “Limited instances necessitated by business circumstances subject to the express advance written approval of the CFO.” Therefore, if meals meet the requirements outlined in the Criteria and Requirements section of this memo, the meals do not require exceptions to the policy.
ACTION: For more detailed information including criteria, requirements, and exceptions, please see the full memo here.
Contact: Mike Herbstman | Chief Financial Officer | mherbstman@philasd.org
information technology
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Monthly Principal Chromebook Reports
In continuing to support you in monitoring the management of your school’s Chromebook inventory, you are receiving a monthly email outlining key metrics at the school level about your school’s inventory. You have already received an email titled "October Principal Chromebook Report" and will receive a similarly named one each month. If you have questions, you can reply-all to the email or submit a helpdesk ticket.
Contact: Luke Bilger | Executive Director of Educational Technology | lbilger@philasd.org
SIS End of Term Grade Book Office Hours
The posting window will be open from 11/2/23 through 11/16/23 at 5 pm. The Admin Review window will be from 11/17/23 through 11/20/23. We will be holding optional SIS Gradebook end-of-term processes office hours for Principals, APs, and Schedulers.
Principal/Scheduler End of Term Office Hours
- 11/6/23, 10-11a
- 11/9/23, 11-12p
- 11/13/23, 12-1p
- 11/15/23, 9+10a
Principal/Scheduler Admin Review Office Hours
- 11/17/23, 11-12p
- 11/20/23, 11-12p
ACTION: To sign up for a session, please search for “SIS: Principal/Scheduler Gradebook Admin End of Term Office Hours” in the top right search bar in Cornerstone and select the session(s) that you would like to attend. Reach out to SISpd@philasd.org if you have trouble registering or join with the Zoom link provided. The Zoom link for these sessions can be found here.
Resources can be found on SISHelp.philasd.org.
Contact: SISpd@philasd.org
REMINDER
OPERATIONS
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Fire Drill Record Statistics
Fire drills MUST be conducted before the 15th of the month per fire code and the record of the drill must be submitted into Previstar no later than three days after the drill was conducted. In September there were 45/247 (18%) fire drill records that were submitted incorrectly or missing. In October there was an increase of errors. 75/247 (30%) of fire drill records were submitted incorrectly or missing.
ACTION: Please be sure to submit all fire drill information on time and accurately.
Contact: Symeon Stevens | Fire & Life Safety Assistant Office | sstevens2-ext@philasd.org | 215-400-9345
District Participates in Junior Fire Patrol Program
The School District of Philadelphia is partnering with the Philadelphia Fire Department with the Junior Fire Patrol Program.
The Junior Fire Patrol Program has been active for over 60 years in Philadelphia linking the School District and the Fire Prevention division of the fire department. In the program, students in the fourth through eighth grades along with elected sponsors from their schools follow a curriculum that will encourage the members to develop community fire prevention programs and educate their classmates and peers about fire safety.
The program will hold weekly or biweekly meetings to complete the lesson plans. At the end of the program, participants are invited to attend the Annual Junior Fire Patrol Luncheon, where they are honored for their participation. During the luncheon, Junior Fire Patrol members demonstrate what they have learned throughout the school year, meet members from other participating schools, and enjoy great food provided by the Philadelphia Fire Department and sponsors.
ACTION: If you are interested in receiving more information or participating in this program, please contact Symeon Stevens at 215-400-9345 or sstevens2-ext@philasd.org..
Contact: Symeon Stevens | Fire & Life Safety Assistant Office | sstevens2-ext@philasd.org.sstevens2-ext@philasd.org | 215-400-9345
Planning and Evidence-based Supports (PESO)
Post-secondary readiness
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PVAAS Trainings
PDE will be providing virtual PVAAS trainings for our District on Wednesday, 11/8 and Thursday, 11/9. Three different sessions will be offered twice over these two days, covering topics such as Foundations of PVAAS, using PVAAS data to complement Star data, and using PVAAS data to explore student group performance at your school. Full session descriptions are here.
ACTION: We encourage all principals, APs, and teacher leaders to sign-up in Cornerstone!
Contact: Joe Taylor | Executive Director | jctaylor@philasd.org
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Attention: HIGH SCHOOL Principals
Leading 9th-Grade Professional Development: November 17th
We are excited to welcome all school leaders overseeing 9th grade to Session #2 of our Leading 9th Grade series! As a reminder, our first session took place on Friday, August 11th at West Philadelphia High School. Our next session will take place on Friday, November 17th, at Kensington High School and is required for the school leader designated to lead 9th-grade work at each high school.
Location: Kensington High School (2051 E Cumberland St, Philadelphia, PA 19125) in the staff meeting room on the 2nd floor
Parking: If there are empty parking spots in the school’s lot, you are welcome to those. However, space is limited and you are welcome to park on the surrounding streets (i.e. Cumberland St, Amber St).
ACTION: If you attended the August 11th session, then you received a calendar invite from Geneva Sloan for November 17th’s session. Regardless of your RSVP to the calendar invite, we are asking all 9th-grade leaders to still register using this link below, which also asks about any accessibility needs. Please register here.
Contact: Geneva Sloan | Senior Project Manager | gsloan@philasd.org | 215-400-4200
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
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SDP Educators Weekly Update
The link to the Office of Teaching and Learning's SDP Educator’s Weekly Update email for this week can be found here.
Contact: Meredith Mehra | Deputy Chief | mmehra@philasd.org
Identifying Powerschool Leads
On July 1, 2024, the School District of Philadelphia will transition from Cornerstone to PowerSchool. PowerSchool will be our platform to perform all of the functionality currently covered within Cornerstone (registering for professional learning, completing online courses, submitting formal and informal feedback, etc.). During the half day on Friday, May 10th, all schools will utilize the professional learning time to train their entire school-based team (teachers, counselors, paras, climate staff, etc.) on how to use the professional learning component of PowerSchool and then preview the evaluation component of the tool.
ACTION: To facilitate this, each school will identify PowerSchool Lead(s) by November 27th who will be developed so that they are able to train their school-based team. Please complete the Google Form to submit your school’s PowerSchool Lead(s).
Contact: Meredith Mehra | Deputy Chief | mmehra@philasd.org or cornerstonehelp@philasd.org | 215.400.4280
Elevate Your Teaching with Video-Based Professional Learning
Are you or someone on your team working to go from good to great and be recognized for your Illustrative Math instruction? Join us for a rigorous, rewarding, six-session journey of professional development, where we delve deep into intellectual preparation, video-based instructional analysis, and collaborative learning. Attendance at all six sessions is essential, as they progressively prepare you for the culmination – your moment in front of the camera. This experience will not only help you practice using video to support your growth with IM, but also highlight your instructional excellence and contribute to our collective knowledge of effective instructional methods.
ACTION: If you’re ready to join us, review the dates and register on Cornerstone.
Contact: Brian Dillon | Director of Special Projects | bdillon@philasd.org | 856.472.1280
Professional Learning for Emergency Certified Teachers
The Office of Professional Learning offers many professional learning opportunities to support new and novice teachers! New this year is Teach Right Now, an initiative tailored to the needs of emergency-certified teachers.
ACTION: Click here for more information about all professional learning for our new colleagues.
Contact: Elizabeth McAnally | Director of Teacher Development | emcanally@philasd.org | 215-400-5692
Research and Evaluation
School climate and culture
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Family Engagement Mini-Grants
Schools are invited to apply for “mini-grants” (of $1,000 - $5,000 per school) to implement initiatives that address an area for improvement in family engagement identified in their school’s Philly School Experience Survey results. Applications are due this Friday, November 10!
ACTION: Learn more and apply for a mini-grant here.
Contact: schoolsurveys@philasd.org
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Student Well-Being Survey Window 1 Data Available
The 1st Student Well-Being Survey window is closed! Congratulations for reaching 79% student participation across the district! The SWBS data for window 1 is now available in Qlik. See district-wide Key Findings HERE. Access the SWBS website for updates, highlights and SWBS Snapshots (for teachers and other staff without Qlik access)!
ACTION: Looking for ways to respond effectively to your school's SWBS data? And to show your students that their voices are heard? Consider using THIS resource, which includes embedded activities, community meeting lesson plans, and teacher resources. It is intended as a tool for improving classroom and school communities, and can be used across grade levels and content areas to provide students with ownership and agency within their learning environments. Feel free to work with your assigned Climate & Culture Coach or Equity Training Specialist to develop a plan to respond to SWBS data at your school.
Contact: Helen Ford | Assistant Director of Student Well-being | hford@philasd.org
School Organization & Management
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Term 1 Grading Window Opens Thursday, November 2nd
The grading window for Term 1 will close on Thursday, November 16th at 5:00 p.m. Teachers have until that time to make sure they have posted their grades. The window will not reopen for teachers, so if they do not enter by the deadline, it will be the responsibility of the administration to enter missing grades. After the window closes for teachers, you will have one day for administrative review.
ACTION: Submit your Term 1 grades by November 16th at 5 p.m.
Contact: Jeremy Wright | Director, School Organization and Management | jwright@philasd.org
2024-2025 Bell Schedule Preliminary Preference Survey
The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) in partnership with The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is in the beginning stages of gathering information from schools regarding bell schedules for the 2024-2025 school year. The Bell Schedule is defined as the time school begins (start time) for students and the time the school day ends for students.
ACTION: For the 2024-2025 school year, we are considering a two-tiered service model. We ask that you please complete this initial bell schedule survey below which includes the bell schedule times for a two-tiered bell schedule. The survey will also be shared with PFT Building Representatives for completion. This proposal will continue to provide greater efficiencies in servicing our students. The results of the survey will be used to inform decisions about bell schedules for the next school year but not determine the final bell schedule for 2024-2025.
Access the survey here. Please complete the survey by Monday, November 20, 2023.
Contact: Melinda Mammi | Senior Project Manager | mmammi@philasd.org
Lindback Award Applications Now Open
The nomination period for the Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals and Teachers in 2023–2024 is now open. The Lindback Foundation will honor seven principals and 60 teachers from The School District of Philadelphia public schools who have demonstrated excellence in supporting learning at the highest levels during the 2023–2024 school year. Nominations, inclusive of completed applications for the principal award must be submitted by noon on Friday, January 12, 2024, and nominations inclusive of completed applications for the teacher award must be submitted by noon on Monday, February 12, 2024. The ceremony for the Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 and the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teachers ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Both ceremonies will be held at the Philadelphia Film Center.
ACTION: Submit your nomination as soon as possible. More information on the awards, application materials and guidelines, and ceremonies can be found here.
Contact: Lindback@philasd.org
Attention: HIGH SCHOOL Principals
HS Roster Chair Professional Development
The Office of School Organization and Management will host its second professional development for Roster Chairs on Friday, November 10th from 10 am to 12 pm. By the end of this session, Roster Chairs will have reviewed and reflected on their school’s Master schedule structure as well as the experiences created for students at the school through the Roster. Our goal in this session is that Roster Chairs receive the tools and information necessary to share with each school’s Leadership team to start planning for SY 2024-25. It is expected that each high school allows at least one person to attend but more are welcome. The link for the Virtual PD can be found here.
ACTION: Please share with your leadership team and designate at least one person to attend.
Contact: Jeremy Wright | Director, School Organization and Management | jwright@philasd.org
student support services & community engagement
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Family Workshops Begin November 18
Family Academy: Courses & Training (FACT) presents free online and (back this year) IN-PERSON Saturday workshops that help School District of Philadelphia families engage in personal growth, support student success, and connect with their community. Please help us spread the word to your classroom's parents and families! This is an excellent resource to direct them to throughout the school year, as it includes workshops on academic and social-emotional learning topics, as well as fun art, cooking, and wellness sessions.
ACTION: Access the toolkit HERE with sample templates and graphics to place into Parent Portal, Class Dojo, Remind, or whatever other communications platforms you may use. Learn more and help families register at philasd.org/face/fact.
Contact: Lauren Rowland | Assistant Director of Outreach and Education (FACE) | lrowland@philasd.org