2023-2024 New Staff Orientation Guide

Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement, and helped establish the precedent that “separate-but-equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all.

Topeka Public Schools is proud of being part of this landmark decision that changed the face of public schools forever. Topeka Public Schools celebrates our diversity and honors our heritage.

A Message from the Superintendent

Dear New Teachers:

Welcome to Topeka Public Schools. We are excited to have you join the Topeka family. We have an incredible year planned for our students, staff and families. Last year we gained tremendous momentum in student performance with the majority of our students scoring on grade level or above across the district. Multiple students were Governor’s Scholars representing the top one percent in the state. Several students were named National Merit Finalists, and our scholars gained over $13 million in academic scholarships. In addition to these accomplishments:

• Topeka West won 1st place in 5A State Tennis Championship

• Topeka High School boys baseball team advanced to the 2023 State Tournament

• Math teacher Mrs. Cherryl Delacruz was named Region 2 finalist for Kansas Teacher of the Year

• Multiple students and staff members won local, state, and national awards

• 30 students gained the Seal of Biliteracy showing their ability to speak multiple languages

Topeka Public Schools is a district focused on innovation, diversity and opportunity for staff and students as we fulfill the mission to engage, prepare, and inspire students for a lifetime of learning.

Thank you for choosing Topeka Public Schools. Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Tiffany Anderson Superintendent

(785) 295-3059

tanderson@tps501.org

Dr. Tiffany Anderson Superintendent

ABOUT Topeka Public Schools

Topeka Public Schools is the 7th largest school district in Kansas, educating approximately 13,000 students each year. We offer PreK-12 education along with specialized services for 3 and 4 year olds and online high school diploma completion for any adult who lives within the State of Kansas. The school district includes 14 elementary schools, six middle schools, and three high schools. In 2022, 76% of 501 students received free or reduced lunch, compared with the state average of 43%. The racial/ethnic composition of the district is 36% White, 33% Hispanic, 17% African-American, and 12% multiracial. The school district serves a total of 10% or 1,300 English Learners (ELs). The 2020 census indicated an estimated 14% of the Topeka population lived below the poverty line, compared to the state average of 11%. Further, school-aged children in Topeka experience risk factors at home: two out of five children live in single-parent households, nearly 40% more than the state average. We offer unique learning opportunities including five signature campuses, two magnet schools, an international studies program and the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers (TCALC). Additionally, Topeka has a College Preparatory Academy program for middle and high school students.

Website: visittopeka.com

Topeka serves as the capital of Kansas, with amenities and opportunities making it the perfect place to raise a family and focus on your career. From Lake Shawnee to the NOTO arts district, you will find something for everyone. The up and coming downtown district and affordable housing, make Topeka an ideal place to settle down. Shawnee County is home to almost 177,000 people who live, work and play in and near the capital city. Topeka Public Schools is the largest school district in the county serving approximately 13,000 students each year.

Gage Park

State Capitol

NOTO Arts District

Brown v. Board site

Hummer Sports Park

Topeka Public Schools 2023-24 Academic Calendar

2023-2024 Academic Calendar

Students First: Working as a team for Continuous Improvement

Events

Calendared Events

June 30 - 3rd Annual BBQ Competition and Crooked Kids BBQ Party

July 25 - September 26 - Crossroads Fountain Show, 9:00pm, weekly on Tuesdays

July 27-September 14 - (every Thursday) - Eats & Beats, 6:30-8:30pm, Evergy Plaza, These concerts will spread the capacity of Evergy Plaza and will include music on Capital Federal on 7th Stage, food trucks, and beer gardens surrounding the event.

July 27 - August 12 - West Side Story, Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy

July 28 - August 6 - Disney’s Descendants: The Musical, Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy

July 28 - Boz Scaggs and Keb’ Mo, 7:00pm, Topeka Performing Arts Center

July 28 - July 30 - For the Culture KS Fest, Evergy Plaza

August 4 - First Friday Music at Redbud Park: Big Rick and the Soul’d Out Band, Redbud Park, NOTO

August 5 - Topeka Taco and Margarita Festival, Stormont Vail Events Center

August 11 - India Mela 2023, 6:00pm - 10:00pm, Evergy Plaza

August 11 - 13 - Menards NHRA Nationals, Heartland Park Topeka

August 16 - Summertime Blues @Gage Park: Howard Maham Band, Gage Park Amphitheater

August 25 - 26 - Big 94.5 Country PRCA Rodeo, Saddle Club Arena, 7341 NW Toepka Blvd.

September 9-11 - Huff’n Puff, Mount Hope Balloon field

September 17 - Paxico Blues Festival, Paxico KS

September 23 - 24 - Topeka Cider Days Festival, Kansas Expocenter

October 21 - 22 - Maple Leaf Festival, Baldwin KS

September 29 - October 31 - Gary’s Berries Fall Festival, Grantville, KS

Places to Go

Downtown Farmer’s Market, Saturdays, 7am - noon, SW 6th and Harrison Street.

Brown Vs. Board, Tuesday- Friday, 9am-5pm, 1515 SE Monroe Street https://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm

Old Prairie Town & Ward-Meade Botanical Garden (closed Wednesdays), 8am-8pm, 124 NW Fillmore Street, https://Parks.snco.us/ facilities/facility/Details/28

Kansas Museum of History, Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, 6425 SW 6th Ave, https://www.kshs.org/museum (museum currently closed for construction)

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Monday-Saturday, 9am - 9pm, Sunday noon- 9pm, https://tscpl.org/

Topeka Zoo, open everyday, 9am-5pm, 635 SW Gage Blvd, https://topekazoo.org/, (cost)

Housing

Topeka Raintree Apartments

3500 SW 29th Street

785-273-1887

www.raintreetopeka.com

Preferred Employer Program: application fee waived, $100 off first month rent.

Emory Lakes Luxury Apartments

4800 NW Fielding Place

785-338-7308

Preferred Employer Program: Waived application fees, waived administrative fees, move-in specials, flexible move in dates, short-term lease options

Wheatfield Village Apartments

2759 SW Fairlawn Road

785-596-6335

Chalet Apartments

4140 SW 6th Ave.

785-272-5130

Employee referral program: waived administration fees

https://www.wheatfieldvillageapts.com

We offer a waived, $50 application & $250 administrative fee which is paid upfront then the credit will be applied on move-in day . In addition to the app & admin fee credit,we are also providing a $250.00 rent credit

https://www.topekapropertymanagementinc.com/topeka-homes-for-rent Some homes for rent offer discounts to teachers.

Monday, July 24

DAY 1 Elementary

DID YOU KNOW . . .

The Topeka Public Schools (TPS) EL Department provides services to 10% of students. While 33% of students are Hispanic, and Spanish is the most prominent language after English, 26 languages are spoken in TPS.

TPS has a nationally and internationally recognized PK-12 Dual Language Program. In 2022, TPS won the Grand Magna Award for closing the equity gap for bilingual and biliterate learners. The dual language schools in TPS are Scott Dual Language Magnet, Landon Middle School, and Topeka High School.

Elementary staff report to Bishop Professional Development Center

3601 SW 31st Street

7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Continental Breakfast/ Socializing Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Monroe A-B-C

• Welcome from Dr. Anderson & Mrs. Wallace

• Learning Principles, Mission, Vision, District Initiatives Presentation

• Human Resource Presentation

11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Lunch and travel time - Box lunch provided by Topeka Public Schools in the Bishop Café

Elementary staff return to their home schools

12:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

All staff will report to their home school and meet with building administrators. At this time teachers will receive their district issued laptop.

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Debrief at building

The fundamental purpose of school is to ensure that ALL STUDENTS LEARN and not merely that all students get taught.

--John Hattie

Tuesday, July 25

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7 :55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Teacher Clarity

PK-2: Monroe A, B, C

3-5: Sumner

9:25 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Using a Curriculum Design Map

PK-2: Monroe A, B, C

3-5: Sumner

10:25 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.

Curriculum and Instruction

K-2: SEL - Monroe A

3-5: Math - Monroe B

Early Childhood Teachers - Monroe C

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch & Learn

Lunch provided by NEA-T - Monroe A, B, C & Café

12:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Curriculum & Instruction

Early Childhood Teachers - Monroe C

12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

K-2: ELA - Monroe A

3-5: SEL - Monroe B

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

K-2: Math - Monroe A

3-5: ELA - Monroe B

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

K-2: Science - Monroe A

3-5: Social Studies - Monroe B

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

K-2: Social Studies - Monroe A

3-5: Science - Monroe B

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Reflection in current room

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Optional: Loan forgiveness program and retirement

Agenda DAY 2

Elementary

Teaching is not a job. It’s a lifestyle. It permeates your whole life.

--Jill Biden

Topeka Public Schools (TPS) in partnership with Dr. John Hattie, is implementing high impact Visible Learning Strategies. As TPS continues its work on Teacher Clarity, the focus is student engagement, higher order questioning, and student voice. These three student centered strategies are written into School Improvement Plans and part of the classroom observation walk-through tool.

• Student Engagement - Students are cognitively challenged in learning through the use of district supported initiatives (e.g., Kagan Cooperative Learning, Building Thinking Classrooms, student to student discourse strategies, hands-on activities, use of manipulatives).

• Higher Order Questioning includes both teacher and student questioning, looking at the Depth of Knowledge, and Dr. Hattie’s four key questioning strategies:

• designing higher cognitive questions.

• developing a sequence of questions.

• increasing wait time.

• responding to answers - redirecting, probing, reinforcing.

• Student Voice - Students are able to articulate what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know when they have learned it.

Wednesday, July 26

DAY 3 Elementary

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

• PK-2: Trauma Informed Care - Monroe A, B, C

• 3-5: Ci3T - Sumner

9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

• PK-2: Ci3T - Monroe A, B, C

• 3-5: Trauma Informed Care - Sumner

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch - Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Classroom Management

• PK-2 - Monroe A, B, C

• 3-5 - Sumner

Traumatic experiences impact how students learn!

Topeka Public Schools is a traumainformed school district. All staff, from administrative assistants to district leadership, are provided the opportunity to understand trauma and its impact on our students. Why is this important? As staff, we understand how trauma impacts the brain, we are better able to recognize signs of trauma and to respond in a way that is safe and fosters learning.

Child Trauma Academy trained staff offer professional development to every TPS building throughout the year. For more information, email our Social Work Coordinators - Regina Franklin at rfranklin@tps501.org or Susan Mills at smills@tps501.org.

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Teacher Panel

• PK-2 - Monroe A, B, C

• 3-5 - Sumner

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Reflection in current room

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

--Benjamin Franklin

Thursday, July 27

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

New Instructional Coaches - Belvoir

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Differentiation

• PK-2 - Monroe A, B

• 3-5 - Monroe C

9:45 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.

Make It, Take It - Monroe A-B-C

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Food truck provided by Horace Mann Shop til You Drop - Curtis & McKinley

Lunch time/travel time

All staff return to their home schools

12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Teachers will report to their home school and meet with building Instructional Coaches and mentors.

Agenda DAY 4

Elementary

Topeka Public Schools is the recipient of many awards:

• Dr. Anderson was named the 2023 Woman Superintendent in School Leadership award from the American Association of School Administrators

• 2023 Region 2 Kansas Teacher of the Year & Finalist, Cherryl Delacruz

• 2023 Horizon Award winner, Megan Maness, French Middle School Special Education Teacher.

• 2023 Best Communities for Music Education

• 2022 Region 2 Kansas Teacher of the Year & Finalist Pam Muñoz

• Thirteen (13) students in the Teaching Profession Pathway qualified for the national Educators Rising competition

• TPS opened a 2 Year-Old Childcare Program at Shaner Early Learning Academy

• TPS Parents as Teachers is a Blue Ribbon Award winner

• 2022 Grand Magna Award for the Pk-12 Dual Language Program

• TPS welcomed 40+ Ukrainian Students

• 2022 Whelan Leadership for Learning Award for the continued work in implementing Ci3T

My goal is simple, help kids become smart, well-rounded people who love to learn!

--Greg Tang

Agenda DAY 1

Secondary

DID YOU KNOW . . .

The Topeka Public Schools (TPS) EL Department provides services to 10% of students. While 33% of students are Hispanic, and Spanish is the most prominent language after English, 26 languages are spoken in TPS.

TPS has a nationally and internationally recognized PK-12 Dual Language Program. In 2022, TPS won the Grand Magna Award for closing the equity gap for bilingual and biliterate learners. The dual language schools in TPS are Scott Dual Language Magnet, Landon Middle School, and Topeka High School.

Monday, July 24

Secondary staff report to their home schools

7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Continental Breakfast delivered to home school

8:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

All staff will report to their home school and meet with building administrators. At this time teachers will receive their district issued laptop.

10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Debrief at building

11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Lunch and travel time - Box lunch provided by Topeka Public Schools in the Bishop Café

Secondary staff report to Bishop Professional Development Center

3601 SW 31st Street

12:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Monroe A-B-C

• Welcome from Dr. Anderson & Mrs. Wallace

• Learning Principles, Mission, Vision, District Initiatives Presentation

• Human Resource Presentation

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”

--Maya Angelou

Tuesday, July 25

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7 :55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Teacher Clarity

• 6-8 - Curtis

• 9-12 - McKinley

9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Curriculum & Instruction

• Computer Science - Lincoln

• CTE - Harrison

• Dual Language - Madison

• ELA - McKinley

• EL - Lafayette

• Fine Arts - Garfield

• Instructional Coaches - Belvoir

• Leadership - Grant

• Math - Pierce

• MS Counselor - Jackson

• PE - Potwin

• Science - Van Buren

• Social Studies - Curtis

• World Language - Douglas

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch & Learn

Lunch provided by NEA-T - Monroe A, B, C & Cafe

12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Effective Lesson Design

(Breakout by content - same as morning)

2:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Lesson Plans

(Breakout by content - same as morning) 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Reflection in current room 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Optional: Loan forgiveness program and retirement

Agenda DAY 2

Secondary

Topeka Public Schools (TPS) in partnership with Dr. John Hattie, is implementing high impact Visible Learning Strategies. As TPS continues its work on Teacher Clarity, the focus is student engagement, higher order questioning, and student voice. These three student centered strategies are written into School Improvement Plans and part of the classroom observation walk-through tool.

• Student Engagement - Students are cognitively challenged in learning through the use of district supported initiatives (e.g., Kagan Cooperative Learning, Building Thinking Classrooms, student to student discourse strategies, hands-on activities, use of manipulatives).

• Higher Order Questioning includes both teacher and student questioning, looking at the Depth of Knowledge, and Dr. Hattie’s four key questioning strategies:

• designing higher cognitive questions.

• developing a sequence of questions.

• increasing wait time.

• responding to answers - redirecting, probing, reinforcing.

• Student Voice - Students are able to articulate what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know when they have learned it.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

--William Butler Yeats

Wednesday,

DAY 3

Secondary

I never teach my pupils, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn.

--Albert Einstein

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

• 6-8: Trauma Informed Care - McKinley

• 9-12: Ci3T - Curtis

9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

• 6-8: Ci3T - McKinley

• 9-12: Trauma Informed Care - Curtis

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch - Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Classroom Management

• 6-8 - McKinley

• 9-12 - Curtis

Traumatic experiences impact how students learn!

Topeka Public Schools is a trauma-informed school district. All staff, from administrative assistants to district leadership, are provided the opportunity to understand trauma and its impact on our students. Why is this important? As staff, we understand how trauma impacts the brain, we are better able to recognize signs of trauma and to respond in a way that is safe and fosters learning.

Child Trauma Academy trained staff offer professional development to every TPS building throughout the year. For more information, email our Social Work Coordinators - Regina Franklin at rfranklin@ tps501.org or Susan Mills at smills@tps501. org.

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Teacher Panel

• 6-8 - McKinley

• 9-12 - Curtis

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Reflection in current room

DAY 4

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

New Instructional Coaches - Belvoir

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

• 6-8 - Differentiation - Garfield

• 9-12 - High Level Questioning - Pierce

9:05 a.m. - 10:05 a.m.

• 6-8 - High Level Questioning - Garfield

• 9-12 - Academic Discussion- Pierce

10:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.

• 6-8 - Academic Discussion - Garfield

• 9-12 - Differentiation - Pierce

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Food truck provided by Horace Mann

Shop til You Drop - Curtis & McKinley

Lunch time/travel time

All staff return to their home schools

12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Teachers will report to their home school and meet with building Instructional Coaches and mentors.

Topeka Public Schools is the recipient of many awards:

• Dr. Anderson was named the 2023 Woman Superintendent in School Leadership award from the American Association of School Administrators

• 2023 Region 2 Kansas Teacher of the Year & Finalist, Cherryl Delacruz

• 2023 Horizon Award winner, Megan Maness, French Middle School Special Education Teacher.

• 2023 Best Communities for Music Education

• 2022 Region 2 Kansas Teacher of the Year & Finalist, Pam Muñoz

• Thirteen (13) students in the Teaching Profession Pathway qualified for the national Educators Rising competition

• TPS opened a 2 Year-Old Childcare Program at Shaner Early Learning Academy

• TPS Parents as Teachers is a Blue Ribbon Award winner

• 2022 Grand Magna Award for the Pk-12 Dual Language Program

• TPS welcomed 40+ Ukrainian Students

• 2022 Whelan Leadership for Learning Award for the continued work in implementing Ci3T

DAY 1

Special Education

All staff report to Bishop Professional Development Center

3601 SW 31st Street

7:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Related Service Providers (SLPs, OTs, Social Workers, Mental Health Interventionists, Nurses, School Psychs) report to Bishop and follow Elementary morning schedule.

Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Elementary morning schedule.

Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Secondary morning schedule.

Special Education in Topeka Public Schools is specially designed instruction that enables students to make continuous progress in school. Special Education services are present within each school and are an integral part of the Topeka Public Schools system. The Topeka Public Schools philosophy is reflected in the practice of responsibly including students in educational and social activities to the maximum extent appropriate, based on their individual learning needs. We advocate for students with disabilities to receive inclusive instruction with their nondisabled peers and support them in their learning.

Dr. Jennifer Harrington General Director of Special Education and Special Services

11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Box lunch provided by Topeka Public Schools in the Bishop Café. Patricipants may eat in the Café.

12:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

All Related Service Providers (SLPs, OTs, Social Workers, School Psychs) will report to Avondale West (3229 SW Westview) for Tech Checkout and meeting with respective coordinators.

Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Elementary afternoon schedule.

Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Secondary afternoon schedule.

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7 :55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Related Service Providers (SLPs, OTs, Social Workers, Mental Health Interventionists, School Psychs) will attend Teacher

Clarity with Elementary

8:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Elementary morning schedule.

Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Secondary morning schedule.

Nurses meet with nursing coordinator at Burnett

9:25 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Related Service Staff - Polk & Roosevelt

• Speech Pathologists: Roles & Responsibilities

• Social Workers, School Psychologists & Mental Health Interventionist: SPED Overview (Why Protected Time) & Conducting Threat Assessments

• Occupational Therapists: Clarification of Role in TPS

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch & Learn

Lunch provided by NEA-T - Monroe A, B, C & Café

12:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

• Speech Pathologists: Supporting Students

• Social Workers, School Psychologists & Mental Health Interventionist: Environmental & Structured Observation, McKinney Vento, Impact Avenue, Writing Student Social Emotional Goals, MHIT & Overlapping MHT functions

• Occupational Therapists: Resources and Access for Students in TPS

• Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Elementary afternoon schedule.

• Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Secondary afternoon schedule.

• Nurses meet with nursing coordinator at Burnett

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Reflection in current room

DAY 2

Special Education

Topeka Public Schools (TPS) in partnership with Dr. John Hattie, is implementing high impact Visible Learning Strategies. As TPS continues its work on Teacher Clarity, the focus is student engagement, higher order questioning, and student voice. These three student centered strategies are written into School Improvement Plans and part of the classroom observation walk-through tool.

• Student Engagement - Students are cognitively challenged in learning through the use of district supported initiatives (e.g., Kagan Cooperative Learning, Building Thinking Classrooms, student to student discourse strategies, hands-on activities, use of manipulatives).

• Higher Order Questioning includes both teacher and student questioning, looking at the Depth of Knowledge, and Dr. Hattie’s four key questioning strategies:

• designing higher cognitive questions.

• developing a sequence of questions.

• increasing wait time.

• responding to answers - redirecting, probing, reinforcing.

• Student Voice - Students are able to articulate what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know when they have learned it.

DAY 3

Special Education

Traumatic experiences impact how students learn!

Topeka Public Schools is a traumainformed school district. All staff, from administrative assistants to district leadership, are provided the opportunity to understand trauma and its impact on our students. Why is this important? As staff, we understand how trauma impacts the brain, we are better able to recognize signs of trauma and to respond in a way that is safe and fosters learning.

Child Trauma Academy trained staff offer professional development to every TPS building throughout the year. For more information, email our Social Work Coordinators - Regina Franklin at rfranklin@tps501.org or Susan Mills at smills@tps501.org.

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

• Related Service Providers (SLPs, OTs, Social Workers, Mental Health Interventionists, School Psychs) will follow the Elementary morning schedule.

• Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Elementary morning schedule.

• Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Secondary morning schedule.

• Nurses meet with nursing coordinator at Burnett (all day)

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch - Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Related Service Providers

• Speech Pathologists: Compliant IEPs - Garfield

• Social Workers, School Psychologists & Mental Health Interventionist: Suicide Prevention/ Intervention, Emotional Disturbance vs. Social Maladjustment.

• Occupational Therapists: Effective Goal Writing in the Schools

Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will attend the Elementary Classroom Management session.

Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will attend the Secondary Classroom Management session

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Teacher Panel - Garfield

Education is the most powful weapon which you can use to change the world.

--Nelson Mandela

All staff report to Bishop

7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Monroe A-B-C, Bishop Café

8:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Related Service Providers (SLPs, OTs, Social Workers, Mental Health Interventionists, School Psychs) will follow the Elementary morning schedule.

Elementary Special Education Teachers and Elementary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Elementary morning schedule.

Secondary Special Education Teachers and Secondary Special Education Consulting Teachers will follow the Secondary morning schedule.

Nurses meet with nursing coordinator at Burnett

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Food truck provided by Horace Mann Shop til You Drop - Curtis & McKinley

Lunch time/travel time

All staff return to their home schools

12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Related Service Providers (SLPs, OTs, Social Workers, Mental Health Interventionists, School Psychs) and Special Education Consulting Teachers will report to assigned buildings

Special Education Teachers will report to their home school and meet with their Special Education Consulting Teacher.

Nurses meet with nursing coordinator at Burnett

DAY 4

Special Education

Topeka Public Schools is the recipient of many awards:

• Dr. Anderson was named the 2023 Woman Superintendent in School Leadership award from the American Association of School Administrators

• 2023 Region 2 Kansas Teacher of the Year & Finalist, Cherryl Delacruz

• 2023 Horizon Award winner, Megan Maness, French Middle School Special Education Teacher.

• 2023 Best Communities for Music Education

• 2022 Region 2 Kansas Teacher of the Year & Finalist, Pam Muñoz

• Thirteen (13) students in the Teaching Profession Pathway qualified for the national Educators Rising competition

• TPS opened a 2 Year-Old Childcare Program at Shaner Early Learning Academy

• TPS Parents as Teachers is a Blue Ribbon Award winner

• 2022 Grand Magna Award for the Pk-12 Dual Language Program

• TPS welcomed 40+ Ukrainian Students

• 2022 Whelan Leadership for Learning Award for the continued work in implementing Ci3T

---Amanda Gorman

Implicit Bias and Race

Identify two ways you can address implicit bias in your classroom for all students.

How can your classroom be a welcoming environment for students of diverse backgrounds?

What are some strategies you will employ when discussing controversial topics?

Day 1 Take Aways

Curriculum

How will you build formative assessment into each lesson? How will you use the data from these assessments to guide your teaching?

How will you ensure your lessons are relevant for all students?

How will you support students of all abilities in accessing the curriculum?

Teacher Clarity

How can I design and communicate clear learning goals and success criteria (e.g., written, posted, or verbal, etc.) that are reflective of what I want my students to know and do?

Day 2 Take Aways

Classroom Management

What routines will you implement on the first day of class to ensure there is structure?

Student Engagement

Students learn through active engagement and play. What are two ways you will engage all students in learning?

Explain two routines you will use to build relationships with students within the first two weeks of the school year. Please include how you will address overcoming bias.

What are two ways you will work to engage students on the first day of school?

Ci3T- Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered Model of Prevention

Share some examples of how your students can meet classroom expectations by giving them specific behavior praise?

How will taking an instructive, positive approach to address students not meeting expectations increase the likelihood that students meet the expectations in the future?

Trauma Informed Care

How will you get to know the needs of families assigned to your classroom at the start of school?

How can I scaffold learning goals to measure progression of learning among achievement levels of students?

Give an example of how you will check that students have a clear understanding of new content?

What data would you collect to determine if an accommodation or modification on an IEP is being used and is effective?

As a service provider, how will you determine what the Least Restrictive Environment is for the students on your caseload? Who participates in this discussion? What data should it be based on? What placement is considered the starting point for the continuum of services? (related services staff)

What is specially designed instruction and where is it provided?

Day 4 Take Aways

Brainstorm possible routines and procedures for the following areas of classroom management:

Entering the room

Leaving the room as a class and individually (e.g., using the restroom, going to the nurse, going to an assembly, lunch, or recess)

Beginning the school day and/or class (e.g., What will students do when they arrive? How will you take attendance, etc.?)

Obtaining help with assignments (e.g., How do students get help? How will students be allowed to help each other?)

Getting up from seat, throwing away trash/sharpening pencil, kleenex, etc.

Taking out/putting away/caring for supplies

Attention signal

When creating your routines and procedures, consider the following: When will students be allowed to talk? When engaged in an activity or a transition, how do students get help? When engaged in an activity or a transition, will movement be involved? What does appropriate participation look like/sound like?

What students do when the teacher is called away (e.g., phone call, step into hallways)

What are your expectations for in-class transitions? (e.g.,Whole group to small group; assemblies; direct instruction to cooperative work)

What are some of the core activities and what are your expectations for what you will do and what students will do? (e.g., picking up resources before class, whole group instruction, small group instruction, solo work, cooperative learning)

Handing in finished work/homework

What to do when students finish early or have free time

Ending the day and/or class

When creating your routines and procedures, consider the following: When will students be allowed to talk? When engaged in an activity or a transition, how do students get help? When engaged in an activity or a transition, will movement be involved? What does appropriate participation look like/sound like?

Student Engagement

Academic engagement is an essential component of student success. In Topeka Public Schools, teachers regularly engage students in learning activities that challenge them to think critically and creatively, while working closely in a cooperative group. Through engagement activities students are able to work on both interpersonal and academic skills. Staff work to ensure students are not just compliant, but truly engaged in learning activities every day.

What is Student Engagement?

There are many ways to define the concept of engagement. When students are working in cooperative teams, and the principles of cooperative learning have not been compromised, we have achieved student engagement. Additionally, students can be engaged during independent experiences. Teachers must ensure engagement isn’t simple compliance, in other words, just completing a task to get it finished and turned in. Engagement can be broken down into three types: behavioral (on task), cognitive (deep learning), and emotional (connection and value). In TPS we work to engage students in all three ways.

Engagement Strategies

In TPS, we seek to include research-based strategies to engage and motivate all learners. Instructional strategies to ensure students engage in academic discussions and use higher order questioning skills are critical to ensure students are assessment capable learners. Strategies may include: Socratic Seminars, Project Based Learning, and Kagan Structures for Engagement.

Kagan Cooperative Learning

For over a decade, TPS had provided teachers training in Kagan Cooperative Learning structures (www.kaganonline.com). These structures are designed specifically to ensure all students engage with the content being learned, and with each other. The principles that define engagement in the Kagan philosophy include: Positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation, and simultaneous interaction

Angela

Topeka Public Schools is committed to educational fairness and opportunity for all racial and ethnic groups and academic excellence and personal success for all students. Central to this commitment is educational equity. Educational equity means raising the achievement of all students while (1) eradicating the achievement gaps between the lowest and highest performing students and (2) eliminating the racial predictability or disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories.

Equity Council

The Topeka Public Schools Equity Council is a collaborative group of individuals who are focused on the assignment of closing the racial achievement gap between minority students and other racial groups, while raising the achievement of all students, narrowing the gaps between highest and lowest performing students, and eliminating the racial predictability and disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories.

Topeka Public Schools Equity Council members are elected or appointed to serve either a three-year term or a one-year term as described in Topeka Public Schools Equity Council by-laws. During the 2011-2012 school year, our district and building leaders began to explore how race might be impacting our student achievement levels in a negative way. In order to have conversations about race, we needed guidance. We decided to solicit help and advice from Mr. Glenn Singleton with the Pacific Education Group. He co-authored the book “Courageous Conversations about Race” with Mr. Curtis Linton. We began our equity journey by participating in a book study, “Courageous Conversations about Race”. Each school administrator was put on a team, and each team became the expert of one chapter of the book. They facilitated the conversation about their learning with the whole administrative team. The learning all participants gained were how their own biases and perceptions about race impact decisions they make as leaders. What people believe, right or wrong, does impact what they do or how they act. The administrators also learned how to utilize a series of protocols to engage others in conversations about race. Most importantly, they learned to isolate race when looking at data and asking, “Do these results have anything to do with race”. Our long-term goal is to offer advanced equity training so all staff an have an opportunity to participate and to learn more about how race impacts our student achievement levels. Ultimately, we want all educators to make decisions by looking through the “racial lens” to ensure that our minority students are getting an equitable educational opportunity in Topeka Public Schools. The future will also include training around the most promising culturally relevant practices that teachers should be utilizing to engage minority students.

Magna Award for Equity

The Topeka Public Schools Equity Institute program has been recognized by the National School Boards Association by receiving first place for the 2018 Magna Award in the 5,000 to 20,000 student population category. The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board was created in 2016 as a way for Dr. Tiffany Anderson to receive feedback about college and career readiness opportunities for students in high school. The advisory board has been used to ensure students attending the highest poverty schools have an opportunity to discuss challenges and needs in the community and at their schools. In an effort to break the cycle of generational poverty, a mixed gender and race group of students are involved in meeting with Dr. Anderson to share issues, needs and new opportunities with the superintendent that improves access and opportunities, ending generational poverty.

On June 26, 2020, Topeka Public Schools hosted their first ever Equity Series featuring current and former students.

Ci3T

COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED, THREE-TIERED MODEL OF PREVENTION

Topeka Public Schools partners with The University of Kansas and Dr. Kathleen Lane to implement Ci3T in all schools. Ci3T building implementation manuals for addressing the academic, behavioral, and social needs of students. Ci3T plans help schools make data based decisions to support students in an inclusive, comprehensive and integrated system. The easy-to-use implementation manual clearly explains expectations for students, staff, families and administration.

Implementation Plan

Each building implementation manual:

• Describe a Tier 1 (Primary Prevention) plan for academic, social, behavioral responsibilities of all stakeholders including suggested responsibilities for parents.

• Includes an Expectation Matrix for school settings and a Reactive Plan.

• Identifies supports available for students needing Tier II (Secondary) and/or Tier III (Tertiary) supports in academic, social and behavioral areas.

• Is monitored by a building level Ci3T leadership team.

• Is not a “program,” but the umbrella under which the school operates.

Learn More About It

• Make sure that you receive a copy of your school’s Ci3T implementation manual from your administrator.

• Read the manual so that you will be familiar with your school’s expectations for delivering academic, behavioral and social emotional instruction and support, your school’s behavioral expectations and reinforcement system and which Tier 2 and 3 supports are available in your building.

• If you have any questions, meet with your instructional coach and/or administrator.

• View a brief video introduction to Ci3T by scanning the QR Code ---->>.

Dr. Rita Pierson was an incredible educator. If you follow her advice, classroom management will be less of an issue.

“We’re educators. We’re born to make a difference.”

“Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”

“Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.”

Link to the YouTube of the Ted Talk - https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=F23ak31YnTI

Teacher Action Steps

Routine & Procedures

• Know what you’re going to do ahead of time!

Strong Voice

• Know the difference between a stern voice and a yelling voice

Teacher Radar

• Always be two steps ahead of the kids

Whole Class Reset Button!

• Whole class meetings are important!

• Know when to step back and reevaluate the plans

Pacing for Success!

• Down time will bring you and your students down.

None of this matters if you do not create positive relationships with your students!

Classroom Management

Dyslexia

Kansas Definition of Dyslexia

“A specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

-International Dyslexia Association, (2002)

Characteristics of Dyslexia

Pre-reader red flags:

Lack of an ability to:

• Retain alphabetic writing instruction

• Retain alphabetic letter knowledge (sounds)

• Progress in phonemic awareness instruction

• Progress in phonics instruction

• Connect letters and their sound correspondence

Phonological Processing Red Flags

• Delayed speech, early articulation errors

• Confusion of similar sounds /b/ /p/ /f/ /v/

• Poor rhyming skills

• Inability to master segmenting

• Difficulty identifying initial, medial, and final sounds in words

Orthographic Processing

• Difficulty copying from the board or book

• Difficulty learning how to make letter forms

• Difficulty remembering high frequency words

• Confusion of similar looking letters and words

• Rules of English spelling difficult to master

Rapid Naming Red Flags

• Difficulty sustaining attention to the process of naming and sounding of letter symbols

• Difficulty retrieving verbal labels

• Difficulty articulating words rapidly

Dyslexia is Not...

• A vision or hearing issue

• Seeing words/letters backwards

• Attributable to limited intelligence

• Due to low motivation or limited effort

• Due to poor teaching

• Rare

• A condition that can be outgrown

Empowering Student Learning Teacher Clarity

When teachers are clear in the expectations and instruction, students learn more...teacher clarity [is defined] as “a measure of the clarity of communication between teachers and students in both directions”..

(The Teacher Clarity Playbook, 2019, p.xiv)

Topeka Public Schools will continue to focus on the components of Teacher Clarity, as well as research based strategies found in John Hattie’s Visible Learning research.

Teacher Clarity in Four Dimensions Major Components of Teacher Clarity

Teacher Clarity is a driving force in the Topeka Public Schools. It is essential that teachers are clear about expectations and provide clear instruction in order to support student learning.

Through the work of John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, TPS has explored the essential components of Teacher Clarity, which include:

• Clarity of Organization, such that lesson tasks, assignments, and activities include links to the objectives and outcomes of learning.

• Clarity of Explanation, such that information is relevant, accurate, and comprehensible to students.

• Clarity of Examples and Guided Practice, such that the lesson includes information that is illustrative and illuminating as students gradually move to independence, making progress with less support from teacher.

• Clarity of Assessment of Student Learning, such that the teacher is regularly seeking out and acting upon the feedback he or she receives from students, especially through their verbal and written responses.

Throughout any learning opportunity, students should be able to answer the following questions:

• Learning Intentions

“What am I learning today?”

• Relevance

“Why am I learning this?”

• Success Criteria

“When will I know that I have learned it?”

Watch Teacher Clarity Video

Social & Emotional Learning

Social, Emotional, and Character Development Standards provide schools a framework for integrating social-emotional growth (SEG) with character development so that students will learn, practice and model essential personal life habits that contribute to academic, social-emotional and post-secondary success. It is about learning to be caring and civil, to make healthy decisions, to problem solve effectively, to value excellence, to be respectful and responsible, to be good citizens and to be emphathetic and ethical individuals.

Social, Emotional, & Character Model Standards

Character Development

• Core Principles

• Responsible Decision-Making and

• Problem Solving

Personal Development

• Self-Awareness

• Self-Management

Social Development

• Social Awareness

• Interpersonal Skills

TPS Resources

• Building Mental Health Teams

• Advisor Base (Middle School)

• Seminar (High School)

• Elementary Classroom Guidance Lessons

• Second Step Curriculum

• Olweus Curriculum

• Ci3T Programming

• Youth Development Program (YDP) via Family Service and Guidance.

• Midland Grief Counseling

• Bully Prevention

• Suicide Prevention Protocol

• Mental Health Intervention Program

• Individual and Group Sessions

Trauma & Informed Care

Being trauma-informed means knowing what trauma is, how to spot its effects, and knowing how to approach instruction in a trauma-sensitive way. Trauma-informed schools ensure that the policies and culture of each school supports student mental health and safety. Terrible events are stressful for everyone. Sometimes, the event is severe, the ability to cope is poor, or the event occurs over and over, causing more stress than a person can manage. When this happens, the person has an emotional response called trauma. Possible symptoms of trauma include shock, emotional responses that don’t seem to make sense, negative behaviors, flashbacks, poor social skills, headache, stomachache, and lots of other changes to mood, behavior, and health.

What Can I Do? Common Trauma Triggers

• Learn how trauma impacts the brain - don’t be afraid to consult with your mental health team regarding Trauma Informed and Responsive Practices

• Know your students and their families - their needs, strengths, interests, family composition

• Caringly check in often to ensure the health and wellbeing of families and honor their resilience.

• Learn strategies to manage classroom behaviors

• Find ways to stay calm during challenging momentsdevelop plans for teacher regulation and student regulation

• Know your school’s Ci3T plan and discipline policies

• Advocate for change when you see something that could be done better

Emotional responses can be triggered by seemingly innocent things in the classroom. Your mental health team can help you to figure out the trigger and how to help. Triggers might include:

• An object

• A face, outfit, or mannerism

• Perceived anger or harm to someone

• Loud noises (slamming door, something breaking, arguing, raised voices)

• Sounds of pain/fear

• Being touched or standing too close

Tips for the Classroom

These essential tips will ensure you’re providing solid prevention on the first day of school:

• Create and practice rules and routine

• Allow for human error

• Create safe space/structure

• Reinforce the positive

• Integrate social-emotional learning

• Model respect

• Incorporate self-control practices into daily routine (breathing, mindfulness)

Coding & Robotics

Coding is a basic literacy in the digital age, and it is important for students to understand and be able to work with and understand the technology around them. Having children learn coding at a young age prepares them for the future. Coding helps students with communication, creativity, math, writing, and confidence. Incorporating coding into the core curriculum helps students gain skills such as sequencing, problem solving, math concepts, as well as perseverance so that they will become better readers, writers, and mathematicians. Coding is a behavior language and incorporating robotics allows students to write code and get immediate feedback on whether the intended behavior succeeded. Collaboration is built into all our coding and robotics curriculum so students learn to work together to find solutions to problems.

LEGO ROBOTICS - FIRST LEGO LEAGUE (FLL)

FLL Discover (K-1), FLL Explore (2-4), FLL Challenge (4-8) are the three divisions of the Lego Robotics competition that our students participate in. Student teams work collaboratively addressing real world problems and design and create solutions made with Lego bricks and robots. They compete locally, regionally, and nationally. FLL is more than a robotics competition, it also requires students to present their ideas/solutions and work on digital citizenship. TPS has seven elementary schools and three middle schools that participate in competition play.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW)

Four elementary schools, six middle schools, five high schools and TCALC all participate in Project Lead the Way to support the district’s computer science curriculum. Elementary courses focus on computer science and science, middle school courses focus on Computer Science Innovators and Makers, Design and Modeling, and App Creation. High school courses include Comptuer Science Essentials and Computer Science Principles. TCALC courses include Engineering, and Biomedical Science.

SECONDARY PROGRAM

TPS high schools offer computer science classes and coding classes that include javascript, python, coding in a 3D environment, game design, creating tablets using Raspberry Pi, drones, and Minecraft. They also build and troubleshoot computers, and study careers. a robust Engineering program offered at TCALC prepares students for a career after high school. Three of our middle schools partiicpate in the FPV Drone program through K-State and the FAA.

Instructional Technology

When technology is integrated into classroom learning, students have more opportunities to learn outside the classroom walls. They can take virtual field trips, complete simulations on projects that require critical thinking and problem solving, work collaboratively with other students - even if they are not in the same room, create content to solve real world problems and more. Teachers also benefit because it is easier to scaffold instruction and differentiate for all levels of learners. Students can focus on the parts of instruction they haven’t mastered to increase their mastery of standards. Correctly integrating technology into teaching and learning requires a pardigm shift in the teacher / student dynamic. Training on expected technologies can be found at on the technology integration website found at https://bit.ly/3Qv7SIe. Classes are also offered during Breakout at Bishop evenings and on district professional learning days.

ELEMENTARY EXPECTED TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

The district has purchased the following content for elementary classrooms.

Art of Ed PK-12

Clever PK-5

Destiny Library Manager

DE Coding PK-5

Discovery Education PK-5

EdPuzzle 2-5

FlipGrid PK-5

Footsteps2Brilliance PK-3

Google Workspace 4-5

Great Minds K-5

IXL Math K-5

MobyMax PK-5

Mastery Connect K-5

Mystery Science K-5

Newsela 2-5

NoRedInk 3-5

Pear Deck PK-5

ReadyGen/Realize K-5

Rozzy Career Adventures K-5

Second Step K-5

Seesaw PK-5

TCI K-2

TrueFlix PK-5

TylerSIS

World Book Online

Zoom PK-5

SECONDARY EXPECTED TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

The district has purchased the following content for secondary classrooms.

Actively Learn 9-12

Art of Ed 6-12

Clever 6-12

Desmos 6-12

Destiny Library Manager

Discovery Education 6-12

DE Coding 6-12

EdPuzzle 6-12

Edgenuity 6-12

FlipGrid 6-12

Google Classroom 6-12

Google Sketchup 7-12 (Coding)

Google Workspace 6-12

Great Minds 6-12

HMH Collections 6-8

HMH Dimensions 6-8

IXL 6-12

Mastery Connect 6-12

Naviance 9-12

Newsela 6-12

NoRedInk 6-12

Pear Deck 6-12

Rozzy Career Adventures 6-8

TinkerCAD 6-12 (Coding)

Tynker 6-12 (Coding)

TylerSIS 6-12

World Book Online

Zoom 6-12

College & Career Readiness

TCALC

The Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers (TCALC) is all about students solving realworld problems with real tools, used by real professionals, being mentored by real employers, leading to real contributions in the professional area. TCALC is an innovative high school program created through business partnerships. This program provides students with the opportunities to deeply explore professions of high interest through profession-based, inquiry-based, and projectbased curriculum as a junior and/or senior. Students are provided authentic exposure and skill acquisition in high-demand, high-skill 21st century professions.

Requirements Pathways

TCALC offers pathways in the following areas:

• Animal Science

• Baking & Pastry Arts Management

• Building & Construction Trades Technology

• Engineering and Applied Math

• Law & Public Safety

• Medical Professions

• Sports Medicine

• Teaching as a Profession

• Web & Digital Communications

1. Attained sophomore, junior, or senior status and on track for graduation.

2. Desire to work in a profession-based, real world environment with other TPS high school students.

3. Willing to comply with business ethics and dress codes as determined by the career pathway.

4. Willing to spend 2.5 hours a day away from their home school (morning or afternoon).

Transportation

1. The district provides busing to and from the high schools to TCALC. This must be arranged in advance. Additionally, students will need to consider the travel time necessary for catching the bus at their home school. Travel time cannot be determined until mid-August.

2. Topeka Metro bus passes are provided free of charge to all TPS high school students. The “West 6th Route” is the route that has two bus stops in very close proximity to TCALC.

3. Students may drive their personal vehicles to and from TCALC.

4. If a pathway requires off-site Professional Learning Experiences (PLEs), the student is responsible for providing their own transportation.

College Prep Academy

The Topeka Public Schools College Prep Academy, which offers accelerated courses in Math and English Language Arts, is housed at TCALC. Scholars in grades 7-11 are bused from their home school to TCALC for courses for a portion of the school day. Through accelerated coursework and real-world learning, students strengthen their academic skills in preparation for collegiate success. College Prep students develop critical professional skills, such as time management and teamwork by visiting colleges, interning at businesses, and volunteering in the community. College Prep scholars graduate prepared to succeed in the college and career options of their choice.

College Visits/College Fair

Topeka Public School hosts a College & Career Fair for students across Shawnee County each October. More than 100 college/university and career professionals are available to answer students’ questions about college requirements and career paths. High school students and families are encouraged to attend. In addition to hosting a college fair, Topeka Public Schools works alongside community partners, including Gear Up and TRIO, to ensure all students participate in multiple college visits.

AVID

Topeka Public Schools has supported the implementation of AVID in five of our schoolssome for more than a decade. The AVID program provides staff with training in the use of effective instructional strategies, along with ways to increase awareness of, and promote college and careers to students at each of the AVID sites. Students enrolled in our AVID schools are exposed to instructional strategies that help them become better readers, writers, and deeper thinkers. AVID students apply and interview to be part of the AVID Elective class. The AVID Elective is taught by specially trained teachers who provide students with additional opportunities to learn organization and study techniques, and is a place where they truly develop into an AVID “Family”.

TPS AVID Sites

• Chase Middle School

• Eisenhower Middle School

• Robinson Middle School

• Highland Park High School

• Topeka High School

A Focus on WICOR

• Writing

• Inquiry

• Collaboration

• Organization

• Reading

10 LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Learning is defined as the natural, self-regulated process of constructing personal meaning from information and experience, filtered through each individual’s unique perceptions, thoughts and feelings. This definition of learning should guide all TPS educators as they plan for and provide instruction to students.

The goal of learning is to understand, apply and transfer knowledge in a variety of contexts.

Learning principles are laws of learning. They provide a research-based and conceptual foundation for how people learn. Learning principles add insight into what makes people learn most effectively. These learning principles should consistently guide all TPS staff in their instructional and other decisions. Evidence of these principles should be apparent in classroom instruction.

Learning is an active process in which learners use sensory input to construct meaning.

Learners link new information with prior knowledge and experiences in meaningful ways.

Learning requires the use of various forms of language (e.g., words, symbols, numbers and images) to capture and develop thinking.

Learning is influenced by many contextual factors, including differences in background knowledge, thinking patterns and cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds.

Learning is influenced by emotional state, social interactions, interpersonal relations and communication with others.

Learners’ motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic, is a key component to ensure engagement and learning.

Learners’ persistent effort, developmentally appropriate challenges and instructional support result in rigorous learning.

Learners need multiple opportunities over time to practice in supportive, respectful environments.

Learners need regular, specific and timely feedback with opportunities to use the feedback to maximize learning experiences.

Learners reflect, monitor and adjust their thinking and reasoning to achieve learning goals (meta-cognition).

OUR FIVE PILLARS

Our five pillars support our instructional vision and serve as a guide for every student to be college and career ready when they complete high school. For each pillar, we have articulated professional outcomes that guide what we will accomplish to ensure students and staff are engaged, prepared, and inspired!

COLLEGE AND CAREER PLACEMENT

Implement career pathways and prepare students for career and college placement opportunities.

Outcomes

• Build an Innovative Project Based Career Academy (TCALC).

• Offer two years of college courses in high school.

• Implement career placement and internship programs.

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STAFF

Recruit, attract, develop and retain highly effective staff to carry out the district’s mission.

Outcomes

• Implement innovative recruitment techniques (virtual hiring fairs)

• Implement a Teacher Academy training institute.

• Integrate teaching and learning and professional development programs in human resources.

• Implement a tuition-based preschool service for teachers’ children.

DISTRICT FINANCE

Ensure efficient operations and accountability for responsible use of district resources.

Outcomes

• Facilities plan: Construct a staff development center, an early childhood center and a career academy as services for students and families across the community.

• Balanced budget: Maintain a balanced budget and secure corporate sponsors and grants.

SCHOOL CLIMATE AND EQUITY

Create a safe and caring learning environment that includes a positive, inclusive school culture and positive collaboration and communication throughout the school and community

Outcomes

• Student well-being: Implement school-based clinics for dental and health services for students.

• Reduce poverty in Topeka by expanding supports for job placement, mental health and homelessness.

• Implement a Parent Empowerment center to increase parent engagement.Expand equity training for students, parents and staff (includes tiered interventions, trauma training and diversity and inclusion training).

• Expand equity training for students, parents and staff (includes tiered interventions, trauma training and diversity and inclusion training)

• Expand student services support systems and implement an alternative school that serves general education students.

STUDENT LEARNING

All students will demonstrate academic growth and will have equitable access to academic opportunities.

Outcomes

• State-level assessments: Meet or exceed state benchmark standards.

• Subgroup achievement: Implement systems for data utilization, interventions and data driven instruction.

• ACT composite scores: Implement ACT tutoring and testing during the school day to expand participation

• Kindergarten Readiness: We continue to expand opportunities for early childhood.

Shaner provides an exciting educational opportunity for three and four-yearolds to prepare them for kindergarten. Shaner is a full day tuition-based preschool taught by certified teachers. Our curriculum focuses on the Kansas Early Learning Standards, but we are believers that students learn through structured play. This means learning emerges from exploration and interests of the children. Children construct knowledge from their interactions with the environment and opportunities around them. We also provide the following opportunities:

We provide the following opportunities:

• Teacher-directed activities

• Dramatic play, using puppets, the kitchen center and acting out simple stories

• Music: singing, dancing and rhythms

• Gross and fine motor play

• Art activities: cutting, pasting, painting and drawing

• Activities supporting social and emotional growth

Classrooms at Shaner:

• All classrooms have a certified teacher and a paraeducator

• Rigorous curriculum that is aligned with Topeka Public Schools

• Individualized instruction focusing on student needs

• Emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math through the use of technology, robotics, experiments and hands-on activities

• Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided to all students

Quick Facts About Shaner:

• State-of-the-art playground specifically designed for 3 to 5-year-olds

• Indoor playground facility for inclement weather days

• Two viewable classrooms for parents

• Parents as Teachers Blue Ribbon Model Affiliate

• Tuition spots are available to anyone in Shawnee County

Shaner Early Learning Academy is offering a 16% discounted tuition for all Topeka Public Schools employees who enroll their child at Shaner.

Topeka Public Schools Board of Education

Ms. Sue Bolley, President

Ms. Melanie Stuart-Campbell, Vice-President

Dr. C. Richard Bonebrake

Mr. Lalo Muñoz

Ms. Lisa Schmitt

Dr. Randall Schumacher

Mr. Keith Tatum

Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent

Important Dates:

Tuesday, August 1 - Teacher planning and prep

Wednesday, August 2 (am) - District Convocation at Washburn University (pm) - School-based PD

Thursday, August 3 - District-based PD

Friday, August 4 - School-based PD

Monday, August 7 - School-based PD (am), Teacher planning & prep (pm)

Tuesday, August 8 - First day of school for K, 6th and 9th grades

Wednesday, August 9 - First day of school (all students K-12)

Thursday, August 17 - First day of school for Pre-K

Meet the Teaching and Learning Team

Dr. Aarion Gray General Director of Instructional Services agray@tps501.org

Dr. Jennifer Harrington General Director of Special Education and Special Services jharrington@tps501.org

Billie Wallace Assistant Superintendent, Teaching & Learning bwallace@tps501.org

Dr. Pilar Mejía Director of Cultural Innovation pmejia@tps501.org

Anita Curry Director of EL Programs acurry@tps501.org

Meet the Teaching and Learning Team

Tiffanie Beasley Coordinator of Media Services tbeasley@tps501.org

Kara Schuetz School Psychologist Coordinator kshuetz@tps501.org

Susan Mills Social Work Coordinator smills@tps501.org

Courtney Halverson Middle School PE Consulting Teacher chalverson@tps501.org

Elisabeth Mikesic Speech & Language Coordinator emikesic@tps501.org

Billie Wager Early Childhood Consulting Teacher bwager@tps501.org

Dr. Regina Peszat Consulting Teacher World Language rpeszat@tps501.org

Kristen Harshaw Elementary Special Education Consulting Teacher kharshaw@tps501.org

Richard Bolejack High School Special Education Consulting Teacher rbolejack@tps501.org

Angela Dick Instructional Coaching and Cooperative Learning Coordinator/AVID adick@tps501.org

Robin Dixon PK-5 ELA & Social Studies Consulting Teacher rdixon@tps501.org

Kayleen Fleming 9-12 ELA Consulting Teacher kfleming@tps501.org

Amber Enneking 6-8 ELA Consulting Teacher aenneking@tps501.org

Teresa Cotton Elementary EL Coach Consulting Teacher tcotton@tps501.org

Dr. Roger Laubengayer Secondary EL Coach Consulting Teacher rlaubengayer@tps501.org

Leslie Nelson 6-12 Social Studies Consulting Teacher lnelson@tps501.org

Lindsey Noonan PK-5 Science Consulting Teacher lnoonan@tps501.org

Gail Ramirez Technology Curriculum Specialist gramirez@tps501.org

Nettie Johnson Consulting Teacher Special Projects njohnson2@tps501.org

Haley Jeffrey High School PE Consulting Teacher hjeffrey@tps501.org

Troy St. Clair Elementary PE Consulting Teacher tstclair@tps501.org

Travis True Technology Curriculum Specialist ttrue@tps501.org

Betty Young Professional Learning Coordinator Induction & Mentoring byoung@tps501.org

Diane Kimsey PK-5 Math Consulting Teacher dkimsey@tps501.org

Cherryl Delacruz 6-12 Math Consulting Teacher cdelacruz@tps501.org

Chris Reynolds Coordinator of Fine Arts creynolds@tps501.org

Stacy Mitchell 6-12 Science Consulting Teacher

Kelley Norman School Improvement Specialist knorman@tps501.org

Dr. Bill Macdonald School Improvement Specialist bmacdonald@tps501.org