STLE Building Leader Lisa Roffo Gillette Road Middle School

Where to Begin? I began my building leader position by assessing the current needs of Gillette’s staff and students. After conferencing and assessing needs with building level administration, staff, and students, I examined previous assessment data. Then, I identified the needs that I would be most effective at addressing.

Needs I Identified That I Determined I Could Help With (so far……) Assist with the APPR process Assist with explaining and providing APPR, Curriculum, and Assessment information to staff as needed Locate, create, and implement motivational common core opportunities at the building level Assist with obtaining, creating, and distributing curriculum resources Assist with obtaining, creating, and distributing curriculum resources that integrate common core into the content areas

As a result, I assumed multiple roles as an STLE building leader at Gillette: I assist administration and teachers with APPR, content and curriculum, planning and resources as needed. I work on improving opportunities and motivation for Gillette’s students (and teachers) to engage in reading and writing activities that connect the common core to the content areas as well as ELA. I research, create, and share content materials that integrate common core standards.

I assist teacher(s) with writing their SLO’s for content area subjects. I assist teacher(s) new to the subject areas of Science and Social Studies with obtaining and understanding procedures, curriculum, and assessments. I provide model lessons to teachers and assist with lesson creation. I answer APPR related questions for teachers and assist with procedural tasks such as showing how to upload documents.

Examination of previous assessment data as well as discussions with administration, staff, and BPT members, helped me identify the goal of improving opportunities and motivation for Gillette’s students (and teachers) to engage in reading and writing activities that connect the common core to the content areas as well as ELA.

In order to improve reading scores, I decided to work at improving opportunities for Gillette’s students and teachers to engage in meaningful and motivational reading and writing activities that promote common core learning opportunities.

Letters about LiteratureLetters about Literature is an annual nation-wide writing contest for young readers sponsored by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Prizes are provided at the state and national level. After researching the national contest, I implemented a building wide Letters About Literature contest at Gillette. The purpose of the contest is to support and encourage the improvement of our students’ reading and writing skills. The contest addresses common core questions such as: What did the book show you about your world that you never noticed before? What did you realize about yourself as a result of reading this book? Why was this work meaningful to you? How do you know the author’s work influenced you?

I researched methods for teachers to implement and/or improve silent/independent reading with their students. I researched ideas for implementing silent/independent reading in the classroom. I shared independent reading strategies from ENGAGE NEW YORK with other teachers. ENGAGE NEW YORK I ordered, distributed, and explained the motivational independent reading, Book-It, program to teachers. Many had not used in years and thought it no longer existed.

I research, create, and share content materials that: Provide resources for ELA teachers that are aligned with state assessments Integrate common core standards and New Generation Science Standards (that are expected to be adopted) Integrate the ELA and New Common Core Social Studies standards (that were adopted this year.)

*Continue to brainstorm, locate and implement ways to increase motivation for students to improve common core reading and writing. *Continue to locate, adapt, create, and share materials that integrate the common core into all subject areas *Research and share strategies for teaching skills and strategies that administration has identified as teachers struggling with in the APPR process. (example: questioning techniques.)