Regional Reports

Central

by Judy Wallis, Regional Representative

Central school districts are focusing on issues that relate to helping our increasingly diverse student populations meet with success as they develop the necessary skills and strategies. At all levels, area language arts supervisors are faced with the ever-increasing demands of creating literacy programs that provide adequate balance, support, and challenge.

Increasing rigor through PreAP and AP course work is one vehicle districts are using to ensure that our middle and high school students are well-prepared for their futures. A focus that complements increased rigor is differentiation. Districts are engaging in professional development and curriculum alignment activities so that teachers have the resources with which to meet the range of needs our students present.

Central-area educators were well-represented at the Lexile^® conference in Dallas. The conference included information about reading programs, reading instruction, and the Lexile system for leveling texts. Small-group presentations focused on more specific areas while the keynote speakers focused on the three areas mentioned previously.

Early literacy remains at the top of the list for all of us in the central area. Making certain that our students have the necessary tools is a priority. With decreased ARI funding, most districts are finding it more and more difficult to balance the needs of students with the added expense necessary to provide intervention support. Again, professional development and adequate materials equip the classroom teacher to be prepared to meet the differing needs of all students.

Of course, the TAKS test remains a concern for all. Though scores increased in many areas, our students’ performances on open-ended tasks remain a concern. Patterns that emerge from analyses include:

• citing textual evidence
• addressing the prompt
• connecting evidence in support of ideas
• answering precisely

We must be sure that our instruction focuses on these areas. Our students need high levels of support initially, lots of modeling and thinking aloud, and a gradual hand-over so that they feel confident in their ability to meet

these challenges. As always, we must seek the support of other professionals.

These are difficult times to be educators. Regie Routman reminds us in her Educational Leadership article (2002) about the importance of teacher talk. Her words in Invitations (1989) suggest that "first you have to believe in yourself."

Answers to our questions will come as we interact and learn along with students, from colleagues, through professional books and journals, in courses, and by reflection and self-evaluation. Let us never forget how important the larger professional community is.

See you in September!

North Metrocrest

The North Region Metrocrest group meets approximately once a month throughout the school year. Coordinators, supervisors, and local university professors work on items of common interest and concern. The first meeting for the 2004-2005 school year is tentatively scheduled for August 27, 2004 in Irving.

Metrocrest is also a means of keeping up with those who have retired and gone on to other lives. At the last meeting of the 2003-2004 school year, members received the sad news that Bettye Mischen-Dunbar passed away on May 5, 2004, at the age of 68. She had been diagnosed with brain cancer and succumbed in only a matter of weeks.

Bettye Mischen-Dunbar was an outstanding English Language Arts educator, former officer of almost every professional organization around

including Texas Council of Teachers of English and of the Association of Texas Language Arts Supervisors of Texas -- precursor to CREST-- and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Bettye was mentor and sage to many of us as we became professionally involved. Certainly, I remember her twinkling blue eyes as she roped me into becoming local arrangements chair for Texas Council of Teachers of English. She also gave generously of her great skills and talents in presenting initial workshops in Lewisville as we made concerted efforts to raise our TEAMS writing scores.

Bettye’s ready wit and expertise will be sorely missed, but we trust that her spirit will be ever present in our professional organization since she touched so many lives with her work.