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January 14, 2009
1. We are starting
an after school science club. I will be writing lesson plans and we
will meet for one hour each week. I am hoping to entice volunteers to
help teach at the club by saying this would meet the criteria for Part 2
of DATE. I thought I should check and see if this is true.
ANSWER: Yes, as long as the teacher is not being paid, this would
count toward the mentoring hours.
2.
I am a librarian who is going to tutor students for my hours for DATE.
The question I have is it acceptable to work in a computer lab tutoring
students or does it have to be a face to face tutoring? Thank you.
ANSWER: As long as you are mentoring students, which means
providing academic and personal support, and you are not being paid
to tutor these students, it would count toward the mentoring hours.
3. I
completed my application prior to 12/19/08. After returning from the
holiday, I contacted the principal to find the name of the school
representative to the DATE COMMITTEE. I was instructed to contact the
Committee for information as the school representative resigned at the
end of the 2008 school year. Please let me know who I need to talk to
regarding specific tutoring that I may assist with at my School.
ANSWER: Attached is a copy of the campus contact for DATE
information, and we are in the process of replacing one of the
members who resigned. An interim contact person is now listed.
4. I
have a question regarding mentoring hours for part 1 of the DATE
qualifications.
I
have a tutoring group after school for my low-low kids where I met with
4 of them twice a week for an hour. This went on for 3 weeks before the
Christmas break. Will any of those hours count toward my part 1 of
DATE? I just want to make sure I am covered!
ANSWER: As long as you were not paid to mentor these students, it
would count toward the mentoring hours.
5. I
see the response as to who is Teacher of Record, but my case still does
not apply.
I am an elementary Special Ed Resource teacher. I have several students
for whom I teach the entire subject block for Reading, Writing and Math.
I give all the grades, but I give them to the regular ed teacher, who
records them in Gradespeed on her class roll. She also takes attendance,
because these students are in her homeroom. Am I their Teacher of
Record?
ANSWER: Not according to the definition in the DATE grant. The
Teacher of Record is the primary teacher for a group of students,
and the teacher takes their daily attendance, plans and implements
their instruction, and is responsible for recording their grades.
Another way to look at this it a student cannot have more than one
Teacher of Record, and the primary teacher that meets all of the
criteria listed above for a student is their Teacher of Record.
6. I
have not updated the DATE information daily in the DATE website. Today
as I tried to update all the information I encountered that the
mentoring documentation allows to enter only one day. I entered the
information pertaining to the first mentoring session but it doesn't
clear the information when I want to enter the following day's
information. How do I enter all the contact information in the
"mentoring documentation" page?
ANSWER: The Mentoring Documentation should retain prior information
entered if it was “saved.” When you come back to document further
mentoring, the previously entered information should still be there
and you should go to the next line to enter the next mentoring
session. Once you document nine contact units, it is not necessary
to document any others on the web page.
7.
Hello, I am trying to sign up for DATE, but am having difficulty. I
will plan to try again. The main thing I would like, if possible, is a
list of things a Kindergarten teacher is to do at each level to meet
requirements, if there is a list. Also, are we required to participate?
ANSWER: The requirements for Kindergarten are the same as listed
for elementary teachers. Kindergarten teachers are eligible under
Part 2 of DATE.
8. I
was recently promoted/ transferred as an ESL Specialist from one school
to another. How do I update my DATE information and participate in the
Date grant at the new school?
ANSWER: You can return to the webpage and update your personal
information, including your new location.
9.
Please define “teacher of record”. I am a Resource (all pull-out
services) teacher on an elementary campus. I teach some students for
their entire subject area block (Reading, Writing, and Math). I give
grades for those areas to their teachers to submit in Gradespeed. Do I
qualify for DATE?
ANSWER: See answer to question #5
10. I
have filled out my DATE application online but I want to opt out. I was
told to print out the application and there is a place to opt out since
there is not one when you fill out the application online. It won’t let
me print out the application – there is a MSFT Internet Explorer error
page that comes up and if you refresh you have to log back into the
account.
ANSWER: If you want to opt out, you do not have to meet the
mentoring or lesson plan criteria. You still need to create an
account online, but you don’t need to do anything else until and
unless your campus qualifies for Part 1 or Part 2. At that time,
print out the document and sign that you do not wish to participate.
11.
Why is it necessary for all staff to create an account, even if some are
opting out?
I feel very uncomfortable giving out my social security number to
anyone. Why is it needed, specifically? How will it be used?
ANSWER: As you can see from Answer #10, we will need a record of
who opts out once the eligible campuses are determined next Fall.
The Social Security number is for TEA reports.
12. I
have a question—in reading the definition of “Teacher of Record” from
the question and answer section on the web it would seem that because I
am on gradespeed to give students I teach grades I would qualify. I do
not take attendance however. I am a resource teacher. My question is
this—do you ever think we will be recognized as “real” teachers? The
schools are set up in Irving where the students have a homeroom,
however, most of the time the homeroom teacher does not see the student
for 4 hours a day. Is it me or does anyone else see this situation?
ANSWER: The answer to question #5 applies in this situation.
Resource teachers are certainly “real” teachers, as are elective
teachers and other staff. The state set up the grant so not all
teachers could qualify for Part 1, and the DATE Committee made the
best decisions given the rules. You are eligible for Part 2.
13. I
have completed the first 9 units on the form that is online. How do I
get a second form to document the rest of the student
mentoring/tutoring? I have saved the first form. If I now clear it, can
I enter the next date of mentoring and NOT loose the first 9 dates that
were entered? Also, If I tutored several children in each session,
should I just put one child’s first name and last initial, or should I
put all the student’s names?
ANSWER: On the online documentation, you only need to enter your
first 9 contact units. Any additional units can be documented in
your personal files. I would suggest only putting the students
first name and last initial for privacy issues.
14.
Can a Special Ed Resource Teacher be considered Teacher of Record since
we write lesson plans, include TEKS objectives in our lessons and assign
grades to our pull out students? In my case, I have several students
that come to me for 60 mins in Reading, Writing and Math and I am the
only person that assigns their grades. Please clarify this for me.
ANSWER: See the answer to Question #5.
15. I
am a traveling reading remediation teacher at the secondary level. I do
give grades to the reading teacher for her to input at the campuses that
are not my home school. At my home school I teach a reading remediation
class, yet my students are double blocked for reading. I am not the
teacher of record. Some of my students take TAKS, TAKS Accommodated,
TAKS M. Would I be in Group 1 or 2?
ANSWER: You qualify for Part 2.
16.
Please send link to DATE status list of registered teachers.
This
way we can confirm that we have completed the account registration
process properly.
ANSWER: The DATE Committee will be reviewing this and contact those
who have not registered.
17. I
created my electronic account today. I teach at an early childhood
school, but under grade and subject taught, early childhood or Pre-K was
not an option. I chose “elementary” for both. Let me know if I need to
change it.
ANSWER: You did the right thing.
18. I
am part time and not eligible for DATE so I just want to make sure you
do not need me to register in any way on the website. Thank you.
ANSWER: You are correct.
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