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Questions & Answers

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 February 20, 2009

  1. Do you really feel that lesson plan documentation shows teacher excellence?

Answer:  Not necessarily, however, it is verification that TAKS objectives are being used in the classroom.

  1. Where do Resource Teachers fit?  Part I or Part II

Answer:  Depends on whether the Resource teacher is the Teacher of Record, responsible for attendance and grades.  If so, then the teacher is probably eligible under Part 1.  If not the Teacher of Record, then Part 2.

  1. What part do Inclusion teachers qualify under?

Answer: Inclusion teachers will likely be under Part 2.

  1. What documentation should a core TAKS-tested teacher submit?

Answer:  The Committee suggests all teachers document Mentoring for possible Part 2 eligibility.  Only secondary teachers teaching TAKS tested subject areas, and only then if their assigned course is not directly assessed by TAKS, should document the lesson plans.

  1. Where do LIFE teachers fall?  We align lessons with TEKS?  Part 1 or Part 2

Answer:  LIFE teachers would generally fall under Part 1, and secondary LIFE teachers should document the TAKS objectives in their lesson plans.

  1. Are we required to tutor weekly?

Answer:  The only restriction is no more than 3 mentoring sessions per week, but it does not have to be weekly.

  1. Do we have to submit a lesson plan documentation even if we teach a core subject?

Answer:  Only if your students do not take the TAKS test in your course, but you teach in a department tested by TAKS.  For example, a Government Teacher is in the Social Studies Department, but must document lesson plans since Government is not a TAKS tested subject.

  1. If we do not reach a recognized status how is the money distributed?

Answer:  For most campuses, it is the campus designation of Recognized that counts.  The only exception is Wheeler and RAC, which need the District to reach Recognized or Exemplary to qualify.  If a campus does not qualify, the money shifts to campuses that do qualify.

  1. Why on website is there no subject for several employees such as counselors, ITS, etc?

Answer:  Select “Other” on the application.

  1. Is it a secure website?

Answer:  Yes; you can tell by the https designation.

  1. Is the money disbursed in lump sum or monthly?

Answer:  The initial distribution will be paid in September 2009, and will likely be the minimum amount listed in the grant ($1394 for Part 1 and $438 for Part 2).  After all appeals have been settled, the remainder of the Part 1 and Part 2 funds will be distributed before the end of 2009.

  1. Even though Health/PE can qualify for part one, how can one make sure that they do get qualified with their title listed under Part II?

Answer:  Health and PE qualify under Part 2, and they must document the mentoring hours to be eligible.

  1. What month will we get the bulk of the money?

Answer:  See question #11.

  1. Should all teachers do the contact hours just to make sure that you get some money in case your department doesn’t meet the designated TAKS score?

Answer:  Absolutely.

  1. Am I eligible if I am working on certification this year?

Answer:  You must have a Standard, Probationary, Professional, or Provisional Certificate prior to June 5, 2009.

  1. As an inclusion teacher, I don’t feel I can get any money.  What can I do?

Answer:  You qualify under Part 2.  The plan was developed in 2008-2009 with many opportunities for employees to provide input.  If DATE survives for 2009-2010, there will be further opportunities to provide input for any changes.

  1. Do Counselors qualify?

Answer:  Yes, under Part 2

  1. How do LIFE and reading improvement fit?

Answer:  LIFE qualifies under Part 1, and Reading Improvement may qualify under Part 1 or 2, depending on whether they are the Teacher of Record.

  1. Is there a date you have to enroll into the D.A.T.E. website by?  Is the website secure?

Answer:  The recommended date was December 19th, but one can still register.  The website is secure.

  1. As a Read Right Teacher do I qualify for part I or II?  I follow the curriculum that is given to me by the Read Right department.

Answer:  Read Right certified teachers may qualify for either Part 1 or Part 2, depending on their individual status as Teacher of Record.

  1. Mentoring – is this considered tutoring?   How many hours?

Answer:  See the definition of mentoring in the program description.  Tutoring is part of mentoring, but it also implies developing an academic relationship.  Nine contact units are required, and a contact unit is 30 minutes.

  1. I only teach 3 hours of math, do I qualify as a part 1 or part 2?

Answer:  If you teach other subjects, then you still qualify under Part 1 Math.  If you only teach 3 hours in a day, you may not qualify as a full time employee.

  1. Can a parent be mentored in secondary level?

Answer:  No

  1. If I transfer to another campus within the district during the year, how does this affect my D.A.T.E. grant allotment?

Answer:  You qualify according to the campus you are assigned as of June 5, 2009.

  1. I teach Algebra and Geometry – do I qualify for Part 1 math?

Answer:  Yes

  1. Where does LIFE and Read Right fall into the D.A.T.E. grant?

Answer:  It depends on the individual teacher’s status as Teacher of Record.  In some cases it will be Part 1, while in other cases it will be only Part 2..

27.  Can staff members still sign up?

Answer: Yes, go to www.irvingisd.net/DATE

28.  I am asking this question for many of our teachers who are asking, do classroom teachers of grades 3-5 have to submit the lesson plan form?

Answer:  No.  Lesson Plan requirements are only for certain secondary teachers.

29.  Teachers in K-2, who are mentoring, required to list lesson plans under Part 1 or are we only required to complete Part 2? Thank you.
Answer:  Lesson Plans are only for Secondary Teachers.

30.  I am completing  my internship this year, however, I have 3 years experience in accredited schools.  From the information I don’t think I qualify, but wanted to confirm before the deadline.

Answer:  You must have a Standard, Probationary, Professional, or Provisional Certificate prior to June 5, 2009.

31.  I teach 6th & 7th SS. Neither of these are TAKS grades, so I understand that I document lesson plans that correlate to the tested 8th TEKS. My question is; may I document using lessons from both grades, or do I just use one grade level?

Thank you,

Answer:  Either grade, or both, will work.

32.  I teach the LANGUAGE program which is the district Language Arts Special Ed Program adopted by Irving.  I have looked over the DATE info and am not sure where I “fit in” and exactly what I am supposed to do to qualify for this program.  Thank you for your assistance.

 I teach  7th and 8th grade Reading/English LANGUAGE  (2 pds) classes and 6th grade Reading/English LANGUAGE (2 pd) classes.   Special Education.

Answer:  Depends on whether you are the Teacher of Record, responsible for attendance and grades.  If so, then the teacher is probably eligible under Part 1.  If not the Teacher of Record, then Part 2.

33. I was trying to submit lesson plans on the date website, and I received the following message when I clicked save changes:

Database Results Error
 Description: Record is too large.
 Number: -2147467259 (0x80004005)
 Source: Microsoft JET Database Engine
 One or more form fields were empty. You should provide default values for all form fields that are used in the query.

What does this mean and how can I keep it from happening?  Every time it does, I try to go back and lose all the information I put in.

Answer:  You are probably trying to enter too many characters in the box provided.  Try to truncate your entry.

 

January 14, 2009