Archive for month: January, 2020
English as a Second Language (ESL) News
There are many exciting things happening in the second semester! One of them is the state assessment, TELPAS, which will start in February. Here is a quick Q & A on TELPAS:
TELPAS Q&A
What is TELPAS?
TELPAS is an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language. The letters in TELPAS stand for the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System. The Texas Education Agency developed TELPAS to meet state and federal requirements. Texas annually assesses the English language proficiency of students who have been identified as English learners (ELs) in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Some parts of the test will be taken online, while others will be written. TELPAS evaluates the progress that each English learner makes in becoming proficient in the use of academic English. (TEA)
Who takes TELPAS?
Students in grades K-12 that have been identified as EL are required to take TELPAS.
This includes English learners (ELs) whose parents have declined English as a Second Language (ESL) program services. They will stop participating in TELPAS when their language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) determines that they are proficient in the English language and have met exit criteria. This applies to all English learners even those who are not in an ESL program. Once a student has met the state’s exit criteria, they will no longer be identified as an English learner and will not have to participate in TELPAS. (TEA)
What do TELPAS results tell me about my child?
Every student who participates in TELPAS receives a report card with their test results.
TELPAS uses four proficiency ratings—Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Advanced High—to show the progress students make in learning English from year to year. For students to reach their full academic potential, it is important for them to make steady progress in learning English. Your child’s proficiency ratings in listening, speaking, reading, and writing will give you a good idea about the progress he or she is making. Students who do not make steady progress may require additional assistance at school. (TEA)
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During the month of January, your child will take tests called Measures of Academic Progress ® (MAP ® ). We give students MAP tests to determine your child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of Math, Reading, Language and Science (6-8) and Math, Reading, Language (9-10).
GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) Announcement!
In accordance with the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented students, Harmony Public Schools will begin taking referrals for all interested students in grades K-12 for Gifted and Talented (G/T) screening.
Anyone interested in the educational welfare of these students may nominate them for assessment. Students in grades 2 & up who were tested in Fall 2019 are not eligible to test in Spring 2020. Referral forms are available at the front office and on the school’s website.
Parent GT Referral Form in English
Parent GT Referral Form in Spanish
The referral forms must be returned to the front office by Friday, February 7, 2020. The Spring GT testing window is set by the campus in February or March. Campuses may elect to use NWEA MAP scores as a prescreening criterion for GT Testing.
For more information about the screening and identification process, parents may contact the school’s GT Coach/teacher.
GATE (Educación para estudiantes dotados/talentosos) Anuncio
De acuerdo con el Plan Estatal de Texas para la Educación de Estudiantes Dotados / Talentosos, Harmony Public Schools comenzará a tomar referencias para todos los estudiantes interesados en los grados K-12 para la evaluación de estudiantes dotados y talentosos.
Cualquier persona interesada en el bienestar educativo de estos estudiantes puede nominarlos para dicha evaluación. Los estudiantes en los grados 2 y superiores que fueron evaluados en el otoño de 2019 no son elegibles para la prueba en la primavera de 2020. Los formularios de referencia están disponibles en la oficina y en el sitio web de la escuela.
Los formularios de referencia deben devolverse a la oficina de la escuela antes del viernes 7 de febrero del 2020.
Para obtener más información sobre el proceso de selección e identificación, los padres pueden comunicarse con el entrenador / maestro de GT de la escuela.
Re-Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year for Harmony families has begun!
During this time of year each January, we ask families to complete a simple, online Re-Enrollment process, letting us know they’ll be joining us for another great year of learning and fun next school year, which starts in August 2020.
This simple step allows us to make sure each current student’s spot at Harmony is reserved for the following school year, and assess how many new student seats we have available for other applicants.
Re-Enrollment at Harmony Public Schools runs January 6-24, 2020. Look for more details in your email inbox, via Skyward, or on our Facebook page.
Need more info? Here are the full details:
#1
What is the difference between Re-Enrollment and Open Enrollment?
Re-enrollment is intended for current Harmony students planning to stay at their current campus the following school year, or who will be advancing to a nearby “feeder” campus (ex. moving from elementary school to middle school). Open Enrollment is for new students, or current students who wish to change Harmony campuses for other reasons (ex. transferring to a campus closer to home).
#2
When is Re-Enrollment season?
For the 2020-2021 school year, re-enrollment will be January 6-24, 2020.
#3
In what form will parents need to apply for Re-Enrollment?
The preferred method for re-enrollment is through the student’s online Skyward account. (A link to Skyward can be found at the top of your campus homepage or you can simply click here.). Parents without internet and/or Skyward access should contact the school registrar’s office for additional assistance.
#4
If a student plans to stay at the same school next year, are they automatically guaranteed re-enrollment if they complete the re-enrollment process before the deadline?
Yes, so long as their family completes the re-enrollment process.
#5
What happens if a parent does not submit their re-enrollment information before the deadline?
If a parent misses the deadline to complete the re-enrollment process, then the student will lose his/her reserved space for next school year and must apply during Open Enrollment (Nov. 1, 2019 through Feb. 10, 2020) at HarmonyTX.org/Apply.
#6
What does a Harmony parent need to do if they would like to stay with Harmony, but transfer to a different campus for the next school year?
If a parent would like to change Harmony campuses for the following school year, they must submit an application for the desired school at HarmonyTX.org/Apply.