The San Saba ISD teaching staff stayed EXTREMELY busy this summer attending professional development opportunities that provide the latest teaching strategies and the skills to implement new programs and meet state requirements.Teachers attended training in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, San Angelo, and Fredericksburg and online. These dedicated professionals attended these learning opportunities to be at the top of their educational game when the kiddos return to school. What did these professionals attend? The SSES teachers started their summer by attending a campus planning event in Fredericksburg. In mid-June teachers and administrators from all three campuses attended the CSCOPE conference in San Antonio. CSCOPE is the District’s base curriculum that aligns and orders the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Attending the CSCOPE conference were Amy Bohensky, Michael Bohensky, Carrie Bush, Shay Easterwood, Erin Foster, Leigh Ann Glaze, Vicki Key, Kay Shackelford, Laurie Slone, Natalie Smith, Kendal Simmons, Leslie McIntosh, Leanne Perry, Brian Williams, Amy Williams, and Chelci Rodriquez. Teachers Amanda Heine, Elizabeth Chambers, Amy Bohensky, Penny Pulatie, Scott Mathis and Laurie Slone attended Advanced Placement training in Austin. AP, or Advanced Placement, courses are college-level courses that a student can take in high school. The AP courses are more rigorous than typical high school courses since they are, in fact, college courses and students can receive college credit for taking the courses. This higher-level instruction will begin in 7th grade with pre-AP English. These courses are being implemented to better prepare the students for the dual credit courses in high school and AP increases the rigor of the honors courses at SSHS. The AP courses will not replace the dual credit program; the instructional level provided in the AP classes will better prepare students for SSHS’s dual credit courses or any post secondary courses they may encounter after high school. Many teachers attended training that was related to the Literacy Grant that was awarded to San Saba ISD. The Literacy Grant is an initiative that impacts students age 0 through 12th grade. SSISD will refine current reading practices and implement the latest strategies learned through the summer training to improve literacy for our school children and community. Literacy is improved through early reading and through concentration on reading and writing across the content areas not just in the English classes. Furthermore, the Literacy Grant provides two additional teachers to be trained to serve our students identified with dyslexia or dyslexic tendencies. SSISD will now have a certified Dyslexia therapist and two trained teachers to assist with dyslexia. Susan Barrier is the District’s certified Dyslexia therapist. With the receipt of the Literacy grant, the ISD has been able to train teaching staff that will be available throughout the district. Bari McGilvray and Lauren Mays attended the Dyslexia training. Attending the Summer Literacy institute in Houston were our head start partners, and the following SSISD staff: Drew Escamilla, Jessica Escamilla, Jonathan Thiebaud, Pam Casco, Sheila Martin, Tracy Johnson, Tracey Thomas, Robin Welch, Penny Pulatie, Elizabeth Chambers, Susan Barrier, Kathryn Robertson, Carrie Bush, Nancy Oliver, Wendy Ingram, Sara Ringo, Amy Bohensky, Michael Bohensky, Brian Williams, Amy Williams, Brandee Worsham, Myia Stewardson, Erin Foster, Kay Shackelford, Bari McGilvray, and Vicki Key. The ISD had great support from the ESC XV in San Angelo and 5 service center representatives attended as well. Also part of the Literacy Grant is the AVID program. AVID – Advancement Via Individual Determination is a program that will be implemented in 8th grade through 12th grade and is a college readiness program. Not all students will or need to go to college, but through AVID, SSISD students will be prepared with the social, emotional and academic skills necessary to pursue the post high school dreams of their choice. Attending the AVID training were: Brian Williams, Robin Welch, Dana Pannell, Vicki Key, and Leigh Ann Glaze.Middle School and Elementary Teachers will also be attending iPad training on August 16, which is also a component of Literacy Grant. The ISD will be able to purchase 170 iPads through grant proceeds at no cost to the SSISD local budget that has been provided by state funding or by taxpayers. Reading and writing are the gate keepers to all content subjects and to future academic success. The SSISD Literacy Grant which is renewable for additional years is a great support in helping all students birth to 18 be successful students and life long learners. Math teachers from all three campuses were selected to be members of the ESC XV Math Collaborative. Teachers Jenifer Osbourn, Brandi Easterwood, Rick Lasley, and Melissa Wauson attended multiple days of math training in San Angelo. This training provided teachers with advanced teaching strategies and many math resources. This training continues through the next school year as these teachers mentor other teachers in the latest of what they have learned. The teaching staff has attended a multitude of trainings, including coaching school, music conference, Career and technology conference and much more. All SSISD teaching staff should be commended for the extraordinary effort that has been given in seeking additional training to prefect their profession. The staff is dedicated to honing their teaching skills to provide the students of SSISD the best education in Central Texas. At SSISD we don’t only want our students to meet the requirements for graduation, we want them to be prepared to pursue whatever their career goal might be in life. San Saba ISD has had a rich tradition of producing doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers and successful business owners, but the requirements for all professions and classifications of work requires higher level skills and the job market has become much more competitive. We want SSISD graduates to be the most sought after in the workforce and in the college and technical school market.