Board Meeting Minutes 9.9.14

Present: Beth Louis, Jim Brigham, Pat Shipley, Kathy Anderson, Byron Francis Via Teleconference: Alex Schoch, Vivian Gibson
Staff: John Grote, Ross Woolsey
Guest: Bill Mendelshon (UMSL)

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Francis at 4:50PM.

  1. The minutes from the prior meeting were approved unanimously.
  2. Test Results
    1. MAP and APR scores were reviewed. ED Grote indicated we had noticed a

trend among all classes that our NWEA assessment scores were not tracking with the MAP scores. It is possible that the timed and un-timed nature of the two testing processes is a cause. This problem has been noted among other charter schools as well, and we are looking into into a different testing instrument. Of particular note is the ‘Smarter Balance’ process which DESE itself is promoting.

Mr. Brigham asked if the School was adopting Common Core. The answer was that the school has been aligning its curriculum with Common Core, but because of recent developments state-wide, we are taking a wait and see position on where to go from here.

  1. Bill Mendelshon from UMSL discussed in depth what MAP and APR scores really mean, and how they are calculated. The Schools 100% APR grade is the state’s grade for the school, determined by a number of factors, as opposed to MAP scores, which simply are numerical test results. Mendelshon pointed out that because our scores dropped a bit this year, the 100% rating will fall when next year’s APR is calculated, because it isn’t until then that this year’s results are taken into account.
  2. As we discussed APR and MAP scores, the question arose as to whether utilizing more tutors would be worthwhile. We currently have four aides working and tutoring in classrooms, and some on the Board wondered if we should work to utilize outside volunteers more to help out in the classrooms.

We don’t have a lot of evidence that the students who have worked with these individuals have improved their academic scores. There is some anecdotal evidence so far, but we are looking at individual scores more closely. Mr. Grote indicated the School needs to be cautious about the validity of these outside volunteer tutors effecting true academic change. There is a concern on the part of the academic team that the once-a-week contact may actually not be enough to make a difference.

Another concern regarding the outside tutors is management. How can we determine if they are teaching what we want, in a manner we approve? It is difficult in a school of our size to manage academic volunteers.

  1. Board Development Plan: There was a general review and discussion;

Board Meeting Minutes 9.9.14

  1. The Board Development Plan is an outgrowth of the self-evaluation process undergone by Board members.
  2. It also involves ED Grote’s evaluation of how the Board helps him.
  3. It is intertwined with the ongoing Strategic Planning process.
  1. Financial Reports
    There were no questions regarding the latest monthly statements and the accompanying Check registers. The Board voted unanimously to approves the Check Registers for June and July.
  2. Strategic Plan
    There was an in depth discussion of the ongoing Strategic Planning process, including a review of the email from Brian Hayden regarding the previous Strategic Planning meeting, as well as the needs he outlined for the next meeting.
  3. Development
    1. The Board determined that they want our new Director of Development,

Muriel Smith, to attend every Board meeting to have a full understanding of the Board level discussions of Development. She will be scheduled at the beginning of the meetings.

  1. The Development Committee (Shipley, Gibson, Louis, Anderson, and Muriel Smith) met for lunch in August to make sure everyone was updated on ongoing issues.
  2. The Board was concerned that the goals we hoped to achieve from Barb Landesman’s book party were unclear. Some staff and Board members were satisfied with the attendance and funds raised by the party, while others indicated they had expected something quite different. The Board was satisfied that such problems will be eliminated now that we have a full-time Director of Development who will be attending Board meetings.
  1. Facilities and Site Plan
    1. ED Grote informed the Board of our pending grant request to repair the

skylights, install new HVAC, repair the roof, and install acoustical

improvements in the Main Building.

2. ED Grote used the example of the impending need for additional parking as

an example of how the School will have difficulty planning for the future without some guidelines from the Board. The Board agreed that any determination of the Site Plan must be aligned with the goals to be determined in the Strategic Plan.

8. Policies
1. Armed Intruder: The Board unanimously passed our Armed Intruder Policy. 2. Appeal Process: The Board changed the Appeals process so that a Parent will

have the right to appeal a disciplinary decision directly to the Board, after following all prior processes.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30PM.