Unified School District
District Site Council Meeting
February 8, 2017
Present: Kelly Gentry, Valerie Gehrer, Heather Honas, Shelia Eskeldson, Jill Day, Marita Bachura, Rachel Tompkins, Joyce Heilman, Linda Pretzer, Valerie Woodell, Jean Johnson, Angela Harris, Doug Conwell, Michele Stackley, Anita Mahanay, Marla Goeckel, Vicki Stone and Kelly McDiffett
Members
not present: Amber Jones, Danielle Blue, and Lori Pollock
Welcome: Kelly G. opened the meeting 8:07 a.m.
Prior minutes were approved with the correction of adding the last name initial to both Valerie G. and Valerie W. in the “Information to/from Parents and Community.”
Building Communication:
CGES – Classroom reports included Mrs. Frye’s kindergarten class working with a math online program which is helping them be ready for 1st grade. 2nd grade has finished benchmark testing, big 100 Day of School celebration, 3rd grade baked bread in January, 4th grade has worked on an ancestry project, 5th grade completed a weather unit, 6th grade has done an Ancient India or China project and also did a biography project. The school had an Art Show and are grateful for Emily May being able to teach art. Had the school Spelling Bee then the county Spelling Bee. Working with staff and also the staff has been teaching kids about Growth Mindset. Don Peterson and Lowell Scripter made flag stands and passed them out to the kids in the 2nd grade.
PHES – Today is Hoops for Hearts in P.E. (fundraiser). 5th grade attended STARBASE (along with CGES) and went to Manhattan five times. Hoping to continue the program next year, the kids enjoyed it and learned a lot. November Book Fair took place in the gym - it was another fundraiser to raise money for books. School has a Facebook page, Prairie Heights Elementary School. Enrolled four new students this semester.
CGJH/SH –
Since Nov. 1 the school has gained 20 students. Many have had extra needs.
JH – Social Studies integration with the other classes, lots of great discussions. Finished winter benchmarks in math and reading, there were some dips but overall big gains. Kids are busy and being engaged.
HS – 10th grade finished with Accuplacer testing, seminar teachers are starting pre-enrollment. Career Cruising has been interesting helping kids focus on the future. Kids have been busy in sports, activities, and Bell Hop; students are tired. Coming to the end of the trimester, finals are next Thursday. The HS musical was very well done. Bell Hop in December was moved to January due to December’s weather. Talent show went very well and students were fantastic – always an event that can cause some worry beforehand. Future You Day – had colleges visit and do presentations and Monte Selby performed. Honored HS Mentors last week. The BOE approved a new science teacher.
Special Education – Completing Window #2 for DLM assessments. Teachers are already thinking about kids and transitions for next year. Amy Nielson and Mary Ellerman received outstanding teacher and para awards.
MTSS – Winter benchmarks completed. QDR meetings will take place this month. We will have to prepare to change from the AIMSweb 1.0 screener in 2018-19 due the company no longer supporting it. We can choose a more updated version of AIMSweb or possibly a different company called FastBridge. We will use FastBridge beginning this spring for our Behavior screener. Our Integrated MTSS project (Behavior, Reading, Math) will be a major part of our KESA goals. Our intial math data (from fall to winter) looks positive. Kelly thanked all the people who have been working on MTSS math changes.
ESOL – Students are taking the English Acquisition assessment (K-ELPA), which includes tests in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This is in addition to whatever other assessments their grade level takes. Mrs. Grant has taken junior and senior ESOL students on college visits.
State Assessment Windows – In the “2016-2017 Kansas Assessment Program Overview” handout you will see Testing Dates as well as Test Parts Estimated Time. Testing opens March 14. The number of sessions and estimated time is much less than previous years. Kelly G. thanked our tech. people for making sure that the machines are ready with the KITE updates.
Grade 10 State Assessment (KAP) = ACT Benchmark Range – Starting this year, the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) levels can be compared to the Readiness Benchmark Ranges for ACT. Kelly shared a handout that showed the charts. They very closely align, which will give sophomores good information about their readiness for the ACT. The alignment chart will be printed on the 10th grade state assessment reports this year. Remember that ACT is a timed test, which is different than the state assessment. We will now have predictive scores for the ACT at both 9th (they take the Aspire) and 10th grades.
Subject Area Committee Reports
Science (per LPR) – A handout was shared that showed the new HS courses/sequence that has been approved by the Board of Education. Grades 6-8 will change to comprehensive (all science subjects) rather than subject-specific per grade beginning in 17-18. Grades 6-12 will get new resources to match their new courses unless it becomes a budget issue. The proposal includes both textbooks and digital access. Grades K-5 will choose their new program this summer during Summer SAC and will not receive them until possibly 18-19.
Individual Plans of Study and Post-Secondary Attendance/Completion (State Board Outcomes) - reviewed Kansas Career Fields, Clusters, and Pathways. Handout has been created for HS students to help them choose their elective courses based on their Cluster(s). It includes courses we offer onsite at the HS, Butler classes (both onsite and online), Flint Hills Technology College (both onsite and online) and Edgenuity courses (online). We are greatly expanded our online offerings. March 1st is the Sophomore parent, student,and community meeting to go over what is available for the HS kids and what the Accuplacer test means for them.
State Curriculum Standards Review for ELA and Math – The state standards for ELA and Math are being revised. This is a state law. The last state adoption was in 2010. They are asking the field for input…the Online Standard Feedback Survey is located at the back of the handout.
Revised state ELA Standards adoption is scheduled for Fall of 2017
Revised state Math Standards adoption is scheduled for Summer 2017
Full implementation of the revised standards, along with new state assessment items will be in 2019-2020.
KESA:
Kelly went through the Quarter Three Zero Year Guidance:
· Our “Accreditation Cycle Year” - on page 6 of the PowerPoint; we are on target to enter either as Year 4 or 5. Page 12 is to help us choose which group # we want to be in.
· Outside Visitation Teams (OVT) – Page 14-21. Our TASN team will be our OVT. We should have volunteers from our staff members to serve on OVTs for other districts.
· Activity to collect Evidence – the last handout in your packet on the backside you will see some of the information that we have collected and what types of things we still need to collect for each R.
· Accreditation Review Council (ARC) – This state council will make the recommendation to the state board for accreditation of each district.
Information to/from Parents and Community: Thank you to Mr. Conwell for the articles that have been published in the newspapers.
Board of Education Report: Keep watching your nightly news. Contact your KS Representative with concerns about education budget. 8.6% cut last week and yesterday another 5%. Mr. Conwell has frozen spending for staff, but if is a need for a child we will purchase it. Several facility projects on the BOE goals will be paid out of the capital outlay fund that can only be used for those type of items.
Prepare Last Meeting Agenda, May 3
Look ahead to whose terms will be up in June and let Kelly know if you’d like to stay on: Vicki Stone (primary CGES), Tracie Schroeder (core HS), Valerie Woodall (Council Grove), Jean Johnson (Dwight). We will hopefully also welcome a new Business/Industry rep. in 17-18. Kelly thanked Joyce for her years of service and leadership on DAC!
The meeting was adjourned at 11:05 a.m.