Cranberry Middle School Improvement Team
(Board Meeting Minutes: August 25, 2009)
5:00pm Cranberry Middle School Library
Board Members:
Present: Kim Davis, Cathey Buchanan, Phillip Barrier, Ann Craven, Bobby Banner, Hannah Arnett
Lynn Hinshaw, Laura King, Jill Rogers, Lisa Smith, Sandy Stafford, Levin Suddreth, Adele Byrd,
Absent: Patti Franklin, Lisa Smith, Patricia Casey, Debbie Peck, Robert Tuffs
Quorum present? Yes
Others Present:
Proceedings:
· Meeting called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Principle Kim Davis
· (Last Meetings) meeting minutes were amended and approved Cathey Buchanan made motion to approve minutes, Laura King seconded.
· Principles Report: Kim Davis
- NC Report Cards will be released Friday . The Federal Mandated No Child Left Behind Act expects adequate yearly progress by sub groups. 100% of our 13 subgroups made adequate yearly progress.
-ABC results have Cranberry Middle School as a school of distinction. 86% of Cranberry Middle was proficient . Mrs. Davis showed EVAAS data and NCDPI published ABC and AYP data to the team and discussed the areas where we are above state average and at state average. We were not below state average in any tested area for last school year.
- Mrs. Davis also submitted the application for The Schools to Watch Program and went over the application and ten page narrative
· Finance report provided by Principle Kim Davis:
-Mrs. Davis reported that the state budget is under tight restraints. The Avery County school board has cut finding for instructional supplies such as paper and CMS has lowered the teacher allotment from $150 to $50. FTEs AND Cranberry have to option to share copy paper. Discussion was held over the fact that the younger grades usually use more paper than upper grades. We currently split paper and copier supplies 60% FTES 40% CMS. Ideas shared for ways we can conserve paper, one of which was to have teachers use codes for the printer so we can keep up with paper usage
- There will be no text book monies for the next 2 years. We will not lose what we currently have.
- Mrs. Davis stated that if we were lucky we may get 75% of last year’s budget.
-This year we didn’t have to order a health book, but we do need a document camera and have access to CD’s for the class to watch. However, the class doesn’t have access to a CD player and discussion preceded on writing grants and asking PTO for funding for these items. Kim Davis proposed that a document camera be purchased for health teacher Kent Hayes. He can put the text book under the document camera and it would be projected onto the smart board and only have to buy one health book. (UPDATE-Since this meeting, the PE teacher announced that since he has a room with access to a SmartBoard system, he is using United Streaming and is not in immediate need of a document camera.)
School Improvement Goals for 2009-2011 provided by Principle Kim Davis
- Mrs. Davis reviewed the goals such as
-Implement AVID program and strategies at CMS for the entire student body
- Cranberry Middle will meet the criteria for the National Forum to Accelerate Middle grades Reform and become a school to watch
- Reviewed rest of our plan and current goals
-We have implemented AVID as an elective for 7th and 8th grade and plan to add AVID strategies for 6th grade if personnel allows
-We agreed to keep goals the same and just update the steps for implementation to align with our actions for this year.
-Went over CMS and county, state averages on EOG scores. Cranberry Middle was well above the state average in science
-Discussion on purchasing new EOG prep math books. Cost of books would be $150 for 15. It was suggested that we share the books with Avery Middle to help with cost. Current books don’t meet EOG standards and could cause our scores to suffer.
· Other business:
- New staff and school improvement team members introduced
-Battle of the books has begun and 39 kids showed up to participate
- Music and Drama classes are now a part of specials. Mrs. Brown will come to Cranberry second semester to hold art classes
-Anne Avery is at Cranberry to teach Business Comp classes first semester and Patti Franklin will return second semester.
-All academic core teachers have remained in the same place for a second year in a row (first time in a long time that we have had this consistency).
- New class schedules were reviewed and explained.
- New evaluation process for teachers discussed
-Phillip Barrier commended Kim Davis for her effort on all her work on the Schools to Watch process
-School improvement team voted to pitch in to get a gift card for Candice Englert for all her assistance with editing the narrative
-Next meeting scheduled for November
-Phillip Barrier made motion to adjourn. Bobby Banner seconded.
Meeting adjourned at 6:30pm
· Minutes humbly submitted by Cathey Buchanan
School Improvement Team Chair