MINUTES

High Ability Task Force Meeting

Monday, January 14, 2013

Present:Lily Albright, Joanne Audretsch,Margaret Baechtold, Jan Bergeson, Abbey Bisesi, Tanja Bisesi, Alexis Butera, Lana Cummings, Denise Dorsey, Donna Kinkead, Nancy Martin, Pat Marvin, Rob Moore, David Sabbagh, Kim Williams, and Monica Zerfas.

Absent:Holly Bales-Hall, Janice Bizzari, Becca Cambridge,Whitney Coake, Joe Doyle, Sarah Franklin, Diane Hanks,Rachel Hardy, Janice Hazelrig, Cheryl Lewandowski, Andrea Mobley, Jodi Moon,Natasha Roe, and Lacey Winckelbach.

  1. The task force welcomed our new School Board representative, David Sabbagh.
  2. Approval ofOctober 2012 Minutes-Lily Albrightmoved to approve, Nancy Martin seconded and minutes were unanimously approved.
  3. Coordinator’s Report-

Elementary School-

  • We added a new student to the fourth grade APS class.
  • The Elementary K-3 ID plan is in progress or completed at all elementary schools. I am in the process of entering identification information on Skyward. At our April meeting, I will be reviewing the process for the HATF elementary sub-committee for their input on improving the process for next year.
  • I have completed the HA ID designation for BIN grades 4-6. Grade 5 at Binford has started ability grouping in math. We will be working on other schools 4-6 ID all semester.

Middle School-

  • We have begun the middle school ALPS application/ identification process for 2013-14. We had 141 students qualify for the initial ID pool: 120+ CSI and 92% + NWEA reading. Any student may apply for the program. Elementary principals were sent the names of their qualifying students before winter break. We have scheduled a parent information meeting for this Wednesday, January 16 at 6:30 at Batchelor. Application materials are due Friday, February 1, 2013.
  • We will be sending out HS credit option forms for World Language courses taught in the middle school next month.
  • The middle school math placement process for all incoming seventh grade students will begin next month.

High School-we are in the process of replacing Caleb Baechtold with a new HA

student rep from South.

Professional Development-. We had two successful Great Books Shared Inquiry

trainings this fall: Oct. 2 and 3 for 12 secondary teachers and Nov. 15 and 16 for

26 elementary teachers. We are in the process of securing materials for all

teachers requesting books.

HA Resources Presentation on December 10, 2012. –Lacey Winckelbach

arranged for a presentation about HA resources for students and parents on

Monday, December 10, 2012. Over 50 parents and students attended the

presentation at Tri North. The two presenters, Tammie Stewart, NUMATS, and

Christine Turo-Shields, Kenosis Counseling Center in Greenwood, attended IAG

that day and agreed to come to Bloomington to present after the conference.

Flyers about the event were sent home to all ALPS students in grades 4-8.

4.Elementary and Middle School Differentiation Checklists-

  • Edited elementary and middle school differentiation checklists were presented to the group. These will help teachers provide documentation of how the learning needs of high ability students are being targeted.
  • It was suggested that headings be provided for each group: programs, teaching strategies, and school configuration.
  • We will discuss how schools might implement these documents at our April meeting.

5. High Ability Identification TimeLine-the 2012-13 timeline for high ability

identification was reviewed.

6.MCCSC CSI scores-the mean CSI scores for third and sixth grade students from

2007-2012 were presented by district and individual school. Trends in the scores and

value to our PLC work was discussed.