WS HCC Pathway Focus Group
20 October 2015 Meeting #4 Summary
Meeting Information
Meeting Outcomes:
Approve minutes; report most recent findings; move forward w/PD opportunities
Facilitators:
Recorder: Fiona Preedy
Moderator: Robert Gary, Jr.
 Stephen Martin
Timekeeper: Scott Allen
 Janine Madaffari
Members Present:
□
Scott Allen
□
Elizabeth Andreasen
□
Althea Chow
□
Cynthia Coppage
□
Robert Gary
□
Jenny Gordon
□
Daniela Hall
Starting and Ending Times:
•
6:00pm-7:30pm
Location:
•
Madison MS Library
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
Pamela Ivezic
Janine Madaffari
Stephen Martin
Leslie Menstell
Amy O’Donoghue
Susan Ovens
Fiona Preedy
□
□
□
□
□
□
Jason Sciarrone
Kelly Wadsworth
Meeting Minutes
Check In: Janine addressed topics sent for agenda. Our group gathers information and makes
recommendations. Focus to be consistent with this purpose.
What is our scope? Focus groups are to get feedback, not run by the district. Collect
information, ask questions, impacts. Spotlight, recommendations, but some items are out of
our control. For example, the service model is out of our realm. APP Task Force addressed the
district level, and conformed to policy and procedure. (Spectrum and ALO is at the building
level) Also focus is HCC.
Minutes: Motion - Amy/Kelly and approved by committee.
Invited: Paula Montgomery (JAMS)-present, Ruth Medsker (WSHS)-absent,Teresa Cairns (CSIHS)-present
Theresa Cairns – “What do you know about IB?” Answers from group: Integrated, working towards
diploma, emphasis on thinking skills, alternative)
Description of IB certificate or diploma, and touch on IBX



6 different classes, 3 levels of rigor. Diploma track, 3 high level, 3 regular. Student taking one or
two will probably not get college credit.
IB career path, business or hospitality, working toward psychology.
IB - critical thinking, 150 hours service hours (often becomes outlet for student’s creativity,
personal interests, physical energy), theory of knowledge, extended essay. Student driven.
 IB kid offers skills and assets, a benefit to any college.
 25 teachers/3 day intensive PD. 5 year cycle of curriculum update.
 27 students (fluctuates) on certificate course, creative projects rather than structured essay.
 45 students in diploma program
 All CSIHS take IB English
*IB or AP? 8th graders have to decide, IB is a program, curriculum is set. AP is autonomous, classes
independent of each other. IB is rigorous. Neither AP nor IB are programs specific to the ‘gifted’.. Work
on preparing in 8th grade, check classes (math is the tracker, 9th and 10th get requirements out of way)
Discussion around AP accessibility in high school (specifically at Garfield) about equity in program and
how do those that are not on the “track” get into the classes.
How does that inform us at Madison? Need to prepare them for those decisions and help the kids to
have the scaffolding, counseling.
AL working on identifying HC students in new areas, where populations have not been tapped and then
educating the communities about what is available.
Paula Montgomery (JAMS): New school, build HCC in program at implementation.







Students were moved to JAMS without choice.
Half of the 6th grade (331) is HCC, 7th, 8th is also half HCC. 6th and 7th at capacity
Brought schedule and reviewed.
Very small Spectrum cohort, moved to HCC. Classes are packed at 30.
8th graders tested into Math 8, offered Biology H. 8th graders take Life Sciences, HCC biology.
Don’t block LA / SS anymore, 8th was first to be uncoupled.
PTA a big factor, with rep from each elementary school, therefor community rep.
*How do you deal with gen ed/ struggling learners? There is a 30 min. advisory in the a.m., intentionally
very diverse, all 3 years together with same teacher. Many students wouldn’t see students in other
programs except for this. All 8th graders went on the science fieldtrip. Aligned the content in science so
all levels of learners are studying and exposed to the same content at different levels, guided by Next
Generation. Learning groups on the fieldtrip was by advisory. All students have same social studies,
differentiated instruction (HCC/Gen).
*Music? 2.4 currently, so the geo split dollars were used to mitigate, might not have all the sections next
year, maybe 2.0. But don’t have many other electives.
*What would you have done differently? Need highly qualified and endorsed for upper level science and
math. Teachers are teaching both GenEd and HCC, unless they have a lot of experience with HCC.
(Clarification about testing to AL) As of last year, all students that apply got the cog test for cognitive
abilities and used at MAP for achievement. This year achievement will be from SBA and will use state
norms when published. K, 1, 2 don’t take SBA, so use MAP.
*How did you identify students that weren’t designated HCC to move up in Science? Math
recommendations come from district, with certain classes recommended, so some students were on the
radar. Then we found that we could catch up those kids and retest for AL, giving them more
opportunities, especially at high school.
Dr. Gary gave a quick staffing update– added 2.0 FTE, displaced teachers, because projections were
under what showed up. Asked for LA SS certified and Math/Science certified.
Items on the agenda that followed our speakers will either be reviewed by email and sent to members
or added to next month’s agenda.
Meeting adjourned shortly after 7:30 p.m.