School Without Walls LSAT Meeting
5:30pm, May 7, 2014
Minutes
LSAT MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Carlton Ackerman, Ed Lazere, Jean Boland, George Reidy, Kristin Kelly,
Joan Kirchner, Cristal Piper, Melody Webb, Kiehl Christie, Rachel Blessing, Sylvia Isaac, Chase Ammon,
Alex Muradian, Richard Trogisch.
Other guests who signed in included: Melissa Mehring, Melanie Gisler, Kent Lewis, Robert Rothman and
John Edgell.
MINUTES from the April 2, 2014, regular LSAT meeting were approved on a voice vote (with one edit on
the list of attendees).
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC SUPPORT: The LSAT had begun a discussion at the April LSAT
meeting with Mr. Trogisch about the recommendations of the ad hoc committee on academic support.
Mr. Lazere continued that discussion at this May meeting and went through all of the recommendations.
On the AP World History recommendation, Mr. Trogisch said he is opposed to the recommendation that
students be required to take a minimum of two AP courses to graduate, and that AP World History
would not have to be one of those two courses. Mr. Trogisch said AP World History was deliberately
chosen for the sophomore requirement partly because it is a two-year course and SWW could keep
students with the same teachers for it. Mr. Ackerman noted that he had attended a recent SHAPPE
meeting and that SHAPPE is recommending that AP World History be changed from a two-year course to
a one-year course. Mr. Trogisch said if that is adopted by DCPS, that he would consider using the second
year for AP Geography.
On the recommendation that SWW offer a writing fundamentals course, Mr. Trogisch said he would
need certified teachers to teach it and that he doesn’t have the extra money in the budget to fund this.
Mr. Ammon wondered if writing prep could be incorporate into SWW Humanities classes, and Mr.
Trogisch said he would raise that idea with the Humanities teachers. Mr. Lazere asked Mr. Trogisch to
report back to the LSAT at the June meeting.
On the recommendation to limit the size of core classes for SWW freshmen by mandating a minimum
class size of 12 students and eliminating AP classes that are under-enrolled, Mr. Trogisch said the 201415 freshmen class is now at 139 students, and that is smaller than expected. Also, he said there is
currently no SWW class smaller than 10 students. There was some discussion on whether reducing the
senior project from a year-long course to one semester would help with the size of the freshmen core
classes. Mr. Trogisch said he is seeking student feedback on the senior project, but that it would be
difficult to implement any change next year because students have already signed up for next year’s
classes. He said he would report back at the June LSAT meeting.
On the recommendation that SWW offer study/organizational skills, Mr. Trogisch said study skills
should be incorporated into every class by all teachers. Some teachers suggested devoting part of the
advisory period to teaching study/organizational skills. Mr. Trogisch said the number of students being
asked to leave SWW because they can’t maintain a 2.0 GPA has gone down every year. He also worried
that parents would oppose the idea of devoting part of the advisory period to study/organizational skills,
taking away time from topics such as lessons on bullying. Ms. Boland said the recent survey of students
shows that SWW students want help with study/organizational skills, and some parents said they would
welcome their kids getting such help during the advisory period. Mr. Trogisch said he would talk to SWW
counselors about the idea of dividing the advisory period into two parts, with one part devoted to
study/organizational skills.
BUDGET UPDATE: Mr. Trogisch said he moved funds from supply areas and from an art history position
that was vacant and came up with enough funding to pay for an IT staffer that will be shared between
SWW and Francis-Stevens. Mr. Trogisch also announced that Assistant Principal Kelly Abbott is leaving
SWW at the end of this school year and that the personnel committee is seeking applications.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: The committee looking at guidelines for international travel will continue its
work, including possibly conducting a survey of parents and listing next year’s planned trips on the SWW
website.
ADMISSIONS: Mr. Trogisch said 250 students were interviewed for the 2014-15 school year and that 170
were offered a slot. Since not all of those 170 had listed SWW as their first choice, not all of them
accepted the offer. The administration is now making offers to students who were on the waiting list.
PARTNERSHIP WITH GW: Mr. Ackerman said SWW teachers who wanted to take courses at GW over
the summer are being told they cannot do so. Mr. Trogisch said GW in the past has allowed SWW
students and teachers to take a total of 100 courses per year at GW. Now, GW has changed the
agreement to say that SWW teachers may use only six of the 100 courses per year. The other 94 courses
may be used only by SWW students. Mr. Trogisch said he was appealing this change with GW. Ms.
Boland noted that 2015 will mark the 30 year anniversary of SWW’s partnership with GW that began in
1985, and she suggested that SWW should organize a celebration to mark the anniversary.
DCPS CHANGING GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: Mr. Ackerman distributed copies of the State Board of
Education’s proposed revisions to DCPS graduation requirements. The proposed revisions are open for
public comments and will be finalized after that. The revisions are set to become effective for the 201516 school year. The proposal includes significant changes to the Science, Social Studies and Health/PE
requirements.
MEMBERSHIP ON LSAT/HSA: Mr. Lazere noted that elections for parent representatives on the LSAT
and the HSA will be held in June and he encouraged parents to consider running for the posts.
NEXT MEETING: The next regular meeting of the SWW LSAT will be June 4, 2014.
ADJOURNED: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:05pm.