Education Committee Meeting Minutes of 4/8/14
EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING
April 8, 2014
11:30 AM District Board Room
Public Comment
AGENDA
1.
3 AP courses, English, Statistics, and Government/Politics
a. TOPS is no longer available
2.
Chemistry II/Organic Chemistry addition to curriculum
a. College in the classroom? – AP? Explain the difference
3.
9th Grade Biology Prep Course
Feedback from parents:
a. Problem with his biology keystone was that they hadn’t gotten
thru all subject areas that were on the test, prior to testing.
b. I think a little prep course (maybe in IL prior) would better
prepare them so they don’t have to waste 9 weeks of a semester to redo
it all over and then stress over possibly failing a second time. May not
be a bad idea for the Algebra as well.
4.
Keystone remediation courses, online format
5.
Cyber School alternative
6.
Senior Only Day Plans – April 21
7.
Gettysburg College Advancing Science Initiative
a. inventory of advanced equipment they are able to bring to the
classroom
b. to participate with at greater levels
8.
Technology Budget
a. How can we use technology more effectively?
b. Can we use to improve academic outcomes?
c. Can we use to improve teacher availability?
d. Can we use to better prepare for jobs of the future?
9. HB1506 delaying Keystone exam implementation – Explanation
10. Cursive writing in the elementary classrooms
11. Physical Education curriculum in the elementary
a. curriculum that encourages enjoyment in physical activity
12. Music department – keeping young people interested in music
a. 5th grade availability and rotation of instruments for lessons.
b. At some point during the year, most will miss recess for lessons
13. Better scheduling process – some classes had only a few students some had
way too many only because students had to be moved because of scheduling
issues (which I know will always occur), but a little extra effort should be
considered in this process
Present Members – Lonnie Whitcomb, Bill Chain, Karen Kugler, Marcie
VanMetre, Pam Mikesell
Others Present – Jack Inskip, Brian McDowell, Nicole Bennett
Public Comment: None
Lonnie- After each board meeting he is receiving lots of feedback that the
community is appreciate of the administration and how the leadership is
navigating the district forward.
Bill - Will stay the course and move the district forward.
AP Courses & TOPS:
-Brian - High School formally involved with TOPS through PSU in the
past but concern of cost and the topic of the courses offered caused us to
look at other options. Then looked at on-line courses through Clarion and
the feedback received was not positive. Still recognize the need for
advanced courses in the core areas, so do we do AP or College in the
Classroom is the question or both.
To teach College in the Classroom the teacher must have a master’s
degree in the area and we don't have many teachers whose Master’s
matches up with available courses from HACC.
AP process you take the course and the test which has a cost of $89
which is set by the College Boards. The districrt has no say in the testing
cost, or the day of the test which is set by the College Board across the
country. Students can score 1-5 but the colleges are independent as to
what they accept for credit, some allow 3, 4, etc for credit. The colleges
run the gamant in what they will accept.
AP is not an end all but does provide another option. The process and the
rigor is a good process. We attempted to align with PSU again for TOPS
but again the courses didn't match our need for advanced core courses nor
was the timing matching up. The choice to look at AP for English,
Government, and Statistics met with our goal to provide advanced
courses in the core academic areas.
Lonnie - reiaterated the fact that teachers need a master’s degree to teach
the college level courses so should that be a goal of the district, to hire
such people?
Pam - recognized that the district has always looked for the best teacher
not necessarily the one with the least amount experience which costs less
money. Does a teacher have to have a master’s to teach AP courses?
What is this going to cost us?
Brian - Staffing and resources (textbooks) that are currently in the budget.
Bill - Would like to advertise for a personwith dual certification of math
and science and that is in the budget. If we don't find someone with that
certification then the focus will be Math and will ask if they have an
interest in pursuing advanced education in science.
Lonnie – if we can't find the dual cert would you look for a fulltime math
and a part time science. Bill - that is not in the budget. Lonnie - could
that be in there, as we need to put forth a budget that is in the best
interest of the students.
Lonnie - Requested a reporty showing the peaks and valleys of
enrollment. Bill will have it to the committee by the end of the meeting as
he has it that goes back to 2005.
Marcie- questioned what would happen to Honor’s English since the
departure of Mr. Dortenzo. She was assured that course would remain as
a preparatory to AP English 12.
Pam - Do you have the teachers to teach these courses?
Brian - Is working with the teachers and with Ms. Kugler to prepare
teachers.
Pam –Now you want this for the fall corect
Bill - Yes, at the next board meeting you will be asked to approve the
high school course booklet that has these courses in it.
Chem II vs Organic Chem
-Brian - couldn't really explain the difference but rest assured that Mr.
Irwin is working on the course and will be using our current resources.
Bill - Clarified that Chem II is already going on where students are
earning college credit.
Brian -there is no additional cost for the Organic course, with about 25
students taking Chem II currently.
Lonnie - asked if there are other colleges we can work with to offer
College in the Classroom for Organic Chem once learning that it is not
that level of course.
Bill – We could look to other colleges.
Brian - explained that students in order to take Chem II must take the
college's placement test before taking the course.
9th grade prep Bio Course
-With the Keystone exam in Bio and our review and of results shows our
students are really struggling with Bio, as is the rest of the state, so we
are proposing a course that will be offered to students who aren't ready
for Bio in 9th grade. Some students will take the Bio course as 9th
graders and the rest as 10th graders.
Pam - what are they taking in other grades?
Karen: As we back mapped the curriculum and looked at the standards
and what students would need to know and do when they graduate the
courses were set as:
12th grade - Physics, Chem II, Organic Chem, Anatomy & Physiology,
Bio II
th
11 grade - Chem II, Organic Chem, Anatomy & Physiology, Bio II
10th grade – Bio, Chem
9th grade – Bio, Intro. To Science
8th grade – Physical & Chemical Science
7th grade – Environmental & Biology
6th grade – General (Cells, Atomic Structure, Oceanography, Space)
5th grade – General (Rock Cycle, Geo Forces, Plate Tectonics, Climate)
Brian - we are looking to front load our students to be successful with the
Keystone from the start instead of having to go back and remediate.
Students who are not successful with the test or retest by their junior year
must complete a Project/Based Test, where we must provide a teacher as
mentor. This is all set upby the state and we have no say. The Keystone
has 2 modules and the student who doesn't pass a module then must
complete the project which impacts staffing as we will need to supply
remediation to that student.
Our Keystons last year were 84%, Bio 49%, and Alg I 62% all of which
were above the state average.
All rememediation must be taught by a certified teacher and the course is
9 weeks. Students who don't pass the test the second time then moves to
the project which is strongly recommended to have a certified teacher in
that area as the mentor.
Currently we have 2 .7 math teachers, 3 SS, 3 English, and 3.1 Science
teachers although only 2 of the science teachers are certified to provide
remediation in Bio.
Lonnie - So do you like the Keystones?
Brian - They are better than the PSSA's as they are at least an end of
course assessment, but we didn't know all this other stuff was going to be
required with them.
Bill - Feels the response to the Keystone question is two fold:
1. Not every person is alike -as everyone learns and matures at a different
rate
2. Kids have different interests - the way I answer that question would be
that to say let's have the kids take 3 out of 5 based on their focus area
(ex. Take the Bio away and instead get to include the NOCTI for those
who go to the Tech Schools)
Remediation on-line environment:
-Brain - currently use Plato for our cyber enviornment for both
rememdiation and our district cyber offerings.
-We have taken the Plato rememdiation course to develop the remediation
course and so we are using current resources. The most recent results:
25 re-took the Alg I Keystone, that were in remediation 8 passed and 4
were within 3 points of passing. We are still looking and evaluating the
option.
Lonnie - What is involved for a teacher to administer an online class?
Brian - Need to have laptops, teacher given password and credentials, and
then they tweak the course to our needs and offerings.
Lonnie - What does this subscription service cost us
Karen - The new quote moves us from 25 licenses at the district to
licenses for every student in the district for $25,000 which is a $2,000
cost over last year. This increase will allow for students to be on anytime
where now two students may use the same license but both studets can't
be on at the sametime.
Cyber School Alternative:
-Handbook coming tothe committee in the future
-We either offer it or pay for the student to go elsewhere.
Lonnie - Soall funding comes from the district with no partiicaption from
the parent
Outside cyber gets roughly 9,000 per child to educate the child which
isn't that expensive and if special ed then the amount doubles.
-Our cyber would be different as a child could come in after hours and
meet with a real teacher eye to eye, could be brick and mortal for some
classes and cyber for others, and participate in our extra curriculars.
Pam - Do outside Cybers have to take the Keystone?
Bill - Yes and they are failing miserably
Jack Inskip - There are presently investigations that a cyber school sent
$8,000 to private indiviudals and there continues to be more such
investigations. Politicans are starting to look at this and do something but
that is a little late. Cyber schools really need to be closely scruitnized by
districts. Only about 45% cybers met AYP data.
April 21, 2014 - Senior Make-Up Day #1
Bill - asked Brian to explain to parents what will be happening with their
child.
Brian - Handout of the day's acitivities given to committee.
Part of the day will include a senior survey about the high school to get
feedback from our students and eventually hope that it will be done every
year. Lonnie suggested that getting questions from the students, Brian
will take that under advisement.
Now since we have the Google Chromes and all the kids have their own
account the survey can be emailed out to the students and used year after
year, which is better than Survey Monkey which only allows a survey to
be completed once.
There hasn't been a lot of feedback about doing the Monday make up.
Lonnie heard pushback from parents but feels the agenda is excellent.
Advancing Science
Karen & Bill attend a presentation at Gettysburg College last Friday.
Karen – We currently have one teacher, Kathy Serfass, involved in the
training. The program provides both scientific equipment and teachers to
assist our teachers in running the experiments. Once our teachers are
trained they can borrow the equipment, which is packed up and both
delivered and returned by the Advancing Science employees. We were at
the presentation with Upper Adams and Bermudian, and the Assistant
Superintendents/Curriculum people have already started planning for the
Oct. 13th County-wide In-service for next year, and are looking to include
this training . Teachers must go through the training prior to using the
equipment. We are looking forward to getting our teachers trained and
more involved in the program.
Technology Budget:
-Bill - Tech audit with LIU with main focus to look at supporting
instructional technology and technology through supporting users as well
as infrastructure. Last 3-4 budgeting cycles have not been able to follow
a replacement plan but we are looking at how to get back to a 6 year
replacment plan and then a 5 year plan with a 20% replacement yearly
with a cost of $100,000 that will have to live in the budget. Will need to
look out how we push technology and the supports for its use.
-Instituted MAP testing this year to prepare for the state's movement from
standards to common core. The results from MAP which will now
provide data to teachers in grades K-8 and will also be recognized in
Study Island which will provide intervention on specific weaknesses for
each student.
Pam - Feels this committee would really support technology and would
recommend that we return to the 5 year plan.
Bill - Has made cuts in the proposed budget which included a mobile lab
in each builidng but instead the computer lab in the elementary is being
up dated along with furniture and chairs which are more developmentally
appropriate. Also the middle school the lab off the library is projected to
be replaced.
-Administrators are being moved to a laptop with a docking station first
and then teachers will begin to have the same move.
-HS NI room's computers (tablets) will be shared with the high school for
testing.
-The high school's mobile lab was cut in lieu of the sharing with the NI
room
-Bill - can't give up classroom lab due to coming on-line assessments
from the state. Also need to replace boxes due to not having XP
supported anymore.
-Lonnie - Doesn't think we can get behind in technology.
-Pam - Really don't think we can cut from here
Cursive Writing in Elem:
-Bill - Taking a back seat due to devices
-Karen – Survey done at Curriculum Council which includes all districts
from York/Franklin/Adams County shows only 4 district are currently
teaching a separate program. We do teach cursive but no longer the
separate Peterson method we all learned instead it is integrated within the
language arts program.
Better Scheduling Process:
-Brian - Schedules used to be able to be developed sooner now we must
wait unti we receive the info from the state in July.
-Required remediation also now has a great affect on our schedules as the
hs must provide those students with certain courses.
-Shared staff limits when certain courses can be taught.
-Tech Prep’s schedule affects when our students are here so certain
courses have to be offered at certain to meet the needs of those students.
-We do the best for the kids in getting them the courses they need and
want.
HS Course selection books were given to committee and it will be on the
board agenda for approval Monday night. The changes noted on the
agenda for this meeting are truly the changes. The other change is that
percentages that were prerequisites are now listed as letter grades to
match the new grading policy.
PE at the elem:
-Bill - we would all like to see more activities there. Understand that we
need to make it fun.
Music Department:
-Are there enough instruments?
-Missing a recess is much better than missing a core course.