001So just for our athletics and activities, those that are held to the code of conduct, um obviously want to start off with our numbers and some some data on them. So we have 231 uh winter sports participants. That is a little bit down from fall, but in the fall you have football and soccer, which alone is 250 kids. So if you take those sorts out, we're about on track with our other sports. And uh but the winter it's also tough because you're inside, you have you have confines you have to abide by just for safety and for use of time. Uh, our GPA was up 1/100th of a point. We went up to 3.44 in semester 1 for 2425. Um, it's one of the unique things about our winter sports is it's one of the
002only sports that transcends multiple grading periods. So, so they get checked twice while most sports only get checked once. So, that was awesome to see that that grade is maintaining and if not improving a little bit between sports. We had 133 letter winners. That means varsity contestants. 39 of those were first time uh letter winners and eight of those was their second or third sport. There's even a couple freshman that already had their second or third letter um from the second season of the year. So that that was great for me to see. Um within our conference big eight for most of our sports, our girls hockey team is in the uh Badger Conference. We had 29 allconerence honores. With that we had two big eight coaches of the year. So, like I've said, uh
003it continues to be the coaches and the adviserss and all that that really lead the way and and help our student athletes find success. Um most of our all area region state are to be determined. Like I said, we're just wrapping up the uh the state. Um but we will highlight some of those later on. Uh within the individual realm, we have a state championship in the floor with Junior Zoe Marasano. So, props to her. She's a junior coming back next year hopefully. And then we had nine podium finishes between the individual sports which is uh swimming, swim and dive and uh gymnastics. Starting with their boys basketball there is an asterisk up there um just because when this was created their season was not done but they unfortunately lost last Thursday. So they ended
004up 27 this year. Um they won a regional title for the first time since 2015 in coach Robinson's third year at the realm. Um, when I was doing some numbers for the WIA, I found out that Coach Robinson has passed 150 victories as a head coach. So, that was a cool honor to see and I I gave him a little shout out for that. Um, and then they did lose to Wanaki, who was in the state uh tournament this weekend in the sectional semifinals. Our girls basketball program won the Big Eight Conference for the fourth consecutive year. Um, big shout out to Coach Rick uh Richardson and her team for continued success and continuing to find a way. Uh they also won a regional title um and lost in the sectional semi-final. Uh but they
005had a lot of great successes. There was a lot of question marks around this team just because they lost a lot of top end talent from the previous year and the girls put in the work and they followed the plan and it it worked out for them. So that was great to see. And coach Lexi Richardson was one of our two Big Eight coaches of the year. So wanted to give her a special shout out because you know she her and I go way back. You know, there's a picture of us playing basketball together when we were kindergarteners over at the old old Sugar Creek. So, we uh her dad makes sure to know that she can still beat me in basketball with a great uh our girls hockey program. Um they went five and
006seven in conference, 616 and one overall. Um it was a rebuilding, you know, a growth year for them as well. Um they have a coach that seems interested in the long term, which is awesome. So, Middleton leads this co-op, but uh Jamie Sims, the AD over there, and I work pretty close together along with uh Madison West, Madison Edgewood, and Madison Memorial formed this co-op. Um we had five participants on this team this year. Um two of which were captains, which was always great to see that, you know, our our leadership transcends more than just our school district. Um they also made the sectional semi-finals where they lost to the Beaver Dam co-op. Our boys hockey program h had a share for conference for their eighth consecutive year. So they've won conference eight years in
007a row now. Um that's pretty cool to see and hear. Um 16 and 11. They lost to a lot of good competition. They uh also won regionals and then they lost to Edgewood in the sectional final. Um, Coach Fiser uh did a great job this year with an unproven team and the team really came together to show who what it means to play Wildcat hockey and that was great to see and very thankful for the community and you know that's always one of those sports that gets a lot of support at so it's great to see and for all that hard work. Coach Meiser was honored as the big coach of the year by his um counterparts. Our girls gymnastics team um we do co-op with Edgewood for this. They were conference champs again this
008year uh 7 and0 and they also won the conference meet with both the varsity and JV team. Uh they they won team sectionalss and they advanced 11 in individual events. Um in talking with co Butch before um she said there was a chance to do that and they followed through. The girls competed well. Um I was fortunate enough to make it up to the state uh meet on that Friday and watch them compete in the team and that that's a really cool atmosphere up in Wisconsin Rapids and they got third. Um maybe not where they wanted to be but they they fought out. It was a very competitive field and at the end of the day it comes down to you know everyone performing. They did a great job and as I mentioned we did
009have the individual state champion on the floor was so Marcus and that is the third place team. So those were the the eight gymnasts that represented us out on um and this year it was all eight Vona students. You know, they all came from BHS. Um the Edgewood girls obviously were a valuable part of the team as well, but this year it happened to be all eight. And only one of them is a senior, so you know, that's hopefully exciting things for what's ahead. Our boys swim uh dive team, they won conference duels for the first time in Big Eight history. Um this is a very strong swimming area with the history between Memorial Madison West and Middleton. So being able to do that is a big credit to coach Werger um his staff and
010obviously the swimming and divers. Uh they got sectional in second and sectionals and they advanced 15 individuals and for the first time in division one history they got second place. So they were state runners up. So that completed the coach worker second place sweep for the year were both boys and girls. Um and that was the highest finish in D1 history. They did have some championships in division 2 back in the late 1990s. Um but that was really cool. I think the team was happy how they came together. So that was great to witness. And that is the team that was up there and obviously they they had a blast and coach worker I hear didn't want to give that trophy up. Um, wrestling. We'll have three slides here just because um, we we were
011in a cool situation where we're at, bro. So, this is the combined team. So, they competed in duels together. They were six and three. They got second in the conference meet with five individual champs. And then we get into our boys wrestling. So, starting um, two years ago, the WIA started a girls wrestling individual championship. So previous to that they would have to compete with the boys weights and with the boys and the interest started to grow. So two years ago they were in lacrosse during the state tournament. Last year they were in the Cole Center with everyone and this year they're with the Cole Center and next year they're making a move with girls to uh make it a team side as well. So we'll get to that with them. So the boys team
012once you get into regionals was just for the boys. Um so they ended up advancing two to state with a podium finish with uh Carson Bremer getting sixth uh at 157 pounds. And then our girls program um coach a this is one of the things he really pushed when he you know past couple years talking to him last year they were able to get I believe five or six girls out and they really bought into the concept of bring a friend or two and this year they were up to 20 girls. So, like I was mentioning, next year the WA uh you have to declare at the beginning of the year if you want to wrestle boys or girls. So, they still have that choice. If they choose to wrestle on the boy scene, they
013can. Um but our girls team is strong in numbers. There was five or six seniors, but I I think if we keep building the way we have, uh we're going to be one of the bigger teams in the state. Uh we hosted the Big Eight girls wrestling showcase this year here at BHS. uh it went from about 30 competitors last year to we were at about 90 this year. So even within the area it's really growing. Uh they also had two qualifiers for state. So overall our wrestling had four. And just some overall uh department updates. Uh we started our student athlete initiated leadership group sale uh on 36. We had our first meeting. Um, and it was really cool when you take start something new and kind of I don't want to say course
014students they applied and all that. Um, you don't know what the buying's going to be like, right? And all the feedback in is awesome. The kids love it. They love the idea of it and that was the purpose of it. We want to give that student voice within our athletics and activities program. Um, obviously we're starting with athletics because those are the students that, um, I have a little more, you know, insight with the coaches and they see them usually three, four years, but it's hope something we hope to grow into our activity side as well. Uh, we started an alumni update that highlights our student athletes that are out in college, our approach playing. Um, that's something that we're going to put on the fieldhouse TV just to highlight. I mean, I think we
015ended up with 50s something student athletes that are still competing at the second level. on a post-secary level, which is awesome to see. Um, we do have two interim head coaches that are returning from the fall for the head coaching vacancies. So, I was glad that they enjoyed their experience and want to come back. And then going forward, spring sports started last week. Um, we have three more rolling out today, four technically. Softball, boys and girls lacrosse start today. And then baseball starts their conditioning week where they're allowed an extra week of pitching pretty much. of uh those teams to be ready. Um we're starting to schedule a 2526 athletics kickoff meeting just to get some of those district-wide things knocked off right away and to also kind of unite just like we do as
016a district staff at the beginning of the year to come for a common purpose, common goal for the year. It's something that the coaches have asked for and it's something that I want to pursue and also get some of these um stakeholders here. So, you know, the nurses where they have to do the these epiPen trainings and stuff like that. It's tough because our coaches are here from 4:30 to 9:30 most nights and our nurses work 8 to 4. So, trying to find a way to meet them in the middle and um get an opportunity to help um our coaches meet the district's uh requirements to be staff members and such. And then finally, we are in the process of hiring our boys soccer coach. Uh we finished interviews last week, so now just kind
017of in that reflection process and trying to figure out the direction we want to go. Do you have any questions for me? We appreciate you coming in and helping all the highlights. It's exciting. It's like sports center for Yeah, it's shoot some highlights. Well, I I spent a lot of time on Hubble, but I was on that. No, I I was doing some reflecting. I was very fortunate. It's like, you know, like Dr. Clarity said like the winter season becomes a grind especially towards the end when you know we had hockey and uh girls basketball kind of overlapping gymnastics in there and just my biggest thing is I want our students to feel valued right and part of that is me being places and I'm very lucky I got a very supportive home and you
018know my wife understands like hey I have to go to this game I have to go up to Rapids um and I tell people I'm lucky I get paid to watch sports now right like at the end of there's a lot of people that wish they got paid to watch sports and you know there there's more to it but um I'm fortunate and like now like Dr. play said, you know, this week, next week, it's kind of a down period for me, which is nice. And then spring sports ramps up. And as Chad said right before this, that's more of the what do I get to reschedule this week and not so much the, you know, what's happening. But um I'm lucky I got a great staff. You know, Teresa and Sydney do a great
019job supporting me. And then we have a great group of uh staff workers that help work. So it makes my job easier. It makes me able to do things that, you know, other athletic directors aren't able to do. So I'm very fortunate to be here and thank you all. Thank you. Thank you again for also highlighting the academic success of our student athletes. I that's a really really powerful thing to see that to the level with which our students are participating athletic and doing the same in the classroom and the ongoing collaboration that that takes from all staff, coaches, everything. So thanks for highlighting that too. Thank you. And now we clap again. Sorry. So yeah, thank you. All right, moving on to our next agenda item in the superintendent report. Absolutely. So, the next
020update is is regarding the Dane County School Consortium known as DCSC. Uh just for a quick overview, uh the Dane County School Consortium is a group of uh districts around Dayne County uh that that came together and initially when when it was uh put together years and years ago. It was uh in support of uh uh well used to you to support youth apprenticeships across each of the districts and help with the assignment placement and monitoring of of youth apprenticeships as well as uh working with the grant funding that goes along with the with the youth youth apprenticeships as well. Um since this time there are two issues at hand that that bring me with a strong recommendation for uh uh the language that's uh up for board vote later on which would be to
021withdraw from the Dane County school consortium inter agency agreement overall and then uh authorizing me as a superintendent to uh dissolve the Dane County school consortium inter agency uh due to the due to the following factors. Uh and and for that second vote, it would be the Ronary School District vote, but it would have to be by twothirds of the other boards that are currently members of the of the D County Consortium. So, we'd be one of the potential potential votes. Uh the two issues and currently the fiscal manager or fiscal manager for the uh Dane County School Consortium, excuse me, is the Monona Grove uh school district. Winona Grove did uh make all districts aware um not quite a year ago but it's been maybe nine or 10 months ago that uh they would
022not uh be interested in serving in the capacity of the uh fiscal fiscal manager. Uh each district was given an opportunity to take on the fiscal agency for uh for the consortium. from the Ron School District was one that did explore what that would may what that would look like and then looking at uh the impact on our budget uh office and and workforce as well as the duality of the impact that it would have on our human resources uh department. Um just realization that we were not positioned to be uh that that fiscal agency. uh of the the 17 schools that are belong, no district is has been willing to take that responsibility on and many uh beginning approximately two weeks ago began the process of uh removing themselves from the Dane County school
023consortium and similar language that you're seeing uh before you about dissolving the agreement overall. uh knowing that uh no fiscal agent is is available. I think equally and not equally more importantly um the Broner School District has uh utilize internal FTE uh and we're very happy to have uh Jenna Jenna Johnson served in the capacity of our career and tech educated coordinator and that position was not part of the Bron School District when the agreement was was sound. So we have a a person that's directly uh can work with our students on the day-to-day basis, know the families, know the students, is here at the high school and is continuing to build partnerships uh not across the county and and abroad sometimes depending on where uh we're looking at youth apprentichips. Uh we did hit
024a high of 20 youth apprentichips this year uh which was a which is a increase. And I think if I was in your in your position, I'd be asking what happens to the youth apprentichips. they they stay and we expand. Um and so the apprentichips would not uh go away. Generally we still serve as a support. Uh we do have the ability to look at the there actually is a uh agency that um uh does the work of the uh youth apprenticeships uh in the form of the uh workplace development southern Wisconsin workplace workplace development and uh we are be able to directly access through through generous support of uh working uh working directly with them. Um there's two things at hand here. Uh, one is just the D County school consortium in my opinion
025is is is not is is not a necessary consortium for the Bron to be a part of and the very likelihood based off the steps that other districts have taken and knowing that there's no fiscal agency that the consortium would even exist. Uh we are before the board because per the bylaws as far back as we were able to find was 2019 that this had to go to board vote for dissolve. Um while we are under a governance model and that generally this would be on the per p per p per p per p per p per p per p per p per p per p per purview of the superintendent uh it just felt it was appropriate based off a previously signed agreement that uh we take the action as it was clearly articulated
026that it would be board action. So Jenny, anything I missed? Great. Thank you. So there will be board action then board coming up. This would be a great time to start to service any questions potentially related to any aspect of what was just presented to us knowing that there will be again potentially two spaces to vote coming up. And Jenny, I appreciate you being here too. Just kind of right those are the logical questions of what are we potentially losing by not being a part of this organization? Um and just hearing kind of what's currently happening and where we have places to even grow and be able to do this work inhouse. Um, I know right over the years there's been a lot of things as a district that we have relied on support and
027partnerships with other districts, but as our district grows, I think there's been countless examples where we have not needed some of that financial resource to go out externally for those kind of shared resources. We can do them more internally. Yeah. And I can speak a little bit more to that. The the willingness and the partnership between other districts still exist. It it doesn't take the the um D works with our group that other districts have hired similar positions like Jenna over the over the years and so they still collaborate as a group so she doesn't feel like she's on the island doing the work solo. So it's I think it's just uh kind of some of the times where the internal capacity has just grown among districts along with this bigger urgent area of there's
028no fiscal manager. So there's there's it could possibly dissolve on its own because of lack of of fiscal management. And I I want to be thoughtful. I say this, but I when you're thinking about the selection process of students really working in partnership, you want somebody in your organization doing that work that is aligned with the mission and goals of the Ron School and the board of education. we have a have a person that knows our values, knows our stance, knows our equity framework and is able to do that that work from that perspective instead of uh and not to say they don't but they the right now that is not an agency that is under the purview of the broker school district. So we don't really always have that that space or to make
029sure that that's that's the case. And those things being said to ensure that like this is sort of inherently a part of your role that we're not then all of a sudden adding more to the role that you're doing because we've sort of skirted this side partnership. So it's helpful to hear that you've got colleagues in other spaces supports that can help you. Yeah, everybody is really helpful with each other. We meet monthly in person. So that's great. questions or thoughts from the board about we've heard so far. Okay, we're going to move on then, right? The lack of All right, here we go. Thank you for the report and the updates. We'll obviously circle back to this momentarily. Um, taking a moment just to hear and check in on any public comment. Lori, I'm
030not aware of anything. Let me Okay. All right. So then we will step into board action. So before we get back to the um Dane County school consortium, there's a suggestion about doing a moving of our social studies monitoring report related to when we get the data that's being used in that monitoring report. So um Dr. Clarity, if you want to just put a little voice to this because again any change in calendar obviously uh needs a board vote. Great. So with the social studies monitoring report, one of the indicator metrics that uh came to fruition I believe last year during vote was the need for uh data from the forward exam relative to social studies. Uh that data would not be a available until late May, maybe into June after time to analyze it,
031work at look at it through focus groups. the timing would put it uh potentially late June or or July as in terms of the appropriate calendar time. Right now it is scheduled for April where we would not have forward exam data to be able to provide. Add is just that the current indicators is building capacity and it was about the curriculum adoption process which we completed last year. So that's why we need the new indicators which would likely be the forward exam and then that's the time for available. So for the new indicators have we have we approved them? We have to approve them first. Correct. Correct. When and so do have we had a chance to look at them. I mean we don't need the data. We just need the indicators. Correct. So we
032still would do the indicator uh piece of it but we don't we weren't in a position to do an April monitoring report on indicators that so we that would also give us time to do the indicator report. Yeah. So in April we'll hear updated indicators to based off our conversation last year where forward exam data was going to be an expectation of it. We wanted to be able to have that data as part of it. Okay. Because when we came out of building capacity it was discussion that we were used for for an exam for that. Right. I guess I'm just I'm trying to make sure I'm trying to understand have we approved Yeah. because they're in here. That's what I'm trying to figure out. My understanding is the current indicators for 2.1.4 currently say
033building capacity and that's where we were and we completed those indicators last year because the indicator was during the curriculum adoption process. Got it. So now we're in a place where we would need new indicators. We haven't written them yet. Okay. Right. And we would need those to be approved. What the conversation at that time was was perhaps using forward exam data because that is aligned to social studies standards. um and we just wouldn't have that yet. So, our board reporting um preparation process is usually a month out. So, we actually should be doing that right now for the April 21st meeting. But knowing we don't we have to rewrite the indicators first. We want to get ahead of moving the board meeting when we'd actually look at those results to later when we'd have
034those results. So, we'll be through the indicators then the indicator approval will have to come before the monitoring. Correct. So, will that take the place then of the April monitoring report? It could. we go April or April or May. We also knew there was board workshop tonight about some of those results policies and getting clarity there. So we wanted to hear what that looks like and then we certainly could use April or May. April 21st we also have our science modern report and our science curriculum adoption that so just to play like sides of the process. So in theory you could bring indicators to say we're going to use a forward exam and we could say yeah we've changed our mind but that is sort of it's makes sense for that to still push out
035obviously because we have to do the indicator review. I'm just trying to play the sides of like right where the vote has to happen and what is make sure we have enough time to review and agree that we approve to then anticipate the results that we expect or sorry the data that we expected. So, how long does it usually take to you sit on it? About a meeting, two meetings. How much an indicator? Yeah. I've never you know, u some have gone in the first race, some have gone back and forth. I think a lot of I think a lot of tonight's conversation and workshop will help us understand overall results policy philosophies before we I can I can tell you how much of our indicator may be different. I mean, if to Jen's point,
036if tonight's conversation comes that we we don't want standardized tests as metrics anymore, I don't think that's where the conversation's going, but that's that would be an example. Well, obviously wouldn't write an indicator that would do that. We have plenty of time. I I never say plenty of time. We're okay. We have time. We're calendaring. Okay. to anticipate time board. Any further questions before we move ahead to potential vote about at least shifting the monitoring report knowing that we're going to have indicators to review in the time being. Okay, no further questions or discussion that I would accept a motion to move results policy 2.1.4 social studies monitoring to July 21st, 2025. So moved. Thank you, Joe. Is there a second? Second. Thanks, Christopher. All those in favor of moving the social studies monitoring report
037to July, signify with I. I. Any opposed? Okay, the motion has been approved. So then we're dipping back then into our Dayne County School Consortium. So again, this first motion um on the table is to authorize the superintendent to withdraw from the current agreement with the Dane County School Consortium. Is there a motion to approve such authorization? So moved. Carlos. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Corby. All those in favor of approving and giving from the authorization to Dr. clarity to withdraw from the state from the Dane County School Consortium inter agency agreement. Signify with I I I. Any opposed? Okay. So then just to revisit this next vote is if things go far enough, right? So if no school district takes on the fiscal responsibility of this consortium or or regardless
038of that if if districts go to this potential vote to dissolve the agency this board vote right now is to give you permission to say yes on our behalf to also dissolve the agency completely. Correct. Am I am I saying that for board members too to understand? So the vote we just took was to remove ourselves. This next vote is to give Dr. clarity the authorization to then say we'd also vote in favor of dissolving which would require the twothirds vote of all the districts involved. So not a foregone conclusion. Any more questions about that before I say it again and just really ruin it all by trying to say anything more. Okay. Is there a motion to authorize Dr. clarity to vote in favor of the dissolution. Correct. That's really a word that's not
039been in my vernacular of the day county school consortium inter agency agreement. Thank you, Christopher. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Juan. Carlos, you're going to make me say it all again. Ray, all those in favor of authorizing Dr. Clarity to vote in favor of the dissolution of the Dane County School Consortium inter agency agreement signify with I. I. Any opposed? That motion has passed. All right. Moving on through our agenda. Any um OE8 any communication updates from any board members and or general updates? I do have a couple of general updates. Okay. So, first of all, I was hoping you did. First of all, to the community, our sincerest apologies. uh the last board meeting the streaming uh apparatus went down for about 10 minutes and uh those 10 minutes were in my
040opinion very crucial. It was the start of the question and answer session with uh Chief Dresser and um Chief Dresser did an amazing job. Uh I just wanted to go over what was asked of him. Um, Chief Dresser mentioned first of all he he went through about six to eight slides uh discussing the uh SRO uh situation and and how implementation would actually work and be received and several factors uh he mentioned led to the district where we previously had an SRO not renewing it. And uh one of the things uh that he did say was uh one of the reasons was the the political environment at the time uh revolving around the George Floyd incident that we all uh know too well. And um my comment when I uh addressed it in the Q&A
041was that for families and students who look like me that uh yes it was politicized but the feelings of uh anxiety, fear, anger when uh we encounter law enforcement are very real and uh that parents and students who look like me uh question that their children may be targeted. And uh I asked Chief Dresser uh what would he do to begin building those relationships that he talked about in his presentation to ease some of that anxiety and to really let students know that SRO's are here for their protection. And his answer was brilliant. And first of all, I want to applaud him because uh his first statement was that he was well aware of how uh parents of students who uh come from marginalized communities teach their kids the dos and don'ts when they encounter
042law enforcement. And that answer right there told me that he's aware. He's fully aware of what's going on and has some some connection and empathy towards those feelings. And uh then he began to explain that he would have the SRO along with himself visit these safe spaces that su students frequent. So he mentioned the GSA uh committee, the gender support group that Christopher and I are both parts of. He talked about visiting the black student union and really having those conversations and bridging that relationship between the SRO and students. And then he went a step further and opened this door to parents and said, "Hey, you can come uh visit me at the police station, visit the SRO, really talk about what you what you have apprehensions about and open that that dialogue." So, I
043want to put that out to the community because that was missed and I thought that there was a very pivotal and important conversation that the the community should have heard. Unfortunately, the streaming went down. you know, technology uh things happen, but I wanted to share that that feedback in this space and that I thought Chief Dresser did an excellent job uh answering uh the question that I was that I asked of them. And then the second thing, the African-American History Bowl uh went on last week. Uh the sectional took place last Wednesday and the regional last Friday. I want to thank board member John Porco. He was here for uh for helping out Wednesday. That was great. And then Friday uh we had some nailbiters. Both competitions uh ended in overtime, so to speak. We
044had to uh come up with even more questions for the teams to answer to break the tie uh in both cases. and uh you know they they did a great job but unfortunately fortunately Spring Harbor won the junior competition and Middleton won the senior division. So when uh our athletic director brought up Jamie Sims I already have said to Dr. Clarity I have to hear Jamie Sims athletic director at Middleton for an entire year. Aha we won next year maybe. So those are my updates if I can expand. Thank you brother. I want to thank um Karen St Glover and Rita Mortonson who their planning and organization uh to bring bring our auditorium to life uh not just with the visuals but all the setup and uh also Jason Rubo for uh all the technology
045components of it to set up a buzzer system that would make Jeopardy look like it's nothing. Um so it's amazing. So thank you for everyone that that was in involved of it involved and while you know and I especially want to highlight all the scholars were amazing but our our junior division. Yes. We talk about the future of of our organization and the amount of passion that each uh each of the participants went and the knowledge we for junior division that they had so many qu they had they had so many correct responses that no one got a question wrong at the junior division you know and it was actually just a matter of buzzer speed but there was not one wrong question in the finals of the of the junior division between Broner School
046District uh specifically Savannah Oaks and um uh Spring Spring Harbor from the Mass. I can't even I can't even say Jason and I talked about that. He said the the middle schoolers were actually better at it than the high the high schoolers were doing. You don't have time for their hand to know both. We went into probably got to find a better name for it. We went into sudden death uh for for it was literally a millisecond between buzzer strikes that uh would have took our team to the national uh nationals in in New Orleans. So say something and thank you for putting up with us. Pleas our board updates. Uh I I had an update. Uh Christopher, Dr. clarity. Myself and Chad went to the WASBY advocacy day at the capital last week. Um
047it was interesting and enlightening in a lot of ways. Um a couple of takeaways that I want to share. We focused and we being kind of WASBY generally on advocating around increasing special education funding because that's one of those issues that hits every school. the funding is right now just below 30% and it ends up you end up having to use a lot of your general funds to cover the gap in special education funding and that's obviously subject to the revenue limit. So that hurts our ability to to just operate our schools. Uh and focusing on just uh as I just as I said it reindexing the revenue limit to inflation so that we see increases in revenue limit consistent with increases in cost. Those were kind of the issues around which we were focused
048on advocating. Um, one thing I learned is that because I I often wonder who is opposed to increasing um, the funding for special education and no one we spoke to would say that they were opposed to it. Even people that we anticipate will will advocate against it. But I did learn that there is a talking point in the community of those opposed to it that they think there's some sort of increasing funding for special education will incentivize over diagnosing um students. So we really tried in a lot of our meetings to put that myth to rest, which is just uh ridiculous to suggest that we'll do we would do that. um and it undermines the integrity of our of our staff who work so hard at at you know working with students and assessing students.
049Uh the second thing probably the more practical takeaway that I had is that the dysfunction uh in Madison is to the point that it seems very unlikely and everyone seems to concede that we won't have an ontime budget this year. So when we think about what we do with staff increases, what we do with a finalized budget come next fall, we may not even have we may not have any idea what the next bianual budget looks like from the state. So that's kind of something that we as a board need to prepare for with our planning, how we go about this. So those are my takeaways. Thanks. Yeah, thank you for being there. Good to join Chris. able to share those updates. Chad, thank you. Other updates from board members. Okay. And thank you again
050for me, too, for the things that you've shared as well. Moving on to superintendent consent agenda. Um, Dr. clarity. I'd actually like to pull the AGR report out just because I want to make sure that the board that board members fully understand again what these are. I know there's a compliance piece that those are permissible in consent. Um but even for the sake of the community because if you open those reports, they look awfully dense and so to just feel like we're kind of sliding those through consent, I I feel I'd like to have some voice to that. Absolutely. Definitely. Thank you. Yeah, I feel and I think I think we should maybe do we want that until Yeah, if we just keep that I mean it might might be good for reminder sake but
051yeah at least for the time being if we could just have some kind of further understanding for board members and community what it is that we are looking at here. Most definitely. Thank you. So um AGR stands for achievement gap reduction. It is the next iteration. Some of you may have been familiar with Sage schools. AGR replaced Sage. So AGR is a form of state aid that's directed specifically at grade levels A3 again evolved from SAGE I think around 2017 2018 schools that were SAGE schools automatically became um EGR schools through our AGR contract which is a five-year contract. We have to use one of three different strategies or any combination of those with which to um address gaps in achievement. And so we can provide one-on-one tutoring. we can use the funding to support
052instructional coaching. We're reducing class sizes at the K3 level to 18 students per class. And so then what you see here is as part of that each of our schools is required to set performance objectives at beginning of the year for grades K 1, two, and three in both reading and in math. And then we need to report to the board midyear, which is what this data is that you're seeing reporting today. And then again at the end of the year our progress towards that um towards those performance objectives. So if you actually look at is it helpful J if we walk through one that be useful? Okay. So, we pull up Stoner Prairie just for example, and you can see the way that it is it is organized. Um, the first row obviously just
053with the headers and then reading you see they had 57 students at the beginning of the year. 51% were above that 25th percentile. So, our schools have aligned this data with the data that's required for reading plans for ACT 20. And so, you can see it's 51% were at or above 25% the beginning of the year, 49% below. If you jump all the way over then to after the heavier black line there and you see the fall semester progress, they're now at 67% of students are at or above that 25th percentile and 33% are below the 25th percentile. So you can see kind of the growth that they've made from their baseline performance in the fall to after their fall semester progress. And then the last column is spring semester progress is what we'll bring
054back to you at the end of the year. Um, and then you can kind of see their strategy in the middle, their AGR strategy. For this particular one, they're calling out the work of instructional coaching. Um, and then as you scroll down, they've named instructional coaching. Um, really throughout other schools have a mix of different strategies. One of the again, one of those three strategies or a combination of those. And then the other columns just explain kind of the the rationale for how they believe that strategy will impact the student data. Does that help orient you to the report at all? Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Question. How come in some of the reports it doesn't look like the minimize it? Uh the AGR strategy column is blank in some of them. Got it. On the full
055report. I just I'm asking from a compliance standpoint because I know that the reason these reports are being presented is for compliance purposes. Glacier glacier. Right. Yeah. I think it's because the majority of our schools are using a combination of them and they fit within the rationale. But we can certainly go back and if it's if it's not a compliance problem, I'm not worried about it. Yeah, I think our compliance is to present it to the board as well, but we can fix that part of it and we can make sure um in the spring that that's if there's a better way for us. This is the state form that we report the data on. Probably not the most user friendly, but we could certainly look in the spring if that's something the board's interested
056at presenting this data in a different way. Is there a way to maybe roll this into like a results reporting? I mean, it's just some different information just to kind of see some of the the points likely are star data that we're using for math, which kind of rolls into some of our R2 data. The um Ames web data that we're using for that kindergarten example right now is not in a results policy, but that is our AC20 data. If we're shifting any of the metrics or indicators for language arts, this might be one of them. Um so I do think all of these indicators are the only exception would be we use um number corner is the math metric at at kindergarten because they don't take star math. Um so that would be the
057only indicator that's not captured within a larger data snapshot within a different R2 results policy at this point. But if that would be helpful to tease out we certainly could. I don't believe in our results policies we could report out specifically K3 ever. No, that would be because I think we have 29. So, we don't have that that band. And if this is a data that's already being collected, that would be really helpful to give us the full picture. Yeah, most definitely. And is there a reason we don't see the charters on here? Are they not AGR schools? So, my understanding is that Sage began um when the SAGE process began and Sage schools were identified, they needed to have 30% of students that were identified as low income. Okay. at that time and then
058save schools automatically became AGR schools. At this point, schools can't apply to the AGR any further. So, we have our four neighborhood elementary. And then, can you clarify? So, I heard you say something about a five-year contract. Where are all of our schools on the same timeline with these or do you know like I can follow up and find out exactly. And then do you graduate out of this? Is this a perpetual thing that schools are always asked to do or this piece where you kind of said there's with a achievement reduction? Is this something that all schools are asked to do at these levels in the state? All schools that receive this funding need to report in this way. Got it. And so as long as we're receiving that funding, we will continue to
059report in this way. Got it. This is different than um ATSI status or CSI status um where some schools will exit after a specific period of time. slightly different. Okay. So, this is tied to additional funding to help support at these grade levels. So, therefore, this reporting is to justify the how we're using the strategies and how we're monitoring our progress along the way. That's helpful also. But I I can find out more about the specific timeline. I don't know that that matters as much just knowing it's perpetual, but just Yeah. Okay. Other questions from the board? That was super helpful. Thank you for Yeah. giving us some more voice to those. If there are different ways you want the spring data presented, we're certainly open to that as well. Well, and to keep it
060I mean, if it's if this is a form that's consistent with the state, too, right? We certainly don't need any redundancy on your part of creating things that are right. If this is how it goes to DPI, great. I think bringing that to us, but giving us some space to process is super helpful. I think the question on the table from Meredith though was is this something that is now you want out of consent to be permanently or is it just pull pull from crescent when appropriate? Yeah. Thoughts? I mean I think it's something that it if it's nice to have it out of consent so we can at least touch base on it. It is something that I think of interest. This is you know the results that we you know are kind of
061focusing on. Um so to have it in consent seems kind of have to dig forward. So yeah that would be my thought but to suggest I agree I agree to discuss it and I feel similar just in the sake of I'm a community member right and being able to see something that looks that robust. Um it feels a little bit odd to have not had some sort of awareness or conversation around it. Again, even though it's a compliance piece, um I think that's something that directly related to achievement and results feels worth having. Data points were we're not otherwise getting so that's useful, right? Yeah. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Um so with all of that said, we are still in a space to officially um approve the consent agenda. So, any other questions
062or anything additional about the items there? Hearing none, then the superintendent's consent agenda is approved as presented. Um, and again, please look over then our board's consent agenda. Any questions on that? Hearing none, the board's consent agenda then is also approved. um future dates. Just want to make a note, we do not have another board meeting prior to the election. So, just making sure that voicing to the community and fellow board members that the election will be taking place before we reconvene in this space, which is pretty wild to think about. Um so, looking forward to having Christopher and Joe on the ballot. Um yeah, and taking time to to exercise your right to vote. Then we have future meeting dates on there as well. So with that said, we will then shift into workshop.
063I do have John um calling in. So John, I'll try to do some prefacing and um if you want to bring voice to anything, I'll do my best to kind of elevate you so folks can hear. Um but we'll shift into workshop mode and I would like to just kind of give I think a general preface to the items that you have. So, if you recall a number of weeks ago, um, Meredith and John and I agreed to kind of do some of the back work to give us some things to think about and work from when it comes to revisiting our results policies. Um, and one of the main things that we were contemplating was trying to get more alignment between the strategic framework and journey of a lifelong learner that was created as
064a result of deep and rich community um, input and having that really be reflected more obviously and maybe in in general in our results policies. Um, so thanks to John for putting in a lot of the kind of grunt work of taking our conversations and giving us a starting point. I really feel that for the sake of some of these workshops, having something to work from, I feel gives us a chance to be more fruitful and productive than attempting to kind of build from scratch as a group of seven. So super appreciate the conversation and time with Meredith and John's work behind the scenes. Um, you do have two documents from John We will start with the one that is the kind of draft rewrite of the results policies themselves. Um the second document is
065kind of the beginning of what I consider to be almost a guide book to help us as board members be able to determine what reasonable progress really is. Um and John Meredith and I talked about this. The title of that second second document does include operational expectations, but we agreed that those would not necessarily be the same for operational expectations because that vote is something a little bit different. Yeah. Are we in workshop? Yeah, we're in workshop. The tables are bringing the people. Yeah. Can I I'll just finish my spiel and then we can Is that all right? Okay. Okay. I just make sure the Yeah, that's a good idea. Okay. I got a little excited as we were shifting ahead here. Um, and then we'll spend our time again tonight on the first draft
066of the results. My hope is that we don't get stuck in verbiage. We have plenty of space to word smmith. My hope is we can talk more big picture about the general structure and what we think of these policies as outlined in this way as a starting point and thoughts and feedback about that. Um, so John, anything initial you want to add and then we'll take a pause to kind of rework the room. Okay, I got a thumbs up very quietly through. All right, so we can take a quick pause. Um, should we take kind of an official five minutes and just revamp and board members can get their documents up in front of them and running and we'll get set for some discussion. That's just