001You're welcome. Thank you. All right. Uh before we get started, just ask if uh if you are here in the audience, if you could before you leave, just sign in if you haven't already on the um the desk outside the door. Um we will roll into our meeting operations uh which is agenda item two. This will be a consent agenda for the approval of the April 7th special board meeting. Approval uh minutes, approval of the April 8th minutes, uh approval of the April 14th special board meeting minutes, approval of April 15th special board meeting minutes, and approval of agenda items tonight. I get a motion, please. So moved, Justin. Second. Thanks, Steve. Discussion. All in favor? I. All right. May I please get a consent motion for business operations which would consist of the general
002fund warrants for April 15th in the amount of $990,7828 school lunch warrant for April 15th the amount of $15,996 in the uh multiple cse CPSC recommendations as listed. Make a motion please. Thanks Ken. Second. Thanks Justin. discussion. All in favor? I I turn over to Dr. Spring presentations. Okay. So, before I turn it over to our teacher leaders, I first wanted to share some good news. So, today you may have received this through Parent Square. I I hope you did. So, we were able to move forward um again that was a real priority for the board at our last meeting with our summer enrichment program. So, um, our MPS team, um, has, uh, named it the Great Outdoor Summer Camp. So, that's going to be for preK through, um, fifth grade, rising preK through fifth
003grade students. Um, preK, we are able to uh, charge it back to the grant for the next school year. So, it's really kind of a no-brainer. Why wouldn't we include preK? Um and um I also was able to apply for some grants to help subsidize it. So not a lot, but $5,000 worth of grants. Um one to Aderonduct Bank, a total of 5,000. One to the Gallup Foundation, which is Price Chopper, and then the other one to Stewarts. So hopefully, and we'll find out before um the program starts. So hopefully those will come through. Uh, but I just wanted to announce that we also have our ABC kindergarten camp again um at the end of August for three days and then our um two-day um one, two, three camp for our prek students. And just
004so you know about preK, so we're already full for the next school year. We have a waiting list of three right now. Two right now. So that's the strongest enrollment that we've ever had with preK. So So word is out that we have a great program. So excited about that. Do you know how many children we have in the district at that age? So it's hard to find everybody. Um, so usually I mean our kindergarten classes range between 40 to 50 and there are always some students who didn't attend a prek program and the the the challenge is how do you find them? And so we do use our connected community schools um folks, the public library to try to find students who maybe aren't attending who are eligible. And um so we'll continue those
005efforts, but now we have the waiting list. So um so watch our numbers. Worst case scenario, we could potentially look for more money in the grant if we had enough. Well, that would be a whole other section. Yes, that we need 16 more kits. Last year at this time, we only had about 12 in UPK. So I'm just curious kindergarten this year. 55. No. How many are in? I mean, it's more than 50, right? It's at least 50. It's a larger class. Yeah. And I think it is like 55, right? Yeah. That's why. Yeah. So, so we could So, we our allocation Yep. So, our allocation through the state is pretty significant. So, we could apply for a third class. So, I mean, that would be really great news. And also I wanted to show
006you this. So, welcome MPS. When you go to MPS, you're going to see a new um upgraded entryway. Uh we have a new rug there and we've um hardened the uh you know the the the the unit there for um reception. So that's all been replace threshold. Yes. Yeah. So, all that's been done. So, it looks really, really nice. Yeah. Exciting. Okay. So, every year we like to have our teacher leaders come and we like to have them share their highlights of the school year. Um, this is our fourth year with our teacher leader program and we're really grateful for all the work that you do in leading curriculum, leading instruction, leading professional development um with our teachers. So we are going to get started and just go to the podium and we'll start first
007with McKenzie Mhen. What I drag everything. All right. All right. Um hello everybody. I'm McKinley Salooi. Those that don't know me, um I'm the teacher leader for grades preK through first. Um, so this year we're giving an update on our action plan and our goals really range in preK through first. We're prek is using a screening tool called the BGA. Um, and then in kindergarten and first grade, we're using Dibbles testing for ELA and I ready testing for math. Um, for preK, they're singing praises to their classrooms. They seem to be very happy with the way things are going. Um, the students are doing well. They feel that they're using our pro same programs. They're using our ELA, CKLA program. They're using Eureka Squared for math. um and their students are naming letters, counting, they
008feel about half of their kids are on their way to meeting their end ofear goals. Um so they feel very good about their program. Um and like you said, it's the enrollment shows must be catching on. um kindergarten is looking at their um their dibbles data. We don't have data yet for end of the year obviously um but they're seeing about half their class again on track already for meeting their end of year goals. Sorry to interrupt. Will you talk about what Dibbles is? Oh, sure. So, Dibbles is a screening tool we use for ELA. And so, the difference is it has a lot of components to it, especially in kindergarten and first grade. So, in kindergarten, we're looking at can they name their letters? Um, do they know their letter sounds all the way
009up to are they reading? And then the big goal for the upper grades is their oral reading fluency. So, we start looking at their oral reading fluency midway through first grade. So, we really got the first screening in January of first grade. Um, so we'll be looking at that again at the end of the year to see how we're doing with them um with their goals in first grade. Um, so kindergarten is really looking at their letter naming fluency, their sounds, letter sound fluency. Um, you know, I'm sorry I'm kind of jumping all over the place, but we've been working really closely with our reading league coach and our win groups. So, we're targeting students based off if they didn't do well on the dibbles testing. Then, we're looking specifically at different skills and seeing
010which skills they really need help with and then we split them into groups and target those skills for their students. So, in first grade right now, I'm teaching the tier 1 group, which means they're at or above where they need to be, and they're working. I have about 18 19 students out of our 45 students. They're right at or where they need to be right now. And then we know exactly where the other students need to be. So, if they're working on still looking at letter sounds, there's a group that's that's learning letter sounds. And if they're looking at vowel consonant ewords, we have a group just doing that or long vowel sounds and they work their way up into the tier one group. Um, and then in math, we're still pro piloting our Eureka
011squared programs for the second year and we're um pract supporting that with I Ready lessons and Miss Fucci. Uh so she takes some groups when she can a couple days out of our fiveday cycle to target students there. So does anyone have any questions? Yes. Dibbles is three times a year. Yeah. The dibbles information. It's not a It's not a specific line item on the No, it's like a separate sheet. Um, not that I know of. No. we have like communication with parents regarding like updates on like the fluency other than that. So if if the student is on grade level then they would just get their report card. If they're receiving any services then they get another AIS report and that might show a graph of exactly where they are with their monthly checks.
012So, they might not be getting monthly checks if they're already uh showing that they're on grade level for each benchmark testing. Does that make sense? Okay. All right. Thank you. Lisa Fucci, thank you. Thank you, McKenley. Great job. Okay. Yeah, still miss. It's okay. I still answer. Don't worry. Um, I'm Lisa Perucci. I am now the AIS math teacher. Um, but I do have a big part of my heart that's still in third grade. Did it for, you know, 16 years, so it's a big piece of me. Um, I am the teacher leader for grades two and three. Um, just to piggyback off of what McKinley was saying, we do use Dibbles for our reading fluency scores. Um, my teachers were saying that they feel like their students are making progress with their fluency. They're
013seeing um them being actively engaged with our CKLA. They like the topics. Um, they're happy with our reading groups that are very fluid. Kids are in and out of each group based on their progress. Um, using the data from our win groups to reorganize our groups. So once a kid has passed out of a subset skill, they are quickly and easily moved into the next group, which is nice. So that way you're not wasting a lot of time with the kids being in one group where they've mastered that skill. Um, so our teachers are very happy with the fluidity of the groups. As for math, we are using I Ready, but we have looked into changing that. We listen to the teachers. A lot of our primary teachers were not happy with I Ready. um
014it wasn't very user friendly, especially at the primary level. Um it's an online test and asking a 5-year-old to take a 60-minute online test independently is, you know, probably not best practice. So, we looked into other things. We're looking into EXL for next year, which I think will be a nice change for us. We are also using um the Eureka Squared. Our teachers are enjoying that as well. Um, one thing that our second and third grade really have worked hard to do with our math is to make sure that we're incorporating fact fluency because just like with reading, if you don't know your facts, you can't do upper level math. You just you need to have those baseline skills. So, they work really hard to try to fit in reflex math. Um, second grade said
015that they try to take tried to do reflex daily with whatever time is left over from their math lesson. So, if they finish their math lesson early, they get the kids on to reflex math. Um, se uh third grade I know uses it a lot of the times as their morning work. The kids come in and while we're waiting for the kids to come in from breakfast and unload their backpacks and those kinds of things, that's when they're trying to work on it. So, they're trying to find that time during the day to work on those skills. Um, third grade also reported that they are finding the apply books from Eureka Math Squared helpful to integrate spiral review with daily practice. Uh, third grade also really enjoys how Eureka Math Squared is organized with the
016topics. They feel like it's a good progression for them to follow. Uh, our math win time is the same time as our reading time. So, as McKinley was saying, I take a few students while the other students get reading. Um, I think it's going well. Um, my the students that I have have been making progress with what we are doing. One thing that our second grade team was great about um Eureka Math Squared has a secondary component called an equip test which is more or less a diagnostic of what they what subset of skills the students need in order to be successful with their grade level module. So second grade jumped in with me and they gave that equip testing. So now with my second grade group, I am pre-teaching the essential skills for them
017to be effective with their grade level content. We've only been doing it for about two weeks now, so I don't have a ton of data to back that up, but one of the teachers did tell me that they were noticing one of our struggling learners that we share was really excited and was raising her hand to answer questions. So that I take as a win. Um, other than that, we again we don't have end of the year testing for any of our dibbles or are you ready because that's done in June. Are there any questions for second and third grade? So, so I just wanted to commend you this year. So, and and Lisa has provided professional development in math for our our NPS elementary teachers. This year, we've had Eureka math as our second
018year and you've really helped to support them to grow and develop and and and you've done a great job. So, I just wanted to thank you for that. Any other questions? I do have one. Oh, right. Bring it on. Um, so when just to clarify, you said the win time for math is the same for ELA. So they're not are they missing ELA when they go to math or is it like separated or Well, what we do is a lot of the times we we share kids. Um, Kelly Hilddrth and I take obviously the students that are the most struggling. So a lot of the times the kids that are most struggling in reading are in fact the kids that are most struggling in math. So, what we've decided is she will take them 3
019days out of the 5-day rotation and I take them the other two. So, since it's the shared time, that was what we could do for this year. Is there any consideration to have like a math win or an ELA win? I don't know. That's just where my mind if they need both. We've talked about it. I'm thinking we're nodding. We're hoping that it can be they tend to struggle maybe one more we're hoping to build that in that sounds great which would also give our second and third graders that time for their reflex math and the fact fluency and if we are moving forward with word with a Eureka squared that equipped testing that I spoke of will also put kids into tiered groups very much like what Dibbles does so the teachers would be
020able to provide targeted instruction for each grouping. Yeah, that sounds really good. Especially if I know the half on track to meet the end of the year goals. So, if we could up that with more time focused on students that are struggling would be sounds we can make it work. It sounds good, but I know there's lots of logistics and stuff that go into that. So, thank you. Thank you very much. No problem. So, our teacher leader for grades five six is Kelly Hilddrth. And um presenting for Mrs. Hildrth is our principal, Kathy Zangrell. Yes. Um Mrs. Hildrith just had a knee replacement, so that's why she's um not able to join us. Yeah, she was just out. She just returned um but it's only been a month. So, um she had a quick recovery.
021So um for fifth and sixth grade is a lot of echoing what our other fabulous teacher leaders uh mentioned for their action planning. Their ELA goal is for an increase in reading fluency. We track that um you know three times a year with the dibbles that um McKinley already talked about but then we also do progress monitoring about every three three to four weeks as well to track progress for oral reading fluency. For whole group instruction, we use CQLA, which um you've heard quite a bit about. We also um implement our what I need groups, the win reading groups. Again, you heard from our other teacher leaders on what that looks like. Um for some of our fifth and sixth graders that are still working on decoding the word on the page, so reading the
022actual words on the page, we're implementing phonics focused sixstep lesson plan that was introduced to us by the reading league coach. um it's it's grounded in reading the science of reading and how to how to teach students how to decode. So, we're implementing that with students that are still working on that. We use our Dibble scores um as as the other two teacher leaders said. Um we're measuring our growth on our Dibble scores. So, at the end of the year, we'll be able to compare that to the beginning of the year. For math, we are tracking progress through using I Ready, which is our universal screener. We use Eureka Math Square. This is our second year using it, right? Um for our whole group instruction. They also fifth and sixth grade teachers are finding our
023fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teachers are finding time as well during their day to use reflex math, which is to work on math fluency facts. And then we uh for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade, it's the win math time is also the same as the reading. But um what we found for the older grades is one of the classroom teachers also pulls a math group. Uh so that's kind of an extra hit for those kiddos as well with math. Um and then Mrs. Fuchi supports those kids in math as well as well as Mrs. Hilddras for reading. And then um same as reading, all of our um benchmark scores will be collected at the end of the year through our I Ready testing to see if we met the mark for Yep. Go ahead. No,
024they're both talking about reflex is a program that starts in STEM. That's why I didn't mention it, but with the if we do ISL next year, that will be nice because that is a fluency component and that will be nice. Jump. No, jump in as much as you want. We are retiring. Retiring already in place. Yes. So, fourth and fifth and sixth grade has also been focusing on science as well. So, uh there a group of teachers have been researching different curricular resources that we could possibly purchase for the district. They h are hoping to be able to purchase Amplify Science. Amplify is the company that we also get our ELA series through. So what we found when we uh did our research is that amplify science really aligns really really nicely with CKLA which
025is our reading program and um you know the we met with the rep we have looked at sample materials and they uh the teachers really feel like the rigor is there which is is kind of what has been missing from uh our previous curricular resources. Any questions? I have fun again. Um I as a social studies teacher, I feel like if I don't ask about social studies, I will regret it later. So um social studies for prek through six. I know that wasn't on the slides anywhere. So what are we doing for social studies? Yep. So our teachers do have set time for social studies. But the amazing thing about CKLA is the background knowledge, the knowledge portion of it is covers much of our social studies uh standards and and curriculum. So um it's
026like exactly what we're looking for. The content is embedded right within our ELA um curriculum. And do the CK CKLA what they have for social studies match the New York State standards or is that like a national program that it it is a national program. the teachers have done a crosswalk to see what overlaps. Like I know for example fifth grade a lot of it does overlap. So Katie Akens teaches science and social studies but what she's found is a lot of her social studies um standards are covered in CLA. So she just kind of touches upon them and then she can spend more of her time on the science. So our teachers have done that crosswalk to see you know what uh units they have to teach separately for social studies and then what
027is embedded right in the ELA. So, is that something we like if that's an atlas as far as like the CK CKLA versus like New York State standards and like what matches? Oh, do we have the social studies curriculum maps? I think it's just the ELA and math. Yep. I don't even think so. Yeah. I have a couple questions. How I mean everything sounds great. Seems like we're making progress. Really appreciate your work. Do we feel like we're measuring the progress of I think it's probably fourth and fifth grades to see if they've really made up the COVID learning gap because they were impacted really heavily. Yeah. Being what kindergarten and first grade, right, when everything was at its peak. So, um, are you talking about Yeah, I'm guessing you're talking about overall academically. Yeah,
028reading specifically I think is where my concern is. I think that's where the win I will tell you coming to this district where the win time was implemented to me was like this is amazing because it is a set time for every grade level during the day where we're meeting their targeted skills and then that progress monitoring is built in exactly what you're talking about so we can measure that progress and if kids aren't um aren't making progress the progress you're talking about in the skill areas we're able to bring them to what we call IST. It's our instructional support team. Um, we bring uh Lisa comes, Kelly Fucci, our school psychologist, and we talk about what other things, what other interventions we can put into place for them. That that win time really, I
029mean, certainly the tier one, you know, the the instruction that everyone gets is great. It's Eureka Squared and CLA are great programs. Um, but that win time is huge for exactly what you're talking about. So, we can monitor that progress and then meet and talk about other things to put into place if kids aren't making progress. And then second question, and we may not know this yet. I don't know. Are we measuring or do we feel like we can measure and understand if all of this is helping the sixth graders with the transition to seventh and then eighth grade because historically that's as a district where we've seen a lot of struggles in seventh grade. I think that's pretty normal the age, junior high, all those things. But yeah, like in terms of academics or
030like overall I mean academics but also just behavioral they go hand in hand. I think the social emotional and like behavioral I think ro I think the departmentalized in fourth, fifth and sixth grade is good because they're used to having different teachers. They're good. They're used to rotating. Um I think that's good for kind of that aspect. Um so so let me just interject for one minute. So you can see here we're getting a new curriculum for grades five, four, five in science. Well that's because grade six is already aligned with six, seven, eight and we already bought a new you know the resources so that he could be aligned. So, the teachers in sixth grade, sometimes they come up here and they work with their team here. Um, and sometimes they'll stay back and
031they'll work with their team there. So, so, so they go back. They go both places. That bridge, too. Yeah. I think again like I I see tons of progress. I appreciate all the work. a sixth grader. That's the best past couple weeks in MPS for us. But, you know, I think that the the goal, what we should keep striving for is the improvement, but then that continuity between MPS up here to junior senior high where there's so much going on for kids at that age anyway. And like in our district, they make one building change and just are we sure that we're really capturing everything and preparing them? So they succeed in seventh and beyond. Thank you. Thank you. Great job. We were so You want to start with English? Maybe you and Kurt do
032English or I I can't see it from here. I'll have to It's also an eye test. I'll blame her. All right. So, we're kind of on the spot that says had a last minute back up. Um, so for English, again, you're talking about the continuity and going through with that. Uh, one of the biggest things that the English department has been working on is looking more at somewhat of like a think about like a thematic unit. If you think about looking at ELA where you have an anchor text and then bringing in other works and stuff that goes along with it. So for example, uh Mrs. Hummer currently reading speak um she brought in non-fiction work talking about mental health and the students read a article on mental health teenage mental health you know what
033are the triggers what are um the datas learning how to annotate um non-fiction text along with their work um if you look at the it's hard to read up there but you can see like in the eighth grade project you're trying to pull in other works to go with the current text that they're doing. Uh, one of the things that we're kind of talking about in seventh and eighth grade, they kind of soft introduce it. It's kind of like a best practice thing that we're going to look at implementing is notice and note is one of the techniques for reading. And you talk about that bridge from sixth grade. Really, if I look at no iss going from sixth grade to get them to ninth grade and it's a really simple way of teaching kids
034while they read a text to look for six different signposts and when they see a signpost they learn to stop reflect on the reading and it's a big shift from the days of when I was in school and I had the three pages that I had to say what the character said at this page what you know checking the facts as you go along too and more of that approach to reading for understanding, noticing the things that you go through and do. Uh in ELA, uh one of the biggest things changed is that we did offer the regent exam in January to all 11th graders. Um, and the results were slightly lower than in the past, but one of the things that I found out from working in the Boseis principles and stuff is that
035the exam in January plummeted across the state and our dip is nowhere near where the dip was for everybody else in in the area. So, it is on the hardest time ELA exam given in years. Our kids did perform really well. So kids who were not successful on it, we have an ELA plan for them. So they're actually meeting with Mrs. Brennan during um their time. She's going to pull each group out. They over the superintendent's conference day uh the English teachers went through every exam of kids who were not successful highlighted where their gaps were. So they have an item analysis for each specific kid who with their target things. And that's what Mrs. Brennan's going to work on with them as we go through the next month and a half. Um this June
036we are offering uh the ELA exam is going to be given to our 10th grade honors. ELA exam it's traditionally it's 11th grade but you can really take it at any point. You just have to pass the English exam sometime before you graduate. So one of the things we're doing is we're going to offer to our English 10 honors because next year we are offering a new um AP course. So we're going to a offer AP language. So in 11th graders our kids will take AP language in 12th grade they'll take AP literature. what's the difference between the two courses. AP language is a more non-fictionbased. So looking for, you know, reading non-fiction text, you know, analyzing data, looking at that sort of stuff where you look at AP literature, that's your typical non-fiction, you
037know, traditional college course of literature. Um, so we're going to be implementing that. So this way by getting the ELA exam out of the way for our 10th graders, that's one thing they don't have to worry about in 11th grade. They'll just focus on the AP exam and getting the skills and stuff that they need for that. Any questions? I'm going on the fly. Yes. Yeah. So, I liked the idea of ignite tests in the middle of the great to provide remediation. Yeah. Have we do we feel we've learned anything? So, one of the things I was hearing the whole plan actually it's funny because I implemented this exact same plan at Proctor when we was first time they've offered it. Yo, um also what um Mrs. Brennan and I have talked about is we're
038changing we're going to end up flipping some of our focus in the 11th grade year and in 10th grade. So, a lot of stuff because we're going to be taking that exam in 11th grade, making sure we're moving some more of those skills down into the 10th grade so they have those writing prompts and the writing practice what they need there. So, when they get to the middle of 11th grade, we can do it. Now, we also within the 11th grade unit, we're flipping what things are being taught. So, you're doing more of your writing, your regent prep in the first half of the year and then focusing more on other reading stills the second half of the year. Yeah. Um, but I teach 11th grade teaching for a long time. I found that the
039biggest issue we had with our failures in the honor of regents were was attendance and um, one of the students just didn't even show up for the test. So I I don't think it's a lack of being exposed to the skills because these skills are taught eighth grade, seventh grade up. They're seeing very similar prompts. All of the the um STEM questions for the multiple choice questions are the same. They're the same literary elements and we do a lot of prep for the English 11 throughout N and 10th grade. So yeah, I was curious about it because I again it sounds great that we're having English 10th grade honors taken this year, but I just would want to make sure that it doesn't seem like with English we should have that much of a gap
040in equity between our honor students and other students. Like they all should ultimately be able to pass it at the same point. Again, your scores might have variance, but I would think that would be the goal. Correct. And I I think the the timing of when you take the test isn't about kids not being ready. It's just what fits into their plan of what the next step is going to be. You know, it's very similar like if a kid goes into PEK, they often take the regents in 9th grade or 10th grade because they kind of want it out of the way because they have other skills and stuff they are working with it. One of the reasons for moving the exam also into the January is to pull out the stress of June. So
041being a fullyear district instead of like a semester district that 11th grade gets hit with so many different exams and stuff, you're able to focus on the ELA for January. The kid worries about one thing instead of coming in for three to four exams in the June. And so they get that out of the way. So then the focus shifts in June. Let's worry about getting through our US history exam. Let's get worried about our algebra 2 exam. Let's worry about those types of things and takes one thing off their plate for them. He has spoken. The generator worked. We just Any other questions? I worry about in my mind I guess as a teacher after taking the test and passing it in January. um any noticeable like drop off or I've already passed that
042and it it should affect because it it's just one benchmark of it and the way the grading policy has changed you know that reach exam goes into your fourth quarter so I think any of the dips are just the same normal dips of March sl you know slack off and you know type of things you know I don't think that doesn't change anything you know and a lot of the things that we talk about in approaching any of the re exams those are markers that you have to get through to get to your diploma. You know, the focus is more on reaching these benchmarks to show your competency and then your coursework is what's going to end up carrying you through on your transcript. Just have one more question for you. Um I I'm glad
043to see that we're reading the diary of an Frank in eighth grade. That's great. And the freedom writers journals. Have we thought about and every student reads those, right? Yes. Yes. Have we thought about utilizing that as a reference point when we have certain discipline and behavioral issues in 9th through 12th grade, especially when we talk about bullying? Because I think we should lean in on the curriculum that we're teaching our kids when they don't conform. And that's one of the things they should really be learning. Like honestly for me personally, I don't really care how great the book report is. I care if they actually really learn what history and those stories are telling us. And that's one of the things. Yes, we we do care things. I I can't do an example here,
044but I'll do an example for me at Perry. I got really angry over a bullying situation. I had like three fights right in a row. The ninth grade was just like horrible and behavior to each other. and I went to the cafeteria, spoke sternly and loud. Um, and I referenced the entire time to kill a mockingb bird. I said, "You just sat through, every single one of you just read to kill a mockingb bird." And you know, talk about treating other people, standing up for what is right. You know, 30 of you knew that this fight was going to happen and not one person stands up and does the right thing, you know, and those are that's what we try to do, you So I think in ELA, you know, often times you talk about
045mirrors and windows, you know, and the chance of an ELA book is a uh is a mirror in which the kid can see the reflection it. So you always want to have very work where they can see themselves in the work and it's also a window because it gives you a window into another life, another experience, another time for you to learn those empathy and build those skills. So through ELA that is our social emotional learning and learning to deal with those things. Why are you stealing my thunder? Yeah. Yeah. She's one of my favorites. The biggest thing to do before we even read an anchor text is talk about the relevance here. Well, how does it apply to you? And I know Mr. Fman and Mrs. Pakola have done a tremendous amount of work
046to that department including anchor texts that really do teach lessons that go beyond the classroom. So those are those are the texts that really teach that character at building and talk about why is it important to read this and that goes throughout. Why are we spending time on this task? What is the relevancy? Because we also want our kids to be lifelong readers to read things that are going to be important later on. And that's where we bring in those outside pieces, those non-fiction pieces and start discussing things that have happened in the past. We also work closely with the history department to bring in pieces that might have to do with something, you know, 10th grade reads about the Holocaust and then we talk about that. also bought off the bill. And that's one
047of the things they've also done is looking at looking and making sure they're reading traditional texts and in current uh literature like uh out of a conversation with me and Mrs. Hummer, her regular ninth graders are going to read a brief history of a girl next door which I think is one of the most phenomenal books that really hooks kids in to reading an experience of a ninth grader and that sort of stuff. So, we are trying to both build contemporary and traditional texts into what we do. Am I on the next slide, too? Nope. It's No, I'm off the next one. I'll be back. Thank you. Hi, I'm uh Roseanne Canour, the uh math 712 teacher leader for those of you who don't know me. Few new faces here. Um so in the math
048department, our action plan really focused on what the data could tell us. Surprise. We wanted to look at all these numbers. Um, so we could use datadriven instruction, look at what the numbers are saying about the tests are specifically the state test scores, the three regions exams, and how we can use that to improve our instruction. Um, so for the New York State regions math classes, we focused on the standards that uh were the most answered incorrectly. Um, on the June 2024 regent exams is what we used. That's what we had the data for. Um, and for each region's course, we set a goal that 75% of our students will get a three, four, or five, which is considered proficient. Just so you know, uh, a 1 is 0 to 54. A 2 is 55
049to 64. A three is 65 to 74. A four is 74 to 84. And then a five is 85 and higher. And a five is considered mastery, right? So, they've learned, they've mastered the content is what the state considers that as. So, we've been tracking our progress through um our unit tests, our benchmarks, our midterm exams, and looked at those numbers and tried to see um where we stand. And we give regent questions, region style questions throughout the whole year. And our unit test consists of those so the students can uh get used to seeing and reading those questions and picking out the important information in those questions decoding if you will um the questions. So I've provided data from the data we looked at for our three regions exams and then using our uh
050midterm or benchmark exams where the students are right now. So, algebra 1, when we looked at the data for that, the most interesting thing on the 1 through 24 are multiple choice questions. The most missed questions were the last four of 1 through 24. So, that sort of we wanted to incorporate test taking strategies, how to teach students to persevere through questions, you know, stamina. Just because you're, you know, they're getting to the end of the multiple choice, they're just I'm done with this multiple choice. It could have been, you know, they're getting tired. Um, also one of the things I thought about just now was they're freshman. This is actually the the algebra regent is their first real experience with a threehour exam and they have to sit there for at least two hours.
051So, um, that was interesting. The most missed questions were the last four of the multiple choice. Um, so here is the data in June. You can see we had 67% of the students get 65 or higher pass the exam and in June you can see level five which is mastery is at 9%. So currently giving regent data or regent exam questions uh currently the proficiency so 65 or higher is 70%. We really want to see that get get up there. But we're going to provide uh review classes when the regions comes around. But you can take a look at the mastery percent uh percentages in that the current proficiency it's 28%. So um we want to get mastery but we also want to be proficient in geometry. The June 2024 um the proficiency so 65
052or higher was 83% of the students. uh their current proficiency you can see is 83 but again those levels four and five especially the mastery level is up to 39% and our algebra 2 was interesting 83% of the students passed the regent's exam last June um and currently where we are with our testing we have 100% getting three four or five which is 65 or higher so you know we we hope to continue that trend in June Um and just an update on the regent exams too. The algebra regent was that also was the first year of the nextgen standard regent which was given like June 5th or 6th. So there were like you I don't know some some review days that were lost that you normally would get. Um, so those students now have
053to take the geometry regions early, the nextG, because the New York State, you know, their first administration of these new regent exams, they give them a week or two early. And those students will be taking that on June 11th. So they they lose four days, not as not as uh drastic as the algebra kids lost. So that's our focus. Any questions? In math, you also offer several credits. We offer them in many of the different departments. And I think that's really one of the things to organize the district to maintain as much credit as we can because of what it ultimate offers our kids saving money. You know, we have kids that are going to be done in three years. You know, these kids are exposed to college material. You know, they get their requirements
054out. So, if you're not a math kid, take your elementary stats here. Get your two math courses done, intermed,000 more dollars because they have to trans their college transcript from high school and that's a lot of the stuff that we offer for dual credits in all our courses especially. Thank you. Anybody have any questions? Do you think that the the missing the last four questions is I mean I know with my content it's like the that last four questions would be the year-end content. I don't know if it's like that with math with an earlier test. Yeah. No, it's just it's just they're just the entire curriculum is jumbled throughout. So yeah, we we thought that we thought let's see what standards are tested but it's random every time. Good question. All righty. Thank you.
055Thank you. Thank you. I was so good the first time you give me a dip. All right. Science. All right. So, science is entering their change over of standards now. So, we've seen the phase in through the elementary level and through KA testing. Uh the test last year was the first year they switched over to the new science exams. All right. With the NextGen standards, uh we're in the process of changing over some schools in the area, only a couple schools, they're offering the first time for earth science and living environment is being offered this year. Waterville has opted to stay with traditional curriculum for one more year. See what the test looks like, see what the information looks like, and then prepare our kids. So next year will be the first year that we're
056offering the new earth and space science and also offering it's not learning by actually goes back like biology um in using that what's difference in the standards for science. It's now it's no longer a fact-based um learning it's not learning these are the parts of the cell although there's content and stuff that you have to do it's what we call phenomenon based. So if you look at it, we look at a phenomena uh something takes place. It could be a demonstration, it could be a lab exercise, it could be something in which the kid is the student is ultimately learning and discovering the knowledge on their own. One of the things we know about learning in general is if we build a gap, you present something, you build a gap and most people want to
057fill that gap and figure out why does that happen? What did that do that? How do we do that? One of the simplest things I've told teachers in the past, if we're going to the new model, one of the easiest things you can do is flip your lecture in your lab. Typically in a science, traditional science classroom, you teach you the content. I'm going to go through, I'm going to show you what acid, an acid is, a base is or I may be doing something with, you know, uh, exoendothermic reaction. I teach it. We go into the lab. You look at the temperature goes up, the temperature go down. You know, this sort of stuff here. Instead, you want to flip it for the student. All right? which is actually a more engaging thing. So
058we go into lab. You have these four salts. You're going to add them. Take the temperature of your water. Add your salt to it. Take your temperature again. Oh my god. Some temperatures went up. Some temperatures went down. Draw that model. So with our new science standards, a lot more modeling, you know, so you have to come up with a solution, come up with a model, try to explain what's going on. Once you do that lab now, you bring it back into your lecture and say, well, we're discovering this is exothermic, this is endothermic. you know these are why this is what a picture looks like this would be the energy flow if I had to draw arrows and stuff to it so it's a big pedagogical shift in what we have to do uh
059one of the things with the science standards is that the standards are K12 so if a earth science standard is taught in fifth grade it is really fair game in ninth grade you know so it's that building that continuity of science across the board which you talk about like what happens to NPS is going to make a big impact on what happens here on the eighth grade exam, you know. So, what those sixth graders are doing in their earth science uh units will pay off. And not only on the eighth grade test, it's also going to matter in ninth grade because although the term may not be in the ninth grade standards, if the term was in the sixth through eight band standard, it is fair game for doing that. So, doing that is important.
060So, to prepare for this, the science teachers are doing a book study. uh the ambitious science teacher. So they're uh doing a book study each month reviewing what does it mean? What's phenomena based instruction look like? How do we need to go through and change our instruction? Test is going to look different because questions are going to be in clusters. So it's not necessarily going to be on the content that you teach. You have to know certain processes, certain things and then apply it to a new situation and say, you know, they may give you an example of data and they actually use real data. Um, we'll talk about this with uh world when I come back up for world language. Um, but like when they write these test questions, it has to be actual
061data that's out there. They cannot make up data for the exam. And the kids have to go through and analyze what the stuff is and how to do it. So, it's really hard to pull those texts away. And you have to realize, oh, they're talking about gene expression, how some genes are turned on, some genes are turned off, and have to apply what they do instead of just regurgitating facts. So, we'll be phasing in the new science um uh framework with earth science and biology next year. Um and our teachers are prepared with that. We're fortunate John Crow actually works as the state as one of the writers for the exam. So, putting together the test questions and the test clusters and that sort of stuff. So, we kind of have an inside track on
062what they should be doing within the bounds of the law. Any questions for me? You know your science. I do this. All right. I think All right. Hit me another slide. Let's go. Miss Dr. Spring, give me another one. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. The next one's a stretch. Social. Here's a stretch. Let's see if I can do this one. All right. Please don't judge. You want to do it for me? You mind just doing it for me? Don't judge. All right. So social studies again they've also I mean you you keep hearing new standards new standards you know you think about with everything we're doing going through COVID and all these other things that are coming on you've also in the midst of everything every department has changed their standards while living COVID COVID
063recovery and and all that you know as we go through. All right. So, stuff that they've been doing is one of the nice things that our Boseies um has actually started doing and trying to do is stuff that I did almost 30 years ago having Boseies wide like PLC's where bringing back the networks in which teachers can actually work and collaborate with each other. If you're thinking about in a district like Waterville, we have one maybe one and a third of teachers teaching the same courses and that sort of stuff. So you lose that time of inner department working with your colleagues to come up for curriculum. That's where you generate your ideas. So our teachers at the last superintendent's conference day went to New Hartford um and worked with the teachers there to build
064that network so they can start building and coming up with more engaging activities or what way do you do this, how can we address this um and so on. Um one of the goals this year was to improve uh AP um a push scores. So she incorporated the Harvard case method in doing it with this. One of the things that will also hopefully future help us in the future is we're introducing AP World will be starting in 10th grade honors next year instead of having global 10 honors. So it'll be the first another exposure to an AP course to which they can start learning and building those AP skills, the writing skills that they need for the exam, um the thinking skills and stuff that they have to do it. probably one of the proudest
065moments of the department is going to be I think last year there's like two um uh seals uh for civic readiness. We have 16 kids currently working towards that seal of civic readiness and uh Holl's been working with the kids on 9th period going through it. There will be a showcase in the end of May which they'll present some of their projects and their research and stuff to earn that seal. And so that's one of the things and if you think about what ultimately our goal of education is I mean we can we can talk about data test numbers what our goal our initial goal is to produce good citizens who are aware what's around them treat each other well you know and know that and that's what we end up building out of our
066social studies department. Anything else Katie? Okay. Hit me Katie. Hit me Katie me. I think I get to sit down again. I have a couple. Yeah. So, I I'll work backwards as waiting. So, I love seeing the increase in the number of students working towards the seal. Yeah. Which is another, you know, step of rigor and I think a great opportunity for students. But how do we ensure that every student that graduates from here carries those essential skills with them whether or not they complete the seal of civic readiness. I think that's again it's it's what is the purpose of social studies you know and you go back to it you know we know that if we don't you know if we don't learn from the past we're doomed to repeat it we know that
067there are cyclic trends and stuff that happens we can see things that are going through. So it is building awareness through everything that we do and again in linking it to what their their real life is. You know, I think some of the most couple of the most valuable courses in the department too is when you get to 12th grade and you take pig participation in government, you know, and economics and not necessarily for the kids who actually want to take true economics. We offer that, but we've offered economics in real life and learning uh financial literacy uh economics and rule issues. You know, we instead of taking you a government class, we also offer government rule issues. So it really relates to what kids do here and giving back to that. Um kids we
068had um Congressman Manion came a couple weeks ago was outstanding with the kids. He he was a science teacher uh back in the day. Um and then like relaying the kids explaining issues and then the next day we had the assemblyman in and I was in an FFA class um in one of our ad classes working on the debate about uh migrant workers and should we have them, should we not have them, what they do and he came in to get feedback to watch the debate to get them ready for the FFA. You know, we drilled them with questions and these global things and trying to relate to those issues and stuff like that. So, it's weaving them all into going back to that real life issue for that they're all exposed to it. I
069have one um uh for the demonstrate growth in proficiency mastery on AP US history exam. It made me think of um as far as like the progress next steps. Is there any time for the departments um during their teacher leader meetings to work collaboratively with other departments to kind of work on their goals um interdisciplinary like I know there is time I can't tell you necessarily if it's been done but it's something we can do but all team leaders I think that's one of the things that you know we streamline all our meeting things so faculty meetings are on the same day so all teacher all team department meetings are at the same time so that is something that we can do and strive for because you see like earlier we saw Mola, Mr. Wattress,
070you know, work you know across from each other and there are those areas and stuff that we can do and do that in terms of how much writing there is on the social studies exams now. it would be great to kind of align our skill practices with ELA and social studies um more regularly just how do you teach the thesis or how do you teach your line of reasoning for that and in any uh when you go back and look at both between ELA math ELA science and social studies they're all becoming a reading test so the more important that we focus again back on looking at our intervention teaching kid to read by third grade reading to understand fourth through sixth grade. Those skills and those analytic skills across all curriculum is going to
071be crucial the doing the work with Chris Tavani where you're going through and annotating the text picking things out are the skills that going to go across it. You do notice a note we look at fiction and non-fiction. In ELA class, you're talking about analyzing data, picking out why is the author saying this. You say, "You don't you didn't take English." Take any ELA exam. There's always a science article. The kids are reading about a windmill. The kids are reading like they're like, "Oh my god, we got this thing about windmill." I'm like, "Oh, that's so exciting." You know, like you should have done it. You know, u, but those are things that are crosscurriculum. you're going to see the ELA exam is going to have science and social studies based text that they have
072to write about. I have a couple other questions which some of this will come up in board discussion later. Dr. Spring answered some questions we had in a lot of great things going on. One thing I'm curious if we've really thought about it. I don't see it in any of the presentations at the junior senior high level is how are we teaching students to utilize AI and also to understand the pitfalls of AI so that they're proficient in taking advantage of it to be more productive because that is the world we're moving into quickly but also that they understand that being more productive isn't a substitute for actual learning and comprehension. Kids are really good at trying to use Google Translate. Yeah. Um and looking up answers and that sort of stuff, you know, GPT
073GPT to go through and do that. Um I think AI is very new and it's very new for faculty and staff. And if you think about it, faculty and staff are often the last ones, you know, that go through and to actually learn and go through and do it. So we are in those opening phases of staff discussion about it. We did the stuff with KIGO and looking at what roles can AI use in instruction and lesson planning and that sort of stuff. Um within the classes they talk about good use versus bad use. You know catching kid on forging something and trying to catch those things and teach it. I do think that's something as we move forward on a very formal basis we have to incorporate more. It may be there but I
074I don't know how deeply it is just getting here is far as I can speak to it. I think a second question with that and it all ties together because it's really comes down to like processing and working through all the information that's now available much more than when any of us were in school. I I don't I heard a reference to it, but I don't see much in here about teaching kids again how to source information, how to vet information, how to understand fact from fiction, how to get to a primary source anymore when we're searching on the internet and think things like Wikipedia are, you know, that stuff we're working through with uh Liz Brennan. So as part of that with her partnering and she and I actually had a conversation about doing
075more stuff with pulling the kids in doing joint projects in the library teaching our databases what is a good source what are the what things can you use coming up with interdicipary projects she's doing a lot of that starting now in the elementary school going down and looking at those things so kids can start picking out those sources and researching things and that's something with her going into the library coming out of the traditional classroom, you know, where she's used to teaching that sort of stuff like that is the direction in which we're going to move to try to address those things. It's also the K 12 social studies standards. So, if we were, you know, following New York State social studies standards in kindergarten on up, like that's that's everything that they would be
076learning at the elementary. And I just think again just and some of it's food for thought. We're gonna I think talk about it more a little bit later with Diane. Um, and I appreciate your comment that it's all new. Well, it's all new to the world and it's moving quickly and our job is to prepare students to be successful in the world as it is, not as we want it to be, but as it actually is. I think incorporating those those fundamental pieces of AI, which is what computer science was when we were back in school 30 years ago, that's what AI is now. And also just understanding how to sift through information. Like not trying to go anywhere controversial, but in this time that we live in, there are so many people in the
077real world that clearly can't just go to a source document like the Constitution and read it before engaging in pretty serious discussions. And we need to equip our students to be able to have those skills in real life situations that have serious implications. And you know, I'm not I'm not confident that New York State standards or the ways we've done things in the past are going to keep up with the world that's moving faster and faster. I think we can. I think we have great teachers and like so much of what we're seeing is really amazing compared to just two, three, five years ago. But like that's kind of the challenge. And one of the problems with anything, most of the stuff that happens in the world is revolution where education has always been evolution.
078you know, education always moves so much slower in addressing those text things. You've you've seen the state also take a big shift going from less fiction and moving over to more non-fiction reading and and analysis. And that's where all those pieces are going to come in and the understanding your traditional English teacher often struggles because they went to English because they love Hamlet, they love Chaucer, they they like they love those things, but English is turning into more. you have to incorporate all that non-fiction uh reading. And to piggyback on the AI thing, um Dr. Spring, um really with the technology committee and administration, a couple years ago, we it's mandatory that we pay for a model schools contract through the medicine of moral information center. And two years ago, we kind of looked at
079what we were optimizing that money on. And a lot of the times it was on, oh, dot and dash, these robots can come in and you're spending how much money to have that. Um, so Dr. Spring really looking at AI and other administration and stuff. We kind of took back that model schools time and those people at the regional information center came in who was assigned to our district and talked to our teachers about the positives and negatives of AI and how to structure your lessons because if the kid can go in and Google what is the question and spit that answer out maybe that lesson should be structured a different way so AI has difficulty or you have to use it really well. Um so just ing that out. But I do want to
080add that a lot of the software out there, like you mentioned, chat GBT and some other ones, unfortunately with Educational Law 2D, what they're doing is they're collecting this information for free and selling it to companies. Um, so Chad GBT and Google cannot be used by kids under the age of 18. Um, so just like you mentioned, Google Translate, that was kicked offline in March because you have to be over the age of 18 to use that. Um, so that's where we have to look at our softwares to go, are we in compliance with educational law 2D to protect our students data and if we have to look at something like Dr. Spring is recommending, is that qualified under there and stuff like that. So there are amazing resources out there, but again in the
081educational world. We're under 18 with all of our kids and I we have to protect them with that legislation. Unfortunately, most of those programs we have to pay for where you can go sit at home on your couch or whatever and get into it for free. But I did want to add that that we have started I know during that professional development they were talking to like Abe Lincoln and having a conversation with him. Um but we started that kind of two years ago. Thank you. I think just one thing I'd like to to add to just to again it also piggyback on the AI front. Just some one thing you mentioned was like with educators often like kind of being like in the last you know students finding out first and educators playing catch-up.
082Um I just it's not really a question but just like personally I think that's where I'd like to see pro you know professional development opportunities brought to the board. So how can teachers kind of get on the the front edge of it because it's not going anywhere like Steve's brought up before. you know, I mean, I use it hours a day, you know, it's it's kind of a a force multiplier when you know how to use it well. So, just to educate kids, you use as a tool in a positive way, but also for, you know, for the educators, too. Yeah. Yeah. So, again, we're looking into KIGO and like it does a lot of stuff. Yeah. And we're looking to have that for the next school year and I think it will be a
083game changer for for staff and for our students. And our next teacher leader is it's like that fry show with way. Yeah. Is this on? Hi, I'm Debbie Nicotera, high school special ed teacher, special ed teacher, leader, actually K through 12. Um, just wanted to highlight a few things that we're working on this year in special education. And first of all, we implemented the Wilson reading program at MPS and the junior senior high. The Wilson reading program is a researchbased um reading specialized reading program that targets our lowest readers and it's something that students do daily or every other day depending on their need to increase their uh phmic awareness and their reading fluency as well which ends up um falling over into their cognitive reading cognitive ability. Um, we have seen a measurable growth
084on both levels, MPS and the junior senior high. Many of our students in the junior senior high did not have specialized reading at MPS. So, we've seen tremendous growth in our students on the junior senior high level. So, that is something that we would like to keep and continue doing. Um, we also had some uh special ed teachers trained over the summer on Wilson reading. So, we have more teachers trained. Um, all special ed teachers and TAs were certified in CPI, uh, non-violent crisis intervention, which are just deescalation techniques to help with students that are in crisis. Many of our general ed teachers were trained as well. Our goal is to have um, all of our teachers trained and our support staff. Our focus this year is to continue supporting students with disabilities by providing
085specialized instruction, accommodations, and modifications to help them. Bless you. Succeed academically and socially that um we work to create individual education programs, otherwise known as IES, tailored to each student's unique needs and advocate for their rights and access to appropriate educational services. That is a very long statement for everything we do. Um our focus this coming year um will be to um continue providing a least restrictive environment for our children. Um, our department has had the luxury of going to Boseis sometimes twice a month to work on our targeted skills of providing a least restricted environment. And for those of you who does who don't know what that mean, it's the driving point of IDA or the individuals with disabilities act. Every student starts off as a general ed student. There's no such thing as
086just a special ed student. Every student is a general ed student. That means that they should have access to as much as a general ed student does. So our job as special educators is to make sure that we can provide that access with minimal restrictions by providing support within the classroom. Special ed is not a placement. Special ed is a service. So we look at each child's individual needs and we decide how do we provide a general education for these students that's going to make sure that they can access their goals and inc and improve in their goal areas. So that being said, it's been a huge focus for us this year. We've been doing a lot of work creating a playbook that will be distributed to all of our teachers, administrators on um what
087our LRE process will look like and how we will continue to implement quality IEPs and cse programs. When it's Yeah. When it's completed, everybody will have access to it. We're deciding now how we're going to roll it out. something that um I know in the high school we met today at our teacher leader me um team meeting and discussed um schedules for next year. Working with our admin, we were able to kind of hammer out a schedule where we really looked at what do kids need as far as access to general education. How can we push them to be included more? because we know that research shows the more that kids are included, they're going to rise to the occasion academically, socially, and emotionally. Now, that doesn't mean that we try something and if it
088doesn't work, oh well, you know, we're always constantly looking at, do we need to call a program review? Do we need to look at things differently? It's sort of a work in progress every year and so much can change. You were talking about transition from elementary to this building. It's huge. We've had kids that had absolutely no issues in the elementary coming up here. They're switching classes. There's all sorts of social things going on, organizational things. A kid who has a specific disability in that area is going to plummet and need more. So, that's what we've been working on. Any questions? I have one. What additional Katie What additional professional development, if any, do do our teachers need to help support least restrictive environment. That's a great question. Um something that we talked about in
089our needs assessment was this um we're going to definitely need some specific professional development for our general ed teachers because in the past it has always been and this isn't just Waterville, this is everywhere. Um you know those kids are your kids, you know, like you take care of those kids. It's not like that. It shouldn't be like that anyway, but typically because of the work schedule and the way things go, the case manager of a student with uh special needs would take care of all that stuff. Well, now it's we're pushing them into the general ed more. We're including them. So, we're going to require those teachers to really look at IEPs, the whole entire IEP, which they should anyway, but they really need to be looking at it because they're going to be
090providing that as well. It's no longer just a, you know, a service provided by the special ed teacher. Even today, I asked for um professional development around autism because we're seeing an increase in autism. So, I did put that request in and they realize that that's going to be something that the entire region needs because everybody is is experiencing that. But we're we're among 14 districts that are doing LE too. So we're hopeful that some of their trainings will be geared toward what all the region will need. Yeah. And again, I think for me the the question just revolves around how do we best equip all of our teachers to provide the support that the students need? Right. To your point, like the expectation, not just the goal, the expectation should be that all of
091our students are in the maximum amount of general education possible. And that should be our bar we strive for and not you know whether it's unintentional subconscious whatever the issue like we just push them into you know extra support instead of incorporating them into the class. So, a big piece of that would be that students who let's say they have on their IEP in their specific plan, it might say modifications within the [Music] classroom, you know, it might be like instead of writing a paragraph, you know, we we'd um reduce the amount of writing because we want a student to be successful within the classroom. So, like during classwork, let's say most students in, you know, 10th grade can write a quick paragraph about something. a student with a severe learning disability might struggle with
092that. So, we might modify it to the student is allowed to write one sentence. So, as far as modification, that necessarily wouldn't be something the special ed teacher would do. It would be something the general ed teacher would do. And so, they would have to be graded accordingly as well. So, that's something new. General ed teachers aren't used to doing that kind of stuff. So, we do need to change this mindset of they are general ed students first. Yeah. I mean, I would just add again like a lot of this is we're evolving. Hopefully, in my 25 years since I graduated from college in the workplace, we've evolved tremendously with how we work through the accommodations process. No matter what employer you're talking about and so there there are many more accommodations now than there
093were 10, 15, 20 years ago. It's the same concept, right? you know, where it you have the burden and responsibility on you as an employer like a teacher would to be knowledgeable of those accommodations and make sure you're compliant with supporting those accommodations that right we're saying with this, you know, with the IEP like this student can succeed with the following support, right? How do we level the playing field within the classroom? Right. That is the goal. It should be the expectation. Absolutely. I like that word. Expectation. I do. It's different than goal. Goal is something you aspire to. Expectation is something. No, actually a goal is something measurable on the IEP. That's why I use it. So, and I report on that. Sure. So what and what they measured on is what amount of
094time is a student not isolated to a self-contained special ed. How much time of their day is put in public and the commissioner very clear that all kids should be in as much general ed as we possibly can. You know, and then again goes back to equip our general ed teachers to be able to sometimes it may it may not be academic, it's behavior, you know, dealing with some disruptive behaviors or different other things or the kid may have to take a break and get used to doing that or kid may need some form of fidgeting thing with her ADD so they can pay attention and focus and and doing all those things within the regular class and being a part of the plan forward and also utilize it. wide is utilizing technology. So, um,
095Miss Hansen and I, you know, looking at much time together. Go ahead. Yeah. Um, looking at like if a kid needs a text to speech or whatever, um, but working with those teachers, we're purchasing software that teachers have demoed this year. Um, but really working together with special ed technology with Cynthia Mus's office and IT director. Um, but offering technology because every kid should be carrying a Chromebook as long as they follow our policy that we have with it. Um, so you know, if a kid needs their text read to them, there's probably an app for that Chromebook that we're looking into to level that playing field and meet that expectation. We actually worked on a program called Speechify because we're finding that in order to shake my head, that's a good sign. um in
096order to be independent, somebody doesn't write for you. So that for us t we had some kids trial it um along with I have some sixth graders that are using a pen that also assists them with writing and you Mr. Sense has taken it and ran with it. So it's been really great to try some of the technology to see if kids use it because there are some speech to text programs that kids I also wanted to commend you uh Debbie for leading the CPI training in the district. Thank you for that. It's been swell. Thank you. Thank you. What are you teaching now? Thank you, Dr. Spray for giving me the opportunity to stand up here so much tonight. Um All right. So world language I like to not seven through 12 it's K12
097and I actually prefer languages other than English you know um you know we look at you know we talk about world languages talk about everything on the outside you know we talk you know we look talk about different languages that should be built into us because so it's really languages other than English we offer within the building primarily we offer you know Spanish is our primary course that we do starting it out in the elementary level um and introducing them into not not only the language but the culture and again going back to if we're going to build a whole child they have to see something other than themselves to appreciate something else and so that is one of the first steps in which we can go through and do it one of the things
098with teaching any language other than English and especially English one of the things you got to think about is what's called your comprehensive input you know a child who is learning English for the first time by the time they get to fifth to 5 years old the number of words that they hear builds their stuff, their vocabulary, and builds their stuff so they can learn how to read. When you go through and start teaching a language other than English, all of a sudden in seventh grade, you're starting to hear all these words. The most important part of the elementary program is getting exposure to vocabulary and that sort of stuff. And that's what's going to build the strength for any language going through and moving forward. It is that comprehensive input. How many times I
099hear, do I repeat it? How many words am I exposed to? then I can build the language and stuff there afterwards and build those skills. So I think that's one of the benefits of going through and doing it from a prek you know level going through um so that's ultimately with um with Spanish going through and do it we are looking at analyzing the checkpoint A and checkpoint B exam is it something we right now we do participate with both with checkpoint A we can also offer our own exam what things we do again one of the tricky things now with the new standards with it with Spanish and with all the other uh world languages the texts have to be authentic text that the student reads and cannot be edited by a writer. So
100you actually have to go through. So think about the different dialects of Spanish, you know, and in trying to pull those things in and you can't change the words, you can't change the dialect, you can't change anything. And a kid is going to have to read again authentic test on a checkpoint a exam and trying to find those things to go through and do that. So again, it is that exposure to the words going through um within here we do know we've talked about the phasing out of Chinese um and what impact will that have on our Spanish program. The other program that I'm going to lump in here is our American Sign program. We I just got tentative numbers for course assignments for next year. Um, American Sign numbers for American Sign One are
101like through the roof, you know, and kids really enjoy and again, it gives an opportunity for a kid who may have poor FMIC awareness in the spoken language to be able to experience something different and feel and feel success with that. So, checkpoint A and B, when do they typically? Um, for checkpoint A, they take after 8th grade. So it's a way to get their credit. And then checkpoint B is after their third year. So Spanish three in high school. Yeah. Junior year. Yeah. And in order, you know, kids need to get through one year language to uh to meet the minimum graduation requirement for the advanced diploma. They need to pass that checkpoint B exam to get the uh advanced regist diploma. And again with Spanish, we offer four different dual credit courses that
102a kid can be exposed to and actually end up with, you know, ultimately 12 credits of language, you know. So again, coming out with a really strong foundation. Is there with the prek through six Spanish? Um, is there any as far as like the standards that they use for that? I know this is not your You're really pushing me now. Not just because I did okay at social studies. How does it work? What what are they basing the learning for each grade level on if there's no or are there set standards for preK through six for Spanish? Like what do those look like? I'd love to see those, I guess. Or is there some collaboration that's happening between the grade level teachers and the Spanish teacher to incorporate what they're learning about in class to
103use the vocabulary so they're kind of getting two different things um you know in Spanish and in first grade. So there's I think it's the curriculum from the state starts in fifth grade. I think there is a fifth and sixth grade curriculum. I think she does adapt that to be appropriate for you know youngest our youngest learners. Um and she you know she follows the standards with culture and and language and you know reading, writing, speaking. She does all of those things. I've been in her class a number of times and she does collaborate with the um the foreign language teacher up here. She's on their team. Is there any like thought for the future to have collaboration between like say like you know third grade's learning this in English and they're focusing on this
104and you know maybe they could do this in specials this month in Spanish. I think I think she does do that. And there is some like if you look at a B an official bilingual class where it's taught certain percentage of you saying so there are set standards for that. We're just not in a full bilingual program. And then how are we measuring success in the prek through six Spanish program created with the for language department. So, do we have any data that we could see regarding this? We want to answer this question. Thank you. Other questions for me for this? I think it's the last time I'm up here. Anything else I can help anybody with? Oh, you got me. How many? Thanks, Andre. Hey, Mike Green. Hi, I'm uh Mike Green. I think
105I believe everyone knows me here. All right. Uh huh. Oh, I know. I tell you. Um we're going to talk about We have one assessment that we do. We use the fitness gram test for our kids in uh grades three through six and six, seven, and eight. Um we do the pacer test which a lot of the kids in the elementary school they get really excited about doing it. Um usually the first time out they really don't do as well because they're so excited they don't know how to actually pace themselves. We're not I I the kids that do push themselves that really do push themselves to do well when we retest them a lot of them don't don't push themselves again because they under they they know what it felt like to get that
106score and they don't want to feel that pain again most of the kids but some do. Um we we also tested the situp component for a minute and the sit and reach. Um, most of the kids are like me, not that flexible, except for the girls. Um, the situp, same thing. When they when they test with that, uh, the next time I have them in class, they're, "Oh my god, coach, my stomach kills." You know, and I'm like, "Yeah, well, I haven't done any while, but I back in the day, I understood the pain." But we'll do and and actually we're going to retest them again in May. And we'll actually going to test like the we're going to not test them kindergarten first and second. We'll have them do it just to learn and
107understand what it sounds like because there's some weird beeps and noises in there that would help them on. This year the high school actually for the first time instead of doing a mile test they did the fitness uh the pacer test. So we're all now on the same level field uh playing field. I did not put up any highlights but um Shan I had a teacher leader meeting today in health. Um Shannon Woolen um worked with Liz Brennan to share their health uh uh health class projects on the TVs in the school so the whole school could view them whenever they wanted. Um that's news to me. I didn't know that that was possible but all cited all the citations and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. So she was really excited about that. And then the other
108thing that she um Tom and her were excited about they did at the high school this year was um they did tournaments schoolwide with uh threeon-ree basketball, badminton, and pickle ball. And I guess pickle ball uh one team actually went out and bought necklaces like pickle ball necklaces for for the for the finals. We don't get that competitive down at the elementary school. We focus No, no, no, no. Yeah. No, no, no. Yeah. Don't now they're when they get older, fifth and sixth grade, they start getting competitive. Um, and we try to focus more on sportsmanship and and cooperation and working together as a team. Very rarely do we keep I don't keep score in any game at all. They do in their head. So, um, but it it doesn't go doesn't go well. at
109the elementary school. We also um Kathy came up with um there was some room in my schedule and coach Carbones. We're bringing down the first, second, and third graders um once a week for energy hour we call it. So they're going to they're getting extra minutes in fizzed. So I thank you Kathy for doing that. The kids seem to love it. Not every kid goes. We also use that as a little u incentive to behave in class. So, or their uh school work's not done. So, you have certain kids that just don't want to do their schoolwork. Say, "Hey, the teacher says, "Listen, if you want to go to energy hour, you need to get your work done." And it has been motivating quite a few kids. Yeah, it it has been doing good. It's
110probably be last board meeting, so I'm retiring. Thank you. How many days left? I don't know. I enjoy coming here. He's already signed up for something. No, I'm all right. For art and music and pace. Okay. I'm small. Okay. So, I'm in Hagerty Palace. I'm the uh teacher leader for art and music. Um I'm going to start out our music department. Um had a a big venture this year. We hosted junior high al county. Um we started planning I at the end of last year. Uh for that we held auditions after school in January and the festival took place in March. Um the concert consisted of over 250 of our finest musicians from 17 school districts in Onidita County and we all put them all together to create a band chorus and an orchestra. So
111it was a it was a big a big thing definitely. And I I thank Dr. Spring and and Cynthia and the business office. They were so supportive of us. JamieRandle was amazing. He fed all of those children. I don't know how he did it, but um and our maintenance staff. Unbelievable. We couldn't have done it. So, it took our whole village to put that together. Um so, I'll start with MPS, I think. Did I? Yes. Um I pro I uh directed our musical Annie Jr. this year. We had a full house. At least 400 people were there. So, that was a lot of fun. Great kids. Um the MPS marching band will be performing at the Memorial Day parades. Um the since the Dodgeville Violet Festival is not happening, they're performing with the Boxing Hall
112of Fame parade. They've got a Ghostbuster theme going on and they from what I hear, they're sounding amazing so far. 103 students involved. So that's wonderful. Um we have our pep band. I think there's 35 in pep band. Um they perform at our P2 assemblies as well as the boys varsity home games, girls senior night varsity games. They went to the Nexus Center game and the OCC game. So they're wonderful group, very active. Um high school band. Yes. Uh high school band has started a MIMA ensemble this year. They had 10 students um selected to participate in junior high all county two alternates. Um, they're also going to the Minnesota for the marching band, uh, the parade at the boxing hall of fame. And the 7th through 12 music students are going to Disney this
113year. High school chorus performed Legally Blonde, um, which was a huge success. Uh, swing choir has been doing many things. They uh are singing a national anthem for the Syracuse Crunch hockey team, the Udica University hockey teams. Um, Swing Choir went to the CNY Show Choir Festival at RFA. Um, in March, Swing Choir went to perform with the ac capella group Ball in the House at Whitesboro High School. They came down and performed for our NPS students at our positivity project. Um, and the students will be singing at Balorate. All right. Where am I? I have a lot of people I work with. Let's see. High school art. We have such amazing art teachers. We really do. Um, yeah. The junior senior high school art show will be on May 20th from 6:00 to 8.
114They're showcasing five classes of different art specialties. So they have art eight, studio and art, drawing and painting. That is the budget vote. Oh yes. Coincidence? Yes. Ceramics and sculpture. And the NBCC visual communications. Um, Angie's reintroduced senior murals in the art hallway and they have some lovely new additions. There's been a large enrollment in the MVCC visual communications courses and the ceramics and sculpture class this year. They're up to 13 students um as opposed to it not being offered the previous year due to low interest. So, that's wonderful. MPS Art, they have their art show on May 15th at six o'clock. Um, there's over 450 works on display. A variety of portraits, cardboard assemblies, yarn painting, Japanese inspired fish prints, Mexican folk art, folk art, uh, monochromatic gem paintings and some graffiti art. There's
115it's going to be and it's a fun time. It's not just walking around looking at the art. Um there's three activities available so the kids that come can make something and bring it with them. There's a scavenger hunt uh with prizes of course. Um and this year the maker space group uh the fifth and sixth graders decided to work on larger than life food sculptures. So that should be interesting to see. They start at 9 in and go to three feet tall. So that should be super fun. That's it. Any questions? a question. I just have a comment. A comment. Um I had a community member in New Hartford that had a child in the um uh all county and just commented and how great uh it went and kudos to the music department and
116kudos to the district. They they said as well that it was so nicely written. Oh, well thank you. Yes. Thank you. I would just add just it's been a great year. I've been to a lot of these things and everything. Students seem really excited, engaged, performances have been great. We just really appreciate supporting the arts just as much or more than sports. Well, thank you. We appreciate your support. Hey, teacher leader technology. Thank you. With that, excuse me for the mic is live. Thank you. Um, so I'm Rick Reapa. Um, and I have the privilege to lead the technology, agriculture, and facts. And so I apologize because as I'm older, I have to take off my glasses to read. But um, uh, so I thought I should start with the first highlight of our year,
117which is Paige Nef, who had a beautiful baby girl on April 3rd. So I'm sure I'm sure all of you already know, but uh, Madden. And so if you'd like to see any pictures, stop by. Uh, and there's one or two on her desk. So, just a couple. Um, so, uh, we we put together some goals in the beginning of the year. Um, and so, uh, one of our first goals that we were really looking at were to increase our agricultural CTE certification, um, from last year, which we had one student, um, that, uh, received the CTE certification, uh, on their diploma. And so um this year right now we are looking at uh we have eight students that are on track to receive that actte certification. So um that was again one of our
118our big things. Um along that line um for agriculture um the egg program and FFA uh is getting ready for their plant sale. So everyone get get ready for the plant sale. It's coming uh it's on budget day, same day as our budget. So they'll be outside selling plants. Um and so that's our one of I know one of her big fundraisers for um the department to keep that up and running. So um so that's a highlight coming up soon. Um also we have um currently uh 23 students that will be participating um next week in the FFA um state convention. Um and along that we had um one of our teams. Uh there's a team of four students for um FFA that were um they were the district uh they were first in district
119and second in substate for FFA a issues. Um so they qualified for the state tournament and so they will be competing um on the seventh for the state uh tournament there. talk about issues at the state really to look at how does this really impact us in New York State like these are going to be some of the questions you get this is what I'm hearing at the state really going and building up thank you and so um the other um area that I wanted to highlight obviously was in technology which is um uh the new course that we put together for um entrepreneurship and again one of our goals for that course was really to look at a way to how can we benefit the school and create some school spirit. So, we started
120out our year, as you know, with our placards for the board and and all of the administration. Um, as the year went on, we've been doing things like uh we had our um our sale for our ornaments, our Christmas ornaments. If you didn't see those, we have still some left if anybody's interested. Uh but we also did uh trophies. Trophies probably our big big one for the year. um every sport this year uh we've done uh a total of um it was just over 45 trophies um that I counted because we did three for every sport for boys and girls for spring and for winter and along those same lines we had several sports where I was asked if I could make a separate another they were some co- co- uh MVPs or most improved
121so we had a few extra here and there and then um I know when Mike was talking about Um uh one of the highlights for our fizzed this year, the competitiveness in this building where uh one of our um pep rallies I think was bad mitten and so they they came to me. We did a couple more trophies for the bad mitten so that they were able to give uh championships um at the pep rally and so done a lot of trophies this year for the students. Um I wish I could show you some of them but I figured I would bring some showand tell because other things again how can we make you know um improvements in school. we had the initiative for um our March Madness for the attendance. So this is the
122plaque that we end up just creating for it. Um and so the class of 2030 was our winner this year. So then next year we can whoever the winner is, we can just keep adding to it and then you know put this up wherever we're going to. And so give you an example of some of the neat things that we can do with uh again our laser printer. And so thank you again for that questions. Thank you. Great. I have a I know I feel almost like a mother with her children here. Three years ago, we started this, right? We started teacher leaders in Waterville. Prior to that, we did not have a system or a structure for reviewing our curriculum, for aligning our curriculum, for engaging in professional development, and now just listening to
123you. So we heard about your data analysis, right? And leading um you know looking at your data to to inform your instruction. We heard about book studies. We heard about you know how you're collaborating with your teams. You're leading professional development sessions. You're doing so many things to move our curriculum forward which in turn obviously increases the achievement of our students. So I am like a proud proud mom just watching how you've led this program and it's not easy being a leader, right? So every month you're with your teams, you're leading them forward, you're inspiring them to engage in the work and you have done an outstanding job. So you have exceeded all of my expectations here. So I thank So, you can stay if you'd like. We're almost done. It's not going to be
124there's not I know. Next week is teacher appreciation week, too. So, I just wanted to preemptively say happy teacher appreciation week. So, we really appreciate you. Thank you. everything. I got [Music] Steven the class ahead. Thank you. Have a great night on that. Nice. I didn't see these at all. So, on the budget front, um I'm sure you've heard the news that Governor Hokll has a general agreement with the legislature. So, we should be hearing by the end of the week. Uh but the rumor is that we're getting an increase which will be really wonderful, right? So so that's all great. Um also I did want to you know I think you've all heard that the belltoell cell phone ban is something that's going to be in place for the next school year and guess
125what we're already set. So we can take a look at that policy to see if there is any feedback from administration if we want to make any refinements in that and we can do that. But I think the district is very well positioned. Um I think it's been received well by our students. I was going to say how is that? I haven't heard nothing. Right. Well, we're going to ask our disciplinarian here five weeks ago. I think cell phones have been a really minimal issue. I mean even kids that we've had to kind of bring in and remind them of it like this one time offense. I don't think I've had multiple conversation like that. So that's huge. I can only speak to what I can see. So I I don't I don't know that
126the yonder pouches are being used these that we would like to see, but the kids are having them off. They're in their locker. They're not a distraction class. So I think that's the goal, right? Um and from what I've seen, it's been very distracting, right? Because previous administrators told a different story. So this is really huge. So thank you for that. Thank you. Um, and let's see. So, mark your calendar. So, May 6, every year we present the budget to our staff and that is next week. The budget hearing is May 13. So, everything's coming very quickly. And then obviously the budget vote and many other activities here and events that night will occur on May 20. So, I wanted you to meet the candidates. So, I'm sure you saw this. Oh, no. Hold on.
127Here we are. So, I think you recognize this person. Hair down. Hair down. Dan, look. Sleep. Yeah. So, uh, so Dan, our president, Dan Nichols, is running again. Um, I'm sorry, Peter Patelli isn't in isn't running again. Um we do have two open seats. We do have um a community member. Her name is Lori Zwifel Ziffl. Okay. Lorie Swivel. So she is running for the other um open seat and she has a long history of um she has a PhD in clinical child psychology uh working with children. And so she's highly skilled and knowledgeable. So I think I think she'll be a a great addition. That's all I have. Oh, I there is I do have some committee meeting notes when you got to that part. Um yeah, I think that's where we're at. Okay.
128So I have um first of all we did have a capital project meeting and I just wanted to give you some of the updates here. So uh Cynthia did update our um meeting participants of the text survey. So please chime in if you wanted to. So we had the tech survey done by um ML libraries and um we had OM Bose come in their technology director with Mike. They did the survey of um the recommendations made by ML library and um some of that might feel free also. Some of it was they wanted to uh create new um rooms, data rooms and uh we've decided through our survey that we don't really need to create new ones. We can utilize the older ones and rehab them. that will cut down on the amount of technology
129weddings that we have to put in the capital project. Um I think is that all that came out? So your primary of your capital project is going to be running uh updated right. Um so years prior way before our time as where we stand you know I heard rumors that buildings and grounds was running them and stuff like that. Um so as part of the new IP phones that is not part of the technology plan but different. um during the capital project we will be running updated CAD wire um to each classroom and it'll be a central location in the front um a lot of school districts are doing that now where you have your IP phone your Bonic or whatever board in our case it's a Bonic um so where that teaching station is
130will never be moved um but that um but we also will be following the industry standard where right Now some of our rooms um we don't terminate the cables in the wall. It goes right to the device. Um so a lot of that is going to be really picking us up to industry standard because technology runs everything like if something goes wrong with the door system that's technology and things are called and all of that. Um but with the server closets looking at the industry sort of standards of that in regards to access and climate control and along those lines. Um we did have classroom we did have some computer labs and of course everybody should be onetoone. So what we needed for those lines is no longer what we need. Um we will be
131talking with the engineer because they did a walkthrough last week. Um so I do have questions for the engineer to compare for our next capital meeting. Um but really looking at that and then also talking to administration about the future um with implementation of how are we replacing our security cameras which I don't think is part of the capital project but is there any blind spots that administration would like addressed and let's get that on a replacement schedule um because it's better to you know smart it's million dollars but you're might not have that in 10 years to replace everything um so getting everything on that five-year plan, working with Ombosis in the district with Cynthia and looking at the finances. But your capital project should be that new wiring um getting those closets hopefully
132as close to industry standard as possible. Um part of that is um battery backup at MPS. Um, so right now if the power goes out right now, the laptop would still work in the wireless in this building, but MPS would not have internet service right now because we did not have battery backup. Um, so working through that capital project with that. So working with the district emergency response plan, if the power goes out, does the bus garage have generator? No. What do we do with the bus garage? We move them to elementary school and stuff like that. Um, but in the case of power outage, your network would work, your laptop has a battery, the wireless would work, everybody has a Chromebook, so you might be teaching in the dark or whatever. Um, but our
133network should not go down and things like that. Um, so really looking forward to this because technology if you look at runs a lot of things in our district. Okay. Um, so other things that we've uh we discussed that are part of the project is the uh the science classrooms in grades five and six at NPS. We did speak with our our principal as well as um one of the teachers involved. Um and they prefer to have flexibility in the classroom to have a mobile demonstration table. Um they don't need a sink as part of that. So that that's going to be in the project. Uh we spoke with Christine Goks and she needs storage for 100 student instruments as well as 100 students in her classroom. So we haven't solved that. We don't have
134a solution yet for that one. So we're still figuring that one out. And Matt was going to be really exploring different um going back to the building and exploring different solutions. I She does. She does. Yeah. So, so we wish we could build an addition just for her. High expectations. So, so to be continued. Um, what the solution is there. So, one of the things we also talked about, so as part of the project, we anticipated that roof recovery would be in the middle section here at the junior senior high school, but apparently some of the adjacent areas also may need to um to be part of it. So, so that's something we're looking at and they're going to examine that more for us. tonight. Yes, we will know in the morning. We'll know. Uh
135we did have Ethan involved and Ethan says that he does need an additional lift um to meet DOT standards for the midsized SUVs and the light duty vehicles. So, they are looking to also incorporate an a second lift, an additional lift. And as we talked about the capital outlay project, we are looking at doors in the intermediate wing. We're looking at other doors at MPS as well that will be part of that project. Our next meeting is uh Friday, May 2nd at 8 a.m. this Friday. Oh, this Friday. Oh my god. Friday. It's this Friday. It is this. Okay. The bus garage. That would be an addition to the lift that we're already going to do. So, we're going to do an ingground lift for the regular buses, but then we have to do this
136light lift for the smaller vehicle. Yes. Yeah. So, the ingground one is replacing the existing Yes. We have two lifts. We just replaced one and now we're going to replace the next one and then we're going to do a scissor lift they call it. It will just be bolted to the ground. So, we also had our district-wide safety committee meeting this morning. Um, and one of the things is that there is a new template for our district-wide emergency response plan. So, I will complete the plan and we will have it starting June July 1, we'll have a 30-day, you know, um, it's got to be 30 days on our website for a public comment period. And then, uh, I think it's July 10th is the board meeting. That will be the night of the public
137hearing. Okay. So, um, so I know that I mean Andre can help, Katie can help, Kathy can help, um, Cynthia can help. So, they're definitely people who can who can conduct that that public hear. Um, and then it will be approved at the August 12th 12th meeting, board meeting. So, new this year is that there is a law that um stipulates now maximum temperature requirements for school buildings and facilities. So, it goes into effect September 1. We do have to have that plan in our districtwide safety um plan and it's not an issue in at the junior senior high school as you know. Um only well so it's a little cold. Uh so MTS is I wish I had my hat right now. It's fluctuated. [Laughter] I don't have anything. So, so we're working on
138that. Um, looking to strengthen our building level emergency response teams at each of our buildings. Um, Heather Bombis from Bosei SOS uh safety office will be working with the teams next year. Um, we talked about their new district. um Boston district radios, the new bullet bullet resistant glass that's been installed. So, we're excited about that. We did talk about the shades. Remember our student reps had brought up those shades. Do you want to talk about what we've decided? So, we've decided a couple things. We went to the orange safety um they use the lockown drill that so posted in the classroom and that says that no students should go or teachers should go and do anything during a lockdown right you don't pull down a shade you don't so there's a conflict we we did
139ask the safety at OM and they they're saying that it's up to the school district what we feel like is the best route right now is we're going to do a survey of what classroom space outside. Do they have shades or do they not? Tom Gleason is telling me some of these already do have shades. Some shades are there and they're not working. So, over the summer, we're going to do a safety survey. How many doors need safety or how many door windows need shades? And then how many outer windows need shades? And then from there, we'll know because I think the price of them it's going to cost us It may have to go into the capital project. We have to see. We have to see because we don't know what the pull out.
140So, we're still investigating that. Yeah. Um and we don't know that it's a great idea to do it for safety reasons. It might be for other reasons. Um I know like John dodges that area. We did do them over the summer because of the heat coming in, but we have to make the final determination whether for safety reasons it would be better to stay in place and not move to go shut those shades. So, regarding this, I do believe the way they were interpreting the the window covering, it has to do with in the what would you call that? courtyard courtyard courtyard. They were more concerned from seeing from this classroom through the window to see that classroom. They weren't really considered concerned about but it would still right but it would still be the
141same thing. And if they're moving, are they calling attention to themselves by the motion? Rather than if they just went to their safe space and stayed. So that's what the the final determination has to be and nobody can give it to us at this point. I think the inside would be more concerning would actually be leaving for the exterior part than the exterior part. We have a specific spot set up due to the nature of the way the windows are designed, right? But when you're in classroom on the west and you're actually inside, you already gain entrance. Now you are looking through window through window into there's no safe spot. Okay. So that's more like and what they were student we're directing them towards versus being on the softball or not softball field but the
142soccer field private soccer field and then looking into school right. Yeah. So also we installed lock boxes so that's all set as well. So on and part of the knockbox, which is going to be great for when taxi, it's the same as the Waterville Fire Department has. So I went down there and drove. It's not a Knox box because when we reached out to the company, the local fire departments have to subscribe with them to get the key. Yep. Um so we bought the same exact one as the Waterville Fire Department. Um, and 911 does have the code and in that lock box is what the fire department and police would need to get into our building. And it's there because if there's a fire in that entrance because if there's a fire, that's where
143your annunciator is and all of that. That's correct. Um, so I did talk to Tom today that and I think he was going to reach out to the fire chief. Um, it might be great community outreach and training to have the fire department come in and go, "This is the lock box. this is how we, you know, you can gain access and stuff like that. So, working with the community on that. All right. And then lastly, we um our budget newsletter is done and we finalized it today. It's going to print and then it will be sent to hosts. Oh, we're we're set. Sorry. All right. I think uh I think we're moving on to our board discussion section. quiet. A lot of the questions were from me. Probably figured that out in your email.
144Some really great responses. I think I touched on some of the general thoughts on AI earlier, but I just am curious overall if we think we're positioned where we want to be or how much work there's left to do preparing our faculty for AI as well as just in embedding it in curriculum. Yeah, obviously tons more work, right? So, we've had an introduction. We had two trainings with the MORK um with our faculty. Then we had the demonstration with the KIGO which I really think it will help to lead things forward, right? Um so I think that will be an important piece moving forward but and through Liz Brennan. So she's attended some training outside of the district on AI. So as our our librarian for our district, she does need to help lead that
145as far as the resources and sourcing and all those things. So, so um I mean a lot of work to do but I think we have a foundation. Yeah. And I think too like it hadn't occurred to me until tonight's presentation. I was thinking about of course administration helping lead the charge but really our teacher leaders I think are going to lead the charge and it was sort of word play but not really like in some cases like we really have raised the bar and I think we just still need to be very comfortable with the concept of expectations and I think we're getting more and more like we have just great people here in many places faculty and just having the teacher leaders help us keep raising those expectations and then bringing everybody with
146them, you know, not like, hey, change is scary for everybody, but the world is changing quickly. We want to students, every student, not just the students that might have resources or access at home, but every student to engage and succeed. So, like that's where I'm coming from. I know I've previously asked about the technology committee, but that would be great to incorporate into a technology committee meeting um discussions about the future AI in the district. And I think that's where the technology committee and administration has been doing great. Um, what I found out from more technology showcases is some teacher, there was a presenter that did a presentation about they walked into a room and one of their stars that always use technology just took out the old overhead projector with the markers and they
147were like, I'm done. You've thrown this at me, this at me, this at me, and this at me with technology. Um, so being really geared with AI, Atlas, and all of that. And you remember Google stuff. Um we had James Davis is now principal at Hartford. Um but we have to show we have to provide the right geared professional development for that and not do the whack-a-ole approach which at Waterville is doing really good at. Um because teachers you know James Davis faced at time at Google was we're building our curriculum out. We're switching new gen standards. We're doing this. We have so much on our plate that now you're you got to go into Google Classroom. you got to do this and you got to do this if you want to laugh the Chromebooker.
148Um, so really working with Liz Brennan and our model schools and our teachers and really showing the value of artificial intelligence. Um, you can do your lesson plans, you can do this. And I think we're there um almost, but we just have to show the teachers that this is a great tool that you can use to help you not be like this is another thing that we're throwing at. And I think the district is really doing good in their professional development and along with the beta sonics that will be rolling out. We've already talked about who's doing you know who would be in charge of that and we need to have that discussion but we had to worry about funding and getting them delivered where they are and all of that. Um but really focusing
149on that and not doing the whackable approach that some districts tend to do. Thanks Mike. Is it okay to discuss stuff? Yeah. Okay. I mean, one thing I will say, we also have to start this soon. Sooner. Um, as we went through our the guidance for the new ELA, what was that document called today that we did with teacher leaders? Literacy. What's that? the literacy attestation. Yes. For so in that component because starting at nine um you're going to be taking an assessment on a computer, writing an essay on a computer, completing math problems on a computer. We need more computer time for kids to actually learn to keyboard, things of that nature because they're not where they should be. It's hunt and peck and you ask their touchcreen, but if you scored an assessment
150on a touchcreen, it's pretty rough to figure out what they're writing compared to what they would write on paper. I mean, it's their paper pens and ship was poor. Using even a stylus on a on a touch screen or a laptop or a Chromebook is a little rough. So that's something that has to be continued in because they're all taking test. Yep. Absolutely. Yeah, I think that's very fair. And again, like that's at least how I think we're we're trying to think holistically about all of this together. So we now have to circle back because we missed something important. But redo things. My wife picks at me because she's like, "You don't know if JBT is." I'm like, "No, because I'm in the elementary school." And she's like, "Do you want a rock?" Maybe I
151am. But so to be fair, it has not been introduced. To be fair, we focus the PD up here. Okay. I'm sorry. It's A1. Don't worry about it. It's a A1. Just a couple other quick things for me that were in that question. So, I appreciate the rough projection on the budget and I would be curious when the governor like firms up for assessment if that would change. I just would add like you know Jeff's here but I think that information is really helpful for us as we go into contract negoti. Oh, absolutely. For sure. like to understand like what do we think we're going to be working with two three four years from now versus just like next year because that's going to shape and we'll run all those right a lot of our
152discussions you know from both sides so that that's appreciate that that's really important and then uh the other thing for me I want this to be genuine I'm not trying to be smart we have I have been proddding about athletics for a while and I really appreciate the responses here. And I don't know if this was like you and Coach Gford sitting down and walking through it, but there's a lot of And I I need to to loop you in on what there's a lot of good stuff in here that uh again, I don't know that we have to talk through all of it, but we're kind of touching on some of it too with expectations mentioned that quite a few board meetings now this year and what we're witnessing in the classroom with the
153teacher leaders. but also out on the sports fields as we've added certain coaches who I don't I would say this five six years ago I heard a lot honestly in the community about like nobody wants to coach it's too much work it's not enough money blah blah blah honestly that's what I thought of it you just need to find the right people who have a real passion and who bring those high expectations with them and like we I think we've been ready but we're really ready now to take some of the steps that are outlined in here and and have higher standards for our athletic programs. Like what does it look like if you're a varsity coach and you have a JV and a modified program in your sport? Like what are we expecting? Not
154asking, not hoping, but expecting you to do to build that program just like we're building reading and math from prek on prek all the way up. like we've gotten to a certain point in athletics and achieved a lot, but that's really just been on the backs of like honestly kids from fan base for the most part that have resources. And I I think we've overlooked like what we're supposed to be as a school. Like every kid here is supposed to get a chance, an equal chance as much as possible to succeed. And in sports, the only way that happens is if you have good programs, not just like kids who show up, some of them do a club score, you know, like like it's great to see basketball, they're doing offseason workouts already. I mean,
155the season just ended and we've always had AEU basketball for decades and some kids play AEU because their families can support them there, but plenty of kids can't do that. I definitely wouldn't single any kids out here, but I can. We had a player on the varsity team who I'm pretty sure never ever even set foot on an AE court and was one of the most important players on the team. That's what public school sports are supposed to be for kids. And if we don't have consistent expectations and we have some programs doing year round training and other programs show up on day one, like we're going to have kids who love a sport not get the same opportunity. Sure. That somebody now like again five years ago Not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, like
156a football team just showed up in the fall. We got destroyed. Well, now there's a real football program. There's real coaching. There's real training. You have kids like even look Patterson. I didn't think he was even thinking about football. He's going to do sprint football at Cornell and it's it's all on him, but it's some of it's obviously Coach Dun laying the program. It's the last couple years laying that foundation for him to have those opportunities. every kid boy and girl who's competing in the sports we offer should have that same support. Look at track, look at go through lots of sports and we're not there yet. And and my last point like this is a passion of mine because it's academics first but now we should be looking at extracurriculars coming out of co
157like you know we don't we don't have five years to figure it out whether it's girls volleyball or basketball or soccer boys soccer like kids are in school now and they need us to have that urgency and like again Tom's done some great great things everything's on the right track overall but We need to move faster among the speed. I think like we've got to have that same high expectation, all sports, every sport like it's not just it's not fair to any kids in any of these sports. It's like they don't have that high expectation. Oh, the only other thing like that wasn't included here and I don't know if you want to comment on any of sorry I'm taking some air time is just I do think along with and you touched on it
158here clear expectations for the student athletes and parents spectators I think we need to kind of revisit as a board our code of conduct at athletic events. It's not well known and it should be and I love basketball but we got some pretty rowdy things in basketball this year and gotten rowdy myself in the past. We all need to know what the rules are. Um, but also like feedback from kids. Like I don't see anything in here where like I feel like that should be part of the end of the year evaluation process because you could win a title and kids might say like it was a horrible experience. The coach is not a good coach. Or you could lose every game and the kids might say, "Yeah, like I I this is my first
159season playing sport. It was really hard. It was really tough." But like the coach is really great and these are the things we're doing well and this is what we need more of and like I think that's really important. We don't have that now and like maybe we're not as good as we think we are in some sports. I don't know, right? The kids will tell us maybe we're better than we think in some sports because the records are bad, but we're on the right track and maybe like we're not good in some sports even though the records were good. We just don't know. So I think so some school districts do have stu, you know, the players evaluate their coaches. It's just just informative, you know, that's Yeah. It's not the deciding factor, but
160you have that it's a data point. It's a critical data point. Sure. If 70% of the kids are like, "This coach sucks. Why?" Well, I mean, maybe we've got to ask questions and maybe it's development. Absolutely. But who knows? So, and again, I don't know. I mean, I don't think he does anything like that. I speak that it doesn't. And again, to like take it away for a second, like I don't remember the school now, but I remember being shocked at that hair pulling incident. Yes. Oh, yeah. Girls basketball, right? You cannot tell me that was the first time that coach ever did something like that, right? But if we're not getting proper evaluations proactively and getting student input in a in a safe setting, you end up with a team again in what the
161state tournament like right everyone would think they're successful and look at what the coach did and the school district did the right thing but like I mean we want to win but we don't want to win that way just like we don't want to lose but if we're doing the right things maybe we're struggling for a couple years building a program like that's okay if we're doing the right So Andre and I will follow up with Tom get the plan in place. You know it could be I just had one question. Um shifting gears to the um persons with disabilities exemption that we went over. So that was adopted in 2007 by the board we believe. So yes. Okay. So they So there's Yeah, there's only three exemptions and they're in Madison County. Okay. So
162um I don't know if there was a push back then for it. I'm not sure. When you say three exemp like three like households or like what like what I'm So they just give it to us as three. So I'm not sure if it's three parcels or three. Okay. They give us to us as three. And um I have the uh what do you call it? Um hold on one second. And the reason why I'm asking I was approached the information that I was given was that it was about 20 years ago. So it would have been 2007 lines up. Makes sense. Um but it was 18,000 as an exemption for a person with disabilities or limited income. And I just know if that if is that's like an exemption the board sets and then
163so so I I believe the exemptions are run by the state. You have to adopt them. Okay. Right. But then they go through the assessor's office and they're the ones that that do the exemptions and then they just send us the reports who applied, who got approved. We don't do anything. Okay. So it's not like the board sets a No. All you do is allow the exemption. Okay. So if it's question. That that was the was the question was apex. So they have three special ed exemptions and the total equalized value is um $146,929 of those exemptions. Okay. Okay. Thank you. So, I will um have these exemption reports are part of the budget process and they're in with the budget packet that goes out for the board votes or for the um budget votes
164and they'll go out they'll be on our website and then I'll send them out to the board by a memo and to Dr. Spring probably next week. Okay. Yeah. And you'll see all the exemptions we have for all of our towns and villages. Okay. Thank you. Great. I think that'll bring us into if nobody has anything else on the board, that brings us to our first public comment. Just ask. Yeah, just please just state your name and just speak up. So, if you want to stand to the podium with a microphone or just speak up. So, my name is Lynette Green for those of you that don't know me. This is my husband Harvey and my son Tyler. We also have two other sons. um Tarter who's in eighth grade and Parker who's in seventh
165grade. Um so we're here tonight to discuss some concerns that we have regarding the upcoming boys varsity soccer season and specifically the coach that was chosen by the school district for that position this year. It's a person just approved. I I was going to say to go to exe we get a motion then to go into executive. Yeah. Yeah. So, can I get a motion to go into executive session for I can find it. I'm sorry. Motion to go into executive session for the Yeah. medical, financial, credit, employment history of particular person or corporation or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, motion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of particular person or corporation. Can I get a motion please? So move. Thank. Thanks, Steve. Discussion. All in favor? I Well, I know Andre did