001All right, Mr. Christensen. Mrs. Feice here. Mrs. Hedley here. Mrs. Janisk here. Mrs. Hoppy here. Mr. McGregor here. Mr. Scozo here. Mrs. Turner here. Mr. Mojack be present. Why not? This time we have a few minutes for public comments on tonight's agenda for the curriculum committee meeting here today. If any of our members of our public know. Okay. Um, Mr. Scalzo. Okay. We have three items under curriculum committee. We'll start with item one. Uh, report on the plans for a K through8 math curriculum pilot. Dr. Walsh, if you'd like to. Yes. Thank you. Good evening everyone. Uh this is um this meeting is going to be jam-packed full of educational goodness uh and all the ways that we have been working steadily here to move the needle to improve the educational uh experience that students
002have. We'll get a little granular with some of the program change proposals. And here this first item is a little more broad looking at K to8 mathematics. Last time we were together as a committee, we were going through the outcomes report and there was a lot of headscratching and and furoughed brows about math achievement and tonight get to hear some of our plans for how that's going to uh turn that around and put that in a positive direction. I'm going to ask Mrs. Figlioli to address the math pilot. Hi, good evening. Um to kind of give you some history on how we arrived here. K to 5 is currently using my math by McGra Hill. 6 through 8 does not have an adopted core resource. Um K to 5, their licenses will expire in 2627.
003Um so we knew this change was on the horizon. Um 6 through 8 is also in a place where they're ready to adopt a core resource. So it worked out that we'll Mr. Volani and I will be able to facilitate both the elementary and the middle school staff through a pilot process. Um so essentially we started with five vendors. Um these vendors were chosen based on um what works clearing house gives ratings on various curricular tools. We also have access to a document that shows what every um district in Alageney County is using. So we were able to narrow it down to five that we wanted to see. So we brought in all five vendors all in one day. Um and they kind of did an hour pitch on their product and left all of
004their samples here for us. Um so following that day we were able to eliminate one um in both it was different for both the K to 5 and the 6 to8 group but based on what it did not offer for that particular grade group it went from five to four after those vendor um presentations. So following the vendor presentations, we reconvened with the entire group of staff and we chose two rubrics that were recommended to us from the Alagany Intermediate Unit and we spent some time anchoring ourselves in that rubric of what does this mean when we're looking at this particular component so we're all on the same page. Um so we spent some time at the beginning of that day together and reviewing best practice, what does research say? so that everybody was well
005prepared to begin reviewing um four vendors each. So we spent that whole day together. Um we spent about an hour and a half with each product and some people finished, some people did not. Um so we had asked the building principles to give them a little bit more time so that we had all of those rubrics. We've asked for those to come back by June 1st. Um and at that point we will sit down and determine which two resources will move forward to a pilot phase next year. Um so in the 2526 school year we will be piloting two different math series. Um it could look a lot of different ways. It may not necessarily be the same two series. Um we we know that research outlines best practice but there are some different um
006modes of even in the schedules of how the classes are handled, what time is available for intervention. Um but we wanted to make sure that we were very clear in what we were using as our criteria for evaluation and also what the teachers were would need to make sure to have sex successful integration of that curriculum. We learned a lot from the CKLA process. Um so we hope to follow that process. We also in addition to regular education teachers have three special education teachers on the team. Um so it's a really diverse team. Uh great dialogue and conversations happening. Um everyone wanting to be there adding value to the conversation. Um so we will reconvene at the beginning of next year to determine which one one of the um products that we're looking at will
007be coming out with a new addition in the fall. Um, so we will not pilot that one until we've seen the new addition. We don't want to be in a situation where something new comes out and we're playing catch-up. Um, so it would likely be the the second choice coming first as we wait to see what the new series of that particular vendor would look like. Um, but then we hope to bring a proposal to you. um hopefully having a program change proposal and a meeting prior to even this time of year next year so that we can get you to review it, put it out for public review and have it approved in a in a time frame where then we could have train have the teachers trained before we leave for the school
008year. That was something that the teachers had requested. Um, so we we're taking our time with the process, but we would like to have that um in front of you for approval early next spring, late winter, next spring um so that we can move forward with that choice. So questions. Yes. So currently right now, how much common core math is in K through five? I guess all of it. All of it is K through. So for one one more thing. Uh so the state of Pennsylvania is so we have adopted that because federally yes so Pennsylvania is a state that utilizes local control. So we do have some control over how what standards we implement. So Pennsylvania took the p the common core standards. you you had to essentially accountabilitywise you're going to have to
009take the tests that like for us it's the PSSA other states have different tests but there is no way around that federal accountability requirement that the students will have to take assessments to show that they are proficient in those standards. So that is why a state like Pennsylvania is going to make sure that we have we are addressing all of that in the common core but also PA makes some adjustments. They did the same thing in the PA steel standards. There are some um some they will tell you that it's a little bit more rigorous um that the PA core standards are, but essentially all of the common core standards are embedded in the PA core standards for math. So this was adopted back in like 2010 2011ish like most of the states a lot
010of the states 2014 was when Pennsylvania adopted PA core in mathematics and in English language arts. Okay. And have we seen a dramatic increase at the let's say at the national, state, and local level with scores uh in correlation with with common core that style that approach. Have we seen an increase with like an improvement overall and nationwide, statewide, and even at the local level like us? I would argue that standards don't tell you how to teach. They tell you what to teach. So we know that they give us that framework as far as we know our kids are going to be tested on this to this extent of this material. Um, I would say that nationally in whether it would be the rigor that you can definitely see when the common core was adopted,
011the scores go down, not just in Bethl Park, um, but in the state of Pennsylvania, you had grade level curriculum at the time in the district I was working on. At the time, we were looking at the fifth grade um, we were doing scope and sequence guide for the teachers and everything that was in fifth grade moved to fourth grade. So you the year that those took effect that class that was in fourth grade that went to fifth grade the assumption the the assumptions there that that was taught in fourth grade and they're not going to learn it in fifth grade. So teachers are making adaptations to try to fill those holes that that those standards created because it it realigned the standards. I guess I just want to know how do we know it
012works or it doesn't work? Like what is the solid concrete thing that we can look at when you when you put something in like that? I I I just trying to find a clear concrete way of knowing that this is what's best or there's challenges here. maybe it's not as great as we thought because I I was looking up some research on this and it showed that in some cases it seemed inconclusive that there's studies that show that there's good things with it and then obviously there's the negative side of it too but I couldn't I I was trying trying really hard to see if there was one way or another if it's a very clear set of data that can really show that this is the best way and I couldn't I cannot find
013it I could not find I wouldn't would it exists? I think that the intent of the common core nationally was to make sure that when a child moves from state to state that there is at least some consistency to what is being learned across grade levels. When I started teaching in Pennsylvania, I there weren't even standards in kindergarten and first grade. You just got kids ready for third grade for three years. Um, so they really tried to articulate um what needed to be taught at each grade level, but I would agree with you that there's not evidence that suggests that the implementation of those standards h had a profound effect on student achievement. It really raised the bar of what was expected of students. And I think that you see districts approaching that in a
014different way um as far as how they're teaching, what tools they're using to get there. Um, but Pennsylvania, yes, they are a PA core, but they do address all of the Common Core standards. Do teachers have the flexibility to teach traditional math at the same time, or do they have to teach it in the style and the approach of how you're grouping things? Common Core does not necessarily tell the teachers how to teach it. Let me give you an example. So, I think what is confusing for parents is a a math problem comes home and it will show you six different ways to solve this problem. And for parents that learned in a really traditional way, we solve it. We're like, "No, no, no. I I don't that doesn't make sense to me. I don't
015understand that. This is how I learned it." And the Common Core does say you should expose children to multiple ways to solve problems. It does not say that you have to master every single one of those problems. So I think that so at the very beginning of common core you saw a lot of pressure on teachers that the misunderstanding that the kids had to know all those different ways and use all those different ways. They are to expose the students to all those different strategies but the students are able to choose the strategy that works for them to solve the problem. But I do think that that's why it gets it has a really bad reputation with parents and families because it looks totally different. It's much more conceptual than us just being shown the
016algorithm and the steps to do it where they're trying to really build that conceptual understanding. But it can be confusing to learners when you're seeing five different ways to do it. Um it really takes that teacher understanding and knowing the student to figure out what strategy works best for them. So for a child, if they do it in a way where it it's less than 10 seconds, they can complete that problem versus 15 steps and they're there for about 20 30 minutes. You're saying that if the child does it the other way, the quicker way that that would be acceptable. Yeah. And it's not Yeah. It's not even necessarily quicker. It's just a different students will be when they come to that time to take the state test, there are going to be problems that
017ask them to justify their thinking. So we they can use whatever strategy they want to get the answer, but they also have to be able to explain that and show their steps. Um that doesn't box them into one particular strategy. So if a student did have, let's say they just really caught on to the algorithm, let's say it's subtraction with regrouping, you're bringing down the ones, you're carrying the 10. If that works for you and some of the more conceptually based models are are more challenging for you, as long as you can articulate how you solve that problem, you will be able to answer that question successfully. But no longer is it u an indicator of success to just have the answer to the problem and not be able to explain how you arrived there.
018So then currently how would you describe how our teachers teach it now? I guess I guess across K through five uh I guess from top down right if we're talking about what is coming from administration to the teachers what is what is the expectation for them the expectation right now the adopted curriculum is my math um my math was adopted at the at the time after um common core PA core was put into place so you are going to see those variety of models for solving a problem they are to introduce those those strategies to students and then ultimately students are going to pick the strategy that works best for them. Um I will tell you bless you that there are missing standards from that's one of the complaints of the teachers of my math
019right now. There are certain standards because PA core chose a more rigorous approach to their standards that the common core um series okay does not necessarily meet that level of rigor. So the teachers have then at grade levels had to supplement units because that standard is not even addressed in that current curriculum. And same thing um as we were reviewing them here, you have vendors who provide a slipin for just for PA because we've got more rigorous standards in addition to the common core. Okay. And I'm sorry I I've taken a lot of time. No, that's okay. Let some let some of the other board members ask questions. Go ahead. Go ahead. Do you want to I had a just had a question about special ed. So with the curriculums that you're looking at, is
020there um is there a separate I I don't want to say it that way, but is there a separate because that's that kind of math is so difficult. I say it because I did learn like you know the way that we all learn phonics in math is what I call it. No, but um so I my concern is always that those uh the learners that have a harder time maybe need it broken down and rather than having a teacher break down the curriculum for regular ed, it would be easier if it were so if it's like a separate curriculum that's the same but adapted. Is it? I don't know yet. I am not seeing a totally separate curriculum similar to CKLA in the sense that you've got a tier one curriculum that is meant to
021be delivered to the entire student, the whole grade level. Um, and then you've got resources in tier 2 and tier three that if students aren't meeting that level of proficiency, you can use something else for a retach. So there's a there are separate. Yeah. Yes, it comes. Yeah. And that's why we wanted the special ed teachers in that pilot process with us so that they could see does it have everything that you need as students go through that unit and maybe aren't getting the the concept. Something that we're seeing a lot of in the newer series is pre-teaching. Um, so there's a lot of preassessment. Figure out what people what kids know. Um, but if you go into a unit missing prerequisite skills, that unit's going to be be difficult for you. So giving a
022preassessment then allows the teacher to be able to re hit some of those foundational skills that were missing that they're going to need to master that new standard. Um, and what's really nice about these um, newer series is that the technology helps you. Um, it it will once you've either if the student had taken something on a computer or you entered their response to an exit slip or to a um, a quiz of some sort, it then tells you which students knew this, which students didn't know this, and then routes you to the resources for what they need, whether that be intervention or enrichment. It's really impressive to see how far math series have come in and equipping the teacher for the different levels of needs. Okay. I had one more question. Oh, go ahead.
023Go ahead. You're probably going to say the same thing I'm going to say. No, go ahead. Okay. So, and you're going to be shocked at what I say. So, because today I spoke to a parent which is I mean coincidentally who is having a hard time like working with their kid at home. And what's happening is that the child doesn't understand the math. The parent doesn't understand how to teach it. So my it's not my kid, it's one of my colleagues kids, but is um coming in super frustrated and hating math and I don't want that to happen. So now I'm I'm on board with Kim like where how do the parents know how to that I was going to touch on that. So one of the interesting things that Mrs. Figley established in the
024rubrics and the teachers looked at was the plethora of resources that these had. When you look at some of these resources, some of them depending on the level, whether it's elementary K to five or six to eight, they had trifolds, they had flip cards, they had, you know, uh, manipulatives and things that could be used in lessons. The online extensions, one of them had a model that actually had a parent book that went home to help parents assist in things and things like that, too. So, again, the development of these resources that, you know, have been outdated and not consistent across board. While we want to have teachers supplement and stuff, one of the big things with special ed or just adaptability, teachers have some resources and things, a lot of these things when you
025copy them and they connect to the CIS or the learning management system, the LMS, there's an adaptability with, you know, sequencing the homework and doing this or getting a baseline uh through the system that can instantly recommend something that you can shoot out or print for either homework enrichment or uh remediation for that. So there's a lot of tools and technologies that come with these curriculums that partner with it that give us that tool. So while we're exposing students to every ability of math, we can then measure them as they go. Ongoing measurement, not just waiting for benchmark testing or end of the year assessments, but looking at them where they are and trying to get them back up to where they need to be on level with peers or fundamentally ready for the next
026topic in the curriculum. So those are a lot of the things that the teachers are really diving deep into and seeing what's better. And that's where when it comes down to it, one eliminated itself because it didn't have a K to 5 online for K to2 and we're like we're not even exposing this. Every teacher needs to have these options. And that's where the I think the when we get down deep into the resources, some of them are kind of close on par, but that will be the distinguishing factor I think between the K to 5 and 6 to 8 whether they're the same or slightly different based on the resources for the age appropriateness and the instructional delivery they're hoping for. in that with the PSSA testing, do they have to know the the
027the skills like the newer approach in order to do well on the PSSA or can they just do the traditional math? Does that not matter? If they are if a student can solve the problem, whether it be in a traditional algorithm or they're drawing a model on their scratch paper and then transferring the answer, you can absolutely still do well. But what we have found the reason for why I think that math has has changed is because we got so focused on the procedures of solving problems that the kids didn't have that conceptual base. So you'll see a lot more simple things happening in grades K1 and two that are directly related to being able to solve a problem, not just using a traditional algorithm. understanding that a number five, you know, what what does
028five look like? They should be able to see a number five, be able to visually manipulate five items in their head. Like they need to build that number sense so that they can manipulate numbers to solve problems. But the PSSA does not say use this particular method to solve this problem. It will ask you to solve a problem. And if they do do that, there's a formula sheet. So they're given a reference sheet. Like let's say it's a a problem specific to perimeter then it may say if if it's saying sol you know find the perimeter of this rectangle you could go back find that formula right next to you because you would know you would need that formula to find the correct answer not necessarily how but that at least gives you a starting
029point to be able to plug in the numbers and solve the problem. So you have two students and kindergarten, first, second, third grade learns completely traditional from another school district and then you have the one student that is going through the common core math. They both take that PSSA. They're they're you're saying that there's no there's no advantage one way or the other. They would they would absolutely have the necessary skills in order to achieve the same way on the PSSA. I guess that's what I'm asking. So I think we got to draw a distinction between when you say traditional way to common core curriculum. What's different is when things are expected to be mastered and I think Mrs. Fig goaly you said uh what used to be fifth grade is now fourth grade. So,
030if you're still teaching math like you were in 2010, then you're doing your students a disservice that when they sit down for the fifth grade PSSA exam, they're not going to be able to do the work that's asked of them because they only learned as much as they would have in in fourth grade. If you if there's a neighboring district that is teaching traditionally, they're not following the common core. you know that the depth of the problem solving when you get to the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade PSSA, those word problems are not as simple as solving a problem. You need to be able to take the information. You have to be able to think critically. And so it's really those thinking skills that are going to help you with those multi-step problems rather than
031just those um of course you need the skills to solve and and solve those procedural type problems. But a kid who struggles let's say with subtraction with regrouping even if you're in seventh grade if you conceptually understand the problem you're they will allow you to use the calculator for 85% of the PSSA. They're assessing your thinking as well. All right, it leads us back to the one question then. How do we know as a nation or at a state level or local level that it actually is really improving the students skills? We don't know. So we just well it's it's not having a the other way to look at it is it didn't have a negative effect. So the SAT scores on the national level haven't dropped since 2014 when common core was adopted. So
032students are doing as much s are having as much success in mathematics on that exam as they were before the core was adopted. So it hasn't well then if it impacted has it increased the national average on SATs? It has not on the on an international basis. Our math performance as a as a nation hasn't improved by the adoption of the common core. It hasn't had that kind of positive impact but it hasn't had a negative impact either. Again, it's important to note it wasn't so much they made up new math. It was just they they kind of forced more rigor into it by teaching things sooner than they had been ever taught before. I guess if it hasn't improved then for that amount of time. Is there something that we need to do that's
033different then? I guess it's a bigger question, you know, definitely mathematically overall. Not that it would be solved here right now tonight, but it is a definitely a larger question than because it's disappointing to not know for sure. I would say I would say that I see an advantage in different types of students who think in different types of ways. I agree. Um have the ability now to find a way where they're the light bulb Oh, no. So, I'm glad that there are a variety of of ways to solve problems and I do see that it really impacts that number sense um and hopefully um often keeps kids from making math mistakes and not realizing it even right um doing it in that traditional algorithm. If you don't have the ability to quickly estimate a
034number, then you you might not realize that the answer you provided is clearly not even logical, right? Um, so I think there are a lot of advantages, but yes, it isn't something we can choose to do or not. And grading wise for teachers, I mean, if you get to the answer, you get to the answer, right? So that's all that matters, right? As long as you can perform there, but you will have to justify. Yeah. Right. Not just throw, right? Yeah. Right. But you could explain what you did and that should be counted. It should be celebrated that there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Absolutely. Okay. So, going back to Buffy's concern, I have the same one with parents not understanding how to help their kids with math. And it feels like since
0352014, we've cut parents out of the equation and trying to to help their kids gain their foundational math skills. So if they're not understanding it at school and they're coming home, parents can't help. So with any curriculum that we adopt mathwise, I would hope that there would be and I I almost hate to say like train the parents because we're competent people. We know how to do math, but we're, you know, we're stuck not being able to help kids. And that's very frustrating for parents, obviously. And we've all had those conversations over the last 10 years. I've had countless conversations with parents and have been frustrated myself like, I don't know how to help you. And then it puts more on the teacher because the kid didn't have the homework done. Now the kids getting
036in trouble at school because or they're getting a zero because they didn't have their homework done because they didn't understand and mom and dad can't help anymore. So that's my biggest concern with any any math curriculum is that we do not cut parents out of the equation. And I know what you were saying, Dr. Walsh about pushing whatever was in fifth grade down to fourth grade. But right today, I is that really a good thing to do, especially with all the needs across all the districts? Yeah. You know, is is that really helpful to do that? I mean, we were I mean, at if you go back to 2010 or before 2010, there wasn't as many needs, right? So now what are we we're putting we're bringing if you want if it's more complex you
037know if you're bringing fifth grade material down to fourth grade in a time where there is more needs than we've ever seen before for sure then why would we it could be harder it could be it's harder for the child it's going to be frustrating for the child and then it goes again with what um Mrs. Hoppy was saying and Mrs. ice about the parents as well. It's it's complicated issue, right? It's so sure what we we're really what we're saying is that uh we're going to increase the rigor only by making you learn things sooner than you really might be ready to to learn them. And when I was in school, algebra was a ninth grade class. It was the gateway to high school math. And now it's pretty typically an eighth grade class.
038and all in the name of increasing rigor and trying to push kids to higher levels of success. And really all that we've done realistically, this is just opinion now, is just increased their anxiety. I don't think we've increased their mathematic competence in in by doing that. So I have two questions going off of Mrs. Hoppy and Mrs. Fe. Um in in the one where it has the parent book, I think we are going to frustrate parents by sending that home. It's online. Yeah, it's an online resource. Yep. It's available for you if you need it. They do like a retach video if you know the parent. Okay. So the child could sit and watch it more than the parent trying to help because I think that would be a frustration level that none of us
039want to hear moving forward on that end. And also it's taking time from parents that you know um the other question is where do we see we had the science of reading or reading um component that comes in in 2026. Where do we see the literacy for math component that the federal government had talked about for the last couple of years and several states have initiated in their curriculum currently? Are we looking at that at the new curriculum level coming in? Currently PA does not have any specific um mathematics science of mathematics initiatives. We're seeing a push for financial literacy um from the state, but they're not pushing anything like they are the science of reading. Um I'll send you all a link to the website um that we built for this process so that
040you can kind of see we we use two guiding forces when we're looking at best practices for math. You look at the national council of teacher of mathematics and their eight effective teaching practices. There's also something called the science of math. Um it has not been no it's only in certain states and it's yes and but both of them bring valuable strategies in my opinion. Um but the science of math has not been as blessed by public public education as the teaching strategies of the national council of teachers. The northeast has not yet. There are several states that have that are also requiring teachers to um in college right now to learn it. It I I I could see it coming down. I could see it being helpful for teachers to have that because when
041we went to college, you did not have that type of you. They didn't teach you number sense. We didn't learn that way as learners in math. Um, but what I can tell you is when I'm looking at these new products is that it's very interactive and it's very playful. There's a lot of conversation and dialogue. you see things spiral back through and something that we fluency used to have a name of just knowing your math facts fast. Fluency is being able to retrieve a skill accurately and quickly. Um, so you have a lot of really engaging fluency activities at the beginning of the lessons. You have some highg guided practice and then a lot of opportunities for the students to be able to work with that material at their need. Um, so I I'm pleased,
042very pleased by what I'm seeing in the new series as far as what I see it improving engagement in students and also making the teachers feel well equipped for all different types of learners. And then with the new series, where are we at with how much homework is going home, how much frustration level? Um, a lot of that is, you know, middle school here has always been where you get 25 math problems a night. That is frustrating for a lot of kids that have missed some of those things. And I'm not grouping, but you know, a lot of us up here have had one already, if not more, go through the system. So, we we know what that is. How are we going to address that? because it sounds like a lot of this is
043going to be taught in the classroom compared to go home and learn your rope memorization. We've been working hard on a homework policy in curriculum council. Um there are not guidelines. The the math series are not putting out guidelines for how much homework. They do provide differentiated options for homework. Um, but we're working very hard with the curriculum council on challenging some of those traditional philosophies that homework is a must. Um, you know, the research doesn't necessarily support that you're going to see a lot of gain in student achievement from homework. Most they get very frustrated. I think that some executive functioning skills. Um, but we're working really hard to challenge those mindsets that um because I hear you. If you you know what you're doing, 25 problems, doing it wrong is not going to
044be helpful. No. And if you don't understand it, doing it wrong and then going back in the next day and still not understanding what you did is not helpful either. Our new adjustment for middle school with the 60-minute math will also help play a role in some of that as well. Thank you. You're welcome. We'll keep you posted. I'll send you that website. If you're I think as curious as you are, you might find it useful. I have a lot of questions. It's just I even think even a simple example uh some of the best engineers who put people on the moon, build our infrastructure, right? This is goes back to what Dr. Walsh said. All of those people that did all of that, they had algebra 1 in nth grade. They didn't even see
045calculus until college. What are we doing to our kids? Pressure. Pressure. Stress. Stress. More pressure. It's definitely a larger question that starts at the federal level. They're not going to pass their test if we don't teach it is the problem, right? Am I Well, I mean, like if we don't So, if they take a fifth grade test and they've never seen that material because we go back to I mean, I agree with you and I think we do push our kids super. I mean, I when I was in kindergarten, I probably slept and ate crackers or whatever. Now, they like do things, right? I'm old. But, you know what I'm saying? Like, of course you Well, it's true though. Everything's progressed, right? But I think but there's a point. Right. Right. But we can't I
046feel like where that's where our hands are tied because if the state test looks that way and that's what they have to and I mean as I'm sitting here like when I came in I'm like I hate common coreah and I I don't love it because I don't understand it but you're awesome and you well you are and you've shown us a million times like you choose curriculum so carefully. You're so good at what you do. That's where I'm kind of like, you know what, Mandy's not going to let us down and they have to they have to know when they look at that test, they got to know the material, right? They have to. So that we just have to find the best way to get there. Yeah. It's just a bigger educational discussion.
047That's all it is. It's to the state how we look at things today compared to how they were and seeing are our kids better off the way we are today in comparison. And you know, I guess yeah, we could do something like that, but It's just astounding that some of the best engineers in the world that did what they did in our country never had calculus until college think critically and solve problems. Right. What I would say is that, you know, when you think about the exposure kids have to technology, to TVs and things like that, you know, even the creative play and the things that Mandy has, you know, displayed with the Bigfoot over there and the thing and the open maker spaces, a lot of times it's metacognitive thinking and thinking about thinking
048and understanding that a lot of times we perceptually see things and we can break things down and see correlations and relations between numbers and how they systematically fit. A lot of times kids aren't making that connection. So while the standards and it exposes it to them, it's helping them think and see connections and tying concepts together and then consistently having educators who did not learn that way have the ability to kind of expose students this to try to make those connections and and those correlations to problems with critical thinking, problem solving and applying those learnings towards other things and solving problems then presenting them, harnessing and leveraging their learning, synthesizing information and you know presenting it in a way. So again, it's kind of breaking down those steps. And again, while there's not one right
049way to solve it, it's exposing them to multiple ways where I don't understand how these two fit into each other and how these multiply or, you know, kids not reading and the science of reading with reading whole books and excerpts and trying to understand and looking at figurative language and all that stuff. So again, it's it's it's attempting to do that and with this common curriculum, it it's giving tools and resources that are not common and right now it could be taught totally different in the same building, the same grade, the same thing. And that's what this is bringing together with the resources that Mandy uh and these curriculum things are doing with the teachers are looking at. So hopefully in that sense while it's a broader conversation that could continue it's a it's a
050you want to march in DC I'll go with it's it's exciting that something at least a common resource is coming across the board. So uh we could continue the discussion at another curriculum committee. I mean we're going to if this is a pilot and we're going to be looking at this it's just more and more discussion to take place. So I don't want I I want to get the other obviously the other items taken care of before uh the meeting ends. So, um, thank you for your time. I don't know if there's any other questions from the board members. Okay. So, we're left with item two and three. Two is progress report from the 6 through 8 middle school program committee. Yeah. So, uh, more than a year ago, Mrs. Sutton uh convened a committee
051of teachers, counselors, administrators, and other educational particip folks uh to consider what IMS needs to be or wants to be in 2026 when sixth grade moves in. uh and it's sort of the prime opportunity to rethink uh pretty much every aspect of that school and to figure out what's the ideal uh that they want to be as a school. Uh they recently presented their findings of the committee and uh on your tables there is a handout from uh sort of a summary handout that uh our curriculum department put together. uh we could have spent the entirety of the meeting on their work, their discussions, the options they considered. Uh but in the interest of time and in the interest of keeping to our um really the program change proposal topics which dive into some of
052these things, we just want to share the highlights of where that committee is has headed and where they've directed things. I want to shout out to the members of the committee and Mrs. Sutton for what was really an a a textbook example of collaboration and group thinking and good discussion. They did talk to a lot of others outside of the committee about what they would like to see happen and involved lots of different uh voices in their deliberations and pushed against pushed back against some traditional thinking um and really made they're they're proposing a lot of significant change to Independence Middle School for 2026. I'm going to defer back again to our assistant superintendent to talk us through these uh these items. Absolutely. Dr. Walsh highlighted it perfectly and um definitely have to give a
053big shout out to Mrs. Sutton um for heading up and finding this committee. Uh the work that those teachers between Neil Armstrong Middle School and IMS did in the first year uh which then transitioned where us as administrators started attending and doing it. Um you know they started in the root steps of a committee like any other. They set a vision and that vision was Independence Middle School is dedicated to cultivating lifelong learners by creating a sense of belonging and fostering students uh student independence. They they love that independence term. You know, their mission was committed to establishing community where students can develop skills necessary to become an independent thinkers, learners um to be exposed to a curriculum that offers a variety of opportunities and embrace both curiosity and innovation. Students will work towards personal
054growth and excellence to achieve their fullest potential. Their purpose ultimately which is what you see in front of you is the next steps of this action plan is to outline a proposed structure of programming for grades 6 to 8 at IMS beginning the 202627 school year. Obviously we talk a lot with the construction project in the elementary school that is coming together uh you know at each board meeting but a lot of work not just in the construction of middle school but the whole reassembling it to a true middle school model of grades 6 7 8 and again it was very simple to sit there and say this is what we've done this is how it's always been the these people came together and had the tough conversations they did research on neighboring communities they
055looked at structures of days bell schedules instructional practices, timing of instructional and essentially they threw a lot of you know I'd say darts in the dark and see what stuck and then you know had conversations in the departments then in between the committee meetings that had representation from the academic areas the special education and the unified arts we would bring the facilitators in to kind of rotate this through and kind of keep that transparency but also to get that include uh that buyin from everybody to be a part of this process. So while a lot of things we're talking about what teaming does and how much they get and when should they get certain curriculums, who's teaching it, is it a dedicated teacher in the four core subjects, one of the major things that's going
056to come in a program change proposal and is listed on this document was our English uh language arts and reading and math minutes. Uh one of the things is sixth grade had 40 minutes of math through six, seven, and eight. in English and uh reading we had 40 minutes 80 minutes total. The disparity in our math scores and some of the things we're trying to accomplish through the science of reading along with that. So previously sixth grade had 40 minutes of math and then 80 40 80 and then it was 4040 in 8th grade. One of the proposals is going to be 60 minutes of math and what we're calling ELA a combination of English language arts, English and reading together. So we'll now have 60 minutes of math and English language arts in sixth
057grade, seventh grade, and an additional 20 minutes of each in eighth grade. So again, when you look at the structure and you look at scores, what's being sent home, what's being covered, we've done different uh math interventions, the middle school, we've had some different things, but now you're giving that time back to the teachers that know the students, instruct them. So when you look at the structure and what some of the work that's outlined on this next document is looking how do we utilize that time? So, are we, you know, capturing where our students are at coming in at a lesson, whether they're coming in at different levels, different spots? You know, we're not putting them into categories and keeping them there because it's fluid and you have to be able to measure where they
058are and then try to help them get them from A to B in every unit and every kind of learning competency as you go through the year. So, again, having some kind of benchmark tool in this curriculum will help with those 60 minutes. Are we capturing that daily? Are we exposing them to the curriculum and the instruction they need to have the foundational steps to progress in their math instruction, no matter where that outcome is, whether they're going through basic algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus or they're trying to get to calculus AB, BC, and go to AP statistics and beyond and some of the educational engineering components at the high school. So again, having those students and doing that, we understand the impacts of student attendance and different things that have dispar disparaging effects on scores.
059How do we catch those kids up when we have them in a common area? You know, we we've looked at that push down of curriculum into eighth grade where it's algebra 1 and seventh or eighth grade. Uh you know, the pre-alggebra or you have the algebra track. We also have students that are forging ahead in things unprepared because they're more concerned about their track of where they'll end up in the courses and doing that. So, thinking about course and sequencing uh not just in the fun foundations of K to 5, but six to eight. And if you are in a track, that's okay. how do you get to the next place or if you all of a sudden start falling behind how do you get here but to get back on track. So a lot
060of those conversations are happening. So taking the findings there was a lot of great conversation there was a lot of great ideas. What you have in front of you is really the next steps. So this planning committee is really transitioning to this transition committee so we know what needs accomplished between now and the opening in 2026 27. Um again Mrs. Sutton has done a wonderful job with Mr. Fodi going to the middle school myself in my new role uh we're looking to keep this committee going and reestablish it again with these targeted tasks that are before you uh when you look at it and you look at the teameing model we talked about the value of the teaming model and the teachers being able to understand uh whether it's through MTSS or these models to
061capture kids communicate with them identify issues and to you know help address those concerns and get students back on track uh we talked about the consistency of teaming the identity that they have at middle school when they all come uh from well again they used to come from the neighboring schools but will be coming from an elementary school now uh and just continuing that pride that team whether it's field days events activities uh but at the same time having that commonality with teachers and then being able to communicate with each other to see students are off and obviously not letting a snowflake become an avalanche providing those interventions if reading's holding them back and then they're suffering in math and science those are areas they can collaborate and work together in a true teaming model
062when you look at eighth grade and you look at the electives and what they're trying to prepare for. Uh, you know, we had a lot of different things in those things where again, does it have to be a true teaming model or is it a team and identity, but obviously some flexibility in the unified arts rotation because again, what are we doing? We're preparing for that transition to high school. So, what is that step up in rigor from 67 when they're entering this big new school? Um, again, away from the commonality and when they go from the oldest to being the youngest again and they're riding the bus and all those things with older kids and things there. So when you look at those things that are rooted in there, you can see some of
063the action steps. Uh looking at the core academic teams, uh math, ELA, social studies, and science. Again, so social studies has been taught uh in fifth and sixth grade, but it's been taught there. Having a designated social studies teacher uh is something that came out of this committee. Uh preparing uh world language rotations, where and how they fit in. looking at all all our unified art um offerings whether it's art teched music FCS uh you know looking at music looking at our health standards and our benchmarks of when they fit in is it something that is covered over and over again so what this has really opened us up to not just with the elementary school but the 6 to8 committee is understanding what we do and why we do it and again if we're
064able if we're not able to answer that question of why we're doing it we have to evaluate those practices and see is that what's best or is there something else that needs to be done to prepare these students. And again, it's that transitional of getting them from A to B, whatever their A to B may be. We have the ability to do that either through our instruction, our teachers, our setup or the uh tools that we're using with our students in there. When you look at these department level tasks, these are the things that have been put back on the facilitators and the departments to work together and bring recommendation to the central administration. Uh again the pacing um you know through atlas and mapping curriculum mapping having a written curriculum and understanding that we
065have consistency not just horizontally but vertically as well. So knowing that if a student takes it with this teacher or this teacher and again we used to be this school or this school that they have a common consistency that they have been exposed to these learning standards uh that these these classes are rooted in. A lot of times it has been become, you know, you go into the classroom and you're in your silo and this is what we cover. This is what we do. We really have to get back and we push this conversation to, you know, Dr. Walsh puts a chair in the circle and we always never forget about the student and it's got to be rooted in the standards of what these students need to be taught in their instructional classes. So
066on here you see a lot of the steps. One of the big things that's coming in a program change proposal tonight at the middle school to 6 to8 level is that preparation for that 60-minute redesign. Again, we're not just taking two classes and saying, "Oh, mush them together and teach longer." That's not accomplishing anything. Just like this committee, if you started with a blank slate, not saying again, this is what we've had. What does the perfect school look like? What does 6 to8 Independence Middle School look like? Let's go chase that. What is our identity? What are we hoping for our students? So, a lot of that comment came out and then these benchmarks in here with the steel standards aligning that right the science classes. Are we going to push some of that into
067the technology education classes to cover the engineering standards? Uh some of the program change proposals tonight talk about the BCIT standards that are not currently there uh that are there. We you know we have invention land. there's an orientation class that could come to existence over the next year or that could be filled with another thing that's missing from the standards in our students instruction that are you know in the preparations there. So again, a lot of great work, conversation, vetting, bell schedules, hypotheticals, staffing, things, all these things have happened through this committee and through the administration's uh endless work on this. But again, you know, instead of just bringing, hey, we've talked about this, we think this, we think this, this is what's next. So starting now, this is the steps and the action
068steps and the answers we are going to answer in order to get that prepared as we bring you the highlights of spring curriculum council in our next presentation. This is really working towards the fall curriculum council and then next spring curriculum council where this will all be laid out, curriculums will be vetted, teachers will start planning and preparing uh piloting and then eventually again when we open up in September uh not just the elementary school but IMS with that 6 to8 plan that they feel supported, they feel confident in what they're bringing and presenting that teaching. They will know uh after retirements and sorting what they're teaching, where they're going, and hopefully be excited again opening this new building and having this, you know, re-energized look at maybe things that have been stuck, but we've
069been able to readapt, remold, and obviously repackage in a way that's, you know, best-in-class for our middle school program here in Bethl Park and Independence Middle School. So, I don't want to read everything verbatim, but if there's any questions about some of the things going on 6 to8, me and Miguel would be happy to answer those specifically. Some of them will come up in the program change proposals that are in the next slides. But if there's anything specific you're curious about, we're happy uh to speak to that and the work that Mrs. Sutton and uh Mr. Dillinger and their team have done uh over the last year and a half. Any questions? Sorry. why we're writing in the change for um language arts and reading that we're losing 20 minutes considering we just said we're
070not smooshing them together. what was the insight into why they wrote it that way compared to so change is tough and when you look at the English department ELA and reading you know the reading department again is giving up what has traditionally been there in the 40 minutes so in their mind they're losing even though it's being redistributed between math and ELA over six years it's it's it doesn't come without change is difficult but there's an understanding and they're on board with it as long and and the part of that proposal that even though you know some of them might not be in total agreeance of the shift, they understand that it's coming and they once they know what they're teaching, they want to put all that into that 60 minutes of that redesign course,
071not just saying, "Oh, we're dropping 20 here and what we did here." Like really reimagining that and putting it all together to a complete course. Okay. I just I was concerned with how it was written in the curriculum page. So, it's uh it's important to ground this in the reality that we're teaching the English language arts standards, but more recently, we pull out of those standards the reading ideas and concepts and skills and teach them in a reading class and the writing and written expression skills and teach them in a language or an English class. When it's designed, the standards are written to be taught integrated. I that the courses are as much about communication as they are about critical thinking and discernment and writing. I totally agree. I'm just asking that was my first
072question and then about two years ago we adopted a new English program for okay that was what I wanted to make that was my next question. How are we are we dropping that program or are we picking that up or program is built for that integration and that will be the anchoring core resource that they're using for this class. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay, if there are no other questions, we'll move on to number three, presentation of the program change proposals from the spring curriculum council. So yeah, this is the this is where we get a little granular. Uh curriculum council is uh the the um real heart heartbeat, the lifeblood of the district's curriculum improvement process. Departments consider where they are and where they want to be or where they should be. Maybe even
073seeing around the corner a little bit about where they or should be in the future. and they have those conversations regularly which culminate in a proposal to a a deliberative body we call our curriculum council. In front of you tonight are a number of is a number of curriculum proposals. Some of them as small as just a a a specific credit change, some as grand as a new course to be developed uh as you heard moments ago for the new middle school um in 2026. We're going to go through each of these uh with our curriculum department and uh what we'd like to do is make sure you have complete understanding of what's being asked. Those will then move to uh board vote next week so that uh it all fits into our uh annual
074budget and we can also send our teachers out for the summer knowing what they're working on in terms of curriculum writing responsibility. Uh let's start with the they're just listed in order here on the agenda, Mr. Vani. So, why don't we start with the high school credits? We have quite a number of them here. There's 11. So, uh we'll try and let's go on. We trying to keep it to a minute per item. Yep. Uh and then we'll let the questions take the rest of the time. Absolutely. Uh the number one was proposed by the high school administration along with the counseling department. Um we have a lot of vocational programs between Parkway CTC, Steel Center, and earlier this year at a board meeting, we presented about CCBC, the aviation and cyber security programs. Uh,
075one of the things consistently throughout, we used to be four and a half credits when the hours were longer and it started in the mornings. We made the adjustment back in 2019 to four credits. Again, we are one of the only ones that are more than three credits per schooling. When we look at total programs, counseling limitations with NCA eligibility, being ready for vocational/col, taking up to nine credits, that is our policy and procedure. Our students are actually at a disadvantage because those don't get accepted for NCAA credits. So, the counseling department was adamant. We had a student this year that had to take more classes online uh just to catch up. So, looking to be succinct in all our vocational offerings and programs. Um no matter the hours of things, there'll be three credit
076hours. They'll take four cores. That's seven at a minimum. Uh and then if they want to take additional courses uh in electives at the school uh in their study skills for special education, it it affords them to still be on track for graduation. We had an abundance of elective credits that they didn't need and it stopped them from taking other courses. So, that was a pretty big one from the counseling department that wanted to go from four to three. It's still on track for graduation. We would just make that change from four to three credits for vocational programs. Um, BCIT put a proposal forward. So, again, there's a lot of BCIT standards that were not being addressed in the unified arts rotation. Uh, we created an additional offering of FCS. Uh, you know, the BCCS
077and BCIT and FCS department are one in the BCCS. So the teacher that was doing the unified arts rotation bid up to the high school because we have more offerings with the child development uh with the CHS and Carlo opportunities, our cooking, our fashion designs. Looking at some of the standards that were no longer there, uh the conversation although um quickly came up was is this an opportunity to insert a BCIT teacher there? some of the conversations and back and forth came in the recommendation of when we post this to post a BCITC teacher but maybe somebody who also has an add-on of FCS when we look at that sixth grade open elective whether it's an orientation class or is does it become FCS in one grade BCIT in one grade and then this hybrid
078person if found now could teach a hybrid course that covers both multifaceted standards or they have the ability to have some crossover standards in that class uh being a new unified arts it'd be a nine-week rotation class if it replaced uh some of the sewing and things that are there in the current grade. Uh but it would give an opportunity for a class in the business department with the new personal finance uh computers and things with some of the shifts early on to have some introductory to the BCIT offerings prior to coming to high school uh and have offerings there. The second one was for a new high school carne course. We've had peer classes and they've been booming. We have no uh adapted elective classes and that has been ongoing at the high school
079for about four or five years now. Uh this one's called culinary companions. So again, this is building on a lot of our students will still take our intro to culinary skills, but again, we're expanding all our offerings for our exceptional kids. These are our lower functioning uh autistic support kids, and they have peer companions in these classes, whether it's pure PE, pure tech, pure graphics, uh you name it, we we have been adding them in those fields. We have pure art, pure music. Uh and this so this would be the next one. We have a computer skills class uh that is peer integrated. And then this would be the next one. um where we would then have culinary um companions and again we would look one section of this next year and then see how
080it expands over time there. Uh the nice thing is you have your neurotypical students and your no divergent students working together building relationships. It goes with our best buddies unified sports and everything else we're doing. So it's just an amazing things. Kids get elective credits and we continue uh what we've been pushing with our peer and unified uh elective sports and classes. And again it also helps with our L re and um you know LEA numbers. So world language department this is just an ongoing one that keeps coming up. Uh a few years back we approved the integration of new things we've been doing backwards uh from there. Originally we were going to go down forward but we started from one two three. So this is the next integration of the textbook. They were long
081overdue with resources over 15 years when we approved this two three years ago. So every year uh they have phased in the next purchase of their book one year at a time instead of purchasing them all at once. Uh so this um one is for the Spanish textbooks for two and three. Uh and they're just keeping their series and their budgeted anticipation. So the PCP there is just the next textbook integration from that original one four years ago. Uh the science department um was looking at textbooks last year. Ultimately that was passed. Again, their textbook is outdated by 13 years with the steel standards. Uh they're looking to reintegrate with a new chemistry textbook uh in there. So, they've budgeted that money. They would do the uh look at the providers and do that. And
082then in the fall next year, they'll go through the curriculum process, do that, and then bring the recommendation for purchase for a new chemistry textbook. Uh there um the number six, the English language arts is what we mentioned previously. the teachers while again you know obviously the reading teachers uh and the shift in that with the integrated ELA reading uh they have asked for time training and resources to write that class specifically so we're not just saying oh we taught this we taught this um I'm just going to keep doing what I did and integrate some of this we want to make a consistent class if we're going to structure a sixth seventh and eighth grade English language arts curricular uh with the mapping with the vertical and horizontal alignment and what does that course
083look like? What does every student need? And how does that blend between the English language arts and reading uh you know in that integrated material uh to teach that the way it's supposed to be taught. So again, that is just a PCP to allow them to develop that course appropriately versus just mashing some things together and trying to repackage something that's been done. This is the new course that anyone who teaches ELA uh will then follow this curriculum going forward. Six, seven, and eight. Why don't you take a breath there, Mr. Vani, because I think you need one. You said good just for clarity sake. I know you're doing great. So items four and five aren't you're actually not adopting text. You're just authorizing that aotment of money into next year's budget so that when
084they do make a commitment to the text, we we have the funds set aside to make the purchase and then they'll bring the book recommended book to the board for your approval at that point in time. Uh so just just to make sure we're clear that it's it's as much program change proposal as it is just a budgetary request. Oh yeah, please. In this general business class, it proposed business. talking about about how we through the process. I'm a little confused. Yeah, the pro the proposal actually went through a ton of of discussion at curriculum council and where it landed was was uh perhaps moving things more than they actually planned on moving it. So, what you're being requested here is to put aside funds to uh to take the the curriculum that's existing and
085what's existing but not taught and try and come up with a new version of these courses for the middle school. It may actually impact both seventh and eighth grade. Yes. Right. So, that that is a open position that we have already. And if it is in the budget, staffing is already there. Uh what we're what we're thinking now based on curriculum council's input is it's not just an SCS teacher but somebody who could be dy certified to do some business curriculum in in the FCS course. Okay. One clarification more. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it could move again. It could end up in sixth and seventh. I think that's a little bit of fluid. A little concerning in how it was written. Yeah. Bless you. Yeah. Bless you. Okay. Can I ask could I ask a
086question on three or should we wait till the end? No, go ahead. On the um the culinary class and I'm asking because I noticed that in the um discussion they say that um special education students have participated in the regular ed culinary class in the past and the FCS teachers some of them have taught adapted classes. Um and also that the class would benefit regular education students. So, I guess my question is, was there discussion about making it a general education class that could support students who were in special education programs as opposed to a peer class constructed purposely and solely to bring in peers who kind of choose to be there? Do you know what I mean? like a more inclusive gened class instead of yeah I I think that the philosophy that they've
087glombmed on to at the high school is all about these peer buddy classes so this is just the next iteration it's contrary to your preferred you told us quite clearly at the last meeting all about the idea of full inclusion and not having these separated programs of study uh but it's this is where they are headed before you even had your your uh messaging. Perhaps it's something we could consider for the So we we already have we already have students in the intro to culinary class and take it multiple years. The emphasis on this class is for students either to prepare for that. An additional thing they they cook the same food in that class in the intro to culinary skills and they're looking at cakes and design and things like this. When you look
088at the nutritional components and you look at some of the goals in the independent living in addition to the life management class, this was another way to get out and work on those skills and independent living skills. And when you look at it, it's not to keep them from going to that class. If anything, the kids that maybe were not getting to that class, this might be a stepping stone to that class more so. So when you look at our kids that are in that, you know, that lower structure functioning or they're coming in in nth grade and they're not quite ready to be in the kitchen with knives and 23 kids, 24 kids in a full section because those fill out and we have to cut them off every year when we still get
089our kids in there are exceptional students with Paris and support. But again, this is another avenue to get them more sections or adjoining to teach additional skills to propose that. So I I don't think the intention is to replace it. they still go to intro to culinary. They've taken it multiple times. It's more of a parallel or an introductory preparedness class to do it. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Mhm. Okay. Moving on then. Yep. Number seven. Um so for years when CHS we've had these conversations. CHS was four and a half credits the comparable of honors. There were certain classes that just stayed regular ed. Once CHS and AP uh through the act 51 went to uh five quality points in the state of Pennsylvania, we had a nice little gap there between what is regular,
090what is honors, and what is CHSAP. With so many CHSAP, the music department uh Long has made the case uh for their music ensembles that are auditionbased, higher level skills, intricate things to become an honors course. While that CHS was still sitting there, that was always the thing that prevented them. Now that a lot of these courses have gone and we've increased our CHS offerings, they've brought that back to the table. Uh it felt very appropriate with the uh audition-based ensembles to put those to quality points. We also talked about kids going for valictorian val or kids looking at scholarships and weights at the end of their QPA that that have left music because of the regular waiting. So putting these ensembles up there uh is in tune to what the classes offer, but also
091allowing the students um you know to continue their programs and studies. So that's the recommendation. It's just changing the ensembles in the weight from regular to honors. I have a question about top 21. Is that going to be offered to all students in 10th grade or not until 11th grade? So I think like right now there's an overabundance of females auditioning and not enough males auditioning. So it's my understanding that the 10th grade males can audition but not 10th grade girls. And I want to make sure that if we're offering an honors program that it is available to both students and whatever grade level that is. Yeah, I haven't heard that yet. So I'll have to look into that. Um, traditionally, I mean, even though it's named top 21, we've never had 21 students. I
092think there's 31 in there right now. Uh, so that's one of the biggest kept secrets. It's never 21 students, but um, when you look and the names goes back 30 years. Um, there's a lot of things with the music department that have been steady that have changed. Um, you know, whether in concert choir, top 21, having to do both or just being able to do an individual ensemble. I I have not been a field, but I will look into that and try to get a better understanding for that with their audition process and what they're looking for because I think that that would be a problem. I think if we did that, right? Like we Yeah, I don't want to speak preemptively to it. I mean, we shouldn't hold it off or set limits. Again,
093if it's audition audition based, right? It should be evaluated on the audition process, not some prerequisite of filling certain numbers. Yes. And if it's available to all 10th graders or all 11th and 12th, but not 10th grade boys and not 10th grade girls is what I'm getting at. Okay. Thank you. Moving on to number eight is um this is a course for a sixth grade offering. It will not be offered until 2627 in the consolidation of IMS. Um essentially right now this course is being piloted at NAMS. It is a course that students take when they are not enrolled in either reading or math enrichment. Um so our purpose of putting this course into a program change proposal is knowing that when IMS opens this course will be equitably offered as a unified arts rotation
094so that every student receives this steam course. Um this um the person that is designing this course um is certified in computer science and very passionate about the topic and um really trying to bridge the gap between what we're offering currently in our teched department um and also what we can offer more um in in the areas of computer science, digital storytelling. Um so I'm really excited for this course to be available to everybody. Um number nine is um also a proposal for the 26 27 school year. Currently art is beginning in grade 1. Um kindergarten will kindergarten students will be receiving art in a full day program. So this is a proposal to begin writing that curriculum for the 2627 school year. Um with a large focus on the development of those fine motor
095skills and also creative expression. Uh number 10 you have heard uh extensively from me about. Um this is the K to5 stream rotation that will be added to the unified arts in the 2627 school year at Bethl Park Elementary School. Um we have reserved money and curriculum funds to be purchasing any technology tools or resources that may be needed. Um we will need to write the curriculum. Um so stage one has been developed so that there is that con continuous alignment across the grade levels. Um but we would like to see the teachers who will be teaching these courses begin to de develop the assessments and the instructional experiences. Um number 11 is for um this proposal will begin next year. We are asking for your approval to implement a program called typy a keyboarding
096resource. This program is currently being used by our fifth graders in the TCAP class. Uh Mrs. Christensen has had great success with it, recommended that we try it. Um we piloted it in eight classrooms, grades two, three, and four. Not one negative review from teachers or students. Um so we're confident that this is a good fit for us. And um Miss Christensen will be um supporting us in making sure that we're teaching the correct um techniques, the correct posture. Um elementary teachers are certified to teach keyboarding at that level, but there are certain things that you didn't learn in college that the BCCS department wants to make sure that we're in implementing when we're instructing these courses. Um so the recommendation for this resource is 10 minutes um 10 minutes three times a week. Um
097so that is at the teacher's discretion. um teachers did it a little bit of a different way. Some using it for morning work um when time was free. This may even be something that's useful in time of transportation, dismissal, things like that at the new school. Um but we are looking to begin that next year in preparation for online PSSA assessments. So these 11 proposals uh will be on next week's well assuming you're agreeable they'll be on next week's agenda for your approval again so that we can ensure that the funds are adequately budgeted and that the teachers leave for the summer knowing what their tasks will be in curriculum writing tasks. That is there's one topic that we intentionally left off the agenda thinking we were going to run a little long. figure. Go
098figure that would be true. Uh it was an update on our CLA program implementation. So we have that ready in the queue for next week. We'll bring you or not next week but the 27th meeting when we meet again to give you an update on the implementation of that reading program. So those are all of our discussion points and proposals. What questions do you have on any of the information you heard tonight? May I Mr. Leoli? Um we've had some previous conversations regards to and I I appreciate the opportunity to sit in uh the curriculum council's meeting last week and it was very learned a good bit you know um but as I can see and part of the discussion was coming forward with the stream at K to5 I would imagine we will as
099this rolls forward that uh all the other elective programs as their time frame or fitting into that what will eventually we will get to see publicly is a master schedule and I know there's different rotations for the different grades between five day and sixth grade and maybe as that moves forward and more conversation discussion people feel a little bit more comfortable as this gets to be rolled out I I take it there will be more conversations correct yes the um we'll be sharing that um a general schedule of about how much time per instructional course um and the unified arts that'll be offered offered plug for the town hall next Monday. Um, come and see some of the great renderings of the new school and some of the programs that we'll be offering. Thank you.
100You're welcome. Anybody else? Okay. Thank you. Okay. This concludes our meeting. Well, you got to Well, public comments public comments on Sorry. Please come come on up. It's uh we'll get you a mic. So because we are if yeah if you don't I'm sorry if it's usually till we get to the mic. So I'm Colleen Bellic. I have two kids in the school district. So I have a question about the math curriculum that you said. So obviously what we're looking at is buying an already pre-made curriculum that we just teach from. Are we able then to be able to put the Bevel Park stamp on it and make it our own? And then also is it going to be that are we like locked into that for I don't know a fiveyear contract or are
101we able to every year assess it and make our changes so that you know we're not staying still. We're going to keep on progressing and moving forward in our math curriculum. That was my question. So essentially when you purchase a curriculum there is um a financial advantage to doing a multipleear license. Um so I imagine that we would do a multipleear license. Um but ultimately like what we've done with the reading series the first year we're really going to implement this as it is written in the um in the core curriculum. But I can tell you that there are tools and resources that the teachers really like and the kids really like something like formative or reflex math. Um I don't expect all of those things to disappear. Um, but what we want to do
102is is use this new adopted tool to make sure that there is alignment from all the first grade teachers that they're all kind of moving through the standards around the same pace with variation within a few days depending in your classes. Um, but we want to make it the purpose of the core series is equity just to make sure everyone gets the same adequate instruction in the standards. Um, but you could absolutely expect that there will be the Bethl parts stamp. Yeah. I don't want it to stay still. Like I want it to keep progressing and moving. But I like I agree with I I kind of agree with Vince. Like I I I actually like core curriculum math because I like that my kid gets to learn all the different strategies and they pick
103their own. But what I find is that when on the assessments it's well, you've got to use a tempering. Well, that's not my kid's strategy. He doubles. So you're kind of forcing him into that box. And I think that's where it is. Whereas if the teachers are able to adapt that that the testing, they can say because on PSSAs it's not going to say use a temp frame. It will not. So it will just say add this and this together and then they use whatever strategy. But I'm finding a lot of when the teachers are assessing they're making them use sterner strategies and that's not what I feel core curriculum map is. It should it was not the intention and then you pick what you need to. So I feel if we can adapt that
104these are the modern versions are actually a little bit better about I think that that interpretation of multiple strategies of solving a problem was taken very literally and thinking that there had to be proficiency in every strategy. I'm seeing a a much different approach to assessment in the resources that we're using and the teachers do have the ability to make adjustments to assignments. Um, but again, we want to make sure a huge part of this adoption is making sure that the teachers are well-versed in best practice and educational research and that they're making those kind of decisions based on what's best for kids, not what's easiest. Um, sometimes I have found that someone a teacher may be nervous in um when Common Core first came out, oh well, we won't do the word problems this
105today. We'll just do all the, you know, but we want them to be thinking and and trying multiple strategies. So I think you can expect consistency. Um but the Bethl Park stamp will always have creativity. Yeah. Obviously like um data is important. Data data data. We need it. But you got to take the child as a whole and you can't just label them with a number too. So that would make sense with that too. Absolutely. Thank you for your perspective. No, thank you for your perspective. Thank you ma'am. Mr. Means we got a mic. Yeah, Jim Means, 3485 South Park Road. I'd just like to make a comment on the conversation between Mr. Scalio and Dr. Walsh. Um, Mr. Skelezer, I think your comments were very insightful that it's not always good to push things
106down to a lower and lower level. It's not always beneficial for the kids. But what I want to talk about specifically is you were asking if the scores had improved since I started teaching the common core math and Dr. Wall says well the SAT scores have said stayed the same. I'd like to point out that the SAT ETSs always normed the SATs. So an 1100 in one year was the same as 1100 in the other year. But 1963 the SAT scores started to drop and I graduated in ' 68 and I remember the teachers were concerned after it had gone down nationwide for four or five years. So ETSs solved the problem by reorming them. So the overall SAT scores are the same every year. So now a score of 1100 in 2025 doesn't necessarily
107relate to 1100 in 2020 or 2015. So, you can't use the SAT to determine progress because they normally so the scores turn out the same every year. Thank you. Good, good point. Thank you, sir, Mr. Garland. Okay. Any other board comments? All right. I have motion to uh second. All in favor? So motion. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Uh we'll take a little break. We'll have an executive session uh for see we can get in. Yes. Okay. Y thank you folks. So we don't have