001Good morning. Today is Thursday, March 5th at uh and this is a uh policy comm board of education policy committee meeting. Um we have some policies to discuss and I'll throw it over to Dr. Burke. >> Okay. Good morning. >> Good morning everyone and thank you for being here. I do want to make one announcement. There's a number of policies that we'll be discussing today but uh an error was discovered yesterday. So policy 5275 that is sex discrimination and sexual harassment. We are pulling from today's agenda and it will be added back to the next policy meeting. So I'd like to turn it over to Miss Sia to take us to the next steps for today. Apologies for the errors. >> Right. And with a thanks to Mr. Brown who had asked for a more
002detailed redline version and when I went back to try to do that with Shipment and Goodwin that's when we discovered um the error. So thank you Mr. Brown. Um there is a pretty comprehensive description of the changes proposed for the graduation requirements policy. Mrs. Dunn is here um if you want her to explain it again or to answer any questions. >> Any questions? Do you want to go? >> Thank you. And by the way, the red line, I love that um that version. It makes it very easy to track the changes. >> Yes. And I mean, it's a complicated description of of why it wasn't there, but um but it'll be there next time. >> I'm going to second that. I always love me a good red line, so looking forward to that. >> So,
003I just want to make sure I I understand and They had a slight question. Um, so this gives a student Thank you. So this provides a student that the flexibility to take additional courses in say music or arts that they would like to take. >> Yes. What we've discovered is um that some of our students who have real focus in specialty areas, the visual arts and the performing arts um students and in looking to continue that and um go on to study did it again um go on to study in these areas beyond high school um really want to pursue a 4-year program. So, for example, someone who is a vocalist will want to be in the choir and the concert choir for four years. That takes up a piece of that schedule. Um, and
004we want to honor that. We don't want those students to have to step out of orchestra, for example, for a year in order to meet the STEM requirements. And so, we've had several discussions about how to do that. and on the table have been um implementing changes to the curriculum of concert choir to allow for STEM development over four years. That seemed rather uncomfortable and didn't seem to be in the spirit of the curriculum of choir and and art to try to insert STEM requirements in order to meet the demands. And so our analysis has led us to say we do have um significant amount of increased time in our lab sciences. Um that means increased curriculum, increased expectations around that, increased time to support our laboratory experiences and that it makes more sense for
005us to award credit to the authentic experience of science rather than trying to change the curriculum of courses that are not really designed to be STEM courses. And so this proposal has arisen out of that. And so the if you compare the time in a typical classroom um for roughly 90 minute periods in an 8-day rotation in a laboratory science class there are five 90-minute periods over the same window of time. And so literally the the math leads us to 625 per semester rather than.5. >> I I think that's a that's a very good compromise and your reasoning was well laid out. Uh but the so the question I had is the credit one sentence the credit increase will not impact the grade point averages because science courses will not weigh more than other courses
006in the calculation of GPA. Now if if a course is weighted heavier why why is that like why wouldn't there be some you know 0.125 or adjustment in >> well I think we are awarding the credit but not allowing it to weigh heavier in the GPA so in other words um controlling for that I I think the complexity of going to a change like that um would now mean that physics weighs more heavily in your GPA than AP English literature. Um >> but but my Yeah, but my right I understand but my point is um >> they're also spending more time in the classroom. >> That's true. That class is true. I think what we're trying to do is honor the laboratory component of it. However, >> um and not have, for example, retroactively, we
007would intend to do this with the entire school. Um so that students who are sophomores have more flexibility as they go through junior and senior year. We would by that conclusion have to change everyone's GPA right now at Daring High School. Um which doesn't seem like a wise thing to do. It wouldn't be fair to students to say now retroactively a course that you took in ninth grade is going to now weigh more heavily in your GPA than it than you expected it to at the time. Um >> I guess I I just thinking from you know personal experience in college courses where you might take a calculus course that was four and a half credits instead of the three credits that are normal and >> and sometimes there was a separate grade for lab
008in that situation, right? So, a different lab grade as opposed to um the class grade in a college setting. I don't think we're trying to model that. Um it would require science courses to grade two different grades and you know it's not the spirit of what we are proposing. >> It just gives me pause. Um but so maybe this would help me understand it also. So but this is a core requirement for every graduate. There are three science labs, excuse me, that are required. Absolutely. Three years, not four years, but three years. >> So then maybe we even it out by not granting a heavier weight to that class because everybody is in the same uh position. >> Okay. Thank you for for explaining it to me. Thank you. You're welcome. >> Sorry, that made
009me more confused. So if um you are giving a quarter credit more to each science class with a lab >> for the se time. Exactly. For the time >> um and then that covers the STEM requirement instead. So if you have three uh you know 3.75 then you've also covered the STEM credit. So there's more time or >> yes that 75 is now part of the total of nine. Okay. So you may still choose to take three years of science and other courses that meet the STEM requirement. Many of the students um in the high level visual arts and music classes are taking four full years of science with >> and so for that group of students this would be um would result in five credits for your four years. Most of them are also
010taking four years of high level math classes and so the nine credits would be done uh for those students. If you don't want to pursue a fourth year in lab science, you may take digital photography, you may take there are many courses that meet the STEM requirement um other than laboratory science. We just wanted to honor the additional time u and curriculum spent in those classes. >> Right. >> Okay. Do do any other districts do this same scoring or >> very not many districts have sustained the lab time u which has been very important to us um in their science classes um new Kanan does have a lab just similar to ours um and they also do a 625 credit per semester >> okay and to to Bill's point I think I was on the
011same point of this GPA will there I mean it I Guess it's easy because nothing changes on your calculating your GPA, >> but are we I mean if we didn't do it retroactively, well, I don't want to ask the question. Never mind. I'll just go. >> But I still think we'd want to do it. I mean, that's one reason not to do it. But I also I don't want to say science is more >> is more important. >> Yeah. But but to to Bill's point, I mean, it's an extra it's extra time, so it should be weighted and extra work versus I don't know if it's extra work. I mean, you have to do writing papers is >> Yeah. >> My it's different work. >> I I I was a lab person. So, I enjoyed
012being in a lab. So, >> well, yeah. Having suffered through a four and a half credit calculus course that met on Saturday morning, it was uh and it was it had a you know a disperate impact on your GPA because it was four and a half credits and most everything else was three three and a half. >> So um but it was it was it was seat time. I I guess that's what was giving me the the the pause or do we grandfather uh >> I think it would change I think it would change the way science is approached at the high school to do that. You know you would be separating lab experience out from the classroom and I don't think that's the spirit with which the science department supported this proposal. So I
013think we'd have to go back to a discussion again um before we would want to go to a GPA waiting situation. >> Okay, >> I have a different completely unrelated question. Um, and this is not a change, but um, and reading through the policy again, I noticed this. I just wanted to um, in uh, the policy it says under the world language requirement, any one any student who's deaf or hearing impaired may be exempted from any world language graduation requirement. Um, does that also me and now in the top of the policy it says anyone that has an IEP doesn't have to necessarily meet all these requirements. I just wanted to make sure that the IEP part is also included with the, you know, it's just interesting to me that usually if someone is hearing
014impaired, they would have a 504 or an IOP already. So, the fact that it's called out extra in here, I was just wondering what that was. >> That just tracks the language of the legislation that required the chief to settle. >> Thank you. >> But you're not wrong. I I did have one other and I'm assum I think this is in the the correct it was the it had to do with the FASA requirement. Is this the appropriate >> place to >> That's also a a new law. >> Oh, sorry. That reflects Connecticut law. >> Yes. >> That >> Yeah, >> that's interesting that >> we would uh Okay. They decided to do that. >> We're required. >> Yeah. I I mean I I it's interesting that >> it's it's pretty common across states. >>
015Really? >> Yep. >> Okay. So, we uh willing to pass this forward to the board, the full board >> as is. >> Yes. >> Thanks. >> Great. >> Our next policy, >> student attendance and truency. Um, this allows for students who are also parents to request to be absent to attend adult education and it now incorporates the state requirement that if a student is truent that um the district implement either the Connecticut State Department of Education Truency prevention program, which of course they haven't created yet, but we do have our own truency prevention protocols. >> Any questions on this one? Uh, sorry. No, please. >> I attended a Cape conference and uh was a little shocked that not our district of course, but some other districts had a huge problem with truency. >> Yeah. It's
016a national uh issue. Yeah. >> And but it I would assume if I'm correct that it's a that truency rates in this district are are exceptionally low. >> Except Okay. just had a curious about that >> and and by alternative education for adult education that I took that to mean uh for example GED program >> absolutely >> thank you >> okay >> we okay to move this forward okay >> oh and the I'm sorry please >> the mental health wellness days I I I found curious I I I kind of like Yes. And I could see especially for a teenager, it might be exceptionally uh useful. >> Again, that's a state requirement. >> It it is. Okay. >> And we don't necessarily we're not required to code it as such because we don't always know
017that that's why someone's absent. So, it's sort of a provision with not a lot of teeth, but it is there. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Next. >> Okay. Child uh sexual abuse and assault response policy. So this will duct tail with the personnel policies regarding mandatory reporting. The the only thing that this adds because our students know that if they're uncomfortable or if they see something they say something. This just um you can see it refers to the um personnel requirement of of mandatory reporting. But it requires the school climate specialist to review any of these reports, looks for patterns and things like that. And it also as required by law has a a uniform complaint procedure and some forms to use for these complaints. But it won't add anything except the school climate specialist
018because we already have most of these procedures in place via the personnel policy. >> Any questions? >> That one I'll get on. I think my my only point on this and it's something is is when we when we put in section five the community resources and list them out what happens if one of these places are no longer in existence and then do we have to revise said policy? >> Yes. Can we can is there a way around that or I mean can we I don't know is it >> I don't know that it's required to add the resources shipment does and then when things change even the if you notice on some of the other policies the address of the agency in Washington changed they changed it for us it is a little cumbersome
019but I think they wanted to give you know notice to people that these resources >> I appreciate having it there so people can find it in one place and not be like well I don't know where to go to look but Right. >> But I just don't like potentially outdating a policy because someone changed an address or some someone changed their they merged together or something. So >> I'll I'll check um with Jessica Smith. >> Okay. Any other questions on this? >> Well, so this um policy is interesting that it's here right now. Is the only reason that it's in here is because there's been some language in state law that's changed or is this or any of this? >> This is just part of our audit, our continuing audit. So, we're into the 5,000s
020and 6,000s. And you know, this is this was under revision, which is why it didn't come sooner, but there's there's no other. Okay? >> Because again, um the personnel two policies, CH reporting of child abuse and neglect in students and in adults already covers everything except the climate specialist. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Anything else? We okay to move this forward? >> Yeah. >> Okay. And last, >> okay, parental access to instructional material. It just codifies the law that says that beginning with um the next school year, that scope and sequence of our curriculum needs to be available to parents on the website, which as you know, Dr. Fedman and the curriculum Fedigan and the curriculum team are working on. >> Questions, comments? None. We okay to move forward? >> Yep. Dave? >> Yes. Sounds
021good. All I'm good with all these, Dennis. Thank you. >> Okay. Sorry, I thought I heard you. >> Okay. And finally, the social media policy. This these changes reflect some of the changes from the Supreme Court. Um and and some of it is actually quite helpful to us. So that employees who use social media on behalf of the district, for example, our Darian public school website, um it clarifies that that will be um deemed to be speech on behalf of the district. So the rules of when you're speaking from the district will will apply. I mean that will help us and several other provisions will also give clarity to the staff on social media use. >> Any questions on >> I I think that's I like I like to this >> seeing none we okay
022to move this forward? >> Yes. >> Okay. I think we're done with our policies. Our next uh point on the agenda is public comment. >> We have no members of the public. >> Okay. I'm open to take a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. We are adjourned. Thank you. >> Thanks everyone. Thank you.