001All right, we will get this meeting started at 6:04 p.m. Um, if we could all stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Hey, that's the one. >> Oh, that's midair. [laughter] >> I'm trying to flag the wrong one. All right. Um [snorts] um >> Okay. So, um should we start the clock for public comment? >> I can start it. >> Okay. Great. Thanks, Kathleen. >> Um All right. So, let's move on to the approval of minutes. Does anyone have any >> You have student council do >> Great. Student council report. Oh, yeah. Sorry, I missed that. All right. Student council report. Hi, I'm Duncan
002Keen from Mr. Harrison's fifth grade class. Fifth grade just went on a field trip. On May 15th, we went to the Boston's Museum of Science. It was really cool and it and there are so many exhibits. There's one that we saw that was all about dinosaurs and there's one presentation about a ball python. Around the end of the day, we went to the Omnithe, which was a really big dome. He projected a movie called Super Dogs, which is about how all the how dogs could be helpful and rescue people. Fifth graders have just finished working on their gateway. It took a really long time, but to look back on our elementary school experience. We also worked on an art project that related to our growth in elementary and also our essay. We memorized noon song
003about how people move on in life and how we are going to go to that. We're going to do that when we go to the middle school. Families came and the kids read their some some of their essays. Then all the families went to the gym for the galley. Parents could see their essays, artwork, and more. It was [snorts] important way to close out the year SMS. Last but not least, we have step up day. It was so cool that we got to feel what it was like being in the next grade for one day. We got to go to the middle school and become sixth graders for a day. We got a tour of the middle school. We also learned how to open locks for our lockers. After that, we had lunch and went
004back to SMS. It was so fun to get a taste of sixth grade. So, the end of the year has been really busy and we've had a lot of fun during it. We look forward to the field day to field day on Friday. We are ready for summer vacation and we are excited to move on to the next grade. We are looking forward to having another fun year. >> Job. [applause] >> Thank you so much. Does anyone have any questions? >> What' you have for lunch at? >> Um bacon pizza. [laughter] >> That's awesome. Were all of the other towns there as well? So you got Oh wow. Is that overwhelming or how did it feel? >> Not really because we got broken up into our pods. The that was the first thing that we
005did. >> Oh, for the pods that you'll be in in the fall. >> Yes. >> Oh, awesome. Cool. >> All right. That's great. >> What did you see in the Omni Theater? >> Um, we saw this movie on Superdogs, which was about how these three dogs in specific helped out people. Like one of them was a search and rescue for earthquakes, one of them was a sea rescue dog, and one of them was just kind of like an emotional support dog. >> That's really cool. Thank [snorts] you. >> Thank you so much. Good job. [applause] >> Awesome. Um, do we have any non-public? No, it's next on the agenda, but >> we will at the end of the meeting. Yeah, do it then. >> Okay, sounds good. All right, we'll move on to approval of
006minutes. Um, does anybody have any comments or edits for the public or non-public meeting minutes? They looked fine to me. Um, anybody else? >> I didn't notice any. >> No, nothing. All right. Anybody want to make a motion? >> I'll make a motion to accept the public minutes from last meeting. I will second. >> Great. Um, all in favor? >> I I >> All right. Four zero. All right. Um, back to the agenda. All right. Superintendent report. >> Do we have to approve the non-public? >> Oh, we do. Okay. Perfect. Thanks. >> I'll make a motion to accept the non-public minutes from last meeting. >> All right. We have second. >> Perfect. All in favor? I >> I >> All right. 4 zero. >> Okay. Superintendent report. >> Sure. Start off with financials with Molly.
007>> Okay. Perfect. So, there are some manifest sitting right in front of Cam if you want to sign that stack. >> Okay. >> Perfect. Um, included in your board pack is a current year financial. Um the big change that we we talked about to this in the last meeting and we said that we were hoping that we'd be able to release some more expense um due to special purchase orders and so that is reflected now. Um and again at this time of year we have incumbrance adjustments to get us to the rem the remaining days for staff that are hourly. Um we have stipens are always paid in the first pay in June. Um, and then we just look to close out a lot of purchase orders that are still open. Um, and then tidy
008up every all those loose ends. Um, so I did note on here what everything was. Did anyone have any questions? >> It just looks like we're kind of holding steady at this moment. Great. >> Yep. Just as we expected last month and we talked about it and last month we did talk about the special ed um being relieved. >> Now we still are making payments. We our our fiscal year ends June 30th. So, we will get bills through June 30th and beyond. So, I did bring the manifest for you to sign tonight, but we still have to make payments. So, you will be receiving emails from me over the summer. I'm going to try to hold them all just so you only have to come in once. Um probably in mid July to sign and
009then towards the end of August, we do the DOE25, which is your official year-end report. and that's the fund balance that goes to set your tax rate. So those are due on September one typically by September one we have to upload the unsigned copy um for the DOE to review and then we we upload the signed copy shortly thereafter. So um look for some emails from me towards the end of August when yours is done so you guys can come in and sign. Um other than that that's everything I have at this moment. >> So you when after you sign the manifest you can just pass them back this way. I forget what we assigned for trust fund balances. >> Um, nothing to maintenance, nothing to special education, and I believe 10,000 to technology. >>
010Good memory. [laughter] >> All right. Any other questions for Molly? >> Thanks, Molly. >> Thank you. We'll see you next week. [laughter] All right. our um >> cash fun meeting in [laughter] the morning. >> I will send I'll send you a reminder. >> You're welcome. >> Yes, it's um >> Okay. >> Not next week cuz next week is the last day of school. It's the week >> right after cuz the boys have basketball. Yeah, we were talking about that. >> Okay. Uh next uh in your packet is our proposed meeting schedule for the board for next year. we mirrored this year. Um making sure we include the fact in attendance earlier. Again, Jennifer and I will try to work with our time moderator [clears throat] to get those um fact members to us earlier so
011that we can even start even earlier if possible meeting with them. So um put in there August 17th, which is a Monday for our board retreat to uh do an evaluation of this year. Also set our goals for next year and any other business that we may have. So that's the only deviation from our Wednesday schedules um except for uh February 17th which was a Monday as well um because that's typically the time that we're off um to the annual superintendent conference. So um that usually starts on Wednesday and it's really tough to be in two spots at once. But if anybody has any thoughts or questions or if we can get an approval that would be fantastic so we can publish that. >> So the August one that was um I I'm sorry I
012missed the reason why it was Monday. Uh, I just started at the beginning of the week. It could be a Wednesday. I just We're um as we get closer to the start of school year. So, um that next week we're back with staff. >> I try to keep it on the Monday just so you are fresh with with me uh on that day. [laughter] >> That works. >> Thanks. >> Um I'm gone the 17th. Is there any way we could do it the week before or is that not a possibility? >> Um and I actually might be out of town the 17th as well. >> Okay. >> I'm not sure yet. I'm gonna [clears throat] I would push for midweek. Maybe >> we can. Yep. This is why we'll do it. So, >> so I
013am available the week before. Yes. And I'm also available midweek if we want. >> Could we do the week before? >> Wednesday the 12th. >> Let me pull it up. Just one sec before I >> Yeah. >> Could we keep it ahead of Wednesday? >> Would you You want to do Monday the 10th? >> Monday or Tuesday? >> Yes. >> Sure. >> Tuesday work. Monday or Tuesday works. >> Yeah, I could do Monday or Tuesday. >> I'm good with Monday. >> You do Monday or Tuesday? >> Tuesday. >> Wants Tuesday. >> Tuesday. The 11th. >> You're asking [laughter] Kate. >> What? >> She said she wanted Yeah. >> No. >> Oh, I think I will. >> His wife is Kate. >> Oh, [laughter] >> typically doesn't have to be there. It's the one meeting where
014she >> Tuesday the 11th. >> I even Tuesday, August 11th. >> Okay. >> Got it. >> Cool. >> All right. We'll make that change. The other dates stay in line with where we are with our Wednesday meetings. Um, everyone good with that? And again, we can shuffle if we need to, but as long as we have them [clears throat] scheduled out in advance. >> I think that was the only one. >> Okay, >> cool. Well, if anybody has any conflicts, um, let Chris know, I guess. >> Yep. Can I just get a motion that we'll approve our calendar. >> Yeah. >> I'll, um, do a motion to approve the calendar for next year's school board meetings. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thanks, [snorts] Cameron. All those in favor? >> I. >> All right. And
015that covered our board retreat. Um, in here, and you also see a policy coming up later. Um, we started to give you our capacity report, and this is really for a first read. We wanted to see the work that we're doing. I I um preface this a little bit at our joint board meeting, but the rationale of why we're doing this is that when open enrollment passes at some capacity and and at some point it's going to pass. We we we are hearing that, you know, the time frame we we know the earliest can be 2027 or after that. But to prepare for that, you have to have a rationale. the more that uh legislation is shifting, you have to give a rationale of how many students you could accept or give rationale of why
016you can't accept students into your school. So, a capacity report, although it's not a required um policy at this time, it's a recommended policy. So, we wanted to put it in front of you for you to see. And again, we'll work through this for next year. It'll be something that, you know, we talked about, and Kathleen did a really good job about the open enrollment when we were talking about it with the public is that each year you're going to have to come back, have that on a warrant article of how many people you want to accept in and how many people, you know, would go out. The going out part, I think, will be something that the legislation is trying to pass anyways. But what you can control is the number of kids that
017are coming in. So what I what we put together and this is for feedback so that we can go and work on it this summer because we'll do a policy retreat at the senior leadership level to prepare for policies for next year but any things that we have currently that we need to make uh uh suggested changes on. Just wanted you to see that sometimes people say well you've only got you know 15 kids in a classroom. That's true. The classroom might might be 800 square f feet. There might be two students that have mobility issues and there might be two students with one-on-one aids. Then that makes three adults in that classroom. So even though it might when people say 15 kids per class isn't bad in a typical classroom I would agree our
018classrooms are not typical in any capacity right and our classrooms often double for different uses throughout the the year. Um so it wanted you to see that um because we're getting more and more push back like you've got all this space even with the renovations we're doing we're not at the the space where we're just going to be able to take a thrives of students in and it won't have an impact. So that is really the rationale behind this uh um capacity report and what we're thinking some of the feedback we've gotten from some earlier board meetings is uh the policy looks really great. They're concerned about the maps being out there in the room usage. So that might become an internal document that we use. So wanted to put that as something for you
019to think about. So any comments that you saw today and if you don't have them when we meet during our retreat, I'd love to get some comments so that we can take that back as a collective whole with all of our boards so that we can build the capacity reports as needed both individually but also SAU wide. Um I agree that maybe the maps and the internal usage should be a private document that can be supplied as necessary to um individuals such as from the you know the state but it would make me a little leery to have an entire map of the school out on the internet um with access points etc. >> Sure. >> Yeah. And I would just offer that the one you have in here is we're just getting going on
020this. So I'll continue to update this and add this like there's >> converted a closet into an office space. I didn't have the square footage. So like things like that will be updated and I'll start putting some more explanations. We've just started building. >> Yeah. >> So was the idea like there's going to be like I see the room capacity one obviously hasn't been filled out. There's like going to be a formula or something that >> the state sort of has one. >> Well the state changed too. So ED 306's used to be on minimum standards of classroom size. So it used to be that you your preschool had to be thousand square feet that you know now it's maximum. So they changed it to try to be able to get more students in classrooms.
021So this is us what we'd want for our boards to have some type of calculation and that's what we'll work through from the feedback we get from you and then what makes rationale. And again you'll see a lot in here that the needs of students have really changed um and that our classroom spaces have really changed. You know, um if you think when at least when I went to school, I sat in a traditional desk. You know, 20 kids, five in a row, four rows across, look here at the the flexible seating we have. Flexible seating is fantastic for kids and it keeps them motivated. It keeps them in class, but it does take up more space, right? But that is the needs that we have for our students that are coming in with with
022with different types of of needs, different types of trauma and different types of of attention availability throughout the day. So these are the things that I think when we're putting this document together is going to provide the rationale of why we say our capacity we are at capacity or if we do have a classroom where we lose like typically we have 100 kids per class say we have a classroom of 80 and we still have we could say this is a class for the duration as long as we don't have other needs that we could accept some students. So it really gives us a um a much better way to uh for us to justify the needs on a yearly basis of what we can accept and by grade level of students coming in. >>
023How do you consider things that vary like yeartoear? Because I'm thinking like if you have a classroom like you can set a policy and a capacity for a room, right? And I'm thinking if you have a stu or teacher who has like four students with IEPs versus you know what I Like there's those things that are not like, hey, that's the size of the room or that's what it's more like variable year to year. >> I think we're going to come back to it every year based on um the needs of the grade. Is is that >> Yeah, we'd review this every year and the administration does a really good job. They'll know the makeup of their classes and where they're going to put them based on the needs of those students and the size
024of their classroom. So students that might need extra support or have mobility issues, they're going to obviously we can keep on the first floor. That's the best, you know, um with elevators, it's great. What is what is the best space upstairs that that might shift adults moving to different spaces or that um grade levels shifting to different spaces, but that's that's what the group does, uh the administration does right now, and they do a really good job of it. But that's going to be the year-to-year conversation we'll have and this document will be our support. So we'll update this every year and present it to you by May. That's what we put in the timeline in the policy. So that you have, you know, by May, our goal would be our May meeting. You get
025it? Then we'd have our June meeting for any followup on on this report. >> Okay. >> Cuz I I was thinking also from the perspective of like there may be people in town that are kind of have the same sort of question like, well, you have this room, you have this thing. And I think that's not something that's going to be considered is like well the same classroom of 12 students might be different depending on what the needs of the students are and that's going to change significantly year to year. >> All right. Any other questions or comments about um capacity report? >> Okay. Going on to personnel. >> Yeah. in your in your packet, uh, three resumes of three fantastic, um, candidates. I've had the opportunity to meet with two, I meet with one
026tomorrow. Um, I I just want to call out Kate, but the younger they come in, the older you make me feel. So, thank you very [laughter] much, Kate. Um, when I'm interviewing uh, candidates are just as old as my graduating daughter. I'm feeling really old in this seat. [laughter] So, thank you, Kate, and the hiring committee. But, they are fantastic. Um, the two I've met with OT and one of the long-term subs. I met with them today and just their answers well beyond their years. I can see why the committee was enthralled with them. Um, and I'm looking forward I do know the candidate tomorrow. I've actually got to see them. They actually went through our career in and eds programs and they were an extra high school graduate and actually got to watch her
027in action uh at um educators rising at Plymouth State as a junior and present and I'm like that kid's going to be really good and she's walking through our doors tomorrow. >> I can't say how well that they did in the interview and the process. So, um I just look for a nomination to accept the um the resumes and the nominations of the two one-year uh subs and our OT for Strata Memorial School. >> No reason not to. I'm assuming. >> Not at all. I would tell you that if you don't, they're going to be scooped up tomorrow. >> Yeah. [laughter] No. >> All right. Would anyone like to make a motion? Uh I I will make a motion to accept the candidates as identified by the administration. >> Second. >> Okay. Shane second. All
028in favor? I >> I >> 4. >> All right. Very well done on that. >> I'm going to turn it over to Miss Lucas to do a discussion about our litacy program. Very happy that what we'll be doing next year. So thank you, Miss Lucas. So, we um and I know we've talked about it with the board over the past couple of years and talked about the work that the staff has been doing, but we want to sort of capture the process that we started about a little over two years ago, two and a half years ago, um through some pretty profound critical conversations here at our building among all of the educators. Um after looking at data, at looking at um materials we were using at looking at student experiences, we really felt like
029based on all the evidence that is coming out about how the brain um acquires early literacy skills that we wanted to uh examine our practices, examine the research and um believed we could do better for our students with what we now knew. So we had one set of understanding about how the brain worked. A lot of research was done, functional MRIs, all sorts of things. And we were like, "Oh, we now understand better how the brain requires early literacy. So, we want to adjust our practices." So, the literacy committee was formed out of sort of a ground swell effort of educators in this building. Um and the first year was really spent identifying um as we move forward whatever direction we went what was the criteria we wanted those program materials to have in order
030to meet the needs of our students in the best possible way and simultaneously aligned with our core values what we believe about students in teaching and learning. And then once we had sort of determined that criteria and to be clear like that starts with our literacy committee but then we're going back to every grade level and having that conversation. Special ed is having that conversation. speech and language is having that conversation. So, it's months of conversation and research and um analyzing. We then just um moved on to um examining a variety of program materials to support that. Um that was also an arduous process. Um there are a number of resources that can be helpful, a number of organizations that do that nationally, but again, you want to align it with best practice and your
031core values as a community, as a learning community. Um through that process again we decided and this was deciding how to pilot was very complicated and I can explain that a little bit. Um so we we could um whole grade levels could pilot program A. Um grade levels could have two teachers uh pilot program A and three teachers pilot program B. So they could have grade level comparison. We could do uh grade levels could do program A for the first half of the year, program B for the second half of the year. So there's a variety of ways to do that. And ultimately what we really felt like was to understand the complexities of what a program could or could not offer our students would be to spend an entire year with it. It didn't
032feel like we could do it justice if we started halfway through because of all the things that happened in the first half matter. And so if we're picking up second half, you're like, well, I don't really know what happened in the first half. So what is the implication for our students and for us as educators? And we had narrowed it down to two programs. So we ended up having our kindergarten and second and fourth grade. We were trying to have it across the so we had a spectrum um piloted fish tank and then our uh students in first third and fourth f sorry fifth piloted arts and letters. So that was this year um and you guys had supported this through purchasing materials before that p again for next year and we also used grant
033money to do this. So this year they were piloted. Um, and I cannot say enough about uh the diligence that our educators took when doing that, understanding the gravity of like we're committing to something in 10 months that's going to impact our students for years to come. And so the level of scrutiny and skepticism that they did it was intentional, right? So that we could really make good decisions, a sound decision. So that took place this year. Um there were weekly and bi-weekly PLC's so professional learning commu communities that met with our literacy specialists um to unpack the materials to analyze to look at student data um to uh talk about student experiences to talk about educator experience right that also matters right the the program being accessible to the educator and um easy to
034unpack is is important because it's a time it's an issue of time and and making [clears throat] sure we're really thorough. Um so we spent that this year doing those things. Um and ultimately also throughout that process was stop gaps of where we were taking the time to assess October, how are things going, December, how are things going? Um through surveys, through conversation, through PLC, um across grade levels, we um had an opportunity to do writing samples. And so every grade level brought in a variety of writing samples and we all examined them and um asked questions about the writing process and saw what students were producing. Um then we did share so kindergarten shared to first grade because they were doing opposite programs about the ins and outs of the program from the teacher
035perspective. Um and then ultimately in May um myself and Kate met with all of our grade level teams and we used uh eight criteria that we asked them to as a team as a grade level team come to consensus about evaluating those eight criteria and I think they're up there. They had to rate them on a scale of 1 to four and one was um it's really not evident in the materials. Two, four is like knocks it out of the park. It's evident. It's outstanding. We're seeing it really pay off with our children. Um so we met with them and really the goal of having Kate and I at those conversations um was an opportunity to have really good uh critical conversation and push back around what is the evidence from that to support your
036conclusion. And not that they weren't being critical consumers, but you also end up with like I really loved it, so I want to say like I want to just sell it because I loved it. Right? That's a natural thing. Um so we had these great conversations and ultimately um end of May, I think it was the 22nd of May, it was on our inservice day. Um we the literacy committee came together for the final time this year. um reviewed all of those results and did a crosswalk between the curriculums and science and social studies because as we all know there's not enough time in the day right now to give science and social studies what is due. It's we're coming up short no matter how we slice it with our schedule. Um which of those
037two was more closely aligned with science and social studies because then we would at least be guaranteeing we're doing it through literacy which is not enough but it's a start to get us back to where we're hoping to get to. Um and in the end we the school was in favor of moving forward with fish tank for our literacy program moving forward. Um interestingly enough is it okay to share as a public? >> 100%. >> Okay. Thanks. Um interestingly enough two other elementary schools in SA 16 were doing the same process this year in their schools and we all ended up in the same place >> and at the beginning of the year we weren't really there. we were like, I think we're really towards arts and like like it was because we had to
038live through the full year. And so I I do feel grateful for having had the opportunity to spend that long with it because it really did help us I think make a decision that we felt good about. Um when we went into this staff meeting on the 22nd on the inservice day knowing that I was going to be sharing this information with the staff like there's some reservation because I know I'm saying to three grade levels like you'd have spent a year blood, sweat, and tears and we're not going in that direction. Um, and it's not just that they spent on it, but they also believed in it. Like there were some really good things about both programs to say the professional response like people were they handled it with such grace because it is
039about what's best for kids. It was not really that was what drove this whole thing and it was such a groundswell effort. So we're really excited about next steps. Um, and I actually had a meeting with Jill Lazier and um, the two other principles just yesterday about how we can collaborate across all three schools given that this is the direction we're going in. Um, so I think collectively all the people that are here, the four of us that were here, um, are feeling really positive about it. Um, and feel like we did, we gave it such a intentional process and came out in a place that feels really good for all of us. And so ultimately, I'm not sharing this. I'm sharing this for a variety of reasons. I'm celebrating because it feels really good,
040but also ultimately you are the stewards of our financial um, our budget and stewards of what's best for our kids. So, I wanted to share that with you and sort of I think seek your approval to move forward and answer any questions you might have. >> What grade um what grades >> highlighted this uh this >> fish tank was K2 and four. >> Okay. So, I was able to see this because my son's classroom did Fish Tank and to say that I was impressed throughout the entire school year with the projects and the writing samples and the re like the readings that were chosen for this program. Like, I was hoping that you would choose this program. So, I'm super excited personally. >> So, good. I would second that just as a parent of a
041second grader and seeing the progression that she had from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and the confidence in writing you know with writing books and the descriptive nature. I mean it it really blew me away um in her ability to you know reading comprehension is insane uh for her age. So I mean it is I mean job well done. It was that's it's impressive. One of the things I think we really liked the interest you both brought up writing with fish tank is the daily writing. They write every single day. >> Um and arts and letters I want to be clear also had them writing every single day in a different way. Um but we just saw like quality and quantity of writing in in fish tank and that
042was a piece that was important to to everybody. >> Yeah. >> Can I ask a question? So like this just because I don't really understand. So this is like a overall program, right? So you moved like away from something to this or >> Yeah, that's a great question. So um years and years and years ago we did Lucy Cawkins which was a program. Um so let me differentiate. There's program materials and then there's curriculum. Our curriculum is our competencies and our performance indicators which is SAU wide. Programs are the resources and materials that support our ability to teach to those competencies that ensure we're aligned, ensure that we're developmentally appropriate, right? And that we're continuing to along those progressions. um we had been Lucy Caukins and then we had sort of morphed into we know
043what the standards are per unit per grade level but we had done a lot more of um sort of uh supplementing with our own materials and so we didn't have the cohesion and the alignment that we really wanted that ran both vertically and horizontally across the building and so that was part of our motivation in addition to all the research about finding a program that could ensure student success and align with our values and so there there was two parts to that but yeah we had been at Lucy Crocken years ago had really sort of been designing our own units of study and really came to a place of saying in order to ensure cohesion and equitability across learning experiences. It was important to do that >> and just a reminder we have to adopt
044a program statewide by 2028 that addresses dyslexia law >> and so we're ahead of it and so this program does fit in that meets that criteria. So we're ahead. So you even though they call it a curriculum or program and that which you have to approve tonight, that is the other reason that we had worked through this and just uh kudos to Kate and the other principles, you know, when I heard I jumped out of my seat and high-fived Jill, you know, cuz for three schools to be going through a pilot and picked the same thing, my my mind went shared professional learning, shared cost, right? And consistency now, which we've been really working on. And really, you know, the the administration did a great job. So I I give kudos to to Kate, her
045team, and the other schools to to come to this decision was was fantastic. >> I I appreciate the kudos. I just cannot say enough about like Christie, we have talked about this. I really chose to because this was such a groundswell effort at our school. Really came from the educators in the building. I really didn't have anything to do with it. I supported from behind. Of course, that's my job, right? to like support the specialist and all that kind of stuff. But I really wanted I think often like as much as I think we have a beautiful culture here, often when the principal is there, the boss is there, right? And so I didn't want my personal bi biases or um feelings about it to like overshadow the work that they were doing. And so
046I don't want to sound like I didn't know what we were doing. I knew exactly what we're doing, but from behind the scenes because that's really important to me. Um and I've been working hard professionally about like I don't need to be in there. like I have faith in the educators in this building in incredible ways and they show us all the time that they don't need me to have any part of it besides their encouragement and support. Um and so it was really cool to see our literacy specialists lead this team through this work and really come out doing it in a really way that honored our students and our staff. >> Yeah. >> Just to ask one question just to your point or [clears throat] if the the program maintains consistency through each
047of those levels, right? As we go from elementary to middle school to high school, are there additional gains that could possibly be achieved by the students in sort of staying in that one structured type program where they're not having to then switch it up a different learning style or, you know, go into a different way as they start a different school. >> Um, yes. So, when you have um you can do it with a program or without, you just have to be incredibly intentional without a program because you have variation. You have new staff, you have people changing grade level. so much harder to do with that same level of intentionality and intens and intensity without a program. Um, and it it happens. It can happen. It's just much harder. And when we're such a
048large SAU with so many elementary schools, there's a ton of benefits for that commonality. But what a program really does is like all learning is a progression. And what it does is it really ensures that we're um following that progression. So kids, because we know how the brain works, are getting those same experiences all the way up and through. and we're not having gaps of things where oh we missed that in second grade we forgot it we changed it to third grade like you don't have to have that concern because it's outlined for you >> um >> and ultimately the success of this is because the teachers are fantastic because you can have a program >> right >> and it can say on day seven do this and that's not going to help a student
049learn it's the masterful craft right of taking those things and implementing them and engaging your students in your classroom but it does provide a really nice like um outline or sc uh like a skeleton for us to follow so that we have that cohesion inconsistency you're asking about. >> That's great. >> Awesome. Any other questions about literacy program? And is that the end of the presentation? Okay. >> Um we should have like a celebrating slide like >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Very exciting. I'm uh very excited to experience it firsthand this coming fall. >> All right. Um report card presentation. >> We do we do need a motion to adopt it by policy since it is considered curriculum. that is you you do have to adopt it. So we ask for a motion to adopt the
050fish tank as our literacy program. >> I'll make a motion to adopt it. >> Thanks, Kathleen. Second. >> I'll second. >> Thanks, Cameron. All in favor? I >> All right. >> Thank you. >> Or zero. >> All right. Does Kate have the report card slides? >> Uh, yes, because she's in my computer. >> Awesome. [laughter] Great. So Kate, if you go in and you search SA6 report card committee board discussion, that was a lot to say at one time. Fantastic. So, I'll start out and just give you a little preview and then we'll have Kate talk about the work that her and her team did along with the other educators in the classroom. Um, so we've been working on this as you know, we talked about a little bit the joint board, but we've had
051uh at least three meetings that went about 3 to four hours, so about 12 hours of meeting time together. Uh, and then also we had surveys that we sent out. So, our team was made up of administrators from the district level, building level, uh, and then teachers from uh, K through 8. We also did have administrators from SECO School of Technology and the high school to be part of the conversation because this report card will reflect a compsy based report card that starts in kindergarten and goes up through 8th grade which was something that came from the survey is consistency in language, consistency in uh the way that we we're using our rubrics and how we are are demonstrating uh where students are at across those grade levels. So um in that Kate, you can
052go to the next one. Um when we surveyed we surveyed a total of 163 staff members uh surve were surveyed and 400 464 caregivers were surveyed and those were from ranges of K through 8. We also the the um middle school surveyed um about 200 students. Um K you can go to the next slide. Um and so they surveyed 278 students and it was a cross-sections of students and they really wanted to understand from their students how do how did they learn? How do they improve from their work? So on here you'll see um that written communication was the best way that students you know learn. They also talked about um those connections with their with their um teachers having those conferences and then also how they look in their assignments uh and in the
053grade book. What's a little bit different at the middle school is that they get grades every single day and you only get a progress report two times a year. Middle school is also different that they have trimesters. So they get three report cards throughout the year. However, as a middle school student and a middle school parent, there's a parent portal that you'll be able to see moving forward with Infinite Campus where you'll see their inputs and their grades on a daily basis. So when they answered that, that is them checking their grades, checking with their advisor and also them understanding where they knew where they were at that time. So that is how that came back. And then just those written communications, which I think is really powerful because that's both the the formative and
054summitive work that they're getting. Here was the one that was really telling is that um when they surveyed those 276 students, four represented u the highest that I know where I'm at in regards to those proficiency scales. So it's a liyker scale. one is I had no idea. So we had about 12 uh 12 students 4.3% like I don't still don't know what this compet percentage means where you had almost 198 um students 72% saying I know where I'm at. I know what this means. I know where my growth is. So although this sometimes our report card um can be difficult for for parents to interpret or caregivers, our students know where they're at and they understand that and I and they're they're understanding it more as they get into middle school since they've been
055using this now uh since kindergarten. Um the other part that that we we talked about there was a lot of conversations that you know kids are only motivated by their grades. If you look at this and this supports the research it's not it's about the the interest in the topic area and it's that connection with their adult. you know kids are going to succeed and this is based on John Hadtie's work when they have that social social interaction or that belief from that teacher that they can succeed and then and then that they believe and they have interest in that topic area right and I think we all have sat in classes where like this class is so interesting I'll do anything for that teacher and we've also sat through classes like they may be
056the best teacher in the world but I have no interest because I don't have a connection with them right and so that really reflects you know the research that we're at um grades were um you know the third answer of yeah I my grades get me to motivate but it's really knowing the the topic area and getting to know that. So that was really helpful from that. Um next slide Kate from the survey that we took from caregivers and from our staff right there was two major findings that we had. The first finding was that um staff and caregivers um said that it there's sometimes it's really difficult when we're looking at the proficiency scales to know what developing and proficient are. They those were really um difficult areas that parents like is my child
057developing? are they proficient? How close are they to proficient? How so? One of the areas was to um streamline our proficiency rankings. And you'll see in a slide that we change from three at the elementary school to four and it mirrors what happens at at the middle school. So when we get to elementary school, you'll see that there'll be a four uh part rubric and then it really clearly defines a beginning, a developing, a proficient, and then a proficient with distinction student. So the language of extended learning is is removed and proficient distinction is added. Two reasons. One, parents understand that a little bit more because it replicates the state testing score. And we did a better job, I believe, of having a full descriptor of how students can get there because if you the
058old descriptor for extended learning, it said that you could teach your peers or you you had, you know, you could did demonstrate this competency over multiple different content areas. That was really hard for both both our educators and for our students to understand. So extended learning wasn't happening as much as we would typically see. So we were able to to change that. So this is Kate's got that up which is great. Um the committee approved it through consensus and when I can say consensus we had about 38 members that were voting. district administration took themselves out of of voting on this. Really left it to building administration and their teachers and I believe in both cases for any consensus decisions we made it was um you know like 38 to1 or or or overall um
059unanimous decisions. So you can see now we will have a four scale rubric at the elementary school and a four scale rubric at the middle school. the elementary school and the middle school will have the same descriptors of what um beginning, developing, proficient, and proficient with distinction mean. The only difference is when they get to middle school, they will actually have a number grade replicated with that. So in their competencies, they'll actually get a number score for where they're at. So that you you that will be um shown on the report card over each trimester. If we look at finding two, that was where um it was um the the narrative is way too long. Um and that was something that was put in there both for staff and for caregivers. So, how could we
060make it how could we make our report card more specific about where students are at at that time and try to reduce the number of hours that um teachers were putting in for those really uh well done and student specific um narratives that they had. Um, so you'll see this part and I'll have Kate take this over because this was a lot of work. Um, can you go to keep Yes, right here. Kate, I'll have you take over because this is where we get into our learning targets. >> Yep. Um, actually, so I think if we can actually go one more slide because it's going to show and I can talk about what's the on the slide before while you're looking at the visual. Um so for those of you that are familiar with progress
061reports they have um the competencies are on the progress report and they are currently rated between developing proficient or extended learning. And then ultimately you're getting in a lot of cases you would see a significant number of D's in in terms of developing because things would be taking place either over the course of the year or something you might be being introduced to in kindergarten but not really expected to master until um maybe first grade, right? Which is normal. It's a learning progression. But it did I think going to the point leave a lot of um yes I know my child's developing I would expect that but what parts of that competency are they successful in so that I would know what the next part would be in order to then be proficient in the
062competency in its entirety. And so what you're seeing on this page is the direction we're going now is that the competency will be there for all of our families, our caregivers, our parents and our students. And that those are when we talk about competencies, we're talking about like enduring complex overarching learning, right? big things that they will see from now and forever. Um they'll evolve a little bit and underneath that what you'll see is what are called our performance indicators. So those are the more granular skills and pieces of knowledge that students will have to be proficient in in order to then um be considered proficient in what we would call a competency, right? So a competency is bringing together um a number of performance indicators, right? Not just these pieces of isolated information or
063skill. And so what we're what this will offer is our families an opportunity to say, "Okay, my student can do A and their next step is going to be B because they're developing there, but they've already got six or seven things they've mastered under that competency, which I think really allows families to see u more incremental growth of their students and have an better idea of where they're falling in the progressions of learning." And that was really the goal was to offer that um clearer picture of the pieces students were really successful at and what would be their next um performance indicator or next skill or their next piece of knowledge that they're going to be attaining. >> And then K, can you just go back to that one more time? So on the report
064card, this would be this would be in January. This is what you'd see and you'd have each of your different competencies of what that school is working on. Second semester in um June, there'd be another column so you can see the progression. So if I'm in developing in the second learning target there, you'd hope because our goal is that we want all kids to be proficient in their learning targets, which means then they are proficient in their competency. You would see that progression. A question that came up is, well, can they go back? Well, yes, any kid can go back, but it wouldn't be typical, right? If a student is out for trauma or they miss a lot of school, there could be a regression in that student, and that would be very telling for
065us, like, all right, we need to do some work with students. The typical is that they're going to either be at the same point or moving forward in that progression. And again, we started we we want all kids are proficient. If all kids are proficient, they're meeting the targets of where we want. And then how do they push themselves, you know, beyond that? And this works into the special education piece because some students may be uh beginning in some of their their learning targets. They're going to move towards proficiency throughout no matter how far behind grade level they may be in that content area. So it was a really great discussion that we had. Um it was I think to hear the teacher input and to have the vertical discussion was really really telling and
066um teachers all voted on on this as well and this was the option that they wanted to go with and again the consensus that was a unanimous decision for elementary school. >> Chris mentioned the narratives that our staff [clears throat] you've all seen them they're lengthy >> and part of that is because in the narrative they were explaining exactly what now is evident here. So they would often say like these are the specific skills and they would bullet it for you or for families. Um and that then it became really long. You're talking eight 10 pages when by the time you're printing it out um what this does is it takes you can put that information here. It's giving you the exact same information in a much more condensed specific area. Um and then the
067narrative can really be about some unique experiences or a celebration that specific and feels really cool about the intimacy in which they know your children. Um, so that felt really good for the staff as well. Like I can do this part which is not nearly as timeconuming as you think about writing the narratives, but then I can really focus on the narrative in a very different way that can feel really personalized for our families and for our students. And so it did what Chris mentioned and then provided that opportunity um for the narrative to look a little bit different which we're excited about. >> Just to ask maybe a comment and a question as a parent. I think that's great. From having been a leader of people, one [clears throat] of the more challenging parts
068of the year was the end of the year and having to do so many year-end reviews for my employees. [laughter] This sounds like a lot uh for the teachers to have to go through. Do we have systems in place or structures in place or are we working towards that to make this so it's not such a a a challenge or a massive consumption of time on their end? just knowing obviously there's a lot at this time of year and kind of going through and planning and all of that. I'm just kind of curious there. >> Yeah. So, one of the things that we do at SMS um in January there's typically an inservice day and actually might be a little bit different um where we offer staff because our our special education um staff also
069have to do progress reports as well. They don't look like this because it's different, but they also have to do that. So, we use some of our time and we just I don't want to say give it to them. They've earned it, but they use that time because it's I don't want them to be doing it during the day, right? want them to be teaching during the day and focus on the kids. So, we try to provide time like that. There have been other times we've used staff meeting time and said like rather than meet for an hour today, we're going to give you that time because we know that this is important. Um there have been times where a teacher has had something comes up for a teacher, their own child has something and
070they're like I have I'll sub in their class for an afternoon and so their kids their students are still getting a great learning experience but then the teacher has time to do that. We work collaboratively around that. Got it. >> I actually feel like these will be less timeconuming for our staff which is a huge benefit particularly at the end of the year. we're all like test fatigued, >> right? [laughter] >> Or evaluation fatigued, right? So, um that will look I think this will actually feel better for them in terms of time, >> okay? >> Because the narrative is they can start if they want to, right, in May if they want to, right? Um whereas something like this, you want to wait till the end of the year because there's far more learning experiences
071to happen, >> right? And what I'd add to that, one of the next steps we're doing is we'll be doing calibrations for grade levels per competency and learning targets um throughout the whole year of what is what is grade one foundational reading look like uh at beginning developing proficient and uh proficient with distinction and that will be part of our uh competency review. That will be something that we will do from here on out. We need to calibrate more because then then we have exemplars of where students are at and it's common language that we're using out. The other thing that I would highlight that Stratum has done and has done a really good job is by grade level they look at the essential targets each year and they say here's what we need to
072focus on to build a a strong literate reader, strong um mathematician, strong scientist and so that we're hitting those throughout the benchmarks and we'll be streamlining those essential learning targets um through all of our elementary schools throughout the summer as well. So they're they're pinpointed there. So, it's been a lot of work and I I can't uh thank the staff that has been doing this and then going back. Elementary school is going to have to do a little bit more because they're going to have to build out four um where they've been using three. But the question was, do you think you have it? And and kudos to to the staff like we got it. We're good. This helps us now define where kids are at better and should help u parents understand the the
073progression of where their child is at because that was a big part of the survey is how do I know where my child is at at this time? And this should give that based on the work that we put in there. So those are the next steps that we have is that we won't stop calibrating. We won't stop looking at refining. Um won't stop looking at work in a collective group. Um because they all go to our middle school. And now it is really a nice progression of nine grades of how kids get there if you include preschool up through 8th grade of what our competency and our our our vertical vision looks like. >> So it's not synced with a high school. Not yet. So the high school does have competencies, right? But there's
074still a very traditional grading system. >> Okay. >> Um there will be discussions about that, but that is a much more um >> embedded and difficult decision discussion that we've got to have with a lot more stakeholders. But that is we have the groundwork in which to build that up. And we've done this a little bit differently than most because most it's top down. Um this one we built ground up and this really is now supporting the students and the learners are getting there. So um the instruction is the same like the competency based instruction that is that is K12 is going to continue is very strong and is happening. The reporting out is the only difference once they get into 12th grade >> or nth grade excuse me. >> All right. Anything else about
075report card? >> No. We would just ask you to approve the change because again you have to if it's a a reporting that is a a board decision. If we don't if you don't accept it today we got to go back to the old system. We were hoping you won't do that because there's a lot of work and [laughter] uh it would be disappointing where >> this is one of those ones where I'm like why would we do that? Like there's this is this is this we really have to go through this. Okay. Uh do I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion to approve the new uh reporting system here. >> Second. >> Oh, >> I'll second it. >> No, I thought you were saying [laughter] sorry. >> No, it's all good. Um
076all in favor I >> I >> Thank you. Thank you. And that is everything from the SEU. I appreciate it. >> All right. Now, we'll go on to the end of year academic data review. >> Okay. So, I realized I can hit the buttons from here. [laughter] >> I was sitting there. I'm like, am I even plugged in? I can hover around. So, here I am. Um, >> she was exiled. >> Is that so funny? I was just like thought I was helpful. Okay. So, um, we have some end of the year data to share. Um, while we have some assessments still wrapping up and waiting for students to finish testing, we wanted to give you a glimpse into some of our end-of-ear benchmark assessments. Um, so the first thing we have here are our
077Acadian assessments. Um, they measure all all areas of literacy. Students take the Acadians three times a year. Um, and what this is showing you here is if you look at the green and the blue, those are students that are proficient or beyond. Um, measured at the grade level for end of year standards. Um, so we have our kindergarten literacy here. um that's at about 76% proficient um or where they're supposed to be at the end of kindergarten. Um we have first grade. Let me see if I can move this. How do I get that little doc thing to go away? Hold on. All right. Sorry. >> You got it. >> Oh, there you go. >> Nice job. >> I don't know what I did. First grade here. Um looking at about 68% proficient. Um Oops.
078Oh, okay. And we also okay um another measure would be to look at our um ready assessments uh for we take them for both math and literacy. We're just going to stick with literacy for now. But this is another way God bless you to look at first grade growth um and end of year measures. Everything you see that is green and stripid if you will um would be students who are beyond the grade level expectation at the end of the year. Green would be the 17% that are on grade level and the yellow would be students who are measuring below grade level within the year below. Um what we hope in these assessments when we show you them at the beginning of the year as the red turns yellow and the yellow turns green or
079more, right? Um red turns green. Um so you can see the growth in gains. Um below you're looking at just the different areas um and domains of the assessment. Everything from funological awareness up through comprehension. Um so that's kind of the breakdown, but overall um a good amount of growth. I don't know if you can see it clearly, but because it's very kind [snorts] of grainy, [clears throat] I don't know if that's the word, but if we were look at the beginning of first grade, which is the second bar below, >> we had 1% that was in red and 77% that was in yellow, right? So that was um and again measured against end of the year, right? So we and we know that about already, but then if you look right above that, I
080mean the significant change in how students progress throughout the course of the year is a really great testament. And when I think about first grade and I think about the that is the year that literacy is all things like it is the it is the uh the foundation of literacy is laid so much in first grade and what we ask of students to do in terms of growth in literacy in first grade five years ago was even close to this 10 years not even the same ballpark. So to when you see things like this, you're it feels so good and you're just for those kids who have worked that hard and for it to pay off for them because it makes all of school better when literacy is more comfortable. It feels really cool. >>
081Um these measures help us both to Kate's point celebrate um pinpoint areas in need of more instruction next year. How do we plan what we're doing differently? Um as well as give information toward, you know, intervention and enrichment opportunities. So second grade, same idea here. This is our Acadians assessment. Um 66% of students are demonstrating proficiency at the end of the year. The other snapshot here to Kate's point comparing the fall to the spring, watching our red turn yellow to green. Um we're looking at over, you know, 63% of students demonstrating beyond grade level measure. Um and combining that with what 82% um who are showing that they're on grade level. >> I'm jumping in again. >> Go ahead. Just keep jumping in. >> I know. I'm sorry. >> It's collaborate. It's a duet. >>
082It is. Um, the thing [clears throat] I think about too, and I just want to be make sure I'm being explicit about that, is because we often talk as a board about the importance of multiple data points when we're talking about a student's success and achievement and growth. And it's easy for us to because of what the public understands to like focus on like the state testing, right? That's something that's like a common conversation. And this is not to discredit that, but that is again an isolated moment in a child's schooling, right? It is a first of all, it's not a computer. like there are so many things about it and and for some kids that's great. That's very successful. For other kids, it's never going to be an accurate demonstration of their their abilities
083and their skills at that time. This these are two more that we can add in conjunction with other assessments and and all the things that we do all day in our own classrooms that provide us tons of data about kids. We we've showed you the the spreadsheets that we have because even here if you're looking at second grade, you're looking at a cadence with I think 63%ish or 68% and then here you're looking at 82%. Right? These are test assessing skills at the end of the year. there's a there's a huge span between those two numbers about what what percentage of kids are proficient. We don't simply say that that's accurate. We say, "Oh, let's look at this in conjunction with all of our other data to look at how our we're doing as teachers
084and how our kids are growing." I think that's important to highlight as we're going through here. Third grade literacy is here. The Acadians again demonstrating about 73% of students um [snorts] on grade level. And then looking here at the ready assessment, yes, it's a lot of assessing at this time of year. The kids have a lot of stamina. They do great. We tried to be really thoughtful. Um we went into the year with a kind of an assessment at a glance calendar like how can we spread these out especially for our third, fourth, and fifth graders who take state testing. So we were really intentional about like the timing of the assessments when kids would have a break um and how they would be able to really demonstrate what they know in the best case
085um scenario and not be inundated for the month of May. Um, so I thought we did a better job this year scheduling assessments, but you're looking at third grade here compared from fall to spring. Um, with 47% of students beyond grade level and another 33% on grade level. >> Can I ask a question? I'm just noticing that the I think it says high frequency words. >> Yes. >> Um, that that there's like not [clears throat] that much. It looks like there's a lot of green underneath. Does that mean that they just were good at that from the beginning? >> Yeah. So this is kind of if you go top to bottom. So you're looking at phological awareness which is what really one of the first skills to build when you learn to read. Um then
086you move in right what letters what letters exist. And then you're looking at phonics what sounds make every what letters what letters each sound makes. Then you move into high frequency words. Um a lot of our students um that's K1 heavy focus. And then as we move into second grade and third grade it becomes more about vocabulary and comprehension. So, as these move up, you're going to see um some students might gray out of a certain area. Like notice that fological awareness is not measured um in the in the third grade test. Um students start right at the phonics. So, it's common to kind of watch those grow and you'll see the green um be more prevalent toward the top there because those are skills they've had um over previous years. >> It's incredible [snorts]
087that you could read that from here. >> I was going to say [laughter] I have on that so much right now. vision test as read that. >> Yeah, >> that's great. >> Hawkeyes. >> I mean, >> wow. >> Does that make sense? The high frequency don't >> The high frequency words don't become more complex as they get older. The high frequency words are the same high frequency words for K1 and two. They're not hard five. >> And Sophie's going to read everything. >> It was a guess. It was a good guess. [laughter] >> Can I take a question about like your you mentioned acadians. Is that the So, and then you're saying ready is just so I understand. Is this the I Ready? Is that what this is? Okay. Just so I is Aadian like
088the company or something? >> Two different assessments. >> Oh. Oh, okay. >> The Acadians are is a different assessment that we use that measures a lot of the same skills. Um but it's it's a it's an assessment separate from I Ready. Um we try to use a variety of different assessments to kind of to Kate's point like pinpoint that data and get like a co collective score. Um, an example would be like for math, we don't just use the ready assessment to measure math. We use the universal number sense screener because we know that a different assessment might give us a different picture of a student. So, try to round that all out. So, Aadian separate program. >> Okay. So, all this data is associated with the Aadian. >> Um, nope. The Acadians is this
089little chart I'm showing you here, that's the Aadius assessments. And then when you're seeing these bars, those are going to be the ready the ready assessments. >> Oh, okay. >> So, there's ready for literacy and then there's also ready for math. >> Okay. The other piece just to offer this important um because Chris was talking about the state law around dyslexia. The Aadians is what we use for our dyslexia screener. So we're required by law to screen all the students for dyslexia. Um >> and so up to third grade, we do it for all of our grades because it gives us some of the data point, but up to third grade. And so that is our cadium screener. It's in our framework document as well. >> We do it all the way through because for
090new students, screen them, too. >> I promise [snorts] I'm not trying to keep us here any later than we have to. But just to ask one other question. >> [clears throat] >> at the end of the year screen that we have with the students that are measuring in that yellow or red area. Is there anything that we're sending home or like maybe special instructions with the caregivers to say we recommend maybe doing this XYZ thing through the summer to make them more proficient as they come into the next grade so that they're not behind or >> we sorry I'm sorry >> so hard for me to do that. Um, so we our advice to families is always like to read with your kids, go to the library, make it a habit, read with them and
091talk about your reading. We do offer for students who are receiving intervention or students who are identified with special um special education services. We run a program here in the summer. Um, we call it summer learning academy. Um, students have access to that and they might get their reading services then. Um, but the best thing parents can do is read with their kids at home and make reading a habit before bed, you know, versus screen time or whatever, you know, what other habits that are out there. Um, and take that time, you know, we'll reassess in the fall. We give kids a little bit of time um, to settle in in that first month and then we'll pick them right back up where they are and meet them where they're at. >> Got it. >>
092What do you want to add? >> Not a word. [laughter] >> Um, >> I mentioned I was getting better at this. I'm really not [laughter] >> trust me 100%. So, uh, fourth grade here again there's the Acadians measure. 68% of students on the Acadians demonstrated, um, that they were proficient at the grade level. And then here's their ready assessment. Again, um, those high frequency words, they got them, right? Because that [laughter] that's that lower grade level work. But, um, more heavily the vocabulary and the comprehension. These are adaptive assessments, so they'll move around with students. Um, we're really clear with them at the beginning that 50% of the questions you're bound to get wrong because they're trying to find where you're at. And that allows students to stretch. um as well as some are are
093easy and that adaptive assessment is constantly moving. Um but here you have 32% of students well beyond the grade level and 32% of students on grade level. So and then here's your fifth grade acadians. We have 73% of students demonstrating proficiency or beyond. >> So can you go back to that? So where are you seeing that number? Am I just missing it? >> I don't know. That's what's that's on the screen underneath but I have it here. >> Okay. [laughter] >> As a cheat sheet. I'm like, >> it's 83 people. >> Yes, I see the 83. >> And she has the Yeah, they gave it to us on the screen, but we just wanted to get the screenshot of that picture for you. The percentage is down below. We couldn't get one picture. So, Kate
094wrote the note for what those numbers. >> I was just looking going how >> where's that coming from estimation? >> I'm just eyeballing it and feeling good about >> where that line is. The number of students. >> It's just an eyeball. No. Um, the seven this represents 73% in fifth grade. And then here's their ready assessment. um demonstrating similarly about 60% of students on grade level. Um you know, our fifth graders work really hard. They're excited to go to middle school. They gave their absolute best with state testing. They also take the science state test. Um so it's heavy assessment in fifth grade. Um and they're also looking forward to moving on. So, you know, they do their best in performing. Um and we really tried to spread out their assessment schedule. It's a lot.
095>> Looking for bacon pizza. >> Yes. So, for math, [laughter] I don't have the universal number sense screener. I'm just going to show you the ready results um for our math um benchmark at the end of the year. But this would be a picture of the whole school. Um it's nice when you can run different reports and see from diff different angles, but um if you look at that yellow um from fall to spring, really looking at um 76% of students demonstrating proficiency across the building in math. And then the domains below are really those strands um around where we what we learn in math, right? Numbers and operations, algebra and algebraic thinking, measurement and data, and geometry. Those are really the four domains of all math. Um and so you can kind of see
096um how students are doing in those different areas. Another thing we talk about is whole school growth. Um there's something called typical growth and then stretch growth, right? So typical growth a grade every year. You everyone should progress wherever you started at least a year's worth of growth. stretch growth is like if you had a gap or you had um some learning to make up or if you went well beyond and maybe did some extension work um that stretch growth. So if you look at the um graphs below you can see that um 59% of students met their typical growth um and then with a close 14% of students um coming within like 80 to 99% of meeting that that growth mark. So a lot that's what we I mean I like looking personally at
097the growth because if everyone's incrementally moving like they should be that's that's the work right and then when we can overcome it by looking at the stretch growth which is also really solid data 30% of students met their stretch growth um and then you have another about 38% of students that beca that came within like 60 to 99% of like making that that additional growth is huge um because that tells me we're um challenging students we're extending the learning we're not just doing the bare minimum and getting that year Um, so this is kind of a fun a fun um graph to look at. >> We had some students in 4B that made 182% growth this year. >> Wow. >> Right. So those are the like those are the because it's always great to see
098what they achieve but to see someone have that much of that like came into whatever it was [snorts] and it just made sense and it clicked and all of a sudden like they're a shining is a pretty cool thing to to have a that conversation with a kid about look at what happened for you this year. Super cool. >> Here it [snorts] is by grade level again. end of the year assessments for math. Um so the majority of kindergarten landed proficient. Um where a lot of them were about, you know, again, end of the year, grade level, they had a year's worth of learning to do and they were able to do that. Um grade one has great results here. Um oh, it cut off the top of the picture. I'll have to eyeball that
099one. [laughter] It looks about 70 75 to 80%. >> Good work. of students um in grade one demonstrating proficiency. There's grade two at about 80% >> um demonstrating grade level proficiency. Again, computer assessment, you know, not the easiest way to show your math. You know, kids learn these habits of solve it on scrap paper and then type it in. You know, um they have some brain breaks built in, but it is challenging to show all you know on a computer kind of by yourself, you know. So, you that's why our other assessment is more of like a math interview where they talk to the person, kind of do some problem solving. There might be some manipulatives that gives you a different kind of insight to their math brain because some kids can talk about math
100and they don't want to sit in front of that test. We have something just click click click slow down. >> Oh, you finish that in seven minutes. [snorts] My goodness. >> Yeah. My youngest is over at Newfield. She's a first grader and she finished that test in six minutes and said I think I did great. Her teacher was like we're doing that again tomorrow. I [laughter] was like they just didn't want to be done. So it's tricky. Yeah. Um here's grade three. >> Um grade four. >> [clears throat] >> So I mean a lot of what another really exciting thing you know when we talk about data we talk about on grade level below grade level it's great to look at the extension opportunities that you're you're giving students um you know for 50% of
101students to show that they're beyond like that means that they're have access to that in their classroom to learn beyond the grade level which is just as important. Um and so that's motivating and exciting for for kids too. And then fifth grade here you [snorts] know but about 70% proficient. So, um, you know, often we find that like our ready results and some of our testing throughout the year is indicative and lines align with state testing. Sometimes it's different. It's nice for us, like Kate was saying, to triangulate all that data and say, how does this all go together? So, we're looking forward to getting final results and that testing as well. >> We did um complete our SAS testing and we talked about this last year. So, the we have uh we sent home
102to our families that the families can access through the portal to see how their individual child did. What the state doesn't do until sometime in the fall is release it as like public information. Um giving themselves time to like confirm and get all their numbers right and just organize and because you're talking about an entire state of information being released. When we are able to look at it like internally right now knowing it's not yet completely released to the public as they have to finalize, it feels really good to see consecutive years of our students doing really well and performing really well. Um and it does align with this in most cases. Um, what I do think it does allow us to do is really to think about like our systems. What are the things
103that we've been doing as of recently that are working for our kids that we're we are seeing the benefit not just in our day-to-day practices and our experience with our kids, but the data is also showing that. Um, and that feels really nice. Or the area of like, oh, collectively we need to look at that piece again. That's something we should really be thinking about because we're seeing it sort of consistently between second, third, and fourth grade. And not just for two kids, but 70% of the kids. And that's been really nice as well to have the components of the triangulated data to do that. So I'm excited to share SAS in the fall. >> Do you guys have any questions for us or wonders about the data? >> I mean I'm curious about the
104numbers but >> you we got those last I think I thought we got those last June. >> You did but I wasn't supposed to do that. I broke I was I >> They have to be disembarged. Is that the right word? >> To be embargoed. >> Embargoed. Embargoed or disembargoed. There needs to be some sort of bargo. >> [laughter] >> Things look good. >> Yeah. I'm just wondering how I'm going to put it in the notes for the town like what >> we're waiting on the official. >> Yeah. Nice. >> We feel positive looking forward. >> Yeah. >> You could say that this [snorts] presentation slide is forward and you could say there's a close alignment between what our other standardized tests are showing us as well as what the um unofficial status tells us.
105Something like that I think is appropriate without giving any numbers because those aren't not confirmed yet. >> Does this um presentation end up on the like with the meeting notes? >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Yeah, we'll link all of our presentations. So >> linked into [clears throat] it yet. >> Yeah, we'll link the equity presentation from earlier the training y'all went through and then we always put those as as uh PDFs that people can look at. >> Okay. >> I share them with Sharon and >> Yep. >> Great. Cool. >> Good job. >> Thanks. All right. Anything else? Okay. I guess we'll move on to board reports. Um, building committee. So, yesterday I went to the um building committee and asked about the three things that we approved last time and just kind of wanted
106to check in about that. So, the skylight I um and maybe anybody feel free to jump in about this. The skylight is um just in preliminary mode and it won't be installed until next summer. So, it's like very preliminary like just starting to reach out and get quotes and stuff. Um the flooring we have quotes and starting to think through that. I think they're going to start this summer. >> Their hope is to upstairs if they can do at least one one wing of stairs to start doing that. Um as you know over April break they did the the gosh what's the ceiling tiles and everything up in the fifth grade wing. So that's kind of that part of that. So if they do have time, they could at least start up there with some
107flooring if they have time somewhere as long as the materials come in. >> And same with windows, getting quotes. And then I think um they're they'll be able to install I think 20% of them and then the other 80% will be stored on site in a storage unit until next summer where they can install the other. >> They're hoping. Yeah, that's what their plan is as long again as long as they can get all the materials in. that they're hoping to if there's time I think what they're hoping to is they're going to have crews basically cycling through here all the time. So as one thing gets done the next crew will come in so that they'll be like offset. >> Yep. And then the other thing we talked about is that there are some
108items that are still outstanding. for example, like paving and redoing the front entryway here that weren't on the original scope of work that are not an emergency but still would be helpful for um Kino to have some sort of control over the summer so that they can have control over buying materials or bids or you know making moves on things before the end of the summer um because we're not going to meet again in August. So that kind of leaves them, you know, two months of like, shoot, we can't unless this board gets together on an emergency meeting, like we can't approve anything else. Um, so we discussed that maybe we could approve up to 150,000 um for Mark Join, our owner's rep, to make that decision in conjunction with Chris's and um to make
109sure that everything's like makes sense and um is reasonable. Um, so just like 150k budget for contingency up to doesn't need to be the whole thing, but up to that amount um that they would have um the decision-making power until our August meeting. >> Is that a number that like they came up with that was >> we just discussed it and that's kind of what seemed reasonable based on the things that they may want to make decisions on. Um the only number that was concrete was like the paving one was 60K. >> Okay. So that would be, you know, over a third of it. And then just to have kind of that buffer for other things that might come up. Kate and Chris, feel free to say. >> No, it's it's stuff outside the original
110scope of the work that's in there that came up as they're doing it would be less cost um it would be more cost effective to do that and not have to wait for it. So that was the rational, >> but it's still a building expense. So >> yeah, I mean I'm in favor. I was just thinking like the number I was like what does that cost? [laughter] I wouldn't want them to be like >> the team felt confident that that would cover it and it would not be expended over that. So >> okay I mean financially that that would put [clears throat] us at greater than half of the contingency that's there. Right. If so 950 would be split that would put us at a million dollars. >> Correct. >> Okay. How much runway do
111we still have with the actual project in terms >> it's dwindling. I mean there really aren't that many surprises left. like they there's a you know >> it's the work to be done but it's not any new surprises. They're not they're not breaking new ground. They're not it's not like which was part of like what they were concerned about. Right. >> Um but that's not they've they've done all the stuff. They just need to put it in now. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> They're pretty far along. I think Mark was really >> I think Mark is really level-headed and thoughtful about it of saying like I feel very comfortable with that and in August I will have a even better handle on other stuff but he's not feeling like there'll be these surprises um in terms
112of what comes next. He's not feeling that way. I don't get that read. He was really clear about that. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And yeah, I would feel safe with that. >> I took some pictures of the progress on the wings. >> They're so good. [snorts] Um, so this is um the corner. You can pass it down. There are four photos and you'll either see strawberries or my kids, so I don't care. [laughter] You scroll past, those are the options. Um, so go ahead and check those. There are four pictures that you can check out. Um, but it looks really good and I know there's going to be a brawl for the teachers to get the who gets the new rooms >> as it should be because that >> I saw your new panels.
113You you selected those, right? >> I did. [laughter] >> I'm I'm going to let you know. Yes. >> Paxton told me. >> Oh, wow. >> I like the old ones better. >> I was like, "No, you." I said, "No, you don't." [laughter] >> That you're just being contrary for no reason. >> That's really nice. >> Oh, I live in there. go in there. [laughter] >> Smells really good here. It's your paint. It's your >> Yeah, it's fresh. >> It's crisp. >> It um >> Oh, cool. >> Yeah, it's going to be a great learning. >> Other than the paving, what is Mark concerned about >> for because you said it was 60,000 for the paving and then what else does this >> the light that he talked about? >> Yes, lighting was the other part
114to it. So, paving and lighting were the big pieces of that. >> There's also um the preschool playground is coming a little bit above. So, it's in the original scope, but there's they were trying to get ADA accessible. So, it's a little bit outside of the scope in that way, and that's why that was included. That's going to come in a little bit over I think that's what [laughter] they're anticipating. They're still in the drawing phases. We got another version today. >> Um, and there was one other, but yeah, I think those are the >> those are the three big ones. >> Okay. >> What's the uh I'm just seeing from like a visual perspective, the cafeteria, like where are they at on that, >> you know? >> So, they're um roofers are going to
115be coming. They're going to be doing brick very soon. That um should be done very soon. If I look at the timeline, I'm pretty sure that's done in like the next two weeks. >> Okay. And that that's like it's funny cuz right from the outside I'm like what is it like 2 feet extra? You know what I mean? It doesn't look like [laughter] >> I think it's on 20 by 60 or whatever the is. It's quite a bit. >> Well, I saw it from the other side. you have [laughter] like the fake wall, but when you're like in the waiting line, it's like would they add like a row of seats to that? Like, [laughter] >> no, it's a considerable amount of square footage, which is great. Yeah. >> Cool. Thank you. So, do we
116need to make a motion? >> We do. Yeah. Any other reservations or concerns about that? Okay. Um I'd like to make a motion to approve um 150 up to $150,000 to be spent um with approval from Mark Joben. And do I say you too? >> It will just be part of our meetings. He'll do all the the processing, so be a team approach, but yeah, he'll he'll present it to us. So, I think that's appropriate. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I >> Do we have a second on that? >> Oh, sorry. Second. >> Perfect. >> Cameron, thanks. All right. All in favor. >> Great. >> I thank you. >> Awesome. Thanks, guys. All right. Um, superintendent evaluation committee. Um so we presented our um kind of broad data to the joint board last week
117and then our committee head met with Chris and presented the data and strengths, weaknesses, learning opportunities, things to keep doing well. And um so we're just getting ready for next year. just got to meet on the 16th of June at 5:00 because there needs to be a motion for compensation. That did not happen. So that's what has to happen on that day. >> Yep. >> So if you can't make it in person, I will provide a Zoom link. Just let me know so that we can have a quorum. >> So we do need a quorum. >> Yeah. I'll probably be Zoom, but I'll be there. >> Just let me know. I've got >> meeting. It's a joint board meeting. >> It's a joint board. Yeah, because a joint [clears throat] board has to make that
118motion. So that was the email >> just on that one thing. Probably going to take five minutes. It will be it'll be a 30-minute meeting because we have [laughter] >> Yeah, right. >> Um All right. Safety and security. >> Yes. Um I don't know how much I'm at liberty to discuss in this meeting, but I will say we had the safety and security meeting. Um I I thought it was a phenomenal exercise that we well not I mean [laughter] the preparedness of all of the uh administration that was there. Uh the gentleman the third grade teacher did Mr. Lester did a phenomenal job in your absence. Um but no I I you know we went through a a tabletop exercise which if you haven't done I've done that in my world in cyber security but
119um table talk exercise they give you a scenario to walk through and then there's different components uh of the exercise as you progress um and you have to sort of react to how what you would do in in that live scenario. Um so we had a mix of uh principles and and assistant principles uh you know police state police um board members and you know I I felt as a parent you know great peace of mind that there there is a great plan that's I think in place of of what the educators would do a lot of confidence in leading that uh that charge until you know police uh would have arrived u I thought there some great things that came out of that session which um one of the major points is that um
120communication cannot go out once the Alice alarm is triggered. And so uh our new director is looking into the ability to have communication if there is an Alice alert that goes on versus if there were you know a fire alarm that was pulled to make that. So [clears throat] um you know again just a lot of confidence walking out of that on how we would react to certain scenarios. Um so yeah I thought it was really good. I would also say just to the earlier point that the conversation I would be mainly against posting a map of the school anywhere that public could be able to access that is would have feel very safe there. But no other than that was the the big update. So um thought it was a great session. Our new
121director is phenomenal. Um yeah, a lot of uh experience both from a military background, state police background. So definitely the right person leading the charge there. >> Awesome. >> His intensity oozes out of every core. >> Yes, [laughter] >> I like him very much. >> Deeply appreciate him. >> I deeply appreciate him. [laughter] >> And he's very intense. He knows his business. I'm like, "Yes, whatever you want me to do, I say yes. [laughter] Yes, yes, yes." And he's always like, "I'm here to serve you." I'm like, "Mhm, [laughter] sure." >> Say, "It was pretty funny. Mr. Listister at one point, he's like, you know, they ask in each person, they're like, "Who's in charge?" Like, "I'm in charge." He says, he's like, "But don't tell Kate." [laughter] >> He did the he was part
122of the one that we did earlier this year at the Straten PD Phil. And again, like it is a valuable process to to live through to, you know, to have those experiences to really be thinking in that way, which is not something that comes naturally for most of us. It's good to do that. >> Awesome. All right, communications and community engagement. Not nothing new there. Um cash management advisory committee. >> So we are meeting in two weeks. Um and we should be finally finalizing our data. Um right now Mr. Picket and Mr. Monaco are on a data collection kind of factf finding mission for us. And so we are correlating all the information that um we are collecting and we will come up with a recommendation for the board ASAP. >> Okay. So before August
123meeting then or >> Oh interesting but we can't make a decision unless we >> meet. >> We can during our board retreat as long as we put it on our agenda >> in August. Yeah. I I guess I asked before August if there's a decision that we'll need to make. Um, if there is something that is significant, we will let Chris know. Chris will be at the meeting that we want to meet ahead of the board retreat in August. >> Okay. >> Mhm. >> Sounds good. Can't wait to hear what you guys come up with. Um, chair update um is Jennifer. I'm filling in and I do not have anything. Do Do I have Chris? Do I have anything? >> You do not. You're doing great. >> I don't have anything. Okay. Policy committee. Ham.
124Uh, so the policy committee, I would like to hold these until August because I was not at the policy committee meeting because it was the same night as fifth grade gateway meetings. [laughter] So I had a chance to go over them, but they added there was another one added. So I'd like to talk to Dr. Brian about that and I know we're going to have to hold until August, but I would just like to discuss that first. >> Artificial intelligence. >> Okay. Yeah, the AI one was really interesting. Love to dig into that. >> That's the first read anyways for us. That's what it says. So yeah, totally. Yeah, just >> it's find one right [laughter] now. >> Yeah. >> Two were first read just to get information. >> Yeah. So just >> and the
125other one is just a new one that we do not have a policy on and and we just had some concern because of issues that had come up. So that's why that's in front of you. So again, >> do you need us to make a decision on that one then? >> Um not really because it won't impact for school for right now. I think if we make those in August that would be we could as long as we make that one in August that would be very appropriate. >> So yeah. So I see the three list there was um the one about like the age in that I thought that was part of the same >> age of entrance. No, that was going to be held till September. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay.
126>> That will go on all the boards in September. >> I get a lot of sleep now. >> Is the the one that we didn't have the school access one? >> This says new policy X. So, the one I was talking about was uh the JL African needs time. You I think if this was December, I'd say let's make a decision tonight. Um where it's it's June and we are, you know, nearing the end. We can do that in August and I' I'm okay comfortable with that. >> Okay. >> Thanks. Appreciate it. >> This one. >> Sounds good. Any other comments or questions about policies? All right. Old business. >> We have none that I have. >> So, who here completed their shadow assignments for the year? >> Um, >> I did not, but I
127was at the school quite frequently. [laughter] >> I will complete mine in the beginning of next year as a new member. >> Excellent. I will remind you all in se August. >> My last >> Oh my gosh. Don't say that. You're right. Oh, >> we've been here since preschool. >> Oh, >> it's >> very sad. >> Yes. [laughter] >> I did not do any shadow, but I did go to the field trip and saw the movie about the dogs [laughter] >> cuz I went to the Boston field trip last year and that was pure chaos. >> Yikes. >> So, you have earned enough shadow days for like >> Well, we thought it was like a kickback sort of thing where like when I went with Paxton, it was like, "Oh, all the parents are going."
128And they were like, "You guys are going, right? Nobody else signed up." And I was like, "Okay." So, actually had to do like chaperoning. >> All right. Well, I'm very excited because I get to be an SMS parent starting this fall, which >> I have not been for past four years and it's been very confusing. >> Great. Yeah. We'll see you next Monday. >> Kindergarten orientation >> and I'm feel like next year we're going to be like, "Sopie, did you do shadow yet?" [laughter] Shadow. >> Yeah. Throw it back at me. >> I hope you do. >> Well, I did come in and read to a class, so I don't >> Oh, that counts. >> Yeah, that counts. You were a mystery reader? Yes. >> Well, was it a was it for your kids class?
129>> Yes, it was. >> Oh, then it doesn't count. >> Yeah, it doesn't count. It doesn't count. >> I didn't know I could sign up at the mystery. [laughter] >> No. >> You're welcome to shadow me at any time. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Keep it busy. >> We'll we'll revisit the shadow requirements at our August retreat. Maybe [laughter] make it a little maybe out of punishment. No, >> this seriously. >> Hey, it was a board goal. We failed. >> Yeah. So, >> I just joined the board. [laughter] >> I didn't have a full >> technically Shane and I just got elected. >> Oh, you put on the board last week. I should get a pass, [laughter] but I had at least I mean >> get a pass. >> I think he does. I
130think he gets >> I just joined the board here to accomplish. >> All right, >> we'll do it. >> We'll revisit in September. [laughter] >> Can I ask one question before we adjourn? Again, I swear to God, I'm not trying to keep us late. >> This guy >> I And again, just there was a lot going on at the time. I thought that we approved the hiring of a new teacher, but looking second grade still has four and everyone else has five. Did that not go through? What do you >> We did not. We did not put that in the budget for next year. We stayed. >> We proposed it in the fall and with the budget the way it was things, it wasn't the it didn't >> it's coming back. Don't you worry. >>
131That and field trips. >> Okay. >> All right. Non-public. >> Yes, we need to go under non-public under the letter C, please. >> C. Okay. >> No, we're definitely >> Do I need to say it? Um, yeah, you can just say we're going to go into non-public uh chapter 91A or I'll say it for you. Um, >> take letter C and I'd look for a um nomination to go into non-public. >> So moved. >> Thank you, Sophie. Second. >> Second. >> Thanks, Shane. And then just roll call. >> I >> Perfect. 40 at 7:32. We are in nonpublic. So, thank you everyone. >> All right. And I can just make the motion. I'll make a motion to accept student under policy JFAB. Um, all of those in favor. >> We need a second first. >>
132Oh, do uh second. >> Uh, I will second. >> Thanks, Cameron. All those in favor? I >> I >> and opposed. >> Opposed. >> Okay. Motion passes 3 to one. >> And now I'll make a motion unless there's anything else in non public. I'll make a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> I second that motion. >> All right. All those in favor >> I >> All right.