MERIDIAN SCHOOL BOARD's April 15 2026 Regular Meeting

001Let's uh call the meeting to order. Uh we will stand and say the pledge of allegiance. >> Pledge of allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. nation under God. It is well >> um can I get a motion to that? >> I'll I'll make a motion to uh make an edit to the agenda on the old business. A >> I'll second all those in >> favor. I >> I >> So just sorry just to confirm and for the record. So the motion is to remove the second review and approval of the CSG inter agency agreement >> and table that >> later >> a later date. >> Yep. Okay. So, with the update agenda, can we get a motion to adopt the new agenda? >>

002Um, hold on. I think I had a first and second vote. Was there a vote? >> There's Yeah. >> All right. [clears throat] >> Always hold us down. Um, cool. Can I get a motion to adopt the new agenda? >> I will motion to adopt the agenda with business table for future. >> Can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> All those in favor? I I >> I get a motion to adopt the consent agenda. >> A motion to adopt the consent agenda. I'll second. >> All those in favor? >> I I >> Right. And the next item is the reorganization of the school board. We have a call for nominations for board vice president. >> I'd like to nominate Michelle Simmons for vice president. So I moved. >> Oh, sorry. Second. >> Do

003we need a second? I will accept. >> Okay. We don't need a vote. It's a roll call. Is a roll call. Okay. All those in favor? >> I I >> I. >> Unanimous. Um, awesome. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you. Uh item B is call for nominations for legislative board representative. >> I will nominate Shana. >> I would second that. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Sure. I [laughter] >> also roll. Also roll. All those in favor? >> I I >> Okay, here we go. Awesome. One of the exciting things. Uh section four we have Mia Middle School student recognition. Sorry Robert just hang there and look all the time. We're going to talk a little bit about you right behind you. So if you want to see what we have to say it's right

004behind you. >> Well hi everybody. Uh thanks for having us tonight. This is going to be kind of part one of of four of MMS things happening tonight. So, this is the the MMS show a little bit. Um, but we're gonna we're gonna spend some time recognizing some awesome students we have here with us tonight. So, you're going to hear a little bit about them. So, we uh at the beginning of the school year as we were preparing for the year, as we're having our our board or sorry, our ELT retreat at the beginning of the year, um we talked about this idea of getting more student voice. And you're going to hear us talk a little bit more about student voice as we do our school report and the impact of student voice on

005the work that we're doing at Meridian Middle School. And so we were challenged uh across each building to select some students and use this term compass students uh to meet regularly with to get input to kind of find out about what their experiences were like at our school. And so as we framed that uh that bottom quote there was from actually from Adrian as we went through this process of the experiences of one student will help us see the system. And so we have brought forth tonight our three Compass students that we have been meeting with throughout the year and they have all given up their time. We've interrupted their school day on multiple occasions to bring them into the office to sit down with them and hear about the experience uh that they've had

006at our school. And so we're using their insight to make our school a better place for all learners. So we're going to talk a little bit about each of them. We're going to talk about what we're proud of from from what we've learned of them and then also how they've impacted our school for the better. >> Okay. So the want to recognize is Bashan. So Vashan is an eighth grader at the middle school currently. He's involved in a couple different sports over his time here. So baseball, basketball, I think we're missing track and field. Is that right, Van? You did track a while ago. >> And most recently, he joined the DC trip with some other eighth graders. And Bashan has the benefit of being a student at the middle school. So, he's been part

007of our system for a length of time. And I was also lucky enough to be his second grade teacher. Um, we're part of Bashan for lots of different reasons, but something that really shines when you talk about Bashan, when you talk with Bashan, when you look at his data, is he's a picture of persistence. So you see this growth over time. The way he talks about his experience as a student, the way he thinks about different structures that we have embedded for kids, he recognizes the benefit of things like win or different supports from different teachers. Um and through talking with Vashan and as Mr. Katr and I have been thinking about what is your experience help us understand about our school and how we can make our school better. You've referenced these connections you

008have with different staff members and how impactful they have been even sixth grade teachers, right? And so we're thinking about how do we make sure every student in our school has a connection that you've shared that you've had with teachers. Something else that you've mentioned is different teachers make you feel safe to ask for help or they feel like home is a quote that you said about one of your teachers. again, how do we make sure that that's an experience that all kids have um taking from something that you've done? And something that's not here that I think about Vashan, Vashan's not a loud or in-your-face kind of student, but he is a leader in every way. And when you watch him in the hallways with his peers, they look up to you and for

009all the right reasons. And I'm just super proud of you and thankful your time and your thoughtful um contributions of these as we've asked you questions over the years. So, thank you, Bashan. >> All right. So, one thing that I I didn't mention at the beginning is as we went through and this and tried to pick out who our comp students were going to be, we tried to kind of capture the the breadth of students that we have at Merid Middle School. And so, one thing you'll notice is we've got a student representing each grade level. Real simple way to do that, right? So, for seventh grade, we have Declan here with us. So, Declan has been involved in a couple of different things as well. He's been part of our history day experience, which

010you guys got to see a couple weeks back. Um, some of those presentations. He's in our leadership class. He's in band. He's been part of our student advisory, which we'll talk a little bit more about when we get into our our school report. Some sports. He also went to Ireie and the middle school. So, we are also super proud of Declan and all of the insight that we have gained from him this school year. We really want to recognize that Declan demonstrates really strong ownership of his learning and and wanting to improve and get better. And one thing that really stands out as we were talking this morning a little bit more about kind of how we were going to frame all this. One thing that's really true of Declan is as we've asked him

011questions, the thoughtfulness that he has put into his responses, we we've asked pretty complicated questions and maybe sometimes like questions that are really driving it like what we want to get out of it and how do we analyze the impact of the choices we're making through their eyes. and he is really good at slowing down and thinking about what are we asking and and how can he be thoughtful in what he is sharing to really give us information that's going to be helpful and useful as we seek to shape our building in a positive way. So I think one of the things that really stands out about our time that we spent with Declan is that that balance between giving students independence to kind of own their own learning and their own experience but also

012providing accountability for them. And there's a little bit of a give and take there, right? like you want students to have time and opportunities to make choices, but they also need to be guided along the way. And so he's helped us kind of navigate what does that look like in classrooms, right? Where does that balance really solid? And what does that look like? What are the teacher moves that are happening? And where is that balance maybe one way or the other? And what does that look like? And so how do we work as a system as a building to move our learning forward to to find those those balance and to have that clarity for students around the work that they are doing in that. So we are really super proud of you. Thank you

013for letting us interrupt your your day along the year so far and probably more to come. This might not be the end of it. We're still going to talk more. So >> definitely not the end. We will talk [laughter] about you. And finally we have Gabriella here. So she's our sixth grade Compass student. One of her superpowers is she's multilingual. So, Gabriella speaks English and Spanish. Um, she's also a member of our sixth grade band. You play flute, is that right? >> No. >> What do you play? >> And she joined in third grade. So, she gives us that perspective of a student who's come from another system, right? And that helps us understand that experience as well. So, some reasons that we're proud of Gabriella is when we talk with Gabriella, she expresses this

014really cool balance of being excited about learning English and working really, really hard to do so while also holding a lot of pride of her first language, right? And when we talk to her, that shines through. Um, and it's also really challenging, right? And she presents a lot of courage in doing that. I can't even imagine trying to learn new content while also trying to learn the language. And so as we've asked Gabriella questions, she shares about different um places in school and different teachers that provide supports that really help her access both content and learning the language. So something that Mr. Kratzig and I are taking from you is how do we make those things more systemic, right? So if you're feeling really successful with Mrs. Zinc, how do we create that in all

015the classes that kids go to? She is not by any means the only student who has the superpower of being multilingual. Um, she also helps us remember that students come to us with prior experiences and a lot of cultural wealth. So, how do we tap into that and make that part of what we do and celebrate as a school? So, all three of these students are um pretty special and have given a lot of their time to help us learn about um what school's like for students. So, as we get into our later presentation, you're going to hear a little bit more about the work that we've done this year. But, we really wanted to just call out that having this program, and we're super thankful to Adrian for kind of sponsoring this work with

016us and and prompting us this direction because it has been has been really really impactful to the work we're doing. It's a good um test of when we're we're making changes and incremental adjustments like what does that look like in terms of the student perspective. It's been really really great to see that. So, we really kind of wanted to sum this up as, you know, we have they're they are learners in our building, but they're also teachers in our building because they are teaching us through their experiences and making our school a better place um for those conversations that we've had. So, we just want to acknowledge them and let's give them a round of applause for their work this year. >> Questions of course. Thank you for joining us tonight and for bringing your

017families. I love seeing family support come in the building and recognize all the great things our students are doing. >> I'd like to know this little badge of honor you get to wear as being a compass student or compass compass student. Have you engaged with your friends and other kids you hang out with during the day to maybe get a little bit of information from them and also being sharing that or is it just solely your experience or are you kind of ambassadors of the program out there and sharing it with your friends? It's like half and half a bit from just my experience in school and then a lot from like what I hear. >> How about you? >> Um kind of what said it's pretty cool. >> Yeah. >> So your friends are

018very aware of what Yeah. >> this extra extra activity you can be a part of. I know a little bit about how you >> It's like almost like >> she says speak up. [laughter] >> So you do talk to your friends about this extra opportunity you get to participate in to make some bones. they understand a little bit more about what's going on in our building. >> Well, thank you. >> I just love to hear about like your superpower. That was awesome. Bashawn, you talking about like that one classroom that's like feels like home. Like how do we replicate that? I think that's amazing feedback. And then Declan's my guy. >> Got to coach him with football a couple years ago. And when you talk about leadership, like he was one of the leaders on

019that team and within that class and so this does not surprise me to see you. So yeah. >> Yeah. Likewise, I I wanted to ask about when you're gathering this information, what are some of the goals you want to do with what you're getting from it going forward? >> Well, you're going to hear a lot about goals and things that we're working on in our next presentation, which this is kind of part of, right? Like one of our our big pieces this year is as we are, as I've kind of said, like we're going to talk through some of those adjustments that we've made and things, but I think our goal is just to get a sense of what the student experience is is like, right? And so I don't know that we have any

020goals as far as like other than just getting their input and as what is how do they experience school each and every day and then that informs us as we start thinking about what changes do we want to make. So I think the idea is like get the input and then where does that give us opportunity and how do we do things like recreate classrooms where people feel like they're at home right like they've kind of given us the inspiration to the be the springboard off into what the adjustments that we want to make >> just uh like information collection at this point for future >> yeah I mean I think that it has been information collection for us to get that that perspective on on how they're experiencing it. No instant adjustments, just gathering

021information. >> Is there to have new representatives like quarterly or >> I mean I think that we have we've stuck with them throughout the year and obviously we'll have some conversations about how this moves forward next year and how we open it up. But I do think like getting to have conversations with them. We haven't I mean we would always love to have more right and more students and more conversations because it is so valuable. And I think when we get the opportunity to sit down with them, it's it's a really good part of our day to be able to do that. >> Are any of you also involved in student advisory? >> Okay. So, double input there. Great. >> Good. I think it's really it's really impressive that you guys all want to stand

022up here and really love to see your smiles. And Dean is my neighbor. So he's always I always get to see his smile and he's always brings a light to my life. So how much he probably brings a light to your life as well. So it's great to see that. So thank you. >> One more round. >> All right. >> Awesome. All right. Next thing we have up is the Maria Middle School, Washington DC trip report. bins coming up. Here we go. >> See, they should usually >> I got to sit in this late >> web. I think >> uh so I'm the Scarlett and this is Mr. Dennis and this is our fourth year taking kids to DC. Um, and you guys have seen been there before and seen some of it. So, um,

023I just have two students here and they have their reflections. So, I'm just going to have them read those reflections and I'm going to scroll through some pictures while they while they do that. You guys want to introduce yourselves? >> Hi. Uh, I'm Dominic. Uh, I'm Vince. Who wants to start? >> Uh, I'll start. >> Okay. Um, it's going to be not the reflection. You're just going to read it. >> So, Sunday, yeah, we visited Mount Vernon. That was pretty cool. We got to go see all around there, you know, going with our friends, looking at all the little rooms and stuff around there. Then we ate lunch at the What was that? Air National Air and Space Museum. That was really cool. Shake Shack there. Uh, we went we looked at all the cool

024planes. They had a couple machine guns there too to look at. That was pretty cool. And yeah, that was about it for there. Oh, yeah. And then we had workshop after that. >> Um, just read your reflection. >> Oh, [laughter] just read the reflection. >> Just read the reflection. >> Uh, I really enjoyed the trip to DC. I would definitely do it again if I had the chance. Uh, I really had fun. You know, when we had lunch, we'd explore the mall and stuff, the museum where we were at. Another part of the trip I really enjoyed was the memorials. You had the FDR memorial had the tons of waterfalls. What was it symbolizing his terms? And then you had the quotes all over the place. That was really cool. And then you had the

025Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery. I really enjoyed those because I think it put on scale like those who had laid down their life for this country just put on scale all the stuff. All in all, the DC trip was amazing. I got to learn about our nation's history while spending time with all my friends. >> Um for me, I I think the this trip was very meaningful for me. Um, it helped me see all the beautiful structures that the u monuments that um the US had to offer and uh there's all the museums. Those were really great and also like the Arlington National Cemetery that for me was uh really moving and the changing of the guard was one of the highlights of the trips. It was so cool. Um it was

026also stunning. While on the trip, I learned more about how uh our government functions and how we could impact it, but also not in like a boring kind of way. It was it was pretty fun. It was like really incorporating and it kind of drew you into it. The schedule was perfect. I had no issues. Um, and also I I got to hang out with all my friends and peers and that was another big highlight uh on top of seeing everything that was so super cool. And I will remember this trip for all my life. It was amazing. >> So this year we had 28 students and there's definitely more if you want to go back and read it. But I know that you've been here and you've seen what we're doing. The board has

027seen it several times. So, I thought just like a little reflection would be good. So, >> what was your guys' biggest takeaway from the workshops? >> Takeaway from the workshops? Uh, that's a good question. We did some stuff on gun violence. Uh, what was another workshop we had? >> There was there was one about how um like going through processes to like uh change your local government. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. uh laws in local government like a little bit of protesting stuff on protesting too. How to lawfully protest I think was one of them. >> It gave us a bigger picture picture on uh everything really really fun. >> Made us actually focus on what we were learning >> pretty much. Yeah. >> Because it did it anyway. >> Yeah. We would have done no.

028Yeah. >> But like it it did it in a very fun kind of way that kind of drew you into the whole thing. >> That's awesome. >> Also, you got to spend times with time with uh people from other schools like the kids from Puerto Rico and the kids from Wyoming. >> Was there perspective on some of the issues that or topics you were learning on? >> Uh a little bit. Not a lot though. That the most most time had to talk about that was in the workshops. >> Oh yeah. So this is a a group to work select the workshop >> uh so it's a we do this program it's through closeup and so every year you know the students that would like to go sign up and you know and we go um

029this year was 28 we've had more in the past and other schools throughout the country also do the same thing um but the closeup their middle school program is trying to focus on sort of like citizens what does it mean to be a citizen and what sort of roles and responsibilities that has and that aligns with the you know I'm their US history teacher so it aligns with sort of what we're talking about and um and so that's that's why we one of the reasons we go that program is because there's that educational piece in addition to the sightseeing and it puts all of the monuments in context. So, like here's FDR and now we're going to look at like, okay, you know, what did he do as president instead of just walking through the

030beautiful locations and seeing the cherry blossoms and all of that, which we also did. >> I feel super fortunate. I I had the privilege of being able to join these 28 students. Um, Miss Scarlet, I feel like one of the coolest things about Closeup is that they have the student program and then also a teacher program that you could go on. Can you talk a little bit about why close-up we stayed we were like always in DC so we were like close if there was and there were some emergencies that happened that we needed to address. Um, so we were always able to like be there to support the students because that's our primary reason to be there. Um, but this this organization has a teacher program. So, we got to go learn about um

031spying during World War II and Native American impact in um in Washington DC. And throughout the years, we've done all sorts of other uh workshops as well, so that we have a chance to continue to learn as teachers as well. So, it's it's really nice. It's a good program for sure. They also on the teacher end of that offer like additional resources if you want to continue and like earn some college credits um and like sort of expand on the learning from the trip. So um that's a pretty cool feature um that the program has to offer. >> So how much fundraising and car washes and cookie dough chocolate bar sales hours did you guys put in to make this happen? Well, like uh the school had to offer a lot of um different like

032uh fundraising things like we went we we did bellwood. We um I think there's a lot of like uh small smelling stuff. Yeah. rapping for, you know, there's a couple cataloges where you would, you know, you could try to sell things to people, but that that took out a huge chunk of it and made it, >> you guys got to earn your way >> a little bit. We took out a little bit. I think it we fundraised what $300. So, it was it wasn't a ton, but we we did Bellwood for I think >> what was it 126? No, not 60 hours. I think >> No, 60 60 bucks. >> Yeah, 60 bucks. And then we gift wrapped for I think what was it? Six hours, not six. Yeah, six hours at the mall. >>

033Uh I didn't do it, but there was also an option. We had the harvest festival here at the Meridian Middle School, and there's an option to do that to gain some extra money. >> Oh, yeah. >> It was whatever. Um, I mean, they could self-pay or they could participate in these fundraisers to whatever degree they they could and then that would help offset the cost. >> It wasn't like an excessive amount either. It was like, oh, say every couple weeks, hey, can you come out here for a couple hours in this random Saturday or after school? >> Thank you. It wasn't a big ear. >> You recommend it for others. I would totally recommend it for others. You know, at the start I was like, "Oh, you know, this this is just going to be

034a really cool trip to uh you know, go um see everything. It's going to be really cool." But afterwards it was like, "Wow, that was actually like I had expectations for it, but it it exceeded it cuz like um the the pictures do no justice to it. It's they're everything's so grand and it's um like especially the the program we were doing like learning all the free behind it actually made it even cooler and it was really fun too. It was like I can't stress that enough. >> [clears throat] >> I'd like to say your personal testimonies were the best part of this entire presentation and what your individual takeaways were like what you saw at the monuments to understand the gravity of what it means to lay your life down for your country and

035for the changing of the guard and Arlington National Cemetery like to hear those personal testimonies at that level really precious. So thank you for articulating it so well. Well, thank you. >> You guys went back in like what single monument would you guys recommend? >> Or museum. Yeah. Yeah. >> Um I really liked Arlington cuz there was so much and it was like it was really like um moving like everything like every single thing you saw. It's not just marker that's somebody's grave. And then the changing of the guard that was that was really for me memorable. And on top of that, if you get to the top of it after all that, you can see literally everything. Like every memorial, the WA Washington Monument, all the museums, it is that those were my uh

036best pictures and my best moments. Those were >> really cool. >> But aside from the ones I've already mentioned, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial was really cool cuz you when you're walking up to it, you see it's like a huge, you know, marble hall sort of and you see this huge statue. You walk in there and this statue is just tiny compared to everything else. Like it like I don't know how they build something like that. Also, the Capitol building that was awesome walking up those stairs and then you just see all this beautiful artwork on the top along with all the statues, you know, people from each state who did pretty cool stuff. >> Was it two from each state? >> Yeah. You know, you think a lot of it it's like a force perspective,

037like you know, they make everything look big, but it's actually pretty small. Like, you know, from everything view, but then you get there, no, it's huge. [laughter] >> Were you guys signed up to be closeup ambassadors? [laughter] >> The paperwork. Yeah. Get that. >> I Riley do it, though. I encourage >> I'd rather pick raspberries. uh just a 200 word little paragraph about what you liked about it and then you get college credits for it. So something to look into. >> You guys are already halfway there. I mean you wrote your reflection. >> Just got to add some more words to it. >> Yeah. >> Thank you guys. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> I did want to recognize the efforts of the administration and staff for making this happen every year and how unique that

038is. Um >> it is there's a lot of we get a lot of support from the district um with bus transportation and from a principal catig and you know we put in work as well for sure >> and miss Garlet takes the most of that work. So like to recognize that >> I really appreciate that you know there's something so unique profound to student development of something like going to our nation. So >> hope to keep that forever. >> Yeah. So cool. >> Thank you guys so much. That was awesome. >> Thank you for letting us speak. >> All right. Uh, next up we have some PLC presentations. Um, I believe the first one I have listed is Britney Middle School social studies board presentation. the middle of the street. First two have been so

039awesome. >> We did ask or I asked that we do both of the presentations the same night >> instead of coming back again. [laughter] >> Save on gas. Gas expensive. Maybe I can pull one of these chairs. Oh yeah, if you want to stand. >> So again, I'm Kristen Verlots, eighth grade social studies teacher. >> Jacob Dennis, seventh grade social studies. >> And I'm Marcus Holl, sixth grade social studies. We just got back from track practice, which is why we have our >> I did too. >> All right, I think I'm starting us off here. So um starting with a standard, our question was what do we want students to learn which is quite the question. Um so we first turned to our standards and there's quite a few um standards within the social studies

040realm if we include history and geography um and economics and all the aspects of social studies. Um so we went with a social studies skill. Um, and this is one that we focus on the past, but still find that uh maybe some of the takeaways from focusing on this standard will really help our students the most in their next steps, whether that be next steps in education or next steps in the workforce. Um, so looking at like why we believe this is essential. Um, anytime we're focusing on the standard, we're having students create a product, which that's going to look different, um, depending on which unit we're in, but um, a product that involves students conducting research, um, evaluating claims, analyzing data, and being able to construct, um, an argument through through that data. Um,

041these are skills, like I said, that we think uh, transfer to the next level, uh, 8th grade, high school, and beyond. um as well as just socially. Um so at each grade level, we want to help prepare them for the next step. Um and you can kind of see our learning targets there look a little different as we um insert our content uh around that state standard. >> Okay. So um we often use formative assessments throughout the unit as checkpoints to check for student learning. Like what I do in my classroom is I'll have the students take a a quiz at the beginning of the unit. Usually the kids don't do very well because everything's brand new. And then as we go throughout the unit, we'll give that same quiz and we kind of track

042our growth that way. And at the end of a unit um they'll give some big summit of assessment as well as a project um that is reflective of the learning standards and their learning targets. And I've created a rubric here that I've I've graded my students on. We did our unit on Mesopotamia where students can analyze themselves. um am I meeting a standard or am I exceeding a standard or am I approaching? Kids have access to this as they are um working on the project itself. So they kind of are able to measure as we go through and of course I'll sit down and do some check-ins as we go through that with them. I think it's it's a good tool to see where they're at and um if they don't learn it specifically with

043our those formative check-ins that is gives me an opportunity to say hey this is where I need to do some retaching or some slowing down if that makes any sense. checks for understanding are going to be embedded throughout that learning process. In a whole class, if I have a student who's not meeting a standard individually, then we're going to sit small group interventions. Um, opportunities for retakes after maybe the kid didn't do so well on the test, give them opportunity to make corrections um basically throughout the whole unit. Okay. And then um we collaborate a lot with our ELA department um in terms of especially with reading and writing skills. I like this to give the ELA a lot of credit on this one more of like a support um but we will sit down

044together me and my ELA partner Bailey Drake will look at students who might be struggling in certain areas like finding evidence uh identifying main ideas and claims um readingformational text. I mean, I feel like in social studies, they read a ton. So, it's obviously it's reflective of our um both of our subjects. And then we will have kids in um when classes usually a small set. Is is that on the next slide, too? >> Oh, that's me. >> Okay, I'll keep going then. [laughter] >> Um usually about a set of like 15 kids who might be struggling in the same area. and heard I the um social studies and the only teachers will just kind of help the kids work through those um and I feel like it's really beneficial in a much smaller class

045setting bridge those gaps. >> And so then I have the what do they do or what do we do if they if they know it. Um and this is this is an opportunity and you guys are very familiar with this because we've done history day last month. you guys came and were amazing um audiences to our uh projects at this point. Um these students did regionals and now they are pretty much all of them are off to state uh which is coming up in a couple weeks. So they have taken their whole projects apart and are in the process of redoing their whole project with um extra information and it's a lot of work and I don't know if you guys looked at any of their um work cited bibliographies they needed at least 20

046but a lot of them had 30 or more sources um all MLA citations all um annotated uh it's it is not for the faint of heart um And this is an opportunity for those kids that need a little bit of extra uh and those kids are identified through I Ready scores um through um Miss Montgomery who helps with this and she's here. She's probably going to talk about this a little bit more tonight. Um and and then just interest if students are interested in history, they get this chance. Um Riley was working on this as well before he before he left. So, it's open to all sorts of kids who who would like to have a little extra. Um, and then wrapping it all up, um, we're looking to help students understand different cultural perspectives

047um that are around us. Uh, we're looking at how the actions in the past have shaped the present and will continue to shape our future. Um we're looking to help students build life and like study skills um that they can bring to other st subjects as well. Um and then we spend a lot of time looking atformational texts um through our textbooks through our um primary source documents. Um, and another thing that we've been really working on is aligning our sixth through 8th grade curriculum so that um, skills that they're working on in sixth grade are being developed in seventh grade and then, you know, I try to take them to another level. U, so making sure that it's all scaffold. Um, and then these guys were really great and brought projects and I forgot

048to this year. So you can look at sixth and seventh grade projects. I think our state standard is the one that we decided to show off for you guys. Um, gives it an opportunity the kids to be really creative, kind of show their information. So, if you guys have any questions, you guys can ask away. Not take a look at these projects. >> Let's see. >> I was curious, you mentioned the rubric that you use. >> Yeah. >> Is that across the board or is that just you or is there consistency? >> You're talking about sixth through 8th grade. And so it is everyone is using the same rubric. >> Take the book. >> Yeah. Go ahead. A couple years ago we did like a we created a vertically aligned rubric. So something that just

049kind of as Miss Garlet was saying earlier, Kristen was saying earlier um that it sort of builds at each level. Um so an example of that might be maybe in sixth grade they're required to use one source um for their evidence and then in seventh grade they need two to three sources and by fifth grade they need to find five different sources. Or what what grade? Yeah, sorry. Eighth grade. Um, yeah. >> Uh, anyway, so yeah, there's just building um at each grade level and then this year um we sort of restarted that process um because it's been a couple years and we wanted to make sure we were still um aligned in a way that we wanted to be. So Marcus went first this year and then since then we um Kristen and I

050have developed similar but um sort of rubrics that grow off one another. Yeah, I think that's most of what we're spending our PLT time doing is making sure that those rubrics are building off of each other. That make sense? >> Oh, yes. And it's it's fabulous. It's kind of what we've been talking about as a district for quite some time with standardized grading approaches. This is the foundation of something like that. So, I really appreciate the efforts for >> understand what is expected so they can reach >> Yeah. each other. >> I know Bret's in your class like it's out of all the classes he has, like that's what he comes home and talks about the most. Oh, great. >> So, whatever you guys are doing with history, it's it's working. So, it's pretty cool.

051So, >> he's a good one. Yeah, I'm glad to hear that. >> Yeah. >> Well done. You're going to share your >> Oh, yeah. You guys show off. They do a project the owners of nature in every you said every um >> every unit. >> Yeah. So the end of a unit I'll just kind of pass these around. There's there's different ones. I have hunting [clears throat] and gathering and farming unit. We just finished that one right before spring break. But I like that. I think what you were saying I think last year I brought in like my brochures >> leave you guys out here. I just got to like change the >> get a variety. >> Creative love for building. >> Yeah. >> That's pretty cool. >> Isn't it cool? She's >> waiting. >>

052That is most creative. They are creative. ask >> likely never. >> Yeah, thank you. >> This one was so creative and she's much more talented. That's the right stuff. >> Is that >> awesome? Thank you guys. >> Well, you can tell that the the students are passionate. So, however you're like here said, however you're presenting the information, they're getting into it. >> Very cool. >> And I'll say is like I think it's so cool like the extra effort you guys put in. I mean, you guys talked about being there for track. I know you guys coach football as well. You organizing the whole VC trip. Like just spending that extra time I think is is so cool. So, thank you. >> All right. Next up, we have MP3 set board presentation. >> Putting a different

053hat on today. Oops. This There we go. Okay. Um, so we are the science electronic or engineering science engineering and technology PLC at MP3. So call ourselves set um and um so we start right. Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Hi, I'm Amy Clayton. I have been teaching the robotics class for the last year and a half um with covering the change over in systems to the new Edison and robotics systems for the first through eighth graders. >> Rebecca Montgomery technology and highcap. And I'm Heidi Do and I do science 1 through eight. >> And um really our PLC we don't teach any of the same subjects. So a lot of our PLC time is talking about um entry tasks, exit tasks, um sharing anecdotal about kids and then trying to find commonalities um that we

054can use with each other. So I'll start talking about >> problem solving sessions that we will do with each other's I'm hitting a problem with this and we'll brainstorm ideas. I discovered that my kids were really pretty highly engaged and competent in robot assembly. They were excited to build it. You play with it for a little bit and then they wanted to be done. They weren't wanting to stick with the scientific process and iterate on the robot and really learn those math and engineering skills that could be built through that process. And so I was talking with these beautiful ladies and uh Heidi told me about her science notebooks and I was like I remember seeing something about engineering in the voluminous curriculum materials. Let's go pull that out of the hat. And so we

055tried implementing it and it also helped to make sure to meet that standard of the using that iterative process. And the problem we had doing the notebook on paper last semester was some students had a dis accessibility issues with the sustained writing task. Drawing out remotely accurate 3D diagrams is not really developmentally appropriate at that age. Um I've had one or two surprise me, don't get me wrong, but that that's not how it generally goes. And so I found I was googling again and I went I think I saw something about a digital notebook. And so I pulled it up and I made it available halfway through the semester last semester. I'm like hey I found this stuff but I don't have room to teach it right now and nobody really took me up on

056it which was disappointing because there were a couple kids who really needed it. So I went back to the group and that's when we came up with the rest of the story. So since I started doing science, we've always done as good part of good science practice, we've kept a science notebook. They're very old school. The little kids have just a spiral notebook and that's one through two and the three through eight do a composition book and part of it is they just keep their data observations and recordings in here in one set place. So that's what I was sharing with Amy and these are just some mel which >> and they do a really good job. >> So data table tables all of the writing is there. Well then Amy showed me the notebook

057templates and I said wait a minute we share students so let's figure out how to bring this into technology and add this technology piece. >> She could make it fit. I did. >> In my class, I put the kids back into their robotics teams. We reviewed what they were doing in Mrs. Deardward's class. And so I said, "I know better. I know you can do this." Then we talked about um using this notebook template in Google Slides, which they are very familiar with. They've been using um with me for this is their fifth year using Google Slides. Um and we just talked about some of the different functions. Um also by fifth grade my students are using Google Sheets to create charts and data tables and then they are inserting them into Google Docs and

058creating reports for um hypothetical situations. So you you really can do this. Um so with the eighth graders we went back let's do this now. We took two days to create team notebooks that they could then access in robotics. So um we figured that their no robotic notebooks would contain their design challenges, their data tables and then the diagrams which um the curriculum already came with different pieces that they could just cut and paste and put in there and then time for a reflection. It's worked pretty well. Um, I've had some students that have not engaged with the digital notebook as much as I would hope, but I have one student, the one that I wanted to engage with it the most, now uses it every class, period. It's fantastic. Um, my other kids, however,

059I am getting the best, most beautiful charts in their paper notebooks that I've seen all year because they're afraid they're going to need the data to build it for her. So, I'm calling it a win either way. It's getting them to I also started checking everything with stamps that you had to make sure you got it stamped before we moved on. I also um we started working on building this expectation of documenting our science younger with the little kids and I've added a couple of extension activities because it's not really de developmentally appropriate for a first grader to focus on a robot for 50 straight minutes. They they just can't. So, but if you do your robot task, then you could do and I have several stations set up and I just went through the

060process. I set up a class through code.org for each of the different grade levels so they could go learn additional coding because robotics is mechanical engineering meets coding. That's what it is. Um, I also went through the process with Cynthia to get Prodigy approved, which is a free program from the Fed. They gamified math. I have second graders enthusiastically who have previously been reticent to engage with the robots or with the writing task afterwards. Enthusiastic to show me their beautifully completed work so they could go do math word problems for 25 minutes voluntarily. And when they get stuck, they ask me for help because they need to understand so that they could keep going. I am so happy. It's been fantastic. I'm like, "Oh, this is this was a good choice." >> That's it. >>

061She loves Prodigy as well. When she heard me mention Prodigy, she was like, "You guys could do Prodigy there. You have to do Prodigy, Mom." So that Yes. So overall, did our initial thing that we want completely work? No. Did our eighth graders create these beautiful digital notebooks? No. But what did we learn? Well, we now we've gotten them to slow down. They are reflecting on their work. And then we've decided that for next year, we're going to start with maybe the fifth or the sixth grade. So that by the time they are in eighth grade, that expectation will be there and they will be producing digital engineering notebooks. Um and so that's um just a as a result of the collaboration from a PLC where we teach nothing alive. So we had a good

062time. >> So yeah, >> but that's what it's all about, right? You plan, you do, you check, you act, you do it all over again. >> So yeah, because right now they've been working on the you could see the clawbot there. >> They first they iterated on just the claw portion, then they've iterated on the arm. what do they need to do to support the arm? Then we added motor groups. Every group you only get so many of each piece because I don't have enough for everybody to have all the pieces they want. And so every you normally only get four motors per education kit. So I will I have enough extra motors for one per group. You decide where to use it. And it's been interesting seeing where they decid which portion of the

063bot needed the extra oomph and then how to you have to connect the motors correctly in order to harness that extra horsepower. And that's taken some doing today. I had to come help somebody figure out. They very creatively figured out how to because the motors spin opposite directions if they're facing each other. So, normally you just switch it in the computer, but these clever boys figured out how to flip one this way and one upside down. So, they didn't have to change the direction in the machines. And I'm like, that's very clever. But the way they had used a gear ratio to power up the torque of the lift arm, it meant this one was spinning at a different rate than this one, and they were working against each other. So we had to move

064them back to a shared bar thing, flip it in the computer and now that arm moves smoothly and fast. They learned a lot of engineering in that one iterative task. And they are currently um in first place for the ongoing competition. So they they had the best uh score of the competition. We've got three more rounds where it's a bracket. You know, I have team AB in the first. Yeah. So, we're very excited to almost finish this uh up and over competition cuz they have to grab the blocks. They're I wish I had a picture of it for you. Um it's a diamond formation of blocks. There's one red block, two green blocks, and three blue blocks. And you each start on your half of the field, and there's a divider between it. You have

065to get your blocks, pick them up, and get them up and over the wall onto their blocks. And you have one minute to get and the red one's worth five points, the green one is three points, the blue ones are one point. Whoever has the most expensive field loses, basically. And I did have some very clever guys go, "What happens if I throw the blocks over the side?" I was like, I appreciate your creative thinking, but um we we just they we looked it up in the rule book. It took some digging to find it. They did have that one written out. It goes back on your side of the field. >> So suddenly they were very good at keeping the blocks in the field after that. >> A lot of creativity. A lot of

066>> Any other questions? It's it's fascinating how much it's changed from sugar cube structures. [laughter] >> I mean realistically that's like >> I have been with my little ones because programming remotes is a thing that has to be done one at a time or the remotes will interfere with each other. Um they were building pipe cleaner towers so they had a who could build the tallest tower while I helped get everybody through programming remotes. So we do still do some of that as the station activities. >> So what grades are we talking about that are using the handwritten notebooks and then when we move on to the digital engineering notebooks, what grades are we looking at there? >> So um well MP3 being first through eight. So your >> they they in my classes do

067the handwritten notebooks one through eight. So those samples that you saw that was seventh and eighth grade work. >> Okay. >> So we don't ever get into the digital realm were were >> paper pencil but in technology they are capable of doing those reports um by fifth grade. So >> so they it would be very appropriate. I started introducing the paper engineering notebooks with the fifth graders when they move from the Edison to the Beex. I could if we wanted to start an engineering notebook with the fourth grade when they start the scratch style coding platform because Edison has a couple of different ways you could code them. My littles do it with a block, so they just clip the little puzzle pieces together. But, uh, it does have a scratch option. And because VEX

068we code in Scratch, we moved our fourth graders over to the Scratch style coding. So, they get some introduction to that style of platform before they move into VEX the next year to help ease that transition. I could add a paper notebook. I've had dramatically increased my writing task as it is, but that would be a good way to create a record so they could see their growth in one place. >> I just love the collaboration even though the three of you don't teach the same subject. >> That's always lovely to see. So, thank you for doing that. >> Happy to have >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you so much. >> Uh, next we have up is High School Spanish PLC presentation. >> Hello. >> Our team of one. >> I am I'm

069alone up here. But yeah, I'm Heather Knox. I teach Spanish one and two um at Midian High School. And yep, I'm a team of one today. So, all right. Um so Spanish has uh different standards. It has five different standards. Um in this presentation I'm focusing on the presentational communication standard. Um this shows that students present information, concepts or and ideas to an audience of listeners and readers on a variety of topics. Um and that can be measured by speaking and writing. Um for this unit uh I chose Spanish one the unit bando kasas which is flying kites. Uh this unit um students are able to describe uh weather patterns and activities they like to do. Um and it builds upon previous learn materials such as numbers, adjectives, uh telling time, dates, people, pronouns, and

070likes and introduces new um vocabulary such as weather and climate along with common action words. Um the standard matters because it reinforces previously learned materials and it builds conjugation skills which develops a foundation for um irregular verbs which is which are encountered in our current unit um deportistas so athletes. U so they're focusing on go verbs, irregulars and present progressive. Now, um each unit I usually start, uh off with a pre-write prompt to test where they are and what they already know about the unit. Um and it shows like their current knowledge and proficiency level on the skill. Um and then after they're done with their unit, they go ahead and after they're done with their prewrite, they set a goal for themselves to determine where they are on the proficiency scale. And then throughout

071the uh unit they do practice writes and um gauge their learning to see if they've grown along the proficiency scale. And at the end of the unit they do a post-write prompt uh to see how much uh they how much knowledge they've learned. And um the main goal is to try to like move up one level at the end of the unit. And I'll explain the proficiency scale in a little bit here. U for this prewrite uh their pre-EST I tested them on days, months, and seasons. So this was some previously learned material and then I also tested their knowledge on weather and climate uh what they like to do and what they and their friends like to do which is some new material. Uh some questions I asked were what is your favorite season

072and what do you do in each season and why? Uh what is the weather like this week? What do you plan to do each day? Um and explain why. Describe the difference between the climates in the northern and southern hemisphere. And what do you do in your free time? What does your best friend do and what do you all do and get a reason why? Okay. Uh this is the proficiency scale I was mentioning. Um I'm not going to go too in depth with it, but it has different levels. It starts off in the novice level, which is pretty low, and it has advanced levels as well. So once they're done with their pre-EST, they give themselves um a rating of where they think they are on that scale. Uh here's an example of what

073a writing prompt might look like. And these are examples from the perspective of somebody learning English for the first time. Uh so like a novice low, you're pretty much just able to list words or you're not be able to write much at all. You might have a lot of spelling errors. A novice mid, you might start to write phrases, still have some errors. Uh novice high, you're starting to write simple sentences. They might not be perfect, but they're starting to elaborate a little bit more. And the higher you go on the scale, intermediate up to advanced, um they start to elaborate more with more detail and use more complex grammar structures. Um at the end of the unit, I gave a summitative assessment. Um so there was an exam along with a writing prompt to

074see how much uh they were able to or how much knowledge they were able to gain. Um so I tested them on the same concepts uh days, months, seasons, weather, climate, what they like to do, and what they and their friends like to do. Um this is the summitative assessment data uh from the exam. Um this shows all of my classes for Spanish one. So among all three of those classes about 90 students uh the average was a 95% uh proficiency rate which was pretty good. And this one shows their writing scores. Um everything on the lefth hand column. So this is for all three of my Spanish one classes. So everything off to the left here um is their pre-EST, so for each class. And the second column shows their uh post- test, what

075they were able to do by the end of the unit. Um so a lot of the students might have been like a novice mid um or a novice low probably beginning the unit and then by the end they pretty much jumped a level or two. So there's a lot of novice highs which is appropriate for that grade level. Okay. uh for students uh who didn't learn it or might need more help, uh interventions were used such as uh scaffolding and retaching strategies. Uh these methods vary depending on students specific needs. Um some things I used um I pulled students out for T3 and small group interventions during class to kind of um target some of those skills they were lacking. um I gave modified test um or gave alternative formats uh provided accommodations and scaffolds

076and for ML students I provided extra supports uh to compare both languages. Uh this is an example of a student who needed some intervention. Um this student uh did not do very well on their first exam. Um they scored a 24%. So, I pulled them out for T3 and gave them some in-class intervention. Um, retaught them some concepts and ended up giving them the test in segments to help chunk it. Um, and after those um, reteing strategies, they ended up scoring at 87% and then I targeted uh, those skills further and then they ended up with a 96% by the end, which shows me that they were able to grasp those con concepts eventually. Um, over here is their writing score. Um, at first they got a novice low, novice mid, so they weren't really

077able to write very much. Um, so I also gave them the opportunity to uh test verbally, which they did much better at than writing. Um, so off to the right, they were able to reach novice mid or novice high and um, relay some of their information. Okay. um other students who already know the information. Um I provided Richmond activities and advanced applications. Uh for example, I have a heritage speaker who already knows the material pretty well. Uh so I give them alternative assignments to help build their vocabulary and refine their writing skills. Um, at the moment I have them working on different uh writing styles such as um like narrative, expository, descriptive, and persuasive essays to help um get them writing at a higher level in Spanish. So, they're picking up new vocab along the

078way. Okay. Then based upon this data, uh the majority of the students showed growth and mastery of the material. And um based upon what I found there, I determined that the students were ready to move on to the next level. They had the skills um they needed to do deportistas and start learning about irregular verbs and some additional vocab and then two to three takeaways. Um so formative assessments guided instruction help assure that all students are meeting standard and this is a learning organization not so this is a learning organization not a teaching organization. Um and what do we learn about students and how do we act upon it? Uh not all students are the same provide accommodations based upon their specific needs and have an opportunity to show their learning in a way that

079meets their needs. Okay. Just want to say thank you or gracias and ask you guys if you had any questions. >> I did see you had some students that began the activity in a novice low and remain in a novice low. >> So is that an ongoing like level three intervention or where you that? >> So for I do one for like each of the units. I start off with like a pre-EST and then a post- test. um so they aren't reaching like the next level. I'll pull those students out for T3 and try to target the skills they need to help them move to the next level. So it's an ongoing thing. >> Okay. So like stay within that level until it >> Yeah. Or um each unit is kind of like it starts

080fresh a little bit, but I do like I also like to do a test at the very beginning of the year and then one at the end of the year so they can see like where their overall growth is. But this one just focuses on one particular unit. So, out of curiosity with being a alumni, are students allowed to speak English or is it solely Spanish in your classroom? >> Um, it really depends like try to do a little bit of both, but trying to get them comfortable enough to speak, but that's been Yeah, it's a challenge to get them to stay totally the language. >> Yes, it was it was it was a challenge to participate in this. I do give them like lots of opportunities to kind of bounce back and forth so

081we can um like for some students who are native speakers so they're hearing a little bit of English at the same time and like kind of translating as we go so they can check their understanding but I'll give like total moments in all Spanish and they're supposed to um stay in the target language. >> I do have to say my nephew is in your class a topic at family dinner on Sunday. >> He's enjoying it. So it it was fun to hear. >> Who's your nephew? >> Mason. >> Oh Mason. Okay. >> I enjoy having him in class, too. So, he's really good at speaking, too. So, he's one he's always like volunteering. Yeah, I really enjoy his participation. >> So, Logan is one of our schoolboard reps and she's got track practice or track

082event track event tonight. And so, she previewed the material and had a question for you. And so, um, heritage speakers or native speakers, correct? um like there are students who um like grew up like in a Spanish speaking household but they might not know the language completely. >> Okay. Okay. So I won't use that term. Her her question was do many um multilingual students who are already fluent in Spanish take the class and and what are those experiences? So I'm sure you have different levels but um >> she was she wanted to ask that. Um, so like I have like some of the heritage speakers who might have like their parents speak Spanish but they might have a lot of gaps in the language. So that's where like I try to provide alternative materials so

083they can try to learn higher level vocab uh rather than like what we're learning or what we're able to provide. So it gives them like more opportunity to just enrich their vocabulary and writing skills. Then I have a student who only speaks Spanish and they're from Mexico City. So, she's trying to learn English at the same time. So, um I would say her writing skills are pretty low right now. So, we're really just trying to like refine some of that right now and teach her some of the grammar, too. >> But I have to say from [clears throat] family history, we are Spanish >> and um what is taught in our classrooms is very different than the Spanish we grew up with. So it can also be challenging for the speakers because it's more of

084a proper Spanish that's taught in our classrooms. Are you seeing any of that? >> Uh there I would say this is like a tough things. There are 21 different countries each with their own differences, dialects and >> um just vocab differs too depending on what country you're in. >> Um I try to stick with what we're doing in the curriculum as much as possible just to keep it consistent. So, I would say I'm not sure like where they're exactly getting all of their language from, but I want to say it's probably more from like Mexico, but not street Spanish, though, if that makes sense. >> Yes. I just didn't think I mean, for me growing up, I I don't think being a sping home necessarily gives you an instant a in a a proper Spanish

085class in a classroom. It's completely different. >> I agree. We've had some some attempts in other systems to do translation. >> And so while students may speak it, they don't necessarily have the grammar to be able to do the do the transition translation skills. So yeah, >> and honestly that's the biggest thing that I'm seeing is a lot of my native speakers really uh struggle with their writing skills. So their spelling is all over the place. Might like be more phonetic, but they really don't know the how to spell or uh write in the language and struggle with that. But we're really trying to share that. Thank you. >> Okay. You're welcome. did a really good job. >> Oh, thank you. >> And this is your first year of the high school, right? >> Oh,

086second year. I was at the middle school for three years before that. Yeah. But >> thank you. >> Oh, you're welcome. >> Thank you guys. >> All right. Um, next up we have second grade PLT presentation. I don't need to make I'll just leave All right. So, we are second grade team at Iring Ryder Elementary. Um, I'm Carol Trower. I'm the our PLT. >> I'm Pam Carson. I'm Alex Wicking. >> Melissa Oscerson. >> Jesse Bennett. >> And then our support is Jen Anderson. >> Okay. Um [clears throat] we decided um as a PLT that we were going to focus on um fluency and reading. Um mainly because we are working really hard this year in um adding some new fluency routines um not just as a grade level but as a school. Um and we're

087seeing really great results with that. And then also we had a little birdie tell us that you've heard a lot about math and we wanted to give you a a little picture into something else. Um because while math is important we want you to know um that we're working hard in other areas as well. >> So funny when you said like oh good. [laughter] >> So the standard that we focused on um for what students want to learn is um read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. Um, in second grade, our or oral reading fluency rate goal by the end of the school year is 100 words per minute um in a grade level text. It includes not just words per minute, but also the inflection and comprehension. So, they're being asked comprehension

088questions um after they finish reading for that minute or after they finish reading the passage if it takes them longer than a minute. Um and then we also um based on I Ready diagnostic scores, the comprehension um is an area that we really needed to focus on. There's was some stalled growth there in not just second grade but all elementary. Um and so increasing our fluency rates while influ infusing the fluency lessons and vocabul with vocabulary um has become a core focus in our classroom this year. And we know that fluency affects access to learning opportunities in all subject matter and it builds the critical thinking skills, confidence and um as well as supporting decision-m and shapes lifelong learning. So fluency is not just a reading skill, it is a life skill. Um so that

089is what we wanted kids to learn. And I don't think this is going to work. This is a little video. Is it going to work? I don't know. No. Okay. So this is a little video. Um we always um in our classrooms want the kids to take ownership of their learning and so we're often asking them um why are we learning this? So my question to my student here was um what is fluency? And her response is I could get find the video on my phone but her response was fluency is reading well and um it's fluency allows our brain to focus on what we're reading not decoding the words that we're reading. And I said, then I asked a follow-up question and I said, um, what does it mean to understand what you're reading?

090To read a word and or to read a sentence and to know what that is. And she goes, that's comprehension. Like, right. So, I'm sad it doesn't work, but um it's great to see that they know why we're doing the things that we are doing. >> Sweet. So, how do we know if they've learned it? So starting at the beginning of the year, we did benchmark testing. So that's in a second grade text and that benchmark assessment then happens three times. So at the beginning, in the middle and then again at the end. Um based on the scores from those benchmarks, then we know how to intervene with kids, what level of support they need, and what level of text is appropriate for them to start their regular practicing. So we do progress monitoring using

091a text at that student's level and it's either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. again depending on how proficient they were with that uh benchmark reading. So you can see there's some kids reading in a first grade passage and it's every week, some kids in a second grade passage and it's every two weeks, some monthly and that's all based on proficient proficiency and then how will we know they have learned it? So we look we enter the data the data goes into I literacy task. So, it's a program we use within I Ready and we meet with the students. We read with them for a minute and it calculates and it scores them and so we can pro track their progress throughout the entire year and then we adjust as needed. We also use the I ready

092diagnostic because it shows the link between this fluency and this idea of comprehension and you can see the difference in the fact that when a student's fluency increases their comprehension is positively impact our fall ID comprehension our on grade level percentage was 22% for second grade and we had um two grade levels or below we had 30% of our students in second grade that were two levels below in comprehension. By wintertime, after we had implemented this idea of fluency and really started focusing on it, our I Ready scores jumped and you can see that on grade level rose to 47%. And those students that were showing up at two grade levels below has dropped now to 16%. And that was in our January results. And so this these fluency tasks and and what we're doing

093is really having a good positive impact on our reading. Now when we respond if they don't learn it um as my teammates have already mentioned we are doing weekly progress monitoring bimonthly or monthly depending on the level of need that we're seeing based on our data. We also each classroom is partnered either with a reading specialist or an instructional coach of some kind that helps us with these interventions so that we can reach more students. They're also being exposed to grade level texts. So while their progress monitoring might be at their level, so for if they tested at first grade, they're being exposed to first grade level text during these monitoring processes, they're also seeing these grade level texts during tier one um teaching every single day. And then they also have fluency partners within

094the classroom to support their comprehension and decoding overall. >> Sorry. M so how will we respond if they learn it? So some of our extension activities um they vary based on students. Um a lot of them are tapped into student interests. So on the lefth hand side these three students um President's Day was coming up and I had um a couple of my students were really interested in history and presidents and I was like well how about you guys take the lead. So, um you can see that their projects that they produced, they not only produced them, but they kind of took the lead in teaching us about President's Day. Um one of the main things if we have students who are at grade level to be able to move from second grade into other

095levels, they really need to be able to produce their comprehension and understanding and writing. That's a big lift for them at from primary into the intermediate grades. So, um, a lot of what we're doing when we're taking them to next level is asking for their responses in writing. It also might be a book club or, um, you can see here it's like a menu that they can choose from. So, it also taps into interest where they're doing written responses in a in a in a log in a um some way they're producing it or they might be doing a book report or something of that nature. Another um component that we have just recently started leaning into is really this idea of building knowledge and really increasing our students vocabulary because if we can build

096their background knowledge and their vocabulary, then their comprehension is really going to continue to grow and to really take off. And so we've been really looking at ways to infuse vocabulary. And so we'll go through a passage and pick a couple of words to teach our students. So we'll read a passage and then we will practice the vocabulary that goes with it and some words that might be common but not necessarily used every day, something that would be fun for them to learn about. And so one of our um decodables that we read included the word dreadful and dislodge. And so we put the word up, we talk about it, and then we have some application questions that go with it. So we might ask them, think of a time that might have been dreadful

097for you. Show show your partner what your face was looking like. How tell describe describe the event that was so dreadful to you. And I actually had a student raise his hand and say, "I don't think I've ever felt that. My life was pretty amazing." [laughter] So we might have them act it out. I said, "Oh, a skunk sprayed. How would you react?" You know, what does what does that look like? Um, to dislodge, you know, and we apply an image to it. Think of a time that you had to dislodge something. What were you dislodging? Is dislodge a gentle motion or an aggressive motion? And then we ask them why. How do you know? And so really leaning into just and this is this is just a three to five minute quick dip and

098it's really making a difference. >> Just to piggyback on to that opening up this vocabulary in explicit instruction has really opened up this whole new level of comfort in our classrooms where they're not scared to say what does that mean? they will very quickly raise their hand or in my class we have a sign language for vocabulary and we celebrate like someone asked what that meant. We got to define it. They got to draw a picture and we put it on our word bank. Um and we just are celebrating this wealth of knowledge that they are learning and that they're gaining. Um and really doing the work themselves. They're looking out for their own, you know, for their own learning in growing their repertoire and their word bank. Um, and so that's been really great

099to see that I remember as a student I'd be like, I have no idea what that means. And I wouldn't say anything. Um, but now they're empowered to ask like, oh, what does that mean? Oh, let's look, let's let's look it up. Let's define it. Um, and it's just a learning experience for everyone. And that's been really, really special to see. >> Oh, wait. No. Nope. Okay. So you mentioned back to the word bank. Was there a time where we lapsed in using decodables? Did my student my children grew up at decodable but I already we stopped doing decodables? >> No, we've always done decodables. Yeah. Um but I would say this year um is the first year as a school we're using this I Ready um produced progress monitoring system that's giving us those

100grade level decodables. Um and then also so that's for the um the progress monitoring and the fluency piece of it. We also use UFly which is our phonics curriculum and there's decodables in there as well. Um we've always been using the decodables but there wasn't as much of a focus on vocabulary within the decodables. Um so you know the word is dreadful and some of the kids don't know what that means. We're going to pause and we're going to define that for everyone. Um and also with this um fluency the decodables were used more of a independent reading activity. >> Yes, I stable thousands. >> Yes, it's not as independent now. >> So our fluency is oral. So we'll read whole class together as a group. So So this fluency piece and looking at these

101decodables is actually an oral exercise. So we're really practicing this reading out loud. So, it's not 30 minutes of silent reading in the classroom anymore, right? There is still independent silent reading cuz that's so important. But now, especially at the primary grades, that sustainability for 30 minutes, thinking about where the impact lies and what is most important that practicing that language and speaking it and using it and understanding the rhythm to reading. The other thing that new this year is that we weren't monitoring the words per minute, their rate. >> So you could monitor fluency like the procity basically. How does it sound? Like what's what inflections are they what expression? Are they reading punctuation? We were monitoring fluency, but we weren't studying a specific goal of like of let's see how many words you

102can read per minute. And then that's what that um chart was showing was the in the fall what their rate was and then they're actually they see what their rate was. They know the goal is to get to 100 words per minute by the end of the year. So they are actually working towards increasing their rate. Um and we use the decodables to do that as one of our resources. >> And and Washington state does require oral reading fluency. It is a state requirement for second grade starting in second grade. And from our fall benchmark to our winter benchmark for second grade, um our student average growth growth was 32 words per minute increase between fall and winter. >> When you get to the 100 words per minute mark, are you seeing a drop in

103comprehension at all? >> No. >> Yeah. if they can read at that rate. It's it's usually it's not so and we do talk about like different times when we read we'll be like this isn't a race reading you know we're going to read this is we're reading for an audience we're going to you know I don't read as fast as I can you know like those kinds of things but when if they are able to read with accuracy because that's measuring their accuracy then you're usually getting more comprehension because you're not spending so much mental energy and decoding each word as you go >> two questions for Um, Carol, I think I heard you mention fluency partners. >> What are they? >> Um, so I we have our students paired up and they'll have a

104passage at their um level or their need is and they turn take turns reading back and forth. So, for example, if you were to walk in my classroom during fluency partner time, we have partner A and B. They're sitting together either side by side or across from each other. One's following along, the other one's reading. I set a timer for a minute. They read back and forth. And then I say, "Okay, now you have to give each other the movie preview." So, you're going to convince them they want to read this story. What is the story about? And so, they practice and then kind of retelling. >> Great. Okay. And then the other one, thank you for that. Um, I mentioned Logan previously. So she also had a question for second grade reading and I

105think it probably has some alignment with the work that they've been doing with student advisories around cell phones in schools. Right. So her question is um this is her I've seen a lot of discussions surrounding literacy and elementary students and how it became a lot more difficult to teach in recent years. Parenthetical especially as kids are exposed to technology personal devices and social media early and earlier. Have you noticed a shift at all? This is where you get to be honest. >> I would say that the data shows us yes that we've all seen a shift. Um you know when we the first I ready that we take in the fall is always like a you know like oh gosh. Um but then it's exciting at the same time. It's like, okay, now we get

106to watch the growth and see the growth and our reading comprehension growth this year with this infusement of fluency practice and really really focusing on it has obviously been paying off um in dividends. Um, and so I think that yes, Logan, we do see that. Um, we also [sighs] keep our devices at school in second grade this year for the first time. Thank you to the district. And it is making a huge difference. >> Huge difference. Um, not to say that they don't have devices at home, but this is one less that they are, you know, wanting that serotonin boost on at night. Um, >> and I think with it being at school, it's like they treat it differently. This is not their, this isn't the same device they're playing with at home games on.

107This is a device they use as a tool in school for learning. And it's a different totally different respect for how they use it. >> Yeah. They see it as a learning tool. They don't see it as just >> I can take it home and go Guardians. I'm going to play Minecraft right now. >> It's different. Um, speaking to technology, I know especially at the beginning of the year, I mean, and it's hard coming in from summer, too, but just that ability to sit with something is different in kids. Um, and it and it and it's changed every year a little bit. >> Um, but as the year progresses, like just said, we notice a different difference and there is a shift and so there they do shift. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank

108you. Thank you so much. >> Next up is Mar Middle School building report. >> All right. >> Thank you. >> The good news is Joe and I practiced today. We got it down to 85 minutes. So, it'll be We're locked and loaded. We're ready to roll. >> There is. I know. We're going to try and capitalize on this. [laughter] >> All right. Well, thank you. Uh we're here to do our kind of our annual school report and give you kind of an update on the work that that we've done at Murray Middle School this year. And I think couple of things. one. Um, you know, as we sat down and tried to put this together, it was it was really hard to kind of parse it down into something that would would not take 85

109minutes because we could probably talk for days about the work that that we've done and the and the impact that that's had on our staff and our students and and the positive direction that we're we're moving in. So, um, there's more on here than we're going to talk. We're going to kind of go through and give you the highlights of it, but obviously as you look through it and maybe you already have, um, feel free to reach out to us with questions, too. We're happy to answer those because there's there's a lot of good stuff a lot of good stuff happening and we spend a lot of time we'll talk about this too but a lot of time just being thankful for the opportunity to to lead this work in this building. It's pretty pretty

110incredible place. So we want to lead off and you saw this a little preview of this when we did our our compass student presentation but as as Joel and I sat down at the end of the year last year and we talked about this year and what we wanted and the direction we wanted to go. One thing that kind of kept coming back to us is just this idea of like we need some clarity for our staff around like what it is that we're doing. Um there's lots of ways that you can you can take things in education. There's lots of different strategies and methodologies and and things to focus on. And so what we kind of came up with as we as we parsed through all the information that we had and the data

111we had on last year and thought about where we wanted to go this year was just this idea of a theme of clear path and bold future. And so just kind of wanted to lead with that of this idea that we kind of believe that that students deserve a bold future where they have choices and options and that we are part of that story and getting them to that and then for our staff and for our students that we have a clear pathway to get them there that is around instructional improvement and improvement of systems to be able to realize that that future. So as we have gone through things this year we've we've continued to iterate on this and focus back on it in all of our our professional learnings. this idea that everything

112we're doing is not something else. It's part of this path that is leading students toward this future. Middle school is an interesting place in a lot of ways. Um, but it is also like really the heart of a student's educational experience. They're a long way from the beginning. They're a long way from the end. And so it is hard for them sometimes to to keep sight on that future and what that looks like. And so continuing to to grow for them and for our staff about we are part of that trajectory. being at the high school got to see kind of that end piece of that and what that looks like and the and the the joy that comes from students as they start to figure out where they're going and and middle school that's

113a little bit further away. So being able to to kind of rally around this idea that we are part of that that journey for students. So as we go through this presentation we're going to talk a little bit more about each of these. So I'm not going to dive into it too much yet. But another piece that kept coming up for us as we were planning for this year is just this idea of like what are we what are we trying to do here? what are we working to achieve in all the work that we're doing as we're trying to assemble what that path looks like? And so we were able to kind of highlight these three different buckets, if you will. Um, all students learning at high levels, that's something we're trying to achieve.

114Becoming a learning organization, something we're trying to achieve. And then belonging, emotional, and cultural safety for our students, um, is another thing we're trying to achieve. So thematically, student outcomes, instructional systems, and student experience. And as we go through this, we've framed our whole presentation around these three different buckets and what they mean and how we're measuring our progress toward achieving each of them. >> So that first focus area of all students learning at high levels is and just for reference, all three of those buckets are aren't really end goals, right? You're never going to check those off. And being in the middle school is unique, right? Because every year you replace 33% of your population. So students achieving at high levels is going to look different every year because we have different kids every

115year. a significant number of different kids. But we thought about that's a really big statement. So what are the tangibles and there's a lot of tangibles and we have a really enthusiastic staff who would love to do a thousand different things and have lots of ideas. So we've used that language of okay, what's the next right step, right? We could do a lot of things but what are those things that are the next pieces that are going to help us on that path? So the first one of those in this category is strengthening tier one instruction. So tier one is the first best instruction. So that's like it's fourth period ELA, you're walking in class, what's happening in that moment? And the idea is most students should be achieving proficiency with really solid tier one

116instruction. That's our goal. And so we spend a lot of time thinking about how do we continue to improve in that area. So you've probably heard lots of different buildings and Adrian um speak about um really align targeted professional development. So, our waiver days have been districtwide and last year those were focused on student engagement and talk and this year building on that for formative assessment and feedback. So, now that kids are talking, how are we assessing what they're understanding? How are we modifying instruction in the moment to um help more kids achieve proficiency during tier one instruction? And then that the pictures on the right, that bottom, it's it's really small, but that's a walkthrough tool that Robert and I have made and that's like the 17th iteration of that. But even just saying

117student talk and engagement and formative assessment, those are still really broad terms. So what does that look like when we're walking into classrooms and we've used that tools with teacher to like pull out what is this strategy? What would that look like? And um they've made posters that hang in our professional learning room and I've seen teachers go in there like this thing again. Oh yeah. And then go do it in their class. So then moving from tier one um you've heard us talk about win. You actually heard our um social studies team talk about that too. So when is not new to the middle school, but again when 2.0, it's more like when 5.0 really, but each year thinking about what's kind of the next tweak to make that even better. Um, so this

118year we've added an additional day. So there's three days a week that students are going to that intervention and there are two week cycles. So it's six days of intervention around a specific target. And that's that's the other piece is having teachers clearly define I'm not just going to math win like what are you going for? what is the standard and specifically the target that you're there for to achieve by the end of those six days. And then lastly, we have something called a student support team, which again isn't necessarily new. It's a new name and kind of thinking about what do we want that team work to be? And so our student support team is made up of myself, our counselors, our ML specialists, our literacy specialists, and um some special ed staff as

119well. And we're really kind of the bird's eye view or like the net that makes sure that no kids are falling through the cracks. So this idea, we want all students learning at high levels. Who's looking at the data to make sure that's happening? Who's looking at the data to see, hey, over many years, the student isn't making the growth that we want. What are we going to do about that? So, how do we measure our progress? There's a couple ways, but this is um some data points from our CE or perception data. And I won't read through all of those, but two that really stood out to me is um the second bullet and then the third bullet from the bottom is it's really the same question. ones asked to families and one's asked

120to staff, but do students receive early intervention? And those are pretty high numbers, but what's impressing me the most is the increase. So for families, there's a 27% increase in positive report on that this year compared to last year. And for staff, there's a 21% increase from last year to this year. And I really think that speaks to how teachers are on board with win and using that time intentionally. >> So our CE data is the the perception data, right? how our staff feel about it, how our students feel about it, how our community feels about it. And there's also academic data points that we use to monitor if all students are learning at high levels. So, back in August, I guess we went through our school improvement plan goals with you all. So, we're

121going to kind of highlight those again here. We won't dive too deeply, but we have uh school improvement plan goals around reading and we had school improvement goal around math. And so for the reading one, uh, our goal was 75% basically by the end of the year, 75% of students would meet their annual typical growth on I Ready reading. Okay? And there would be a reduction in that gap between students with IEPs and students without IEPs that that we would close. And so we do the I Ready three times a year in the fall and then mid year and then at the end of the year. So at that mid-year check-in, we had 47% of students already having met that that end of the year goal. So if you're thinking about the progress of the

122school year in early February, you got four months left. We are we're already halfway to our 75% goal over that. So feeling pretty good about the the direction that things are going um with our reading. With math, we had a pretty similar goal here. Uh 75% of students meeting or exceeding typical growth on the math diagnostic and then 25% of students with IEPs meeting their annual stretch growth. And so you can see for both of those data points again at the mid-year check we had 38% already meeting that typical growth and then 13% of students with IEP. So again thinking about that as the mid-year check-in feeling like things are are on track. So as we we use that data to kind of adjust our instruction check make sure the things that we're doing are

123working. And so when Jill talked about what those next right steps were, the focus on on tier one instruction, the focus on being very specific and targeted with our win, and then the SST and this the safety netting, all of those have contributed to to this growth. Also want to highlight our SBA growth, and we obviously don't have our SBA growth for this current school year yet because we haven't got there. We're a couple of weeks away from that. But just looking back over the past five years and you can see like the middle school has has really shown some improvement, double digit gains in both reading and in math and we're we're in the we're in the mix in the top. And so last year um Jill did a great job of kind of

124starting a little competition with Lyndon that we were going to beat Lyndon and crushed them. But um now we're kind of trying to figure out how do we break into that top three. We're in fourth place in English and fifth place in math. Is that right? in the county, >> right? So, um we are trying to we're we're going to break into the top three, but it's been really fun to to use that challenge with students about like this is this is a high quality place of learning and and you're part of that and we're the best and we're going to go get it. So, it's been really fun to to use that data and we'll talk more about data and students in in a little bit, but we're looking forward to seeing how this

125year um pans out. >> And kids really bought into that like the day after SBA like, did we beat them? I'm like, it's gonna take them. [laughter] >> Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, moving to focus number two of becoming a learning organization and Robert talked about this as instructional systems, but I also think about this as mindset, right? So, um actually Heather Knox talked about being a learning organization and not a teaching organization. We we've referenced this before, but we can teach until we're blue in the face, but what matters is our kids learning and if they're not, then what are we going to do about that? Um, this idea of a pig million effect. I think maybe I've referenced here before too, but this is something I've been talking about with our staff for a

126couple years now. And in short, it's this idea of whatever we believe about kids is going to come out in kind of covert ways, right? Kids read in, they know if you believe in them and they know if you don't. So this this chart here shows the idea that teacher expectations are directly proportionate to student outcomes. And I would say that our staff has really bought into this idea and there there isn't a lot of talk about kids can't kids won't in our building and it's it's fun to be around that. >> Um and then a couple other next right steps in this particular area along with building that mindset is um you heard our PLT present and our PLTS are different because we don't have teachers teaching the same courses. So they are critical

127friends right but they are looking at data and putting that vulnerably in front of each other and saying kids aren't learning what's happening do you have an idea or kids are learning and teachers are saying what did you do like how did you get those results um data meetings are not new right we've been doing data meetings staff data meetings as a district for as long as I've been here but something that we're trying to do a spin on now is putting data in front of kids too right this idea of we're if we're a learning organization everyone should be looking at the data are we progressing where are we progressing? Where are we not progressing? What goals are we going to set for ourselves? Um, and then we just have a staff that loves

128to nerd out. So, we do a lot of nerding out and some that a lot of that's just in the hallway like I have this idea, come and watch this or what do you think? But we also have been able to thanks to our district leadership been able to do a couple other learning opportunities like the PLC Institute. This past summer, we brought in um someone to help us with building thinking classrooms with our math department. And then this summer, we're going to an M MTSS conference that we're super excited about. >> What is that conference? >> When is it? >> What is it? >> It's the MTSS National Summit. Um yeah, so it's like big names, really cool. I'm very excited. >> You mentioned nerding after. >> Yeah. >> Still me. Okay. So um

129thinking about how do we measure progress in this particular area of perception data is really helpful right like what are we thinking about if kids are learning and and if you notice these numbers of positive reporting they're really high right we have numbers in the high 90s and the one that makes me smile the most is that middle bullet point from staff so we reflect on instructional practice to inform um conversations about improvement which is exactly the idea right we're looking at results are we getting results that we want and if not what are we going to change what are we going to do differently memory. >> So, our third bucket that we talked about was belonging, emotional, and cultural safety. And so, this is kind of where that student voice piece comes in, right?

130That we talked about with our Compass students and we've talked about as a district with student advisory, getting that perspective of of how students experience their time here at at Meridian in general, but for us specifically at at Meridian Middle School. And so there's been a couple of couple of pieces that we've really honed in on this year and and as as we kind of talked about earlier with the Compass students is like we haven't really gone into that with an agenda. It's been more about like what what do they have to share and how does that influence us and our thinking and our school improvement planning of where we're going to um actually base it on the actual feedback directly from from students. So that's been really fun. and then the advisory group that

131Jill has led with one of our counselors to try to go through and get that student input on a variety of different different pieces throughout the year. Um, we also have really we kind of doubled down on home room this year. Um, another Brett, our counselor, one of our counselors has created lesson plans that are about those relational skills. um how to be a good friend, how to have a conflict with somebody, things that are really relevant for our middle schoolers and kind of contribute to that idea of like how do I feel safe um as as to be myself and to um represent myself in this situation to be able to kind of lean into that idea of we're going to teach that um as a really tangible skill for for students. Jill talked

132about the idea of putting academic data in front of kids. But we also every month put behavior data in front of kids and we talk about what are the trends, what are we seeing, what's peaking, what's dropping, why. Um, we've talked about different times of year and how different times of year can contribute and their stress. And it's been really fun to pop into those conversations. We do those through our home rooms. So, our teachers are having those conversations directly with kids about how um behavior is ebbing and flowing throughout the school year and getting their input on why that is. We had noticed I've got u behavior graphs and I've shared we've shared it here and we've shared at the high school last year was there about how behavior really if you go year-over-year

133it really kind of follows a pretty predictable pattern throughout the year and so you can kind of call that out with our students this year we brought up like hey March is a time when referrals go up why do you think that is what are we going to do about it and we had probably the best March I've ever experienced this year putting that data in front of kids directly and making them think about what are they feeling themselves at this time of year that's directly impacting the way that our school feels. So pretty cool to actually put that data and make it actionable for kids in that. We also recognized um a need for just kind of systemic response to bias incidents. So that's just anytime we have um verbal sometimes written acts that

134are around identity. And so thinking about that that cultural safety to be myself and who I am. And so, um, we provided our staff with a pretty, um, guided framework on how they can respond and create safe spaces, um, when those things come up and interrupt those those incidents as they happen. Um, we've also kind of retoled our student recognition and invited families in for some student of the quarter breakfast this year, which has been super fun to create a sense of belonging, not only for our students, but also for our families. So, I think when we talk about measuring this, perception data is a really great indicator. Sometimes perception isn't everything, but when we're talking about your safety, the perception of your safety is an important piece of that. And so thinking through like

135these numbers and there's some that have grown a lot and some that have not grown as much. But I think that there's there's still obviously work to be done, but we've got a lot of positive movement in our students and how they're feeling about their friends and their cultural and ethnic background. And as it relates the school, we have our staff. I love that last one, students. Students believe the adults in the school care about them. Our staff said 94% of staff said yeah students feel cared about in the school which is pretty pretty great metric. The other way that we are measuring this is our idea of attendance. So our attendance is about 4% up from last year. We didn't perfect our month-by-month measuring until January of last year. So that's why this graph

136looks a little bit strange, but our district-wide attendance team did some incredible work. And Janine, she probably doesn't get enough shout outs at these meetings, but she did some pretty incredible work to make that happen for us. So, um, kids aren't kids aren't going to come to a place as much that they don't feel safe and comfortable at. And so, seeing those attendance numbers up, I think is a good indicator of the work we're doing. And then that data on our our bias incidents, this is just from this year. We didn't really track it the same last year. So, we don't have a comparison for you yet, but that's kind of how it has played out across the year so far. So, you can see that decrease um from quarter 1 into quarter two and

137three. And then just calling out that those really represent only five repeat incidents, which is actually pretty cool because we've really leaned into teaching about the importance of our words and how they impact others. And so we're we're not seeing kids repeating those behaviors. We try to go into the idea of when we know better, we do better. And so trying to trying to make that an instructional piece for them. So this focus area also aligns with one of our school improvement plan goals which you've seen this before but in general what we noticed as we looked at CE data over time there is this sad decline in students reporting positively about that sense of belonging and safety and that's a concern right if kids don't feel they belong and are safe they're not going

138to be ready to learn and engage in those conversations so this is our check-in so students did this survey again oh that's funny the arrows aren't showing correctly. >> Um, and two and one are up and the six is actually down. Um, and then one of those numbers is static. And you know, we kind of, you know, we want to look at those and see big jumps. And so that's sad and hard. Um, but we are noticing there's like a stabilizing there. So rather than continuing to have those kind of larger decline over time, we're starting to stabilize. And this is something that we're always going to focus on, right? Kids need to come to school and feel like they belong. like Vashan or sorry yeah Vashan said earlier like it should feel like home

139right this should be a safe place to be so this is an image that we used on one of our first days back with staff and on the right hand side in the cloud are those three buckets right those three statements and those are priorities that like I said at the beginning I don't know that we're ever going to check it off and be like yep done right that's something we're always going to be working toward and it's going to be different with each different cohort of kid that comes through and we just spoke through kind of all those tangibles in that 25 26 arrow. And when we put this out to staff, we didn't detail what's going to be 26 27, what's going to be 27 28, which is hard for two type A

140people, right? But really, >> we don't know, right? We don't know what those steps are until we get there, right? Who are the kids that are in front of us? What are what's our staff ready for the the goals that we had? Did we achieve them? If not, hey, we need to revisit and redo and refine those things. Um, so it's it's a work in progress, but like Robert laid out at the beginning, we really want staff to feel like there's this clear trajectory that we're all on. Everything we're doing is for this purpose and finding out what are those next right steps to get us there. >> So, wrapping up, we made it almost. Um, you know, we did a lot of work this year and as I said at the beginning, it was

141tough to kind of pair this down and and not keep you guys here all night for this, but we we're kind of we're working through with all this information, working through like what are those next right steps for next year. That that conversation is starting um as we start to kind of enter this final quarter of the school year and start to think about where we're where we're going for next year. I think a lot of times if you go out and you ask people about their middle school experience and what was that like and oftentimes you don't get all always the positive comments about that. I think I've told people you know I'm middle school principal and they've kind of backed away from me because it's just it's not a time that people often

142recall back fondly and I think that it's pretty amazing here in Meridian that that's not really the case. We have a pretty we have an incredible staff that we feel super lucky to be to be part of and to lead and we get to sit here tonight and represent this work. This is not Jill and I. This is everybody collectively and we are rowing in the same direction. It's it's a pretty awesome place to to be part of and we spend a lot of time just kind of reflecting on how lucky we feel to be part of this team. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> I could not love this presentation more. >> Okay. Okay. So, I don't know if I'm a type, but you spoke to my soul. uh you just had set

143measurable goals. You had tools to get there. You showed your information like it was so good. It was so good. Um and you're and you're seeing fruits of your labor. Um I did have a couple questions. Your professional learning room, tell me how that's utilized and where it's located. >> It's room It's room three. come see the the the the walls drip, right? They drip with learning and nerding out. Um so, um student advisory meets in there, SST meets in there, we have staff meetings in there. Anytime we like waiver days when we come all together, we're in there. And so, it's just the idea of in a classroom is living walls, right? So, the work that you're doing is living there and you reference it and you go back to it and you add

144to it. So, that was the idea behind it. We we love that room. >> And you too came up. She did. >> Yes. My mom did the bulletin boards. shout out. >> She's watching. But anyway, um you know, one of those boards we have our our sit goals and we talked at the beginning of the year is like these shouldn't live in our Google Drive that no one sees. So those are up there and then as kids did it already I was like printing things and putting them up there so they could see like measurement um across time of how how we're doing with those goals. I think just the fact that we hold all of our meetings in there puts puts that information and like you talked about earlier about I don't know when

145exactly but about the idea of like we had staff create likeformational posters right about different strategies and those are hanging in there right so even if we do have staff that go in there just to look at them which is amazing but even if it's just a staff meeting or you're going to a 504 meeting or something those things are up and so you're constantly kind of exposed to all that learning and it's pretty it's almost like there's a degree of like almost overwhelming of like how much cool stuff has gone on over the course of the year and that's kind of like a living representation of all the work that our our folks have done over the year. So yeah, come stop by. We'll show you. >> Yes. And then my second thing uh

146you talked about getting data in front of the students. I just want to clarify that's happening in their own rooms. Yes. >> So it's it's not certain like a compass students everybody. >> Everybody. >> Yeah. And then I had another question, but it's already been answered. Um, so you guys exude energy and positivity and that's contagious. So that is probably why you have this great buy in from staff. Um, and your boots on the ground, they're just buying in and thriving. Um, I I know it's unfortunate that the bond didn't pass, but I don't think it's the building that makes it special. >> Yeah. It's what you guys are doing. So, >> thank you. >> I love it. Not >> two two things. I I love the the competition aspect as >> um and then

147and then two other things that I I do want to call out two metrics that you didn't touch on and I think that when it says principal, it means really both of you as leaders is the growth in the support from my principal leads to progress on instructional improvement. 93% of the staff, 33% growth from last year. And then the big one to me is like the community side of it as well. The principal is committed to quality education. 95% of the families and then 17% growth from last year. Like those are cool. So that's what I'm call >> I too like the competition piece because a lot of people put competition with the sport and not everybody's athlete but everybody's a learner. >> And so I really love that. Well, thank you for doing

148that. >> Yeah, we're already planning who we're going to take down this year. >> [laughter] >> Stay tuned. >> Strategic is taking my time with books sack. So [laughter] >> goal to work for get sense. >> Kids get amped up and teachers get amped up and honestly the other districts like it too. So >> yeah. Um, I had a question to build off what Michelle said of student data meetings. So, they're happening during home room. Is that are they one-on-one um with the students and the teachers doing or is it kind of anonymous like everybody look at our collective scores as a class and where we were last month today kind of thing. >> I I so I make the slide so I because I can see the whole school for I Ready. So, we

149do it after I Ready diagnostics so they can see growth over time. So, they get to see their whole grade level. So there's an anonymity to it. So no one knows like I'm the red dot or whatever like that, but they can still look at trends like as a grade level, where are we strong? Where do we need to grow? And then when they took it in the winter, they could see growth. And so they got to see where they were making progress. Why did you make progress in that area? >> I think it helps make tangible some of the things like when right or other other structures that they see and experience. And so then they're kind they start to connect like oh right like I I went to this and my score improved

150because they also do look at their individual scores >> but that's on their own when they graph it. >> Um and then so we do that three times a year and then behavior data we look at every single month. So they're seeing the the ups and downs of of behavior across and and just that idea of how does it how does our school feel when we have improvement in how our our behavior >> sat in classrooms and they're going over the behavior >> information just so yeah does it bring up any challenging conversations or >> I mean I think part of the idea behind it is and is trying to create some collective responsibility right for behavior and so I think that that's interesting because you know there's there's always going to be challenges around

151behavior, but it also helps kind of reinforce like we're all in this together. This is our school. And so when things are are happening behaviorally, that is something that even if it's not me doing it, like there's some level of like responsibility for what do I want my school to be like and what do I want my school to feel like for others. And so trying to also not only empower them to see what what's happening, but also to understand like what is your role as a student here? even if you're not the one [clears throat] that's causing something like what is your role in helping stabilize and create an environment that we all can be successful in. So >> that's teaching pride and ownership in your community. >> I love it. >> Yeah. >>

152Uh one last question. I've heard great things about Miss Gres's lunch groups. Are those still happening? Is that a thing? The counselors do they do meet with different kids during lunch and they try to create that's you know part of creating a safe safe space for students who the cafeteria can be loud and smelly and crazy place at lunchtime right um and so I think providing alternate access also does a great job of providing a space for students who need something or want something a little bit quieter but all of those pieces and people see a need and they they they take it on and that's just kind of who our staff is >> I love that she's made such a significant impact on yeah >> on a lot of students in particular. So >>

153glad to hear that still. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Really excellent work. I want to give you both a second to talk about why you are so excited about the MTSS conference and how that's the next right step. >> Yeah. >> I mean Oh, I >> How long do you have here? >> I always have to learn >> minutes. Okay. Okay. Good. There's so much to say. I think when I think about like schoolwide systems and MTSS stands for multi-tered systems of support or like the tier one, tier 2, tier three, it's it's complex, right? And we kind of understand the ideal state of that, but it's really difficult to get to that. And so where this conference is different is there's all this like pre-conference. I'm already getting like the Zoom links to go see

154those and you can sign up to add them to your agenda. and you go, it's they want you to bring a team, which thank you so much for letting us take a team. You like bring your problems of practice and there's experts there who are helping you navigate. So, it's really tailored to you. And I'm excited to bring that back and and see like what what's the next right step for us in terms of like MTSS, where's that lowhanging fruit that's going to help us move in the right direction. >> I think it's also nice to about refinement, right, of systems rather than recreation. like we we've put a lot of things in place now that it is about how do we how do we capitalize on those and build on those and this one

155is a it's a global summit next year is in like Thailand or something I think we think we've picked the wrong year but anyway [laughter] >> maybe the right year for budget but yeah right yeah exactly um but I think like the idea in education is there's always a a kind of a collective out there of ideas and things that have been tried and strategies that have worked and every school context is different, right? And so you have to take those ideas and and make them fit for what you've got and the staffing you have and the kids you have and the community you have, but just the idea to go out and be around other people who are also doing work to improve outcomes for kids and then hit those nuggets and be able

156to percolate on them as a team and figure out like how do they actually translate into a tangible next right step. The conference is like a a springboard for that. >> And where's this conference located? >> San Francisco. >> Cool. And and who's attending? >> We are. And then one of our special education teachers and our reading specialist and waiting. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm gonna go out on a limb here. And from that kind of investment, >> I'm going to guess you guys might be presenting this kind of stuff on a waiver day to your peers maybe for continuing education for us as a district or >> maybe utilizing that in the future somehow. >> Yeah. I would say too for these that they have offered like the administrator team they come and visit.

157So like they visited each other's team meetings. They're always sharing with you themselves as well. So I think there's a lot that like Jill's always offering to share something she's trying or whatever. So that that happens as a district leadership. >> It a lot of strategic thought and direction and communication and it's fantastic. to find. >> We're really proud of you guys. >> Yes. Yeah. Very much. >> The other schools should fear you. >> Hang on. Hang on. [laughter] >> And I think you know like the Michael Jordan basketball team USA Olympics. Like I look I keep getting this visual of >> Watch out. Our heads might not fit out the door. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Our next Yeah. Thank you so much. Um our next item is uh new

158business board director appointment process. uh discussion of induction. >> Well, this is this to get the process going. So, this is policy 11:15 and so with um Director Gray's resignation, you have a vacancy. And so essentially, um, LEAS has already gone through the policy, generated an application, and it's just a matter of notifying the public that the district is seeking someone to replace director Gay's role for district director, district 4, and they'll serve in that role until his original term is up, and then they can choose to run again um or step away. Um, and so really just to let all of you know that we want to start that process. You have 90 days from when we sat down to be able to do that. Um, and I know there's been some, you know,

159trying to get clarity over it. Um, you have to have three of the board directors agree on that appointment. And so there's a provision after 90 days if you haven't been able to fill that vacancy that the ESD will step in. still getting someone from that director district. But I I just want to be clear that that provision is typically in place for boards that aren't able to function together to make a selection. Not because it's difficult to get somebody. So I just I think that's a piece that I I don't want it to >> um confuse the process. And so it's still someone from the director district of our district even if the SD steps in. >> Right. So so it's it's really there for conflict for boards. And I can tell you a

160couple of boards in the state that had to have ESD step in because they couldn't agree. And that's really that's really what it's for. So I we will work with Lisa. We will work Lisa to get a time frame and get applications out there. And if you as a board either individuals or have had conversations that you have individuals that you want to encourage encourage them to do the application and that's how that will get in front of the board and then um we'll probably work with with you Jared as the chair and you Michelle as the new vice to talk about what date do we want those in and then there are interview questions that also come out of policy and procedure that have to be administered publicly. and then you'll make a selection

161and you have to vote on. >> So I did share that link. I know you can access it. You access it when you get home to your computer. Okay. >> Um it was just me. >> Is it for the policy and procedure? >> No, it was the link for the the application I shared with them. So >> we'll make sure I'll have Angie send it out to everybody. >> Yeah. Um >> so is the 90day to fill the position or 90 days to take action to fill the position? It's after 90 days that the ESD would take action. So, we need to fill it. >> That's all I'm think of the questions that I shared with you Kurt was if no one applies from it from that district then what do we do? >> The

162way I'm understanding is we are focused on that district. >> Yep. Yep. ESD we double double double up. We got to get out there and make but if no one applies like the ESD can't pick no one that's there. So >> yeah, that that we can inquire with the ESD on that. But >> um >> the feedback that you got from the attorney >> feedback was from the attorney was that's our district whether we're doing it or whether the ESD is doing it. >> Yep. >> But he also had a comment on there. You don't have anybody redouble your efforts to get stuff. >> Keep going. Okay. Knock on doors. >> Yeah. Cool. >> Okay. >> Jared, was there did we want to have conversation about what that structure would look like moving forward and

163like a district-wide atlarge kind of idea? Well, that was that was your question and then I we posed that to Kurt and it sounds like yeah I guess to her question like if no one does apply from district 4 >> like both through our search and the ESD search [clears throat] then what is what is that because that's a that's core of your question right >> yeah so may maybe at a at a grander scale moving forward and and the thought being that because Meridian school district is a smaller district and I'm curious how other small district also handle um these types of processes and elections moving forward. Is there reason or justification for a small district to have all five board members be an atlarge position? >> There is. It has happened. Looks like

164B's done it. There's just as there's a purpose to go all at large, there's also a purpose to have representation from each director district, right? So the board has to decide what's the philosophy that they want to have in place. But I would want I would encourage you not to confuse the process of replacing one position with that process. Find your board member and then come back to the conversation and decide what is the philosophy that this district wants to have around representation. >> Gotcha. >> Okay. Sure. There's not a there's not a mechanism right now or policy to go to an atlarge in this process. Okay. >> Does that make sense? >> The role must be filled from a district or a permanent resident in district 4. Great. >> Not somebody that owns a

165home in district 4 but lives somewhere somewhere else. They must live in district 4. >> Yes. >> Okay. I'm reading. >> Yeah. And I'm going back to the game now. >> I mean, >> from running for officers, you must think so, too. >> It's like where you're you're voting. >> We'll double double check that, but I'm pretty sure that's accurate. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And then do you need like a decision on us like, hey, we we're going to post it on this date? >> Kurt and I will work with Lisa and then work with you and and Michelle and make sure everybody's on the same page. >> Okay. Sweet. Oh, >> can I ask one more question about it? Then do we have to vote on at a meeting or Oh, yes. >> Well,

166you have to interview in in person. >> Okay. >> And then there's a selection. There's a vote. >> Executive executive to >> I don't No, it's a public. >> Okay. >> The candidate candidate or candidate would come for and interview any person at a public meeting. >> Yeah. >> And who Sorry. Who would interview? Is it just us board members or are there other boards? That's it. Got it. Awesome. >> Okay, moving on. Old business. Um, second review and approval policy 3417, catheterization. You have any questions or comments or Okay. Do I have a motion? It will motion approve policy 3417. >> Second. >> I'll second. >> All those in favor? >> I Okay. Uh, next one is second review and approval policy and procedure 3424 opioid related overdose reversal. Do we have any questions

167before we take a vote? Questions? Okay. Can I get a motion to adopt? >> I'll make a motion to adopt policy procedure 34.4. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I I >> All right. Last one. Um second review and approval policy and procedure 6605 student safety walking, biking, and riding buses. Any comments or questions? All right. Can you get a motion? I'll make a motion to approve policy procedure 6605. >> All those in favor? I >> awesome. On to superintendent reports with Dr. Jeff. >> Okay. So, uh hard to come up with content because we had you know spring break in between and trying to hearken back to what what occurred. So, we did have a few things that were um some successes. One of the things um both Carol Stroberg and uh

168Shannon uh at the high school took all of our students down to well took 25 students down to um NCTA. And one of the things we're seeing um in different places is districts actively pushing against students signing up for opportunities because of fear of losing FTE, which is the absolute wrong thing to do. So our students need opportunities to be able to grow and yes we do a nice job but we don't have the capacity to do a skills do or what programs at Running Spark could be or whatever. And so um what was great is a lot of our students got to go to Mount Vernon and actually see what they offer there. So they have a vet science program. They have they have welding like we have welding. We don't have kids going

169to Mount Vernon for welding. They stay here. Right. But when we talk about the ability to do, we have several students that do money in business or they go down and they have a new coding and so um there's some really there's some skills USA competitions happening right now. Um kids are being able to experience that. Last year had a couple kids that went to Atlanta. Um and then this year um Austin might be the location on some of those competitions. So, so anyway, um really great on April 1, they they had several of our students participate and had very positive feedback. So, that was great. >> Who's promoting that and organizing student awareness of >> um with through the career center? So, Shannon at the high school and then Carol Stroberg also because she

170helps work with the middle school and the high school to promote career awareness. I'm just wondering like I would love to hear what they do to promote it or if students need to be self motivated to seek it out. >> Well, they're advertising but but I don't know the I don't know exactly what but it's a great extension off of the career day the middle schooler, right? And so um and I think some of that comes up when they they do their high school beyond plan and they are working through registration. I mean the effort of yourself today is to be thinking about programs for registration, right? So that's what's going on there. Um, also student advisory. We had a district-wide student advisory meeting at the high school and um, this was really about what

171did each of the building advisory groups do on soliciting feedback from their peers like share your voice activities that they did. Some had boxes, some talked to to students during the school day. Um, Dr. Harbble as I shared was going to be starting to join me in some of these meetings and so he was also at the meeting too. But um it was really really great. And then Logan um shared that uh she said uh I had assignment from Logan today. So could you share this survey with the board and superintendent? Feel free to take it as well. It's just a couple questions that Eden and I are hoping to use when creating our onboarding process for future folks. And so what what they're wanting to do is create an onboarding for new reps as

172they come into the role that they've taken. And so, um, Angie's actually going to send you this survey, but, um, what do you want to hear from student reps? What information is most interesting or helpful to you? What else would you like to see from student representatives? More reports, something else. Um, what's been the most significant or helpful thing that you've heard from a student representative? And it doesn't have to be recent. She said, "What setting was that in? A board meeting, a regular conversation, and then additional comments or suggestions." So they're being really thoughtful about how they can set the ne next group of representatives up. So >> I'd encourage you to respond to the survey. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And then FFA. So I had I had the skinny on the vet science

173team and then um I am happy to tell you that they placed 16 overall in the state. Um so Haley, Jacob, Eliia, Rayanne, and Becca. Um, and then Haley actually placed fit individually around vet science. And then since I posted this, got information that I had forgotten because it was between sessions, but at the end of March, our a science or a neck team went and they actually ranked from the state and so our bay has done really well. So, um, just making sure that, um, Maria Nichols and and Brett Feller um, get some kudos for the grade of 15 like this. Upcoming events, we have the Meridian Art Show. It's district wide, but it's at the high school and it's in the commons typically. And then, uh, we have the plant sale coming up

174first and second. So, don't go on the second because there won't be much selection on Friday. Okay. Um, >> you know the times of the app, what time it opens. Isn't that >> I don't during the school. >> It's during the day because they use students phone provide that information. Um, >> I'll put it in my email too. >> The other item I want to speak to for my notes here. Um, come on. This one I don't want. So the MMS fields, the fast pitch and baseball fields have been updated. MS has donated around 20 grand. So 14 grand for materials and about 6,000 in um like for the use of labor and equipment from WRS. So, um, Tyler Rosika, um, shared a little bit of an update, and I just, it was I got

175this information after I made my report, but I want to I want to acknowledge and thank them publicly for the work. So, the MYS board voted unanimously to provide the update to the the fields at the middle school. So, Tyler Rosika, Kylie Corwin, Corey Culp, Ashley Mattingley, Dan, uh, is it Reese? >> Ruiz. Yeah, >> I had a 50-50 shot. Um, Kate Dere, Michelle Appelis, Sabrina Valich, Katie Emmens, is it Jer Jer Zender? >> Jerry Zender, Joy Boyin, and Kyle Alma. So, they they were behind it. And so, um, I'll just jump down. So the effort was discussed, planned and researched over a couple months, but the actual work only took a couple of days because of them equipment, but uh they covered the cost of the material from my about 135 yards totaling around

17614 grand. While DRS donate the labor and equipment. So um Bryant is amazed at trans, you know, how how it looks the transition and just super support. So >> that's so great. >> Want to acknowledge that. That's that's Tyler's daughter on the right right there on the screen right behind you. So it's fitt um and >> some upcoming themes. Uh so we are continuing to do uh budget development. We're in our fifth iteration of our HR budget. Um, and we are we've already started bargaining with our classified group and we're waiting for dates to work with our our educators and with our administrators and then um Dr. Harville will attend his first superintendent meeting tomorrow. So, we're hosting it here in Meridian. And then we have senior presentations on the 23rd and I need you

177to let me know who want to go to the district one meeting that's next. We need to talk about that before you leave. >> Yep. You don't have to tell me right now. Okay. >> Um and then um we have the art show as I shared and then an advisory council meeting on the 29th in Mount Vernon and the next board meeting here on the 20th. So that's my >> I just heard I will not be president. Okay. Um, [clears throat] all right. No board, no student board representatives. Um, any information from board directors? >> We will adjourn and sign official docs. >> Today was great. of the energy go.