Minutes for SIT meeting Sept. 4th, 2007

Present: Dr. Brookhart, Sarah Oswick, Beth Murphy, Chamissa Logemann, Bob Abeyta, Christina Robeldo, Teri Salyer, MaritaReed, Charlie Belton, Jamie Penner.

SIT Business

Minutes: Minutes were approved for May ’07 and August ‘07

DPC:- Need DPC Rep, Welcomed Chris King, BVSD web site will be changed.

DAC:-. Need DAC rep., Birch will present its SIP on Oct. 2 to DAC

PTO: Fundraiser kickoff Sept. 7 (Innisbrook) at Ice Cream Social

07-08 SIP Preparation

Everyone received a packet with the TIES process pieces to date. This included Prior Years’ Results, Statements of Evidence, Celebrations and Challenges.

Three faculty members were present to discuss the Challenges portion of the document.

Achievement (presented by Sarah Oswick) – highlighted broad skills that may be achievement challenges such as critical thinking, applying knowledge and attitudes. Also discussed Writing as a continued challenge due to stable CSAP scores and lower K-5 writing prompt scores (neither writing goal was met from the prior year). Science was again the lowest overall score on CSAP. Also noted 4^th grade still has a larger than the district drop in CSAP scores and that alignment and communication across the school could be improved.

Organization (presented by Chamisa Logemann) – noted lack of enough common planning time between grade levels. Discussed special ed scores which dropped in all subjects areas on CSAP. Noted that girls science scores dropped. Noted that the gap between latino and white students remains large. Thought getting all grade levels to adopt the new Ron Coniglio writing strategies was important.

Focused on potential priority challenges of: 1) a growing free/reduced lunch population that still has an achievement gap

2) staff inconsistency in discipline and character education

3) too many new programs – need to focus on quality not quantity

Equity (presented by Beth Murphy) – noted gaps for special ed students, boys and free and reduced lunch students. Thought about resources in literacy and whether or not we are engaging boys in writing. Also noted that students are not perceiving that they learn about different cultures.

Feedback – all SIT members were invited to provide feedback to be brought back to faculty members for consideration.

1) Are TAG students being considered?

2) What types of strategies for students living in poverty actually work to improve achievement?

3) Homework Club/Reading Morning possibility? Parents could come in to read leveled texts with kids. SIT/volunteers might be able to help get kids there. Can we scholarship kids into extra help programs offered privately? High school volunteers could help (Honors society students are required to volunteer…)

4) Can we restructure intervention – intense for 2 months if a kid cannot read, etc…

5) Retention policy – should kids who do not meet standards be held back?

6) Can we streamline effective use of assessments so that information transfers to the next year’s teacher?

7) Can we dig deeper in our statements of evidence and celebrations? Where is data for attendance, conference attendance, discipline, etc… provide more context.

8) Ensure that wording of challenges is understandable to outside observers (ex: Writing is too broad, reword more specifically)

9) Fill in missing data/edit

10) Would extended learning time make sense where students have time for re-teaching during the school day on areas that are difficult for them individually (like middle school model)

11) Can we provide evening events on parenting topics?

12) Are we effectively using the volunteer base we have?

13) What are our current ways of communicating with one another and are they the most effective?

14) Does late start mean less professional development days?

15) Are we focusing on transformative items?

16) Are we ensuring that one goal does not run the show and cause all the others to be a certain thing? (Do not overly focus on ONE thing)

17) Would summer school be possible? Grant?

18) Be careful to ensure challenges are not actually root causes.

19) Inconsistency amongst staff around discipline/character ed is clear to subs in the building, and is an issue on the playground.

20) Keep focused… do not just create more work to do J

Brainstorm Possible SIT Projects

SIT members were asked to do a broad brainstorm of potential projects SIT might take on to help the faculty achieve its goals (which were not fully decided yet…)

Potential projects for SIT:

Writing Anthology (what do teachers think?)

DVD on safety/rules with student demonstrations

Organize tutoring/homework club volunteers

Organize nights for parents

Provide classroom volunteer training

Foster communication/implementation of some of the many things that are out there (ex: use of science mentors)

Write a grant to help provide resources to get books sent home

Build the listening library – volunteers can record their voices

Discman drive to improve listening center availability

Paws for Applause

Survey distribution at parent conferences

Focus groups of students after climate surveys

Principal’s Report- Dr. Brookhart shared a cultural assessment that main inform this years plan for teacher development.