Notes from Board of Education Meeting 9/8/15

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, September 8 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs .

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance – St. Charles High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Correspondence/board member updates

• Palko - thanks for the bus tour and the most detailed reports at each school
• Marshall - ditto Palko's comments; impressed on first day of school
• Crawford - attended 3 days of new teacher orientation; made 15 school open houses and praise to staff.
• Kelly - health card and emergency card...can information be pre printed?  Attended two orientations.
• Marshall - Thank you for invite to the crab feast to EACC

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

Student board member’s update - Report

Opening of schools

Summer school

• Marshall - time spent in summer school class does not equal time spent in the school year
• Lukas - Center remain open a little later for testing (Novell)

Project status update - Report

Solar update

• ground units only at 3 locations and one overhead unit at the maintenance shop
• Consensus to allow staff to move forward with proposal

FY 2015 Comprehensive maintenance plan - Report

Teacher Academy of Maryland - Report

Staffing update - Report

Social media policy - Report

Unfinished business

• McGraw - format of town hall meeting
• McGraw - Meeting with CSM - room not confirmed yet; agenda suggestions compiled

New business

• Kelly - PIMA (Parent Involvement Matters Award) should be recognized locally.  Consensus was given by Kelly, Crawford, Palko, and McGraw for wording on the resolution to be added.

Future agenda items

• Abell - concerns regarding Special Needs bus drivers and aids not having CPR and First Aid certified.
• Palko - requested revised staff organization charts
• Lukas  3 year plan on implementation and goals for the new Chief of Technology position
• Kelly - Esteemed base curriculum, adding arts into the curriculum (band vs. technology)
• Kelly - testing update, results and schedule and comparison to other counties
• Kelly - volunteers for schools in office clarifications and restrictions

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Keith McGrit ??? - CCPS Bus driver, equality as other county employees, retirement plan is a joke and no benefits, wants same as other government employees
• Kathy Lancaster - school bus driver, incident on bus, went to court, CCPS person came to court and never talked to her.  doesn't like their health insurance.  wants to be treated equally.
• Susan Eckerle - director of instrumental music and mother of HS student with grade issues.  wants to discuss eligibility requirements.  should have been advertised and implemented more efficiently.   staff received training on 8/27.  did not know it was for extracurricular activity in addition to athletics eligibility.  wording needs to be refined to ensure it doesn't mean attending football games, prom etc.
• Tammy Posey - been a bus driver for 20 years.  need better benefits.  sick and out of work for 4 months.
• Brian Eckerle - LPHS student.   has grade issues.  cannot participate in marching band.  bands do not have a bench to pull from when students do not meet the grade requirements.  no hope of competing
• Heather Hartman Janson - parent and a teacher.  unexcused absence policy.  wants to be able to write a note for her son and not take him to the doctor

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Marshall

Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel by Abell; Second by Kelly

Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• FY 2017 CIP state and local improvements program

Motion to accept FY 2017 CIP by Lukas; Second by Abell

Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Recurring resolutions: American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African-American History Month; Career and Technology Education Month; Gifted and Talented Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women’s History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees Retirement; and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award.

Motion to accept Recurring Resolutions by Kelly; Second by Palko
Yes = Crawford, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko; Abstain = Abell; Lukas








Amendment to the motion to change African-American History Month to Black History month by Marshall; Second by Crawford
Yes = Crawford, Kelly, Marshall, Palko; No = Lukas; Abstain = Abell

 

Adjournment

AP scores increase; SAT scores dip in 2015

Charles County’s students’ scores increased on Advanced Placement (AP) exams; decreased on the SAT; and remained flat on the ACT, according to data released this week by the College Board and ACT, Inc.

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) average score on AP exams rose 8.5 percent, up from 2.23 in 2014 to 2.42 in 2015. It is the first significant increase in the past five years. “Taking Advanced Placement classes in high school is one of the best ways to prepare our students for future study and success. AP classes are the most rigorous, and we encourage students to take the courses as a way to challenge themselves,” Superintendent Kimberly Hill said. County AP results are available at http://www.ccboe.com/aboutus/2015CountyAP.pdf.

While the number of students taking the SAT increased, average scores decreased. The average score for the class of 2015 was 1,445, down from 1,462 in 2014. State averages also declined. Participation countywide increased from 613 in 2014 to 742 in 2015, a 4.8 percent gain.  Students’ average score on the critical reading section is 490; the average math score is 487; and the average writing score is 468.

The SAT is used by many colleges as part of an admissions process and designed to demonstrate a student’s mastery of certain subjects. Only scores for graduating seniors are included in the 2015 report. Students in the Class of 2015 were offered more than $62 million in scholarships. SAT results for 2015 college-bound seniors are posted on the CCPS website at http://www.ccboe.com/PDF/testscores/sat2015.pdf.

A growing number of colleges are also using college readiness scores from the ACT, the nation’s other major college readiness exam, for admission. Statewide, the ACT has been making dramatic gains in participation, and CCPS is following the trend, Hill said. CCPS students have increased participation on the ACT during the past several years, and for the past three years, more students took the ACT than the SAT. In 2015, 923 students took the ACT, compared to 915 in 2014 and 782 in 2013. Many students take both the SAT and ACT. CCPS scores on the ACT remained flat. Students’ 2015 ACT composite score was 19.6, down from 19.7 in 2014 and up from 19.3 in 2013. The ACT tests in four areas: English, reading, science and mathematics. ACT results are available at http://www.ccboe.com/aboutus/ACT2015data.pdf.

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting 9/8/15

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system website www.ccboe.com. Select CCPS TV and then choose the Live Broadcast tab.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance – St. Charles High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Correspondence/board member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update
• Student board member’s update
• Opening of schools
• Summer school
• Project status update
• Solar update
• FY 2015 Comprehensive maintenance plan
• Teacher Academy of Maryland
• Staffing update
• Social media policy

Unfinished business
New business and Future agenda items

• New business
• Future agenda items

Public Forum – 6 p.m.
Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• FY 2017 CIP state and local improvements program
• Recurring resolutions: American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African-American History Month; Career and Technology Education Month; Gifted and Talented Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women’s History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees Retirement; and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award.

Adjournment