Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 11/10/15

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, November 10 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 – La Plata High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Superintendent's report 11-10-15.pdf (137 KB)

Correspondence/board member updates

• Kelly - PAC Meeting - link between student success and attendance; at future meetings allow for time for parents to provide feedback to administration
• Kelly - 2016 is centennial for establishment of BOE; help planning events
• Palko - thank you for inviting us to participate in college application week
• Palko - congratulations to adults graduating and earning their diplomas
• Palko - visited McDonough kudos to the librarian and reorganization and incorporation of Spanish section.  Visited Craik and Hanson and J.C Parks
• Marshall - congratulations to McDonough It's Academic team
• Marshall - North Point and J C Parks environmental impact

Education Association of Charles County update - BOE Report 11.10.15.pdf‎ (48 KB‎)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update

Student Board member’s update - November.pdf (109 KB)
Superintendent’s rule #6431: extra-curricular activities/athletics eligibility requirements

• Superintendent's Rule October 2015.pdf (142 KB)
  draft amended policy 6431.pdf (65 KB)
• Kelly - Where does it recognize the 24 hour fever free for a student but not be penalized
• Abell - questions the wording under #1 and #5 of the Policy
• Marshall - questions changing this Policy without it going through the committee
• Rule moves forward but the policy will go through committee

Project status update - Construction status-Nov2015.pdf (213 KB)

Overview of instructional technology and career technology education (CTE) programs - INS_CTE_TechOverview_Nov 9 BrdMtg.pdf (323 KB)

Board goals - Goals Presentationforcommitteereport.pdf (163 KB)

• Kelly - what happened to moving STEM to STEAM and increase CTE enrollment and promote anti bullying program
• Abell - thanks committee; thinks there should be one set of goals, not board and supt. goals; should be measureable.  Almost identical to Supt. goals.  Should merge the two documents.
• Palko - agrees
• Kelly - fine and performing arts promotion vs center.
• Consensus is to move forward.  Dr. Hill will mere two documents and bring back as a report item in December.

Student liaisons’ presentation - Life of a being a student liaison.pdf (198 KB)

Unfinished business

• Palko - Recognition of State Champions subcommittee (Lukas, Palko, Hill) should have recommendations ready to present by December meeting
• McGraw - Met with Commissioner Murphy - boards to get together again in January

New business - None

Future agenda items

• Marshall - Fine and Performing Arts - McDonough had a program presentation and wants the presentation for the board.
• Marshall - Teacher mentoring program in Charles County

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Hollis Lyon, 5th grade, Career Readiness; James Craik Elementary School, Principal: Debra Calvert ; Olivia Robinson, 5th grade, Academic Achievement, Malcolm Elementary School, Principal: Wilhelmina Pugh; Delaney Hinton, 5th grade, Personal Responsibility, J.C. Parks Elementary School, Principal: Thadine Wright; Naseem Abujuma, 8th grade, Career Readiness, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, Principal: Ken Schroeck; Matthew Johnson, 12th grade, Academic Achievement, St. Charles High School, Principal: Richard Conley
• Employees - Kelly Elliton, third grade teacher, Craik; Pamela Batchelor, fourth grade teacher, Parks; Linda Hollomon, fifth grade teacher, Malcolm; Tynika Lytle, Pupil Personnel Worker, Stoddert; Katherine Schubbe, Business Education Teacher, St. Charles

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Liz Brown - Granddaughter in kindergarten lived in Waldorf, Eva Turner.  selling house to move to LaPlata.  Contract on selling house immediately.  Moved in with grandmom in Jenifer Elementary until house built in Matula zone.  told they could not attend Turner or Matula but must attend Jenifer.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the Minutes by Lukas; Second by Palko

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

• Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel by Palko; Second by Abell

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

• 2016 Legislative positions

Motion to accept Legislative Positions by Lukas; Second by Kelly

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

• Parent Involvement Matters Award (PIMA) resolution

Motion to accept PIMA Resolution by Kelly; Second by Palko

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

Adjournment

State releases baseline data for PARCC

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released local school system and school-level data today for PARCC, Maryland’s new high school assessments in Algebra I, Algebra II and English 10.

More than 30 percent of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) high school students taking the PARCC English 10 assessment last spring scored at a level of 4 and 5 combined – the two highest levels on the PARCC five-point scale. Additionally, more than 30 percent of Charles County’s middle and high school students reached Level 4 and 5 combined in Algebra 1. On the Algebra II test, which was first administered with PARCC, 4.7 percent of students scored at a Level 4 and 5 combined.

The assessment uses a five-point score scale set by Maryland educators and others:

• Level 5 – Exceeded Expectations
• Level 4 – Met Expectations
• Level 3 – Approached Expectations
• Level 2 – Partially Met Expectations
• Level 1 – Did Not Yet Meet Expectations

For high school, achieving Level 4 or 5 indicates college or career readiness. The scores set a new baseline, and a new starting line for Maryland students, according to MSDE. This year’s PARCC results will not be used for student or educator accountability; however, the State Board will soon determine how the data will be used going forward.

“History shows us that when new accountability tests are introduced, the scores start low and end high. Accountability assessments are designed to encourage growth and improvement,” Superintendent Kimberly Hill said.

CCPS students improved greatly on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) during the decade it was used as the measure of student achievement. Its lifespan was from 2003-2013 and during that decade, elementary school students increased math scores from 39.9 percent to 81.3 percent; reading scores from 60.6 percent to 84.2 percent; middle school math from 36.8 percent to 76.9 percent; and middle school reading from 61.8 percent to 81.7 percent.

County scores

Algebra 1: Overall, 31.2 percent of students scored at level 4 and 5 combined; 29 percent scored at level 3; 29.8 percent scored at level 2 and 10 percent scored at level 1.

English 10/Language Arts: Overall, 31.0 percent of students scored at level 4 and 5 combined; 24.5 percent scored at level 3; 22.4 percent scored at level 2; and 21.2 percent at level 1.

Algebra II: Overall, 4.7 percent of students performed at level 4 and 5 combined; 20.8 percent at level 3; 41.4 percent at level 2; and 33 percent at level 1.

According to the MSDE, PARCC results cannot be compared with the MSA, which the State used for a decade, both because this is a new test and a different test. PARCC is the first assessment aligned to Maryland’s College and Career Ready Standards, which set a higher bar for student learning. The tests go beyond the old “fill in the blank” model of standardized tests by emphasizing the need for students to demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving, and clear writing.

These tests also will show growth in student achievement over time.  For example, parents and teachers will better be able to determine if students taking the math and reading assessments in third grade are progressing in their understanding of the subject matter when they reach fourth grade and beyond.

The pattern of raising standards and creating new assessments has been in place in Maryland since the 1980s.

Individual high school student reports will be sent home to parents within the next few weeks. The state plans to release middle and elementary school scores in early December. For complete results, visit http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/.

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting, 11/10/15

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 10, 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 Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website, www.ccboe.com. Click on the middle of the main page to start the live streaming. The following is a meeting agenda, and is subject to change.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance – La Plata 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
• Superintendent’s rule #6431: extra-curricular activities/athletics eligibility requirements
• Project status update
• Overview of instructional technology and career technology education (CTE) programs
• Legislative update
• Board goals
• Student liaisons’ presentation

Unfinished business
.
New business

Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• 2016 Legislative positions
• Parent Involvement Matters Award (PIMA) resolution

Adjournment