Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 12/8/15

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, December 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 – Maurice J. McDonough High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Superintendent�s Report 12-08-15 (2).pdf (136 KB)
 
Correspondence/board member updates

• Marshall - acknowledge Gary Winsett for leading the student leaders; Congrats LPHS It's Academic; enjoyed participating in Senior Portfolio interviews; tour of CTE program at North Point
• Palko - Thank you to Winsett; It's Academic kudos; Military Ball; visited several schools
• Kelly - Happy Holidays; thanks to students who entered DAR contest; Shop with a Cop; Senior Portfolios
• Crawford - All Star Dads at Turner
• McGraw - congratulations to Dr. Hill on NASDAQ invitation; Thank you to Hill and O'Malley-Simpson for organizing teacher forum; Military Ball

Education Association of Charles County update - 2015-12-08 BOE update.pdf (46 KB)

Student Board member’s update - student update 120815.pdf (112 KB)

Goals Update - Goals combined Board superintendent 3.pdf (369 KB)

• Palko asked for clarification on several of the goals
• Marshall asked for clarification on teacher retention/recruitment goal
• Kelly - increase enrollment in computer science programs
• committee will take suggestions into consideration and make changes to bring back

Oral updates on Increasing parental communication through technology; and, Stategies for monitoring student involvment in Hour Lunch Programs

• Parent alerts, notifications, messages and photos from the classroom

Project status update - Construction status-Dec2015.pdf (216 KB)

Pre and posttests and the impact on instruction - INS_PrePostTest_BOE Dec8_15.pdf (848 KB)

Algebra I textbook - Alg1Textbook_Information Item.pdf (25 KB)

• consensus to move forward with a 30day review at the schools

Unfinished business

• Palko - Asked Dr. Hill for link to CTE website; theone given last month didn't seem to work
• McGraw - Requested a worksheet on bus driver salaries, benefits etc compared to other counties.

New business - None

Future agenda items

• Kelly - PARCC data for elementary and middle schools
• Palko - Would non-certificated employees
• Palko - concern on PBIS initiatives affecting creativity in the fine and performing arts and wants presentation

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Aliyona Naves, fifth-grade, Academic Achievement, Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School, Principal: Christienne Warren; Tyrone Hudson, Jr., fifth-grade, Personal Responsibility, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School, Principal: Troy Barnes; Raelynn Hood, fifth-grade, Academic Achievement, T.C. Martin Elementary School, Principal: Gregory Miller; Tremaine Barrow, eighth-grade, Academic Achievement, John Hanson Middle School, Principal: Susan McCormick; Courtney Alvey, twelfth-grade, Career Readiness, Henry E. Lackey High School, Principal: Kathy Perriello
• Employees - Luanne Cochran, instructional resource teacher, Barnhart; Rebecca Irwin, second-grade teacher, Brown; Ashley Valenzuela, first-grade teacher, Martin; Daniel Meltsner, computer teacher, Hanson; Pauline Johnson, Vice Principal, Lackey
• 2015 James E. Richmond Leadership Excellence Award: Christine Mais, Executive Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent of School Administration
• La Plata High School Thespian Troupe 2621 presentation to the Board by Thespian Troupe president Matthew Neel

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Marvin Weathersby - CC bus driver for 8 years.  no policy and procedure manual.  problem with board of education and contractors fight and bus drivers lose.  wife suffers from massive depression because actions transportation took against her. 
• Shannon Setting - drivers and attendants attend meetings and stress issues that they are having.  if they didn't come to work.
• Marlene Jones - bus drivers income is no longer supplemental income, it's now the only income to support a family.
• Keith Mc????? - look at colleagues suffering because of the system.  a bus driver saved a childs life  but yet worried of losing her job.  BOE holds certification over their heads.  No voice.  coming every meeting until it changes.
• William Seaton - bus driver, thought when we were here the last time that boe was compassionate but obviously not because here we are again.   feels they are being thown under the bus.  stop marginalizing us, we are not indentured servants.

Action items

Minutes

Motion to accept the minutes from the Legistative breakfast by Palko; Second by Marshall
Yes= Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko; Abstain=Abell, Crawford, Kelly

Motion to accept the minutes from the teachers forum by Lukas; Second by Marshall
Yes= Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko; Abstain=Abell, Kelly 

 

Motion to accept the minutes from the November Board Meeting by Palko; Second by Kelly

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



Personnel

Motion to accept personnel by Crawford; Second by Kelly

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 middle and elementary school assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy and mathematics.

More than 30 percent of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) elementary students in grades 3-5 of the PARCC English Language Arts/Literacy assessment last spring scored at a level of 4 and 5 combined. Levels 4 and 5 are the highest levels on the PARCC five-point scale. Additionally, more than 30 percent of Charles County’s middle students reached Level 4 and 5 combined in English Language Arts/Literacy.

More than 30 percent of middle school students taking the mathematics or Algebra I PARCC assessment, and 28.9 percent of students in grades 3-5 scored at Level 4 and 5 combined.

According to MSDE, for students in grades 3 through 8, achieving Level 4 or 5 indicates their readiness for coursework in English and math at the next grade, with the goal of preparing students to enter college or career upon graduation. The scores required to meet these thresholds were determined over the summer by Maryland educators and their peers around the country.

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

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, middle school

Algebra 1/mathematics: Overall, 32.9 percent of middle school students scored a combined score of 4 and 5 on the mathematics and Algebra I assessments. Students taking the Algebra I test for math scored a 72.3 percent at level 4 and 5. Students in eighth grade taking the mathematics assessment scored 8.3 percent at levels 4 and 5; students in seventh grade scored 22.9 percent at levels 4 and 5; and students in sixth grade scored 27.9 percent at levels 4 and 5.

English/Language Arts: Overall, 30.1 percent of middle school students scored at level 4 and 5 combined. Countywide, students in eighth grade scored 32.4 percent at levels 4 and 5; students in seventh grade scored 27.6 percent at levels 4 and 5; and students in sixth grade scored 30.4 percent at levels 4 and 5.

County scores, elementary school

Mathematics: Overall, students in grades 3-5 scored 28.9 percent at levels 4 and 5. Fifth-grade students scored 25 percent at levels 4 and 5; fourth-grade students scored 26.3 percent at levels 4 and 5; and third-grade students scored 35.5 percent at levels 4 and 5.

English/Language Arts: Overall, students in grades 3-5 scored 33.9 percent at levels 4 and 5. Fifth-grade students scored 35 percent at levels 4 and 5; fourth-grade students scored 33.9 percent at levels 4 and 5; and third-grade students scored 32.7 percent at levels 4 and 5.

According to 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 elementary and middle school student reports will be sent home to parents within the next few weeks.

For complete CCPS results, visit http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/.

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting, 12/8/15

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 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 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 – Maurice J. McDonough 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
• Increasing parental communication through technology
• Strategies for monitoring student involvement in hour lunch programs
• Project status update
• Pre and posttests and the impact on instruction
• Algebra I textbook
• Legislative update

Unfinished business

New business and Future agenda items

• New business
• Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• 2015 James E. Richmond Leadership in Excellence Award: Christine Mais, executive assistant to the assistant superintendent of school administration
• La Plata High School Thespian Troupe presentation

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel

Adjournment