Minutes for SIT meeting Sept. 18th, 2007

Present: Dr. Brookhart, Sarah Oswick, Jeni McCormick, Kathi Freeman, Haley Hibbeler, MaritaReed, Charlene Bratach, Charlie Belton, Jamie Penner, Karen Hopley, Kim Porter.

 

Minutes: Minutes were approved from the Sept. 4th meeting

DPC:- Need DPC Rep.

DAC:-. Need DAC rep.

PTO: No new report

 

Feedback from faculty presentations – Priority Challenge and High Leverage Problems

Reading and writing both have gaps, any studies or info on what happens when we separate boys and girls for reading (our results are the same as other place – maybe it is time to try something different like separation)

 

Sounds like we have discipline problems taking away from educational process, we need to find something – do we know which kids are repeat offenders? Require separation? Require parent involvement? SOMEHOW address the repeat offenders.  Maybe ISR needs something in addition – parent conference in order to re-enter? Maybe this would help bridge communication gaps between home and school.

 

Do we have too many writing programs? Are there primary/intermediate differences that we could make flow? is one program better for boys?

 

Be careful of peer editing… sometimes they get improper, frustrating feedback.  Multiple editing times are frustrating too.

 

AM recess for primary sounds like a major concern.

 

Is the Achievement goal in need of CSAP data.

 

Discipline and writing are both great topics for this year’s staff development.

 

Consequences need to be bigger for ISRs. And all behavior consequences.  Work to consistency with paras, teachers, everyone… what deserves an ISR?

 

6 ISRs a month is TOO excessive for next step.

 

Can we find a measure that does not lead to a CLEAN slate every month?

 

Discipline survey to teachers and ALL staff sounds like a great idea. Video would be a good idea.

 

Add a sentence of rational under priority challenges to say WHY did we pick that. If not that, we need evidence to support why we picked writing as a challenge. Could  be: “Writing benefits all subject areas.”

 

HLP pages lead to goals/strategies…. they are key! Do we need to focus on trend data for the Evidence column of HLPs page? Careful what we pick from these lists! Think about other data that would help more next year when we do this.

 

Can Organization consider phrasing of use of word “Discipline” – should it be more about consistency of what we want? and how to implement it?

 

Make sure to have a positive aspect to program not just negative behavior management. Communicate the positive that we do – get consistent.

It appears that parent attendance at conferences is consistently high – not low! But other things like Back to school night appear to teachers to be lower. Also, volunteer rate is up.  Not sure we can see “descrease in parent involvement”… something more about we are not talking to a certain group of parents… Consider if dip in Back to School Night was due to other factors (Bronco game, heat…)

Increasing number of parents who do not support ISRs or other issues.

Is there a need for more parent info about what good behavior and support for it looks like?

 

Review whole ISR process. Is it to archaic?

 

FOCUS ON REPEAT OFFENDERS

 

Consequences should not take joy away from learning.

 

What other data do we need? Can we get data on best practices around discipline!

 

Use research-based proven effective best practices for discipline.

 

Ensure equity choice focuses on BOYS not on writing generally.

 

Last part of equity list #16-21 appears very powerful as HLPs.

 

Achievement needs to word challenge to be about achievement data NOT our staff issues.

 

SIT want to help staff with your goals. Our ideas of what to do are:

  1. Achievement – Writing Anthology – please give ideas for best structure
  2. Equity – listening library/ picture bank for writing
  3. Organization – DVD on safety/rules with student demos

We will also continue Paws for Applause and will distribute climate surveys at parent conferences.

Please give us feedback and ideas you have that might be more transformative!

 

Principal Report

1.  Early Start – great success for teachers, hard on office. More students scored lower – may be due to testing occurring before ANY instruction occurs.

 

2.  New Initiatives – ICAN, preschool and ESL

ESL - (started around 20ish, end last year 15 students, 24 students). 10 families came to ESL night for families, next year it will change for new versus returning families and they may do more nights (hook to Birch events).

 

ICAN – get staffed into Birch from all Broomfield area schools. More kids than just the ICAN get to use that resource room for support. To get in, you must work it out with staff/parents.

 

Nice positive atmosphere in the building, lots of learning happening!