KSE School Council

November 16, 2017, 7am @ K-1 Media Center

I.Attendees

  1. Liz Li, Parent Rep &Chair
  2. Cindy Szwec,Principal
  3. Kelly Murray, Parent Rep
  4. Alecia McLochlin, ParentRep
  5. Ryan Schecter, ParentRep
  6. Whitney Taylor, ParentRep
  7. Abby Cheaves, TeacherRep
  8. Jeanne Broadhurst, TeacherRep
  9. Amy Stafford, PTALiaison

II.CCRPI

  1. Dr. Szwec presented on the CCRPI.
  2. It includes English, Language, Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.
  3. 99.7% of students rated 2, 3 or 4.
  4. Total achievement points earned – 39.4
  5. Only 59% of students pass the Milestones
  6. One area for improvement is students with disabilities (i.e. speech, special education) – anyone with IEP
  7. Are we closing the achievement gap between the lowest 25% of students and the state numbers?
  8. This year, KSE feel in the lowest subgroups
  9. Parent surveys are important. The total score goes into the climate star rating. 4 stars for the climate rating.
  10. It is a moving target with CCRPI, so not exactly sure of parameters year to year.
  11. Check out the Cobb County School District Strategic Plan to help the CCRPI numbers.
  12. Alecia mentioned telling parents about the criteria that affects the score, such as the parent survey.
  13. KSE is looking at moving the needle with the lower performing groups.
  14. How does KSE compare? KSE is above the state average of 40%. It is a high achieving school, but schools have not wrapped their brain around the writing section of the test. They also have to articulate the math process (words, pictures, numbers) to solve math problems. Getting students to write their thinking. Standard is solving problems in multiple ways. First grade teachers include anchor charts to inform parents.
  15. Discuss changes to the strategic plan and areas to beef up, such as beefing up what is done with STEM. Refocusing on what’s important, such as improving student success.
  16. Suggestion of a State of the School address. Possibly the explanation of the CCRPI with a fact sheet. There is plenty of information from the county. It can be pulled from the website and compiled for KSE. Focus on the things parents have the ability to change (survey participation, attendance).
  17. The student, staff and parent surveys are combined for the number (portion is response rate, the other is positive responses)
  18. Focusing in on a smaller group to really move the score

III.5thGrade

  1. Children were losing instructional time changing classes
  2. Tried a mixed model (high achieving students and AC students). Moved back to the original plan
  3. Obviously KSE has a very involved parental unit, so using a mixed model for 4th grade. The 4th grade will be scored on Rubrik for AC.

IV.Dual Immersion

  1. Liz and Ryan visited three schools (APS, Dekalb) with current dual immersion
  2. Notes from the visits – APPENDIX A

V.Other Items

  1. Marie had to miss the meeting, but she is sending her research on the IB program. Marie sent notes November 16.
  2. There was a full media center for Mr. Gillihan
  3. The Griffin parent panel had 17 attendees. Comments: moderator, more variety of parents (not all AC). The takeaway was that no one regretted the choice of Griffin
  4. Whitney followed up on Paving the Path to Griffin. The total cost of the project would be ~$500. There is still a question on insurance so Dr. Szwec is following up
  5. Liz is sending a Doodle poll to determine 2018 meetings. Sent November 29.
  6. Question of shared tables was proposed. Dr. Szwec is contacting the county about the option

The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 am.

APPENDIX A

Notes from Dual Language Immersion visits

Prepared by Elizabeth Li, KSE School Council Chair

●On October 24, 2017, a group from KSE visited 3 elementary schools that currently offer DLI

○Two schools in Atlanta Public School District -- Garden Hills & E. Rivers (Spanish DLI for K-2nd grade)

○One school in Dekalb County SD -- Ashford Park (German DLI for K-4th grade)

○Our group included a KSE administrator, several teachers, and 2 parents (chair & vice chair of our school council)

●In these schools, approximately half of their Kindergarten class is in a DLI classroom. (4 or 5 K classes, 2 of which are DLI)

●All students get foreign language (as a Special for non-DLI kids)

●Garden Hills & E. Rivers are also IB. Ashford Park is nationally STEM certified (AdvancED)

●Kids can enter DLI in K or 1st. After that, only kids coming from DLI or native speakers can enter.

○As kids move away from the school, DLI class sizes decrease over time

○Remedy for this is that in upper grades, DLI classes may be paired with another grade -- so, 3rd & 4th grade DLI classes may be paired, instead of two classes of same grade

●All schools followed some version of a roller coaster model – switches which kids have the target language (& Math) in AM vs PM

●Behavior chart moves classroom-to-classroom with the kids. One school kept backpacks in the hall, so kids would have easy access from both classrooms.

●Gifted and Special Ed are available for DLI kids. EIP must be done as “push-in.” May require that Special Ed teacher be bilingual. Some interventions must be done in dominant language.

●Teacher requirements

○The paired teachers must collaborate with each other.

○Parent/teacher conferences may be with both teachers.

○English-side teacher may experience burnout, especially if she is also the ESOL teacher.

○Language-side teacher needs to be able to teach a language through content.

○Substitutes: the Spanish schools have some subs who speak Spanish. The German school uses their German Specials teacher to cover the classes.

●Parent feedback is very positive.

●It is important to have a plan to carry the program through MS & HS.

●Their districts give some money for curriculum resources (Math program, etc). Their school Foundations also dedicate money each year -- one school said $3k/yr -- so the DLI teachers can make sure their classrooms mirror each other. (Pocket books, all room decorations in language.)

●State encourages clear separation btwn languages, but a trans-disciplinary approach may be better. Better to develop vocab, etc., and also teacher partnerships.

●Professional Learning for admins & teachers – several great programs are available over the summer and nationwide.

●Ashford Park was the only school whose DLI kids were in upper grades

○Georgia’s Milestones tests start in 3rd grade

■By 3rd grade, the German teacher gives Math & Science vocab in English as well as German (b/c the kids have to take Milestones in English)

■4th grade (oldest DLI class this year) gets science & German literacy in German. Math is in English with non-DLI kids.

○Homework? Two immersion teachers work in ASP, to help with homework in German

  1. Alecia is going to check with Nature’s Landscape Supply about possible donatedmaterials.

VI.King Springs to GriffinTransition

  1. The event with Mr. Gillihan, principal at Griffin Middle School, is scheduled for October 23, and he will discuss Griffin and the transition from King Springs to Griffin. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled October 22, but it has been rescheduled for November 6 at 6:30pm.
  2. The date of the Griffin parents panel is going to be around the first part of November. It is going to be at King Springs, and Kelly has a list of about 8 parents who are interested in participating. The KSE Parent Panel Discussion is scheduled for November 13 at 7:00 pm at the 2-5 campus. To submit questions/topics for panel discussion in advance, please .

VII.Approvals

  1. Liz asked for approval of the minutes –APPROVED
  2. Liz asked for approval of Christina Million as Secretary –APPROVED

VIII.SPLOST

  1. The SPLOST meeting was publicized by email, Facebook, PTA newsletter andweb.
  2. Thecountyboardknowsoftheneeds,andeveryonecankeeptrackoftheprogressthroughthecounty website and council agendas/minutes. Should the council back off?Yes.
  3. Dr.SzwecemailedSusanThayertothankherforthemeetingandaskedherifsheneedsher/KSEtodo anything to support TAN and/orSPLOST.

IX.Dual Language Immersion

  1. Teachers and parent council members are visiting three schools October 24 in Atlanta andDekalb.
  2. Dr. Szwec mentioned picking some dates to go to Nickajack and Smyrna as well. The two Smyrna schools have handled dual immersion differently, but if implemented at King Springs, it is only 46 children.
  3. A question was posed about other ways to bring in language to KSE, such as aspecial.
  4. AnotherdiscussionwasaboutTeasleyintroducingandIBprogram.Itwassuggestedtodomore research on an IB program, and Marie volunteered to spearhead theresearch.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 am.