OUR LADY OF VICTORY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

7:00 P.M. Tuesday, June 6, 2017 @ Gathering Space Meeting Room

Meeting Notes

AGENDA OF REGULAR MEETING

  1. OPENING PRAYER
  1. ROLL CALL: Pat Archer, Evan Brankin, Heather Egger, Fr. Jake, Sara Langhehr, Luke Roth, Lisa Snider, Lisa Stachula, Chad Steimle, Jennifer Wemhoff, Julaine Edwards, Tom Poston, John Stachula

Parish Council Rep: Suzanne Yackley

  1. ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA
  2. READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF May 2, 2017
  3. COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE and OPEN FORUM
  4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
  5. Discussion and vote on:
  6. Athletic director bonus of $800
  7. 1st (Lisa), 2nd (Heather), unanimous approval
  8. Supplemental pay/signing bonuses for teachers and others required to have BOEE licenses
  9. 1st (Peter), 2nd (Sara), unanimous approval
  10. Principal’s supplemental pay/signing bonus
  11. 1st (Sara), 2nd (Lisa), unanimous approval
  12. 2017-18 budget
  13. 1st (Lisa), 2nd (Heather), unanimous approval
  14. Past members Heather Egger, Todd Morris, and Lisa Stachula were thanked for their service.
  15. NEW BUSINESS:
  16. Seating of new board members
  17. Julaine Edwards, Tom Poston, and John Stachula were welcomed to the board.
  18. Discussion and vote on:
  19. Board officer elections
  20. Pat Archer nominated for President: 1st (Lucas), 2nd (Lisa), approved, Pat abstained
  21. Lisa Snider nominated for Vice-President: 1st (Pat), 2nd (Lucas) approved, Lisa abstained
  22. Peter Schuster nominated for Secretary: 1st (Lisa), 2nd (Sara), approved, Peter abstained
  23. Determination of need for July board meeting
  24. No July meeting unless needed. Pat will provide notification as needed.
  25. Scheduling of board orientation
  26. To be determined after the meeting among expected attendees.
  27. Investigating the servicing of instructional IEPs at JFK and ending the dual enrollment practice
  28. JFK’s interventionist program is similar to IEPs, but without the IEP paperwork. Existing employee with special education endorsement is open to the IEP work. Option to offset those affected by not going to interventionist would be to increase group size. It was decided to continue to investigate IEP options including talking to Lourdes about its system and talking to City of Davenport on how it may change its IEP process.
  29. Policy changes approval
  30. 1st (Pat), 2nd (Lucas), unanimous approval
  1. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS (Written reports pre-submitted)
  2. Principal of JFK (Chad)

Facilitator of Faith Community:

  1. We have begun to explore options for a “spiritual gifts and talents inventory” for 8th graders as discussed in the strategic plan.

Ethical Leadership:

  1. With our new AEA consultants, we made excellent progress on reducing our backlog of students awaiting detailed assessments for learning difficulties, behavioral difficulties, or difficulties caused by health/disability issues. One student will have a behavioral IEP written and will transfer from JFK. The parents of two JFK students currently with instructional IEPs are trying to decide what to do for next year. The parents of two other students are trying to determine what to do with the possibility of accepting or declining IEPs.
  2. With the changes the DCSD is making with instructional IEP services, it may be an opportune time to examine servicing our own instructional IEPs. Board guidance should be provided.
  3. Most of the DCSD grade levels are going to co-teach arrangements as much as possible with IEP students in the regular classroom for grade level core subjects and there being the special education teacher in the room. IEP students will then be pulled for approximately one period per day for a “study skills” session where the specific needs of the IEP will be addressed.
  4. Summary: co-teach (as much as possible) in core subjects and 200-210 minutes per week in a group setting
  5. JFK:
  6. K-1: Approximately 115 minutes of ELA per day. Aide in the room. 30 minutes of ELA time is WIN time on MTThF (120 minutes) with students split into seven groups, according to ability levels. Maximum of 30 minutes per week of intervention time either one to one or no more than three students (90 minutes).
  7. 2nd grade: Approximately 125 minutes of ELA per day. Aide in the room about twice a week for 30 minutes at a time for ELA and sometimes once for math. 30 minutes of ELA time is WIN time on MTThF (120 minutes) with students split into six groups, according to ability levels. Maximum of 30 minutes per week of intervention time either one to one or no more than three students (90 minutes).
  8. 3rd-5th grades: Approximately 100 minutes of ELA per day. Aide in the room about twice a week for 30 minutes at a time for ELA and sometimes once for math. Maximum of 30 minutes per week of intervention time either one to one or no more than three students (90 minutes).
  9. 6th grade: Approximately 80 minutes of ELA per day. Maximum of 30 minutes per week of intervention time either one to one or no more than three students (90 minutes). 45 minutes extended studies time for all students. About every other year we have some co-taught math time for about two periods per week.
  10. 7th/8th grades: Possibly some time with another teacher in the classroom.
  11. The Bettendorf school system used to send a special education to Lourdes. After the district switched to a dual enrollment arrangement and transported the students, which is what the DCSD now does with students at private schools, Lourdes eventually hired a special education teacher and now services their own IEPs. If Lourdes can service its own instructional IEPS, then JFK should be able to as well. JFK also already has a staff member with an endorsement that would allow her to serve an instructional IEP.
  12. Almost all parents (for currently between 2-5 IEP eligible students) want their children to stay at JFK.
  13. Can we afford it?
  14. The FTE personnel needed for us to provide 45-60 minutes of service per day, which would not be atypical for an IEP, for four students at different grade/need levels is about a half time position.
  15. For our current special education endorsed employee, this cost is about $22,000.
  16. Possible opportunity cost:
  17. Four students with instructional IEPs served individually at 45 minutes per day for five days yields 900 minutes per week.
  18. 900 minutes is thirty 30-minute blocks. If we were to provide students with three 30-minute intervention blocks per week, we could serve ten students in the same 900 minutes.
  19. Four IEP students vs. ten students with our current resource time method.
  20. Should JFK investigate further the option of servicing instructional IEPs in our building in an effort to end the dual enrollment practice?
  21. Meetings were held to discuss grade skipping one primary level student and retaining another student in a mid-elementary grade level. The decision was in favor of grade skipping and against grade retention.

Visional Leadership:

  1. See other areas.

Leadership of School Culture and Instruction:

  1. The PDT concluded its spring piloting work for the DE’s Self-Assessment of MTSS Implementation (SAMI) process for 2017. (We’ll also be piloting it for the DE in 2018.)
  2. As I had anticipated prior to the May board meeting, the PDT wrote an action plan for work in the social-emotional-behavioral area, an area that was causing many of the self-assessment scores to be pulled down.
  3. The action plan includes the following:
  4. The identification of a screener, process, and timeline that can be used for multiple grade levels.
  5. The identification of interventions and a progress monitoring system that can be used.
  6. The communication plan for staff, students, and parents.
  7. Work in this area will tie well into some other work also under development:
  8. Our Gospel Values/School Climate Committee has been working on standardizing a K-8 Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) system.
  9. We are working with the AEA to develop a behavioral and disciplinary data collection system that matches our needs. We may consider utilizing low priced tablets to help teachers with data entry.
  10. We are working with the AEA to consolidate data from various systems so that we can have short, yet comprehensive reports for students. It may also help us to identify and target services even better for students. Much of this data currently exists for students, but one must use up to six technology systems and/or look at hard copy reports in order to assemble it on any student. Because of the work involved, a comprehensive snapshot of each student is not readily available for staff, parents, or students. Some of the data points that may be included are the following:
  11. IEP/504/EL/F/RL status
  12. Grades
  13. Missing assignments/work
  14. Attendance and tardies
  15. Behavioral and disciplinary data
  16. IA Assessments
  17. Literacy screening scores and trends
  18. Math screening scores and trends
  19. SEB screening
  20. The DE confirmed that its plan to expand MTSS systems provided by the state for 7-12 literacy, K-12 math, and K-12 social-emotional-behavior (SEB) has been halted due to budget cuts.
  21. Staff member completed module 6 of the required training for working with English Language learning students and the ELP standards.
  22. A number of staff members are continuing their own education this summer with courses through the AEA. Several, including me, for example, will be taking a class on pre-literacy skills for the youngest students, and others will be taking a course on calm classrooms. Melanie Blocker and Ethan Connors have completed their masters’ degrees, and Angie Maxwell will be completing hers in December. Another staff member is applying for entrance, at my encouragement, into a master’s degree program in administration. (If we want to have quality people in Catholic school administration, we need to encourage and support people to consider the prerequisite degrees. This staff member may be the third person I’ve supported in pursuit of an educational administrative degree.) Many of our employees who work in DHS child care will be renewing their CPR and first aid training this summer.
  23. Staff began looking at grade level and building wide Iowa Assessment, FAST (literacy), I-Ready, and end of the year textbook math assessment data on June 1st. “Take aways” will be shared with the board when we’ve had time to sort through staff feedback.
  24. We have very good, research-based “theories of action” with which to work. See attached.
  1. Elisha Kubalsky and I participated in a demonstration of a virtual reality system for supplemental science equipment for grades 5-8. I commented about it in a Principal’s Post:
  2. “There were some amazing elements to the “demo” that clearly only can be done with virtual reality, such as some of the virtual field trips. Using virtual reality to stand in the Redwood Forest in California is a totally different experience than looking at it in a book or on a 2-D computer screen. For these types of uses, virtual reality is the way to go! On the other hand, using the virtual reality headset to do an online quiz/activity by staring at each item for three seconds to select it, drag it, and then staring at its “drop site” for another three seconds all while being a contortionist to be able to “see” all of the quiz items seems a little silly compared to what can be done with today’s mouse and computer that cost thousands of dollars less. We also saw a virtual reality demo of a science activity that we actually have students do in real life. Again, I’m not sure that just because one can do it with a virtual reality system costing thousands of dollars means one should do it that way, particularly when students can do it hands-on themselves for probably less than $100. Let’s hope that as things continue to progress in the future with technology for education a good balance will be struck.”
  3. The VR system/software costs $5,000 and the computers needed to run it are about $1,000 each.
  4. As previewed in March, our work in writing what the expectations are for students entering kindergarten at JFK and what parents can do to help their children meet these expectations are completed. I will be working with Pear Advertising, which does our marketing materials, to take this “raw” information and turn it into an attractive, positive brochure/pamphlet/two-sided glossy handout. The guide is not intended to be a cut-off or entrance criteria but rather to help everyone, including staff, be on the same page. The ultimate goal would be for the gap in abilities among entering kindergarten to be narrower and reduce “catch up growth” already needed on day one of kindergarten.
  5. Our access to Title I funding will again increase dramatically. These funds, controlled by the DCSD, were at about $6,000 in 2015-16, and we used them for two after school temporary-at-will (TAW) employees for tutoring and for materials. In 2016-17, with an increase to about $16,000, we used the funds for one TAW after school tutoring employee and on TAW employee who worked about 4.5 hours per day. Our proposal for the approximately $64,000 available to JFK in 2017-18 is for two TAW after school tutoring employees, a 2/3 FTE contract employee (to replace the TAW hourly employee), and a ½ FTE instructional coach. If approved, these persons would technically be DCSD employees paid by the district according to the district’s salary scale and benefits. A ½ time DCSD paid employee doing the same work as a JFK paid employee would have a salary/benefit package that is nearly 50% greater, and a full-time DCSD paid employee’s package would be 30%-50% greater. Title I funds are generated by free and reduced lunch and FTP counts and geographic. Once the funds are generated, in order for a student to receive services paid for with Title I funds, he/she must otherwise go to a Title I DCSD school if he/she were not attending JFK and be considered to be in need of support. This concept is difficult for parents at private schools to accept, especially when students would otherwise go to many different schools and even districts. This issue was to have been resolved with the passage of ESSA, which should loosen this rule, but the implementation seems to be stalling with the change of federal leadership. It should also be noted that the actual students who generate the funds may not at all match the students who end up receiving services.
  6. Jodi Weiser has accepted a regular teaching position for next year. Jodi has worked for JFK for two years as an instructional aide and substitute teacher.
  7. Jennifer Wemhoff has accepted a contract to teach one homeroom of religion. (Emily Thomas had been doing this class on an extended contract without a prep period since Christmas.)
  8. After expressing interest in doing a joint science textbook purchase for next year and even meeting with sales reps from two companies, the other Catholic schools in Scott County have backed out for next year and want to delay it for at least a year. JFK will switch then to social studies material. Our social studies textbooks have a 2005 copyright.
  9. Since Assumption asked the elementary schools to not be “gatekeepers” for 8th graders taking Algebra I at Assumption, the percentage of 8th graders going to AHS for math continues to increase. We are currently at about 40% for next year. Only about 40%-60% of these students are going with the rubric score (based upon Iowa Assessments, the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test, math grades, and work ethic) and other factors used to make our recommendations. At some point, we may have only one section of 8th grade math in our own building.

Managerial Leadership:

  1. The policy committee completed its work. Its recommendations for changes are in a separate document and require board action. Policies to which changes are recommended have their number highlighted in yellow.
  2. Heating system project:
  3. Our timing seems to be good. One of the main pumps has a worsening leak that required us to add water to the boiler about every 8-12 hours.
  4. We received an SCRA grant of nearly $20,000 for various electronic controls and valve work in office areas and classrooms. Classrooms in the 1963 section of the building will have real, solar powered thermostats and control valves installed.
  5. We will be receiving over $15,000 in MidAmerican rebates for the project and potentially even more.
  6. It looks like we will have at least four phases for the heating system project:
  7. Northwest Mechanical did controls work for the 2011 additions in late spring.
  8. Iowa-Illinois Tayler Insulation will begin removal of asbestos in the boiler room and near one valve in a classroom on June 5th.
  9. The boiler will be replaced.
  10. Work will take place in classrooms
  11. Finance Council approved the heating system project at $172,000. Even with several thousand dollars already being identified in related costs to be absorbed by the budgeted contingency amount, the project should cost in the low $160,000s. The SCRA grant and rebate will reduce our final cost by more than another $35,000.
  12. Meredith Ash and I revised lunch program job descriptions for a paid staff of five rather than four. Heidi Wendl will not be returning to JFK next school year. We also identified improvements and equipment and supplies purchases to make for next year. We are planning on spending more than we make in order to reduce the savings that has accumulated over the last several years.
  13. Registration for summer programming has been slow. We are offering the following this year:
  14. Leaps & Bounds: Academically oriented program for kindergarten – 6th graders. Useful for brushing up on one’s skills or for moving ahead even more. Sessions I and II were closed/cancelled due to low enrollment. Sessions III and IV will be held. Each session is two weeks and is 3 ½ hours each day. The student to adult ratio is ten to one or less. The cost for this program works out to $5 per hour. Comparable summer programming, which is often run by non-certified adults, can often range between $8 – $15 per hour elsewhere.
  15. Kindergarten Jumpstart: For incoming kindergartners. August 7 -11, from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
  16. Instrumental lessons
  17. One-on-one Tutoring by three JFK teachers: Mrs. Motto (K-2), Mrs. Logan (3-5), and Ms. Burken (K-8). Conveniently this year, we have all grades K-8 covered by these teachers. The cost for one-to-one tutoring is $22 per hour or $11 per half hour.
  18. I am working with a student’s grandparents regarding a donation of about $10,000 for technology equipment.
  19. Rather than the pastoral administrative team haggling over how to split Gala proceeds each year, we decided to use the historical average of 86% goes toward the school and 14% toward faith formation activities, some of which, like NET retreats are also utilized by JFK students.
  20. Each spring, the athletic director checking account is reviewed to determine a bonus for the athletic director and assistant athletic director. Revenue in this account comes from the gate and concessions. Expenses are referees, concessions, some PE/recess equipment, and bonuses. We have enough funds to continue with past precedent and award an $800 bonus to the athletic director. This bonus was included in the 2016-17 athletic director checking account budget and requires board approval.
  21. Contracts were prepared and processed for teachers. Budgeted funds are available for the “signing bonuses” for teachers and others required to have BOEE licenses for their positions in the following amounts and with adjustments for FT/PT status. These bonuses require board approval.
  22. Steps 1-3:$1,000
  23. Steps 4-11:$1,150
  24. Steps 12-16:$1,300
  25. Steps 17+:$1,450
  26. Budgeted funds are also available for the principal’s supplemental pay/signing bonus in the amount of $2,600. The first half of this amount was delayed due to budget concerns. This bonus requires board action.
  27. Because the 2016-17 budget is going so well now and the Gala was far more successful than had been anticipated, we have begun to make several purchases that had been put on hold earlier this year.
  28. Updated enrollment projections are below:
  29. K-8