Shelton School District
Pre-K to Grade 12 Instructional Program Review
Steering Committee
October 30, 2017
6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
MEETING SUMMARY
Members Present:
Peggy Peters, Jeanne Rehwaldt, Jim McElroy, Kathryn Kurtz, Patti Case, Katie Shrum, Dawn Myers, Stacie Gilkeson, Ming Wu, Rochelle Wu, Sharon Fogo, Jorge Nelson, Steve Torres, Ed Stewart, Linda Arnold, Glenn Shorten, Pat Cusack, Bob Trondsen, Ricardo del Bosque, Jacquie McAlevy, Sally Karr, Alex Apostle, Pam Farr
Guests Present:
Kelly Neely, Lisa Olin, Allison Nelson, Wendy Boles
Welcome
Superintendent Alex Apostle welcomed the group. Dick facilitated introductions since there were new members present for this meeting.
Approval of Meeting Summary from September 11, 2017
The summary from the September 11th meeting was approved as submitted.
Committee Charge
Pam reminded the group of the committee charge:
Clarify the Shelton School District’s Pre-K through Grade 12 instructional program in order to more fully understand grade level expectations and desired educational outcomes for students, resource requirements, and grade-to-grade instructional coordination and program alignment.
Identify related instructional topics that may require subsequent investigations, problem-solving, and recommendation development.
Review of Process
Dick outlined the meeting schedule for the Steering Committee, and identified the focus for each meeting through the school year:
October 30th: Review Pre-K to Grade 4 subcommittee progress
January 8th: Review Grade 5 to 8 subcommittee progress
March 5th: Review Grade 9-12 subcommittee progress
He then explained the process and important agreements and understandings that the subcommittee had agreed upon to guide their work, as outlined below.
The committee would use a matrix format to capture the grade level expectations for each content area, and that the primary audience for the documents would be the teaching staff.
The documents would provide an “at a glance” look at our program using the grade bands that will be present after the reconfiguration in 2019.
- Pre-K to Grade 4
- Grades 5 to 8
- Grades 9 to 12
The documents would represent a condensed look at the required state and/or national standards, with electronic links to more detailed information for those who want to access it. It was further agreed that items would not be reduced so much that they lose critical meaning.
The documents would focus on what is to be taught at each grade level, but would not specify how that content would be delivered.
And finally, an alternative document or set of documents would be developed with the specific intent of communicating grade level expectations and outcomes to parents.
The committee also agreed to identify additional topics that would require further research, study and recommendations as they complete their work.
Committee Sharing
Draft documents were handed out, and representatives from the Pre-K to Grade 4 Subcommittee gave an overview of the work completed to date. At Dick’s request, each representative described the scope of their education and experience in order to highlight their significant expertise and qualifications to lead this work. They then explained some of the design features and elements that were incorporated into the documents within their specific content areas.
English Language Arts (ELA): Kelly Neely
Mathematics: Lisa Olin
Social Studies: Allison Nelson
Science: Wendy Boles
Visual Arts: Pam Farr (presenting for Diane Garner)
Process:Jorge Nelson
Pam also shared the Addendum of additional topics that had been identified by the group, as outlined below.
- MEDIA ARTS, DANCE AND THEATER
Currently these subjects are not formally offered at the PK-4 level. However many teachers in these grades introduce elements of them as important parts of their instructional designs.
Beginning in 2018-2019, the Shelton School District will begin the formal process of reviewing PK-12 arts and global language in its adoption cycle. Media arts, dance, and theater subjects and associated student learning expectations will be incorporated in this review and adoption process.
- INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
Over the next two years, district leadership will undertake the development of a PK-12 instructional technology plan. When fully formulated, this plan will address desired student outcomes; professional development needs; and equipment, support system, and financial requirements.
A significant component of this plan will align implementation tasks and timelines with districtwide staffing and financial capabilities.
- PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
These subject areas are important components within the Shelton School District’s PK-4 instructional framework. At this time, the next step is for the district to designate leadership for the design and implementation of a physical education and health adoption team.
- SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
The Shelton School District has an ongoing commitment to implement Project Aware, with its multi-tiered system of support for students PK-4. Tiers I, II, and III are currently being implemented, using somewhat different approaches in different schools.
The district’s Project AWARE leadership team is working to achieve greater consistency across schools and greater clarity with respect to implementation expectations and outcomes.
Pam shared several other elements to be included in the matrix which are unique to Shelton: PEI High Impact Field Experiences, Swimming, Outdoor Education, Library, and Tribal History/Culture.
And finally, Jorge summed up the presentation with his perspectives on the process, the collaborative and respectful nature of the interactions, and the importance of this work to the reconfiguration of our schools.
Q and A
Several of the committee members had questions and/or comments to share. There were questions as to content areas that would be included in the review, including: music, health, technology, and social/emotional learning. There were some suggestions as to formatting of the documents, including adding page numbers and careful use of acronyms. And there was a question as to whether the team was working to align this very positive work with state testing requirements, so that we are working smarter, not harder. Feedback was generally positive about the direction of the work.
Communications
Pam showed the group where to find documentation of the work of the Reconfiguration and Instructional Program Review Committees:
The next meeting of the Steering Committee will be January 8, 2018, with a focus on the 5-8 content area documents.
Closing Remarks
Alex thanked the group for their participation, and again emphasized the importance of this foundational work to the success of our students and the district.