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>> GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
[1. Call to Order]
I CALL TO ORDER THIS SPECIAL MEETING, WORK SESSION OF THE BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2025 AT 4:00 PM.[2. SIP Presentations]
I WILL IMMEDIATELY TURN THE MEETING OVER TO LENAL.>> EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON, EVENING WITH TWO INCREDIBLE SCHOOLS HERE.
I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT, DAVID KENNEDY.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON, BOARD.
SEEMS LIKE WE GET TO DO THIS EVERY YEAR AND SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN.
WANTED TO JUST REMIND YOU WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND ALSO THE MANDATE AROUND WHY WE DO THIS.
THE WASHINGTON ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OUTLINES TWO THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO RECEIVE BASIC FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
ONE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATES.
THE SECOND IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY BUILDING HAS A PLAN AND IN THIS CASE, THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
THIS IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE LEGISLATURE FOR FUNDING.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW IT JUST TO BE BEST PRACTICE FOR BUILDINGS TO HAVE GOALS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN, ALL WORKING TOWARDS A SIMILAR OUTCOME FOR STUDENTS.
ALIGNMENT IN FORMAT FOR OUR SIP DOCUMENT, IT DOES MIRROR OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN, SO YOU WILL NOTE ON THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS THAT THERE IS A GOAL FOR SAFE AND CARRYING LEARNING, FOR HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND FOR COLLABORATION THAT CULTIVATES TRUST.
THOSE ARE ONE TO ONE CORRESPONDENCE TO OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO SAY THAT WE HAVE THAT LEVEL OF SYNCHRONICITY BETWEEN THE DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON.
A COUPLE OF CHANGES TO THIS YEAR'S DOCUMENT THAT YOU WILL NOTE.
ONE, IN EACH OF THE GOAL AREAS, YOU WILL NOW SEE A, I DON'T WANT TO SAY, IT'S SUPER YELLOW, BUT IT'S A FADED YELLOW ROW THAT OUTLINES THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN GOAL FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
YOU WILL SEE WHAT THE SCHOOL SET FOR A GOAL LAST YEAR AND ALSO THE ATTAINMENT OF THAT GOAL, SO THE RESULTS THAT THEY GOT FOR THAT GOAL.
TWO FOLD WITH THAT, IT ALLOWS A BUILDING TO SEE DID THEY ACHIEVE THEIR GOAL? TYPICALLY WE PUT THIS BACK IN FRONT OF BUILDINGS IN JUNE AND AUGUST FOR THEM TO LOOK AT HOW THEY DID.
DID THEY ACHIEVE THEIR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GOALS? ALSO TO PROVIDE A BASELINE FOR WHAT TO SET THE GOAL FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
WE REALLY WANT THESE GOALS TO BE ATTAINABLE AND BY LOOKING AT PAST PERFORMANCE THAT GIVES US A GOOD BASELINE WHERE TO GO FOR FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
THE OTHER THING THAT YOU WILL NOTE IS UNDER THE SAFE AND CARRYING ENVIRONMENT GOAL.
THE ACTION PLANS IN THAT GOAL, ALL WILL HAVE VERY SIMILAR ACTION PLANS.
ALL OF THE ACTION PLANS IN THAT GOAL WILL BE BASED, AT LEAST 17 OUT OF OUR 19 SCHOOLS WILL BE BASED ON THE TIERED FIDELITY INVENTORY.
WHICH IS A FIDELITY TOOL THAT MEASURES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR POSITIVE BEHAVIOR, INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT, SYSTEM OR PBIS.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THINGS TO SUPPORT STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, PBIS IS OUR MAIN DRIVER FOR THAT WORK.
THE TIERED FIDELITY INVENTORY, WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THAT IS IT GIVES EACH SCHOOL A SPECIFIC SET OF ACTIONS THAT THEY CAN TAKE BOTH AT A TIER 1 AND TIER 2 LEVEL TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN THAT AREA.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THAT NOW IS CONSISTENCY FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, IT WILL REFERENCE SPECIFIC YOU MIGHT SEE TFI 1.10.
IT WILL SAY SPECIFICALLY TO THAT POINT, THIS IS AN AREA WE'RE WORKING ON, MAYBE IT'S PARENT INVOLVEMENT ON THEIR TIER 1 TEAM.
BUT THOSE ARE ALL PLANS OF ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED.
EVERY SPRING, WE HAVE TRAINED PEOPLE GO OUT AND DO THE TIERED FIDELITY INVENTORY TO GUIDE OUR ACTIONS IN IMPLEMENTATION AROUND THAT.
PROVIDED MATERIALS, YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH A SIP NOTEBOOK CONTAINING ALL 19 SCHOOLS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
THESE PLANS REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL COMMITMENT OF TIME, EFFORT, ENERGY AND COLLABORATION OF BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS, BUILDING LEADERSHIP TEAMS, PARENTS, TO CREATE MEANINGFUL GUIDES FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU WILL RECEIVE UPDATED STUDENT QUALITY AND STUDENT SUCCESS DATA.
THE STATE RELEASES DATA IN STAGES.
THEY HAVE GIVEN US OUR SMARTER BALANCE SCORES FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. WE ARE STILL WAITING.
YOU WILL NOTICE UNDER THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON YOUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STUDENT QUALITY STUDENT SUCCESS. THERE'S A TABLE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF TBDS ON THOSE FOR 24, 25.
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THE REASON THAT IS SO IS, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU LOOK AT HIGH SCHOOL, WE DO NOT HAVE UPDATED DATA ON NINTH GRADE ON TRACK, DUAL CREDIT, GRADUATION RATE, ATTENDANCE RATES, DISCIPLINE RATES.ALL OF THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN JANUARY IN THEIR SECOND ROLLOUT OF DATA.
HOPEFULLY, BY THE TIME WE MEET AGAIN, WE WILL BE MEETING LATE JANUARY TO LOOK AT HIGH SCHOOL AND LE, WE WILL HAVE THAT UPDATED INFORMATION.
WE'LL GET THOSE INTO THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE ON A WAIT, WAIT AND HOLD UNTIL THE STATE RELEASES THAT INFORMATION TO US.
WELL, I'M REALLY PLEASED TODAY, WE HAVE TWO SCHOOLS WITH US THAT ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTING.
WE HAVE YACOLT PRIMARY SCHOOL.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE TV HERE, THE SCHEDULES OUTLINED FOR US, YACOLT PRIMARY WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL KELLY GORBY AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL LISA HIPOLITO, WILL BE FIRST.
THEY WILL HAVE 25 MINUTES TO SHARE WITH US THE GOOD THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING AT YACOLT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A 10 MINUTE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION THAT WILL LEAD US INTO A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
THEN THE REMAINDER OF OUR TIME WILL BE WITH AMBOY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE HAVE PRINCIPAL NICK KRAUSE, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL LORI WALKER, IN THE BACK HERE AND THEY WILL BE SHARING SOME OF THE GREAT WORK THEY WERE DOING.
EACH SCHOOL WILL HAVE 25 MINUTES FOR THE PRESENTATION, 10 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I THINK WE'RE READY TO BEGIN.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YACOLT PRIMARY AND KELLY GORBY AND LISA HIPOLITO.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. I'M GORBY.
I WANT TO START BY SHARING SOME HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT YACOLT PRIMARY AND HOW MUCH WE LOVE IT AND WHY WE LOVE IT.
THAT SCHOOL, WE USED TO CALL IT THE BEST KEPT LITTLE SECRET OUT THERE, BUT WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 788 STUDENTS NOW SO THE SECRETS OUT.
I THINK WE HAVE A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY FEEL IN THAT BUILDING.
WE HAVE PARENT INVOLVEMENT, ANYTIME WE HAVE ANY ACTIVITY OR PUT OUT A CALL FOR SUPPORT ON SOMETHING PEOPLE COME RUNNING.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT FROM OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
LAST YEAR, WE STARTED A PARENT GROUP, ADVISORY GROUP SO THAT THEY CAN COME IN.
LAST YEAR WE MET THREE TIMES A YEAR BUT WE GOT SNOWED OUT ONCE.
BUT WE SHOOT FOR FOUR TIMES A YEAR AND WE WANT THEIR VOICE.
WE SHARE OUR DATA FROM OUR SCORES.
WHEN THEY COME IN, WE TALK ABOUT THE CURRICULUM THAT WE'RE USING AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT KIDS AT HOME USING THAT CURRICULUM.
WE ASK WHAT EVENING EVENTS THEY WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE TO BRING IN MORE INVOLVEMENT IN FAMILIES OR TO SUPPORT AND KEEP IT COMING.
GET FEEDBACK ON BEHAVIOR STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE USING.
WE SHARE OUR STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE USING AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE THE SAME VOCABULARY THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT MATCHES OUR PBIS STRATEGIES.
THIS YEAR, WE STARTED SOMETHING NEW.
IT'S A PARENT VOLUNTEER CALENDAR.
IT'S UP AND RUNNING ALL THE TIME.
A PARENT CAN JUST LOG IN TO OUR YACOLT WEBSITE AND GO INTO THEIR TEACHERS PAGE AND FIND A DATE THAT THEY WANT TO VOLUNTEER SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE OFFICE OR THE TEACHER.
WE'RE THINKING THAT THE MORE BARRIERS WE REMOVE, THE MORE ADULTS AND PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WE CAN GET IN THERE.
I WOULD SAY ON A DAILY BASIS, WE HAVE TWO, THREE VOLUNTEERS A DAY, WHICH IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION SO THAT'S WONDERFUL.
ALSO, OUR OFFICE STAFF THEY'VE BEEN TOLD.
WE PUT OUT A SURVEY ONCE A YEAR, WHEN WE HAVE A BULLETIN BOARD IN OUR ENTRY WHEN YOU COME IN THAT SAYS, OUR COMMUNITY LOVES YACOLT PRIMARY BECAUSE AND THEN WE PRINT UP ALL THE PARENT QUOTES AND PUT IT ON THERE.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT THEY COMMENT ON IS OUR LADIES IN THE OFFICE, HOW FRIENDLY THEY ARE AND HOW ACCOMMODATING THEY ARE.
REALLY PROUD OF THOSE HARD WORKING LADIES AND ALL THAT THEY DO.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YACOLT AND WHY WE LOVE IT.
WE ALSO FOCUS REALLY HARD AND I KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR ATTENDANCE ON THERE AND I WISH I WOULD HAVE GOT AN EXACT PERCENTAGE FOR YOU.
BUT OUR ATTENDANCE HAS REALLY IMPROVED BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WHEN THE KIDS COME TO SCHOOL, THEY'RE HAVING FUN.
WE WANT YACOLT PRIMARY TO BE A PLACE THAT THEY LOOK BACK ON AND HAVE REALLY FOND MEMORIES. IT'S REALLY FUN.
WE'RE BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR THEM LOVING SCHOOL FOR THE REST OF THEIR LEARNING CAREER.
THAT IS A BIG FOCUS THAT WE HAVE, IS THAT KIDS WANT TO BE THERE AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG THERE.
OUR STAFF WRAPS AROUND THAT AND BELIEVES IN IT 100%. ALL OF OUR STAFF DOES.
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THAT'S HUGE.WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A TURNOVER IN OUR STAFF UP THERE AT YACOLT UNLESS THEY'RE RETIRING.
I THINK THAT SPEAKS FOR THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE AND EVERYONE HAS THE BELIEF THAT KIDS COME FIRST.
VERY PROUD OF THE YACOLT STAFF AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING UP THERE.
WE'LL JUMP INTO OUR SIT PLAN NOW.
FOR OUR FIRST GOAL, FOR THE CARING AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT, I WANT TO START WITH A CELEBRATION.
BECAUSE WITH THE TIERED FIDELITY INVENTORY, WHICH MEASURES HOW WELL WE IMPLEMENT OUR TIER 1 STRATEGIES.
BUT BECAUSE YACOLT IS WHO THEY ARE, WE SCORED 100% IN THAT.
THAT'S ONCE AGAIN, GOES BACK TO THE BELIEF THAT WE'RE ALL THERE FOR KIDS.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE JUMPING IN AND MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR TIER 2, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD OF BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD THAT IN PLACE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, SO WE HAVE A BIT OF A JUMP START ON SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS, I THINK.
BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE FOCUSING ON TRAINING TEACHERS ON THE REFERRING PROCESS.
WE HAVE A STUDENT INTERVENTION TEAM.
IF TEACHERS HAVE CONCERNS FOR BEHAVIOR OR ACADEMICS, THEY CAN SIGN UP TO BRING A STUDENT TO THE TEAM AND THE TEAM IS MADE UP OF TEACHERS, OUR COUNSELOR, OUR PSYCH, ADMIN, OUR READING INTERVENTION SPECIALIST.
PEOPLE THAT CAN REALLY WRAP AROUND AND OFFER SUPPORTS AND INTERVENTIONS.
WE'RE WORKING ON MAKING SURE WE TRAIN ALL THE STAFF SO THEY KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THAT AND GET IN THERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THOSE SUPPORTS THAT WE HAVE.
>> THEN, KELLEY, FOR OUR AUDIENCE AND NEW BOARD, WILL YOU DEFINE JUST THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TIER 1 AND TIER 2?
>> TIER 1 IS FOR ALL STUDENTS.
TIER 2 IS MORE HONE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS, WHETHER IT'S READING, MATH, WRITING.
IT'S MORE SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION FOR THEM.
BUT NOT YET TO TIER 3, WHERE IT WOULD BE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> WE'RE WORKING ON TRAINING OUR STAFF AND THEN ALSO THE FOLLOW THROUGH FOR OUR INTERVENTION TEAM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE SO THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THROUGH.
WE HAVE ASSIGNING CASE MANAGERS SO THAT CHECK IN WITH THE TEACHERS, SO THEY NEVER FEEL LIKE THEY'RE ALONE.
THEY CAME TO SIT, THEY'RE GETTING STRATEGIES AND THEN WE CONTINUALLY CHECK IN.
DID THAT WORK? DO WE NEED TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD? WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT YOU? MOSTLY THAT'S WITH BEHAVIORS THERE'S JUST SO MANY OF THEM.
IT'S EASY FOR TEACHER TO FEEL OVERWHELMED AND GET UNDERWATER AND THEN IT'S HARD TO HEAD BACK ABOVE WATER.
WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY FEEL SUPPORTED AND WRAPPED AROUND SO WE CAN HELP OUR KIDS.
PART OF SOME OF THOSE INTERVENTIONS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE FOR OUR STUDENTS NEEDING SUPPORT WITH BEHAVIOR IS WE'VE IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE TEACHERS IN THE BUILDING TO BE MENTORS FOR STUDENTS THAT JUST NEED AN EXTRA ADULT TO CHECK IN WITH THEM IN THE MORNING, IN THE AFTERNOON AND JUST BUILD A REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIP FOR THEM.
IF THEY'RE HAVING AN OFF DAY, THAT MENTOR CAN SEE IT RIGHT AWAY AND JUMP IN AND SUPPORT THEM SO THAT WE CAN TURN THEIR DAY AROUND AND GET ON TOP OF THINGS SO THAT THEY CAN GET TO LEARNING.
WE CAN'T LEARN BEHAVIORS ARE IN THE WAY.
WE ALSO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT.
SOME OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED DURING THE STUDENT INTERVENTION TEAM MEETINGS ARE PUT ON TO CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT.
OUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR AND OUR BEAVER LODGE, WHICH IS OUR SEL ROOM OUR, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING ROOM THAT I THINK MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN WHEN YOU GO INTO THE BUILDINGS, THE CALMING NICE SPOT THAT I WISH I COULD SPEND THE DAY AT SOMETIMES.
BUT THE PERSON THAT WORKS IN THERE SUPPORTS OUR KIDS WITH CHECK IN CHECK OUT.
THEY HAVE A DATA SHEET THAT THEY CHECK IN WITH EVERY DAY THAT HAS THEIR GOALS AND THEY TALK ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO REACH THEIR GOALS, THEY REVISIT HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING THOSE GOALS, WHETHER IT'S KEEPING YOUR HANDS TO SELF OR BEING ON TASK, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE TEACHER.
THEY GET DAILY REMINDERS EVERY DAY ON THAT AND THEN THEY GET SCORED AND THEN THAT GOES HOME WITH PARENTS.
THEN THE PARENTS ARE ALSO EDUCATED THAT THIS IS NOT A PUNITIVE MEASURE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CELEBRATE.
THEY MIGHT HAVE A FEW ZEROS ON THEIR SHEET,
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BUT WE LET THOSE GO BECAUSE THAT'S IN THE DATA.WE CELEBRATE THE WINS TO TRY AND BUILD THEM UP, SO IT'S A POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT.
WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED BRAKES ARE BETTER AND THAT'S A PROACTIVE MEASURE FOR STUDENTS THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY TIMES.
IF WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A CRASH AND BURN, WE BUILD IN BREAK TIME FOR THEM. OR MATH.
THAT THEY'VE JUST GOT DONE WITH MATH, THEY'RE MENTALLY EXHAUSTED, THEY NEED A BREAK.
INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THEM TO HAVE A DIFFICULT MOMENT, WE KNOW THAT THEY NEED A BREAK AT THAT TIME.
WE HAVE PRESCHEDULED BREAKS, SO THEY'LL GO AND TALK IT OUT OR JUST HAVE A LITTLE BRAIN BREAK WITH SOMEBODY THAT CAN WALK THEM THROUGH THEIR DAY AND KEEP THEM ON TRACK AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE DOING WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT I FORGOT THERE?
>> WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF IS TRAINED WITH SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS.
A LOT OF TIMES, I THINK WE FORGET THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TOOLBOX.
DURING OUR STAFF MEETINGS, WE MAKE A POINT TO TALK ABOUT BEHAVIORS AND SHARE STRATEGIES.
WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT WILL STUMBLE ACROSS A WONDERFUL STRATEGY THAT THEY DID IN THEIR CLASSROOM, WHETHER IT'S A VISUAL SUPPORT THAT THEY CAN USE FOR THE WHOLE CLASSROOM, THEY CAN SHARE THE SUCCESS WITH THE WHOLE STAFF.
WE HAD AN EXAMPLE OF THAT EARLIER ON IN THE YEAR, TEACHER HAD GREAT SUCCESS, AND A COUPLE TEAMMATES HAD ASKED ABOUT IT, SO WE ENDED UP SENDING IT OFF TO PRINT SHOP AND MAKING POSTERS FOR EVERYBODY IN THE CLASSROOM.
IT ENDED UP BEING A CONSISTENT STRATEGY THAT WE USED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
IT WAS JUST A TIERED SYSTEM FOR KIDS KNOWING, THINGS ARE GETTING A LITTLE ROUGH AND THE TEACHER CAN JUST NON VERBALLY POINT TO IT.
THEY CAN SEE THE PROGRESSION OF YOU NEED TO ACCESS SOME STRATEGIES, TAKE A BREAK, THOSE THINGS TO GET KIDS BACK TO A LEARNING MODE.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN A TRAINER THAT'S GOING TO TALK TO OUR STAFF ABOUT TRAUMA-INFORMED STRATEGIES AND BRIDGING THE GAP THERE.
I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR FIRST GOAL.
I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND GOAL, WHICH IS OUR ELA, AND THIS YEAR, WE'RE FOCUSING ON HELPING OUR STRUGGLING READERS.
WE ARE SO LUCKY BECAUSE WE HAVE A READING INTERVENTION SPECIALIST WHO I BELIEVE YOU GUYS HAVE MET, JULIE HATCHER.
I THINK SHE DID A BOARD PRESENTATION WITH THE LAP PROGRAM, NOT THAT LONG AGO.
BUT SHE IS AMAZING AND GOES OVER AND ABOVE, IN FACT, SHE'S ONE OF OUR MENTORS IN THE BUILDING.
BUT MONTHLY, SHE DEVELOPS A NEWSLETTER THAT GOES HOME TO PARENTS THAT GOES OVER ALL THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW IN FOUNDATIONS TO HELP THE STUDENTS CARRY THEIR LEARNING HOME WITH PARENTS SO PARENTS CAN SUPPORT THEM.
THEN ALSO SHE DOES A VIDEO, SO IT EDUCATES THE STUDENT OR THE PARENTS ON TAPPING OUT LETTERS, HOW TO SCOOP THE LETTERS, SO THAT WHEN THEIR KIDS GO HOME AND TALK ABOUT TAPPING AND SCOOPING, I MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT THAT WAS.
SHE'S REALLY PULLING THE PARENTS INTO THE LEARNING COMMUNITY, WHICH IS AMAZING.
OF COURSE, SHE BRINGS PARENTS WHO ARE ALWAYS INVITED TO COME IN TO THE LAP PROGRAM OR READING SUPPORT PROGRAM TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM.
HERE WE GO. WE'RE ALSO CALL HARD PUSH AND WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
I THINK SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE WALKED THROUGH OUR FIDELITY TO THE CURRICULUM.
OUR TEACHERS, YOU CAN GO THROUGH ANY GRADE LEVEL, AND THEY COULD BE TEACHING A LESSON.
YOU'RE GOING TO WALK IN AND YOU'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE LANGUAGE AND THE LESSON THAT THEY'RE ON.
THEY MIGHT BE PUTTING THEIR OWN SPIN ON IT AND THEIR OWN FLARE, BUT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME LEARNING THE SAME DAY THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
THAT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE WHEN THE TEAMS MEET FOR OUR LATE START WEDNESDAYS, THEY CAN HAVE COMMON CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR INTERVENTIONS OR WHERE THEY'RE AT OR JUST TALKING THROUGH THE LESSON.
THAT ALSO ENSURES THAT WHEN KIDS ARE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE GAPS.
THEY'VE ALL HAD THE SAME ACCESS TO THE SAME MATERIALS, SO IT'S HUGE THAT WE DO THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT OUR BUILDING IS AT A PLACE WHERE THEY BELIEVE IN THAT, AND THE VALUE OF BEING ON THE SAME PAGE IN THE CURRICULUM AT THE SAME SPOT.
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ONE TIME A MONTH, WE'LL HAVE A STAFF MEETING WHERE WE JUST HAVE VERTICAL CONVERSATION, SO WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT THE CURRICULUM, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN FIRST GRADE VERSUS WHAT IT LOOKS IN FOURTH GRADE.THEY KNOW WHY THEY NEED THOSE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE USING IT UP HERE.
BY HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, LAST YEAR, I'M CROSSING OVER INTO MATH A LITTLE BIT, I GUESS, BUT LAST YEAR AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM GOT TOGETHER AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MATH SUPPORT AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS IN MATH BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT PULL OUT INTERVENTION ANYMORE.
ONE OF THE COMMON HOLES THAT THEY FOUND WAS WITH MATH FLUENCY.
WHAT CAN WE DO BECAUSE THEN WHEN TEACHERS COME BACK AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK, THEY'RE SPENDING THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS, JUST FILLING SOME HOLES AND SEEING WHERE KIDS ARE.
AS AS A GRADE LEVEL TEAM, WE TOOK THE IDEA TO THE STAFF.
WHAT IF WE TAKE THAT FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WE FOCUS ON FLUENCY ONLY? THEN WE ALSO MADE THAT OUR FIRST WINDOW GOAL, YES, FOR WAIVER DAYS.
I'M SORRY. I AM SKIPPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
OH, SHOOT. I'M GOING TO FINISH THIS THOUGHT BUT I HAVE TO GO BACK TO A VERY IMPORTANT THING. SORRY, YOU GUYS.
WE DID OUR MATH GOAL FOR FLUENCY OF THE FIRST WINDOW.
THEN I'M GOING TO SHARE THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, AND KEEPING IN MIND, THIS IS ONLY THAT FIRST WINDOW GOALS.
THE DATA SHOWED FOR KINDERGARTEN MADE 19% GROWTH, FOR FIRST GRADE, 74%, SECOND GRADE, 46%, THIRD GRADE, 60%, AND FOURTH GRADE, 19%.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FACT FLUENCY, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK, LIKE SAY, KINDER, FIRST, SECOND VERSUS THIRD, FOURTH LEVELS?
>> YOU CAN JUMP INTO. BUT KINDERGARTENS YOU'RE LEARNING TO COUNT.
YOUR NUMBERS. YOU WANT TO TAKE IT?
>> WITH KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST, EVEN GOING INTO SECOND, IT'S A LOT MORE LEARNING WHAT NUMBERS ARE FLUENTLY.
I KNOW SOMETIMES WE THINK FLUENCY IS ONLY QUICKLY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST AS QUICK AS THEY CAN DO IT, BUT AS NATURALLY THAT IT JUST COMES TO THEM.
WITH KINDER, IT'S KNOWING WHAT NUMBERS ARE AND BEING ABLE TO COUNT THEM.
IN FIRST GRADE, AGAIN, GETTING TO KNOW BIGGER NUMBERS AND WHAT THEY ARE HOW TO COUNT TO 100 GETTING UP TO THE HIGHER NUMBERS.
ALSO STARTING TO ADD NUMBERS TOGETHER, BECAUSE IF THEY TRULY KNOW WHAT A NUMBER IS, THEY CAN PUT TWO NUMBERS TOGETHER AND TAKE AWAY, WHICH IS HARDER.
THEN WHEN YOU START GETTING INTO THIRD AND FOURTH, THAT'S WHEN IT STARTS GETTING INTO MORE MULTIPLICATION OR PUTTING BIG GROUPS TOGETHER.
THAT'S WHERE THE FLUENCY GETS A LITTLE TRICKIER FOR THEM.
IF YOU NOTE THAT WE SAID FOURTH GRADE WAS ONLY 19%, IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN IT STARTS GETTING INTO MULTIPLICATION AND BIGGER WAYS TO DEAL WITH NUMBERS, AND WE WANT THEM TO BE FLUENT IN IT, MEANING THAT THEY JUST KNOW WHAT IT IS, AND THEY DO NEED TO BE QUICK WITH THAT, BUT IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING AT HOW FAST IT IS.
>> I JUST ASK, WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? WHY DID YOU GUYS, AS A BUILDING, FOCUS ON FACT FLUENCY AS AN AREA OF EMPHASIS, BECAUSE YOU SPENT EVERY TEAM IN THE FIRST PLC WINDOW.
THAT'S A BIG COMMITMENT OF TIME.
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT YOUR BUILDING LEADERSHIP TEAM MAKING THAT DECISION?
>> WELL, THEY FIND THAT FACT FLUENCY ACROSS THE BOARD IMPACTS MATH WHEN THEY'RE DOING A STORY PROBLEM, WHEN THEY'RE DOING COMPUTATION, WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO USE THEIR MATH KNOWLEDGE, IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
IF A KINDERGARTNER ISN'T ABLE TO COUNT OR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT NUMBERS ARE AND THEY GET INTO FIRST GRADE AND WE START SAYING, OH, WE'RE GOING TO ADD THESE TWO NUMBERS TOGETHER, IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE, THEY CAN'T DO IT.
THEN BY THE TIME THEY GET INTO SECOND AND THIRD, WHEN THEY'RE ASKING THEM TO DO IT WITH DOUBLE DIGITS, AND THEN WHEN THEY GET INTO FOURTH AND THEY WANT MULTIPLICATION.
SOMETIMES THEY CAN MEMORIZE THINGS AND THEY CAN GET INTO SECOND OR THIRD LOOKING LIKE THEY'RE NOT HAVING AN ISSUE, BUT ONCE THEY HIT THIRD AND FOURTH, THAT'S WHEN IT BECOMES VERY APPARENT.
ORGANICALLY, WHEN THE TEAM LEADERS WERE SITTING AND TALKING ABOUT MATH, DATA, SCORES, THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE FOURTH GRADE TEAM STARTED THE CONVERSATION OF HOW
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FRUSTRATED THEY GET WHEN THE KIDS COME IN AND THEY CAN'T PUT THE NUMBERS TOGETHER.THE TEACHERS SPEND WEEKS AND SOMETIMES MONTHS WITH CERTAIN GROUPS OF KIDS TRYING TO HELP THEM GET IT.
THEN THE TEAMS ALL STARTED TALKING AND THEN THIRD GRADE SAID, WELL, HOW CAN THAT BE BECAUSE WE WORK SO HARD AT IT? IT JUST ORGANICALLY BECAME A HUGE AHA THAT, IF WE START IN KINDERGARTEN AND WE START REALLY HELPING THE KIDS BY THE TIME THEY GET TO FOURTH GRADE AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN HIGH SCHOOL, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP THEM BE MORE CONFIDENT IN MATH, BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS HAVE SOME FEARS AND INSECURITIES WITH MATH.
I KNOW IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT GETS EVEN BIGGER.
HOPEFULLY, IF WE START WITH THE LITTLE ONES, IT'LL HELP.
>> I JUST ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YACOLT IS NEARLY 15 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN THE DISTRICT AVERAGE IN MATHEMATICS.
FOR THEM TO GO AFTER THIS GOAL, I JUST THINK SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY CHILD IS SUCCESSFUL.
THEY COULD SIT BACK ON THEIR LAURELS, AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE FAR ABOVE THE DISTRICT AVERAGE.
IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM.
I DO APPLAUD YOU GUYS FOR THAT WORK.
>> WE ARE COOL. ALSO, TO HELP WITH BUILDING THOSE SKILLS AND THE STUDENTS THAT ARE TRAILING IN MATH, WE DID USE OUR CLASSIFIED ALLOCATION TO USE SUPPORTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
WE HAVE ONE OF OUR CLASSIFIED PERSON ROTATE AND SUPPORT STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE STUDENT INTERVENTION TEAM TO SUPPORT THEM DURING FOUR TIME IN THE MATH TO HELP THEM SO THAT THEY DON'T FALL FARTHER BEHIND AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON, WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE VERY HELPFUL? WE ALSO HAVE FAMILY MATH NIGHTS SO THAT WE CAN BRING THE PARENTS IN TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, LIKE MATH GAMES AND PRACTICES AND THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO AT HOME.
WE HAVE ONE COMING UP THAT WE'RE COUPLED WITH AN HOMESY NIGHT, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS GET LOTS OF PARENTS IN FOR HOMESY.
THIS WAY, WE'RE GOING TO GET THEM IN WITH HOMESY AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO WALK DOWN THE HALL AND GET SOME MATH STRATEGIES, AND THEN HAVE A MAKE AND TAKE SO THEY CAN HAVE SOME THINGS TO TAKE HOME TO HELP PRACTICE THOSE STRATEGIES WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
THAT'S OUR MATH. I WOULD LIKE TO CIRCLE BACK TO OUR READING GOAL, BECAUSE I'M REALLY PROUD BECAUSE THIS IS VERY EXCITING THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SUBGROUP FOR OUR READING THIS YEAR.
WE'RE TARGETING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION, OUR RESOURCE ROOM STUDENTS, AND OUR CENTER-BASED CLASSROOM STUDENTS BY DOING MORE PUSH AND SUPPORT DURING CORE TIME, SO THAT THEY'RE IN THERE, SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE CORE AND TO INTERVENTION.
THEY'RE IN THERE, LEARNING THE STRATEGIES, LEARNING THE VERBIAGE, SO THAT THEY CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
WE HAD TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW WE'RE JUST RUNNING IN THE SAME CIRCLE.
STUDENTS, THEY ARE IDENTIFIED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING THEM OUT, AND WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT IN OUR RESOURCE ROOMS. WE DECIDED TO TRY SOMETHING NEW.
WE ARE ALIGNING ALL OF THE CURRICULUM THAT WE'RE USING WITH WHAT'S BEING DONE IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM, IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM.
WE'RE DOING THAT FOR READING AND FOR MATH AS WELL.
BUT WITH OUR READING, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR AMAZING READING INTERVENTION SPECIALIST, JULIE HATCHER, WHO I SPOKE OF.
SHE'S TRAINING THEM ON FOUNDATION, SO EVERYBODY.
THE CERTIFIED STAFF IS TRAINED, THE CLASSIFIED STAFF, EVERYONE IS USING THE SAME VERBIAGE WITH THE KIDS, THE SAME EXPECTATIONS.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE IN GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING ONE STRATEGY AND THE VERBIAGE FOR WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, AND THEN GOING TO THEIR PULL-OUT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND THEN HAVING TO DO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE DOUBLE DIPPING OUR STUDENTS, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE EXITED TWO STUDENTS THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, THAT IS A HUGE CELEBRATION.
THE TEAM IS REALLY LOOKING ON WEDNESDAYS AT THE DATA AND KNOWING WHEN IT'S TIME TO PIVOT AND TRY A DIFFERENT STRATEGY WITH THE STUDENTS, OR MOVE THEM UP TO A DIFFERENT GROUP.
THEY'VE GRADUATED THIS GROUP, THEY'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT GROUP.
I THINK THAT'S A HUGE THING. I THINK THAT'S A HUGE WIN FOR US.
>> WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR THIRD GOAL.
WE'RE BUILDING THE COMMUNITY IN OUR SCHOOL, WHICH I ALREADY SPOKE TO THAT, WE HAVE A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE REALLY BELIEVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING,
[00:30:04]
AND I THINK OUR SCHOOL IS ALIKE.BUT WE'RE ALSO BUILDING OUR TEAM LEADS CAPACITY TO WORK WITH THEIR TEAMS WITH THE NEW DATA SHEETS THAT WE HAVE THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CALL THAT, BUT OUR NEW DATA SHEETS SO THAT WE CAN CONSTANTLY GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHOLE BUILDING DATA.
WE'RE TEACHING THEM HOW TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR TEAM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HOLDING THEIR TEAMMATES ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE DATA IS IN THERE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, AND ADDING THAT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS IN.
>> WHEN YOU SAY DATA SHEETS, IS THAT PERTAINING TO THE PLC WORK? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND THE RESULTS ORIENTATION WITH PLC?
>> YES. IT IS AROUND THE PLC WORK.
CASANDRA IS WORKING WITH US. THERE'S NO CONCERN.
SHE'S ONE OF THE TECH PEOPLE, SHE'S AMAZING.
HELPING US BUILD AND THEN MODIFY DATA SHEETS SO THAT WE CAN CONSTANTLY GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT DATA TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE DRIVING OUR INSTRUCTION FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WHAT INTERVENTIONS MAY NEED TO BE PUT INTO PLACE AND SUPPORTS.
WE ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT OUR CLASSIFIED STAFF FEELS HEARD AND A VOICE IN THE BUILDING.
WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AMPLE TIME FOR COLLABORATION WITH THEM.
WE'VE INVITED THEM TO HAVE A VOICE IN ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE BUILDING.
WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
>> THEIR OPINIONS AND THEIR THOUGHTS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. THAT'S US.
>> I THINK AT THIS POINT WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 14 MINUTES, 13 MINUTES, WE'LL BE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF THINGS AND SAY 13 MINUTES OR BY THE TIME I GET DONE TALKING, IT'LL PROBABLY BE 12, BUT TIME FOR A QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
BOARD, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF KELLY AND LISA, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SHARE THOSE WITH THEM.
ON THE STUDENT GROWTH, YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE AT THE 781, I THINK IT SAYS HERE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS WERE LAST YEAR?
>> IT WAS CLOSE, ABOUT 750, I RECALL.
>> I ONLY BRING IT UP BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING METRIC TO ADD BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THINGS LIKE YOUR ATTENDANCE RATE AS THAT INCREASES, IT ALSO YOU HAVE TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION WITH HOW MUCH YOUR STUDENT BODIES INCREASE AS WELL.
THAT CHANGE IS ACTUALLY A BIGGER NUMBER THAN IT EVEN SHOWS.
I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
GOOD JOB ON THAT. THEN LASTLY, DID YOU MAKE ANY PROGRESS ON YOUR GUYS ROCK BALL?
>> I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE THE FENCE AROUND IT CAME DOWN, AND WE'VE HAD NOTHING BUT RAIN AND MUD.
THEY SAYS, ALL THEY CAN DO IS LOVE IT FROM THE WINDOW.
>> WELL, I'M GLAD YOU GOT IT UP.
I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FUN TO CLIMB ON. WE'LL KNOW IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
>> WHAT WAS THE NUMBER THIS YEAR?
>> THEY WERE TWO YEARS PREVIOUS TO THAT 718.
DEFINITELY AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY THEY'VE GONE 718-780.
>> DIDN'T YOU SAY KELLY'S 788, ISN'T THAT WHAT I HEARD?
>> CAN I JUST TELL YOU THAT IS A LOT OF STUDENTS IN A CAFETERIA OR INDOOR PLAYGROUND DURING RECESS, WHEN IT'S RAINY. LOTS OF KIDS.
>> BUT IT WORKS. IT DOES WORK.
>> WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS BOARD?
>> I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ON YOUR PARENT ADVISORY GROUP, HOW MANY PARENTS DO YOU HAVE ATTENDING?
>> WELL, IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SAD, BUT WE STUCK WITH IT, AND I WOULD SAY AT OUR LAST MEETING WE HAD, WOULD YOU SAY CLOSE TO 50?
>> WHEN WE STARTED, WE HAD ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN OF A CORE THAT WOULD COME.
THEN YOU MIGHT GET 10, ONE NIGHT.
BUT THE LAST ONE, WE WERE SHOCKED.
IT WAS SO AMAZING TO HAVE SO MANY PARENTS THAT CAME.
>> I THINK THAT THEY'RE SEEING THAT WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS IN OUR SCHOOL AND THEY SEE THAT IT DOES MATTER, SO THEY ARE COMING IN AND SHARING THEIR THOUGHTS.
I MEAN, WE GET THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, BUT THAT'S HOW WE IMPROVE.
[00:35:03]
IT'S A GREAT TEAMING WITH THEM.>> IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THEN IT'S OPEN FOR EVERYONE.
>> THAT'S AWESOME, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU COULD WALK IN ANYWHERE IN THE BUILDING AND ALL THE LESSONS ARE THE SAME.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PERSON ON THIS BOARD WHO HASN'T WITNESSED THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN GREAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WHAT I WAS WONDERING IS HOW ALL STUDENTS DON'T LEARN AT THE SAME PACE.
YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE PROBABLY MORE ADVANCED THAN THAT AND STUDENTS WHO ARE PROBABLY FALLING BEHIND FROM THAT.
HOW DOES YACOLT PRIMARY DEAL WITH THAT AND ACCOMMODATE THOSE STUDENTS?
>> EXCELLENT QUESTION. DURING OUR LATE START WEDNESDAYS, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ARE AROUND THAT THAT THE TEACHERS WILL HAVE AND THEY'LL LOOK AT THEIR DATA AND THEY'LL SEE THAT THEY HAVE THIS GROUP THAT NEEDS THIS LEVEL OF SUPPORT, AND THE TEACHERS WORK TOGETHER TO GIVE THEM EXTENSION MATERIALS OR INTERVENTION MATERIALS.
WE DO. THIRD AND FOURTH, WE DO HAVE HIGH CAP GROUPS OF STUDENTS.
WE HAVE TWO CLASSROOMS AT EACH GRADE LEVEL.
WE ALSO USE A SYSTEM CALLED CLASS SOLVER THAT WE PUT STUDENT DATA INTO BEHAVIOR, MATH, READING, WHETHER THEY'RE INTERNALIZERS, OR EXTERNALIZERS, TO REALLY TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WELL BALANCED CLASSROOMS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE GROUPS IN A CLASSROOM.
YOU CAN HAVE SOME HIGHER LEVEL STUDENTS AND KNOW THAT AND THE TEACHERS WILL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE INSTRUCTION THAT THEY NEED.
>> ANOTHER THING WE TRY TO DO IS WHEN KELLY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PUSH IN THAT WE'RE DOING MORE.
A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS, HISTORICALLY, I THINK STUDENTS ACROSS THE NATION HAVE STRUGGLED WITH WRITING, AND WRITING IS A TOUGH ONE.
ONE THING THAT'S TURNING OUT TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IS WHEN WE DO SOME PUSHING, WE'RE DOING IT DURING WIT AND WISDOM SO THAT THERE IS SOMEBODY IN THE CLASSROOM.
THE TEACHERS GIVING THE CORE INSTRUCTION, AND THIS PERSON'S THERE TO SUPPORT THE KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO FALL BEHIND BECAUSE THEY'RE STRUGGLING, AND THEY CAN GO AND HELP, ESPECIALLY WITH WRITING BECAUSE WRITING HAS ALWAYS BEEN REALLY TOUGH.
>> WHEN OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORTS ARE IN THERE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO ONLY WORK WITH THE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
WE HAVE OTHER STUDENTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING IN THE SAME AREA, THAT PERSON CAN PULL THEM BACK AND HAVE THEM JOIN IN THE SMALL GROUP TO GET EXTRA INSTRUCTION.
>> I WANT TO GIVE, TERRY, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
>> I WANT TO DRILL DOWN ON THE GOALS AND HOW THEY'RE SET.
OUR GOAL, JUST LOOKING AT THE FIRST ONE FOR ELA, THE GOAL FOR THIS YEAR IS 55%.
HELP ME OUT WITH ALL OF THESE PIECES OF DATA.
THAT'S FOR THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE, IS IT NOT?
>> IS THAT A CONGLOMERATE? YOU HAVE ALL THE THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS? IT'S JUST EVERYBODY PUT TOGETHER?
>> THAT AND THEN WE WORK OUT THIS GOAL AND IT'S 55%.
IS IT SOMEHOW BUILT OFF OF THEIR SUCCESS LAST YEAR?
>> LAST YEAR, THEY WERE SECOND AND THIRD GRADERS.
>> WE LOOK AT WHERE OUR THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS WERE LAST YEAR.
WE LOOK AT WHERE THEY WERE AND THE GROWTH THAT THEY MADE AND THEIR STRATEGIES OR THEIR INSTRUCTION.
WE DON'T LOOK AT THE SECOND AND THIRD GRADERS.
BUT THAT IS NOT HOW WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS.
>> THEN LOOKING AT THE GOAL LAST YEAR WAS 65% AND THE ACTUAL WAS 47.
WELL, IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY AT 38%, THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT.
AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO DRILL DOWN INTO WHERE YOU GET THE NUMBERS THAT YOU BASE THE GOAL OFF OF BECAUSE THAT 55% MAY BE A HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE GOAL OR IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S GREAT.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S GOAL BECAUSE THOSE ARE DIFFERENT KIDS AND THE HALF OF THE KIDS ARE THE SAME.
>> THERE IS HALF OF THE KIDS THAT ARE THE SAME.
I MEAN, YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT SETTING A GOAL BASED ON COHORT DATA VERSUS PERFORMANCE DATA.
TYPICALLY, OUR SCHOOLS ARE USING PERFORMANCE DATA.
NOW, MIDDLE SCHOOL IT'S LESS OF AN ISSUE.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GOALS, WHEN AMBOY COMES UP,
[00:40:01]
IT WILL BE A FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE GOAL.THREE QUARTERS OF THE KIDS ARE THE SAME YEAR TO YEAR.
BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE GRADE LEVEL THAT'S CHANGING.
AT PRIMARY GROUP, COHORT DATA CHANGES 50% OF THE TIME.
IT'S NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE, BUT IT IS AT LEAST SOME CONTINUITY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT PERFORMANCE.
AGAIN, WE SET THESE GOALS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY BASED ON WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ACTUALLY WITH OUR PRINCIPALS ABOUT, "HEY, WHEN YOU'RE SETTING YOUR CIP GOALS, THE IDEA IS TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
MANY OF OUR BUILDINGS DID NOT ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS BECAUSE THEY SET CIP GOALS THAT WERE PRETTY AGGRESSIVE.
WE'VE ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S PERFORMANCE AND USE THAT AS A BASELINE.
NOW, IS IT PERFECT SCIENCE, SAME KIDS TO SAME KIDS? NO. IS THERE SOME OF THOSE KIDS THAT ARE THE SAME OR AT LEAST HALF? YES.
>> THEN BOTTOM LINE, MY QUESTION IS THEN, SO IT IS FAIR TO LOOK AT THE 46.9% AS THE STARTING NUMBER?
>> OUR GOAL WHAT WE HIT LAST TIME WAS 46.9%.
>> OUR GOAL FOR THAT GROUP OF KIDS IS 55?
>> HALF OF THAT GROUP OF KIDS PLUS THE ADDITIONAL SECOND THAT HAVE NOW BECOME THIRD.
>> RIGHT. THAT AGGREGATE GROUP OF KIDS, OUR GOAL IS 55%?
>> WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT, WELL JUST WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
2023 WAS 50% AND WE ACTUALLY GOT TO 47%.
THEN YOU'D HAVE TO SAY THAT WE ACTUALLY WENT DOWN.
>> YES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT 23/24, THE THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS AT YACOLT PRIMARY SCHOOL, AS A COMPOSITE AVERAGE SCORED 50% PROFICIENCY ON SMARTER BALANCE.
>> WE ACTUALLY GOT 47, WHICH WAS LESS THAN THEY GOT THE YEAR BEFORE.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S REALLY A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF HOW THEY'RE DOING?
>> WELL, LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS THAT WAY?
>> I THINK SMARTER BALANCE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST ASSESSMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
I'VE SEEN SOME DATA RECENTLY FROM SOME OF THE ASSESSMENT VENDORS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THESE ASSESSMENTS RANK PROFICIENCY VERSUS SMARTER BALANCE, IT'S INCREDIBLE THE DIFFERENCE.
BASED ON SMARTER BALANCE AND THE METRICS THAT THESE ASSESSMENT, IT IS SUCH A HIGH BAR TO MEET PROFICIENCY AT SMARTER BALANCE, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN EVEN THE NATIONALLY NORM TESTS.
IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST ROBUST ASSESSMENT WE HAVE, PERIOD.
IF YOU WERE ASKED ME, IS THAT AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF HOW OUR KIDS ARE DOING IN SCHOOL? NO. I THINK IT REPRESENTS AN INCREDIBLY HIGH BAR, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE STATE HAS STARTED TO PIVOT AND SAY, "HEY, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, THERE'S MEETING GRADE LEVEL OR CAREER IN COLLEGE READINESS, AND THEN THERE'S FOUNDATIONAL GRADE LEVEL SKILL.
THEY ARE NOW ENCOURAGING DISTRICTS TO START LOOKING AT LEVEL 2 AS FOUNDATIONAL SKILL PROFICIENCY, TWOS, THREES AND FOURS.
IN THAT CASE, OUR DISTRICT NUMBERS DON'T LOOK LIKE THEY'RE IN THE '40S OR '50S, THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE IN THE '60S AND '70S, WHICH IS PROBABLY A MORE ACCURATE NUMBER.
BUT WE ARE GIVEN THE HAND WE ARE DEALT, AND REMEMBER, ALSO WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SMARTER BALANCE IN THE CONSORTIUM OF 14 STATES, WASHINGTON STATE RANKS SECOND AMONG 14 STATES, AND LOOK WHERE OUR SCORES ARE AS A STATE.
THEY ARE LOW. THERE ARE 13 OTHER STATES THAT ARE BELOW US.
BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, TERRY, IS THIS AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT? ARE WE AS A COUNTRY JUST FAILING KIDS? YOU COULD CERTAINLY PRESCRIBE TO THAT NARRATIVE? I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE TO DO SO.
>> LET ME TRY ONE MORE STACK. THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.
>> CAN I GIVE DEBBIE A CHANCE TO ASK A QUESTION.
>> GO AHEAD. TERRY. I JUST WANT TO SEE IF SHE HAD A QUESTION. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU, DAVID. THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD ANSWER, REALLY MORE THAN I WAS LOOKING FOR.
I'M LOOKING AT 50% 2023/24 ELA AND 47%, '24 AT AT THE END.
THAT'S JUST LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS, SAME KIDS THAT WENT DOWN.
I'M NOT LOOKING AT THEIR PROFICIENCY OR THEIR WHATEVER THE ELSE ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THAT IS A FAIR WAY TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I WAS LOOKING FOR.
>> NO, THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, I FEEL LIKE SO OFTEN, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A WELL KEPT SECRET HOW WELL KIDS ARE DOING.
I THINK HOW WELL YOU AS STAR AND YOUR STAFF ARE DOING.
WE TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT NOT MAKING THIS SCORE ON THE SBA AND SO ON.
WE RARELY HEAR ABOUT THE VICTORIES.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS
[00:45:02]
BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AS A BOARD.HOW DO WE GET OUR COMMUNITY INVOLVED? YOU'VE DONE AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC JOB WITH YOUR PARENT ADVISORY GROUP AND TO HEAR THAT NOW 50 PEOPLE SHOW UP, AND THOSE 50 PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU'RE SHARING DATA, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CURRICULUM, YOU'RE GIVING THEM STRATEGIES.
I LOVE YOUR PARENT VOLUNTEER APP OR HOWEVER PARENTS ARE GETTING INVOLVED WITH YOU BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO COME INTO YOUR SCHOOL WHEN THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO COME IN.
THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A STRUGGLING READERS NEWSLETTER.
PARENTS HAVE STRATEGIES AT HOME.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SPENDING TIME ON FLUENCY.
HERE'S WHY, BECAUSE WHEN KIDS HAVE FLUENCY, IT MAKES THEM LIKE MATH.
WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE FLUENCY, THEN THEY STRUGGLE AND THEY DON'T ENJOY MATH.
FLUENCY IS NOT JUST MEMORIZATION.
I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT PEOPLE MISTAKE IS THAT FLUENCY IS MEMORIZATION OF FACTS. IT'S NOT.
TRUE FLUENCY IS WHAT GIVES KIDS THAT BASELINE SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO TO HIGHER LEVELS OF MATH.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU INCLUDE YOUR CLASSIFIED STAFF IN YOUR BUILDING PD.
IT BUILDS THEIR PROFESSIONALISM.
THEIR VOICE NEEDS TO BE HEARD.
THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK YOU'RE DOING.
I COULD SAY SO MUCH MORE, BUT THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION AND IT PROBABLY DOESN'T GO TO THEM.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE CEE SURVEY TO USE NEXT YEAR?
>> WE DO HAVE A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE EMULATED.
MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE USING THOSE CONSISTENTLY AT MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
BUT YEAH, WITHOUT THE CEE SURVEY, WE WILL STRUGGLE TO HAVE THE ROBUSTNESS THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF OUR PARENT INVOLVEMENT.
THAT WILL BE A STRUGGLE FOR US.
>> WE'VE LOOKED AT TAKING THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE USE FOR THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND PUTTING IT ONTO GOOGLE FORM OR SOMETHING LIKE A EXCHANGE TO EXTRAPOLATE THE SAME.
>> THEY DON'T OWN THE QUESTION.
THAT'S HOW WE'LL PROVIDE THE CONTINUITY.
>> SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE ALREADY GETTING CREATIVE, KNOWING THAT, DOING THINGS LIKE PUTTING OUT QR CODES WITH THOSE QUESTIONS AT CONFERENCES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO SYSTEMATIZE SOME OF THAT AND MAKE IT SYSTEM WIDE SO WE CAN BRIDGE THE GAP.
>> I WOULD JUST ECHO EVERYTHING MARY SAID.
IT'S DEFINITELY A FEEL THAT YOU GO WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR AND THE BELIEF OF ALL KIDS IS EVIDENT.
I THINK THAT IS GREAT THAT YOU STARTED WITH IT AND THAT WE'RE CIRCLING BACK AND ENDING WITH IT.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YACOLT IS DOING.
CAN I MAKE JUST A QUICK COMMENT.
THE THEMES THAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT FROM THIS BUILDING, IF I COULD USE TWO WORDS IS CONSISTENCY AND ALIGNMENT, WHAT THEY DO FROM THEIR PLC WORK TO WHAT'S IN THEIR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS ACTUALLY QUITE REMARKABLE AND THE CONSISTENCY IN THE ALIGNMENT THAT EXISTS THERE IS QUITE RARE IN ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT COURAGEOUS LEADERS.
>> THE TWO OF YOU THANK YOU FOR IT.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO POINT OUT FOR OUR NEW UPCOMING.
HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION THERE. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> WE ARE OVER BY A FEW MINUTES, BUT NO WORRIES.
WE'VE BUILT IN A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR A CLOSING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY NOT.
WE DON'T REALLY NEED MUCH TIME FOR THE CLOSING.
THAT STILL GIVES US THE FULL 35 MINUTES WITH AMBOY MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE'LL SEE IN A FEW MINUTES.
>> I THINK WE ARE READY TO GET TO PART TWO, WHICH IS AMBOY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
OUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT BUILDING IS NICK KRAUS PRINCIPAL, LAURIE WALKER, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
THEY'RE GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT.
YOU ALSO WILL HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT THEY'LL BE REFERENCING THAT HOPEFULLY YOU RECEIVED A COPY OF, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THEM.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, MISS WHITTEN, MISS MURRY, AND ALL THE SUPPORT STUFF.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TODAY.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YACOLT FIRST.
LAST YEAR, KELLY LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, THESE FOURTH GRADERS COMING TO YOU ARE INTERESTING.
WE ALWAYS KNOW, WE ALWAYS GET INTERESTING STUDENTS, AND WE'VE DECIDED TO SEND THEM BACK TO YOU JUST TO SEIZE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
[00:50:05]
NO, WE LOVE ALL OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES.WE ARE ALL THE BEST KEPT SECRET UP IN THE NORTH.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE AMBOY OR YACOLT IS, BUT WE DO, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT THINGS GOING ON THERE.
AT AMBOY, OUR CULTURE IS VERY STRONG.
WE HOPE THAT WHAT WE TALK ABOUT TONIGHT REPRESENTS THAT.
I'M GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF A FEW THINGS, AND THEN I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO MY AWESOME PARTNER IN LAURIE AND SHE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT A GAP THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY FOCUSING IN ON, BUT JUST TO START OUT WITH, WE DID SEE RIGHT OFF THE BAR, SOME OF OUR STUDENT BEHAVIORS COME IN VERY STRONG.
SOME WORDS BEING USED, SOME DISRESPECT.
WITH OUR TFI AND OUR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND OUR BEHAVIOR PBIS SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE AND RELY ON THE SYSTEMS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST AND REALLY PUSH FORWARD AND USE OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY AND TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE BEHAVIORS THAT WERE HAPPENING RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
WERE VERY STRONG IN HOW WE WERE HANDING CONSEQUENCES OUT WITH THESE BEHAVIORS, AND THOSE HAVE NOW BEEN CURBED AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN SUSPENDING AND DOING A LOT OF THOSE REFERRALS DUE TO THOSE THINGS THAT CAME IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
WITH OUR TFI, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT OUR TIER 1, WE'RE AT 100%, THAT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE REALLY STRONG VALUES WHEN IT COMES TO OUR BEHAVIORS AND SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS FOR OUR PBS SUPPORT.
OUR TIER 2 IS ALSO A STRONG, IT'S ABOUT A 77%.
PROBABLY WE'RE SCORING AT ONE OR JUST 1.5 IN SOME AREAS, AND WE'LL EVENTUALLY BE UP IN THAT 100% RANGE.
WE HAVE SOLID SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR OUR BEHAVIOR, AND NOW WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING IN ON OUR SYSTEMS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ACADEMIC SIDE OF THINGS.
THE ONE THING I DID WANT TO POINT OUT BEFORE I MOVE INTO OUR ACADEMIC SIDE AND OUR PBS STORES.
WE HAVE A STORE AND WE HAVE A TABLE DRAWING THAT WE DO ONCE EACH MONTH.
RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY OUR STUDENTS HAVE SPENT 07,751 EAGLEBUCKS IN THOSE STORE AND OUR TABLE DRAWING JUST INTO THE MONTHS LEADING UP.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE AT A RATE ABOUT 16,000 EAGLEBUCKS SPENT THROUGH THE WHOLE YEAR.
OUR NUMBERS KEEP RISING AND THOSE EAGLEBUCKS ARE GIVEN OUT TO OUR STUDENTS FOR GREAT BEHAVIORS, WHETHER IT BE ACADEMIC OR JUST FLAT OUT BEHAVIOR.
IF YOU ASK, DO THEY WORK? WE'VE ACTUALLY STOPPED A COUNTERFEITING RING GOING. WE KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE ALSO HAVE STUDENTS THAT WILL USE THEIR EAGLEBUCKS TO BUY CHIPS FROM FRIENDS OR SNACKS FROM FRIENDS.
IF YOU ASK IF EAGLEBUCKS ARE IMPORTANT THINGS, THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A COUNTERFEIT RING, AND I'M NOT JOKING WITH THAT.
I WANT TO FOCUS IN ON OUR ACADEMIC SIDE RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ELA AND OUR MATH GOALS.
I KNOW, TERRY, YOU ASKED KELLY SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHAT WE DO IS IT'S AN AVERAGE SCORE BETWEEN FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE AND OBVIOUSLY AS FIFTH GRADERS BECOME SIXTH GRADE, THE GROUP MOVES.
LAST YEAR'S GROUP, WE TOOK OFF THE BOOKS, NOW WE'RE BRINGING ON A NEW GROUP OF STUDENTS, WHICH ARE FIFTH GRADERS.
WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE BASE AVERAGE AND THEN WE GO AHEAD AND WRITE A GOAL SURROUNDING THAT DATA.
YOU HAVE A CHART IN FRONT OF YOU THAT WE GAVE YOU.
THIS IS A REPRESENTATION AT AMBOY MIDDLE SCHOOL OF OUR STATE SCORES ON THE ESPA OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
OUR SCORES HAVE INCREASED EVERY SINGLE YEAR, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A NEW GROUP COMING IN EACH THING.
THE REASON THAT WE STRONGLY FEEL THAT IS HAPPENING IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE BUILDING.
WE HAVE SYSTEMS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE FOR OUR ACADEMIC AND IT'S BASED ON OUR PLC.
EVERY WEDNESDAY, WE GET THE CHANCE TO WORK TOGETHER AND OUR TEAMS COME TOGETHER AND THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT ESSENTIAL STANDARD DO WE NEED TO FOCUS IN ON TO GET THESE KIDS PASSING THAT STATE STANDARD.
WE'LL HAVE AN AVERAGE OF 13 TO 14 TEAMS EACH CYCLE, WHICH WE HAVE FOUR CYCLES WITHIN THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE USE EVERY BIT OF THAT TIME.
WE COULD USE ANOTHER COUPLE DAYS.
WHEN YOU GIVE TEACHERS TIME AND DATA, THEY WILL FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET KIDS OVER THAT LINE.
YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY THAT OUR PROCESSES AND OUR SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE AT AMBOY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE ARE A COLLABORATIVE TEAM, AND THAT IS NOT JUST FROM OUR CERTIFICATED STAFF, THAT'S ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OUR JANITORS.
EVERYBODY IS WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO GIVE THESE KIDS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN.
THAT IS NOT JUST FOCUSING ON JUST GENERAL ED STUDENTS, THAT'S FOCUS ON SPED STUDENTS, ML STUDENTS,
[00:55:01]
EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN.ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WHEN YOU DO A PLC PROCESS LIKE THAT IS TO FIGURE OUT THE INTERVENTION PIECE, THE TIER 2 SIDE OF THINGS.
TIER 1 HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM WHERE THE TEACHERS DOING THEIR CRAFT.
THEY'RE DOING THEIR DAILY LESSONS, FOCUS ON THE STANDARDS, BUT WHEN YOU COME TO A TIER-2 LEVEL, THAT'S HARD.
WHEN YOU HAVE A SCHEDULE THAT DICTATES TIME, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE INTERVENE FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT DO NOT MEET THE GOAL THAT IS WRITTEN FOR THOSE CYCLES.
OUR SCHOOL SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN THAT WAIVER DAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE FOCUS IN ON THESE 60 KIDS THAT NEED THIS INTERVENTION FOR MATH, ELA, HISTORY, WHATEVER THE GOAL IS.
THEN WHAT DO WE DO WITH THOSE 90 STUDENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY MET THE GOAL TO GIVE THEM AN ENHANCEMENT EXPERIENCE.
ON OUR WAIVER DAYS, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME JUST FOCUS ON INTERVENTION AND ENHANCEMENT BASED OFF OF OUR GOALS.
BUT OUR STAFF IS DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB AND THEY EMBRACE THIS AND IT'S OUR CULTURE.
WHEN YOU WALK IN, THIS IS OUR CULTURE.
WE ARE TEACHING AND WE'RE INTERVENING ENHANCEMENT.
I THINK THAT CHART THAT WE GAVE YOU REALLY DOES AS A TESTAMENT TO THE AMBOY HARD WORK.
IF I'M CORRECT, WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD THE INCREASE IN BOTH AREAS ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT TO IS OUR LOW INCOME NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS AS WELL.
WE ARE ALSO AT 16.4% PERCENTAGE OF SPED STUDENTS.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR LOW INCOME INCREASING AND OUR SPED INCREASING AS WELL, OUR STATE TESTING IS INCREASING.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BEHAVIOR DATA, I DO BELIEVE IT IS GOING DOWN.
NOW, WE MAY HAVE INCREASED OUR BEHAVIOR DATA THIS FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT WE WANTED TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE THAT WE DON'T TOLERATE SOME OF THE ACTIONS.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO A SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT CLOSING GAPS.
I DO BELIEVE OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN SHOWCASES THE GAPS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CLOSE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INTERVENTION AND ENHANCEMENT.
BUT ANOTHER AREA THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO FOCUS IN ON WAS OUR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS.
I'M GOING TO PASS THE MICROPHONE OVER TO LAURIE, WHO'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR INCLUSION JOURNEY THAT WE ARE ON OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND FINDING SUCCESS.
TO MY AWESOME PARTNER, MISS LAURIE.
>> THANKS, NICK. APPRECIATE IT.
WE JUMPED ON INCLUSION JOURNEY LAST YEAR, MID YEAR, STARTING SECOND SEMESTER.
THE REASON WE STARTED THAT IS THAT WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A GAP WITH OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN SPECIAL ED.
LOOKING AT THAT GAP, WE TOOK IT TO THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND WE SAID, OUR STUDENTS WITH THE SMARTER BALANCED TEST ARE NOT MEETING WHAT THE STATE IS EXPECTING OUR STUDENTS TO MEET IN THIS SUBGROUP.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? LEADERSHIP TEAM CAME TOGETHER, YES, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? LET'S THINK OUT THIS SIDE THE BOX.
WHO DO WE NEED TO TALK TO? I WENT DOWN THE JOURNEY, AND I APPRECIATED THE HELP FROM THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT, WORKED CLOSELY WITH KELLY CLAY, JANE GOODWIN, LAST YEAR, AND KRISTINE COX, WHO CAME OUT AND THEY DID A INCLUSIONARY READINESS SURVEY WITH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE NAIL DOWN THE ISSUE OR WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT WE FOUND OUT FROM THAT SURVEY IS THAT THE BIGGEST AREA WAS COLLABORATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR CLASSROOM AND SPED TEACHERS.
FOR AN EXAMPLE, IF NICK WAS A SPECIAL ED TEACHER, AND I WAS A GEN ED TEACHER, AND LILY WAS A STUDENT, THAT'S GETTING US TO COME TOGETHER AND COLLABORATE AND TALK ABOUT THE STUDENT AND THE SPECIAL NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE MET AND THE SKILLS.
THEN WE ALSO GAVE AN INCLUSIONARY PRACTICE RUBIC TO OUR TEACHERS, SO THEY COULD SEE THE PERSPECTIVE.
IF NICK'S A SPECIAL ED AND I'M A GEN ED, WE WOULD EACH TAKE A SURVEY ON EACH OTHER WITHOUT EACH OTHER'S KNOWLEDGE, WHAT IS THE LENS THAT NICK IS SEEING ABOUT ME? AM I COLLABORATING ABOUT LILY OR VICE VERSA? THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
WE IMPROVED OUR GOAL LAST YEAR FROM DEVELOPING TO MEETS, AND THEN THIS YEAR IT WAS INTERESTING, THE DATA WAS FLIPPED.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
STARTING SECOND SEMESTER, OUR EIGHTH GRADE TEAM DECIDED WE WANT TO TRY THIS INCLUSION JOURNEY.
WE HAD SOME HELP FROM THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT AND MAPPING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH THE SCHEDULES AND SPECIAL ED TEACHER AND THEIR PARENTS PUSHING INTO CLASSES.
[01:00:02]
WE WANTED TO ALLOW THEM TO TAKE RISKS.IT'S OKAY TO TRY SOME TEAMING STRATEGIES.
IT'S OKAY TO TRY THINGS, AND LET'S WORK THROUGH IT TOGETHER. IT WAS REALLY EXCITING.
IN FACT, OUR DATA ON THE LEVEL FROM THE STATE WENT UP A TINY BIT.
WE MAY HAVE GROWN A HALF AN INCH, BUT HEY, WE'LL TAKE A HALF AN INCH WHERE WE CAN. THAT WAS EXCITING.
THIS YEAR, WE REALLY DIVED INTO DOING FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE.
THE STAFF WAS ON BOARD. LET'S DO IT.
THERE ARE CHALLENGES ANYTIME THERE'S A CHANGE, AS ONE OF OUR SPECIALIZED TEACHERS LAST WEEK TOLD ME, LAURIE, MAKE SURE THEY KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT MINDSET.
IT'S LIKE OPENING UP YOUR CLASSROOM, SAYING, "HI, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME INTO MY CLASSROOM AND TEACH WITH ME." THAT WAS A BIG SWITCH IN SOME BUMPS ALONG THE ROAD, BUT REALLY ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
THIS YEAR, WHEN WE STARTED WITH OUR EAGLE I JOURNEY, EAGLE AND INCLUSION, WE REALLY FOCUSED ON ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
THEY'RE NOT JUST MY STUDENTS, THEY'RE OUR STUDENTS.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR STUDENTS WITH IEPS OR INDIVIDUALLY EDUCATION PLANS, THEY'RE IN CORE CLASSES, THEY MIGHT BE IN SPECIAL ED CLASSES.
WHEN THE SPECIAL ED TEACHERS AND THEIR PARAPROFESSIONALS WHO ARE PHENOMENAL ARE PUSHING INTO THE CLASSROOM, OUR STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING CORE INSTRUCTION.
A SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT WHO MAY READ AT A FIRST GRADE LEVEL IS RECEIVING SEVENTH GRADE CORE INSTRUCTION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
THE SPECIAL ED TEACHER OR PARA IS THERE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THAT AND BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS SO THEY CAN LEARN.
THIS HAS BEEN REALLY EXCITING.
THE TEAMS HAVE REALLY WORKED ON THAT SHARED OWNERSHIP OF OUR KIDS, NOT POINTING FINGERS.
THIS IS YOUR FAULT THAT THESE KIDS ARE STRUGGLING, AND THIS IS YOUR FAULT.
WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
NICK AND I BOTH HAVE PROVIDED SOME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR TEAMS, LOOKING AT STRATEGIES THAT THEY CAN USE, WHETHER IT'S MIXED GROUPINGS OR STATION TEACHING.
I JUST WENT TO OBSERVE A CLASS WHERE THE SPECIAL ED TEACHER AND THE GEN ED TEACHER, THEY WERE WORKING AS ONE.
THEY WERE THE TEACHERS, AND IT'S NOT LABELED, "HEY, THE SPECIAL ED TEACHER IS HERE TODAY." IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. IT'S A TEAM.
THEY WERE IN THERE AND THEY HAD DIFFERENT STATIONS GOING ON, AND THE KIDS WERE ALL GOING THROUGH AND ALL STUDENTS ARE GETTING THE HELP NEEDED.
THEN I HAVE A BOOK STUDY GOING ON FOR ANY STAFF THAT WANT TO BE PART OF, AND EVERYBODY HAS THE BOOKS CALLED YOUR STUDENTS, MY STUDENTS, OUR STUDENTS, AND THAT GOES WITH OUR THEME OF FOCUS ON OUR STUDENTS.
THE COOL THING IS THEY'RE SO EXCITED AND IT'S GOING WELL, WE'RE STARTING ANOTHER BOOK STUDY IN JANUARY.
JUST HAVE TO GET MY CLOCK HOURS IN.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE REALLY WORKED WITH OUR STAFF ON WAS LEAVING THAT EGO AT THE DOOR.
WHEN YOU COME IN AND INVITE YOU INTO MY CLASSROOM, I HAVE TO LET LOOSE OF THOSE RINGS A LITTLE BIT AND SAY, "YEAH, YOU CAN COME IN AND LET'S DO THIS TOGETHER AND FOCUS ON THOSE SKILLS AND WORK TOGETHER." SOME CELEBRATIONS I'D LOVE TO SHARE IS REALLY JUST THAT MAKING SURE STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE CORE.
CORE TEACHING, STATE STANDARDS AT THEIR LEVEL.
STUDENTS WITH THE IEPS ARE RECEIVING THEIR MINUTES THAT THEY NEED.
SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE PULLED OUT AS WELL, RECEIVING THEIR SDI, WHICH IS SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION BY THEIR SPECIAL ED TEACHER, MAKING SURE THOSE SKILLS ARE MET, AND OF COURSE, WORKING WITH THE GEN ED TEACHERS ON WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON IN THAT AS WELL.
THEY'RE TRYING STRATEGIES TOGETHER.
THEY'RE TAKING THOSE RISKS, AND THEY'RE HAVING SOME PRETTY POWERFUL COLLEGIAL CONVERSATIONS.
>> THEY DID WANT ME TO SHARE THAT STARTING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IS MUCH EASIER THAN STARTING MID-YEAR, LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR.
BUT WE'RE SO PROUD OF OUR 5TH-8TH GRADE ALL TEAMING UP.
OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS THAT WORK WITH OUR SPECIAL ED TEACHERS.
THEY ARE JUST JOINING AT THE HIP.
THEY'RE PART OF OUR TEAM, WHICH IS VERY COOL.
THERE'S REALLY NOT AS MUCH OF A DIVISION, I WOULD SAY,
[01:05:03]
BETWEEN OUR SPECIAL ED TEAMS AND OUR GEN EDS; THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE.WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HOW WELL OUR TEAMS ARE DOING THIS INCLUSION JOURNEY.
WE HAVE THREE YEARS TO SHOW THE STATE THAT WE CAN TAKE OUR GAP THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, THAT WE CAN MOVE THEM UP.
IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEN WE'LL GO DOWN THE LEVEL AND HAVE TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE STATE.
THAT IS OUR KEY FOCUS, AND OUR STAFF IS LIKE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WE REALLY NEED MORE TIME.
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE, WE NEED MORE THIS.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE JUST WORKING AT WHERE WE'RE AT, AMBOY, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE KIDS WHERE THEY'RE AT AND WHAT WE HAVE.
IT'S WORKING REALLY WELL. WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR TEAM, AND WE KNOW CHANGE TAKES TIME, BUT WE'RE DOING IT DAY AT A TIME.
>> I WILL SPEAK TO WHAT LAURIE SAID WHEN THEY SAID STAFF STARTED, WE ACTUALLY STARTED OUR INCLUSION JOURNEY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT FROM DAVID THAT WE WERE SCORING BELOW IN THAT GAP WITH SPECIAL ED.
WE WENT TO OUR LEADERSHIP. LET'S TRY IT.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE ONE SPECIAL ED TEACHER THAT WENT THROUGH THE INCLUSION JOURNEY LAST YEAR ON HER OWN WORKING WITH SOME TEACHERS, SHE SAID IT WAS LIKE A RATED R MOVIE.
THIS YEAR, IT'S LIKE A G-RATED MOVIE.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THE OTHER SPECIAL ED TEACHER IS GOING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE CHANGED FEELINGS THAT THAT LAST TEACHER WENT AND SHE SAID, WELL, I DID THAT LAST YEAR.
YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING I WENT TOO.
BUT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT IS THAT ANYBODY WORKING TOGETHER YOU HAVE TO DROP AN EGO.
IF I'M WORKING WITH LAURIE, I NEED TO DROP MY EGO AT THE DOOR, TOO, JUST LIKE SHE DOES, AND WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE COLLABORATION IS CHANGING OVER FROM WHERE IT STARTED LAST YEAR.
LITTLE BIT OF FEAR OF LETTING GO OF THE RAINS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE ON THAT JOURNEY AND WE ARE MAKING THOSE LITTLE GAINS, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A BIG GAIN.
BUT TO MAKE SMALL GAINS IS VERY HARD AND TO HAVE OUR GROWTH DATA GO UP LIKE THIS IS VERY HARD AND IT'S ATTRIBUTE TO ALL OF OUR TEAMS.
>> ANOTHER GAIN THAT WE HAVE IS THAT ALL OF OUR RESOURCE TEACHERS ARE WORKING IN PLCS WITH GEN ED TEACHERS.
NOT IN THEIR OWN ISLAND, THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER DURING PLC TIME, WHICH IS A HUGE WIN.
>> I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SHOWCASE AMBOY A LITTLE BIT.
WE HAD THE BEST SYSTEMS WE POSSIBLY CAN THINK IN PLACE, AND IF WE DON'T, WE LEARN WHERE WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP SOME SYSTEMS AND WE WORK TOGETHER AS A COLLABORATIVE TEAM AND DO THE BEST WE CAN EACH AND EVERY DAY TO GIVE EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY.
>> FIFTEEN MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENT.
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT EXCUSE ME, I LOVE THAT YOU'RE PUSHING KIDS IN INTO THE GEN ED.
I TAUGHT ONE OF THE FIRST INTEGRATED PRESCHOOLS FOR CLARK COLLEGE, AND IT'S AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AS A TEACHER WHEN YOU HAVE OTHER PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE KIDS AND ALSO SUPPORTING THE PARENTS.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FOR KIDS THAT ARE IN SPECIAL ED IS TO NORMALIZE AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE LIKE THE OTHER KIDS.
I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, AND I LOVE THAT.
OUR PARENTS SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE IT'S EXCEPTIONAL.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THE THING THAT WE'RE LEARNING AS WE'RE DOING THIS JOURNEY OF THE CHANGE.
I THINK ONE THING THAT WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT IS HOW WE WRITE OUR IEP GOALS TO REALLY SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS IN THAT GEN SETTING.
BECAUSE LIKE LAURIE WAS SAYING, THEY'RE GETTING THE CORE INSTRUCTION WHERE THEIR IEP GOAL MIGHT BE WRITTEN AT A THIRD-GRADE LEVEL, AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT WE WANT THEM IN THE GENERAL ED SETTING.
THANK YOU, AND IT'S AWESOME TO SEE A KID THAT'S NOT IN SPED GOING, HEY, COME GIVE ME HELP.
I SAW THAT IN ACTION IN 8TH GRADE, LIKE AUTUMN, GET OVER HERE NOW.
THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT.
>> I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT AND JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
YOUR DATA, BRAVO, REALLY GOOD.
I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY REALIZES THIS IS NOT JUST THE GEN ED STUDENTS.
THIS DATA REPRESENTS ALL THE STUDENTS.
I THINK SOMETIMES THAT POINT IS MISSED WHEN WE LOOK AT SPAC DATA.
[01:10:05]
IT INCLUDES YOUR SPED STUDENTS.IT INCLUDES YOUR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS, AND THEY ARE NOT SEPARATED OUT FROM THIS DATA.
I LOVE YOUR CULTURE OF IMPROVEMENT.
IT'S VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT WHAT CAN WE IMPROVE ON AND SEEING THAT GAP AND ADDRESSING IT SO CLEARLY RIGHT AWAY.
I LOVED HEARING ABOUT IT WHEN WE CAME ON OUR VISIT.
I LOVE THAT YOU VALUE EVERY SINGLE STAFF MEMBER AND YOU'RE BRINGING THEM ALL ONTO THE TEAM THAT IT'S NOT THESE SEPARATE SILOS THAT EVERYBODY'S WORKING TOGETHER.
GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OTHER QUESTIONS.
>> I WOULD JUST PIGGYBACK ON THAT.
JUST HEARING ABOUT THE EAGLE BUCKS AND HOW POPULAR IT IS AND HOW IT'S GROWING.
NOT THAT I DID MYSELF, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, A SIMILAR PROGRAM, AND IT WAS LIKE THE HIGHLIGHT.
TO SEE THAT THOSE PROGRAMS STILL WORK AND INSPIRE STUDENTS AND THEY WANT TO DO GOOD, EVEN IF THEY'RE DOING A COUNTERFEIT RING. [LAUGHTER]
>> IT'S THEIR INGENUITY. [LAUGHTER]
I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT YOU POINTING OUT THAT YOU'RE ONE OF THE FEW SCHOOLS THAT HAD INCREASES FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
I JUST THINK IT'S WORTH SAYING AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU GUYS ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
>> I'LL TAKE OFF ON THAT COMMENT.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER SCHOOL OF KELLY AND LISA, ABOUT THE DROP.
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE HAD MORE TIME TO TALK WITH HER ABOUT HER INSIGHTS ON WHY THAT WAS.
>> YOU GUYS HAVE USED ALL THE TIME. WE BRING HER BACK.
BUT YOU SAID A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK SOMETIMES THE POSITIVE WAS JUST LIKE A HALF INCH.
SOMETIMES IT'S A HALF INCH NEGATIVE.
YOU SAID A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES, AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LOSE THAT, THAT YOU GO TO THE TEAM AND YOU SAY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, GUYS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO TACKLE THIS? YOU SAY.
YOU GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MISTAKE.
>> WELL, SOMETIMES THINGS DON'T GO THE WAY YOU WOULD HOPE.
THIS IS THE ADVENTURE WE'RE ON, AND WE'RE GROWING, AND WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS, I THINK. THANK YOU.
>> I THINK ONE OF OUR BIG THEMES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS JUST BEING VULNERABLE.
EVERY SINGLE INCREMENTAL GAIN THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PLC TEAMS, EACH CYCLE IS SUPPORTING THE END GOAL OF OUR SBM.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S VERY HARD TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPENING.
IF WE WERE TO GO DOWN, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE SUCCESS BECAUSE I COULD SHOW YOU EVERY CELEBRATION, EVERY CYCLE, BUT IT IS NICE TO SEE THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR AND WORKING TOGETHER AND SEEING THESE SCORES GO UP.
>> WHAT YOU DIDN'T SAY WAS MINDSET, YOUR MINDSET HAS ALWAYS BEEN, WE CAN DO THIS.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT LITTLE BIT OF A MINDSET THAT WE GOT TO HAVE, AND SOME OF US DON'T HAVE THAT QUITE YET.
>> ONE OTHER THING I WILL POINT OUT, WHEN WE TALKED TO OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WE SAID, WE CAN EITHER SIT FOR THREE YEARS AND LET THE STATE COME IN AND TELL US HOW TO DO IT, OR WE CAN GO AHEAD AND FIGURE OUT OUR OWN PLANS NOW, AND THAT'S WHAT WE CHOSE TO DO, AND THAT'S WHAT OUR JOURNEY THAT WE'RE ON.
>> TED, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
>> ONE LAST THING AND I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO THE BEHAVIOR AND THE WAY YOU ADDRESS THE BEHAVIOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED TEACHING, I WAS TOLD DON'T SMILE UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING.
THE IDEA OBVIOUSLY IS GET THINGS UNDER CONTROL EARLY.
WHILE I DON'T ASCRIBE TO THAT, I THINK THAT IT'S TRUE THAT WHEN KIDS COME BACK IN THE FALL, IF WE'RE NOT CONSISTENT, IF WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE OUR SYSTEMS IN PLACE, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS.
GOOD ON YOU FOR HAVING THAT IN PLACE AND FOR USING IT AND USING IT WELL. THANK YOU.
>> I THINK I'LL ADD TO THAT WE'VE HAD A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT.
THERE'S A GREAT QUOTE AS WHO WE ARE IS HOW WE LEAD.
BOTH AMBOY AND YACOLT IT'S WHO YOU ARE ECHOES ON HOW YOU LEAD YOUR SCHOOLS, AND IT SHOWS IN YOUR DATA.
IT SHOWS HOW YOU SPEAK ABOUT YOUR STAFF.
I DON'T THINK EITHER ADMIN TEAM SAID,
[01:15:01]
THIS IS WHAT I DO.TONIGHT WE'VE HEARD THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.
THIS IS OUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT SETS BATTLEGROUND APART IS THAT'S REALLY REFLECTIVE OF THE LEADERSHIP HERE AND THEN IT'S JUST SHOWCASED AND ECHOED WITH NICK AND LAURIE AND KELLY AND LISA.
I'M THANKFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR STAFF AND FAMILIES.
THEN, ALSO, TOBY, YOU WERE ON THE TOUR.
I JUST THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK UP TOO.
>> IS HONESTLY EXPECTED, SEEING YOUR GUYS' ENVIRONMENT AND SEEING POSITIVE INCREASE ACROSS FOUR YEARS, WHICH IS HONESTLY, REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST IS JUST BECAUSE THE SMARTER BALANCE TEST IS DIFFICULT.
LIKE I'VE TAKEN IT BEFORE IN ALL MY YEARS OF SCHOOLING.
JUST YOUR GUYS' ABILITY TO KEEP THE CONSISTENCY OF INCREASING IS JUST REALLY IMPRESSIVE TO ME.
JUST LIKE THIS WHOLE THING IS JUST REALLY IN DEPTH.
I THINK THAT IN DEPTHNESS IS WHY YOU GUYS ARE SO SUCCESSFUL.
ALSO, YOUR SCHOOL IS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE THING AND NICK SAID IT WELL WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT BEING VULNERABLE.
I THINK THAT BOTH BUILDINGS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED THE WAY LAURIE DESCRIBED THE VULNERABILITY BETWEEN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AND THE GEN ED TEACHER AS THEY WERE TALKING.
THAT WAS A WELL PAINTED PICTURE THAT I HAD NOT STOPPED TO REFLECT ON UNTIL YOU SAID IT THAT WAY.
BUT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE TWO OF YOU, AS WELL AS CERTAINLY KELLY AND LISA, WHEN WE VISITED EARLIER ON OUR BOARD TOURS THIS YEAR, WE JUST HEARD IT OVER AND OVER.
THERE IS A CULTURE OF TRUST THAT IS LIKE IT'S JUST SO STRONG IN THOSE STAFF.
I THINK OUR LEADERS ARE REALLY DOING A FINE JOB, BEING VULNERABLE THEMSELVES AND THEN SHOWING THAT THERE'S SAFETY IN THAT.
I THINK WHEN WE DON'T TAKE RISKS AND WE PLAY IT SAFE, WE DON'T SEE THAT GROWTH.
JUST TAKING THOSE RISK AND BUILDING THAT VULNERABILITY OF YOURSELVES AND YOUR STAFF, I THINK IT'S A POSITIVE DIRECTION THAT YOU'VE GOT GOING AND I JUST THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WORK, I APPRECIATE IT.
>> CAN I SAY SOMETHING? I WANT TO SAY FROM A LEADERS STANDPOINT, WE HAVE BOSSES AND LEADERS, TOO, AND I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR LEADERSHIP FOR BEING CONSISTENT WITH THIS PLC PROCESS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE DOING THAT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IF YOU GIVE TEACHERS THE TIME, THEY WILL USE THEIR ENERGY AND LOOK AT THE DATA AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO SOLVE THESE THINGS.
I JUST WANT TO PUT ANOTHER PLUG THAT OUR CONSISTENCY WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, FOCUSING ON THE PLC CYCLE, AND DAVID KENNEDY IN HIS DIRECTION, I JUST WANT TO KUDOS TO YOU BECAUSE IT IS HARD SOMETIMES CHANGING EACH AND EVERY YEAR TO NEW THINGS, AND I FEEL BATTLEGROUND HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF BEING CONSISTENT. THANK YOU, LEADERSHIP.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS.
I DID WANT TO ALSO EMPHASIZE THE NEXT TIME WE'LL BE TOGETHER IS JANUARY 26TH.
ON THAT DAY, IT'S ALSO A 4:00 WORK SESSION.
SUMMIT VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, WILL BE REPRESENTING OUR ALE SCHOOLS.
FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR, OUR REPRESENTATIVE IS PIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.
I WILL ALSO MAKE A POINT TO GET YOU THE STUDENT QUALITY, STUDENT SUCCESS, DATA METRICS WHEN THOSE ARE RELEASED BY THE STATE.
IN JANUARY, WE'LL PUT AN ADDENDUM TO YOUR FOLDERS TO GET YOU THAT DATA PRIOR TO THAT DATE.
THEY DIDN'T GIVE US AN EXACT DATE.
I'M ASSUMING BEFORE JANUARY 26, FINGERS CROSSED.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT OUR INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT ALSO, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE IN A STRANGE TRANSITION HERE TONIGHT.
AS DAVID'S TALKING ABOUT JANUARY 26, I'M THINKING, WELL, REALLY, YOU'RE TALKING TO THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU AND BESIDES YOU.
>> CAN I REDO THAT? ON JANUARY 26.
>> I THINK A COUPLE OF PEOPLE MAY HAVE DECLINED THE INVITE.
[LAUGHTER] ALSO, WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE BOARD TOURS FOR THOSE TWO SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE DID DO BOARD TOURS FOR AMBOY AND YACOLT ALREADY THIS YEAR, AND WE WILL BE LOOKING TO DATES SO THAT YOU CAN ALSO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT
[01:20:05]
THIS INFORMATION BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 26.>> WE'RE HOPING WE ASK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, SCHOOL BOARD.
THANK YOU TO NICK LAURIE, KELLY AND LISA FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WILLINGNESS AND VULNERABILITY TO SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US THIS EVENING.
VERY APPRECIATED. THIS CONCLUDES OUR WORK SESSION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS PART 1, AND WE WILL STAY TUNED FOR THE SEQUEL COMING IN JANUARY.
I JUST FEEL THE NEED TO GIVE THEM SOME APPLAUSE.
[APPLAUSE] BOTH SCHOOLS. WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN THIS SPECIAL SESSION AT, GIVE ME A TIME. 5:26. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.