Absent: Michael Scherger
- Housekeeping Issues
- Introductions: All attendees introduced themselves.
- Secretary and Meeting Minutes: Lisa Stone volunteered to take minutes for the first meeting. After that we may rotate taking minutes.
- Meeting Schedule: Anticipate meetings to occur on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 5:30 and to last 90 minutes. In case of a scheduling conflict meeting will be pushed a week. Actual schedule posted on handout. We will plan to meet every other month without Mr. C in order to facilitate open discussion, but Mr. C will keep all meetings on his calendar in case his attendance is requested.
- Sponsoring a Parent Information Night on Assessments: Mr. C has asked the LSAT to sponsor a parent information night on assessments. The objective of the event is to educate parents on what assessments the school does, what they really involve in the classroom (i.e. how much time) and how the school uses them. Event will cover all standardized assessments, including a discussion of the results of last year’s DC–‐CAS. The plain is to use live PIA data to show what they see and how teachers use the data. LSAT will ask the HSA to pay for babysitting. Event is tentatively scheduled for October 17 at 7:00 following LSAT meeting. Mr. C asked LSAT to send him any suggestions for items to address. Instructional coaches will do the “heavy lifting” on the presentation. LSAT will communicate to parents the importance of participating in testing and how it adds value to school.
- Community Rep: LSAT did not have one last year but agree this position could provide valuable perspective. We will try using Basecamp as method to share ideas on community rep (and other LSAT business).
- Enrollment Update: In DC registration system we have 621 students, but we actually have 626 students in the school. Janney has 628. Last year’s enrollment project for this year was 601. Mr. C asking his instructional superintendent how many students we need to get an additional staff position, but it is likely we have already met that number.
- Rough enrollment by grade: 5th (80–‐82), 4th (96), 3rd (95), 2nd (82), 1st (97), k (103), Prek (60).
- If Murch gets another staff position, it most likely would be deployed in kindergarten, however, Mr. C will come back to the LSAT for advice on how to best utilize and introduce a new teacher. One option is to create a new kindergarten classroom. Another option would be to use a new teacher as a floater between the three current classrooms to assist in group work with students. If the school created a new kindergarten classroom (along with a district–‐paid aide), the logistics for integrating the new teacher would likely be as follows:
- Classroom options include the new library media room, room 100 (and move geography), Ben 3, or Ben 8. Mr. C’s preference is for any K classroom to be in the main building and not in a portable classroom.
- Possible process for introducing new staff member: After hiring teacher, school will offer meet and greet to all K parents, followed by two–‐week transition period during which new teacher is in existing classrooms and getting to know the students. Finally, the school would solicit volunteers. We had an open discussion regarding whether current teachers should play a role in reassignment without any resolution. If Murch is assigned a new teacher, Mr. C will come back to LSAT for advice on how to best utilize and introduce the new teacher.
- Comprehensive School Plan: On Monday, September 30, Mr. C meets with Chancellor Henderson about Murch’s goals for the year: a. Based on input from school leadership team, data, and other sources, Mr. C is proposing the following four goals for Murch this year:
- Improve student performance in ELA to 86% proficient or above
- Improve student performance in Math to 86% proficient or above
- Improve student achievement for math and reading by reducing failure rate of subgroups by 15%
- Create inclusive child–‐centered environment for students who are not regular ed students. These include special ed, ELL, FARM, and former special ed or EEL students. b. Strategies for achieving these goals
- Significant focus on differentiation in instruction throughout all classrooms this year. Some teachers attended special training and will be differentiation teacher coaches.
- Establish confidential data wall for individual students that track progress throughout the year.
- DC–‐CAS. We had a lengthy discussion of Murch’s DC–‐CAS scores from last year. Among other things, the following points were touched upon.
- Data from last year’s test revealed the existence of a group of regular ed students that didn’t pass (in addition to subgroups) and we don’t know why. School is directing intervention to identified students, using data wall to track progress.
- Possible factors contributing to lower scores:
- 5th grade has 6 days of testing in a row. Really long and they tire by the end. Scores may suffer by day 6.
- DC–‐CAS is not aligned to common core. Teachers did not learn that fact until March 2013 and then had a few weeks to “catch up” and teach non–‐common core standards that would be on the CAS.
- Discussion about whether there are additional kids who are passing the CAS as proficient but are getting additional support outside the school.
- Additional possible steps school could take to respond to scores:
- Grade–‐level after school teacher support – homework help. (After 3:30 must be voluntary under union contract.) Teachers on LSAT should be activists in supporting the School Improvement Plan.
- ELL plans to have a parent evening for those families in order to establish and strengthen the school–‐home connection.
- Should LSAT host evenings to educate parents on what they can do to support their kids?
- Teachers could establish plan early in year for kids who need support (but not identified for intervention) and meet with parents before first conference to discuss plan.
- How do we support families where parents can’t help? New ipads and chrome books may help.
- Raw Second Grade CAS results: a total of 96 students tested
- ELA: advanced (26); proficient (49); basic (11); below basic (6)
- Math: advanced (38); proficient (42); basic (14); below basic (2)
- Special Note on DC–‐CAS scores: DC Council had a hearing today on DC–‐CAS scores. OSSE calculated scores this year in a manner that is more favorable. OSSE agreed to release new data early next week.