Kennewick School Board Meeting February 8, 2011 5:30 PM Adjournment at 8:49 PM
Board member Kathy White was absent.
Business:
• Vic Roberts reported KSD has received $88,256. from OSPI as an energy grant to offset district costs for upgrading lighting.
• Discussion of the KSD Strategic Plan continued. There was a climate of “thinking out loud” when considering the proposed North Star goals but the potential impacts on existing and future programs, staffing, costs, training, testing and expectations of students cannot be overstated. Tests are driving KSD curriculum and college preparation is the primary goal for students. See details below.
• There was brief discussion of the new third grade reading goal. Wendy London inquired about the meaning of the goal in the context of the statistical possibility of achieving the goal. Lynn Fielding responded that KSD has met the previous goal and there are no issues regarding that.
KSD Strategic Plan
For a review of background information, see KSD School Board Report of January 26.
Potential Goals –
Determine and reverse the cause of reading loss in 6th grade against national standards and especially in the college bound populations of the top 30%.
Data shows 67% of 5th graders read at the 50th percentile or higher but that drops to 61% of 6th graders, 64% of 7th graders, 57% of 8th graders and 64% of 9th graders.. It was noted that 60% of students scoring above the 50th percentile are not making annual growth (4 points).
Strategies are to research effects on students, comparing end of 5th grade and end of 6th grade MAP results to look for where decline is occurring.
Implications are increased time for reading instruction in middle school, comparing concepts being taught to concepts being tested, more focus on concepts being tested and adoption of new curriculum.
This was not adopted as a North Star goal.
85% of KSD students will successfully master (C or better) Algebra 1-2 in the 8th grade.
Dave Bond stated that math achievement correlates with success in college. Students passing more advanced math classes are 12 times more likely to graduate with a four year degree. KSD experience is that students who pass 8th grade algebra also pass the WASL. His policy has been to allow any 8th grade students requesting algebra to take the class.
Among the strategies offered to achieve this goal was realigning the curriculum and pacing guides to condense 9 years of math into 8 years. Another was to combine 3 years of middle school math into 2 years. More teachers would be trained to teach algebra or more middle school teachers would be hired with math certification. Math instruction and support time for students not mastering content would be increased during the school day as well as before and after school.
Implications for KSD are a shortage of math teachers, having appropriate math materials, the loss of elective classes, staff training costs, costs to develop new pacing guides and managing math sequence for transfer students from other districts who are about 8% to 10% of students. The school board may have to add a requirement for additional math for high school juniors and seniors.
I paraphrase selected comments from the discussion:
Bond – Now, the state expects students to study algebra in the 9th grade with 8th grade student s studying pre-algebra. KSD will make algebra available to all 8th grade students in the fall of 2011. Responding to a comment about applied math classes like those at Tri-Tech, Bond said applied math does not prepare students to pass the state math test.
Adams – 8th grade algebra should be the norm. Suggested applied math for high school juniors and seniors.
Fielding – The U.S. needs to be competitive with the world and this goal will move us in that direction.
Kintzley – Agrees with the goal but is uncomfortable attaching a specific numerical value to it.
London – KSD has just adopted a new math curriculum aligned with state standards and has paid the costs for new materials and staff training. This goal is appropriate for students who choose it but KSD is not prepared systemically to pursue this goal. Concerned about continued narrowing of KSD curriculum.
Baskaran – He completed algebra while in the 6th grade and believes many more students can do 8th grade algebra.
After changing the goal to 75% of students the board voted 3 to 1 to adopt this as a North Star goal.
Increase the number of students taking AP and IB classes and earning scores of 3 (AP) and 4 (IB).
Strategies include requiring students to take the PSAT and AP exams, training staff to teach AP and IB classes, developing additional pre-AP and pre-IB classes, offering a greater diversity of AP courses and requiring all students to pass one AP course for high school graduation.
Implications for KSD are costs for the PSAT for all sophomores and juniors, costs for teacher training, paying for AP and IB tests for all enrolled students and having non-AP classes filled with less academically focused students.
No board action tonight.
Increase the number of students scoring 1650 or higher on the SAT or 24 or higher on the ACT.
Strategies would be requiring all students to take the SAT or ACT, requiring all students to take a college prep curriculum, requiring all 10th and 11th grade students to take the PSAT for baseline information and requiring students to use the College Board’s “My College Quickstart”.
Implications for the district include added costs, resistance from students who are not college bound and reduction of course offerings to non-college bound students.
Bond noted in his experience there are high school athletes who would be selected for college scholarships but who do not qualify for college entrance. The goal would be to drive test scores up.
London suggested this should be a broader, more flexible goal.
No board action tonight.
Increase the number of graduates meeting HEC (Higher Education Coordinating) Board requirements.
Bond noted that 30% of KSD students complete a one year program at Tri-Tech.
Strategies would be requiring World Language for all students and requiring math or combined math and science for all seniors.
Implications are changing KSD graduation requirements, reducing high school electives (except World Languages), reducing options to attend Tri-Tech or to explore other career programs, reducing Career and Technical Education (CTE) options and needing more World Language and math and science teachers.
Adams wants to open doors for all students to attend college.
London is opposed because this is limiting school opportunities for students who are not college bound.
No board action tonight.
Increase the number of students who don’t need to take remediation classes at CBC after graduation to 85%.
Currently, about 50% of KSD graduates must take remedial math at CBC. CBC has acknowledged problems with its math classes and it was questioned whether CBC might have to review its standards.
KSD strategies could be requiring 4 years of high school math including pre-calculus, requiring math for all high school seniors, eliminating all non-college preparatory English classes and continuing the ASSET testing project with CBC.
Implications are changing high school staffing and providing fewer program options and choices for students.
Bond wants KSD to be more aggressive moving students to math competency entering CBC.
Adams believes having all seniors complete a year of math is essential.
Fielding and London question whether CBC requirements should drive the district math curriculum for all students.
No board action tonight.
Raise the extended graduation rate to 90%.
Currently, on-time KSD graduation rate is 69.8% and the extended graduation rate is 76%. Everett School District has employed Success Coordinators to raise their graduation rate to 90% from 79% in just three years.
Strategies are to collect accurate data, reduce F grades, increase the number of students entering high school prepared for high school work, hiring bilingual advocates, eliminating programs leading only to the GED and encouraging non-graduates to return to high school.
Implications are the cost of success coordinators and reducing program opportunities like Legacy and Phoenix.
The board voted unanimously to adopt this as a North Star goal.
Increase the number of students achieving annual growth.
This refers to RIT scores on MAP testing.
Strategies would be increasing instructional time for reading students not now at the 50th percentile, increasing the number of students in intervention programs and providing more staff and staff training.
Implications are the costs for programs, additional staff and staff training.
Increase the number of students in quartile 1 achieving 2 times annual growth.
This refers mainly to special education and second language learner students.
Strategies would be to develop better assessments to identify students needing specific interventions, increasing reading instructional time for students below the 5oth percentile, increasing the number of students in intervention programs, increase the number of staff working with students in intervention programs, increasing staff training, developing strong at-home reading programs, developing community partnerships to encourage reading and looking for successful intervention programs.
Implications are for costs of programs, additional staff and staff training.
Increase the number of students in quartile 2 achieving 1.5 times annual growth.
After discussion the board agreed that a district goal of having 75% of Kennewick students meeting their annual growth goal for reading would encompass the previous three goals.
Administration is charged with rewriting this goal with a version for staff and another for the public. The staff goal will be specific and detailed while the public version will be generic.
The board unanimously passed this as a North Star goal with 75% (top 25%) of Kennewick students meeting the national standard for annual reading growth.
The board agreed to review the remaining North Star goals during the meeting on February 23 at 5:30 PM.
This document is the calendar for KSD planning –
Strategic Planning Process
January
Broad goals and objectives are discussed at winter School Board retreat. (examples – 90% Reading Goal, Student Health plans, etc.) Board reviews the major North Star goals. In mid January, Board authorizes District to complete the data, and begin tweaking the text. Updating occurs at the last January meeting.
February
Before the 1st meeting, District prepares a draft of the White paper and a preliminary draft of a 2011-2012 strategic Plan incorporating them into intermediary and work plan objectives. Board members provide written comments – provide direction to Administration about changes to incorporate.
Before 2nd meeting, District updates the draft of White Paper and 2011-2012 Strategic Plan also circulated among School Board members. Vote taken in the final February meeting — documents readied to begin circulation among parents, community members, administrators and teachers during March.
March
District circulates the documents among stakeholders, asking for written comments.
District Administrators, Principals, and Teacher Leaders continue to design strategies and indicators to meet the School Board’s goals and objectives, and develop and revise the Strategic Plan based on those.
April
Administrative plan and indicators are circulated among School Board Members for comment and input. District Administrators, Principals, and Teacher Leaders review Board Members comments and input.
May
Early May: Annual Strategic Planning meeting is held with members of KEA, Administrators, Community Members, and District Administration to provide feedback to School Board.
End of May: Strategic Plan is adopted by the School Board.
June
July
August
Strategic Plan is presented to District Administrators at annual Leadership Retreat
The 8th grade algebra goal causes some concern on several levels. First is the assumption that students need multiple years of high school math to be successful in life. This is just not supported by the evidence, Here is a comment I made last June to the article on our site about college not being necessary for everyone:
A majority of jobs in the United States require Short-term On the Job
Training (one month or less) or Moderate-term On the Job Training (less than
one year) Only about 5% of all jobs might require advanced math and science
education. About 21% of jobs require a Bachelor’s Degree or more. See
Center for the Study of Jobs & Education in
Wisconsin and United States for the following report and others on jobs and
education.
289 Math & Science Employment and Employment Projections by Required
Education and Training Levels in the United States 2006-2016
By Dennis W. Redovich December 2007
This is the first of a series of Center reports that will be prepared from
the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) U. S. Employment
Projections 2006-2016 published in the Monthly Labor Review November 2007.
The ten-year projections of United States employment are prepared every two
years and are conveniently ignored by the popular media and the supporters
and critics of public education in the United States. Without any valid
evidence the critics of American public education continue to claim there is
a crisis in math and science education and that there is a serious shortage
of college graduates because of the poor preparation all students receive
for post-secondary education in American K-12 public schools. This is a
hoax.
Dennis Redovich 414-421-1120
Center for the Study of Jobs & Education in Wisconsin and United States
A second concern is the push to have large numbers of students take algebra in the 8th grade as opposed to when they show developmental readiness. Around the U.S., it appears that something like 35% of 8th graders have the cognitive development (their brains are ready) to understand the abstract nature of algebra, Others may be able to memorize content but will not be able to apply algebra beyond the examples given in instruction. The rest won’t get it at all. I just found a Washington Post article on the rush to 8th grade math . I know that over the years there have been many studies showing this is only appropriate for the students who already show readiness and that those who are enrolled too early in 8th grade algebra do not show up in higher level math classes later.
A more appropriate North Star goal would be to identify the mathematics developmental level of students beginning in about grade 6 or 7 and offer them algebra when they meet the standard.
The final big concern is that once again we are embarking on a standards-driven, top down change that is likely to narrow the opportunities of students. This goal is ostensibly designed to expand opportunities for students, but for many children it will force them into classes where they have little chance of success.
A large study of Middle School programs by EdSource confirms my earlier comment concerning readiness . Students should tak algebra when they have the necessary background, not at some arbitrary grade level.
The link to the EdSource document is http://www.edsource.org/release-middle-grades-math.html