Kennewick School Board Meeting October 26, 2011 5:30 PM Adjourned at 7:22 PM
Board members present: Dawn Adams, Heather Kintzley, Kathy White, Brian Brooks
Absent: Lynn Fielding, Maricarmen Garcia (student)
Business:
- A community member spoke about his concern with unresolved KSD payroll and tax deduction issues
- Superintendent Dave Bond presented the board with copies of the KSD Annual Report which will be available to the community on November 4 and will be distributed in a Sunday Tri-City Herald
- Bond noted that Governor Gregoire has notified school districts to prepare for even deeper budget cuts during the current school year
- Bond reported fall test results for Kindergarten and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). See details below.
- Loraine Cooper described the Community Workshop of September 30 as the major community outreach of Kennewick School District. She has prepared a video about the program and plans for increasing community participation next year.
- Ron Williamson presented proposed revisions to KSD’s PE waivers process. While the district PE staff is satisfied with the current policy, the board is looking for less rigorous alternatives. No changes will be made during this school year. More complete information will be available in December.
- Williamson presented the second reading of Policy No. 3122 Students: Excused and Unexcused Absences. Revisions requested by the board were described and the board voted unanimously to adopt the revised policy. See details below.
- Vic Roberts spoke about levy information intended to guide the board’s choice for next year’s levy vote. After some discussion the board voted unanimously to adopt a scenario leaving rates at the current rate the first year of the levy and raising the rate ten cents during the second year. The district levy committee will go to work informing the community to support the school levy. See details below.
Test Results
Kindergarten reading and math scores were presented. A minimum score of 30 points out of 100 is desired on the reading test. The math test has been revised and a minimum score of 60 points out of 100 is desired. 2011 fall math scores reflect the increased difficulty of the revised test. Generally, scores at district schools reflect the socio-economic status and home language of students attending those schools.
Download PDF: Kindergarten Assessment 2011
The MAP is now given to students in grades 1 through 10. Norms have changed for MAP test scores. Consequently, district reading test scores tend to be inflated while math scores are mixed with some grade norms easier and others more difficult. Middle school reading scores are lower than expected. KSD will emphasize teaching test taking skills to students in K through elementary grades so these students can score well on tests.
The KSD Math Goal is that 90% of students meet or exceed the 40th percentile, so while pages 20 to 22 use 50% for the illustration of new math norms, the reports show the data as it relates to the District Math Goal.
Download PDF: MAP data – Fall 2011
Excused and Unexcused Absences
This is the complete wording of the revised policy:
Regular school attendance is necessary for mastery of the educational program provided to students. It is recognized that, at times, students appropriately may be absent from class. Therefore, the following principles shall govern the development and administration of attendance procedures within the district:
Excused Absences
(Note: for item 1 the original wording is deleted and replaced with points A through J below.)
1. The following are valid excuses for absences from school:
A Participation in a district or school approved activity or instructional program;
B Illness, health condition or medical appointment (including but not limited to medical, counseling, dental or optometry);
C Family emergency, including but not limited to a death or illness in the family;
D Religious or cultural purpose including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction;
E Court, judicial proceeding or serving on a jury;
F Post-secondary, technical school or apprenticeship program visitation, or scholarship interview;
G State-recognized search and rescue activities consistent with RCW 28A.225.055;
H Absence directly related to the student’s homeless status;
I Absence resulting from a disciplinary/corrective action. (e.g., short-term or long-term suspension, emergency expulsion); and
J Principal (or designee) and parent, guardian, or emancipated youth mutually agreed upon approved activity.
The school principal (or designee) has the authority to determine if an absence meets the above criteria for an excused absence.
2. If an absence is excused, the student shall be permitted to make up any graded assignments and/or equivalent participation points all missed assignments outside of class under reasonable conditions and time limits established by the appropriate teacher(s).
3. An excused absence shall be certified by the parent in writing, or by the school authority responsible for the absence.
4. As a means of instilling values of responsibility and personal accountability, a student’s academic grade or credit in a particular subject or course may be adversely affected by reason of tardiness or unexcused absences only to the extent and upon the basis that:
a. The student’s attendance and participation is related to the instructional objectives or goals of the particular subject or course, and
b. The student’s attendance and/or participation has been identified by the teacher pursuant to the policy of the school district as a basis for grading, in whole or in part, in the particular subject or course.
Unexcused Absences
(Note: items 1 and 2 are new. Item 4 above has been moved to the unexcused absence category as 2)
1. Any absence from school for the majority of hours or periods in an average school day is unexcused unless it meets one of the criteria in #1 A-J above for an excused absence.
2. As a means of instilling values of responsibility and personal accountability, a student’s academic grade or credit in a particular subject or course may be adversely affected by reason of tardiness or unexcused absences only to the extent and upon the basis that:
a. The student’s attendance and participation is related to the instructional objectives or goals of the particular subject or course, and
b. The student’s attendance and/or participation has been identified by the teacher pursuant to the policy of the school district as a basis for grading, in whole or in part, in the particular subject or course.
2.3. The school shall notify a student’s parent or guardian in writing or by telephone whenever the student has incurred one unexcused absence (equivalent of one school day) within any month during the current school year. The notification shall include the potential consequences of additional unexcused absences. A conference with the parent or guardian shall be held after two unexcused absences (equivalent of two school days) within any month during the current school year. A student may be suspended or expelled for habitual truancy. Prior to suspension or expulsion, the parent shall be notified in writing in his/her primary language that the student has unexcused absences.
4. A conference shall be scheduled to determine what corrective measures should be taken to remedy the cause for the student’s absences from school. If the parent does not attend the conference, the parent shall be notified of the steps the district has decided to take to reduce the student’s absences.
5. Not later than the student’s fifth unexcused absence (equivalent of five school days) in a month the district shall enter into an agreement with the student and parents that establishes school attendance requirements, refer the student to a community truancy board or file a petition and affidavit with the juvenile court alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010.
6. If such action is not successful, the district shall file a petition and affidavit with the juvenile court alleging a violation of RCW 28A.225.010 by the parent, student, or parent and student no later than the seventh unexcused absence within any month during the current school year or upon the tenth unexcused absence during the current school year.
7. Students who are court ordered to return to school may be placed in an alternative learning setting until the next appropriate reentry point to the regular school setting.
8. All suspensions and/or expulsions shall be promptly reported in writing to the superintendent or designee. Policies and procedures shall be made available to parents and students upon request.
Potential Loss of Credit
Students who attend class are more likely to earn passing grades and credits toward graduation than students who are excessively absent. Therefore, absence limits have been established to promote student engagement in school. Excessive absences may lead to loss of credit as described in this section.
Parents will be notified of their student’s absences on the fifth, eighth, and twelfth absence.
After the 12th non-school-related absence in a semester, the high school student will be notified of the 12th absence to determine whether an attendance contract is appropriate.
In addition to the contract, and after the 12th non-school-related absence per semester in a given class, the classroom teacher, at his or her discretion, may forward to the building administration a notice of referral for denial of class credit. The classroom teacher, at his or her discretion, may thereafter rescind said notice, or having rescinded said notice, reinstate it any time for attendance and classroom work related behavior together with a brief explanation thereof, until a week before the meeting of the building Attendance Committee.
The building Attendance Committee shall be formed by the building principal or designee and shall review all timely referrals for denial of credit within a week after the completion of each semester and recording of grades and attendance. An affected student and parent shall be given timely notice and may appear at such review. The Attendance Committee shall consider relevant facts that include:
- Total number of absences in this and other semester classes,
- Pattern of absences in prior semesters,
- Whether the non-school related absences related to verified illness, emergencies within the family, and/or absences that have a significant family or educational related value, (a mitigated factor),
- Whether the student has earned an Athrough a C- in the course, (a mitigating factor),
- Whether the student has earned a D+ or D in the course, (a negative factor), or
- Whether the student has voluntarily been involved in other mitigating factors developed by the high school.
In the event of credit denial, the student and/or parents have the right to appeal to the building principal. In the event that the issue is still not resolved, the student and/or parents may appeal to the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education. In the event that this issue is still not resolved, the students and/or parent may appeal to the School Board following the procedure in Policy 3323-R2.
Each high school shall report the number of notice of referral for denial of class credit by teacher, the number of credits denied, and the summary of rationale. Current levels of attendance and graduation shall be baseline and reviewed with potential revision of this policy in September 2010.
Legal Reference: RCW 28A.225 Compulsory School Attendance
WAC 280-40 Pupils
Adopted: September 8, 1993
Revised: August 25, 2004
Revised: February 2008
School Levy
The board voted to adopt the levy rate which will raise $2,053,424 over two years - on page 11 of this presentation.
Download PDF: BoardReport_Levy_Info_Oct_26
