5-24-07 SIT MINUTES
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM MEETINGMAY 24, 2007
Georgia Kouris welcomed everyone to our last School Improvement Team meeting of the school year. The minutes of March 1st, 2007 were read and approved.
Attendance:
Present: Nancy Wolber, Bob Abney, Lori Bebber, Perry Bentsen, Tad Birdett, Chris Elsberg, Georgia Kouris, Courtney Stone, Burt Wymore, Sheila Burns
Everyone was given a copy of the Action Plan and Mrs. Kouris informed us that the budget estimates had been added to it. Mrs. Kouris stated that she and Dr. Anderson presented the Action Plan to the cabinet for review, and acceptance is in progress. The cabinet responded with what they have accepted and had further questions. When the Cabinet approves it, it will go before the School Board for approval. The priority will be money, and we expect most of the plan to be approved.
CRISS training for teachers will be paid with Respro grant money; with 2 days of training, 2 days of strategies, and in the fall an administrator will observe the teachers in a classroom to see how it is implemented.
The Focus Team Leaders gave presentations of 2006 FT progress:
Focus Team 3: Career and Vo Tech was presented by Perry Bentsen.
In December they started working on career strands. There are a lot of state requirements involved with the culinary classes. They are looking at strands for CNT/nursing with Trinity Hospital. In talking with community businesses they would be interested in having internships with high school students, but they do not have anyone within to coordinate it, and it would need to be coordinated through the school. Perry talked about the document that he and Pete Carlin put together of classes offered at RIHS and what classes would be needed for different career paths and if we can offer them. We have hired a liaison person for summer, Mal Austin who will help us build public relations, study community needs, and work with the Focus Team to develop classes for career strands. Mr. Austin is a retiring VoTech teacher/coordinator from Camanche, Iowa, with 33 years of experience.
Nancy Wolber explained to us the progress of Focus Team #1. The PBIS group is making a video to be shown at the beginning of school regarding discipline, behavior, and high expectations using students in our school environment.
They are looking at Twilight School: offering some classes with flexible scheduling for students and staff, such as classes starting at 10 am and going till 5 pm instead of just the 8 -3 times. We may offer credit recovery classes which would be offered during summer school or twilight classes. Teachers support not having repeat students in their classes.
Courtney Stone talked about Focus Team #5.
They want to get the 9th graders involved with school by having a sport & club fair. Advisory will meet every day, for the first 10 minutes of the day, but on Wednesday will meet for 35 minutes. Each class will follow a curriculum created by focus Group #5. Academy teachers will have new 9th graders each year but other teachers will have the same students in their advisory for 3 years. Students will get a pass/fail grade, which will be placed on their academic transcripts. After successful completion of advisory class, each student will receive π credit yearly. Currently, the advisory program curriculum is being written. We plan to make an on site visit to Davenport North High School to observe their current advisor program in August.
Focus Team #2 Literacy and Numeracy. Mike Hawley was absent, so Georgia explained that Bob Mann helped with the numeracy plan. We want to establish math labs, and purchase T183 calculators for next year. Literacy: Next year we will have 15 computers in the lab, and will expand to 30 the following year. We are purchasing software programs this year.
FT #4 Transitions. Craig Allison is the facilitator of this group, but was unable to attend, and Georgia explained what they are doing. The high school committee is articulating with Jr. High and elementary teachers and is working to make a smooth transition in English and Math to the high school level. They have written goals and are working on how to implement these goals. The goal is to have all students enter high school at the Algebra 1 level in 9th grade. We are very excited about the Warehousing/Logistics class that will be offered to senior students, and we are expanding our dual enrollment classes, where students receive college credit college while still in high school.
We also discussed that our grade school students may not have enough enriched science built into their course load.
Lou McLaughlin‚s committee is developing a senior portfolio for RIHS students.
Freshman Academy:
Bob Abney, Freshman Coordinator said this year has been about team building, and making students more accountable. Teachers have made many phone calls and contact with freshman parents. The Academy teachers would like to incorporate an honor ceremony for the freshman students next year.
Sheila Burns, Educational Consultant from ROE discussed the timetable and requirement for writing and submitting our E-plan to the State of Illinois. We will most likely begin the work in October of 2007 and submit in March of 2008. The entire School Improvement Team will be involved in the process.
Next year we will be changing the name of the Focus Teams to the Implementation Teams. The groups will meet the last Thursday of every month, except in August, from 1:30 ˆ 3:25 pm. We need parents and community members to be a part of these teams. We would like to have 2-4 parents and community partners per team. We also would like more parents involved on the School Improvement Team. Lori Bebber will ask her PTA people for parents and retirees to join some of these teams. Our next meeting will be August 30th, at 2:30 pm.
Georgia thanked everyone for attending the meetings, participating in the restructuring of RIHS, and providing valuable leadership for our school and district.
The meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol DePron
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