Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

Approval of minutes: Mrs. Robledo called the meeting to order at 8:24 a.m. The minutes from November 9, 2010 were reviewed and approved.

Mrs. Stroleny introduced Mrs. Emirce Ladaga, principal of Citrus Middle School, as a guest. She is mentoring Mrs. Stroleny in the district’s Principal Preparation Program. All members introduced themselves to her. She explained that her school faces different challenges than Carver faces, explaining that her school is low performing with a large ESOL program but is also a great place with good teachers. Mrs. Robledo commended the work of Mrs. Stroleny here at Carver. Mr. Viscito asked why some teachers are wearing red and Mrs. Robledo said teachers are trying to send a message to Florida’s new governor.

School Improvement Plan (SIP) Review: The SIP was reviewed and approved by the EESAC with Mrs. Stroleny reviewing data, goals, strategies and professional development. First Mrs. Stroleny reported on the interim scores. At the beginning of the school year we administered the baseline exams, which showed that the present student population scored higher by grade level than last year’s population. In November we administered the interim exams and expected the same growth as in the previous year, but instead, the students’ performance did not match that growth. This trend was evident in reading in all three grade levels. Although there was some growth in sixth and eighth grades, a drop in seventh grade reading from the baseline to the interim was evident. The lower scores can be explained through changes in the interim test, which are modeled after the new FCAT 2.0 test, which is now more challenging; the school is preparing the students for this. The Language Arts Department has adjusted the language arts focus calendar. Language arts teachers have reviewed data and targeted their non-proficient students. Mr. Sejeck and Mrs. Stroleny have also been working closely with the Social Studies Department because many of the FCAT reading questions are nonfiction passages. Foreign language teachers are working more with mythology to help with reading preparation. Teachers in the Elective Department are administering timed reading assessments. Reading Plus has also been emphasized as home learning; we see very positive growth in the data. According to the Reading Plus data, seventh- and eighth-graders have averaged more than two grade levels in gain, and sixth-graders have gained almost two levels. In mathematics, learning growth occurred in all three grade levels from the baseline to the interim assessment. In grade 8 science, proficiency increased from 64 to 84 percent from the baseline to the interim. The school will continue to implement the strategies as stated in the SIP and monitor progress to ensure that school goals are met.

On December 9, an instructional review team visited math, science, language arts and social studies classes and examined various elements. Overall we did very well. Last year, a review team found deficiencies in our use of data; this year all classes visited had data available. Students were engaged and on task, higher-order questioning was taking place, classroom environments were rich in literature, current student work was displayed, and differentiated instruction was taking place with ESOL students. The team commended us on our rigorous curriculum, tutoring interventions, and the school-wide use of rubrics. The team said it would like to have seen more differentiated instruction; we are working on differentiated instruction in our professional development and through our literacy team. Mr. Viscito asked about differences between the baseline and interim. Mr. Sejeck said that the baseline had fewer questions and the interim was much longer. Mr. Viscito said he read comments from our superintendent about differences with the new FCAT. Mrs. Stroleny said the test is expected to be more difficult. Mrs. Robledo asked about the role of Reading Plus, and Mrs. Gonzalez answered by saying that it is intended to help improve reading skills.

Principal’s message: Mrs. Gonzalez said she is proud of Mrs. Stroleny, who has been selected for the Principal Preparation Program, and each principal candidate is assigned a mentor from another school. She wished all members a happy new year and explained that she had chances to take time off for two trips with her husband and is excited to be back to her routine because she loves her school. She sees a positive outcome regarding the lower interim scores; because our curriculum is so set, it has lacked differentiation because of logistics. However, the lower scores have forced us to make a paradigm shift to provide students the skills, strategies, and support necessary for success. Math offers a different challenge because students come to us from diverse schools performing at different levels; the growth here is tremendous and therefore requires much individual instruction. The mathematics curriculum from grades 6-8 is combined into two years and then eighth-graders take algebra. Mrs. Gonzalez commended the progression of growth in math through the grade levels.

Mrs. Gonzalez reviewed the calendar: This week is mid-term review week. The general PTSA meeting is January 12. Mid-term exams are January 13, 14, 18 and 19. On January 20, seventh-graders will participate in kick-it-up and eighth-graders in the START program, which deals with bullying, especially on the Internet. Mrs. Green is coordinating this program and it is much needed. All students in the school are required to attend a cultural fieldtrip this year. On January 24, eighth-graders will attend the Florida Renaissance Festival. On January 25, we will resume interim exams with science on January 25-26, math on January 27-28 and reading on January 31 and February 1. The District interim writing assessment has been completed. Our next EESAC meeting is on February 1, 2011.

Adjournment: Mrs. Robledo adjourned the meeting at 9:03 a.m.