Board Meeting Dates

I.

Call to Order

A.

Adoption of the Policy Agenda and Approval of the Minutes of February 12 , 2013, Policy Committee Meeting (Discussion/Action)

II.

Consideration for Approval of the Recommended Changes to the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Student Behavior Handbook for the 2013-2014 School Year (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Toby Herrera, Shelly Green

III.

Consideration for Approval of Changes to Board Policy JF Student Enrollment Requirements (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Menapace

IV.

Consideration for Approval of Changes to Board Policy JC1 Assignments of Students to School (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Menapace

A.

Procedural Directive (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Menapace

V.

Update on Graduation Requirements (Discussion)
Presenter: Shelly Green, Eddie Soto

A.

High School End of Course Examinations (Discussion)
Presenter: Shelly Green, Eddie Soto

B.

Cohort Graduation Rates and the Impact of Exit Exams (Discussion)
Presenter: Shelly Green, Eddie Soto

VI.

Announcement of the Next Policy Meeting - the next meeting will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 5:00 p.m., in the DeLayo-Martin Community Room.

VII.

Adjournment

I.

Call to Order – the meeting was called to order by Chair Dr. Peercy at 5:00 p.m.

A.

Adoption of the Policy Agenda and Approval of the Minutes of February 12, 2013, Policy Committee Meeting – It was decided to move Item II down on the agenda to IV.  Kathy Korte motioned for approval of minutes and agenda as revised.  Lorenzo Garcia seconded the motion.  All were in favor.

II.

Consideration for Approval of the Recommended Changes to the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Student Behavior Handbook for the 2013-2014 School Year -
This item was moved to be agenda item IV on the agenda.  Shelly Green, interim chief academic officer, began by saying the handbook was being brought to the committee for the annual review and approval.  She introduced Toby Herrera, director of the Service Center.  Toby said the recommendations for change or modification were accepted throughout the school year from any member of the APS staff or community.  He asked the board to refer to the matrix of changes and also to the amendment that had just been passed out in regard to smokeless or e-cigarettes.  He went over each change and gave the reasoning for each.  There was discussion in regard to the third change in the handbook that called for a student loss of 10 school days from NMAA sanctioned extra-curricular privileges and eligibility for possession of tobacco. The discussion revolved around whether to have tobacco on the same level as alcohol and illegal drugs, which it currently is.  Mr. Herrera said most of the principals thought it was difficult to put tobacco in the same category as the other drugs. They asked it to be 10 days for the first offense and 45 days for the second offense.  Ms. Korte recommended that tobacco be listed in its own category and asked to see a definition of tobacco. Discussion followed in regard to e-cigarettes.   Lorenzo Garcia thought the administration could work out some flexibility in regard to penalties, depending on the student and circumstances.  He felt these were children and could be influenced by marketing.  Discussion followed regarding a recent case of a student who was caught with an e-cigarette.  Dr. Maestas asked Dr. Kristine Meurer, director of Student, Family and Community Supports, about the students that were caught using drugs and if there were interventions.  Dr. Meurer said there was a program used in the high schools by the name of Crossroads.  Dr. Duran asked if this program was in all the schools.  Dr. Meurer said it was not as this program’s special counselors were paid out of a grant.  Middle schools could refer to the high schools if there was room in the program.  Mr. Quezada mentioned that there was a treatment center for heroin, which was currently a big issue in the schools.

Mr. Herrera continued going over the other changes in the handbook.  Some of the suggestions made by the board members were adding language to clarify items referring to special education students and cleaning up the glossary.  Discussion followed regarding the difference in consequences for bullying vs. in possession of tobacco.  Mr. Herrera stressed that the consequences in the handbook were the minimum, providing flexibility and leaving the decision regarding the maximum to the principals.  Kathy Korte motioned for approval of the handbook with revisions as stated.  Lorenzo Garcia seconded the motion.  All were in favor.

III.

Consideration for Approval of Changes to Board Policy JF Student Enrollment Requirements – Carrie Menapace began by saying the motivation behind this was the North Star Elementary School overcrowding and the need to provide evidence of occupancy.  She said she would work on the procedural directive and would make sure we were in compliance with the law.  Dr. Peercy said the policy would be district wide and was basically the same as the policy JC1 Assignments of Students to School.

The board members went on to discuss this item.  Some of the questions and concerns presented were:

• If this contained additional language and included what was discussed before.
• The fear that if the requirements were too strict that students may leave to attend charter schools.  Dr. Peercy suggested changing it to request one or more proof of occupancy.
• Dr. Duran was concerned with how it we would come across to parents.  The wording “shall provide” was not parent-friendly.  He also was concerned with the increase of paperwork for administration.
• Ms. Korte suggested making the policy uniform across the district.  She said it might be a burden on the parents and administrators but was a safe-guard that students were attending the correct school district.

Ms. Menapace said if the board decided to make this item a district wide policy, the principals would have to be informed to send out the information before registration.  Dr. Peercy suggested it be done uniformly. Further discussion followed. Kathy Korte motioned for approval with the suggested changes. Lorenzo Garcia seconded the motion.  A roll call vote was taken:  Don Duran – no; Martin Esquivel – yes; Lorenzo Garcia – yes; Kathy Korte – yes; Analee Maestas – no; David Peercy – yes; Steven Quezada – no.  Motion carried, 4 for approval and 3 against.

IV.

Consideration for Approval of Changes to Board Policy JC1 Assignments of Students to School- Kathy Korte motioned for approval.  Lorenzo Garcia seconded the motion.  A roll call vote was taken:  Don Duran – no; Martin Esquivel – yes; Lorenzo Garcia – yes; Kathy Korte – yes; Analee Maestas – no; David Peercy – yes; Steven Quezada – no.  Motion carried, 4 approved and 3 against.

Dr. Duran asked if this item could be put on the Board of Education agenda as a separate or special item as opposed to having it on the consent calendar.  Dr. Peercy explained he could request this at the meeting.  Discussion followed.

A.

Procedural Directive (Discussion) – Some changes were suggested in organization of the procedural directive for clarification of the additional residence verification documentation in case a school is overcrowded. Ms. Menapace will provide a revision of the directive based on the suggestions.

V.

Update on Graduation Requirements – Shelly Green, chief academic officer, presented on the graduation requirements and testing requirements.  She went over the graduation requirements.

A.

High School End of Course Examinations – Ms. Green explained the end of course exams for 2014 graduates would be taken in addition to the SBA to meet New Mexico high school graduation requirements and could be taken as soon as the course is completed or as soon as the PED provided the exams.   She had spoken to the principals.  The end of course exams have been divided to be taken separately with approval from the Public Education Department.  The tests will be administered at the end of April. Mr. Eddie Soto said they did have principal meetings with charter school principals also attending to make sure correct mapping of the test taking.  Training on scoring the tests would take place this coming summer.  Discussion followed.

B.

Cohort Graduation Rates and the Impact of Exit Exams – Mr. Brooks said he was giving the board fair warning that the class of 2014 would be the first class to have the SBA and end-of-course exams imposed as a graduation requirement without a course-taking option as a substitute.  The 2014 cohort graduation rate is estimated to drop from the previous year by as much as four to six percent.  Discussion followed in regard to testing schedules, raising the bar, giving students more options to graduate, what exactly universities would accept, and the GED changing.

Dr. Peercy asked that the agenda item “Future Items” be placed back on the agenda.

VI.

Announcement of the Next Policy Meeting - the next meeting will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 5:00 p.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room.

VII.

Adjournment – the meeting was adjourned at  6:45 p.m.