Board Meetings

I.

Call to Order

A.

Adoption of the January 14, 2015, Policy and Instruction Committee Agenda and Approval of the November 11, 2014, Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting (Discussion/Action)

II.

Presentation Instructional Audits and Tri-Annual Visits (Discussion)
Presenters:  Shelly Green - Chief Academic Officer

A.

Presentation Instructional Audit Tri-Annual Visit Montezuma Elementary School
Presenter: Amy Lane - Principal Montezuma Elementary School

B.

Presentation Instructional Audit Harrison Middle School
Presenter: Kevin Cummings - Principal Harrison Middle School

C.

Presentation Instructional Audit Pajarito Elementary School
Presenter: Jacqueline Lovato - Principal Pajarito Elementary School

D.

Presentation Instructional Audit Lavaland Elementary School
Presenter: Susan Neddau - Principal Lavaland Elementary School

III.

Graduation Dress Regalia (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - Director of Government Affairs and Policy

IV.

Animals in Schools Including Service Animals procedural directive (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - Director of Government Affairs and Policy

V.

Special Education Retention and Recruitment Task Force (Discussion)
Presenters: Karen Rudys Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Anne Trafoya - Executive Director Special Education, Ellen Bernstein - President Albuquerque Teacher Federation

VI.

The Next Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting will be held Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at 5:00 p.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room of the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd NE.

VII.

Adjournment

I.

Call to Order   The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.

A.

Adoption of the January 14, 2015, Policy and Instruction Committee Agenda and Approval of the November 11, 2014, Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting (Discussion/Action)

Present:  Dr. David Peercy, Dr. Don Duran, Kathy Korte and Dr. Analee Maestas, Martin Esquivel was present by telephone phone at 5:00 p.m. and arrived in person at 5:15 p.m.  Steven Michael Quezada and Lorenzo Garcia were present by telephone.

Dr. Duran motioned to adopt the agenda.  Steven Michael Quezada seconded the motion.  All were in favor.

II.

Presentation Instructional Audits and Tri-Annual Visits (Discussion)
Presenters:  Shelly Green - Chief Academic Officer

A.

Presentation Instructional Audit Tri-Annual Visit Montezuma Elementary School
Presenter: Amy Lane – Principal, Montezuma Elementary School

Principal Amy Lane presented the findings of the tri-annual visit conducted by New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) at Montezuma Elementary School:

• This is the second year for both Ms. Lane as Montezuma Elementary School’s principal and for her assistant principal.

• The school grade increased from an F to a D last year, with all new administrative staff, including a new reading coach and new instructional coach.

• The school had a plan in place to fix the things staff felt needed improvement,   including instructional scores, data-driven instruction, improving intervention time, guided reading and computer-based programs. 

• The instructional audit recommended increasing professional development in these areas also.

B.

Presentation Instructional Audit Harrison Middle School
Presenter: Kevin Cummings – Principal, Harrison Middle School

Principal Kevin Cummings presented the finding of the instructional audit conducted at by the NMPED at Harrison Middle School.

• Harrison Middle School has six full time intervention teachers, three in reading, and three in math.

• Only one level 2 finding was observed by the NMPED; this showed that more targeted groups were needed.

• Harrison Middle School intends to use the Teachscape walkthrough and observations to ensure these targeted groups are working. 

• The instructional council and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) will address these issues and monitor for improvement.

C.

Presentation Instructional Audit Pajarito Elementary School
Presenter: Jacqueline Lovato – Principal, Pajarito Elementary School

Principal Jacqueline Lovato presented the findings of the NMPED instructional audit at Pajarito Elementary School.

• Pajarito Elementary School improved its school grade from an F to a D.

• Pajarito Elementary School also received all five bonus points from NMPED last year for parent engagement.  All activities were parent driven, family driven or community driven.

• Pajarito Elementary School was recognized as a positive environment that made families and the community feel welcome. 

• Interviews with teachers, families and students also showed that there was a safe and orderly environment that the principal attributes to the positive behavior systems that were implemented.

• Teacher collaboration provides dialog for coaching and produces common assessments to look at student work.

• Areas for improvement include focusing on English Language Learners (ELL) students and what level of performance they are at in regards to language.

• APS Language and Cultural Equity (LCE) Department is providing professional development on how to use World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Access scores to drive standards.

• Pajarito Elementary School also is setting new goals with students and helping them to meet their long term goals.

D.

Presentation Instructional Audit Lavaland Elementary School
Presenter: Susan Neddau – Principal, Lavaland Elementary School

Principal Susan Neddau presented the findings of the NMPED instructional audit conducted at Lavaland Elementary School.

• Lavaland Elementary School’s grade was an F but has now been a grade D for two years.

• NMPED findings showed that Lavaland Elementary School has strong teacher collegiality, showing respect for each other and that the SAT (Student Assistance Team) meets student needs.

• The lesson planning format is being restructured to give teachers a more direct approach.

• “Teach Like A Champion,” a professional development book, is used in staff meetings and level collaboration meetings to encourage using the strategies suggested in the book.

Board Member Comments:

• Teachers collaborate to produce common assessments, assist with instructional plans and impact student learning.

• Schools reported which assessments are helpful to teachers and students:

Lavaland Elementary School uses DIBELS to give a good guideline for the next six weeks instruction and quarterly use Stepping Stones.

Harrison Middle School uses SBA scores for Tier II placement.

Pajarito Elementary School uses short cycle assessment data to form intervention groups.  Teachers prefer DRA-EDL to DIBELS because it is new.

Montezuma also uses DRA as DIBELS is new.  Quarterly assessments in math are helpful as well as performance based tasks (PBTs).

III.

Graduation Dress Regalia (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - Director of Government Affairs and Policy

Ms. Brunder presented a follow up to the September Policy Committee meeting request to update the graduation dress regalia.  Ms. Brunder stated that a committee of district and school personnel designed a process of approval for extracurricular and co-curricular activities. 

Board Member Comments:

• Dr. Duran expressed concern that there was no ethnic representation on the committee. Dr. Winter offered to discuss the issue with additional diverse groups and bring it back to the board for review.

• Ms. Korte agreed with Dr. Duran and said the policy was too specific.  Requests to wear regalia need to be more general.  She suggested students at high schools be asked for input and that the process be posted on the website for community input.

• Board members stated that the wording is too strict.

• Ms. Brunder responded that these issues have been discussed with activity directors several times and the activity directors feel this is something they can use.  If there is no decision tonight, then there will not be enough time to implement changes for graduation this year.  This was an attempt to have guidelines in place.  If a new plan is not ready for this year, then the guidelines will need remain as they currently are for this year.  Some clubs will therefore not be recognized at graduation this year.

• Dr. Winter again offered to take the discussion back and return in a timely manner.

• Ms. Korte suggested it be a principal decision based on school needs because it should be sensitive to different needs of schools.

• Dr. Duran stated that it was racism that brought the discussion to the table in the first place because at some schools black students were not allowed to wear Kente cloth and a Mexican student was not allowed to wear a sarape. 

Dr. Peercy asked Jocelyn Jackson, director of Black Student Union if the procedural directive was acceptable as there were many conversations about this issue.  Ms. Jackson stated that her students know as freshmen what is expected of them for graduation.  The problem is they are meeting the requirements and then when it comes to graduation they are told they cannot wear their Kente cloth.  Dr. Peercy reiterated that the point of the procedural directive was to have an approval process for all schools. Ms. Jackson stated that the last half of the directive was negative and asked what the approving committee knows about the clubs that are coming for approval.

Dr. Peercy stated that administration is trying to write a procedure that makes sense to all clubs, so they can put forth a request for approval.  We cannot have a generic directive because there needs to be a process to put forth criteria.

IV.

Animals in Schools Including Service Animals procedural directive (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - Director of Government Affairs and Policy

The APS Service Center raised an issue with the procedural directive on service animals as there was a very short section on animals in school.  With recommendations from Mr. Carrico of Modrall Sperling Law Firm the procedural directive is now in compliance with law.  Service animals are now included and are allowed in schools with reasonable accommodations developed by a 504 plan.  School and district administration cannot ask for documentation while the animal is at the school location.

The procedural directive will be published so that all APS schools have the correct information on service animals in schools.

V.

Special Education Retention and Recruitment Task Force (Discussion)
Presenters: Karen Rudys Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Anne Tafoya - Executive Director Special Education, Ellen Bernstein - President

Albuquerque Teacher Federation

Ms. Rudys, Ms. Tafoya and Ms. Bernstein outlined the findings of the Retention and Recruitment Task Force study:

Teacher dissatisfaction included:

• Too little prep time

• Teaching load is too heavy

• Class sizes too large

• Poor salary

• Student behavior

Special Education teacher dissatisfaction included:

• Principal not supportive

• Too many other impediments

• Not enough time for planning

• 59 percent considered transferring to general education

• 53 percent considered leaving because dissatisfied

What APS is doing to help:

• Provide three days of training ahead of school year instead of just one

• Provide a credential differential

• Intern license teachers need additional support

• More educational assistant (EA) support for intensive support classrooms

• Add differential for EAs in hard-to-fill classes

• Provide mentor training for three years instead of one

• Create a special education teacher advisory group

VI.

The Next Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting will be held Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at 5:00 p.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room of the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd NE.

VII.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m.