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I.
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Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.
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A.
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Adoption of the December 2, 2014, Policy and Instruction Committee Agenda (Discussion/Action)
Present: Dr. Don Duran, Lorenzo Garcia, Dr. Analee Maestas, Dr. David Peercy, Steven Michael Quezada, Martin Esquivel (arrived at 5:10 p.m.)
Present by phone: Kathy Korte
Lorenzo Garcia motioned to adopt the agenda. Steven Michael Quezada seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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II.
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Presentation Instructional Audits for Apache Elementary School, Bel Air Elementary School, Armijo Elementary School, Mountain View Elementary School and Washington Middle School. (Discussion)
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A.
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Presentation Instructional Audit Armijo Elementary School
Presenter: Shawna Stewart - principal, Armijo Elementary School
Jonathan Saiz – instructional council - David Bunch - assistant principal
“Strengthening the Instructional Program”
Level 0 Findings:
- · The Armijo school staff maintain a culture of respect in which relationships, trust, communication and collaboration are valued by the entire school community.
- · The dual language program implements research-based strategies and interventions that ensure quality teaching and learning that meets students’ academic needs.
Level 2 Findings:
- · There was inconsistent evidence of fidelity in the implementation of curriculum and classroom assessments that are aligned with the New Mexico Content Standards (NMCS).
Planned Actions:
- · The principals will meet with teachers individually and review and provide support of lesson plans. They will monitor instruction of reading and math programs and will give feedback and next steps on Teachscape.
- · The instructional coach and reading coach will schedule data dialogues, on use of assessments and progress monitor along with teachers.
- · Instructional Accountability will support teachers on how to access and use data.
Level 2 findings:
- · There is a lack of knowledge and use of a school mission statement and school-wide plan to effectively employ a continuous improvement process in the classroom with students.
Planned Actions:
- · Beginning with instructional council, a mission statement will be developed.
- · The Web EPSS (Educational Plan for Student Success) will continually be used in meetings as school – wide plans are developed to increase achievement.
“Using Data to Inform Instruction”
Level 0 Findings:
- · The instructional coach (IC) is facilitating a data conversation from the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to modify instruction.
Level 2 Findings:
- · There is lack of evidence that staff at Armijo use with fidelity the data derived from interim and other formative assessments: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Next as well as summative assessments (New Mexico Standards Based Assessment - NMSBA) to refocus or modify instruction at the classroom or individual level to help all students meet high standards.
Planned Actions:
- · All teachers will meet weekly for data dialogue to analyze and review student/class data from short cycle and SBA assessments and use the data to plan and guide differentiated instruction.
- · Professional development will be provided on how to modify instruction to meet the needs of all students.
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B.
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Presentation Instructional Audit Apache Elementary School
Presenter: Stephanie Trujillo - principal, Apache Elementary School
“Strengthening the Instructional Program”
Level 0 Findings:
- · Apache Elementary School maintains a positive, respectful classroom climate and uses effective classroom management strategies. The school is a safe and orderly environment conducive to learning.
- · Apache Elementary School ensures that the school has an environment in which the cultures of the community members are respected.
Level 2 Findings:
- · There is a lack of knowledge of the Web EPSS.
Planned Actions:
- • Portions of the 2013-2014 Web EPSS will be included in weekly communication with Apache Elementary School staff.
- • Apache Elementary School staff will participate in reviewing and revising the 2014-2015 Web EPSS.
Level 2 Findings:
- · There is inconsistency in communication and collaboration.
Planned actions:
- • Bi-weekly collaborations are planned by the instructional coach and the administrator.
“Using Data to Inform Instruction”
There were no level 0 Findings at Apache Elementary School in this section.
Level 2 Findings:
- · There is lack of evidence that data derived from interim and other formative assessment as well as summative (NMSBA) assessments being used to refocus or modify instruction at the classroom or individual level to help all students, focusing on Q1 (lowest 25 percent performing students) and Q3 (other 75 percent students) students, to meet high standards.
Planned Actions:
- • After the audit, Russ Romans, Research Deployment and Accountability Department (RDA), worked with grade level teachers to identify Q1 and Q3 students. Modifications to current instructional practices were discussed.
- • Apache Elementary School staff is currently undergoing a systematic process for grade level teams and the Special Education department to identify what data is being collected individually and as a grade level. This will allow Apache Elementary School to identify what is occurring school wide and align our approach to data collection and analysis.
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C.
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Presentation Instructional Audit Bel Air Elementary School
Presenter: Lisa Grusy - principal, Bel Air Elementary School
“Strengthening the Instructional Program”
Level 0 Findings:
- · The school staff and administration maintain a positive school climate and ensure that the school is a safe and orderly environment conducive to learning.
- · The school implements research-based strategies, interventions, and programs that ensure quality teaching and learning in content and assessments that are aligned to the New Mexico Content Standards (NMCS) to meet students’ academic needs.
Level 2 Findings:
- · The employment of effective teaching strategies, including differentiated instruction, to meet the learning needs of all students is not consistent across the school.
Planned Actions:
- · School-wide professional development will be provided through a variety of venues (vertical teams, staff meetings, peer observations and data dialogue) around differentiated instruction and effective teaching strategies that extend students’ learning and thinking. The following questions will focus our work:
- • What will I do to help ALL students effectively interact with new knowledge?
- • What will I do to help ALL students practice and deepen their understanding of new knowledge?
- • What strategies will best support students’ learning?
- • What is the cognitive rigor of the task I am asking students to perform?
“Using Data to Inform Instruction”
Level 0 Findings:
- · The school administration and teaching staff collect and use data to identify staff or students who are struggling.
Level 2 Findings:
- · The data derived from classroom, interim and other formative and summative assessments to refocus or modify instruction at the classroom or individual level to help all students meet high standards is not evident.
Planned Actions:
- • Teachers will engage in twenty one data dialogues with the purpose of increasing data literacy skills around data analysis, engage in dialogue about student learning data, discuss implications for teaching and student learning, and collaborate with colleagues to extend knowledge/skills regarding effective teaching strategies.
- • Develop and communicate an assessment strategy that aligns with the district and school.
- • Set up system to track and analyze student discipline data.
- • Begin a systematic approach to building student portfolios.
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D.
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Presentation Instructional Audit Mountain View Elementary School
Presenter: Sara Carrillo - principal, Mountain View Elementary School
“Strengthening the Instructional Program”
Level 0 Findings:
- · A positive, respectful classroom climate and use effective classroom management strategies that are consistent with school and district policies to meet the learning needs of all students, and a safe and orderly environment conducive to learning is evident.
- · School-wide and grade level Collaboration and Professional Development to insure appropriate content knowledge and accurate instruction is evident.
Level 2 Findings:
- · A school-wide model of Response to Intervention (RTI) and Tier II supports that is fully developed and consistent is not evident.
Planned Actions:
- · Reading goal team is revising our RTI flow chart we developed in 2011 and used through 2013. It will clearly show how students are placed into RTI, monitored, how the School Assistance Team (SAT) process fits into RTI process.
- · Math goal team will develop a math RTI flow chart.
- · Reading flow chart will be implemented in December. Math flow chart will be implemented in January, 2014.
“Using Data to Inform Instruction”
Level 0 Findings:
- · Data derived from assessments to refocus or modify instruction at the classroom or individual level to help students meet high expectations is evident.
Level 2 Findings:
- · Use of achievement data to set goals for teachers or to refocus or modify instruction at the classroom or individual level or for English Language Learner (ELL) students is not evident.
Planned Actions:
- · Grade levels will meet for Data Dialogue to review first trimester short cycle data in reading and math to identify strengths and areas to improve per classroom based on Common Core State Standards and set goals and plans for meeting goals.
- · The school has partnered with APS Department of Language and Cultural Equity (LCE) to have professional development/work sessions from January – May 2015 focusing on ELL student achievement data and classroom instruction. This will occur monthly.
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E.
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Presentation Instructional Audit Washington Middle School
Presenter: Angela Rodriguez - principal, Washington Middle School
“Strengthening the Instructional Program”
Level 0 Findings:
- · Evidence indicates that there is a culture of respect and collaboration valued by the entire school community, and that Washington Middle School provides a positive, warm, respectful and safe learning environment where students are valued and supported.
- · Evidence indicates that there is built-in collaboration time during the school day on a regular basis.
- · Evidence reflects support for the principal and her willingness to address the needs of the school community.
- · Evidence indicates that staff uses some effective instructional strategies to promote student learning.
Level 2 Findings:
- · There is evidence of the need to understand and apply differentiated instruction to scaffold all students to meet high standards.
Planned Actions:
- • After each NMTEACH observation cycle principal will provide the staff data to reflect on the Domains in Teachscape. Discussions will focus on best practice, provide the principal the opportunity to articulate clearly an aligned focus by referring to a 3 or 4 on the Rubric.
- • Teachers will also be provided the opportunity to review modules in Teachscape and discuss them collaboratively at staff meetings and in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to increase student achievement.
- • During staff meetings, Principal will lead Professional Development that focuses on instruction and will model different strategies to demonstrate differentiation of: content, process, & product using GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) & AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Strategies.
- • Instructional Council will participate in a book study: “Teach Like a Champion” to focus on rigor and differentiation.
- • 13 Teachers are participating in 21st Century Professional Development to increase knowledge, awareness of and implementation of technology into classroom instruction.
Level 2 Findings:
- · Evidence reflects the need to employ rigorous instruction at the classroom or individual level to help all students develop the cognitive demands of the New Mexico Content Standards (NMCS).
Planned Actions:
- • Provide professional development across content areas in AVID WICOR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading) strategies – focusing on writing, inquiry & reading strategies to help teachers make the instructional shifts necessary for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and for students to develop critical thinking skills.
- • Unwrap CCSS & Performance Based Tasks (PBT) to understand instructional Shifts through PLC conversations.
- • Provide professional development in planning and designing lessons that support Instructional Shifts for CCSS.
- • Instructional coach will lead discussion in PLCs on tiered content vocabulary to help teachers’ better design activities that promote cognitive rigor.
- • Instructional alignment across content areas in writing by utilizing same writing rubrics and graphic organizers to help teachers understand how to support literacy standards.
“Using Data to Inform Instruction”
There were no level 0 Findings under this section.
Level 2 Findings:
- · Evidence reflects the need for a system to collect, disseminate, and analyze data in order to refocus or modify instruction to strengthen the school’s instructional programs.
Planned Actions:
- • Instructional coach collected individual student scores from AIMS website and ordered scores by Q1 and Q3 categories.
- • Teachers reviewed Q1 and Q3 scores in department PLCs and individually to differentiate instruction & better prepare lessons.
- • Monthly grade level articulations are being held. Teachers are reviewing student data to determine supports needed and developing a plan to provide those supports.
- • Language Arts & Math departments are using data from Project Based Tasks (PBT) to align instruction & modify instructional targets based on data collected.
- • Focus on bell ringers and exit slips to help teachers assess student learning & modify instruction daily.
- • Formative & summative assessment data will be used for master scheduling & program development for 2015-16 school year.
Board Member Comments:
- · Schools are still receiving notebooks of data and are schools able to access data.
- · Data is now available electronically.
- · Teachers need to be more familiar with the Web EPSS.
- · Associate superintendent support teams have been working with the schools every year, individually and as groups, on how to develop the Web EPSS.
- · It is great that results of audit are returned promptly so that schools can use them immediately and have a plan to improve and use data.
- · Principals were asked to explain which interim assessments are being used to drive instruction:
- · Apache Elementary School – Stepping Stones, quarterly assessment and i-Ready assessments.
- · Armijo Elementary School – SBA data from last year to get snapshots of where fourth and fifth graders are standing. Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) used as a diagnostic reading assessment is the most useful for our teachers.
- · Bel Air Elementary School – stepping stones, pre-test prior to unit, reading and running record and using student work to plan.
- · Mountain View Elementary School – math stepping stones, module exams, reading K-3 assessments with units of study. Some teacher created assessments to match Common Core State Standards. Most useful assessment is DIBELS progress monitoring.
- · Washington Middle School – Performance Based Tasks through units of study for math and language arts. Tier II math navigator assessment and Tier III – Spire.
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III.
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Consideration for Approval of Charter School Renewal (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Mark Tolley – director, Office of Innovation
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A.
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Consideration for Approval of 21st Century Public Academy
Charter Renewal (Discussion/Action)
Mr. Tolley presented the charter renewal for 21st Century Public Academy.
A five year renewal was recommended.
- · The school has good academic performance and a strong academic program.
- · Fiscal management has not met all standards. The APS Finance Department is working with school to improve.
- · There has been one special education due process, which was resolved with no legal action.
- · There are no changes to the current charter.
Mr. Moya expressed that there are financial concerns, and although the school has made great strides to resolving these issues, there are still some concerns. After this school year the finances will return to being the charter school board’s responsibility.
The five year renewal can be revoked at any time the school is not financially solvent. The board requested that a report on the school’s finances be presented quarterly.
Dr. Duran made a motion to approve the five year charter renewal for 21st Century Public Academy. Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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B.
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Consideration for Approval of Bataan Military Academy Charter Renewal
(Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Mark Tolley - director, Office of Innovation
A five year renewal was recommended.
- · The school has requested to include a condition of renewal for them to increase enrollment.
- · The school has a strong leadership team.
- · The school has changed the military structure.
- · The academic grade has improved to a grade B.
- · There have been some slight problems with fiscal management.
- · There are no special education due process complaints.
Ms. Korte made a motion to approve the charter renewal for Bataan Military Academy. Steven Michael Quezada seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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C.
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Consideration for Approval of East Mountain High School (EMHS) Charter Renewal (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Mark Tolley - director, Office of Innovation
A five year renewal was recommended
- · East Mountain High School was an APS charter and is now a state charter.
- · East Mountain High School would like to renew their charter with APS.
- · Fiscal management is at the highest level of any school
- · This school has a history of high performance
- · There are no special education due process proceedings
- · The facility is owned by the East Mountain High School Foundation
Board Member Comments:
- · The facility needs to be assessed to see if it needs adding to capital master plan.
- · There may be some complications because facility is owned by the charter school’s foundation.
- · Schools are evaluated based on need for the capital master plan and East Mountain High School would be evaluated in the same manner.
Steven Michael Quezada made a motion to approve the charter renewal for East Mountain High School. Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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D.
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Consideration for Approval of La Academia de Esperanza Charter Renewal
(Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Mark Tolley - director, Office of Innovation
A five year renewal was recommended.
- · The school focuses on students with emotion problems and also works with Desert Hills group to serve students.
- · Fiscally have met responsibilities.
- · There are no changes to charter.
Board Member Comments:
- · The school is in dire need of a new facility.
- · The school needs to be included in the capital master plan for a new facility.
- · The school provides a great program.
Kathy Korte made a motion to approve the five year charter renewal for La Academia De Esperanza. Steven Michael Quezada seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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E.
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Consideration for Approval of South Valley Academy (SVA) Charter Renewal (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Mark Tolley - director, Office of Innovation
A five year renewal was recommended.
- · Fiscally have met all standards.
- · The school has improved academically over three years.
- · The school is now accepting middle school students
- · SVA offers strong choices for the South Valley.
Kathy Korte made a motion to approve the five year charter renewal for South Valley Academy. Steven Michael Quezada seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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IV.
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Consideration for Approval of Five Quality of Education Survey Items Submitted By District Administration for the Board's Consideration (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Thomas Genne - director of Research & Accountability
Mr. Genne presented five survey items that have been selected by APS leadership. The five survey items are:
- · My school offers the academic rigor my child needs.
- · The amount of testing in which my student participates is appropriate
- · APS provides opportunity for meaningful parent involvement/engagement in schools.
- · As a parent I am welcome at my child’s school
- · My child receives a well-rounded education.
Board Member Comments:
- · It is appreciated that we continue to ask about testing.
- · Item 1 – my child is safe at school has a high percentage but Item 11 – my school has an adequate response to bullying has a lower percentage.
- · Safe in school item refers to lockdowns, facilities and students are not in physical danger, etc. The bullying question is purely about dealing with bullying at school.
Dr. Duran made a motion to approval the five quality of education survey items as presented. Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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V.
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Discussion Office of Equity and Engagement Including Implementation Plan for Cultural Proficiency Coaching (Discussion)
Presenter: Joseph Escobedo - chief of staff
Dr. Winter explained that Mr. Escobedo, who is currently the chief of staff, will change his position to chief equity and engagement officer to head up a new department with a focus on cultural equity. There will be no added expenditure, and some current positions will move under Mr. Escobedo. Current resources will be used to fill positions.
Board Member Comments:
- · This is a new organizational structure to deal with cultural equity in the district.
- · This is a great use of Mr. Escobedo’s talents.
- · This will help APS to move forward in our cultural equity, proficiency and males of color initiatives.
- · Recommended that the name of the District and Community Relations Committee change in March to District Equity and Relations Committee.
- · Funding should be included in future budgets to fill positions.
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VI.
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Consideration of Approval of Revisions to GB12 Employees as Duly Appointed or Elected Officials (Discussion/Action)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs & Policy
There was no recommendation made but the GB12 that the board changed two years ago altered the practice so that any employees elected to the legislature must take political leave, which is leave without pay to attend sessions in Santa Fe.
The union contract for teachers still provides paid leave for a teacher who is an elected official and takes time to serve. If an employee is not a teacher, they receive unpaid leave to attend. The board policy also identifies the state legislature for which employees must take leave without pay but no other political entity.
Three options were provided for board consideration:
- · Option 1: No change - any district personnel not covered by a negotiated agreement must take leave without pay.
- · Option 2: Return to pre-2012 practice where legislators would receive paid leave which is in line with the teacher negotiated agreement.
- · Option 3: Discuss option for middle ground. For example make-up time taken to complete legislative duties.
There are four district employees who are now legislators and only one is covered by a negotiated agreement. The number of days needed to cover legislative duties could potentially be between 40 – 70 days or more.
Board Member Comments:
- · The policy was initially changed to make it fair for all employees.
- · The negotiated agreement for teachers pays teacher for political leave, but administrators do not get paid.
- · State employees are not allowed to serve in legislature; district employees should not be allowed to serve either.
- · Non-teachers/administrators cannot possibly make up 40-70 days.
- · Concern about the impact on students when teachers are not present in the classroom for 30-60 days of the school year.
- · Concern that this is a serious conflict of interest.
- · The district needs teachers to be represented in legislature to share knowledge of education system.
- · The district should support the democratic system
- · Administrators should have same options as teachers, to be paid for political leave.
Dr. Peercy made a motion to approve Option 2 of the revised policy. Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. Kathy Korte, Steven Michael Quezada, Lorenzo Garcia, Dr. Peercy, Dr. Maestas and Dr. Duran were in favor. Martin Esquivel opposed the motion.
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VII.
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Discussion of Draft Procedural Directives to be Submitted to the Office of Civil Rights for Approval Regarding the American's with Disabilities Act and Section 504 Compliance. (Discussion)
Presenters: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs and Policy and Joseph Escobedo - chief of staff
The procedural directives regarding Section 504 Compliance and Americans with Disabilities Act have been updated. These will be sent to the Office of Civil Rights for approval. The changes to the procedural directive were mostly grammatical with the exception of the new wording shown in italics.
Process:
The site administrator may identify a need for physical access to a specific building, office, restroom, program or other area of the site by a specific student, parent, employee or community member with a disability. This access may include:
- · Verification that the person has a disability preventing access in the current situation; and
- · Verification that the person has a legitimate need for access to that area on a continuing basis.
The site administrator shall make every reasonable effort to accommodate the person with a disability by means already available within the site.
If on-site accommodations appear inadequate (following efforts described above), the administrator will submit a Physical Access Request form to the attention of the physical access specialist, located at the Facilities Design and Construction Department.
Following receipt of a Physical Access Request form, the request shall be reviewed by the physical access specialist. The physical access specialist shall visit the site and explore the needs and options for a solution. If warranted, the Compliance Committee may meet to suggest a solution, based on information gathered by the physical access specialist. Suggested solutions such as assistive technology devices; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, training, or job modifications shall be handled through the appropriate channels.
If there is a need for physical modification, the physical access specialist will submit the request to Facilities Design and Construction for an estimate.
- o Facilities Design and Construction shall complete a cost estimate and provide the physical access specialist with that information.
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VIII.
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The Next Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 14, 2015, at 5:00 p.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room of the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd NE.
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IX.
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Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
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