ATTENDEES

Fairhaven : Karen Anastasio , Dan Stockwell, Linda Pletcher, Callie Hart, Karin Van Houten Kulshan: Julie Bennett, Jeff Thran, Jodie Taylor, Jami Aeschliman, Peggy Zehnder Shuksan: Lorraine Holcomb, Pete Nelson, Tamina Eggert, Tina Allsop, Mary Jo Stuckrath, Aimee Langdon Whatcom: Toby McKain, Jim Zurcher, Sonja Moon, Sara Strommer

OUTCOMES

Provide an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with peers in order to increase understandings about district curriculum and direction, as well as to incorporate good instructional strategies into lessons and unit design

Two new actions are required of 8 th grade teachers.

• Writing student success plans for students who are not at the standard

• Implementing the Progress & Promotion Policy

Susan Zoller, Deputy Superintendent, lead the group in a discussion about the policy, implications and parent communication.

The following questions were generated by the group:

• Do 8 th gr. Teachers get involved in exception? Who's liable? Time?

• Why are we “dropping a gate” rather than taking them where they are?

• What's the paper trail?

• What do the Alternative Placement classes look like? Don't know yet; get credit.

• Whose dumb idea was this?

• Is there research for dropping a gate? At this age?

• How is this possible?

• Is the focus of stud-led conf. Changing? Should it?

• Are 8 th grade teachers responsible for creating “packet” of work for SS?

• 2008 – Must pass WASL <R,W,M

• 2010 – Science

• Who's responsibility to keep writing part?

• Are there formative R, M assess done in dorm?

• Do students have to do all 4? Are we giving all parents the same info across the district? Reliability of assessment.

• What's the place of teachers judgment

• Inter-rated reliability

• How do ALTPLACE affect school budgets?

• How do we reward progress when still below standard?

• What support for Gr. 8 teachers to make this viable.

• How is it that we're finding out about this today? (after it was sent)

• What's the criteria for SSP/NYAS?

• NYAS – K-4 reading only

• New students/transfers without WASL data

• Mandatory SS > how effective? Who leads?

• 8 th grader = class of 2009

The group also listed their needs in order to implement the policy:

• FAQ, sheet

• Support in classroom – allocation of bldg. Res.

• Clear picture of alt. Placement plus Math assessment (by end of Jan)

• Input to calendar – length of trimester

• Collection of data about time – to implement SSPC and NYAS

• Portfolio criteria, need to standardize the portfolio

• Talking pts. – to talk with parents about P & P Policy

• Tech to support data warehouse – mail merge to document SSP

• What I need in June to demonstrate at standard or not; what documents? What data?