WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.919 Regan Molatore: This September 28 Special Board Meeting and I Kelly, would you please take role. 2 00:00:10.139 --> 00:00:10.860 Kelly Douglas: In military 3 00:00:11.550 --> 00:00:13.139 Kelly Douglas: Here ginger. 4 00:00:14.130 --> 00:00:16.109 Kelly Douglas: Here, Dylan nights. 5 00:00:16.529 --> 00:00:16.830 Dylan Hydes: Here. 6 00:00:17.670 --> 00:00:19.500 Christy Thompson: Christie Thompson here. 7 00:00:20.850 --> 00:00:23.880 Kelly Douglas: And vice chair Chelsea king is not with us today. 8 00:00:25.230 --> 00:00:48.090 Regan Molatore: Correct. All right. And we did not receive any communications or comments from the public. So, we will move on to the next step, which is the purpose of this meeting around proposed counter adjustments and I didn't know who wanted to take the lead with informing the board about this. 9 00:00:49.410 --> 00:00:54.000 Kathy Ludwig: But I'll just open by me. Yeah, I'll just open by thanking our 10 00:00:55.050 --> 00:00:58.410 Kathy Ludwig: Board of Directors for meeting at this time. 11 00:01:00.090 --> 00:01:04.800 Kathy Ludwig: And I'm going to turn it over to Dr. David prior and to Dr. BB, so listen 12 00:01:05.850 --> 00:01:14.280 Kathy Ludwig: Again, we know that it's the boards per view to adjust the calendar for our school district. And while we made adjustments. 13 00:01:15.330 --> 00:01:19.680 Kathy Ludwig: Several times as we were working through the pandemic and then again with 14 00:01:21.210 --> 00:01:26.220 Kathy Ludwig: Pushing back school as we were adjusting. We now come to you. 15 00:01:27.180 --> 00:01:40.530 Kathy Ludwig: With another adjustment and one that we wouldn't propose unless we felt it really could impact our students in a significantly positive way. Sometimes you can just make things work and deal with it. 16 00:01:40.980 --> 00:01:50.040 Kathy Ludwig: And sometimes you we test the times and say we think we could actually make this adjustment here and it could be better for our families and kids. 17 00:01:50.340 --> 00:02:00.540 Kathy Ludwig: So with that in mind, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. David prior and Dr Barb's so I still who will lead us through the rationale and thinking for this change. 18 00:02:01.290 --> 00:02:06.000 Barb Soisson: So I didn't walk through prior can start with talking about where it came from, with 19 00:02:07.080 --> 00:02:11.280 Barb Soisson: Primary School, and then I can talk about the assessment part and the rationale there. 20 00:02:12.660 --> 00:02:26.280 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Great. Thank you, Dr. Susan. And again, thank you to the board for meeting so quickly. The principles are feeling a sense of urgency, as they communicate with families and get things scheduled. So they really appreciate you coming together in the middle of the day on Monday today. 21 00:02:27.660 --> 00:02:43.110 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): As you know, the conferences are currently scheduled for October 7 and eighth for primary school and for October eight for middle school and this request began with an ask for principles as they began studying the lay of the land and watching how the year unfolded. 22 00:02:43.410 --> 00:02:52.020 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): And they saw an opportunity to add value to the conferences without with minimal disruption to families, given the current 23 00:02:52.890 --> 00:02:59.460 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): State of distance learning and our ability to connect with families in in ways where they don't need to actually come to school. 24 00:03:00.450 --> 00:03:08.730 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): And so the main reasons this came from. And again, as Barb said I'll kind of share a little bit out primary and then Dr. Boyce, and can fill in some 25 00:03:08.970 --> 00:03:21.180 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Details that relates specifically to middle school, but primary schools began the year by doing virtual home visits with every family and they feel like it was an important way to start the year to make sure families knew how to 26 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:31.770 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Connect. You know that they had internet connection. They had the computers that they needed and that they could begin that really important relationship and community building component 27 00:03:32.910 --> 00:03:38.940 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): That's also a very important reason why we do fall goal setting conferences and so we feel like we began 28 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:44.790 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Some of the work that traditionally didn't happen until fall goal setting conferences really early in the year. 29 00:03:45.510 --> 00:03:53.580 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): That has been paired with regular office hours where families had been connecting with teachers and I just had a principal yesterday. Tell me on the phone. 30 00:03:53.820 --> 00:04:00.630 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): We're connected with families more deeply this year than we may ever have had in the past due to all the REACH outs and an ease of 31 00:04:01.290 --> 00:04:07.830 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Conferencing between families and students. So because those happened fairly recently. 32 00:04:08.310 --> 00:04:18.150 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): And then because we lost the opportunity of a couple school days due to the weather and the fires. We're finding a really compressed timeline and it 33 00:04:18.390 --> 00:04:26.130 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): In some ways, feels a little bit redundant to have a goal setting conference with a family so close to the virtual home visits. 34 00:04:26.970 --> 00:04:37.290 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): The other thing that we're learning as part of the conferences to share a little bit, you know, family share about their learner and schools also share, here's what we know so far, based on 35 00:04:37.980 --> 00:04:47.580 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Formative assessment and formative assessments are the ones that we do every day where we sit with the child and and watch what they can do listen to their questions. See how they perform on task. 36 00:04:48.570 --> 00:04:59.550 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): That's that's taken a little longer this year because we don't have the same ability to interact informally with students. There's those touch points are more limited. So we're finding, we need a little more time. 37 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:08.610 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): To understand students current level in terms of reading, writing and math and social emotional learning. And we also are still hoping to 38 00:05:09.210 --> 00:05:20.430 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): To use our district tool. The NWA Interim Assessment this year as one of our principal said this is the year for the map into V A map assessment to shine. 39 00:05:20.700 --> 00:05:31.080 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Because it will give us a lot of information about students current level of understanding and help influence what we teach. Next, given all the uncertainty of spring and fall 40 00:05:31.470 --> 00:05:37.050 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): And and we're having to learn how to do that differently. This year, too, because normally students do that in school. 41 00:05:37.290 --> 00:05:44.490 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): And so we're learning new practices to communicate with families and said that assessment conditions for students can do it remotely. 42 00:05:44.820 --> 00:05:50.580 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): But we would like that data when possible to add to our collection of evidence that we show 43 00:05:50.940 --> 00:05:58.920 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): In the Fall conference. And I will say we're playing that by ear. You know, certain grades and classes are more ready to do that, for example, fourth, and fifth graders. 44 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:07.050 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): They could probably do it with no help whatsoever they could probably tell us how to do it where our younger learners, you know, we're being a little more careful to make sure they start the year 45 00:06:07.500 --> 00:06:17.520 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): Working on what's most important and conducting an assessment of this type, may not be what's most important for kindergarten. So we'll use other ways of getting to know getting to know them. 46 00:06:18.090 --> 00:06:25.980 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): So those are the kind of the main reasons for primary that this came forward and I'll turn it over to Dr. Boyce, and to add some more information around Middle School. 47 00:06:27.210 --> 00:06:31.740 Barb Soisson: Thank you. So in middle school, you know, and in actually in high school. 48 00:06:32.640 --> 00:06:43.620 Barb Soisson: As well. We had organized learning. So students are taking three courses at one time and the feedback we have so far from families is that they believe that 49 00:06:43.890 --> 00:06:57.180 Barb Soisson: That is more effective than having students spend a lot of time just the mechanics of logging in and logging out and keeping up with six classes per day and the longer class sessions are allowing for quality work. 50 00:06:57.870 --> 00:07:07.320 Barb Soisson: Although students met all six of their teachers, the first week of school. If we have conferences. Now, you know, at the 51 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:14.910 Barb Soisson: regularly scheduled time they would not have had experience in that second set of classes. 52 00:07:15.690 --> 00:07:22.020 Barb Soisson: And the more that we have gotten into the school year, the more that we think that that would be very, very important. 53 00:07:22.530 --> 00:07:32.610 Barb Soisson: Initially, we thought, you know, it is a goal setting conference and we could work with it this way. But as we have gotten further into it, we think, because as 54 00:07:33.570 --> 00:07:45.270 Barb Soisson: Dr Pryor said, we do have more checking mechanisms and day to day communication routines in place with families, but we want to do more than check in. 55 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:47.880 Barb Soisson: And find out if students are actually 56 00:07:48.150 --> 00:07:58.980 Barb Soisson: Accessing the learning, but make it more about progress we know at middle level that having the meaningful conference that student led has always been a challenge, you know, with 57 00:07:59.940 --> 00:08:13.200 Barb Soisson: You know, as a, as a parent, you really kind of want to hear from the teacher, how can we balance that. So we are looking at having progress information and the use of NWA map would 58 00:08:14.220 --> 00:08:31.290 Barb Soisson: Allow for us to first of all take advantage of remote learning and do it a little differently and allow students to be involved in talking about the results and goal setting maps been used, you know, for like 50 years across the United States, very little in Oregon. 59 00:08:32.430 --> 00:08:43.650 Barb Soisson: Ironically, even though their headquarters is here. And one of the things we know is it's considered the most valid data set of progress in in reading and math. 60 00:08:44.400 --> 00:08:58.530 Barb Soisson: In the United States, even though it's us largely east of the Mississippi. We also know that sometimes we tend to see it as just a smaller version of Smarter Balanced and it's not meant to be a high stakes test. 61 00:08:58.950 --> 00:09:10.260 Barb Soisson: And they have actually invested quite a bit as a nonprofit in looking at what could this remote experience look like and have provided 62 00:09:10.740 --> 00:09:17.280 Barb Soisson: A lot of materials for teachers and for families, but as dark process. And this takes some time. 63 00:09:17.970 --> 00:09:26.370 Barb Soisson: To us as well. And we are concerned that if we just said, let's do this. Let's have it in time for conferences and teachers rushed through it. 64 00:09:26.760 --> 00:09:37.620 Barb Soisson: And we did not communicate adequately with families. We did not space out the assessments, so that it truly isn't an interruption to children's daily learning that we wouldn't, we wouldn't 65 00:09:38.190 --> 00:09:48.720 Barb Soisson: keep it from being the same kind of higher stakes assessment that it was meant to be. So that's the other reason. Those are the two reasons that teachers and we did 66 00:09:49.620 --> 00:10:08.310 Barb Soisson: Consult not only with our principles, but through our WWE a association to find out. And it was just relief from teachers. Oh, we have more time to engage with students to prepare to do this. So those are the reasons behind our K eight request. 67 00:10:13.980 --> 00:10:23.070 Kathy Ludwig: Think now we'll hear what your questions are to Dr. Prior Dr Swanson or myself and what you need in order to make a decision. 68 00:10:29.940 --> 00:10:36.840 Regan Molatore: like to make a motion or do you have questions or let's do emotion, if we could, and then will you ask question. 69 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:41.730 Ginger Fitch: Is there a resolution number or just 70 00:10:43.740 --> 00:10:51.120 Regan Molatore: Move motion to change calendar dates as they relate to primary and middle conferences. 71 00:10:53.400 --> 00:11:01.200 Ginger Fitch: I moved to change the calendar dates as they relate to primary middle school conferences, as provided by the district. 72 00:11:02.820 --> 00:11:03.300 Christy Thompson: Exactly. 73 00:11:04.380 --> 00:11:08.880 Regan Molatore: Okay, thank you. It's been moved and seconded, and ginger. Did you have some questions or comments. 74 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:18.870 Ginger Fitch: Um, I just want to clarify that this doesn't include instructional hours or staff hours. 75 00:11:20.820 --> 00:11:25.620 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): That is correct. It's just a swap of two days and we feel like because many families are 76 00:11:26.280 --> 00:11:40.650 DAVID PRYOR (he/him/his): You know, dealing with the pandemic that we're not interfering with any vacation plans that people might have been taken by swapping these days or so we're just swapping conferences for opportunities to learn during a typical school day. So it's just a swap over 77 00:11:41.820 --> 00:11:45.030 Kathy Ludwig: So essentially, October 7 and eighth would become 78 00:11:46.170 --> 00:11:51.180 Kathy Ludwig: school days and then October 22 23rd will become the conference days. 79 00:11:56.160 --> 00:11:57.300 Christy Thompson: I have one quick question. 80 00:11:58.350 --> 00:12:10.410 Christy Thompson: And just out of curiosity, so far, so I know that our middle school students were are doing four weeks in three of their classes and then they switch and do four weeks in another class. Correct. 81 00:12:10.770 --> 00:12:24.150 Christy Thompson: And then I know things might have changed a little bit with was the first week all of the classes. So will they have had does this calendar change allow them two weeks in that first in that second set of three classes. 82 00:12:25.230 --> 00:12:27.810 Barb Soisson: Yes, it allows them for two full weeks. Okay. 83 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:46.230 Regan Molatore: All right, not seeing anything further I'm will call for vote. All right. Kelly. 84 00:12:46.950 --> 00:12:47.790 Kelly Douglas: If he Thompson. 85 00:12:48.810 --> 00:12:49.110 Christy Thompson: I 86 00:12:50.130 --> 00:12:51.000 Kelly Douglas: Ginger Fitch. 87 00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:53.940 Kelly Douglas: Dylan heights. 88 00:12:54.660 --> 00:12:54.960 Right. 89 00:12:55.980 --> 00:12:56.820 Kelly Douglas: Regulatory 90 00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:58.530 Regan Molatore: Yes. 91 00:12:59.220 --> 00:12:59.640 Kelly Douglas: Thank you. 92 00:13:00.210 --> 00:13:10.680 Regan Molatore: Alright, well thank you all to for bringing this to our attention as as quickly as as it kind of came to your attention that this adjustment could benefit our students. So thank you. 93 00:13:12.930 --> 00:13:13.140 Kathy Ludwig: Thank 94 00:13:13.890 --> 00:13:13.980 Kathy Ludwig: You 95 00:13:14.160 --> 00:13:21.300 Kathy Ludwig: The responses. Yeah, well, we'll start getting those messages out to families and we'll let you get back to work or lunch. 96 00:13:22.410 --> 00:13:29.070 Regan Molatore: Alright and board and we will meet again by next Monday evening, so we'll see you then, if not for 97 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:30.990 Kathy Ludwig: Thank you. 98 00:13:31.410 --> 00:13:31.830 Barb Soisson: Thank you.