ICCSD School Board Minutes

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Regular Board meetings are held at the Central Administration Office

509 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City, on second and fourth Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Matt Goodlaxson, Don Jackson, Nick Johnson, Al Leff, Lauren Reece, Dale Shultz and Peter Wallace.

MEMBERS ABSENT: None.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PRESENT: Min Zhang, West High.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ABSENT: Greg Pomrehn, City High.

President Goodlaxson called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM and welcomed those present.

Public Hearing: City High Emergency Access Lane Project

Director Wallace stated now is the time and place for the public hearing on the proposed plans and specifications for the City High School Emergency Access Lane Project. The Board of Directors set the date for this public hearing on May 9, 2000. Notice of Public Hearing was published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on May 12, 2000. The District will receive bids on this project at 2:00 PM June 6, 2000 at the District Office at 509 S. Dubuque Street. Notice to Contractors has been published as required by law in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on May 12 and 19, 2000.

Director Wallace asked if there were any questions from the Board or audience. Hearing none, the Public Hearing was closed.

ICEA Update

Chris Shope, ICEA president, shared with the Board information from ISEA entitled "Achieving Quality Education in Iowa". Ms. Shope shared with the Board concerns related to the teaching profession in the state of Iowa and suggested the Board, administration and teachers look at ways to help Iowa recruit, retain and respect teachers.

Director Jackson stated he would suggest this item be placed on a future Board agenda after the Board has had a chance to read the document to determine what things can be done to help in these areas.

Student Representative Update

None.

Open Discussion

Director Shultz stated he recently learned about a state program on early literacy called "Every Child Reads". Director Shultz stated this project is in its second year and participating districts feel they are receiving incredible results. Director Shultz also stated he is going to be attending a national conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan on literacy.

Director Johnson stated he recently attended a debate at West High School. The students had been coached by Greg Myrberg and did an excellent job. Director Johnson stated that Mr. Myrberg will be leaving the district at the end of this school year and thanked him for his service to the district..

Director Wallace noted that the West High girls track team's accomplishments and also noted the accomplishments of the chess team and golf team.

District Business Consent Items

Director Shultz requested that Item C "Appoint Auditor for Year Ending June 30, 2000" be removed from the Consent Agenda.

MOTION BY LEFF, SECOND BY JOHNSON TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING CONSENT AGENDA.

A. SET DATE OF JUNE 13, 2000 AT 7:30 PM FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND 1999-2000 BUDGET

B. ACCEPT HOOVER AND PENN BOILER REPLACEMENT PROJECT

D. 2000-2001 SALARY AND BENEFIT PACKAGE FOR OFF-SCHEDULE AND TECHNICAL STAFF

E. 2000-2001 SALARY AND BENEFIT PACKAGE FOR PERSONNEL COVERED BY GRANTS

F. PHASE III MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND BUDGET

G. IHSAA ELIGIBILITY

H. OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR 2000-2001 INTO OUR DISTRICT FOR ANTHONY PHINNEY AND OUT OF OUR DISTRICT FOR ALEX MATHEW

I. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE IN THE AMOUNT OF $578,559.48 GENERAL FUND AND $20,979.59 SCHOOLHOUSE FUND

J. MINUTES OF THE MAY 9, 2000 BOARD MEETING

K. CERTIFICATED STAFF A(1), B(1-3), C(1-4), D(1-18), E, F(1-2) AND ADDENDUM A(1), B(1-5), C (Attachment A)

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

MOTION BY LEFF, SECOND BY WALLACE APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM:

C. APPOINT AUDITOR FOR YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2000 AS PRESENTED

Director Shultz stated he had contacted other auditing firms as to why they had not responded to the district's RFP. Director Shultz stated his response from a partner at Clifton Gunderson was that the RFP came during tax time and they were swamped and were unable to respond. Director Shultz suggested the district re-issue the RFP.

Mr. Palmer reviewed with the Board the names of the firms the district sent the RFP to and the RFP timeline. Mr. Palmer stated the RFP was sent out April 5 and was due April 26.

VOTE ON THE MOTION. AYES: Jackson, Leff, Wallace, Goodlaxson. NAYS: Reece, Shultz, Johnson.

MOTION CARRIED 4 TO 3.

Board Meeting

Education News

Director Reece shared the following:

• According to the April issue of the journal Pediatrics, researchers hypothesized that giving away age -appropriate children's books to toddlers of low-income parents would increase the literacy levels in those families. They were right.. After distributing books at the kids' regular check-ups, follow-up studies showed a family's willingness to engage in literacy-promoting activities with young children was almost five times higher in the intervention families compared to the controls.
• Every students at Lawton Chiles Elementary in Gainesville Florida took home a regulation size roll-up chess set after they staged the largest simultaneous chess exhibition ever of its kind. Every student and teacher from K-5 was taught the basic rules of chess, and after weeks of practice all 600 students in the school played chess simultaneously. Playing chess has been shown to improve test scores in math and reading as well as developing logical and precise thinking.
• According to TIME magazine, enrollment is up 20%, disciplinary suspensions are down 80% and scores on state achievement tests are up 35% at Carmen Arace Middle School in rural Connecticut since the local board of education decided to buy a laptop for every student in the school. Picking up on this success, Governor Angus King of Maine has proposed using $50 million from an unexpected budget surplus to buy a laptop for all of Maine's 17,000 seventh-graders - and for new 7th graders each fall.
• In the same spirit, according to the New York Times, The New York City Board of Education voted unanimously to create a school Internet portal which would make money by selling ads and licensing e-commerce sites. The portal will provide e-mail service for the city's 1.1 million students. Profits will be used to buy laptops for each of the system's 87,000 4th graders.
• Incentives are out there for teachers as well as students &endash;(New York Times April 14, 2000) California Governor Gray Davis has proposed to exempt California public school teachers from the state's personal income tax while at the same time spending $500 million a year to reward teachers whose schools show improvement in student performance.
• The Cedar Rapids Gazette April 5, 2000 reports that Governor Vilsack is crafting a proposal for a sweeping overhaul of the way teachers are paid in Iowa. The new plan would reward teachers who improved their knowledge or ability in their subject area, took steps to sharpen teaching skills or assumed more responsibilities. Governor Vilsack said the state wouldn't manage local school districts but said it's likely his proposal would reward districts which go to a performance based pay plan and punish those who don't.

Academic Ends Policy (Literacy - Reading) (Attachment B)

The Board held a first reading on Academic Ends Policy (Literacy &endash; Reading). During the first reading of Academic Ends Policy (Literacy &endash; Reading) the Board made several stylist changes. These changes have been incorporated in Attachment B.

The Academic Ends Policy (Literacy - Reading) will be placed on the June 13, 2000 Board agenda for a second reading.

Academic Ends Policy (Literacy - Writing) (Attachment C)

President Goodlaxson stated he is concerned that the Board has not received any information related to how our students are presently doing in writing. President Goodlaxson stated he feels uncomfortable discussing this policy without additional staff input.

Director Leff stated he thought the Board had asked the staff to provide data that should be included in an Academic Ends Policy on Writing.

Director Johnson stated the attached Academic Ends Policy (Literacy - Writing) is a first draft which incorporates staff input into the policy.

Director Wallace suggested the Language Arts Coordinator and other Language Arts staff share with the Board what they feel should be included in the policy.

Pam Ehly, Director of Instruction, shared with the Board information on where the district is with assessing writing at the present time.

Director Leff questioned if there is an objective way to test student's writing ability.

Besides information obtained from ITBS and ITED's, Ms. Ehly stated the classroom teacher is responsible for this assessment. In the elementary years writing samples are collected from students and shared with parents. Ms. Ehly stated at the next meeting she would be prepared to share with the Board some longitudinal data regarding writing as well as provide the Board with input from the Language Arts Coordinator and LARS staff. Ms. Ehly stated that reading and writing are very much intertwined at the primary grades.

Director Johnson asked if reading and writing should be the district's top priorities.

Ms. Ehly stated that reading and writing are the top priority along with mathematics instruction.

Dr. Dutton stated the ability to read and write are the most important tasks.

Director Leff stated how the Board talks about its highest priority is very important as it sends a message to staff.

It was the consensus of the Board that Academic Ends Policy (Literacy - Writing) be placed on the June 13, 2000 Board agenda and the Board receive a report from the Language Arts Coordinator and LARS staff.

Ends Policies

Prologue (Attachment D)

MOTION BY JOHNSON, SECOND BY JACKSON TO APPROVE ENDS POLICY - PROLOGUE.

MOTION CARRIED 7 TO 0.

Board Policy - Ends Policies (Attachment E)

The Board held a first reading on Board Policy &endash; Ends Policies. This policy will be placed on the June 13, 2000 Board agenda for a second reading.

Dr. Plugge stated that by September 15, 2000 the district must submit its Comprehensive School Improvement Plan to the Department of Education. Dr. Plugge stated that the plan must include a mathematics and science goal and suggested using the following goals even though the Board has not had the opportunity to work on these academic goals:

• Mathematics Goal &endash; Students will over time, solve, independently, increasing complex mathematical problems.
• Science Goal &endash; Students will over time, construct and use, independently, increasing scientific knowledge.

It was the consensus of the Board that these goals be used in the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan to be submitted by September 15, 2000.

Boundary Process Review

Dr. Plugge shared with the Board a status report on the boundary process. Dr. Plugge stated at this time the administrative staff has primarily done a review of literature related to types of schools (i.e. magnet) and sizes of facilities as well as reviewing other literature related to the Board parameters in such areas as economic dispersion. Dr. Plugge stated he will be forming the committee and they will be meeting this summer. A representative from every school has been identified to serve on the committee.

Student Representative Update

Min Zhang, new Board representative from West High School, shared with the Board that West High students had just completed AP testing last week. Over 200 students took the AP tests. Mr. Zhang also stated the girls track team recently won the state championship and the Math Club recently won a math contest. Mr. Zhang shared other activities taking place at West High School.

Agenda Setting &endash; June 13, 2000

• 6:30 PM Sandwich supper with ICCSD Foundation
• Process for Superintendent's Evaluation
• 2nd Reading Board Policy Literacy - Reading
• 2nd Reading Board Policy: Ends Policies
• Discuss Academic Ends Policy (Literacy - Writing) - Report from district staff
• Elementary School Staffing Policy &endash; Presentation by Director Shultz
• Review of Pending Projects/Long Range Planning
  • Response to "Achieving Quality Education in Iowa" shared by ICEA

The following items were suggested to be placed on the June 27, 2000 meeting:

• Report on Empowerment Board
• Report from Parent Involvement Subcommittee

Meeting adjourned 10:25 PM.