Highlights from the May 22nd Board of Education Meeting

 

Below are highlights from the May 22^nd school board meeting. Please remember these are just highlights and should not be considered the official minutes.

 

Click this link to view the full agenda and exhibits.

 

The Student Services department presented information on Specially Designed Instruction (SDI), Learning Experiences and Alternate Programs for Preschoolers and Parents (LEAP), and ALICE trainings.

• SDI is adapting to the special needs of the student the content, methodology, and delivery of instruction to ensure their access to general education curriculum. This involves engaging the student, school, and family; assessing the student’s needs and diagnosing the instructional design; collaborating with general education teachers to design the instructional delivery; and delivering the content through planning, instructing, and monitoring to increase learner engagement.
• LEAP focuses on naturalistic teaching, utilizes peer-mediated strategies, assesses individual supports for each child, and provides a structural, parent-skills training program. The Little Lions Preschool program has 250 families registered for three and four-year-old preschool in 2017-18. There are currently 20 families on the waiting list for three-year-old preschool and 60 for four-year-old preschool. In 2017-18, Echo Hill will house two ECBP classrooms, Linn Grove will house two preschool classrooms, and Novak will house four preschool classrooms and two ECBP classrooms.
• ALICE stands for Alert…Lockdown…Inform…Counter…Evacuate. Staff have participated in one active and one non-active training and students have participated in classroom lessons along with non-active, grade-level trainings and non-active building-level trainings. Future goals are to have additional trainings for district trainers and staff, develop a reunification site plan, hold active student drills, and to have high school students volunteer to participate in active trainings with the Marion Police Department.

 

Teacher Leadership Program Updates:

• The Cognitive Coaching Cycle consists of planning, event/observation, and reflection to help the teacher improve instruction effectiveness by becoming more reflective about teaching. All teachers were required to complete at least one full coaching cycle this year; resulting in over 700 completed cycles. Teachers were also required to visit a Model Teacher’s classroom. A total of 452 feedback forms were submitted for these visits and the responses strongly reflected that Model Teacher classroom visits were an effective use of time.
• TL currently has 111 stipend, in-classroom positions. Program changes for 2017-18 include two additional Technology Integration Coaches, a Model Teacher in Blended Learning, Elementary Curriculum Facilitators for guidance and reading, and a new Instructional Coach at Oak Ridge.

 

Special Recognitions:

• Janessa Walters, High School Student Assistance Counselor, and student leaders from the High School ALO Program (Accountability, Leadership, and Opportunity) were recognized for their achievements and dedication to the district. Janessa Walters was also the 2016-17 recipient of the Shirley Pantini Equity Award.
  

  ALO members are recognized for their service. Presentation by by School Board President Tim Isenberg

   

• Grace Kiboko was recognized for being named one of Sports World Honorary Model Students for 2016-17. Grace traveled to Indianapolis in February with her parents and Pete Martin, High School 9/10 Grade Counselor, where she spoke on how this year’s high school visit by Former NBA Player Michael Morrison inspired her and her classmates.

 

The Board approved:

1. The district’s modified restructure plan that includes:
   1. Elementary buildings becoming PK-4^th grades
   2. Construction of two, intermediate, 5^th-6^th grade buildings
   3. Excelsior and Oak Ridge becoming 7^th-8^th grades
   4. High School remaining 9^th-12^th grades
   5. Construction of an additional elementary building
   6. Updates to Bowman Woods, Wilkins, and Indian Creek elementary buildings
2. Bond petition language: LMCSD is authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $80,000,000 to provide funds to construct, build, furnish, and equip two 5^th-6^th grade intermediate buildings and a new elementary building, and to improve those sites; to remodel, renovate, improve, furnish, and equip Bowman Woods, Indian Creek, and Wilkins elementary buildings; and to remodel, renovate, improve, furnish, and equip and to construct, build, and furnish an addition to Excelsior Middle School building, and to improve the site.
3. The 2017-18 student fee schedule (Refer to exhibit 801.1)

 

The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 12^th.