District Parent Council (DPC)

Minutes of the Meeting

March 21, 2007





The Wednesday, March 21, 2007, DPC meeting was chaired by Diana Spalding and
convened at 6:38 p.m. Chris Buchholtz took minutes.



6:40 – 7:45 p.m. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Update - Judy Skupa



* Key points relevant to NCLB

* Highly qualified staff
* Accountability and AYP
* English Language Learners (ELL)
* Student with disabilities.
* Parent involvement
* Reauthorization of NCLB

* AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) enacted to insure all students learn
at a high rate. Measures participation rate in CSAP, academic performance
and graduation rate.
* BVSD is assessing each student in grades 3-8 and high school in
reading and math and science in grades 5, 8 and 10.
* All students must make AYP targets as determined by the NCLB goal
that by 2014 all students will be proficient in reading, math and science.
* AYP determined by 95% participation rate, performance on CSAP
(Students are considered proficient if in the advanced or partially
proficient category on CSAP), Safe Harbor (10% decrease in students
performing at non-proficient), and 1% of students scoring at advanced level.
* AYP targets are determined by State of Colorado. Beginning in 2002,
every 3 years is target date, and by 2014 target goal of 100% must be met in
reading and math in elementary and high school levels.
* Currently statewide number of districts making AYP targets is 60%.
BVSD has not made AYP in last 3 years. Parents should have received a letter
to this nature. None of the large metro districts met AYP over last 3
years. Hispanic, ELL, poverty and students with disabilities are areas we
have not made target for one year.
* If schools do not make AYP, steps for change are:

* The school has to submit a School Improvement Plan (SIP) to BVSD;
* If they did not make AYP again, parents are given the choice to
choose the school they want to send their child to, transportation costs
paid by the district (in Boulder we have only 10 families that have opted to
do this) and the School also sends their SIP to the state
* If they don’t make AYP again, BVSD provides supplemental services
(tutoring outside the school, fair for parents to choose tutors). We have
had 8-10 families that choose the tutoring options.
* If AYP still not met corrective action is taken.
* If AYP not met then District Corrective Action taken (staff,
curriculum, bringing in consultant to work with teachers, school, parents)
* And finally last step if AYP not met, Restructuring occurs
(converting to a charter, external company taking over that school, hiring
new teachers, principal).
* Very few schools get to this point.



* State determines if our District Improvement Plan (DIP) will yield
results.
* Math still a challenge, so BVSD went on corrective action.
* We conducted internal audit, applied for a grant, had CDE come in to
do audit.
* We’re in second year of corrective action and hope to see gains.
* AYP and SAR rating are dual accountability. BVSD is in corrective
action with AYP but we’ve got an excellent rating with SAR.
* Highly Qualified Teacher is determined by looking at core content
areas and making sure they have adequate qualifications in core areas.
Highly qualified requires Bachelor’s degree or greater, Colorado
certificate, college major or 24 hours in that specific area.
* BVSD has about 99% of teachers in the highly qualified level.
Because of 1% deficiency, BVSD has had to submit Improvement Plan to State.
* Because we’re Title I, paraeducators are expected to meet highly
qualified level through college, competency in reading and math, demonstrate
knowledge to assist in instructing reading, writing and math. If not 100%,
then BVSD cannot use Title I funds to hire paraeducators.
* ELL strong component in NCLB. Colorado already working on standards
and curriculum (Colorado English Language Assessment (CELA)).
* Parent Involvement: We are required with NCLB to inform parents of
grades; we do this through report card in December. We are also required to
publish an NCLB report card. Go to BVSD website to find.



In response to several items around NCLB and CSAP, Evie Hudak, from CDE
responded:

* RE: CSAP and special education students: 1% most severely disabled
take CSAPA (alternate); the rest of special ed. students take regular CSAP.

* US Dept. of Education considering expanding CSAPA and allowing an
additional 2% of special ed. kids to take alternate test, which gives the
state the option to create another CSAP, and allowing additional
accommodations to others (kids in the gap).
* In terms of delaying test dates for CSAP (Senate Bill 106) we are
required by NCLB to have all AYP calculations done before beginning of each
school year. To do this, cost to grade them faster becomes the issue.



* CDE says that CSAP tests students on knowledge from the end of last
CSAP window to beginning of new CSAP window, not a whole school year.
* Flexibility and waivers, law of NCLB says US secretary may grant any
waivers appropriate to any state. Each state different. US Dept. tried to
keep secret what flexibility and waivers they had with each state. For
example: Florida with grade of A or B are considered to make AYP. Texas is
allowed to have most special ed. students not count toward AYP. Colorado
has been hassled about some provisions we’ve tried to allow. For example,
we’re supposed to test non-English speaking students in English, but they
don’t count toward proficiency until after 3 years, but they do count in
participation.
* Out of 1700 schools in Colorado 14 reached restructuring state.
* Charter schools have to take CSAP but teachers do not have to be
highly qualified.   



If there are any questions you can email Judy at Judy.-@bvsd.org, Dr.
García at george.-@bvsd.org or Evie Hudat at Ev-@Hudat.org





Break (5 minutes)



7:50 – 9:00 Equity Program Update – Pam Duran



* There are currently 35 teachers that volunteer to do training for
this department.
* 5 present tonight: Deanne Bucher, Monarch HS; Flora Sanchez,
Pioneer Elementary; Catalina ; Anissa Butler, New Vista High School, and Dan
* Motto of office, for all involved: Taking leadership for what
matters to you.   
* How it started? And what are we doing? In 1990’s BVSD put together
non-discrimination policy. That is foundation of how this office runs.
* First equity cohort group started with 35 people, now on cohort
eight, with 85 teachers involved.
* Discussing how ‘isms connect to everything including TIES.
* Looking at what people are doing to promote and value diversity.
Once trained, they started talking to their principals. Principals started
listening and requesting that they be trained. Now on 7th DLT equity
initiative. This year, all DLT except for 15 trained.
* Anti-bias standards – new century graduate says kids will graduate
bias free. Big CEO of a company said they described what they needed in
graduates. Can they work in diverse cultures? Started to develop
curriculum and standards that will work.



Five teachers involved in Equity Cohort spoke. Their prompt was: Talk
about what it was like prior to equity initiative and what is it like now
and what are your best hopes?



Anissa: Saw no initiatives in place when she first came to BVSD. Heard
talk about equity building, but wasn’t seeing it throughout schools. She
builds relationships with other African Americans in district. Equity has
opened up opportunities for networking on real issues and taking it back to
classrooms and see how it affects our schools.



Catalina: Hopes children’s academic achievement is not determined by how
much parents make. Poverty is increasing in our district. 17-18% qualify
for free and reduced lunch.



Dan: Before participating in cohort it was about who’s right and who’s
wrong in everything. Conversations were about blame and shame. Two things
he feels has come about: He can look inside self better and can talk with
other people of all backgrounds about issues.



Flora: At Pioneer started implementing World of Difference curriculum.
Felt it helps build sensitivity at a young age. As teachers, we learn more
and take to classroom.

Deanne: Taught class on Understanding Diversity in US (high school course).
School climate liaison (communicates between Pam’s office and school) on how
to get kids involved, teachers involved. Talked about equity prior but
always seemed heated. Hopes for future: if we fight all the ‘isms, can’t
be peripheral has to be in the curriculum. Can’t be only in 12th grade, get
it deeper.





Pam presented a video of students and staff throughout district on issues
being faced and dealt with today.



The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.