October 17, 2019 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Description:  Joseph Ngo and Justin Splitt will be in attendance to be recognized for their selection as the September and October Student of the Month, respectively.

Description:  System 44 is an evidence-based reading program designed for older students with significant deficiencies in reading skills.  The program is designed to improve reading decoding, fluency, and comprehension.  It uses a rotational model which includes an online component targeted at a student’s reading level, independent reading component, and small group teacher led instruction.  System 44 offers appropriate age level texts for independent reading that is aligned with the students’ personal Lexile level which coincides with the online component. This program can be implemented with fidelity in our current structure with one class period daily devoted to reading.  Tina Sonders, Director of Special Education will be in attendance to share a brief overview of the recommended change.

Recommend approval of a three-year contract with System 44 in the amount of $29,071.22.  

Description:  The Portrait of a Graduate is a process to collectively identify, as a community, what a Grant Community High School graduate should look like.  The design process would involve the entire school community, including educators, students, parents, and community members.  Together we would seek to collectively define a visual and practical representation of the goals our school and community can work toward to incorporate and ensure 21st century learning experiences for all students.  Further, the Portrait would serve as a focus for subsequent strategic planning to assist in preparing students for future opportunities and challenges.   
 
I will have a brief presentation for you at the meeting to discuss the process in more detail and share costs.    

Description:  I am presenting to you a number of curriculum changes for 2019/20.  The proposed changes are as follows:  

New Courses:
PLTW – Principles of Engineering  

Course Revision:
Accounting I
Advanced Placement Calculus AB
Advanced Placement Calculus BC
Advanced Placement Statistics 

Course Deletions:
Physical Education 10
Business Management and Entrepreneurship  

Recommend approval of the course additions, revisions, and deletions as presented.

Description:  On October 9th, our new guiding coalition held a kickoff call with DMGroup.  The guiding coalition has added a few key staff members from last year, including interventionists and Student Services staff members.  I know you will recall we identified creating a tiered model of intervention supports as our highest leverage opportunity to improve student learning.  We will spend all of this year developing and refining a district-wide multi-tiered system of support.  The highlights of our kickoff call have been provided.

Description:  One of the outcomes of the recent collective bargaining process was agreement to pilot weekly late starts effective with the 2020/21 school year.  We would like an opportunity to discuss the history of our transition to a professional learning community and how weekly late starts will support our efforts for continuous improvement.  Additionally, we will explain a potential change in terminology from late start to flex time to further support our commitment to the academic and social-emotional success of our students. 

Description:  I am happy to share we tied for first place among high schools for the Regional Office of Education Annual Attendance Week Competition 2019.  Our attendance rate was 98.94% for the week of September 9-13th.  Through the direction and support of PBIS, faculty and staff have communicated well and often how important it is to be at school every day and part of Keeping it R.E.D.  We are very proud of students for their attendance that week, as well as their efforts to be at school every day. 

Description:  2019 Illinois School Report Cards will be released on October 30th.  You will find updated documents regarding indicators of student success, college and career readiness, and new data points that will be included.  I will do a brief review of these documents and provide some additional information on chronic absenteeism. 

Description:  I have provided you with a summary of 6th day enrollment numbers at Grant as well as our feeder districts.  Overall enrollment decreased from 1,890 to 1,843, which is in direct alignment with the district demographic study.  The “Occur as Anticipated” model projected our enrollment to be 1,848 this year.  Findings of the demographic study continue to be reliable and have been instrumental in long range planning. 

Description:  Homecoming 2020 has been set for Friday, October 9.  Homecoming activities will occur throughout the week.  As we formally induct our Hall of Fame candidates during homecoming week, I am requesting to change the date of our October meeting to Thursday, October 8th. 

Description:  The theater teacher is requesting to travel to the Illinois Theater Festival January 9 through January 11.  There will be 2 adults chaperoning 12 theater students.  Students will be responsible for their registration and trip expenses.  The district would pay for registration, meals, and a hotel room for the adult chaperones.    

The varsity softball team is requesting to travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, March 21 through March 25.  There will be 3 softball coaches chaperoning the estimated 14 student athletes.  The majority of costs will be paid through activity funds, with some meal expenses the responsibility of students.    

The varsity baseball team is requesting to travel to Marion, IL, from March 22 through March 26.  There will be 2 baseball coaches chaperoning the estimated 24 student athletes.  The majority of costs will be paid through activity funds, with some meal expenses the responsibility of students.    

Recommend approval of the overnight travel as presented.  

Description:  Recommend approval of the winter coaching staff as presented.

Description:  Recommend the employment of the following individuals: 
·        Jeff Austin, Film Club Sponsor
·        Joe Barczak, Assistant Wrestling Coach
·        Lori Lev and Will Schmadeke, Chess Club Co-Sponsors 

Recommend accepting the resignation from: 
·        Joshua Christian, Freshmen Basketball Coach, effective immediately  

Notification of FMLA from: 
·        Stephen Liddle, on an intermittent basis, 1 week-January 8-14, 2020, and the remaining March 30 – May 19, 2020. 

Description:  The 2018/19 audit was recently completed by Evoy, Kamschulte, Jacobs & Co. LLP.  I have included a copy for your review.  The district is overall fiscally stable and debt free.  I will present highlights of the audit for you at the meeting.

Description:  This year is the inaugural year of the Technology Support Internship (TSI) class. Part of the classwork includes students working on certifications in Microsoft Office which gives them certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist, and in CompTIA to receive Information Technology (IT) Fundamentals + and A+ certifications.  All of these certifications are considered baseline for IT support professionals.  I’ve attached a recommendation with additional information for your review.  Recommend approval to pay the certification test costs for TSI class as presented.