November 16, 2017 at 7:00 PM - Bethel Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

GIFTS, GRANTS, & BEQUESTS:

Bethel High School

Grant - $3,000 to support the activities of the BHS Kindness Program

 

Rationale: 

As requested, Mr. Daponte and Mr. Troetti will be providing a brief  presentation on their School Improvement Plans for the 2017-18 school year.  The purpose of the presentation is to provide the Board with an overview of the focus of the schools.  The major components of the plan were presented at open houses in September, so parents could have a similar overview.  

The school administration will be presenting an overview of their Theories of Action, student learning outcome measures and major strategies/action steps to achieve those outcomes.  We began this planning process as a district in the summer of 2015.  These plans were collaboratively developed by teams within each school.   Please note, all of the fall PSAT data is not yet available.  Specific targets for Bethel High School will be set when testing is completed.  

Rationale: 

• Memo from Dr. Carver to Public Site Building Committee regarding Johnson and Rockwell School Renovation Update
• Email from J.Gangi regarding Common Core
• Correspondence  -DAS Letter Approval of Renovation Status - Johnson School
• Correspondence  -DAS Letter Approval of Renovation Status - Rockwell School

Rationale:  (Please note:  The Board welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes.  Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them.  The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.)

Rationale:  As you are aware, we have been working in Bethel to implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  These standards are more about thinking and doing science rather than memorizing science.  We have been required to administer the state tests for science (the CMT in grades 5 and 8 and the CAPT in Grade 10) to assess our science progress; however, these tests do not align with the NGSS.  Please see the memo from Commissioner Wentzell which indicates that we will no longer administer the CMT and CAPT, but rather, we will be administering an NGSS field test this spring. We support this change given that the CMT and CAPT are old tests that don't measure what we are focused on in Bethel.

Rationale:  2017 Cohort Graduation Data has been provided to us by the State. The high school administration and staff have made it a high priority and their efforts are certainly paying off! The data break out is attached.

Rationale:  This week we received approval from the Department of Administrative Services, Office of School Construction for Renovation Status.   This is another step in the right direction.   When you are conducting a project and apply for renovation, part of the process is to review it to determine the fiscal efficiency of renovation vs. building as new.  This approval allows us to continue with the renovation.  

Rationale: 

Presenter(s):
Dr. Kristen Brooks

Our K-5 Go Math contract will be up in 2018. We will begin engaging in a core math instructional

program review beginning this winter to review other math programs that we may potentially
implement in Bethel in 2019.

No action needed. This is only to inform the Curriculum Committee.

 

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

The CT State Department of Education recently announced a new grant opportunity for Title I districts-- Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant. The Title IV grant is in the amount of $10,000 and will be used as a preventative measure to educate students and families of the risks of alcohol and substance abuse and to create a sustainable movement to make healthy decisions and stand up against alcohol and substance abuse. Chris Herren, former NBA basketball player, who struggled with substance abuse will share his story with our high school students and will also present to the families in Bethel.

 We will also use some of the funding for mailings/copies to students, families, and local doctors about substance abuse issues we are seeing in our district, ways the community can support these issues, and resources to assist our students and families.

 

Rationale: 

Since our last Policy Committee meeting, we have included all edits from the Board of Education and Administration on both Field Trip Policies and Regulations.   In addition, the Board of Education asked the Administration to develop and include a Parent Code of Conduct for parents and/or chaperones attending the trip.   As stated in my email from last week, we have drafted and included the Parent Code of Conduct on our Field Trip Permission Form.  

 

Rationale: 

One of the BOE Goals has been to enhance school and district climate which supports diversity.  The Confidential Crisis Team is reviewing all district policies which relate to harassment, discrimination, racial slurs and any other form of hate talk.  We started with looking at BOE Policy 5131.9, Aggressive Behavior.  You will note, that there were a number of suggested edits by the committee which can be summarized by: 

• Alignment to practice and 
• Change in definitions to update current definitions of state disciplinary codes.  

 

Rationale:  This is the second reading of Policy, 5312 Dress Code.  This Policy has not been revised since 2005.   The policy has been review by adminstration and we have received parental input.