July 17, 2018 at 6:30 PM - Education Committee - Regular School Board Meeting

1. Informational Items - These items are provided for informational purposes only and no action is required.

1.A. Assistant Superintendent's Report

The purpose of this report is to provide regular updates to the Education Committee regarding teaching and learning. Jeff Horton, Assistant Superintendent, provided a brief personal introduction and explanation of his entry plan.

1.B. Curriculum and Instruction Report

The purpose of this report is to provide regular updates to the Education Committee regarding teaching and learning. Gail Netland, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, provided a brief personal introduction and explanation of her entry plan.

1.C. Informational Presentations

1.C.1) 2017-18 Annual Bullying Report and Discussion on Behavior/Resolutions Reporting to School Board

Ron Lake, ISD 709 Positive School Climate Coordinator, presented a report on the number of online complaints of bullying and incidents documented as bullying in Infinite Campus.

1.C.2) Record of Continuous Improvement: ISD 709 and Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) Disproportionate Suspension and Expulsion Plan - DRAFT

Attached is the Minnesota Department of Education approved plan to address disproportionate suspension and expulsion, which is part of our response to a letter from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on February 6, 2018. The letter initiated a statewide effort to address issues related to disparities in student discipline rates that exist in school districts and charter schools across Minnesota.

1.D. Regulations

1.D.1) 5085R - Family and Student Handbook

Over the course of the 2017-18 school year, the Family and Student Handbook Committee, led by Duluth East High School Assistant Principal Jon Flaa, met to review and determine necessary revisions to the Family and Student Handbook. Revisions include language clarification and recently adopted and/or updated school board policies and regulations. Dress code and cell phone regulations will be reviewed during the 2018-19 school year. Attached is revised Regulation 5085R - Family and Student Handbook for the 2018-19 school year. 

1.E. Grant Applications

1.E.1) Essentia Health Grant Appilcation

Ron Lake, Danette Seboe and Tonya Sconiers have submitted a grant application to Essentia Health in the amount of $126,000. If awarded, funds will be used to support implementation of the Sources of Strength program at Duluth East and Denfeld High Schools, including 1.0 FTE for a Program Implementation Coordinator. Sources of Strength is a best practice youth suicide prevention project designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults.

1.E.2) Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation - Denfeld High School Service Learning Collaboration

Denfeld High School has submitted for and received a grant from the DSACF - Wildey H. Mitchell Family Fund in the amount of $16,524. Funds will be used to support the Denfeld High School Service Learning Collaboration.

1.F. Externally Sponsored Trip Notification

Lynn Hinzmann and Emily Lull, Duluth East High School, will travel to Germany and Austria from June 16-July 7, 2018 with a group of Duluth East High School students as an externally sponsored event. The Acknowledgement That The Trip Is Not Sponsored By The School District forms have been completed, signed and submitted to the Office of the Assistant Superintendent by the parent(s)/guardian(s) of all traveling students, along with the Externally Sponsored Trip form signed by Danette Seboe, Duluth East High School Principal.

2. Action Items

2.A. Presentation Items Requiring Approval

2.A.1) Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Independent School District 709, Duluth Agreement

Attached is the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and Independent School District 709, Duluth Agreement to address disproportionate suspension and expulsion, which is part of our response to a letter from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on February 6, 2018. The letter initiated a statewide effort to address issues related to disparities in student discipline rates that exist in school districts and charter schools across Minnesota.

2.A.2) FY19 Duluth Public Schools/Duluth Head Start 1302.24 Applications for Waiver for Locally Designed Option Variations - YWCA Childcare Collaboration and Families in Transition - Head Start Federal Grant Application

Waivers are required because Duluth Head Start is using State funded dollars for in-kind and State requirements differ from Federal requirements. These documents require approval by the Duluth School Board in order to have the Office of Head Start fund our grant by August 1, 2018. Approval of these waivers means we are allowed to use State Head Start dollars for in-kind, which is very helpful to our program.

2.B. Resolutions

2.B.1) Resolution E-7-18-3569 - Acceptance of Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools

Attached is Resolution E-7-18-3569 - Acceptance of Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools, to accept and approve grant awards from the following organizations:

Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

2.C. 2018 Graduates

It is recommended by administration that the official minutes include a certified list of June 2018 graduates as submitted by the respective high schools.

2.D. Diploma Requests

The following students have met all graduation requirements for the Duluth Public Schools and should be awarded a Diploma:

Michael Douglas Stock - June 13, 2018
Tyler A. Anderson-Rankin - June 13, 2018
Cecilia Joo Jereczek - June 14, 2018
Rainy Marie Cooper - June 20, 2018
Ramiro Bailey Rivera - June 27, 2018
Josiah William Brady - June 27, 2018
Dakota S. Edwards - June 27, 2018
Noah G. Sayers - June 28, 2018
Rocky A. Wrazidlo - June 28, 2018
Alec Karl Muller - July 19, 2018
Aseil Cynthia-Salema Abuhamed - July 19, 2018

2.E. Data Sharing Agreements

It is requested that the following organizations be granted access to the Student Information System to support District functions from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019:

Duluth Community Collaborative
Men As Peacemakers
YWCA, Girl Power

2.F. Policies - NONE

2.G. Extended Trip Requests- NONE

3. Future Items

Policy Updates