PA State Keystone Exams for graduation; Sungaurd hired to set school IT policy; major changes in school district policy

School board regular business meeting
Monday, May 17, 2010

School Directors present: Susan Guthrie, Gary Friedlander, Lisa Pliskin, Diane DiBonnaventuro, David Ebby (Board President), Linda Doucette-Ashaman (Board VP), Lyn Kugel, Jerry Novick, Melissa Gilbert
Audience: About 70 people at the start for service awards, afterward went down to about 35.

This meeting consisted of:

• Recognition of 25 year service employees
• Presentation of ISC mini-grants
• Keystone Exams overview
• Budget overview
  
• Board approval of recommendations by Administration
• Committee reports
• Public speakers
  

Dr McGinley (CM): The pool at Lower Merion HS will be ready in the fall to support student programs, but will not open tot he public until fall of '11. Remaining construction will limit public access.

1. Recognition of 25-year employees



They receive a clock and a certificate

2. Presentation of ISC mini-grants

Between $100-$1,000 presented to teachers for specific classroom projects.

3. Keystone Exams overview

State of PA has mandated that a state test be given to all students as a condition for graduation. Score on test would also count as 1/3 of final grade. A local test could be used in place, but must be approved. Also IB and AP program students are exempt.

Few details are available about the implementation. Waiting for more information from the state. This will need a lot of state funding to implement that has not yet been allocated, so a lot of this program may change.

Melissa Gilbert (MG): Congratulates the Belmont Hills 4th Grade band performance and music program.
MG: If we decide to develop our own exams, should we start developing them now?
CM: State has not given any guidance on how to do so. As soon as we have info we can begin doing this.
Steve Barbado: Current 7th grade class is the first one affected, [so we have some time]

Jerry Novick (JN): Is it a new feature that if we use our own test then it won't need to count as 1/3 of grade?
SB: That's what it says on website as of today

Susan Guthrie: If re-takes are allowed this complicated the multiple recomputing of final grades
CM: [agrees] Not seen any guidelines that make sense.

Diane DiBonnaventuro: IB and AP are graded completely differently, and don't get grades until summer. Is a 3 a B , a 4 an A? [Many questions]

JN: Any plan to present to ISC or HSA?
SB: Would be good to do in fall.

CM: Waiting to see where this falls in the state budget.
JN: Head $200 million to develop. Thinks this what happens when politics takes over education. Not thought out.
Lisa Pliskin: 1/3 of grade stipulation was an afterthought
JN: Was a result of a political trade off.

4. Budget hearing

2010-11 proposed final budget. No change from last report.
Scott Shafer: Lowest tax increase since 1984, he thinks.

5. Approval of Administrative recommendations

Overnight trips for HHS and BCMS

DD: Notes that when HHS last won the national science Olympiad, all team members were offered full scholarships to U of Illinois.

JN: Notes that total cost to the district of these trips is not noted.
SB: Has to look into it.

Jerry Novick votes "no" on part of this action, in protest of the total cost not being noted, but other 8 vote yes.

Approval of all other items.

JN rescues self from voting on check to pay catering company owned by his brothers.

School District hires Sungaurd at $25,000 to develop IT policy.

6. Committee Reports

Policy committee working on several policy changes.

Policy 907, classroom visitors, passes

Policies still i development:
257 (Title 1 parental involvement)
915 School related parent organizations (would repeal individual policies on HSA and ISC, etc)
713 Access to School Facilities
004 Adoption of Policies
800 Records management (would allow deletion of inappropriate and inaccurate emails from the archive)

7. Public comment

Public commenter #1 BD: Wants an overview of the progress of the teacher contract.
CM: Underway. Timeline set by state law. Began in January. Can't comment on meetings. Contract expires in June, hope to complete by then.

Public commenter #2 RJ: Mentions the NYC regents exams in contrast with PA Keystone exams. Also would like clarification on the point of last week's guidance presentation. Does not see why they needed to defend themselves or what they were trying to fix.
CM: Was not a defense, was a self-study. Meant to identify areas of concern, and areas where need to communicate better. Came up with short, medium, and long term goals.

Lisa Pliskin: Promotes the free heart screening on June 12 at HHS. www.SimonsFund.org. Mentions her niece whose heart problem was caught at screening years ago and subsequently corrected. Available for all kids 10-19, with appointment.

Susan Guthrie: Mentions June 13 Ed Foundation run & walk.