Hillsdale High School Site Council
February 12, 2007 MInutes
I. Notes on DeTracking 9th/10th grade English and Modern World History:
The discussion was prefaced with a reminder to focus on Cornerstones, particularly in regard to Rigor (a challenging curriculum for all students) and Equity.
Key Points of Discussion:
CONCERNS
it may be difficult to keep in touch with the needs/demands of the Honors/College Bound student;
differentiation needs to be so well organized that it is easy to present to parents (rigor for AS/Honors/GATE students?);
“critical analysis of literature” component in English is particularly difficult to manage in a heterogeneous classroom as models for appropriate levels of discourse require some large-group discussions;
this means more work for teachers, especially in terms of initial planning and unit design;
we would need to collaborate within departments in order to establish clear norms/standards for AS student achievement;
teaching multiple literary texts in English (teacher preparation) and selecting texts that are appropriately challenging for students at all levels of reading ability;
teams need to be assured time and/or money for professional development and curriculum development.
POSITIVE OUTCOMES:
establishment of clear AS standards/norms;
establishment of norms for instruction (particularly with AS curriculum) and student behaviors;
good academic role models for CP students;
greater access to higher academic discourses for all students;
reduction of the “low-CP-singleton” syndrome currently creating de facto tracking in English and MWH;
opening up the master schedule to allow for groupings by house in P.E. and, perhaps, some elective courses;
opportunity and incentive for sharing Differentiated Instruction “lessons learned” by Bio and Chem teachers;
higher achievement for all students.
SLC Council felt that the goals of integrating AS and CP English and History at the 9th and 10th grade levels are consistent with our Cornerstones and philosophy of education. The concerns listed above are serious and must be addressed through scheduling and professional development before the staff is able to implement the plan.
SLC Council felt that the next steps are:
Identify professional development time and resources that will allow 9th and 10th grade Humanities teachers to delineate the differences between AS and CP instruction and performance, identify appropriate instructional strategies, discuss units that can be implemented quickly.
Define a master schedule that will allow students to be “shared” between the history and English teachers so that they can be grouped heterogeneously and homogeneously, depending on the learning goals.
II. STAR test schedule
SLC Council approved a draft STAR Test schedule that modifies last year’s schedule. Marrakech proposed keeping testing in advisory and Kyoto proposed rotating students through the tests, with different cohorts testing in a subject on different days. Jeanie Kwong checked on the possibility of rotating and ETS said that it is not allowable because of test security. In the previous meeting, SLC Council discussed Marrakech’s proposal of a new testing schedule that would reduce the testing days and keep all testing in advisory. The merits of the plan include reduced disruption to the 9-11 graders schedule, shorter testing window, more consistent administration, and less chaos in administration. The reasons that SLC Council decided to modify the old schedule were the past success of the current model and research indicating positive gains from testing in the environment associated with the content. The old schedule would be modified and used as long as disruptions are reduced, make-up tests are handled more effectively, and the testing process is simplified.
The proposed schedule:
Reduces the testing to 12 days, resulting in six additional days of block scheduling in the month of April.
Places the bulk of the make-up testing in advisory
Allocates district testing money (usually used for substitutes) to pay a team member from each grade level and each house to help organize and sort tests during April
Jeff will recruit testing organizers and vet the testing schedule with a committee before final approval.
III. 11th and 12th Grade Planning Meeting
House leaders have gathered names of teachers who are interested in discussing the future shape of the 11th and 12th grades within SLCs. The Administrators and House Leaders will look at the list of volunteers to ensure equitable representation and will invite participants to an initial planning meeting before arranging a full day retreat. The Leadership Team will also invite “critical friends” to participate as observers of the process.
IV. SLC Council did not discuss the Master Schedule other than agreeing to send out a survey asking for:
Teachers’ course and schedule preferences
Teachers’ willingness to participate in scheduling discussions
Concerns and ideas for next year’s schedule
V. Art Grant
SLC Council is requesting that the VPA department meet to discuss the disbursement of the grant funds. The department might weigh factors such as enrollment, sections, cost to run the program, and existence of booster clubs. Any request for grant money must include a specific description of the item to be purchased as well as the cost.
VPA’s decisions will be presented to SLC Council for approval. If VPA cannot come to consensus about the disbursement of funds, SLC Council will read the requests, review what agreements were achieved, and determine the allocation of the remaining funds.
