Minutes of 2/6/09 SIT meeting

Reviewed SIP action steps w/ SIT

Ed Yes draft will be sent to all to review before submitting to Todd

Family writing workshop:
Three 90 minutes workshops
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Dates: Thurs., March 26
Tues., March 31
Mon., April 6
Place: Media Center and workspace in classrooms?
Kevin will give teachers workshop insert for newsletters
Kevin will explore having one of the three workshops at Greenbaxter
-we'll need shuttle service
-enough room?
-Colleen will draft a survey parents at Greenbaxter as to their needs (transportation, what nights of the week, etc.)
Follow-up survey: Camille will check into combining EMU & King survey - quick check w/ a place for comments to give families at the end of each session. Possible survey for kids
Food: Water - Camille will check w/ Busch's for a donation

Literacy Night (plan for next year)
-earlier rather than later in the school year, Sept. suggestion
-combination curriculum night & literacy night suggestion
-separate K-2 and 3-5 sessions
-informative - what happens in the workshops and ways for parents to support
-create common understand
-common language
-reading workshop
guided reading
read aloud
shared reading
interactive reading
word work
idea to have some kids present to model guided reading & mini lesson
-writing workshop
word work
reading like a writer
writing process- brainstorm, draft, revise, edit, publication

Literacy Night Brainstorm

Schedule for early in the fall - how early?

Content
Reading
Writing
Reader's workshop
- Guided reading - with kids?
- Read aloud
Writer's workshop
word work
Breakout into K-2 and 3-5


Overall objectives:
- how to make it more family friendly

Explain what I do and why I do it this way
Parental support so that the learning is matched up at home

SIT Agenda 2/6/09

Family Writing Workshop Planning

• What is it? - handout
• Possible dates - Camille
• Who can come?
• Brainstorm how to participate
• Preview invitation?
• Follow Up Survey - handout

Literacy Night Planning Brainstorming
What might Literacy Night look like?

Ed Yes! Draft Input

Minutes from 1/9: SIT direction for Ed Yes strand 4 based on 1/9 meeting

We discussed implementing the following regarding strand 4 . . .

Communication--
• List SIT goals on the website and Principal’s blog.
• Progress towards the goals could be communicated in the monthly newsletter.
• Teachers updates in their weekly newsletters.
• Use the PTO meetings to communicate about the SIT goals and the progress made – either during the Principal’s update, or set aside a time slot just before or after the PTO meeting. Teachers can make presentations too.
• Tips/handout for parents on how to help foster writing at home
• Copy of writing report card given to parents at Curriculum Night
• Writing samples & update on writing progress shared at parent-teacher conference
• Displayed student work in classroom and hallways
• More completed student writing work sent home (perhaps a photocopy)
• Copies of model writing or benchmarking by grade level accessible to parents (either from classroom writing or meap writing)

In the workshops/programs area--
Begin planning literacy night for 09-10 school year
Schedule EMWP 90 minute family literacy initiative for 08-09 school year

1/9/08 Agenda

Before coming to the January 9 SIT meeting, please look over the brainstormed suggestions contained in Camille's previous email (which is posted here).

During meeting:
Discuss the brainstormed ideas, noting the inherent merits and deficits .

Prioritize - Our goal is to identify the best ideas to address our goals.

Fwd: School Improvement Team--brainstorming ideas

Hello SIT members!

I hope everyone had a good break.

Here is the long-ago promised sorted list of our brainstorming ideas in preparation for our meeting Friday morning. Thanks to Lisa for her notes.

To compile this list, I looked at the minutes and my notes of our discussions at the last 2 meetings. I sorted by putting like things together, giving weight to ideas the group seemed enthusiastic about, and that also related to the agreed-upon literacy goals for the year.

I noticed (I think) that we seem to have a basic agreement on the larger structure of what we want to do. There were many ideas were about improving existing communication structures with parents (newsletters, pto, curr night, folder handouts), and more clearly explaining what already happens in the classroom. And also, it seems the larger idea of an evening parent-ed workshop—our own, EMU's, or some combination—has consensus.

If there is anything not included that should be, or you want to re-visit something I've missed, please let me know. My intention is to include everything relevant. For Friday, think about what specific "actions steps" we want to take on this year.

--Camille

Brainstorming ideas from the SIT meetings 11/7 & 12/3 2008

*These are the ideas we most focused on and you might as potentially helpful in helping us implement the goals.

Communication:

• List SIT goals on the website and Principal’s blog.
• Progress towards the goals could be communicated in the monthly newsletter.
• Teachers updates in their weekly newsletters.
• Use the PTO meetings to communicate about the SIT goals and the progress made – either during the Principal’s update, or set aside a time slot just before or after the PTO meeting. Teachers can make presentations too.
• Tips/handout for parents on how to help foster writing at home
• Copy of writing report card given to parents at Curriculum Night
• Writing samples & update on writing progress shared at parent-teacher conference
• Displayed student work in classroom and hallways
• More completed student writing work sent home (perhaps a photocopy)
• Copies of model writing or benchmarking by grade level accessible to parents (either from classroom writing or meap writing)


Workshops/Programs:

• Using parent classroom volunteers to help with reading/writing process (under engagement tab)

• Have an annual “literacy night” like the one that was held 3 years ago. Could have two 45 minute sessions - parents sign-up for guided reading, writing workshop, literature circle

• EMU writing project - 90 minute family literacy initiative: http://www.emichwp.org/

School Improvement Team Update

The MLK School Improvement Team (SIT), which includes both teachers, parents and the building principal (me :-) has been working this fall to examine our achievement data and identify the most important areas in which to approve. The areas of improvement have then been used to write goals. This process is part of the State of Michigan's School Improvement Framework and has involved the SIT team and the entire MLK staff.

For your information, here are the goals we've identified:

• MLK students will write paragraphs as measured by grade level report card outcomes and Grade Level Content Expectations.
• MLK students will revise their writing as measured by the grade level report cards and Grade Level Content Exectations.
• Achievement target list students will read at or above grade level targets as measured by the grade level report card outcomes and Grade Level Content Expectations.

For the SIT, our next job will be to work on how do we address the needs of families or the community with these goals in mind. As part of the December meeting, we began brainstorming ways in which this could be done. Look for some more SIT news in the coming months!

Notes from 12/5 SIT meeting

-review last year's Ed Yes, strand 4 and looked at what benchmarks were implemented and exemplary
-Ed Yes
-communication over time rather than just at Curriculum Night
-Lucy Calkins 3-5 writing homework
-workshop for parents
EMU writing project - 90 minute family literacy initiative
Q about ELL parents even though we have only 50 kids receiving svcs
-A to Z books - opened ended Q at the end of the books for kids to write paragraph
-literacy night like King did ~3 years ago - Have two 45 minute sessions - parents sign-up for guided reading, writing workshop, literature circle
-show and tell - parents receive benchmark writing samples
-writers visit classes -

send brainstormed action steps to Camille

District Administration Article: Righting the Writing Process

You might find this District Administration article interesting:
Righting the Writing Process http://www.districtadministration.com/
http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1783

SIT Agenda for 12/5/08

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you on Friday at 7:30. Below is the agenda for our meeting - with links so you can look at information ahead of time if you are so inclined :-)

I. Review purpose
II. Review the school improvement goals for 2008-09
III. Examine Ed Yes, strand 4 report from last year
IV. Discussion: Given our purpose, the selected goals, and strand 4, what would make sense for this year?

Ed Yes 07-08 Strand 4

This is what was reported in 2007-08 for Education Yes, Strand 4:

Strand IV - School and Community Relations
The school staff maintains purposeful, active, positive relationships with families of its students and with the community in which it operates to support student learning.

Standard 1 - Parent/Family Involvement
Schools actively and continuously involve parents and families in student learning and other school activities.

Key Characteristics
Benchmark A: Communication
School/parent/family communications are two-way, ongoing and meaningful.

IV.1.A.2 Diversity: The school places particular value on the diversity of its population. It demonstrates this belief through the diversity of its communication systems taking into account language, culture, economic status, and belief systems. Staff members are constantly looking for ways to bridge the gap between the culture at home and the school in order to develop meaningful conversations.

Response:
Implemented

Evidence:
* District forms are translated in many instances
* Bilingual staff and bilingual parents are available for students for instructional purposes--and, when needed, for parents to facilitate communication
* Childcare provided for evening meetings by the King PTO and KingCare
* Attention is paid to scheduling meetings during family friendly times--and to providing information/material in an alternative way for families who were not able to attend
* A supportive and interactive relationship with the social worker, staff and families at Green Baxter Court exists--to support and facilitate learning for children and families living at
Green Baxter Court
* On-going Equity Team training from 2006-08 with Pacific Educational Group helps
to identify and find solutions to issues connected to diversity and understanding of culture
* Equity presentations for MLK staff by MLK Equity team during 2008
* School calendar reflects respect to major cultural/religious days for all groups
* School communication is written in plain English with attention to avoiding jargon as much as possible
* Building encouragement of after-school programming including
language classes sponsored by the Rec and Ed department
* Insuring equal access to school programming (including before and after school child care) by providing scholarships in a variety of ways
* Annual PTO International Night
* Disability Awareness Day, 2008
* MLK School News Blog:
http://karrskingblog.blogspot.com/
* PTO After-school Writing Workshops 2007, 2008

Benchmark B: Engagement
Schools have a systematic approach that encompasses a variety of meaningful activities/actions that engage parents/families as partners in helping students and schools succeed.

IV.1.B.2 Extended Learning Opportunities: The school is seen as a "learning organization" and the parents are an integral part of this philosophy. Numerous extended learning opportunities are provided to parents in order to enhance their own education, as well as to reinforce and support their children learning at home.

Response:
Implemented

Evidence:
* Annual Curriculum Night
* Annual grade level Open House/Music Night
* Annual observance of NAAPID parent involvement day
* Annual percentage rate of parent teacher conferences above 99%
* Parent education activites, 2006-08
* Parent Writing Workshops from Eastern Michigan Writing Project, 2007-08
* School Improvement discussions and implementation of activities in support of greater family education and activities in 2007-08
* Staff volunteering at Green Baxter Court after school hours
* List of PTO chairs for school events, including PTO liaison to Green Baxter Court and PTO Academic chairperson
* Newsletter and eNotes announcements about upcoming events
* PTO sponsored groups including Science Olympiad, Academic Games, 4th grade writing program with 826michigan.org, Legotrons, Science Night, Book Fair, March is Reading Month activities
* Annual 5th grade Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama
* Annual 5K Walk by PTO

IV.1.B.3 Decision-Making: The school believes that parents and families are partners in helping students and the school succeed. In this role, they serve an important function as participants in the decision-making process. Particular efforts are made by the school to assure that the demographics of parents in leadership roles represent the diversity of the school population.

Response:
Exemplary

Evidence:
* Three parents on School Improvement Team
* Parents of diverse perspectives are solicited for participation and input around school improvement and climate needs
* PTO Executive Board maintains a list of all event chairs, which includes families of diverse backgrounds
* PTO includes a parent as Academic Chair
* A wide variety of parents participate and give input as part of the PTO
* Diverse perspectives are sought for district initiatives including strategic planning
* District Parent Advisory Committee

Standard 2 - Community Involvement
The community-at-large is supportive and involved in student learning and other school activities.

Key Characteristics

Benchmark A: Communication
Communications within the community are welcoming, visible, purposeful and take into account diverse populations.

IV.2.A.2 Diversity: In order to benefit the diverse student body represented at the school, the school reaches out to community organizations that reflect this diversity. The voice of community organizations are represented in the school.


Response:
Implemented

Evidence:
* School calendar takes into account cultural/religious days of significance for all groups
* Communication and support of Green Baxter Court
* Community resources utilized to support International Night
* Occasional use of bilingual staff to support enrollment, parent teacher conferences and parent communication
* Translated enrollment forms
* Childcare provided for many evening parent events
* Use of Trans-Act translation software when needed at building and district level
* Annual PTO Welcome Night
* Annual observance of National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID)
* School assemblies showing people of diverse backgrounds
* Annual PTO International Night
* PTO After-school writing workshop
* Disability Awareness Workshop
* Leslie Science Center activities
* University Musical Society actvities

Benchmark B: Engagement
The school and community work collaboratively and share resources in order to strengthen student, family, and community learning.

IV.2.B.3 Community Agencies: Community agencies play a key role at the school in providing services to students and families. They work collaboratively and share resources with the school to strengthen the comprehensive network of support.

Response:
Exemplary

Evidence:
* Referrals and follow-up records to a variety of community agencies including Community Action Network, Green Baxter Court housing, Judson Center, Family Independence Agency, Washtenaw County Health, Salvation Army
* Disability Awareness Day, 2007, 2008
* School personnel works closely with social worker from Green Baxter Court to help address needs that come up for 94+% of economically disadvantaged students attending school
* Vision/hearing screenings provided annually
* Community dental service information forwarded annually Green Baxter Court
* List of community agencies available through principal, social worker, resource room teacher * School/district works closely with homeless shelters to comply with requirements of homeless education act

MLK School Improvement Team Purpose

The purpose of the MLK SIT team is to:
- Support the requirements of Education Yes!;
- Facilitate the improvement of MLK School through the analysis
of data;
- Implement strategies to support Education Yes! strand 4;
- Fulfill the requirements of Public Act 25 of 1990.

Click here for more information about Education Yes!

SIP Goals for 2008-09

Here are the final SIP goals for 2008-09 as prioritized and written by both the MLK staff and MLK School Improvement Team.

• MLK students will write paragraphs as measured by grade level report card outcomes and Grade Level Content Expectations.
• MLK students will revise their writing as measured by the grade level report cards and Grade Level Content Exectations.
• Achievement target list students will read at or above grade level targets as measured by the grade level report card outcomes and Grade Level Content Expectations.

SIT Minutes/Notes 11-7

SIT Goals

- Kevin shared proposed staff goals

Discussion:

-Teresa Q re clarity for parents re "measured by report cards & GLCEs"

-kevin could/will include secure outcomes from report cards on forms

-proposed changed to "MLK students will write paragraphs"

-suggestion to put descriptors on the website of report card outcomes and GLCEs

**Keep statement as is and spell out grade level content expectations - w/ link to full descriptors of outcomes**

-reiterated this is collaborative effort - buy in by all stakeholders

-next steps - look at practice as related to discreet, focused goals

----------------

Strand 4 of Ed Yes

Strand 4 = 1/3 of school grade

2 standards:  

- parent & family involvement

-community involvement

We're going to look at Ed Yes strand 4 through the lens of our SIT goals

-including making parents aware of goals

-going beyond communicating what we do, by extended day opportunities???

-making information accessible IF parents want it -- the opportunity

-brainstorm what we already do and then determine what's our greatest needs

-didn't achievel leve 5 due to a lack of systems and sustainability 

Homework

-Think of ED Yes strand 4 through lens of SIT goals

-Kevin will give us a list of what we''re already doing (from last year's ED Yes forms)

-email  lists of what we're already doing and what we could do to Kevin or Camille 

SIT meeting on Friday, 11/7

MLK School Improvement Team, 

Just a reminder that we have a meeting this Friday at 7:30 AM.  

If you would like to do some reading/thinking ahead of time, please review Strand 4 of the Michigan School Improvement Framework. This is where we'll start the meeting on Friday . . . 

I'll also share the work the MLK staff has done in determining instructional priorities and school improvement goals.

If there is time, we'll begin connecting the goals with strand 4.

Looking forward to seeing you!  I'll bring the coffee . . . 

Thanks.

Kevin

Agenda for 11/7/08 meeting

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at this month's SIT meeting. Thank you for your time and commitment to being involved at King.

First a review of our purpose:
- Support the requirements of Education Yes!;
- Facilitate the improvement of MLK School through the analysis of data;
- Implement strategies to support Education Yes! strand 4;
- Fulfill the requirements of Public Act 25 of 1990.

I'm happy to report that as a staff we've made some progress at defining goals for the school. In connection to that, here is the SIT agenda for this month:

I. What is strand 4?

• Handout
• Discussion
  

II. Proposed SIT goals - the following goals are representative of both what staff and SIT generated this school year:

• MLK students will write paragraphs as measured by grade level report card outcomes and GLCEs.
  
• MLK students will revise their writing as measured by the grade level report cards.
• Achievement target list students will read at or above grade level targets as measured by the grade level report card outcomes and GLCEs.

Discussion about goals? Are they clear and understandable? Measurable? Achievement focused?

III. Discussion if time: Given the purpose of this team and goals, what can this team do to achieve strand 4?

Minutes from 10/3/08 meeting

SIT
ED Yes - review purposes of SIT as it relates to ED Yes, strand 4.
-everyone rec’d a cc of ED Yes document via email
-today’s objective is look at King data as it relates to strand 4
-making an informed decision about how to focus/best support strand 4
community/communication efforts
Observations from Data:
-attend to task at hand, self control and uses time wisely - how does this impact
kids ability to write???
-no district-wide rubrics for learning and social behaviors
-how to teach kids to learn how to self-monitor over time
Identified threads/strands that run through the grades that are low
-paragraph writing
-revising
-money
Disconnect between genre and writing skills- kids tend to achieve at higher levels on
genre studies than in discreet skills
-grammar and usage - so many skills under this skill...kids may be low due to not
achieving one or two of the subskills
-fifth grade genre - what is meant by cohesive writing projects? Scores from
fourth to fifth significantly down
-s there a small cohort of kids that are struggling from grade to grade to show that
- that’s the reason why -- is it a change in rubric, or kids (new to King)
-generally trends lines go up, however, looking look at specific skills
-how is MEAP writing being scored (team of teachers w/ Kevin worked on it over
summer) Grading of MEAP is big concern at state level.
-aside from looking @ overall data, Kevin meets w/ staff about specific at-risk kids
-state rubrics different from AA rubrics
-writing seems overall lower than other academic areas
-grammar and usage
-much larger gap between male and female in writing that other academics - females
score higher
-Is there a disconnect between what is tested and expected daily behavior
-Are MEAP topics more geared to girls (feeling writing) -- gender bias
-MEAP - lifeskill

Re: SIT Agenda for 10/3/08 @ 7:30

Hi again MLK SIT team, 

In preparation for the meeting on Friday, I'm wondering how many of you have had the opportunity to look at the most current MLK achievement data.  If you came to my presentation during curriculum night, you would have seen some of it.

If you were not able to, this is a copy of the most current MEAP data:  

MLK SIT Agenda 10/3/08

SIT Team Agenda
October 3, 2008
7:30 - 8:30 AM
MLK Office Conference Room

Introductions

The purpose of the MLK SIT team is to:
- Support the requirements of Education Yes!;
- Facilitate the improvement of MLK School through the analysis
of data;
- Implement strategies to support Education Yes! strand 4;
- Fulfill the requirements of Public Act 25 of 1990.

Click here for more information about Education Yes!

MLK Data
- What sticks out to you?
- Discussion

Next steps:
- MLK staff determines achievement goals
- SIT team could begin to think about ways to support Education Yes! strand 4.

Meeting dates for this year: 11/7, 12/5, 1/9, 2/6, 3/6, 4/3, and 5/1 from 7:30 - 8:30.

MLK School Improvement Team - meet on 10/3 @ 7:30

Hello King parents and teachers,

I appreciate your willingness to serve on the MLK School Improvement
Team for the 2008-09 school year, and I'm looking forward to working
together. The purpose of the MLK SIT team is to:
- Support the requirements of Education Yes!;
- Facilitate the improvement of MLK School through the and analysis
of data;
- Implement strategies to support Education Yes! strand 4;
- Fulfill the requirements of Public Act 25 of 1990.
The attached document gives information about Education Yes!

Our first meeting of the year on Friday, October 3 from 7:30 - 8:30. I'll send out an agenda next week but am hoping you'll be able to save this date for the first meeting. Our next meeting dates are 11/7, 12/5, 1/9, 2/6, 3/6, 4/3, and 5/1 from 7:30 - 8:30.

If your plans for this year have changed and you don't think you'll be able to participate on SIT, please let me know.

Thank you!
Kevin