| March 4, 2010 |
The regular meeting of the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Board of Education held Thursday, March 4, 2010 was called to order at 6:59pm by Mr. Richard Charron. PRESENT: Richard Charron, Marcia Ricci, Sandra Clow, Carol Cooper, Robert VanBramer, Thomas Lansing ALSO PRESENT: Timothy Lange, Carol Lyon, Christopher Scanlan, Hollie Russo, Karen Diener, Vicky Kelts, Patrick Devanney (Compass Learning) ABSENT: Denise Keyoskey There were no comments from the public regarding items on this evening’s action agenda. Comments from Administration Mr. Lange reminded everyone of the spring musical production of Peter Pan on March 11, 12 & 13 at 7pm in the auditorium. Mr. Lange watched as students flew through the air during rehearsals in harnesses operated by faculty. The music can be heard in the hallways during rehearsals and the production will be quite remarkable. The professional development half-day held on Wednesday gave faculty the opportunity to discuss student progress and grade level practices. A Superintendent’s Conference Day is scheduled for March 19th. Faculty and staff will meet for a day long event to discuss district policies, the education of students with diabetes, and to hear a guest speaker on stress reduction. The second Board Finance Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 with reports from the building principals. Staffing issues will also be addressed. Mr. Scanlan stated the Junior High semi formal dance for 7th, 8th and 9th grade students will be held on March 19th here at school. The Junior High SGA will sponsor a fund raising event at Guptil’s Roller Skating Arena on March 18th. The group will receive 100% of the proceeds for pre-sale tickets which will be allocated for a possible field trip to the Bronx Zoo in the spring. ACTION On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the amended minutes of the February 25, 2010 meeting. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved first request to investigate a trip to Europe in April 2011 from Mrs. Russo, Mr. Miazga and Mr. Ferrara. The trip will be open to students in grades 9 - 12. The club advisors want explore the possibility of going to Spain and Portugal during spring break 2011. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a request from Carol Donnelly, HS Art teacher, for a four week medical leave of absence beginning April 19th. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointments of Nicole Spulnick and Maxine Sherrill to teach the SAT Prep Course from March 15 through May 1, 2010; salary per the WTA contract. (One evening session per teacher per week; 8 - 10 students) On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved a resolution urging the Legislature to restore funding to the NYS Theatre Institute in the 2010-2011 State Budget (enclosed). On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the following warrants: Construction Fund #14 for $65,878.62 Special Aid #16 for $437.27 School Lunch #13 for $2,086.12 General Fund #59 for $21,718.66 The Board reviewed CSE minutes dated 2/4/10. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the provisional appointment of Carolyn Bizzarro as senior typist in the guidance office pending successful completion of Saratoga County Civil Service requirements; salary per CSEA contract; effective on or about March 26, 2010. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved the appointment of Jacqueline DeMarco as substitute elementary teacher to cover the six week leave of absence for Mrs. Russo; salary per #2 of the policy on substitute teacher pay. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board approved an adjustment in the work schedule for Lisa Hackel, Teacher Assistant, from 6.5 hours per day to 6 hours per day; effective March 5, 2010. PRESENTATION: Compass Learning; One-line Educational Service, Mr. Devanney Mr. Lange presented an overview of the program at the February 25th Board meeting and was asked by the Board for more information from the company. A virtual learning or tutorial program would initially benefit students at risk and could expand to include credit recovery and advanced placement courses. In the last year, the State Education Department and the Board of Regents have been encouraging the use of virtual learning or on-line learning tools. This is different from our current distance learning environment which would be replaced if the district implemented the on-line educational service. SED is currently developing guidelines and regulations in the use of such programs. There is a specific category of federal funding to get on-line programs started. Our district may be too small but Mr. Lange has been in contact with other schools to potentially band together to qualify for ARRA funding. Mr. Lange stated that the district has done well in the use of technology and that we historically have stayed ahead of the curve. Mr. Devanney said his company, Compass Learning, is a digital web-based resource offering instructional activities in core curriculum areas with assessment and reporting components. It is an extension of good teacher practices and is used as a tool to help facilitate learning. Compass Learning is a 40 year old company headquartered in Austin, Texas offering instruction for K - 12 and advanced placement courses. All curriculum is aligned to state standards. Foreign Language instruction is not available. The program can be used without the benefit of a teacher in the room but it is not recommended. It can be used for individual students or group instruction. Teachers can expand on activities. It helps with diagnosing problem areas and in delivery of instruction. The program would be physically housed in one classroom with multiple stations and a dedicated staff member would be assigned. A student may use the program for many reasons, e.g.: a student may have passed a course but failed the Regents exam; a student may not be successful in a traditional classroom; a student may need to take a course for credit but can’t fit it in their schedule; summer school; Academic Intervention Services or to complete extra work from home. The program is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The system was designed by highly competent instructors using brain based research and can be customized to individual needs. College readiness tests can prepare students to take the SAT’s. The system is secure; students are issued passwords and privacy is protected. Mr. Devanney showed a sample lesson. Activities are engaging and rigorous and are not defined by grade level. The system makes assessments and provides immediate feedback. It provides multi-level evaluations, pre-test questions, scored activities, chapter and unit tests. The teacher would still have the ability to make assessments. Information can be archived. The district has control of all student activity. Beyond the necessary computers, no additional hardware is needed. Professional development and tech support are available. The district has the option of hosting the system on their own server or the company can host the system. Our district’s priorities are: credit recovery, alternate instruction, summer school and additional courses beyond what a student is taking. The administration would continue to work out the logistics and to address other needs in the future. Subscription and site license options were discussed. When asked about program challenges, Mr. Devanney said the cost is always an issue for districts, but compared to the value of the program, it’s easy to justify. (The district would no longer be paying for the distance learning program.) The Compass Learning system is BOCES aidable. Other area districts use the system and have customized it to their specifications. Some districts use it to its full potential, some do not depending on the dedication of the administration, faculty and staff. There are yearly updates, or major releases and "patches" are issued when necessary during the year. There were no comments from the Board of Education, residents or staff. On motion by Mrs. Ricci, seconded by Mr. VanBramer and by a vote of 6 - 0 the Board went into executive session at 8:20 to discuss a personnel matter. They returned to regular session and adjourned at 9:30pm Julie Caulkins District Clerk