SCHOOL DISTRICT OF JEFFERSON

JEFFERSON, WISCONSIN

 

MINUTES

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE

June 6, 2005

 

The Curriculum & Instruction Committee of the Board of Education of the School District of Jefferson met on Monday, June 6, 2005, in the High School Library.  Acting Chairperson Saelens called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. with Committee member Stoner alternate Krause present.  Mr. Schroeder arrived at 5:03 p.m. and Mrs. Neils arrived at 5:07 p.m.  Mrs. Whitmore was absent.

 

Approval of 6-9-05 Committee Minutes: Motion by Mr. Stoner, seconded by Mr. Krause to approve the minutes of the May 9, 2005 meeting as presented.  The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.

 

Curriculum

§         Summer Curriculum Work Plans:  The number of staff involved in summer curriculum work projects continues to grow.  A list of approved projects for this summer was provided for committee review.

 

§         Piloting Plans for New K-5 Houghton-Mifflin Science Series:  The K-5 Science team was quite impressed with the long-awaited new Houghton-Mifflin Science program.  Details on plans to pilot the series in the fall were provided.

 

§         Proposed Revisions of 890 Curriculum Implementation Budget:  Per the latest Board directive, many cuts were made in the proposed curriculum budget for 2005-06.  Those items will be discussed at the Finance and Operations Committee later in the evening. 

 

Instruction

§         Federal Programs—Draft Allocations:  Tentative plans for use of Title I-V funds for next year were provided for committee review.  Given the tight funding at the state and local level, these funds are very important in supporting district initiatives that might otherwise go by the wayside. 

 

§         Challenges Finding Reading Teacher/Reading Coordinator Candidates:  The pool of experienced candidates for reading teachers with 317 licenses to fill the K-12 Reading Coordinator position is extremely small.  Possible implications of the situation were discussed.  State statute requires that school districts employ a reading coordinator.  An administrator can legally serve as the reading coordinator, providing a district signature on required documents.

 

Staff Development

§         NCTM Training 2004-07:  The district is committed to providing workshops to all math teachers to the main concepts of federally funded National Council of Teachers of Math curricula developed over the last 10-15 years.  A draft list of the strategy for accomplishing that goal was provided for committee review.

 

§         No Child Left Behind Update:  No update was provided.

 

Assessment

§         2004-05 Testing Report at July Meeting:  Dr. Landfried reported that initial data regarding state testing programs has finally been made available to the district.  However, the really meaningful data has yet to arrive.  With luck, the Department of Public Instruction and CTB-McGraw Hill will make WKCE Phase III data available to us to download by the third week in June as promised.  That information will supposedly include data about how district students performed on individual test items and state standards.  He will report to the C&I Committee based on whatever is available by the first week in July. 

 

August Meeting:  For the last several years, the C&I Committee has selected one month during the summer when it does not meet.  This committee will not meet in August this year. 

 

A motion to adjourn was made by Mrs. Neils, seconded by Mr. Stoner.  The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.

 

ADJOURNMENT: 5:25 p.m.

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Secretary, Pati Fitzgerald