BETTENDORF SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES 1.8.04

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BETTENDORF COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
BETTENDORF, IOWA
Unofficial Minutes of the January 8, 2005, Retreat Meeting (Pending Board Approval)

1. Call to Order.

The Board of Directors of the Bettendorf Community School District, in the County of Scott, state of Iowa, met for a retreat meeting at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center, 3311 Central Avenue, Bettendorf, Iowa, on Saturday, January 8, 2005. President Anderson called the meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary, verified that the meeting notice had been posted and mailed to the media as required by law.

Members present: Directors Anderson, Castro, Crockett, Luton, Mayer, Weigle. Members absent: Director Ehrmann. Other officials present: Dr. John Perdue, Superintendent; Dr. Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent; Celeste Reuter, Director of Communication; Lynne Lindstrom, Board Secretary.

2. Agenda Approval.

Motion by Director Crockett, seconded by Director Castro, to approve the agenda as distributed.

Ayes: 6 Directors Anderson, Castro, Crockett, Luton, Mayer, Weigle. Nays: 0 Absent: 1 Director Ehrmann. Motion carried 6-0-1.

1. Middle School House Plan Review.

Dr. Dave Kock, Co-Principal at BMS, shared an overview of the Middle School house system, which focused on the following discussion points: blocked planning periods, course offerings, School-In-Need of Assistance (SINA) plan for improvement, discipline, facilities, pod dwellers, transition from middle school to high school. Ms. Linda Goff, Co- Principal at BMS, and Mr. Jimmy Casas, BHS Principal, also provided input and gave their perspective on the various topics outlined.

Directors discussed departmental meetings and sharing of information and knowledge; seeking staff input; utilizing a creative schedule to allow time for staff to meet; differentiation to accommodate varying student learning styles; the effectiveness of the eight-step process.

On behalf of the Board, President Anderson and Superintendent Perdue expressed their appreciation for Dr. Kockís leadership and contributions to the district.

4. Middle School Academic Transition.

Dr. Carol Webb, Assistant Superintendent, addressed Middle School to High School transition and asked the following critical questions:

Is there sufficient course rigor during 8th grade to prepare students for high school? Should high school credit be given to students who complete algebra and/or a modern language level I course in 8th grade? Should a modern language course be an 8th grade requirement? If not, what choices would 8th grade students have? What impact would this have on the numbers of students who sign up for modern language during high school? What if the modern language exploratory courses were moved from 7th to 8th grade? ìLearning algebra is a function of time.î Should the students who successfully complete the 8th grade pre-algebra class then move to a year- long algebra class at the high school, eliminating the separate basic, intro, Algebra 1A and Algebra 1B classes? How does the middle school teaching the high-performing students algebra and level I of a modern language impact the 9th grade high school classes in those subjects? Does the tracking of middle school students in math (primarily 7th and 8th grades) provide rigor and instructional differentiation?

Dr. Webb outlined supporting data, which assisted directors in their review. Achievement data included a breakdown of courses, grading scores, GPA bands, and ITBS and ITED scores. Directors inquired about proposed changes in algebra, the need for additional time, the impact of quality instruction on student comprehension, and the evaluation of rigor.

5. 17 Ways to Annual Yearly Progress for Iowa Education Leaders.

Director Weigle shared highlights of an article entitled the ì17 Steps to Annual Yearly Progress for Iowa Education Leaders,î which she received from a presentation at the November 2004 IASB convention. The steps focused on ìNo Child Left Behindî legislation and its impact on the educational system. The 17 steps included: re-invention of educational products and services; focus on learning rather than teaching; craft a vision statement; write goals that support the vision; engage district stakeholders in developing objectives, standards, and measures; disaggregate test scores; teach smarter; align curriculum; provide job- embedded staff development; make data-driven decisions; utilize continuous improvement techniques; provide collaborative time for teachers; train principals to become leaders and advocates for improvement; have staff who are willing to learn and open to change; benchmark student results against other school districts, states, and the nation; utilize scarce budget resources wisely; tie superintendent compensation to student results and achieving goals and objectives; and celebrate successes.

The Board recessed at 10:03 a.m. and reconvened at 10:12 a.m.

6. Superintendent Search.

Superintendent Perdue shared his proposed timeline for resignation and retirement from the Bettendorf Community School District, following his acceptance of a superintendent position with a district in the Chicago suburbs effective July 1, 2005. President Anderson lead the discussion on the process of conducting a Superintendent search, including criteria for search consultants, search timeline, and candidate qualifications.

Superintendent Perdue informed the Board of a public inquiry at a recent Facilities Advisory Council meeting relative to re-examining interest in discussing a potential merger of Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley school districts due to his departure, bordering competitiveness, and potential business efficiencies. He requested their input and direction on this topic. Consensus of the Board was to continue to move forward, focusing on the superintendent search and the districtís initiatives as planned. The potential and/or related merger study would be lengthy and encompass a variety of studies; thus, the Board did not recommend pursuance of this endeavor at this time. Superintendent Perdue and President Anderson will contact Pleasant Valleyís Superintendent and Board President, so they were aware of the inquiry and related discussion. Additionally, the Board restated their intent on continuation of the Facilities Advisory Councilís work and evaluation of the recommendations in the coming months.

Due to upcoming meeting schedules, Board members agreed to complete their review of book entitled Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities by R. Eaker, R. DuFour, and R. DuFour at their 6:30 p.m. learning session on Monday, January 10.

An additional Board meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, January 26, at 7:00 p.m. to begin the process of evaluating search consultants and to take action on Superintendentís Perdue letter of resignation/retirement.

7. Open Discussion.

There were no open discussion items brought forward.

8. Adjournment.

Motion by Director Mayer to adjourn the meeting at 11:20 a.m.



_______________________________________

Barry Anderson, President ATTEST:

__________________________________ Lynne Lindstrom, Secretary