The Wayne Trace Local School District Board of Education met in regular session on September 8, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wayne Trace High School Lecture Hall.
Mr. Perry Sinn led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call: Lisa McClure, Duane Sinn, Perry Sinn, Dick Swary – All Present; Pat Baumle – Absent.
Recognition of Guests:
Tim McDonough – Defiance Crescent-News
Various newly hired teachers and staff for the 2014-15 school year
Report of the Treasurer:
Treasurer Gary Ginter reported that second half property tax incomes had been received from the County Auditor, along with Casino revenue.
14-09-01 Consent Agenda Items:
A motion by Duane Sinn to approve the following consent agenda items:
A. to approve the minutes of the August 11, 2014 Board meeting;
B. to approve the investment report and payment of bills as presented by the treasurer for August 2014;
C. to authorize the Treasurer to advertise for the purchase of a new 84 Passenger School Bus;
D. to accept the Monsanto Math Mania Grant totaling $25,000.00;
E. to acknowledge receipt of $2,083.92 from Cooper Family Foundation for classroom education.
*Before we pass the consent resolution, are there any items you would like to move from the consent agenda to the discussion agenda for further discussion and/or for separate voting purposes?
Seconded by Perry Sinn. Roll Call Vote: Duane Sinn, Perry Sinn, Lisa McClure, Dick Swary – All Aye; Pat Baumle – Absent.
Vantage Report, Pat Baumle: NONE
Grover Hill Elementary Principal’s Report – Kevin Wilson:
Maintenance:
• Gregg has been out for the past four weeks with a bruised ankle bone. At this time he is in a boot and will not be back for a least another week. During Gregg’s absence we have Bern Fiedler filling in and at this time I am happy to say the all drinking fountains, water leaks, along with other maintenance issues have been taken care of.
• Next, I am feeling confident that the screen placed over the outside vents has cured our bird issue. To date no birds have been notice at the office entrance.
• Thanks to the Mrs. Paulette Sinn and the PTO for their assistance in replenishing the Fibar on the playground. We still have a pile left over in the parking lot that will be used to fill in low areas as the year goes along.
• Mr. Langhals and I have been discussing the different roof quotes. At this time he is contacting each company in an attempt to get an apples to apples quote. You will be kept informed on the progress of this project as more information is gathered.
Academics:
1. During the first few weeks of school the teachers have been busy assessing their students in all subject areas. Once this data is collected we meet as a teacher based team to discuss the individual needs of each student.
2. Tuesday, September 9th Miss Sinn and Mrs. Schlatter will be taking the 5th grade students to Padding for a presentation by Mark Holtzberry on Science/Environmental related topics.
3. On Friday, August 29th the elementary Math teachers sat through a presentation on the new math series. This was a very productive morning. During the afternoon the elementary teachers were given time to work on their Student Learning Objectives (SLO). Since teachers from both Payne and Grover Hill are working together to create their SLO assessments, this was time well spent. Also, during the afternoon session all new staff members were put through a mini ALICE training.
4. At this time the students in grades 4-6 each have a laptop they are taking from class to class. The teachers are making good use of these devices. In the 5th and 6th grade math class Mrs. Beining is having the students watch videos as an introduction some of her lessons. After the students have watched the video they take time to discuss what they have picked up from the video. This in turn leads them into the daily lesson.
5. An online program called Quizlet is being used by several teachers. This program allows the students to create flash cards from their vocabulary words in Science, Social Studies, as well as all other classes. The students can then study the information at home or during their OAA time during the day. One great feature of Quizlet is that a teacher can go online to see how much study time the students have put into learning the material. This program is being well received by the students.
Other News:
The PTO fundraiser kickoff was held on Wednesday, August 27. Each year the students sell “butter braids” as a fundraiser. This has been a very successful fundraiser for the GH PTO.
Lifetouch was at GH on Tuesday, August 26th and again on Wednesday August 27th for our school pictures.
On Tuesday, September 2nd I spend the morning at a eTPES training in Columbus. This was very informative since there are a few changes to eTPES for this year. I was also able to gain some clarification on some grey areas with SLOs. There are still some unanswered questions, but I now have a contact who should be able to clear up the other grey areas.
Friday, September 5th will be Early Childhood Screening at GH. This screening is open to anyone from Paulding County.
We will hold our first Building Leadership Team meeting on Wednesday, September 17. This team of teachers will look over the data collected from our Teacher Based Teams to see if we can find any school wide weaknesses or maybe some school wide strengths. With this data we will be tracking the growth of our students as well as the effectiveness of the instructional tools we are using.
On Thursday, September 18 we will have an assembly titled “You’ve got a Friend”. This is a follow up to last year’s assembly on Bullying. We feel the more we address this topic the better our chances of eliminating Bullying in the school and hopefully in the community.
Payne Elementary School, Principal’s Report – Jody Dunham:
1. Building Updates:
a. The flagpole in front of the building has been painted.
b. The technology system in the auditorium is being evaluated for an update. Mr. Hessel and Mrs. Sisson are leading this project.
2. The building level team will be meeting with Marty Schoegl from the State Support Team Region One on September 19 to establish our building-wide goals for the 2014-2015 school year. These goals will be aligned with the district level goals that were set on September 4 as part of OIP.
3. Teacher based teams are meeting regularly to assess student growth and needs. These meetings allow teachers to align their instruction to the specific needs of each student. Teachers meet with both their same grade level teaching partner and with those teachers above and below their assigned grade level.
4. Instructional tutors Mrs. Lisa Laukhuf and Mrs. Marta Wilder are working with students on memorizing their math facts and vocabulary acquisition. Research shows that the larger a student’s vocabulary the better their reading comprehension. The tutors are serving both regular education and special education students.
5. The cross categorical classroom currently serves 12 students from kindergarten through grade 5. Students appear to be transitioning well to this setting while continuing to spend time throughout the day with their same age peers. We wish to thank Mrs. Laurie DeLong and Mrs. Jennifer Moran for getting the year off to a great start for these students.
6. The transitional kindergarten classroom has a full enrollment of 15 students. These students are children who turned five between May 15 and September 30. The benefit of this program is already evident. These students are thriving and are already meeting developmental milestones. It’s wonderful to see them learning in an academic yet age appropriate environment. The benefit is also evident in our traditional kindergarten classrooms where they are able to move at a faster pace with their instruction.
7. We are excited to have a total of 11 students enrolled in our GATE program this school year. The program is offered to students in the 4th, 51h, and 61’’ grades.
8. We will continue to collaborate with the Paulding County Sheriffs Department when practicing lock down/intruder drills. The first of three drills be will conducted in September. All new staff were trained in ALICE procedures as part of the August 29, 2014 staff in-service.
9. Our fall AIMSweb assessments are completed. The data collected from this process will guide specific targeted instruction for individual students. It will also give us data for monitoring on-going improvement of skills. We want to thank our AIMSweb team, led by Mrs. Michelle Berry and Mrs. Kay Head, for doing this in a very timely and efficient manner.
10. We wish to *recognize* the students and families who attended our Open House Tuesday, August 19, 2014. More than 92% of the students enrolled at WTPE attended this event.
11. We wish to *recognize* Mr. Jerry Hessel and Mrs. Jo Ellen Sisson for doing an excellent job with setting up the building technology. Students in grades 3-6 have access to laptops in their classrooms. Teachers have been provided Mimio boards, projectors and document cameras as needed.
12. Upcoming events at WIPE include:
i. September 26: Grandparents Day for 2nd and 6th grade
ii. October 9: Mustard’s Retreat Concert
Jr./Sr. High School Principal’s Report – Greg Leeth:
1. We kicked off teacher work day and the first day of school by channeling Disney’s High School Musical and the hit song “We’re All in This Together” as our theme for the 2014-15 school year. Students, teachers, and administrators face several major changes in the coming year, thus “We’re All in This Together.” I could not be more pleased with the very positive beginning of the school year, and the manner in which students and staff have embraced the many changes.
A significant change is the implementation of laptop computers for instruction and assessment. Teachers range from novice to expert in using technology in the classroom. To allay concerns and fears, Roger Minier, from NWOET, presented to grade 7-12 teachers on August 29. Minier assured teachers that less is more and presented effective strategies for slowly implementing the laptops in their lessons. According to Minier, “Technology works best like a seasoning in a soup.” Students should not be on the computer every period of every day in the classroom. Our first building goal is for all teachers to be posting homework assignments online by the end of September.
3. Also on August 29, teachers worked in departments to approve pre and post-tests that will be used to determine student growth in their classes. The student growth data will be one factor (50%) in teacher evaluations, another relatively new change for teachers.
4. I want to *recognize* Camille Myers, Colleen Saylor, Sarah Franz, Dave Alt, Susie Johnson, JoEllen Sisson, Jerry Hessel and the tech team teachers for an incredibly well run schedule pick up and laptop computer pick up days August 11, 12, and 13. Jerry and JoEllen have done a superb job of getting machines ready and planning the distribution of them. Additionally, procedures for picking up and dropping off laptops by those students not taking them home has run smoothly. Incidentally, 54 students have chosen not to pay the $50 to take the laptop home.
5. The first “Draw the Line” drug testing session went well on August 12. The procedure ran smoothly, and I have not heard any complaints from students, parents, or coaches. No non-negative tests occurred. The first random testing for fall sports has not, yet, occurred.
6. In classroom news, students in Mrs. Hatcher’s biology classes are learning experimental design and how to implement the scientific method. They conducted their own experiments studying the effects different variables (heat, cold, light, dark, etc.) have on crickets. Students are learning how to create graphs and charts using their laptops as part of the lab report.
7. In other academic news, Ohio recently established new requirements for high school graduation. The following information is copied and pasted from an email from the State:
“Ohio House Bill 487 recently established new requirements for earning a high school diploma in Ohio. Thank you for your patience as we waited for the new graduation law to come out of the Ohio General Assembly. Here is a summary:
• The new graduation requirements take effect with the class of 2018—students who are entering ninth grade for the first time in the 2014-2015 school year.
• Students in the classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017 and those who are repeating ninth grade this school year will continue to operate under Ohio’s current graduation requirements, including taking the Ohio Graduation Tests in the spring of their 10th grade years.
REQUIRED COURSES:
The new requirements did not change the current courses or number of course credits that students must complete to be eligible for graduation.
ASSESSMENTS:
In addition to course credits, students must earn points toward graduation on seven end-of-course exams. These exams will replace the Ohio Graduation Tests.
The courses in which students take an end-of-course exam will be: English I and II, algebra I, geometry, integrated math 1 and II, physical science, American history and American government. Districts have the option to use the state end-of-course exams to replace their current course final exams and use the state’s test as part of the class grade. This will help avoid double testing in future years.
Students can earn from 1-5 points for each exam, based on their performance.
5 – Advanced, 4 – Accelerated, 3 – Proficient, 2 – Basic, 1 – Limited
Students who take physical science, American history or American government as part of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or college dual credit programs can use their scores from the programs’ end-of-course exams in place of the state end-of-course exam scores to accumulate graduation points.
A student who earned high school credit in any of the above courses before July 1, 2014, automatically will receive a score of three points per course exam toward the total points needed for graduation. Middle school students this year who take one of these courses for high school credit must take the corresponding state end-of-course exam in this school year.
GRADUATION POINTS:
The State Board of Education has not yet approved the minimum number of points a student must accumulate to become eligible for a high school diploma. However, the Board’s Graduation Requirements Committee will propose 18 points as the minimum for graduation eligibility. Of those points, students must earn a minimum of four total points across the English end-of-course exams, four total points across the math exams, and six total points across the science and social studies exams.
MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES:
Students who do not earn the required number of graduation points can still meet the requirements for a diploma if they earn a remediation-free score on a national college admission test.
Students also can qualify for graduation by earning an approved industry-recognized credential and achieving a workforce-readiness score on a related job skills assessment. The selection of those assessments is in progress.
AMERICAN HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT:
In 2013, Ohio implemented interim end-of-course exams in American history and government to align with state standards that incorporate the teaching of historic documents. Those tests will be replaced in the spring of 2015 with new end-of-course exams. However, students who are on block schedules or are taking semester-length classes may take the existing interim exams this fall. Next fall, such students would take the new end-of-course exams in American history and American government.
Please note that students who are still subject to passing the OGT must take those exams in addition to the end-of-course tests in American history and government.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Although House Bill 487 established clear-cut requirements for high school graduation, we still have to work out some of the details for implementing them. Here are tasks the Ohio Department of Education still must complete and when we expect to finish them.
1. Finalize a graduation and end-of-course exam point system
The State Board of Education must finalize the point system after getting public input.
At its most recent meeting, the State Board’s graduation requirements committee recommended 18 total points as the minimum for graduation eligibility. In September, the State Board will consider the committee’s recommendations and seek public input.
Integrate “substitute” exams into the point system:
The law says that students taking physical science, American history or American government through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or college dual credit programs may apply points from these exams toward graduation in place of the state’s endof-course exams. The State Board will determine how this will work. To accurately calibrate these more rigorous exams to the state end-of-course exams, we will need some time to compare their rigor to our new state tests.
3. Select job skills and college admission tests and their passing scores This will be completed over the next year.
4. Determine how these new graduation requirements will apply to students in dropout prevention and recovery programs.
The Ohio Department of Education will be working with stakeholders on this with the hopes of completing the task this winter.
Upcoming events:
September 9 – Fall Academic Awards program during RT
September 11 – Freshman ring orders during lunch
September 11 – Senior cap and gown orders during lunch
September 13 – Marching band at Lima Bath
September 17 – Two hour delay for teacher in-service
September 18 – Picture Day (begin with seniors and Vantage students at 7:00 a.m.)
September 18 – 21st Century Kick-off in Lecture Hall 6:00-6:30 p.m.
September 19 – Interim reports, 1st quarter
September 19 – NOACSC Users Group meeting in Lecture Hall and library computer lab, all day
September 19 – Voting for Homecoming king and queen during RT
September 20 – Marching band at Sidney
September 21 – Cheerleading competition at Delphos
September 22 – 21st Century after school program begins
September 22 – Powder Puff Football, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
September 23 – Homecoming Dance tickets go on sale during lunch
September 24 – He-Man Volleyball, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
September 25 – Homecoming activities and bonfire, 6:00-10:00 p.m.
September 27 – Homecoming Dance, 8:00-11:00 p.m.
September 29 – Junior Class Krispy Creme fundraiser begins
Superintendent’s Report – Steve Arnold:
A. Curriculum
• ODE Report Card: At the time of this writing, we do not have our official data. When it is released, I will report on it.
• Technology: According to Jerry, all students in grades 7-12 have taken possession of their lap top. Continued professional development for teachers will follow.
• In-Service: We have heard high praise for the 1:1 training and the Envision math webinar. According to the principals, the grade level and content area meetings with emphasis on SLO’s and assessments was very productive.
• Special Education:
i. Laurie and I are putting a written plan in place to address our special education performance on state-mandated tests. I will report our progress at this meeting.
ii. In good news, our special education department has received a perfect 4.0 on ODE’s determination of special education program performance conducted by the ODE’s office for Exceptional Children (consent item A). Congratulations to our resource room teachers, regular education teachers, special education director, and principals.
B. Personnel
• 21st Century Grant coordinator, Ashley Shephard, is recommending to me that we employ Jan Kohart as our site coordinator again this year (consent item B). Additionally, we plan to offer the activities bus starting on September 22.
• Consent items B and C are supplemental recommendations for this year.
• I also request to go into executive session to discuss the employment of a certified employee.
C. Buildings and Grounds
• GH Roof: Tony is assisting Kevin with this project. Work may or may not begin this calendar year.
• JH/HS Auditorium: I am in the process of setting up a time to meet with an architect from Fanning and Howey to have a preliminary discussion.
• Press Boxes: Work should begin this fall.
D. Events
• Homecoming festivities: Week of September 22-27.
• Hall of Fame Induction: October 10
E. Operations
• We need approval to advertise for bus bids (Treasurer consent item D).
• We are pleased to announce that we have received another Monsanto Grant of $25,000 (Treasurer consent item E). This money is ear-marked for elementary math and science initiatives.
• ODE has given us in-state and out-of-state tuition rates for this year. We need to approve these rates (consent item E).
• We need to establish our day for graduation. We are recommending May 24, 2015 (consent item F).
• For the purpose of getting continued 1:1 and Envision math training, we are recommending our second full-day in-service be held on October 1, 2104 (consent item G).
• Enrollment: Our current PK-12 enrollment is 1,020, which is up thirteen students from this point a year ago. The official ODE count week is scheduled for the first week in October.
Treasurer’s Consent Items:
A. to approve the minutes of the August 11, 2014 Board meeting;
B. to approve the payment of bills and investment report for August 2014 as presented by the treasurer;
C. to authorize the Treasurer to advertise for the purchase of a new 84 Passenger School Bus;
D. to accept the Monsanto Math Mania Grant totaling $25,000.
Superintendent’s Consent Items:
A. to commend the Wayne Trace Local Schools Special Education Department for receiving a perfect 4.0 on ODE’s determination of special education program performance conducted by the ODE’s Office for Exceptional Children. Congratulations to our resource room teachers, regular education teachers, special education director, and principals;
B. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve the hiring of Jan Kohart as 21st Century Community Learning Center Site Coordinator for the 2014-2015 school year;
C. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve Christina Shin as JH Cheerleading Advisor for the 2014-2015 school year;
D. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve Joel Dunhan as Drama Club Advisor for the 2014-2015 school year;
E. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, to approve the 2014-2015 in-state tuition rate at $5,458.13 per student and the out-of-state tuition rate at $10,322.09 per student.
F. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve the 2015 graduation ceremony for May 24, 2015;
G. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, to approve a full-day teacher in-service for October 1, 2014.
Consent Item Add-On’s:
H. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, JH/HS Principal, and Athletic Director, to approve Brent Beckman as a volunteer JH football coach;
I. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, to approve payment for Myriah Wooley as a substitute teacher, retroactive to August 19, 2014.
Pro-Active Plan for Addressing Special Education Test Scores
A. New Programs/Plans for the 2014-2015 school year
1. Created a Cross-Categorical Classroom at WTPE (added staff member)
a. More appropriate placement for twelve of our highest-needs elementary special education students (in addition, two-three more students in the Grover Hill area qualify for this service, but are currently not using the service).
b. Creates smaller numbers in the traditional special education classrooms, which it turn, frees the traditional special education teachers to do more inclusion
2. Created a Cross-Categorical Classroom at JH/HS (no new staff)
a. More appropriate placement for six of our highest-needs JH/HS special education students
b. Creates smaller numbers in the traditional special education classrooms, which it turn, frees the traditional special education teachers to do more inclusion
3. Re-assigned a teacher from the classroom to a full-time tutor at WTGH (added staff member)
a. Plays into the strength of the staff member
b. Provides one-to-one support for needy students in all four content areas in grades 4-6
c. Provides additional support to the AIMSWeb and Response to Intervention (RTI) programs
d. By participating in teacher-based teams, this teacher provides an additional resource to address the needs to special education students.
4. Re-assigned two paraprofessionals from WTPE to JH/HS and one paraprofessional from JH/HS to WTPE (no new staff)
a. Plays into the strengths of all employees involved in this re-assignment
i. Stronger presence at JH/HS with better technology background
ii. Personal touch at WTPE with knowledge of multiple disabilities
iii. Due to a resignation, have added an employee who can be both a tutor and an occupational therapist
5. Created Transitional Kindergarten Classes at both elementary schools (added staff members)
a. Better prepare young students for a full year of kindergarten
b. Current itinerant teacher, through education and experience, is able to add additional expertise with instruction of young students with disabilities within these classrooms
6. Participating in the Ohio Improvement Process
a. Using data to determine weaknesses in the areas of math and reading
b. Developing strategies to address said weaknesses
c. Expect all students to benefit from this research and these strategies
7. Making arrangements to visit similar districts that have shown more success with special education students on state mandated tests
B. Programs started in recent years and continuing this year / Evaluation of effectiveness ongoing
1. JH/HS teachers working as a team to complete MP’s on all students
a. Each teacher gets to know each student on a more personal level.
b. Each teachers has input into the education of each student.
2. Using licensed teachers to perform Title 1 tutoring at WTPE (grant money)
a. Increased one-to-one instruction for elementary students in math and reading
b. Additional manpower to assist in other areas of determined by the principal
3. Promoting inclusion at all three buildings
a. Encouraging special education teachers and students to be physically present in as many regular education classrooms as can be scheduled
b. Allows all students to hear identical information with the opportunity for special education teachers to reinforce material on a one-to-one basis as needed
4. Special education teachers are assuming the facilitation responsibilities of Response to Intervention (RTI)
a. Have training on recognizing specific needs to students
b. Have training that allows them to provide individual guidance for special education students
Committee Reports: NONE
14-09-02 Consent Agenda Items:
A motion by the Duane Sinn to approve the following consent agenda items:
A. to commend the Wayne Trace Local Schools Special Education Department for receiving a perfect 4.0 on ODE’s determination of special education program performance conducted by the ODE’s Office for Exceptional Children. Congratulations to our resource room teachers, regular education teachers, special education director, and principals;
B. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve the hiring of Jan Kohart as 21st Century Community Learning Center Site Coordinator for the 20142015 school year;
C. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve Christina Sinn as JH Cheerleading Advisor for the 2014-2015 school year;
D. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve Joel Dunhan as Drama Club Advisor for the 2014-2015 school year;
E. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, to approve the 2014-2015 in-state tuition rate at $5,458.13 per student and the out-of-state tuition rate at $10,322.09 per student;
F. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and JH/HS Principal, to approve the 2015 graduation ceremony for May 24, 2015;
G. upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, to approve a full-day teacher in-service for October 1, 2014;
H. OMIT
I. Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, to approve payment for Myriah Wooley as a substitute teacher, retroactive to August 19, 2014.
*Before we pass the consent resolution, are there any items you would like to move from the consent agenda to the discussion agenda for further discussion and/or for separate voting purposes?
Seconded by Dick Swary. Roll Call Vote: Duane Sinn, Dick Swary, Lisa McClure, Perry Sinn – All Aye; Pat Baumle – Absent.
“Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(1), a motion by Perry Sinn to adjourn to executive session at 8:07 pm for the purpose of considering the employment of an employee of the School District.”
Seconded by Dick Swary. Roll Call Vote: Perry Sinn, Dick Swary, Lisa McClure, Duane Sinn – All Aye; Pat Baumle – Absent.
Return from executive session at 9:15 p.m.
14-09-03 Consent Agenda Item:
A motion by Lisa McClure to approve the following consent agenda item:
J. upon the motion by Lisa McLure, to offer Stephen Arnold a three-year contract as presented as Superintendent of Schools, effective August 1, 2015.
Seconded by Duane Sinn. Roll Call Vote: Lisa McClure, Duane Sinn, Dick Swary – All Aye; Perry Sinn – No.
14-09-04:
A motion by Duane Sinn to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Dick Swary. Vote by acclamation of members Ayes have it – motion passed.
The next Board meeting will be held October 13, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.
