February 23, 2016 at 6:30 PM - Education Committee - Regular School Board Meeting

1. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS  (These items are provided for informational purposes only and no action is required.)

1.A. INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATIONS

1.A.1) AmeriCorps Partnerships, 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant, and K.E.Y. Zone

-- Mike Cary, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Tom Albright, Civic Engagement Coordinator, gave an overview of the School District's partnership with AmeriCorps.

-- Tracie Clanaugh, Executive Director of the Community Services YMCA, and Jay Roesler, Director of Community Education for ISD 709, provided an update on the K.E.Y. Zone and True North AmeriCorps partnership, as well as the outcomes from the third year of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant and cohort including participation and demographics, student achievement data, and federal evaluation measures.

1.A.2) Annual Head Start Training

Pam Rees, Director of Head Start, conducted required training to School Board members pertaining to their roles and responsibilities as elected officials relating to the Duluth Public Schools Head Start Program.

1.B. GRANT APPLICATIONS

1.B.1) Duluth Public Schools Endowment Fund Grant Application

Crystal Goldman, Spanish Immersion and ELD Coordinator, and Linda Eason, Lowell Media Specialist, are submitting a grant application to the Duluth Public Schools Endowment Fund in the amount of $2,000.00.  If awarded, funds will be used to purchase leveled reading books for students in the 2016-17 Spanish Immersion Program at Lowell Elementary School.

1.B.2) Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Grant Application

Ginger Backus, Guidance Counselor at Ordean East Middle School, is submitting a grant application to the Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in the amount of $13,500.00.  If awarded, funds will be used by the Duluth Educators Mentorship Program to provide mentor training for tenured teachers from various grade levels and curricular areas to assist in professional growth, provide support to, and have a collaborative relationship with a mentee (first year educator).

1.B.3) National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) Grant Application

Susan Mikel, First Grade Teacher at Lester Park Elementary School, is submitting a grant application to the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) in the amount of $323.46.  If awarded, funds will be used to purchase informational Social Studies text books at the first grade reading level, which will be shared across the first grade level (three classrooms).  (The award has been received and is included in this month's Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools resolution.)

1.B.4) Minnesota State Arts Board - Arts Learning Grant Application

Emily Isenberg, Art Specialist, Myers-Wilkins Elementary School, has secured Myers-Wilkins as one of eight sites through-out the State being included in the Minnesota State Arts Board - Arts Learning Grant Application being submitted by the St. Paul based COMPAS organization (Community Programs in the Arts).  If awarded, funds will be used to bring a COMPAS performance-based artist residency to Myers-Wilkins during the 2016-17 school year, which includes up to four hours of advance planning time with the artist, fifteen days (60 class sessions) of artist residency, teacher inservice session, as well as a community event. The topic built into this year's grant is "Community Cultures", which is meant to offer students the chance to both learn about and to celebrate the various cultures that exist in their school and/or local community.  Curriculum connections such as Social Studies and Language Arts can be made.  Myers-Wilkins Elementary School will cover the required 10% co-pay for this project, a total of $1,100.00.

1.B.5) Duluth Public Schools Fund Grant Application

Melissa Kliegle, English Language (ELD) Development Program Instructor, is submitting a grant application to the Duluth Public Schools Fund in the amount of $1,166.00.  If awarded, funds will be used for the purchase of four Chromebooks to be used in a classroom set of devices as part of a technology integration project planned for the 2016-17 school year.  The purpose of the project is to provide English Learners (ELs) with web-based learning opportunities through the use of Google Chromebooks in their English Language Development (ELD) course to create ongoing shared meaning of academic language input as well as produce academic language output in authentic contexts relevant to 21st Century learning.

1.B.6) Minnesota Department of Education - State Personnel Development Grant Application

Jason Crane, Director of Special Services, has submitted and been awarded a State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) from  the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for 2015-2017 in an award amount of $320,000.00.  Year one of the single source grant runs from January 1, 2016 - June 30, 2016 with an approved budget  amount of $104,742.32.  Year 2 workplan and budget will be submitted to MDE by August 15, 2016 for the period starting on July 1, 2016. The focus of the five-year State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) project is the Part B State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP), to improve graduation rates for Black and American Indian children and youth with disabilities through the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP).  Due to the high concentration of Black and American Indian students with disabilities and some of the state’s lowest graduation rates for these two groups, Duluth  is one of four school districts MDE has identified as partners for the next phases of SSIP planning and EBP implementation.   (The award has been received and is included in this month's Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools resolution.)

1.B.7) Minnesota School Social Workers Association Grant Application

Callie DeVriendt, School Social Worker, is submitting a grant application to the Minnesota School Social Workers Association in the amount of $750.00.  If awarded, the funds will be used to purchase curriculum to teach appropriate behavior in a smaller group setting (Tier 2 interventions).

1.B.8) Minnesota Action for Healthy Kids Grant Application

Brenda Vatthauer, Lincoln Park Middle School Principal, is submitting a grant application to the Minnesota Action for Healthy Kids (in partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-ED), in the amount of $1500.00.  If awarded, the funds will be used to support the physical and nutrition activity strategies of indoor and outdoor active recess programming, walk/bike to school, and school gardens combined with nutrition and cooking education.

1.B.9) Northland Foundation Kids Plus Grant Application

Ann Ek, Woodland Hills Academy Physical Education Teacher, submitted a grant application to the Northland Foundation Kids Plus Youth in Philanthropy Board in the amount of $500.00.  The funds have been awarded and will be used to support the Saving Lives with CPR program.  (The award has been received and is included in this month's Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools resolution.)

1.B.10) Duluth Public Schools Endowment Fund Grant Application

Crystal Goldman, Spanish Immersion and ELD Coordinator is submitting a grant application to the Duluth Public Schools Endowment Fund in the amount of $2,000.00.  If awarded, funds would be used to purchase Android Tablets for students in the 2016-2017 Spanish Immersion Program at Lowell Elementary. In a language immersion setting, tablets can provide native speaker read e-books, recording abilities to monitor student oral language proficiency, and enhance language & mathematics skills through various applications available digitally.

By having tablets available in the classrooms, students and teachers are able to provide a variety of differentiated instruction in literacy & math centers, along with preparing students with technical skills. Students learn to use the devices to enhance their learning as well as creative thinking processes.

1.C. OTHER INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

1.C.1) There are no other Informational Items.

2. ACTION ITEMS

2.A. EXTENDED FIELD TRIP REQUESTS

Fourth grade students from Congdon Park Elementary School will be traveling to the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota from March 23-25, 2016.  This trip will provide students with an experiential learning opportunity, which will help them meet the Minnesota state standards in Science, Social Studies, and Physical Education, develop teamwork skills, and provide a chance for personal growth.  The total cost of the trip is $18,075.00 and will be financed through fund raising activities and student and chaperon fees.

2.B. GRANT AWARDS

2.B.1) Resolution E-2-16-3334 - Acceptance of Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools

Attached is Resolution E-2-16-3334 - Acceptance of Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools, to accept and approve the grant awards from the following organizations:

- Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) - Special Education State Personnel Development Grant - Year 1 and 2 (2015-2017)
- National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) - First grade  level Social Studies texts.
- Northland Foundation KIDS PLUS - Saving Lives with CPR Program

2.C. POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

2.C.1) 6190 - Homebound Instruction - Deletion 

In moving to the MSBA Model Policies administration is recommending the deletion of Policy 6190. This is recommended for a second reading.

2.C.2) 6050 - School Calendar - Deletion

In moving to the MSBA Model Policies administration is recommending the deletion of Policy 6050 which will be replaced with MSBA Policy 602.

2.C.3) New Policy 602 - Organization of School Calendar and School Day

Attached is MSBA model policy 602 - Organization of School Calendar and School Day, for the first reading.  This policy would replace the current policy 6050.

2.D. OTHER ACTION ITEMS

2.D.1) There are no other Action Items.

2.E. DIPLOMA CERTIFICATIONS

The following students have met all graduation requirements for the Duluth Public Schools and should be awarded a Diploma:

- Adam Michael Berg - January 22, 2016
- Jacob B Dahlgren - November 26, 2015
- Jordan D Ford - November 18, 2015
- Nathaniel W Holmes - January 21, 2016
- Zachary Thomas Hyatt - January 06, 2016
- Stacy Jeanmarie Larson - December 23, 2015
- Francisco Sky Lugardo - January 21, 2016
- Maya C Snodgrass - January 06, 2016
- Grant R Stark - February 02, 2016
- Moreno Mighel Waloke - January 07, 2016

3. FUTURE ITEMS

- Policy Updates
- Recess, Physical Education, and Outdoor Time Update
- Secondary Programming Structure
- Technology Innovation in the Classroom