May 10, 2016 at 4:15 PM - Education Committee

1. Informational Items - These items are provided for informational purposes only and no action is required.

1.A. Assistant Superintendent's Report

1.A.1) As part of her monthly report, Assistant Superintendent Amy Starzecki will highlight efforts in teaching and learning across ISD 709. Updates will be shared regarding implementation of District initiatives and lessons learned from site visits.

1.B. Informational Presentations

1.B.1) Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

Amy Starzecki, Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Michael Cary, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Tawnyea Lake, Director of Assessment, Evaluation and Performance, and Marcia Nelson, Assistant Principal at Denfeld High School, will present information regarding the implementation of Professional Learning Communities across the District.

1.B.2) Families in Transition Program

Deb Wagner will present information regarding this year's activities, including student demographics that are guiding program opportunities for the 2016-2017 school year and the MDE McKinney-Vento Grant for 2016-18 for Homeless Education Support.

1.C. Grant Partnerships with Duluth Public Schools

1.C.1) Lake Superior Consortium - Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Grant

ISD #709 is the fiscal host for the Lake Superior Consortium Carl Perkins grant in the amount of $142,170.15. This money is allocated, budgeted, and spent on all 8 member schools: Hermantown, Proctor, Esko, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Cook County, Duluth Denfeld and Duluth East. As host the money goes to support and pilot career and technical education in the region. Money is spent on professional development, program of study, curriculum, equipment, and student experiences in career and technical education. All activities are tied with our post-secondary partner Lake Superior College who also receives a portion totaling $320,221.77. This total allotment of $462,391.93 is used as the consortium board sees fit.

1.C.2) "Shoot for the Stars" STEM Camp in Partnership with the College of St. Scholastica

Donna Kirk, College of St. Scholastica Professor, has been awarded a grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation to work with Lincoln Park Middle School students to improve their math and science (STEM) knowledge at the "Shooting for the Stars" STEM Institute in June 2016 on the campus of the College of St. Scholastica. Lincoln Park Middle School will provide transportation for students, as well as a stipend for a Lincoln Park math teacher to serve as 2016-2017 Math/Science STEM Club adviser, out of Title 1 funds.

1.D. Grant Applications

1.D.1) Perpich Center for Art Education Grant Application

Deb Hannu, Visual/Media Arts Curriculum Coach, has applied for a Perpich Arts Integration Network of Teachers (PAINT) grant from the Perpich Center for Art Education (PCAE) in the amount of $2000. If awarded, funds will be used for professional development for teacher and administrators on standards-based collaborative arts integration, aligned curriculum, instruction and evaluation and technology tools.

1.D.2) Family Services Collaboration of Southern St. Louis County Grant Application

Duluth Head Start has submitted a grant application to the Family Services Collaboration of Southern St. Louis County in the amount of $44,000. If awarded, funds will be used to support mental health consultation.

1.D.3) DSACF Grant Application - Early Childhood

Amy Starzecki, Assistant Superintendent, Pam Rees, Head Start Director, and Jay Roesler, Director of Community Education and Early Childhood Programs have submitted a grant application to the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation in the amount of $450,000. If awarded, funds will be used to to expand Early Childhood Services for two years, expanding blended funding classrooms and providing transportation for families to access these programs.

1.D.4) DSACF Grant Application - Parent/Teacher Home Visit Program

John Nachtsheim, School Social Worker, and Katie Oliver, Lincoln Park Middle School Teacher, have submitted a grant application to the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation in the amount of $100,000.  If awarded, funds will be used to support a parent/teacher home visit program at Lincoln Park Middle School, with hopes of expansion into feeder schools. Expenses may include: Training interested staff, stipends similar to St. Paul, which provides $50.00/home visit, to encourage and provide long term interest and teacher support in the program and advertisement of the program to families in Western schools.

1.D.5) Northland Foundation Grant Application

Jay Roesler, Director of Community Education and Early Childhood Programs, and Pam Rees, Head Start Director, have submitted a grant application to the Northland Foundation in the amount of $4000, as a follow up to the district's participation in the 2016 Early Childhood Summit, sponsored by the Northland Foundation. If awarded, funds will be used to support and expand PreK-3rd Grade approaches in the school district. Specifically, the budget supports the strategies, goals and objectives set by the ISD 709 PreK-3 Early Education Leadership Team to create a system of alignment between early childhood programming and grade 3 including but not limited to cross sector work, curriculum, assessments and parent and community engagement.

1.E. Regulations - None

1.F. Other Informational Items - None

2. Action Items

2.A. Presentation Items Requiring Approval

2.A.1) Resolution of Concurrence and Non-Concurrence 2016

Edye Howes, American Indian Education Coordinator, will present the Resolution of Concurrence and Non-Concurrence Report for review and approval. The Resolution of Concurrence and Non-Concurrence is submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education on behalf of the Duluth Public Schools American Indian Education Programs Parent Advisory Committee.

2.A.2) State Head Start Grant Approval

Pam Rees, Director of Head Start, will present the 2016-17 State Head Start Grant Application in the amount of $499,203 for review and approval.

2.A.3) Head Start School Readiness Goals/Alignment with Head Start Educational Framework

Pam Rees, Director of Head Start, will present the Head Start School Readiness Goals/Alignment with Head Start Educational Framework for review and approval.

2.B. Extended Field Trip Requests

2.B.1) Fourth grade students from Lowell Elementary traveled to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota from April 20 - 22, 2016. During this event, students participated in classes lead by environmental educators both indoors and out. These classes focused on Minnesota Science Standards, team building and building positive self confidence. The trip was organized by parents and was funded through student/chaperon fees and fundraising activities.

2.B.2) Physics students from Duluth East High School traveled to Chicago, Illinois from April 28 - 30, 2016 to visit the Fermi Lab, the United States premiere high particle physics proton accelerator, and the Museum of Science and Industry. The objective of the trip was to provide students with the opportunity to experience first hand how physics, science and technology are being applied in the real world. The total cost of the trip was $12,620 as was funded with student fees.

2.B.3) Ordean East Middle School's Destination Imagination team - Mission: Improvable will be traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee for the Global Finals. The Ordean Destination Imagination team consists of 7 Ordean East eighth graders. They competed at both the Regional and State levels this spring in the Improv category. For the 2nd year in a row, they have earned the opportunity to compete at the Global Finals at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, May 25 - 28, 2016.  Destination Imagination (DI) is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization formed to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of leaders and innovators. The program encourages teams to have fun, take risks, focus and frame challenges while incorporating STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), the arts and service learning. At the Global Finals, the team will compete at the program's highest level with teams from every US state and over 17 countries around the world. The total estimated cost for team registration, travel, lodging/food is $10,250 and will be financed through fundraising activities and community donations by Team Mission: Improvable Parent group.

2.B.4) Congdon Park Elementary's fifth grade Destination Imagination team, the 7 Mysterious Unicorns, will be traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee from May 24 - 28, 2016 to compete in the Destination Imagination Global Finals competition in the Fine Arts - Get a Clue category. Destination Imagination (DI) is a cause-driven, volunteer-led non-profit organization dedicated to teaching students the creative process through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), the arts and service learning Challenges. Global Finals is the world's largest celebration of creativity. Each May, more than 8,000 of the world's most innovative minds compete in teams to showcase  their Challenge solutions in this international competition, celebrating their creativity and having fun. This trip will be organized by the Team Leaders and parent chaperons and financed through community donations and fundraising activities.

2.C. Grant Awards

2.C.1) Resolution E-5-16-3366 - Acceptance of Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools

Attached is Resolution E-5-16-3366 - Acceptance of Grant Awards to Duluth Public Schools, to accept and approve the grant awards from the following organization:

Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation - Duluth Public Schools Endowment Fund

2.D. Policies

2.D.1) 5093 - Duluth Public Schools ISD 709 Restrictive Procedures Plan - DELETION

In moving to the MSBA Model Policies, administration is recommending the deletion of Policy 5093 which will be replaced with MSBA Policy 532.

2.D.2) NEW Policy 532 - Use of Peace Officers and Crisis Teams to Remove Students with IEP's from School Grounds

Attached is revised MSBA Model Policy 532 for first reading. This policy would replace the current policy 5093.

2.E. Other Action Items

2.E.1) Purchase of Math Expression Workbooks For All Elementary Students in Duluth Public Schools

It is recommended the the Duluth School Board approve the expenditure of $55,427.45 to purchase Math Expression 2009 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for elementary students. General fund dollars will be used to pay for this expenditure. This expenditure is for consumable workbooks to support the Math Curriculum at the elementary school level. The original adoption was in 2009 for the Math Expression materials and license. At this time, workbooks are needed, where the license and teaching materials are not necessary.

2.F. Diploma Requests

Attached are Diploma Requests for students have met all graduation requirements for the Duluth Public Schools and should be awarded a Diploma.

3. Future Items

- Policy Updates