04-2010_Minutes

Meeting date: April 14, 2010
 * __El Cajon Valley School Site Council Minutes__**

Members Present: L. Clark, C. Harris, M. Kershaw, J. Mitchell, M. Nydam, V. Sliwa, C. Saunders, N. Payumo, S. Sedore, T. Sprecco, and 2 guests: Laura Whitaker (Assistant Principal), and Janella Payumo (student).

Call to Order at 6 p.m.

SIG proposal is discussed for the projected budget, and motioned for approval by Mr. Harris, while seconded by Mrs. Nydam. There is a unanimous decision for approval. Mr. Harris also motions for approval for the AVID institute to fund the early bird registration with the leftover funds. Nydam seconds the motion, and there is a unanimous decision for approval.

The goal for the Guidance department is to increase the number of graduating students and also have them complete the A-G requirements. The number of AP students has averaged to be similar to the district average, and transcripts have also been closely analyzed. Needs for support include funding for parent informational nights (Senior Night, FAFSA night), support for increasing variety and number of field trips to college campuses and out-of-town facilities. Counselors would be needed to work summer school to help closely analyze the needs for student placement. The previous statement is discussed, with Mitchell suggenting the need of more time, and Sanders questions if counselors could be used to help schedule parental meetings over the summer to address parental concerns. Discussion is held. A major request is the time and support to translate, analyze and review out-of-country transcripts from immigrant students.
 * Laura Whitaker – Guidance Department Report**

The supplements needed would be college prep tests for each grade level: Explore for 9th grade, PSAT for 10th and 11th, and SAT and ACT in 11th and 12th grade. Another supplement would be a college/career planning program to assist students with their future plans.

Janella questions for the need of more counselors, and Whitaker responds saying with the low consideration factor for the high counselor to student ratio that our school holds (in comparison to others in the district), we are less likely to gain more counselors.

The tutorial is requesting funds for training and increase of teachers used for programs. Academic Intervention Model (AIM), this is supposed to be used to notify parents and students of sub par grades or performance. This will allow the students, parents and teachers to work together and identify problem areas to come up with a plan. This is set to intervened with problems in the learning early. Mrs. Whitaker identified this as a challenge that she would like addressed.
 * Laura Whitaker- Tutorial Program Report**

As a solution; training for tutorial teachers, computer resources, and college tutors, set goals, software, study material, supplies, guest speakers etc…

Ms. Whitaker would like to retain previous tutorial teachers and add additional tutorial teachers to keep the program running efficient. The teachers are needed to continue the advocacy model and allow student success.

Nathaniel questions if the immigrant population is actually fluent in Arabic as Aramaic is more affluently known to the Chaldean population. Ms. Sliwa responds saying that the population is actually fluent in both languages, so there would be no need to purchase Aramaic dictionaries. Hunt claims that some classes actual do not have assistant aides, but instead peer tutors and teachers, although they still work ethically and hard.
 * EL Program Report**

The English-Learners Program requests to change previous testing dates from the first week of school to actually in the summer.

Janella asks if Arabic classes will actually be continued from now on, to which the response is the lack of certified teachers to teach the program is occurring.

Pg. 5, bullet 4: A error is to be determined in the change from “Create a peer mentor program” to become “Create a peer //tutor// program”.

Sprecco questions if funding could be spread to not be restricted to just books and instead be used for resources and student-usable resources. Hunt states that the program wants to use funding for teacher-development, such as books for aiding reading strategies and rhetorical strategies.
 * Library Program Report**

Hunt questions if the term “SAI” is omitted from pg. 2 bullet 4. Mr. Kershaw reassures that the SAI program is to be taken care of. Mitchell questions what “Consumable books for the EL classes” represents, to which Kershaw responds they are writable workbooks for “entry-level math”.
 * Math Department Report**

Discussion is held that the physics enrollment numbers are low, to which responses are made, such as more students are being inclined to take AP Environmental Science instead, or that students need to have an Algebra II prerequisite to gain entry. Sprecco questions the need for conferences, to which others respond that different subject orientaitions would be held.
 * Science Department report**

Discussion is held regarding the statement, “We are talking about them in general department meetings,” and a supportive response is that members are discussed with according to their “D” and “F” rates. Discussion is then held of the speed of receiving grade reports and monitoring. Questioning is held of the success rates of the development of the reading and writing program. Expository writing is in question for the social science department, and how the teachers are implementing strategies for their students. Sanders questions if it is possible to have both English and social science teachers cooperate and grade the students’ papers based on English context and historical relevance respectively, to which Mitchell, responds that it has been done before, and it is still trying to find different ways to implement this process.
 * Social Science Department Report**

Clark requests that instead of receiving one ticket for the drawing, the student would receive two in order to bring another. Mitchell questions if the course naming could help improve the amount of teachers who take attendance everyday. Sprecco expresses the details of the charts of attendance and how our attendance has actually improved, over the past few months. Analysis occurs over average absences and period truancies. Questions are issued regarding if calendar-changes or personal issues are related to period truancies and absences.
 * Attendance Team Report**

Current needs for increasing attendance would include: - Support for incentives - A Drop-Out Specialist, Attendance Clerks, Campus supervision, FRC Case Managers - Online system where all can access and record as appropriate for contacts, services, and consequences. - Outreach to those who find attending school difficult

Sliwa questions if we could reinstate the welcome center, and continue supporting students into coming back to school. Discussion is held regarding if the PDA’s would actually be cell-phones with the wireless network link. Other solutions could be the use of guidance counselors alternating to check the student’s schedules to increase attendance.

Meeting is adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Nathaniel Payumo