Board of EducationMarch 12 | 7:30PM

BOE meeting

Reaccreditation |SBAC Testing | Budget

A. CALL TO ORDER, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCEB. APPROVAL OF MINUTESC. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (2 minute limit)D. POINTS OF INFORMATIONE. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORT - Aiyla ZahidF. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

● F1. Tolland High School Accreditation - Visiting Committee (30 minutes)● F2. SBAC Testing Schedule: AP Test/UCONN Courses (10 minutes)● F3. 2013/2014 School Calendar - Adjustment Recommendation (10 minutes)● F4. 2014/2015 Board of Education Budget (45 minutes)

G. COMMITTEE & LIAISON REPORTSH. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORTI. BOARD ACTIONJ. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (2 minute limit), Comments must be limited to items on this agenda.K. POINTS OF INFORMATIONL. CORRESPONDENCEM. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMSN. EXECUTIVE SESSIONO. ADJOURNMENT

Agenda

There have been letters from 6 residents in support of All Day Kindergarten. They have:

1. offered letters from teachers and administrators in other districts.

2. offered funding suggestions.

3. provided articles to show how ADK was implemented in other towns.

One resident has expressed concern that we need to focus on curriculum this year rather than ADK.

Correspondence since 3/15/14/ meeting

TOWN DATA COMPARISON FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN IN CONNECTICUT

“Public education in America is built on the foundation of equal opportunity for all children”

Huffington Post, 11/30/2012

03/11/14

Prepared by resident

TOWN COMPARISON

Towns In DRG CTotal # Students # of K classes

Average Class Size Para Support

Andover 29 2 14.5 no parasBarkhamsted 20 1 20 1 paraBethany 48 3 16 1 para per classBolton 49 3 16.3 no class paras, there are two one-on-one situationsColumbia 45 3 15 1 para per classCornwall 7 1 7 1 floating para for recess, etc.Essex 60 3 20 1 para per classHebron 90 5 18 most days there is 1 para per roomMansfield-Southeast School 36 2 18 1 para per classMansfield-Annie E. Vinton 42 2 21 1 para per classMansfield-Goodwin 37 2 18.5 1 para per classNew Hartford 57 3 19 1 support tutor per classPomfret 30 2 15 1 para per classSalem 41 2 20.5 each has a general classroom aide-lower pay than paraSherman 26 2 13 1 floating para Somers 73 5 14.5 no parasSuffield 130 7 18.5 split 2 paras for clerical, academic support, lunch/recessArea Towns        Willington 43 2 21.5 1 para per roomCoventry 126 7 18 floating paras/not one per classStafford 124 8 15.5 1 para per room/some have 2 part timers w/o benefitsAshford 45 3 15 1 para per roomSimilar Mill Rate/Population        Ansonia 111 6 18.5 see notesColchester 156 8 19.5 they have floating paras that cover all gradesCromwell 152 8 19 1 shared para for all the classes, part time literacy helpDerby 65 3 21.7 1 para per classGranby 116 7 16.5 1 para per classPlymouth 63 3 21 1 classroom aide/tutorSeymour 110 5 22 no parasWinchester 93 5 18.5 no paras

Prepared by resident

KINDERGARTEN CLASS SIZE COMPARISON

( ) Total Students

Prepared by resident

Public Participation

Points of Information

F1. Tolland High School Accreditation - Visiting

Committee

NEASC ACCREDITATION

* TOLLAND HIGH SCHOOL * 2014 *

WHY SEEK ACCREDITATION?•Aligns the school with researched-based standards•Gives credence to the practices of the school•Increases the value of the education given to the students as

seen by outside parties (colleges, employers, prospective home buyers)

•Gives an outside perspective of the strengths and needs of the school

•Calls for an analysis of current practices and gaps between practice and the standards

• Initiates planning for the future based on standards

WHAT ARE THE ACCREDITATION STANDARDS?•Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectations•Curriculum•Instruction•Assessment of and for Student Learning•School Culture and Leadership•School Resources for Learning•Community Resources for Learning

WHAT’S THE PROCESS?•Every 10 years•Review the standards•Create the committees•Collect and analyze evidence related to each standard•Address the indicators within each standard•Develop an executive summary and rating for each of the

standards•Identify strengths and needs related to each of the standards

WHAT’S THE PROCESS?•Present each committee’s report to the professional staff•Professional staff votes to approve each report•Steering Committee analyzes the strengths and needs within

each report and develops a prioritized list•Reviewed and approved by professional staff•Building leadership team develops 2 and 5 year plans based on

strengths and needs

WHAT’S THE ROLE OF THE VISITING TEAM?•16 educators including administrators, teachers, and specialists•Chair of the Visiting Committee is Don Gates•Assistant Chair will be appointed before the team arrives•Assigned to each standard•Review the reports, meet with parents, BOE, teachers, students,

and district administration•Draw conclusions based on the evidence they have reviewed•Evaluate each standard based on rating guides

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN THE VISIT?

SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014•Panel Presentation•Teacher Interviews•Parent Meeting•BOE Meeting•Review Student Work

MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2014•Tour of the Facilities•Meetings with Teachers,

Counseling and Special Education Staff, Library-Media Specialist, District Administration, Building Leadership Team

•Students Shadowed•Meetings with Students•Meetings with Parents•Meeting with Sub-Committee

Members

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN THE VISIT?

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014•Students shadowed•Meetings with Special

Education Staff and Secretarial Staff

•Reports are written and presented to the Visiting Committee members

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014•Reports are finalized•Final reports are presented to

the Visiting Committee members

•Visiting Committee Chair presents the findings of the team to the staff

THE REPORTS…THE SELF-STUDY

•Produced by the staff•Considered a working document

as it is used by the Visiting Team to develop their own report

NEASC FINDINGS•Recommendations will be made

to the school based on the evidence reviewed during the visit

•Sent to the School Principal at the end of June/early July for accuracy check

•Final report will be available to the BOE and posted on the school website for public viewing

FOLLOW THROUGH AND FOLLOW UP…•Expectations are put on the school

to address the needs through the 2 and 5 year plans

•Recommendations will be made at the time of the formal report

•THS will provide the Commission on Public Secondary Schools with an update on the targeted plans and recommendations

•Next accreditation review in 10 years

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE BOE?•Please join us for the Sunday Panel Presentation, BOE and Visiting

Committee meeting, and Reception

•Visiting Committee will ask questions regarding:•Building and District Leadership•Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectations•Communication•Community Support for Education•Board Support for Education

QUESTIONS REGARDING

NEASC ACCREDITATION?

http://www.neasc.org/

F4. 2014/2015 Board of Education Budget

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2014

The cost for level service this year to next is $1,241,130, a 3.44% increase. ¾ of the increase is health insurance and salaries, fringes and pension, mostly contractual, as shown here:

Work in Process

Please support

$439

Cost saving improvements?

Beyond a numbers exercise

Nov of each year circled, for example. Increasing past three years.

May/June been running as much as $50k/ month

What is this?What is this?What is the plan?

Don’t use Board Attorney for clarification:No Freedom of Information consultations / memos (we need to have this down by now)Use other sources more: State directly…

Budget less?

What was $1M payment Jan 2014?

Adjust utility underrun to reserve?

Breaking the cycle we are trying to sustain, perpetuating carryforward…. but utility reserve getting the money.

oopsTo ESCO?

Large equipment charges moved to non-operating fund (capital)?“Surprise” overrun each year

Sourcing of copier?

Office Supply SpendingMore environmentally conscious behaviors, even have fun with it?

Reduce 15k ?

from 44 to 29k

Potential for savings:1. Reduce printing from estimated 500K-750K prints-copies / month 2. Print more on copiers because cost 50% less to operate than a single function laser printer

Reduce the number of single function laser printers (HPs) which are expensive to operate (toner, electric, etc).3. When you need to print, chose B&W when you don’t “need” color. Color printing is 10 times more expensive than B&W

printing.

Office Supply Spending $10k in Oct 2013, $2-3k subsequent months

$10k in Oct 2013, $2-3k subsequent months

$278,000

Collect what’s owed for Special Education Reimbursement

Collect what’s owed for Special Education Reimbursement

$278,000Sam Belsito Help us?

Different ideas...

F2. SBAC Testing Schedule:

AP Test/UCONN Courses

F3. School CalendarAdjustment

Recommendation