>> YOU ARE WELCOME. LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER
[2. Public Session - 7:30 p.m.]
[00:00:03]
THE BUSINESS MEETING OF THE PELHAM BOARD OF EDUCATION OF OCTOBER 11TH, 2023.PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ITEM 2.3 IS A REITERATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS.
WE CONVENED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ITEM, THE RECORD OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, AND ALSO TO RECEIVE LEGAL COUNSEL.
THANK YOU. CERTAINLY WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.
NICE TO SEE OUR WHOLE TEAM AND EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR STUDENT PERFORMANCE REPORT, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF GOOD NEWS [LAUGHTER].
JUST TO REITERATE, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM AND OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS AND THE STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE ALONG WITH THE STUDENTS, THE RESULTS ARE EVIDENCE OF YOUR HARD WORK, 3.1 IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[3. Approval of Minutes]
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 11TH?AYE. I ANY OPPOSED ABSTENTIONS? NO, THE MOTION CARRIES, AND 4.1 IS STUDENT PERFORMANCE REPORT.
[4.1 Student Performance Report]
>> YES. WE'RE GOING TO DIVE RIGHT IN TONIGHT.
AGAIN, I TOO WANT TO ECHO MY THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM WHO IS HERE TONIGHT IN SUPPORT.
THIS REALLY IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, LEADING OUR SCHOOLS, WORKING WITH TEACHERS, SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AND SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS.
THANKS TO THEM, THANKS TO OUR FACULTY WHO JUST DO INCREDIBLE WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THANK YOU TO OUR DIRECTORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF DR.
BOWMAN DIRECTLY IN PARTICULAR, AND EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING TO COME FROM TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU TO DR.
BOWMAN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
>> FIRST, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
LAST YEAR, AROUND THIS TIME I MADE A SIMILAR PRESENTATION, SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENT PERFORMANCE FROM THE '21, '22 SCHOOL YEAR, ALL OF WHICH PRECEDED MY TIME HERE IN PELHAM.
IN THE YEAR THAT IS PASSED BETWEEN THAT PRESENTATION AND TONIGHT, I'VE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY IN PELHAM THAT RESULTS IN THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESENTATION.
WHILE MORE ON THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OF OUR EDUCATORS AND THE ENRICHING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCE WILL BE SHARED IN FUTURE PRESENTATIONS AND WORK SESSIONS, I FELT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING WITH ME TONIGHT THE LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT WORKS SO CLOSELY WITH OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
THE ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HIGHEST STANDARDS THAT MAKE PELHAM THE HIGH-ACHIEVING DISTRICT THAT WE ARE, BUT ALSO AND I WOULD ARGUE, AT LEAST AS IMPORTANTLY, THEY REPRESENT A LEVEL OF CARE, CURIOSITY, AND COMPASSION THAT IS UNPARALLELED AND REQUIRED IN ORDER TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN A DEEP LOVE OF LEARNING THAT IS CRUCIAL TO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE THAT DEFINES PELHAM.
BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION, YOUR PROFESSIONALISM, AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I WOULD LIKE TO ESPECIALLY THANK DR. THOMPSON AND DR. CALLAGHAN FROM WHOM I HAVE STOLEN MANY HOURS IN PREPARING FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THAT TIME, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR UNENDING DEDICATION TO STUDENTS. HERE WE GO.
TONIGHT'S GUIDING QUESTIONS PARALLEL THOSE THAT GUIDED US LAST YEAR.
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THESE SLIDES HELPS US TO CONDUCT A STATUS CHECK OF SORTS ON THE WORK IN TEACHING AND LEARNING THAT WE DO SO THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE WHAT'S WORKING WELL AND ADJUST WHERE NECESSARY.
THEY HELP US BECAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO GLIMPSE IN SOME CASES, HOW OUR STUDENTS PERFORMED ON A SPECIFIC TEST COMPARED WITH OTHER STUDENTS.
YET IN OTHER CASES, WE ARE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS YEAR'S RESULTS AGAINST PRIOR YEAR'S RESULTS ON SPECIFIC TESTS.
THIS IS HELPFUL, BUT TAKEN IN ISOLATION, REDUCES A PORTRAIT OF OUR DISTRICT AS A WHOLE TO ONLY SUM OF ITS PARTS, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THE WHOLE OR WHOLE CHILD IN THIS CASE, IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
THE DATA WITHIN THIS REPORT PROVIDES US WITH EVIDENCE THAT WE USE TO MAKE INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS ON THE DISTRICT AND BUILDING LEVEL, AND TAKEN TOGETHER WITH FORMATIVE DATA COLLECTED IN CLASSROOMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SUPPORTS THESE DECISIONS, AS WELL AS THOSE MADE ON THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL FOR STUDENTS.
[00:05:04]
TO MEASURE STUDENT PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT, WE USE A NUMBER OF DATASETS.SOME MEASURE GROWTH, MEANING CHANGE OVER TIME FOR A SPECIFIC STUDENT OR GROUP OF STUDENTS.
OTHERS, MAINLY THE DATASETS YOU WILL FIND WITHIN THIS PRESENTATION, MEASURE STUDENT PERFORMANCE AT A GIVEN TIME AGAINST AN EXTERNALLY IMPOSED MEASUREMENT.
ALL OF THIS HAPPENS AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE OVERVIEW OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN ENCOMPASSES THESE THREE PILLARS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE, AUTHENTIC LEARNING, AND THE WHOLE CHILD.
WHEN WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT PURPOSES FOR ASSESSMENT AND THE DATA IT PROVIDES.
A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THIS SLIDE.
SINCE LAST YEAR, AS A RESULT OF OUR REFLECTIVE PRACTICES, IMPLEMENTATION OF MTSS SUPPORTS AND MONITORING OF SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES, ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
I HOPE THAT AS WE REVIEW THIS YEAR'S PERFORMANCE REPORT, YOU WILL AGREE THAT THIS CYCLE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES TO BEAR FRUIT IN THE FORM OF STUDENT LEARNING.
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
SINCE WAY BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2017, PELHAM EDUCATORS HAVE BEEN PROACTIVELY PREPARING FOR THE CURRICULAR CHANGES INHERENT IN THE TRANSITION FROM COMMON CORE TO NEXT-GEN STANDARDS.
ON THE WHOLE, NEXT GENERATION LEARNING STANDARDS EMBRACE THE PHILOSOPHY OF AUTHENTIC LEARNING THAT FOCUSES ON CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND REAL-WORLD APPLICATION, AND LESS ON ROUTE MEMORIZATION OF FACTS AND ALGORITHMS. SPRING 2023, AS YOU CAN SEE, BROUGHT US CHANGES IN OUR 3-8 ELA MATH ASSESSMENTS AND THE US HISTORY REGENTS, THOUGH IT WAS TWICE DEFERRED PRIOR TO THAT.
AS A RESULT, COMPARING 2023 DATA TO 2022 DATA WOULD BE COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES IN THESE TWO CONTEXTS.
THE DATES FOR EACH OF THE OTHER EXAMS LISTED EITHER OCCURRED PRIOR TO 2023, THE CHANGE THAT IS, OR ARE ON DECK FOR FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS WITH THE TRANSITION, AND SO 2022 AND 2023 ADMINISTRATIONS WERE ALIGNED TO THE SAME STANDARDS.
THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE GO THROUGH BECAUSE ON SOME OF THE SLIDES YOU'LL SEE COMPARATIVE DATA OVER TIME AND ON OTHERS YOU WON'T BECAUSE THOSE EXAMS ARE REALLY BENCHMARK EXAMS. BEFORE I REVIEW DISTRICT RESULTS FOR OUR 3-8 ASSESSMENTS IN MATH AND ELA, I WANT TO SHARE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN THOSE GRADES THAT I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT PELHAM'S PARENT'S SCORE REPORTS WILL BE MAILED OUT BY THE US POSTAL SERVICE THIS FRIDAY.
WE USE A SERVICE CALLED EDGE DOCUMENTS SOLUTIONS FOR PRINTING AND MAILING SCORE REPORTS HERE IN PELHAM, AND THAT SERVICE EXPEDITES PRINTING AND MAILING, OBVIOUSLY, ULTIMATELY KEEPING THE IN-HOUSE PRODUCTIVITY OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF FOCUSED ON THE HERE AND NOW OF WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR BUILDINGS INSTEAD OF FOCUSED ON PRINTING AND STUFFING AND MAILING.
THERE IS A WORKFLOW EXPLANATION FOR WHY THAT'S THE CASE.
I AM AWARE THAT OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE AREA HAVE HAD THEIR PARENT REPORTS AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES PRIOR TO NOW.
IT'S BASED ON THE SERVICE THAT YOU USE.
ANY DISTRICT THAT USES THIS SERVICE, THEY WILL HAVE THEIR RESULTS MAILED OUT BY US POSTAL SERVICE, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, ON FRIDAY.
I HOPE IT'S NOT THE SAME IDEA OF THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL, BUT NEVERTHELESS, THAT'S NOT UP TO ME.
WE'LL START WITH OUR ELA SCORES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR ELA RESULTS IN THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE, AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'RE NOT COMPARING THIS YEAR TO LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION TO NEXT-GENERATION LEARNING STANDARDS, BUT I THINK YOU WOULD SEE THAT WE ARE DOING VERY WELL ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW WE'VE PERFORMED COMPARED TO THE REGION AND AS YOU WILL SEE IN AN UPCOMING REPORT FROM ME THE DATA HERE IS OBVIOUSLY THE COMBINATION OF THE RESULTS OF EACH OF OUR INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS AND SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE WILL BE REFLECTED IN THAT AS WELL.
>> CAN YOU REMIND ON JUST WHAT THE REGION IS?
>> YEAH, SO THE REGION IS ALL OF THE DISTRICTS IN PUTNAM, NORTHWEST, CHESTER, ROSLYN, AND SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
I COULD LIST THEM IF YOU'D LIKE BUT IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE AWHILE.
IN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE, YOU SEE THAT THE TREND CONTINUES.
AGAIN IN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH, OUR STUDENTS HAVE FARED VERY WELL THIS YEAR.
INDEPENDENT OF COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION, I WOULD SAY.
BUT AGAIN, EVEN MORE SO WHEN YOU PUT THEM SIDE-BY-SIDE.
>> GRADE EIGHT IS PARTICULARLY STRONG AND
[00:10:03]
A GRADE INDICATOR THAT THE LONGER YOU ARE IN THE SYSTEM, THE BETTER YOU PERFORM.THAT'S A PARTICULARLY GOOD INDICATION OF LONG-TERM QUALITY EDUCATION.
>> YES. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
YOU'LL SEE A SIMILAR TREND IN OUR RESULTS WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR 3-8 MATH ASSESSMENTS.
THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE, SIMILAR TRENDS.
FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE CONTINUES.
WHEN WE GET TO SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, A FEW PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT, WHICH WAS POINTED OUT LAST YEAR, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
AS YOU COULD SEE, STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN ACCELERATED ALGEBRA AS EIGHTH GRADERS HERE IN PELHAM DO NOT TAKE THE EIGHTH-GRADE MATH ASSESSMENT, THEREFORE, THE STUDENTS FROM PELHAM REPORTED HERE ARE OUR MOST FRAGILE MATH STUDENTS.
THIS IS NOT UNIVERSALLY THE CASE.
SOME DISTRICTS DO HAVE THEIR STUDENTS WHO WERE IN EIGHTH-GRADE ALGEBRA SIT FOR THEIR MATH ASSESSMENTS AND DOUBLE-TEST THEIR KITS.
WE AS A DISTRICT, HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO DO THAT.
THAT IS OF COURSE REFLECTED IN THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE DATA.
ADDITIONALLY, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE WORKED TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN ACCELERATED ALGEBRA, AS INDICATED HERE.
>> HOW MANY STUDENTS IS THAT? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE OF EIGHTH GRADERS ARE NOT REFLECTED.
>> THERE WERE 64 STUDENTS WHO DID, WHO WERE IN MATH 8.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT WAS 168 THAT WE'RE IN ALGEBRA, BUT I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
>> WHAT'S A MEANINGFUL NUMBER?
>> IT IS AN EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL NUMBER OF THE 63 STUDENTS OR 64 STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE MATH 8 EXAM, 21 DID.
WE HAD A THIRD OF OUR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REFUSED TO TAKE. IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
HERE, AS WELL AS THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN OUR ALGEBRA COURSE, THE POOL OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IN OUR MATH 8 CLASS HAS BEEN REDUCED, AND THEREBY THE MORE FRAGILE THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS IS AS MATH STUDENTS, AND STILL IF I COULD GO BACK, WE DID PRETTY WELL WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROFICIENCY AGAINST THE REGION.
>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS GRAPH LAST YEAR, AND THESE STUDENTS MATTER VERY MUCH TO US AND THEIR SUCCESS MATTERS.
WE'RE ABOVE THE REGION AND PROFICIENCY.
>> CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. BUT WE ADDED RECENTLY ANOTHER MATH INTERVENTIONIST AT THE MIDDLE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH OUR ALGEBRA STUDENTS, BUT THE STUDENTS MATTER VERY MUCH AND WE WANT THEM TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
>> CERTAINLY, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS MATTER VERY MUCH IN PUTTING THESE SUPPORTS IN PLACE TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF OUR MOST STRUGGLING LEARNERS IS DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT THING.
I THINK THAT THE ADDITION OF A MATH INTERVENTIONIST HAS HAD A LOT OF IMPACT ACROSS THE BOARD IN TERMS OF MAKING IT SO THAT WE COULD FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.
SHE DOES A GREAT JOB OF NOT ONLY PULLING KIDS TO HER CLASS, BUT SHE'LL PUSH INTO CLASSROOMS AS WELL.
I HAVE TO ALSO SAY THAT OUR MATH INTERVENTIONIST AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS REALLY EMBRACED THE IDEA OF USING BRANCHING MINDS, USING DREAMBOX, AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT WE HAVE MADE AVAILABLE THAT TYPICALLY WE FIND ARE USED MORE ON THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, AND SO THAT CONTINUUM HAS BEEN BROUGHT RIGHT UP INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AS WELL.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT JUST TO UNDERSTAND?
>> THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE MATH 8 CLASS, OR RATHER, I'D FRAME IT THIS WAY.
THE STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN AN ALGEBRA CLASS, SO DEEMED TO BE MOST PREPARED TO SUCCEED IN THE ALGEBRA CLASS, AND SO THE STUDENTS WHO ARE AVAILABLE TO TAKE THE MATH 8 CLASS ARE OF THE NEED MORE SUPPORT.
>> SURE. A FEW PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ON-HOLD WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 3-8 RESULTS.
OUR PERCENTAGE OF LEVEL 4 STUDENTS IS CONSISTENTLY ABOVE THE REGION IN FIVE OUT OF THE SIX GRADES IN BOTH ELA AND MATH.
THAT'S I THINK PHENOMENAL. THAT'S LEVEL 4.
PROFICIENCY IS LEVEL 3 AND 4 COMBINED, AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT THAT YOU CAN ATTAIN ITS LEVEL 4.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT OUR GRADE SIX YEARS OF TRANSITION HERE FROM ELEMENTARY TO
[00:15:02]
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND WELL-KNOWN AS A DIP IN PERFORMANCE WHEN THERE'S A TRANSITION FROM ONE BUILDING TO ANOTHER.NOT EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL STARTS IN SIXTH GRADE, SO THAT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED.
IN FACT, THE BUILDING THAT I LED BEFORE I CAME HERE, I HAD FIFTH GRADERS IN MY BUILDING.
BY THE TIME MY SIXTH GRADERS WERE SITTING FOR A STATE ASSESSMENT, THEY HAD ALREADY DONE THEIR TRANSITION.
THEY WERE FULLY ACCLIMATED TO THE BUILDING, AND SO THERE WAS NO DIP IN SIXTH GRADE.
WE SAW OUR DIP IN FIFTH GRADE.
WE DON'T HAVE A DIP, AND I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
RATHER, WE SEE THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF FORESTS COMPARED TO THIS PERCENTAGE OF 3S +4S.
SHIFTING TO OUR HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL PERFORMANCE NOW, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
AS OUR STUDENTS MOVE THROUGH OUR K-12 SYSTEM, THEIR SUCCESSES ARE THE RESULTS OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE INFLUENCED THEIR LEARNING OVER THE YEARS.
WHILE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE DOES REFLECT THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF, OUR STUDENTS GROWTH IS TRULY THE RESULTS OF OUR ENTIRE TEAM OF EDUCATORS FROM K TO 12.
WHEN WE LOOK FIRST AT OUR GRADUATION RATE, IT'S 100.
IT WAS 100 LAST YEAR, AND WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN DONE WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE CONSIDERING THE TIMES THAT WE LIVED IN, A STAFF AND STUDENTS LIKE THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNDER THE COVID WAIVER WHICH EXPIRED IN AUGUST OF 2023, WHICH DID LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF LIVING THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, BUT DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE.
>> SURE. IN 2020, WE DID NOT ADMINISTER REGENTS EXAMS, AND SO ANY STUDENTS WHO WERE IN A COURSE THAT ENDED IN REGIONS WERE ABLE TO BYPASS THAT REQUIREMENT.
SINCE THEN, WHAT'S HAPPENED IS IF A STUDENT SITS FOR REGIONS IN SCORES 55 AND 64, BUT ALSO HAS A PASSING AVERAGE FOR THE CLASS, THEY CAN APPEAL AND HAVE REGIONS CREDIT AND STILL BE ABLE TO EARN A REGENTS DIPLOMA.
WE'LL START WITH ENGLISH. IF YOU RECALL, ENGLISH IS NOT ONE OF THE COURSES THAT CHANGED THE REAGENTS THIS YEAR, SO WE CAN LOOK AT COMPARISON FROM LAST YEAR.
THE RESULTS OF OUR ENGLISH REGIONS CONTINUED TO BE VERY IMPRESSIVE, AND THAT REGION'S EXAM, WHICH IS A COMPREHENSIVE EXAM, IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE COMBINED IMPACT OF THE K-12 CONTINUUM OF EDUCATORS OVERTIME ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS.
NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR ALGEBRA RESULTS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE INCREASED ENROLLMENT AND ACCELERATED ALGEBRA, SO WIDENING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO BE ENROLLED IN ALGEBRA.
OUR STUDENT PERFORMANCE HAS REMAINED STRONG, WHICH ISN'T AN INDICATION THAT THE INSTRUCTION THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM IS TOP-NOTCH.
>> JUST LOOKING AT THESE WITH THE ELEMENTARY DATA, I THINK IT WASN'T OVER TIME, IT WAS US VERSUS THE REGION, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS OVER TIME.
>> THAT'S BECAUSE THE 3-8 EXAMS WERE THE FIRST ADMINISTRATION THIS YEAR, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING OVER TIME AT SOME OF THESE EXAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, ENGLISH IN ALGEBRA BECAUSE IT WASN'T A NEW ADMINISTRATION THIS SPRING.
IT'S APPLES TO APPLES, NOT APPLES TO ORANGES, AND LOOKING BACK OVER TIME.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR ALGEBRA RESULTS, I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE INCREASED ENROLLMENT IN ALGEBRA OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AS YOU WIDEN OPPORTUNITY, PARTICIPATION RATES GO UP.
SOMETIMES THERE IS A DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE, WE DON'T SEE THAT HERE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO HONE IN ON THE FACT THAT THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION IN THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR MATH DEPARTMENT.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT OUR STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN GEOMETRY HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE LAST YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE.
THAT IS, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE REFLECTIVE PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE OVER TIME.
WHEN I MEAN OVERTIME, I MEAN OVER NOT JUST THE LAST YEAR, BUT OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS, SO THAT OUR STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO BECOME PREPARED FOR THE RIGORS OF A GEOMETRY CLASS THIS PAST YEAR.
>> TALK TO THEM FOR ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOLS THAT YOU'RE SHOWING, IS THESE TESTS ARE MANDATORY OR THEY'RE NOT FIT FOR STUDENTS? STUDENTS CAN OPT-OUT OR?
>> IF YOU'RE IN A REGION GEOMETRY CLASS, YOU WOULD TAKE THE REGIONS.
YOU CAN OPT OUT OF REGIONS IF YOU'RE IN THE COURSE.
[00:20:07]
>> EARTH SCIENCE. AN IMPORTANT NOTE HERE IS THE JUMPING MASTERY, WHICH IS INDICATIVE OF GRADES OF 85 OR ABOVE BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR WHILE HOLDING STRONG WITH OUR PASSING RATE.
IT LOOKS WRONGLY. I WANTED TO GO BACK TO GEOMETRY.
[LAUGHTER] LIVING ENVIRONMENT.
AGAIN, WE HAVE CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE ACROSS THE BOARD AND LIVING ENVIRONMENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
WHEN WE LOOK AT CHEMISTRY AGAIN, AS WITH GEOMETRY, WE SEE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STUDENTS PERFORMANCE AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
I LET THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
IN GLOBAL HISTORY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S CONSISTENCY AS WELL.
AND IN US HISTORY, JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT OUR US HISTORY REGENTS TRANSITIONED TO THE NEXTGEN STANDARDS, AND SO WE'RE NOT COMPARING TO LAST YEAR'S REGIONS RESULTS BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE APPLES TO ORANGES.
THIS YEAR WILL SERVE AS A BENCHMARK FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE DID HAVE A 97.46 PASSING RATE, WHICH IS, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN BE VERY EXCELLENT, BUT IF IT CAN, THIS IS IT.
[LAUGHTER] MOVING ON TO OUR AP AND DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES.
AS A DISTRICT THAT INSPIRES A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE, PELHAM OFFERS A VAST ARRAY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE COLLEGE-LEVEL LEARNING, BOTH THROUGH OUR EXPANSIVE AP PROGRAM AND THROUGH OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT OFFERINGS.
THIS FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY SHOWS AN OVERALL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING AP EXAMS, IN FACT, MULTIPLE AP EXAMS IN MANY CASES, WHILE MAINTAINING HIGH LEVELS OF SUCCESS.
THE TREND IS UP, BOTH WITH PARTICIPATION AND WITH RESULTS.
AS I SAID EARLIER, WHEN YOU HAVE INCREASED PARTICIPATION, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT IT MAY IMPACT THE OVERALL SCORES THAT YOU RECEIVE, BUT IN OUR CASE, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO DO THAT ON THE WHOLE.
THE COLLEGE BOARD HAS DESIGNATIONS FOR AP SCHOLARS WITH HONOR AND AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE IN TOTAL IS 190.
WHAT DOES THIS DATA TELL US ACTUALLY? PUT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE STORY, 70% OF OUR STUDENTS IN GRADES 10 THROUGH 12 HAVE TAKEN AT LEAST ONE AP EXAM.
THE TOTAL AP ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR INCREASED TO 469 STUDENTS.
ACTUALLY, I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT LATE DATA, THAT'S 471.
SEVENTY-NINE PERCENT OF OUR HIGH-SCHOOL AP STUDENTS, 371 STUDENTS ACHIEVED THREE OR HIGHER ON THEIR AP EXAMS, AND 190 STUDENTS, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ARE AP SCHOLARS WITH HONORS OR AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION.
OUR MEAN SCORES EXCEED NEW YORK AND OUR GLOBAL AVERAGES FOR 17 AP EXAM.
THE AVERAGE SCORE ACROSS ALL AP EXAMS TAKEN BY OUR HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE '22/'23 SCHOOL YEAR WAS 3.3, AND JUST AS A RULE OF THUMB, A THREE IS TYPICALLY CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR EARNING CREDIT AT SOME UNIVERSITIES, OR SOME PEOPLE SAY PASSING, BUT I PREFER NOT TO USE THAT WORD.
SIXTY-NINE PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS IN THE CLASS OF 2023 HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE SCORE OF FOUR OR HIGHER ON AT LEAST ONE AP EXAM AT ANY POINT DURING HIGH SCHOOL.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS TAKE MULTIPLE AP EXAMS. MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS EARN MANY FOURS, BUT 69% OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS.
SOME OF THEM HAVE ONLY TAKEN ONE, HAVE RECEIVED A FOUR OR FIVE, FIVE BEING THE HIGHEST THAT YOU CAN EARN.
>> DR. BOWMAN, TWO OTHER PIECES I BELIEVE THIS DATA ALSO HELPED US TO ACHIEVE THE AP ON A ROLE DESIGNATION THIS YEAR.
>> TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THAT.
ALSO, THOSE NUMBERS DO NOT INCLUDE ANY STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES THAT ARE NOT AP, SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES, NOT ONLY IS IT 79% OF STUDENTS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL TAKING AP,
[00:25:01]
THERE'S A WHOLE ANOTHER TRANCHE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING DUAL ENROLLMENT IN ADDITION.>> AND WE DISCUSSED THEM ON THIS SLIDE.
>> [LAUGHTER] I DID LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION, I FORGOT THAT WAS IN.
>> THAT'S OKAY. WELL, SO OUR PARTICIPATION IN DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES CONTINUES TO RISE, WHICH IS INDICATIVE OF THE HIGH LEVEL OF COURSE OPPORTUNITIES AND OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WHICH I HAVE TO SAY FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN OUR SCHOOL IS EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH AND REALLY DOES SPEAK TO THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR KIDS.
FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVE MORE THAN 422, SO WHY YOU ASK AM I SAYING MORE THAN 422 AND NOT JUST SAY 423? IS BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE STUDENTS HAVE TO FINALIZE WHERE THEY ARE IN FOR THE YEAR, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO LAND FIRM AND HAVE SOMETHING I SAY NOW BE NOT TRUE LATER.
WITH TWO NEW COURSES LINK THIS YEAR IN ASTRONOMY AND DATA SCIENCE FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 391 STUDENTS, AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT 370 STUDENTS.
>> CAN YOU REMIND US OF THE DATA POINT LIKE ISN'T IT ONE OF THE BEST INDICATORS OF HOW WELL PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE IS ACTUALLY TAKING?
>> YES. [LAUGHTER] THE MORE COLLEGE LEVEL EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE BEFORE LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY IT WOULD BE AN EASY JUMPED TO SAY THAT YOU'RE MORE PREPARED FOR COLLEGE LEVEL EXPERIENCES ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PERCENT, EVEN IF I GO BACK, THE PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED AN AP COURSE AND THEN ADD TO THAT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE OPTED FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE, AND OF COURSE THERE IS OVERLAP.
SOME STUDENTS WILL OPT FOR BOTH.
CLEARLY WELL ABOVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE HERE WITH COLLEGE CREDITS, WHICH DEFRAY THE COST OF COLLEGE AND ALSO GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE OTHER CLASSES IF THEY GET SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS DONE, IF IT'S NOT AN AREA THAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON STUDYING.
SO THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE MORE THAN JUST VERY IMPORTANT, THEY PREPARE YOU FOR THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A COLLEGE COURSE.
ALSO THOUGH THERE ARE OTHER BENEFITS TO HAVING THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
WE HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND WHAT DO WE DO ON A YEARLY BASIS WITH IT ONCE WE GET THIS INFORMATION.
TAKING TOGETHER WITH OTHER INFORMATION, WE HAVE BEEN DOING WORK.
NOW THIS IS ON THE K12 LEVEL ON OUR MTSS SYSTEM.
MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT WHICH REALLY DEALS WITH NOT ONLY ACADEMICS BUT ALSO BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
THE REASON WHY IT ADDS ON THAT COMPONENT IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR WHETHER THE STRUGGLES THAT STUDENTS FACE ARE RESULTS OF ACADEMIC STRUGGLES OR BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, THERE'S ONE MASK THE OTHER.
HAVING A SYSTEM OF SUPPORT IN PLACE THAT HELPS TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHAT THE STRUGGLES ARE HELPS TO ENSURE GREATER SUCCESS MOVING FORWARD.
THIS YEAR WE ARE EMBARKING ON A DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEE TO BUILD PELHAM MTSS FRAMEWORK, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO GET FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF BRANCHING MINDS.
WE CONTINUE EVERY YEAR TO USE THIS DATA AND OTHER DATA TO INFORM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHAT FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DO WE NEED IN ORDER TO ADDRESS ANY AREAS THAT COULD USE SOME STRENGTHENING MOVING FORWARD IN THE CURRICULUM? WE UTILIZE INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS WHERE TEACHERS GET TO SEE WHAT ONE ANOTHER IS DOING IN ACTION WHICH DOESN'T OFTEN HAPPEN, BUT IS A GREAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOOL IN ITSELF.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE DATA TEAMS ACROSS THE BUILDINGS SO THAT THERE IS A PERIODIC REVIEW OF STUDENT PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND IF NECESSARY, CHANGING THE INTERVENTIONS OR ENRICHMENT THAT WE GIVE TO THE STUDENTS DEPENDING UPON WHAT WE SEE IS GOING ON FOR THEM.
AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE HAVE GRADE LEVEL MEETINGS.
THE PARALLEL OF THOSE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THERE ARE GRADE LEVEL MEETINGS AS WELL, BUT ALSO DEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS THAT HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR CURRICULUM IS IN ALIGNMENT.
WE HAVE PROGRESS MONITORING TOOLS WHERE WE USE MULTIPLE MEASURES.
THE MULTIPLE MEASURES LISTED HERE ARE PRIMARILY ELEMENTARY AND SOME MIDDLE SCHOOL TOOLS, BUT WE USE TOOLS ACROSS THE BOARD.
THESE ARE JUST THE ONES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
UNIVERSAL SCREENERS LIKE AIMS WEB.
WE USE DREAMBOX, RUNNING RECORDS FOR TC.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE USED FOUNTAS AND PINNELL BENCHMARKING.
WE HAVE IXL, WE HAVE FOREFRONT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE OUR KIDS NEED THE SUPPORT AND WHAT SUPPORTS TO PUT INTO PLACE. YES.
>> DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON TEST LEVEL RESULTS IN
[00:30:05]
TERMS OF ANALYSIS OF OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING WELL AT THIS PARTICULAR PART OF MATH, BUT HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS OTHER PARTICULAR PART OR IS IT NOT THAT GOING ON? [OVERLAPPING]>> YES, ABSOLUTELY. YOU CAN PULL DATA IN ANY NUMBER OF WAYS.
ONE OF THE REPORTS THAT WE'VE PULLED WILL BE BASED ON STANDARDS, SO THEY ALIGN.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THE ITEMS ON THE TEST ARE ALIGNED TO THE STANDARDS THAT THEY ARE ASSESSING.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE REPORT THAT'S USED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MOVING FORWARD.
BECAUSE IF WE SEE THAT THERE'S A CONSISTENT STRUGGLE WITH A PARTICULAR STRAND OR A PARTICULAR STANDARD, WE KNOW WE NEED TO TEACH INTO THAT FOR OUR STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER DELIVER THAT INSTRUCTION MOVING FORWARD.
STATE ASSESSMENT DATA PROVIDES THE DISTRICT WITH INFORMATION REGARDING HOW STUDENTS PERFORMED ON A SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT, ON A SPECIFIC DATE.
THIS REPORT INCLUDES SUMMATIVE DATA AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT DATA, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FORMATIVE DATA THAT'S COLLECTED ON AN ONGOING BASIS, WHICH TAKEN TOGETHER HELP US TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE TEACH KIDS.
IN CLOSING, ONE OF MY GOALS FOR TONIGHT WAS TO TELL A STORY ABOUT PELHAM SCHOOLS.
LIKE ALL STORIES, THE DETAILS OF EACH PAGE OR IN THIS CASE SLIDE, ARE IMPORTANT TO BRINGING YOU A BIGGER PICTURE.
AS OUR STORY UNFOLDS, WE WILL SEE CHANGES EACH YEAR IN ONE OR MORE OF THESE AREAS, SO THERE WILL BE CHANGES NEXT YEAR. WHAT THEY ARE? I DON'T KNOW YET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T WRITTEN THAT CHAPTER IN OUR BOOK.
BUT WHAT I THINK YOU WILL SEE IS A CONSTANT THEME TO THE STORY OF PELHAM YEAR OVER YEAR, IS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH WORLD-CLASS OPPORTUNITIES IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THEM ALL.
ALSO, LIKE ALL STORIES, THE STORY OF PELHAM HOLDS CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY MANY PEOPLE, I DON'T WANT TO CALL THEM CHARACTERS, BUT PEOPLE.
WHILE I THINK TAKEN AS A WHOLE, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ARE CLEAR.
I AGAIN, WANT TO THANK DR. CALLAGHAN AND DR. KAY THOMPSON AND ADD TO THE LIST OF THOSE CONTRIBUTORS TO TONIGHT.
ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATORS HERE, THE FACULTY AND STAFF WHO WORK WITH OUR CHILDREN EACH DAY AND ESPECIALLY MY SUPPORT STAFF, MARIA, JULIANA AND LUISA, WHO INSTRUMENTAL IN PREPARING TONIGHT'S SLIDES.
>> CAN I ASK YOU MAYBE JUST TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE ROLE THAT STATE ASSESSMENTS PLAY IN IDENTIFYING STUDENTS FOR SUPPORT?
>> SURE. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN IT WAS A HARD CUTOFF.
IF YOU SCORED X, THAT MEANT YOU ARE MANDATED TO HAVE INTERVENTIONS, SO WE CALL THEM AIS BACK IN THE DAY, IT WASN'T QUITE AS NICE, NOW IT'S DIFFERENT.
BECAUSE IT'S A ONE-SHOT DEAL LIKE ANY GIVEN SUNDAY AND IT MAY NOT BE INDICATIVE OF A STUDENT'S OVERALL LEARNING, IT IS A DATA POINT, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY DATA POINT THAT WE USE.
THE EXAMPLE I USE IS IF A STUDENT COMES IN AND YESTERDAY THEIR CAT WENT MISSING, WE'LL SAY, THEY MAY NOT PERFORM AS WELL AS THEY ARE ABLE TO BECAUSE THEY'RE DISTRACTED ABOUT SOMETHING OR IF THEY'RE COMING OFF THE FLU.
IT MAY NOT BE OR IF THEY JUST HIT IT LUCKY ON THE MULTIPLE CHOICE.
TAKEN TOGETHER WITH OTHER DATA POINTS THAT REALLY SHOW MORE OF WHAT THE STUDENT IS CAPABLE OF DOING AND WHERE ARE THEIR AREAS OF STRUGGLE ARE, THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO MAKE THOSE DETERMINATIONS.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT STATE ASSESSMENT DATA ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THEY'RE JUST ONE PIECE OF DATA THAT WE USE TO MAKE A PROFILE OF A STUDENT AS WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
>> HOW USEFUL IS IT GIVEN THE TIMING OF WHEN WE GET THAT INFORMATION? LIKE IT'S ALREADY A MONTH OR TWO IN TO SCHOOL YEAR.
>> GOOD QUESTION. WE LOOK AT THAT DATA IN CONJUNCTION WITH DATA THAT WE'RE ALREADY COLLECTING, SO THE MONTH.
I'LL SPEAK FOR US ON THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
A LOT OF SEPTEMBER IS CREATING CLASSROOM COMMUNITY AND GETTING TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE BENCHMARKS THAT HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER, SO WE'RE COLLECTING DATA ON STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MONTH.
GETTING THIS INFORMATION NOW WHILE IT IS LATE AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT THIS IS A LATE FOR THE SEASON [NOISE] FOR US TO BE GETTING ASSESSMENT DATA.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER WHEN WE'RE ALREADY HALFWAY THROUGH WITH THE YEAR.
THE OTHER PART OF THAT THAT I WANT TO SPEAK TO IS THAT TAKEN AS A WHOLE, WE DON'T OFTEN GET SHOCKED BY WHAT HAPPENS FROM ASSESSMENTS.
WE KNOW OUR KIDS AND WE ALSO HAVE TOOLS
[00:35:01]
AVAILABLE TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT AREAS WE NEED TO LEAN INTO.MOST OF THE TIME, THIS IS JUST CONFIRMATION OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY COME TO KNOW ABOUT OUR SCHOOL AND OUR SYSTEM AND OUR KIDS.
IT'S USEFUL, BUT IT'S NOT ALL THERE IS BY ANY STRETCH.
>> BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET THE DATUM EARLIER, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ADVOCATE FOR.
I KNOW THAT LAURA HUDSON EDUCATION COALITION HAS A SURVEY NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY GOT THE EMAIL.
IF THIS IS A WORTHWHILE POINT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ADVOCATE THROUGH NUSSBAUM AND THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO SAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS OUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
>> I AGREE AND I DO BELIEVE WITH THE TRANSITION TO COMPUTER-BASED TESTING, THAT THAT SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAPPEN.
>> WE'RE STARTING TO PHASE IN THIS SPRING, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE'LL BE TESTING GRADES FIVE AND EIGHT.
>> ACROSS THE STATE, EVERYONE'S MANDATED IN FIVE AND EIGHT TO ASSESS ON A COMPUTER AND ELA AND MATH.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS, AND I'LL SEPARATE ELEMENTARY FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OF ELA AND MATH IS GOING TO BE COMPUTER-BASED.
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUE ADOPTING A FULL COMPUTER-BASED TEST ADMINISTRATION FOR OUR MATH BUT REALLY ONLY FOCUS ON THE MANDATED AREAS IN ELA FOR THIS YEAR.
JUST TO BACK INTO THE IDEA OF TIMING.
IT SEEMS INTUITIVE THAT HAVING A COMPUTER-BASED TEST WOULD SPEED UP THE RATE AT WHICH WE GET RESULTS.
HOWEVER, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE STATE INDICATED FOR THE DELAY IN THE RESULTS THIS YEAR IS BECAUSE IT WAS A MIXED ADMINISTRATION.
SOME SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS OPTED TO GET AHEAD OF THINGS IN ADMINISTER THEIR TESTS BY COMPUTER.
WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT STRUGGLES, I MIGHT ADD, WE DIDN'T.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT MIXED BAG CREATED A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY.
I THINK REALLY IT'S SOON TO DECIDE WHAT IMPACT IT WILL HAVE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE IN SOME OF THE GRADES, PEOPLE MAY STILL CONTINUE TO BE PAPER-BASED LIKE WE ARE IN SOME GRADES IN THE GRADES THAT ARE REQUIRED.
MAYBE IT WILL BE QUICKER, BUT I DON'T ANTICIPATE THE STATE RELEASING THOSE GRADES BEFORE.
I THINK IT WILL BE ONE RELEASE. I DON T THINK IT'LL BE OKAY.
THESE ARE DONE AND THEN JUST WAIT AROUND FOR THE REST.
>> HI. I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE CHANGES TO THE ALGEBRA REGIONS IN JUNE 2024.
>> THAT ARE COMING UP. ARE WE FAMILIAR NOW WITH WHAT? THEN YOU TEST MAYBE LIKE WHAT IS IT COVERING SIMILAR MATERIALS.
THE COVERING DIFFERENT MATERIAL.
>> AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, SINCE 2017 WHEN THE TRANSITION BEGAN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE PREPARED FOR THE TRANSITION.
WHILE A SMALL THING LIKE A GLOBAL PANDEMIC MIGHT CREATE AS AN OBSTACLE TO THAT, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE PREPARED TO AS IT RELATES TO THE STANDARDS.
WHAT'S ON A TEST ON A GIVEN DAY UNTIL YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR HANDS IT'S HARD TO PREDICT.
OVER TIME WHAT HAPPENS IS EXAMS TEND TO HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF QUESTIONS THAT ASK ABOUT CERTAIN STANDARDS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE REPEATED.
THERE MAY BE AGAIN, ANOTHER TRANSITION, TRANSITION PERIOD FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AND WHAT THE KIDS KNOW AND CAN DO.
HAVING A CRYSTAL BALL OF HOW THAT'S GOING TO TURN UP ON AN EXAM, NOBODY HAS THAT.
>> WAS THERE INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN THE STATE-LEVEL TESTS THAN PREVIOUS YEARS?
>> YEAH. IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THE OPT-OUT MOVEMENT, WE SEE SOME TRENDS.
IN THIRD GRADE ACROSS ELA AND MATH, WE HAD A 4.85% REFUSAL RATE IN ELA AND A 4.37 RATE IN MATH.
IN FOURTH GRADE, IT GOES TO 5.56 AND 3.7, RESPECTIVELY.
THEN IN FIFTH GRADE, 4.6 AND 4.1.
THEN WHEN WE GET TO SIXTH GRADE, WE JUMPED A 14.203 AND 15.42, SEVENTH GRADE, 16.82 AND 16.36, AND THEN EIGHTH GRADE, I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU ELA BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER, OUR MATH ASSESSMENTS ARE A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
20.86. IF YOU THINK BACK LONGITUDINALLY OF WHEN THE BEGINNING OF THE HIGH NUMBERS OF REFUSALS HAPPENED.
[00:40:02]
IT SEEMS TO BE WANING AND OUR STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES DECIDED TO REFUSE THE TESTS ARE AGING OUT OF THEM AND SO WE HAVE A PRETTY LOW REFUSAL RATE AND THE LOWER GRADES AND STEADILY GOES UP.AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT TWO MORE YEARS, THREE MORE YEARS.
>> IT'S THAT INDUSTRY STANDARD.
DO WE KNOW LIKE OTHER DISTRICT AS A SHIELD THE SAME?
>> THAT TREND IS PRETTY TYPICAL.
GIVEN THAT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS HAD DIFFERENT REFUSAL RATES DEPENDING UPON A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ISSUES OVERALL GLOBALLY, THAT TREND IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
>> DID YOU GET ANY FEEDBACK ABOUT, I GUESS, CHANGES IN INSTRUCTION? I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF A BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT MIGHT BE CALLED AUTHENTIC LEARNING VERSUS TEST PREP OR?
>> I'M NOT SURE I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.
>> I MEAN, WAS MORE TIME SPENT STUDYING AND PREPARING FOR THE TEST THIS YEAR THAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN DIFFERENT YEARS.
>> OUR TEACHERS DO HAVE A RESPONSIVE TO FEEL A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY POSITION THEIR KIDS WITH THE MOST POTENTIAL TO SUCCEED.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A VERY STRONG COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE TEACHING OUR KIDS IS AUTHENTIC AND IS GOING TO MAKE THEM CRITICAL THINKERS AND PROBLEM SOLVERS SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED NOW AND USE IT LATER ON IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS AND GLOBALIZE IT.
I CAN'T SAY THAT THERE WAS MORE OR LESS.
THERE'S ALWAYS A CONCERN IF WE FOCUS TOO MUCH ON RESULTS THAT WILL BE THE LENS THROUGH WHICH EVERYTHING IS SEEN.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT OUR SYSTEM IS VERY MUCH OF THE BELIEF THAT YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME APPROACH TO LEARNING.
>> I GUESS I'D JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'VE DISCUSSED METRICS AND DATA AND I THINK WE ALL BELIEVE OUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE VERY MUCH MISSION-DRIVEN AND DEDICATED EDUCATORS.
THE EXTENT THAT THE BOARD IS ASKING FOR DATA IT'S MORE TO SUPPORT THAT MISSION AND PROVIDE THE RESOURCES THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
>> THEN THAT'S REALLY MY, IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THESE RESULTS NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN THEM, THAT YOU'RE THINKING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NOW FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT?
>> I NEVER WANT TO SAY NO TO THE OFFER OF MORE RESOURCES.
BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO DO IS ASK TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT GIVEN MORE RESOURCES, WE WOULD PUT THEM TO GOOD USE.
I WANT TO DO THAT IN A VERY RESPONSIBLE WAY AND IN A FOCUSED WAY.
SO I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
>> ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT DISAGGREGATED BY STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
IT'S NOT THAT MAYBE YOU ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S USUALLY AN AREA THAT MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT YOU'LL REFLECT.
>> WE HAVE OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION.
>> DR. BOWMAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELL DONE [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU AGAIN TO YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE TO LEAD TO THIS POINT.
WE WISH YOU ALL A GREAT NIGHT.
PLEASE GO HOME, GET SOME REST AND WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.
I AM GOING TO DIVE QUICKLY INTO A [OVERLAPPING].
[4.2 Superintendent's Report]
>> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND KEEP IT VERY BRIEF TONIGHT BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALSO HAVE AN AUDIT PRESENTATION THAT'S COMING, AND WHEN THE AUDITOR GETS HERE WILL LET HIM JUMP IN AND PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD.
AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THE WORD ISRAEL IN MIND FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
WE KNOW THAT WE ALL ARE HOPING FOR PEACE AND REALLY WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED AS THINGS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
WE KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, THERE'S A LOT OF CIVILIANS BEING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED, A LOT OF FAMILIES BEING IMPACTED.
SO WE COULD JUST KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON THAT AND CONTINUE TO WORK TO SUPPORT
[00:45:01]
FAMILIES AS WE MOVE THROUGH THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS THE DAYS GO BY.WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK I KNOW HE'S ON HIS WAY OUT THE DOOR, DR. CALLAGHAN AND THE TEAM WHO WORKED TO PUT TOGETHER THE CHASING SPACE LAUNCH FROM LAST WEEK WERE TRULY INCREDIBLE.
[LAUGHTER] LELAND MELVIN WAS JUST AMAZING AND INSPIRING AND I WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE HIM WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS.
REALLY JUST SO PATIENTLY AND KINDLY AND JUST CONNECTING WITH THEM IN REALLY WONDERFUL WAYS.
SO WE HAD GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SERIES THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE ON FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
I ALSO THANK HIM AND THE TEAM FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER, ENVISIONING IT, AND BRINGING IT TO BE.
I'M GOING TO TRY NOT TO STEP ON THEIR TOES TOO MUCH.
I KNOW WE'LL HEAR A LITTLE ABOUT PSAT ADMINISTRATION TODAY.
FIRST ENDEAVOR THERE, SUCCESSFUL ON OUR PART.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT SHIFT THANKS TO JOHN BELLOWS, WHO IS STICKING AROUND FOR SOME REASON.
[LAUGHTER] NOTHING BETTER TO DO ON A WEDNESDAY.
BUT HIS TEAM WORKED WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, GENE FARRELL CARRY TO TONE THE TEACHERS, THE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN RUNNING THAT AND JUST DID AN AMAZING JOB PREPARING FOR EVERY CONTINGENCY, SETTING THE STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS, AND SURE ENOUGH, THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL.
THANK YOU, JOHN AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS AND SUPPORT AROUND THAT.
JUST WANT A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS. WE HAD SULLIVAN'S MESSAGE WAS THAT HIGH SCHOOL LAST WEEK AS WELL.
REALLY POSITIVE. I'M SORRY, I'M PROBABLY STEALING STORIES HERE, SO FEEL FREE TO CROSS THEM OFF YOUR LIST.
I'M REALLY WELL RECEIVED BY OUR STUDENTS AND FROM WHAT MR. BERKOWIT SHARED WITH ME, WHAT THE PRESENTERS SHARED WITH HIM, NORMALLY THEY GET ABOUT THREE OR FOUR PARENTS THAT TURNOUT FOR THE PARENT EVENT WE HAD STANDING ROOM ONLY IN ALUMNI HALL BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID PARENTS HEAR THE MESSAGE AND WANT TO COME JUST TO CHECK IT OUT FOR THEMSELVES.
I HEARD MANY STUDENTS WENT HOME AND TOLD THEIR PARENTS, YOU NEED TO GO, THESE PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOOD.
IT WILL BE VERY IMPACTFUL FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I THINK THEIR MESSAGE CONNECTED REALLY WELL.
I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE NOW RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF HOMECOMING ON THE HEELS OF SOME OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD THINKING BACK TO SCAVENGER HUNT IN THOSE THINGS.
PROGRAMMING LIKE THIS TO REALLY BRING HOME TO STUDENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD DECISION-MAKING, THE IMPACTS THAT POOR DECISIONS CAN HAVE ON THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
WE WERE THRILLED TO HAVE THEM AND SO THAT WAS REALLY WELL RECEIVED.
IT IS HOMECOMING WEEK, SO I SENT THE BOARD THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT.
WE'VE GOT EXCITING EVENTS COMING UP.
WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD WHETHER, WE'VE GOT SOME BAD WEATHER AHEAD OF US, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCITING WEEK. SO LOTS GOING ON.
WE'VE HAD TO SERVICE FAIR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL CLUB FAIR THIS WEEK AS WELL AS THE PTA OR PTSA, AND ALL OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WERE HELD TODAY FOR THE DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE CULMINATING FRIDAY PEP RALLY AND HOMECOMING GAMES.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO LAST ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
WE DID GO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS ON BELONGINGNESS, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND TONIGHT WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD OR A HUNTER.
YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THAT NAME FROM PRIOR CONTRACTS THAT YOU'VE APPROVED BECAUSE EARL IS ACTUALLY BEEN OUR CONSULTANT WORKING WITH A RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM.
HE'S DONE A LOT OF WORK IN OUR DISTRICT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
HE'S BEEN VERY WELL EMBRACED AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVELS, ESTABLISHED INCREDIBLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND ROSE GOT A GREAT SENSE OF PEOPLE AND I THINK HE'S DEVELOPED A REALLY GREAT SENSE OF PELHAM.
I THINK IN WORKING WITH THEM TO EXPAND OUR EFFORTS INTO THE DEI REALM IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
HE DOES HAVE BACKGROUND IN WORKING AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL AS WELL.
WE'RE EXCITED TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT.
THEN THE ONE ITEM THAT I AM NOT RECOMMENDING, NOT EXCITED TO RECOMMEND, BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT AND THAT IS A RESIGNATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF RETIREMENT THAT IS ON THE BOARD AGENDA TONIGHT.
FOR MY RECOMMENDATION, I WOULD SAY PLEASE DON'T ACCEPT IT.
BUT OUR DISTRICT CLERK AND MY SECRETARY, PAULINE DAVIES, HAS SUBMITTED HER RESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF RETIREMENT.
THAT IS ON THE BOARD AGENDA TONIGHT FOR YOUR ACCEPTANCE.
>> IT'S A DISRUPTION IN THE FORCE.
>> A COMPLETE DISRUPTION IN THE FORCE HAS BEEN ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE RIGHT ARM, LEFT ARM, AND SHE'S JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE.
I WAS BLESSED WHEN SHE CAME THROUGH THE DOOR A FEW YEARS AGO AND DECIDED SHE WANTED MORE THAN JUST PART-TIME.
SHE WANTED A FULL-TIME AND SHE SAW THIS OPPORTUNITY IN PELHAM AND WAS JUST HAPPY TO COME IN HAS REALLY DONE INCREDIBLE THINGS IN THE OFFICE.
IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL SUPPORT TO ME, TO THE CABINET, AND I HOPE TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
SHE'S NOT LEAVING YET, WE HAVE UNTIL JANUARY.
WE'RE GOING TO GET EVERYTHING WE CAN OUT OF HER AT THAT TIME.
BUT REALLY PROBABLY AND I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
[00:50:02]
THERE WILL BE LOTS OF TIMES FOR US COMING UP FOR US TO CELEBRATE YOU EVEN MORE.BUT I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR US TO MAKE.
>> WE DO HAVE OUR AUDITOR HERE IN CASE YOU WANT TO JUMP.
>> WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY REPORT OF THE AUDITOR.
>> DO WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, OKAY. [LAUGHTER]
>> MOVE ON TO JIM'S REPORT AND THE AUDIT CAN BE [OVERLAPPING].
[6. Financial Reports and Motions]
>> GOOD EVENING. I CAN GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE FACILITIES AND FINANCE AND SOME ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
THEN ALSO THIS EVENING WE HAVE CHRIS KOPF PARTNER OF PKF, O'CONNOR DAVIES OUR EXTERNAL AUDITOR, WHO WILL PROVIDE AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF EROTIC PRESENTATION FOR APPROVAL FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION THIS EVENING.
CHRIS IS HERE THIS. LAST WEEK WE HAD AN AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING WHERE CHRIS'S PARTNER SCOTT OLING CAME AND PRESENTED THE EXTERNAL AUDIT RESULTS TO OUR AUDIT COMMITTEE.
WE MET ON THURSDAY MORNING FOLLOWED BY A FINANCE COMMITTEE AFTER THAT.
AS PART OF THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE EXTERNAL AUDIT, WE SHARED THE MANAGEMENT LETTER, AND THEN ALSO AS PART OF THIS EVENING'S REPORT, THERE'S A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN WHICH IS A RESULT OF THE MANAGEMENT LETTER WHICH IS A RESPONSE TO TWO COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE.
IT'S RELATED TO TIMELINESS OF DEPOSITS AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE OTHER ONE IS WHERE THE ACTION.
>> THANK YOU AND INACTIVE CLUBS.
THANK YOU FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
FAIRLY COMMON ITEMS BUT NONETHELESS, CORRECTIVE ACTION ITEMS WHICH WE NEED TO IDENTIFY, PUT TOGETHER A PLAN, AND THEN THE EXTERNAL AUDIT ONCE APPROVED BY THE BOARD AS WELL AS THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, ARE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE BY THE DEADLINE OF OCTOBER 15TH AS THEY ARE EVERY YEAR AND OUR FINANCIALS ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBPAGE AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
CHRIS ALSO HAS AN AUDIT PRESENTATION.
WE WILL PUT THAT UP ON BOARDDOCS TOMORROW SO THAT IT'S PART OF THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION.
WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF CHANGE ORDER NOTIFICATIONS OFF FOR THE BOARD RELATED TO PROSPECT HILL.
THESE ARE BELOW THE THRESHOLD REQUIRED OF THE $50,000 THRESHOLD IS REQUIRED BY BOARD ACTION BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE NOTIFIED.
WITH THESE, WE WERE IN THE CLOSEOUT PROCESS OF THE PROSPECT HILL EDITION, WHICH IS TERRIFIC AND WE'RE ROLLING DOWN THAT AVENUE WITH THE OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
DAY AFTER THE LAST BOARD MEETING WE ALSO HAD A SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING.
IN THAT MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT, TERACE WAS THERE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT WERE THE BUILDING-LEVEL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS, THE DISTRICT-WIDE DRILLS, SOME OF OUR TRAINING, SWIPE CARD READER UPDATES, SIGNAGE, AND SOME FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL SUCH AS IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY, SOMETHING LIKE A STAIR CHAIR TO HELP MOVE SOMEONE WHO'S IMMOBILIZED DOWNSTAIRS.
SAY IF AN ELEVATOR IS INOPERABLE, SOMEONE'S IMMOBILIZED AND THEY NEED TO MOVE DOWN THE STAIRS, OR IN A SCHOOL THAT DOES NOT HAVE AN ELEVATOR LIKE SOLENOID SCHOOL, YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN PLACE.
WE'RE WORKING, THE GENERAL CONSENSUS WAS LET'S MOVE FORWARD ON DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN LAST WEEK.
WITH THAT RAIN, WE ALL TOOK ON A LITTLE BIT OF WATER IN OUR OWN LIVES.
I KNOW I DID IN MY BASEMENT AND THE WATER JUST SEEMS TO COME UP FROM THE BASEMENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IT'S NOT EVEN COMING THROUGH THE WALLS.
AS A DISTRICT, WE FARED FAIRLY WELL.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS THE BIGGEST PLACE WHERE WE WERE IMPACTED FIRST WAS THAT COLONIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S A GENERALLY A LOWER AREA AND THE SEWER LINE THERE MANY TIMES HISTORICALLY HAS BECOME OVERWHELMED AND WHEN THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, THE DISTRICT HAS HAD BACKUPS.
TO STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING, WE HAVE A SWITCH WHICH WILL COME DOWN AND PREVENT THOSE BACKUPS WHICH IS TERRIFIC.
PREVENTS A LOT OF DAMAGE IN DOWNTIME BUT IT ALSO PREVENTS US FROM USING OUR INDOOR FACILITIES AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
BUT I THINK WE ALL SAW THE PICTURES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THE WATER JUST BURSTING OUT OF THE MANHOLE COVERS.
WE DID TAKE SOME WATER JUST FROM REGULAR SURFACE WATER RUNOFF.
[00:55:01]
CAME IN RIGHT UNDER THE DOORS BUT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CLEANED UP AND WE'RE OPERATIONAL AT COLONIAL.AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S A STONE BUILDING AND IT CAN BE POROUS SO WE DID HAVE SOME INFILTRATION BUT NOT UNEXPECTED.
WE'VE GOT ONE AREA IN THE SMALLER JIMITHER HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS LEAK.
BUT THIS IS WHENEVER WE GET A LOT OF RAIN, IT'S ONE AREA WHERE WE CONSTANTLY FIND SOME WATER BUT MR. CONDON HAS PROMISED ME HE'S GOING TO FIX IT.
[LAUGHTER] AT GLOVER FIELD WE DID PRETTY WELL AT THE GLOVER COMPLEX ON THE FIELD WE HAD, WHAT THE GROUNDS CREW IDENTIFIED AS FOUR BUBBLES.
THAT WAS REALLY JUST FROM WATER COMING DOWN NOT WATER COMING FROM UNDERNEATH WHICH WE'RE FAIRLY WELL PROTECTED THAT WAY BUT JUST VOLUME OF WATER COMING DOWN ONTO THE FIELD AND THE CARPET BUBBLED UP A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN THE WATER DRAINED IT SETTLED BACK DOWN SO WE DON'T SEE ANY DIFFICULTY THERE.
WE'RE HAPPY WITH HOW EVERYTHING PERFORMED THERE.
RITCHIE BELL FIELDS TOOK ON THE FLOODPLAIN ROLE AND IT WAS COVERED WITH WATER AND OBVIOUSLY, NOW IT SEEMS TO BE OKAY.
I WAS THERE A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT HAPPENED.
WE HAVE WET WALLS AT GLOVER TURF.
WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AGAIN, AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS.
THE DRIVER SHORTAGE IS CERTAINLY IMPACTING EVERYBODY.
THE BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE IT IS REAL AND MANY DISTRICTS HAVE SEEN EVEN THEIR BUS COMPANIES CANCEL CONTRACTS BECAUSE THEY'RE UNABLE TO STAFF THEIR COMMITMENTS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ASKING FOR.
WE'VE NOT HAD THAT. BUT AGAIN, THOSE THOSE ARE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND WE'VE HAD GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR CONTACTS AT BOSSES AND THE CONSORTIUM THAT WE WORKED WITH.
OTHER THAN THAT, WHAT I CAN DO NOW IS I CAN INTRODUCE CHRIS KOPF.
CHRIS IS A PARTNER FROM PKF O'CONNOR DAVIES AND HE'S HERE TO PROVIDE THE AUDIT PRESENTATION.
I'VE GOT SOME BACKUPS AND I'LL PASS THESE AROUND AS WELL.
[BACKGROUND] TALK ABOUT EXTREMES. [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT TO GO OVER OUR AUDIT FOR YOUR JUNE 23 YEAR-END.
BEFORE I FORGET BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AUDIT.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK JIM, JACKIE, AND THE WHOLE STAFF WHO REALLY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO TRY TO PROVIDE US ALL THE INFORMATION IN TIME RATE.
DOING AN AUDIT OVER THE SUMMER WHEN YOU'RE JUST GETTING READY TO START INTO SCHOOL YEAR IS NOT AN EASY TIME AND THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF PROVIDING US THE DATA.
I DID PREPARE A LITTLE HANDOUT SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT ARE THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT YOUR GENERAL FUND, THAT'S THE MAIN OPERATING FUND OF THE DISTRICT WHEN THE VOTERS IN THE BOARD VOTE ON EVERY YEAR.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR MAJOR REVENUES, YOUR EXPENDITURES.
JUST FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, I DID PUT A LITTLE THREE-YEAR HISTORY IN HERE FOR YOUR REVENUES AND EXPENSES.
THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT YOUR FUND BALANCE AND YOUR DEBT SERVICE.
IN THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, BOARD HAS RESPONSIBILITIES, THE AUDITORS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE SELECTING AND IMPLEMENTING YOUR ACCOUNTING POLICIES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR DISTRICTS OF YOUR SIZE AND YOUR COMPLEXITY, PRESENT YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH US GAAP, ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE INTERNAL CONTROLS WHEREBY YOU'VE YOU'VE PROTECTED YOUR ASSETS, COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, REGULATIONS, PIECES OF YOUR CONTRACTS, PROVIDE ALL THE FINANCIAL RECORDS FOR US TO CONDUCT THE AUDIT, AND THEN SETTING THE PROPER TONE AT THE TOP.
BEFORE WE COME IN, WE REVIEW YOUR MINUTES.
WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE BOARD MEETINGS THAT ARE ONLINE.
WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND PEOPLE CAN COME AND FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD AND DISCUSS ISSUES WITH YOU.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IS THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT.
VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE ISSUED AN UNMODIFIED OPINION FOR THE DISTRICT AND THAT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE AN AUDITING FIRM CAN PROVIDE A CLIENT.
WE ALSO ISSUE A REPORT ON CONTROLS AND COMPLIANCE BECAUSE YOU'RE A SUBJECT TO SINGLE AUDIT.
WE ALSO ISSUE A REPORT ON YOUR EXTRA CLASSROOM ACTIVITY AND THEN WE DO THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS, AND THEN WE ISSUE A MANAGEMENT LETTER.
WE'RE ALSO REQUIRED TO COMMUNICATE ANY FRAUD OR ILLEGAL ACTS THAT WERE NOTED DURING THE COURSE OF THE AUDIT.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO SAY THERE WERE NOT NOTED.
IN ADDITION TO JUST TESTING DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS, WE DO ALSO CONDUCT FRAUD INTERVIEWS WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.
WE USUALLY INCLUDE BOARD MEMBERS AND SOME DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENTS JUST TO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ISSUES THEY'D LIKE TO BRING FORWARD.
THERE WERE NO DIFFICULTIES IN THE CONDUCT OF THE AUDIT THIS YEAR.
THERE WERE NO UNCORRECTED MISSTATEMENTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, NO JOURNAL ENTRIES THAT WE PROPOSED THAT WEREN'T POSTED BY THE DISTRICT.
[01:00:01]
THERE ARE NO DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT.OUR TIMELINE, WE CAME OUT TO DO THE PRELIMS THE JUNE 22ND AND 23RD.
WE STARTED RECEIVING ALL THE DOCUMENTATION IN THE WEEK OF JULY 17TH AND THE REP LETTER WAS SIGNED ON OCTOBER 4TH.
ON PAGE 5 OF THE SLIDES, I PUT A HIGH-LEVEL SUMMARY OF YOUR GENERAL FUND.
WE HAVE THE SAME COLUMNS THAT WE HAVE IN THE BOOK.
WE HAVE YOUR ORIGINAL BUDGET WHICH WAS THE BUDGET ADOPTED LAST YEAR AND VOTED ON BY THE BOARD.
IF YOU GO UP THREE NUMBERS IN THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE $1,514,000 IN BRACKETS.
IF THE WORLD WAS PERFECT AND YOU SPENT EVERY DIME THAT YOU BUDGETED AND YOU RECEIVED EVERY DIME THAT YOU ANTICIPATED, YOU WOULD PLAN ON USING $1,514,000 OF YOUR PRIOR YEAR'S SURPLUS.
WHEN YOU ADOPTED YOUR BUDGET, YOU UTILIZED ABOUT $820,000 OF SURPLUS MONIES TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR A TAX LEVY ON THE TAXPAYERS TO STAY WITHIN THE CAP.
YOU ALSO HAD $694,000 WORTH OF ENCUMBRANCES THAT ROLLED OVER FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, YOU DID MODIFY IT VERY SLIGHTLY. NOTHING MATERIAL.
BUT YOU ACTUALLY CAME OUT INSTEAD OF UTILIZING 1,500,000 OF FUND BALANCE, YOU ACTUALLY GENERATED A SURPLUS OF 1,356,000.
AGAIN, IT SHOWS THE DISTRICT HAD A GOOD YEAR.
HOW DID YOU DO THAT? YOU LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT LINE ON THE TOP LINE, YOU DID COME IN ABOUT 1,700,000 OVER ON YOUR REVENUES.
YOU CAME IN UNDER ON YOUR EXPENSES BY ABOUT 1,800,000 AND IF YOU GO DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF PAGE, YOU'LL SEE TRANSFERS IN.
YOU WOULD ANTICIPATE IT USING ABOUT 1,955,000 OF MONEY FROM YOUR DEBT SERVICE FUND BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS YEAR BECAUSE YOU HAD A GOOD YEAR.
THAT MONEY NOW STAYS IN THE DEBT SERVICE AND IS ABLE TO BE USED TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE COST OF THE DEBT THAT YOU HAVE IN FUTURE YEARS.
THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T NEED IS VERY GOOD BECAUSE I WENT BACK TO A RESTRICTED FUND THAT CAN ONLY BE USED TO PAY DOWN YOUR DEBT.
WELL, I'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW YOU GENERATED THE SURPLUS.
YOU CAN SEE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES THAT CAME WITHIN A DOLLAR.
[LAUGHTER] YOUR NON-PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH IS THE SALES TAX THAT CHAIRED BY WESTCHESTER COUNTY, CAME IN ABOUT $127,000 BETTER THAN BUDGET.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY AGAIN, SAW A ROBUST GROWTH IN ITS SAYS SALES TAX DURING THE FISCAL YEAR.
THE DAY SCHOOL TUITION, AGAIN, VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS OR OTHER AREAS ARE GOING TO USE YOUR SCHOOL.
BUT YOU DID COME IN ABOUT 217,000 OVER BUDGET THERE.
YOUR STATE AID CAME IN AT $137,000 ABOVE BUDGET.
I BELIEVE IF YOU GO BACK TO LAST YEAR WHEN YOU DID YOUR BUDGET, THE STATE WAS VERY MUCH DELAYED IN PRODUCING THEIR DOCUMENT AND THEIR FINAL NUMBERS HAD NOT BEEN PRODUCED BY THE TIME MOST SCHOOLS DID THEIR BUDGETS.
YOUR USE OF MONEY AND PROPERTY CAME IN $964,000 OVER.
AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK BACK LAST YEAR AND THE BEGINNING OF YEAR, YOU'RE EARNING A WHOPPING 0.5 ON YOUR INTERESTS.
BY THE END OF THE YEAR YOU'RE UP AROUND FIVE AND A QUARTER DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE INVESTING IN.
AGAIN, NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN PLAN FOR WAS THE BIG RISE IN INTEREST RATES.
BUT YOU DID VERY WELL IN EARNING THE MONEY.
AS I SAID, YOU DID NOT NEED TO TRANSFER THAT NINE IN FROM THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, YOU CAME IN ABOUT 246,000 LESS THAN YOU ANTICIPATED ON OVERALL REVENUES BECAUSE THAT TRANSFER YOU DIDN'T NEED.
AGAIN, YOUR OVERALL REVENUES ARE ABOUT A MILLION ABOVE.
YOU DIDN'T NEED THE MILLION NINE.
THE NEXT PAGE IS JUST THE THREE-YEAR HISTORY, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE TRENDS OF THESE REVENUES.
I WON'T TAKE YOUR TIME TO GO THROUGH THEM, BUT I FIGURED IT MIGHT HELP YOU DURING THE BUDGET TIME TO SEE SOME OF THE TRENDS.
ON YOUR EXPENDITURES, IT 'S ALWAYS A LITTLE HARDER TO PINPOINT WHERE YOU SAVED THE MONEY BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE MANY LINES IN YOUR BUDGET.
I TRIED TO PICK OUT SOME OF THE LARGER ONES.
ON YOUR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PLANT, YOU DID COME IN ABOUT $499,000 UNDER WHAT YOU ANTICIPATED.
I BELIEVE A LOT OF THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AN HVAC PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO OVERLAP THE YEARS AND IT DIDN'T GET AS FAR ALONG AS YOU'D WANTED IT TO.
AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THEY'RE ALL SO YOU PAY FOR UTILITY BILLS AND WHEN YOU PUT YOUR BUDGET TOGETHER, YOUR UTILITIES WERE SKYROCKETING LAST SUMMER AND THEN THEY LEVELED OFF.
YOUR BUDGET ANTICIPATED THOSE INCREASES IN THE UTILITIES AND LUCKILY, IT DIDN'T NEED HIM FOR PAYING THE UTILITY BILL.
TEACHING REGULAR SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY CAME IN UNDER BUDGET BY ABOUT 300,000, 150,000 RESPECTIVELY.
A LOT OF THAT IS THE FACT THAT AS TEACHERS RETIRE, YOU LOSE THE HIGHER SALARY TEACHER THAT WERE IN THE BUDGET AND HE REPLACED THEM WITH THE STARTING SALARY OF A NEW TEACHER, SO YOU CONVERT SOME SAVINGS THERE AND YOU ALSO DIDN'T SPEND ALL YOUR SUPPLY LINES ALL THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.
TRANSPORTATION CAME IN ABOUT 210,000 UNDER WHAT YOU ANTICIPATED.
AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO THE TURMOIL LAST YEAR WITH FUEL COSTS, BUS COMPANIES ARE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING DRIVERS AND YOUR BUDGET HAD TO ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE IN THE CONTRACT.
WHEN YOU FINALLY NEGOTIATED CONTRACT, YOU CAME IN ABOUT 200,000 UNDER WHAT YOU ANTICIPATED.
[01:05:02]
THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CAME IN UNDER BY 260 AND THAT'S AGAIN BECAUSE AS TEACHERS COME AND GO AND RETIREMENTS HAPPEN, YOU DO HAVE SOME SAVINGS ON THOSE LINES AS YOU'RE WAITING TO REPLACE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.OVERALL, YOUR EXPENSE BUDGET DID COME IN ABOUT 1,000, 855, UNDER.
AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT, SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY, THAT'S A LOT OF SAVINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY ONLY 2%.
GOOD BUDGETING IS PLUS OR MINUS 2%.
YOU'RE RIGHT IN THAT RANGE THAT YOU BUDGETED ENOUGH TO ANTICIPATE THE UNEXPECTED AND YOU WERE ABLE TO SAVE THAT MONEY AND USE IT FOR FUTURE YEARS.
AGAIN, YOUR THREE-YEAR EXPENDITURE HISTORY ON SOME OF THE LINES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, JUST AGAIN, TO SHOW YOU A TREND.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OVERALL FOR THE DISTRICT? ON PAGE 10, I PUT IN A CHART OF YOUR FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
AGAIN, WE'LL WORK OUR WAY, START AT THE BOTTOM AND THEN WE'LL GO UP TO THE TOP.
YOU HAVE $22,600,000 WORTH OF FUND BALANCE.
AGAIN, THAT'S A NICE NUMBER OF FUND BALANCE AND WE'LL EXPLAIN WHERE IT CAME FROM AND WHY IT'S GOOD THAT YOU HAVE IT.
WHAT THAT IS IS THE BILLS THAT YOU PAY HEALTH INSURANCE.
YOU PREPAY THE MONTH BEFORE SO THAT MONEY IS IN YOUR FUND BALANCE BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN EXPENSE, BUT YOU CAN'T SPEND IT.
WE SEGREGATE IT OUT SO THAT YOU KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR.
THESE ARE THE LINES THAT THE BOARD HAS VOTED AND DECIDED TO PUT THESE RESERVES AWAY FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
THE LARGEST ONE IS TAXED TERTIARIES.
WE ALL KNOW THAT TAXPAYERS FILE CLAIMS TO REDUCE YOUR TAXES ALL ALONG, SO WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS YOU'VE ANALYZED THOSE CLAIMS AND YOU'VE PUT AWAY ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A SWINGING YOUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR AS YOU LOOK AT THESE CLAIMS. IF YOU HAVE A LARGE CLAIM, YOU HAVE THAT MONEY PUT ASIDE TO PAY IT.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AGAIN, IF INDIVIDUAL GOES ON UNEMPLOYMENT, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE BASICALLY SELF-INSURED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
THIS HELPS YOU PAY THAT UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
THEN YOU HAVE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
THE DISTRICT IS PUT AWAY MONEY BECAUSE YOUR CONTRACTS CALL FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BE PAID OUT FOR UNUSED VACATION TIME.
YOU ANALYZE HOW MUCH YOU MIGHT BE EXPOSED FOR AND YOU'VE GOT THAT MONEY PUT ASIDE TO PAY THOSE BILLS.
THE NEXT TWO ACCOUNTS ARE YOUR EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM RESERVE AND YOUR TEACHER'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM RESERVE.
THE STATE DOES ALLOW YOU TO PUT MONEY AWAY.
ON THE TEACHER SIDE, IT IS LIMITED TO 2% EVERY YEAR UP FOR MAXIMUM FIVE YEARS.
YOU PUT THAT MONEY ASIDE AND IT'S IRONIC.
JIM AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE WAY UP.
YOUR TRS BILL, PEOPLE SAY, IT ONLY WENT UP BY 1% THIS YEAR, BUT IT DIDN'T.
IT WENT UP 1% POINT AND WHAT THEY CHARGE YOU.
BUT SINCE THE RATE IS ONLY 9% WHEN IT GOES UP 1%, THAT'S BASICALLY AN 11% INCREASE IN YOUR COST.
THE ERS SYSTEM IS GOING TO GO UP AGAIN NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS JUDGE IT BY YOUR MARCH 31ST RETURN ON THE STOCK MARKET.
YOU HAVE THAT MONEY PUT ASIDE THAT IF THAT NUMBER INCREASES DRAMATICALLY, YOU HAVE THESE RESERVES TO DRAW IT DOWN, AND YOU CAN SEE YOU DID DRAW DOWN 150,000 OF IT FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT ERS RATE WENT UP.
YOU HAVE SOME MONEY PUT ASIDE, MINOR AMOUNT PUT ASIDE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, SOME REPAIRS, AND THEN YOU HAVE 1,000,003 PUT AWAY FOR FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THAT MONEY IS SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE BOND FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS.
YOU START ACCUMULATING THAT MONEY AND IT SAVES YOU INTEREST ON THE END WHEN YOU GO DO THOSE PROJECTS, YOU NOW HAVE BASICALLY THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THAT PROJECT AND IT'S ALL APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
AGAIN, LEGAL RESERVE RESTRICTIONS AND CAN ONLY BE USED BY THE BOARD FOR VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSES.
THE NEXT CATEGORY IS CALLED THE SINE AND THE PURCHASES ON ORDER.
THAT'S ANOTHER WORD FOR AN ENCUMBRANCE AND THE PURCHASE ORDER THAT WAS ISSUED NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR.
BUT THE ITEM, THE PURCHASE ORDER WASN'T FULFILLED.
IF IT HAD BEEN RECEIVED, THAT WOULD BE AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE BECAUSE IT WASN'T RECEIVED.
GOVERNMENT CALLS IT AN ENCUMBRANCE, THAT MONEY IS PUT ASIDE TO PAY THAT BILL IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IN ANY OF THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS EXPENDITURES, SO HERE OUT OF YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, YOU USE 2,560,000, AGAIN, TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS IN THE DISTRICT AND TO BALANCE YOUR BUDGET WITHOUT JUST RELYING ON PROPERTY TAX, YOU ADD THAT TO THE 150,000 THAT YOU USE THAT ANY EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT ACCOUNT, AND YOU UTILIZE ABOUT $2,710,000, AGAIN, AS RELIEF FOR THE TAXPAYERS IN THE DISTRICT.
THE STATE ONLY ALLOWS YOU 4% TO HAVE AS AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, AND THAT IS WHERE YOU ARE, SO YOU'RE AT THE LEGAL LIMIT FOR THAT.
AGAIN, PEOPLE LOOK AT FUND BALANCE AND YOU SAY, $3 MILLION, 4% FOR A DISTRICT, MUNICIPALITIES, TOWNS, AND VILLAGES.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE 15% IN UNASSIGNED, THE STATE CONTROLLER WILL CRITICIZE HIM.
BUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED THAT 4%.
EVERYBODY I KNOW IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY, BUT 4% IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY FOR A DISTRICT YOUR SIZE, SO THAT'S WHY THESE RESTRICTED RESERVES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU DO OPERATE SOME OTHER FUNDS.
[01:10:04]
YOU HAVE A CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND RIGHT NOW THAT HAS AN FUND BALANCE OF 5,781,000.THE BULK OF THAT IS FOR YOUR HUTCHINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT.
I THINK YOU HAVE ABOUT 3.9 OR $4 MILLION OF UNEXPANDED MONEY TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT.
THEN YOU HAVE THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
AGAIN, THAT'S A VERY RESTRICTED FUND.
THE MONEY IN THAT FUND CAN ONLY BE USED TO PAY DOWN THE DEBT THAT GENERATED THAT SURPLUS.
YOU HAVE $2.2 MILLION HERE, AND THEN EVENTUALLY YOU CAN APPROPRIATE THAT MONEY.
AGAIN, REDUCE YOUR TAX BURDEN JUST TO PAY THAT DEBT DOWN.
THE OPERATOR SCHOOL LUNCH FUND, YOUR SPECIAL-PURPOSE FUNDS IS WHERE YOU ACCUMULATE SOME OF YOUR DONATIONS AND CHARITIES.
BUT ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS FUND BECAUSE OF A GAS BE TWO YEARS AGO IS YOUR EXTRA CLASSROOM ACTIVITY FUND.
YOU HAVE ABOUT 127,000 AND THE EXTRA CLASSROOM ACTIVITY FUND THAT'S RECORDED ON YOUR BOOKS IN THIS FUND.
THE NEXT SLIDE AGAIN IS JUST INFORMATIONAL FOR YOU.
I PUT IN A SLIDE OF YOUR DEBT SERVICE AND AN AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE.
THAT WAY, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A TOOL WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR BUDGET PLANNING AND SEE WHAT PAYMENTS ARE DUE IN THE FUTURE.
AGAIN, FOR THAT $64 MILLION, YOU CAN USE THAT TO $2.2 MILLION OVER A PERIOD OF TIME TO HELP REDUCE THE COST THAT INTEREST AND THE PRINCIPAL.
THAT'S THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS A SNAPSHOT, I WOULD BE MORE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. [NOISE]
THANKS FOR THAT. A LOT OF NUMBERS IN THERE.
[LAUGHTER] I THINK IN TWO WEEKS TIME, I THINK YOU'VE PRESENTED THE FACTS OF THE DISTRICT'S FINANCES AND WHAT THOSE MEAN, HOW IT IMPACTS OUR FINANCIAL STRATEGY.
THE ROLE OF RESERVES, WHERE WE WANT TO INVEST, WHERE WE WANT TO SPEND, WHERE WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND.
I THINK WE'LL BEGIN TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN THE NEXT MEETING UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN.
SO I WILL RESERVE ANY COMMENTS FOR THEN.
>> COOL. I THINK IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE SOME VERY DE MINIMIS NEFARIOUS ACTIVITY WITH A COUPLE OF CHECKS THAT WERE INTERCEPTED AND THE DISTRICT WASN'T LIABLE FOR.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WAS NO MATERIAL DEFICIENCIES OR WEAKNESSES IN OUR INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS. [OVERLAPPING] CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH.
THAT'S REALLY MY ONLY QUESTION.
>> THANKS. FOLLOW-UP ON THE CHECKS.
THAT HAPPENED THIS SUMMER, BUT WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CHECKS PRESENTED TO A BANK FOR DEPOSIT AND THEY WERE PICKED UP.
WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE CALLED POSITIVE PAY.
SO BASED ON THE CHECK NUMBER, WE REPORT OUR PAYEE AND OUR PAYEE AMOUNT.
AND IF THE CHECK NUMBER, THE PAYEE, AND THE PAYEE AMOUNT DON'T MATCH UP, THE CHECK DOESN'T CLEAR.
WE'VE WORKED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL, AND WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THIS, BUT WE HAD A FEW EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND THAT WAS ANOTHER ITEM WE TALKED ABOUT AT AUDIT COMMITTEE THIS YEAR.
>> AND JUST IN THE REPORT, THERE ARE NO OTHER? SORRY.
THE DISTRICT DOES NOT OUT THE FRAUDULENT AMOUNT.
>> AND THERE ARE NO OTHER NO OTHER UNRESOLVED MATTERS FROM THE AUDIT?
>> WERE THOSE ELECTRONIC CHECKS OR PHYSICAL?
>> WELL, WE GET A COPY OF IT BECAUSE THE IMAGES OF THE CHECKS ARE PRESENTED. WE GOT A COPY OF IT.
I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS SOMEBODY TRIED TO DEPOSIT IT, THE IMAGE OF A CHECK ALMOST LIKE WHEN YOU DO A MOBILE DEPOSIT.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF NOT FLYING CHECKS FROM FED TO FED ANYMORE.
WHAT THE ACTUAL CHECKS YOU HAVE THIS ISSUE THAT CAN HAPPEN.
AGAIN, IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR BANK. [OVERLAPPING]
>> POSITIVE PAY, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
>> IT'S SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR PURPOSES LIKE THIS.
WE'VE GOT A VERY RESPONSIVE BANKING TEAM AND WE'RE WATCHING IT CLOSELY WITH THEM AS WELL.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE AND WE APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO PRESENT.
>> THERE'LL BE TWO ACTION ITEMS.
>> I GUESS THE NEXT WE'LL DO BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORTS.
[4.3 Board of Education Committee Reports]
[01:15:02]
I THINK WE SPENT MOST OF THE TIME TALKING ABOUT THE AUDIT ISSUES AND REALLY THEN WE SEGUED INTO JUST A REVIEW OF THE NUMBERS THAT EVERYONE JUST WITNESSED ON THE SCREEN AND TOUCHED ON SOME CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, AND THE TIMELINE FOR THAT AND THE STRATEGY THERE.WE REVIEWED THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE.
THOSE WERE THE PRIMARY POINTS OF DISCUSSION.
BUT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DID MEET, BUT WE REVIEWED WHAT YOU JUST SAW SO THAT'S THE REPORT.
>> YES. SAFETY COMMITTEE WE HAD A NICE GROUP OF 1, 2, 3, 4, PROBABLY 10 OR 12 FOLKS WERE THERE, WHICH WAS GREAT.
AGAIN, ALL THE ITEMS THAT I MENTIONED, WE'VE SUBMITTED ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS TO THE STATE AS REQUIRED FOR THE DISTRICT WIDE IN THE BUILDING SAFETY PLANS SO THAT EVERYTHING THERE HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
OUR DRILL SCHEDULE IS BEING WORKED ON, THE STAIR CHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I MISSED, JACKIE.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH WITH GLOVER AND PARKING AND WHERE THAT SITS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> SURE. PARKING AT THE GLOVER COMPLEX.
SO I MENTIONED THAT AT THE LAST MEETING AS WELL AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS FOR THE VILLAGE OF PALAMANER, HAVE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE MET WITH THEM, OF COURSE, WITH OUR TERRACE REPRESENTATIVE.
WE'VE INSTALLED 10 NEW NO PARKING SIGNS.
WE'VE STENCILED THE ROADWAY WITH NO PARKING STENCILS SHOWING WHERE PEOPLE CANNOT PARK.
I WON'T SAY THAT IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM, BUT IT STEP NUMBER 1.
AS A DISTRICT, WE ALSO SENT OUT A DISTRICT WIDE NOTIFICATION COMMUNICATION TO FOLKS SHARING AND ASKING THEM TO PARK APPROPRIATELY AND IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND PROVIDING SOME EDUCATION AS TO WHERE THEY CAN PARK.
IT HAS AN IMPACT SOME DAYS AND MAYBE NOT ON OTHERS, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS PROVIDING SOME MAPS AND DIRECTIONS FOR PEOPLES AS TO WHERE THEY CAN PARK IF YOU'RE ON DIFFERENT FIELDS, THE MOST CONVENIENT PLACES TO PARK.
AND THEN I THINK SOME OF IT IS JUST LOOKING AT OUR SCHEDULING TO SEE WHERE OUR TURNAROUND TIMES ARE.
THAT MAY RESULT, OBVIOUSLY, IN SOME GAPS IN SOME SCHEDULING OR SOME LATER OR EARLIER EVENTS THAT MAY ALSO HELP SOME OF THAT.
THIRD LEG OF THAT STOOL, OF COURSE, IS ENFORCEMENT.
WE HAVE NOT CALLED ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT I THINK SOMEBODY MADE A MADE A PHONE CALL.
HONESTLY, WE'VE NOT ASKED TO HAVE PD COME IN AND WRITE TICKETS.
CERTAINLY, IF THEY WANT TO COME IN AND PATROL, WHICH THEY DO, THE FACILITY IS OPEN AND MONITORED BY OUR LOCAL ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE'VE GOT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH POLICE AND FIRE SO IT'S GOOD AND I THINK THE TRAFFIC DEVICES HAVE BEEN FIXED.
ALSO THERE'S CALL BUTTONS ANYWAY OR PUSH BUTTONS ON THE PEDESTRIAN SIDES OF THE STREET WHERE THE KIDS WALK, AND OUR TERRACE IS ALSO WORKING WITH ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT JUST TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS SOME REMINDERS ON SAFE HABITS FOR WALKING TO GLOVER FIELDS, CROSSING THE STREETS, NOT LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE DON'T WALK ON THE ROADWAY AND THEY USE THE PATHS.
SO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
>> AND THE LAST THING WE TALKED ABOUT, THE DISTRICT'S AEDS IN THAT PELHAM WRECK, THE AEDS CAME IN THAT THEY ORDERED AND THERE'S ONE BEING INSTALLED FOR THE SEASON.
>> DURING PELHAM RECREATIONS PROGRAMS, THEY'LL HAVE THE AEDS ONSITE.
THEY'VE INSTALLED AN AED ON ANGLESFIELD, ONE ON FRANKLIN FIELD, AND THEY PLAN OR THEY MAY HAVE ALREADY INSTALLED ONE ON THE PROSPECT HILL FIELD.
SO IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN THEY'RE NOT RUNNING REGULAR PROGRAM THERE, OR THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN THEY'RE NOT RUNNING PROGRAMS, THAT EQUIPMENT WILL NOT BE LEFT THERE.
I BELIEVE THEIR ATTENTION AT THAT POINT IS GET IT OUT OF THE HARSH WEATHER TO PROTECT THE EQUIPMENT.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE AEDS WHEN WE RUN OUR PROGRAMS WITH OUR BUILDINGS AND WE GOT GOOD COORDINATION WITH THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
>> YOU SAID MOUNT VERNON FIXED THE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL?
[01:20:01]
>> THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD. I HAVEN'T GONE OUT THERE YET.
>> JOHN COTTON, HE'S GOT A CONTACT WITH THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT AND THAT RELATIONSHIP IF FIXED, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S PROVING OUT WHICH IS GOOD.
>> AGAIN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO A PROCLAMATION.
>> WE'RE PUSHING ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FRONTS AS YOU CAN TELL THEM.
>> OKAY. 4.4 IS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE ON AUTHENTIC LEARNING.
[4.4 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Authentic Learning]
>> I'LL TRY. ON OCTOBER 3RD WE HAD CHASING SPACE, OUR ASTRONAUT OR OTHER LELAND MELVIN TO KICK OFF OR RATHER LAUNCH CHASING SPACE.
OUR ASTRONOMY AND PHYSICS STUDENTS AS WELL AS OUR SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS WERE INSPIRED BY THE MUCH ANTICIPATED VISIT OF LELAND MELVIN, WHO IS A FORMER NFL PLAYER AND ASTRONAUT.
BOTH ASSEMBLY PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHTED THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE AND THE IMPACT THAT SECOND CHANCES AND SUPPORTIVE CARING ADULTS CAN HAVE ON THE TRAJECTORY OF LIFE.
IN THE EVENING, A PARALLEL ASSEMBLY WAS HELD FOR ALL WHO ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SECURE TICKETS TO THE EVENT.
WE ARE NOW ALMOST IN THE MIDDLE OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP MONTH.
THROUGHOUT THE MONTH THANKS TO THE WORK OF OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND ESPECIALLY ALICIA DELMASTRO UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JOHNSON BALDNESS, OUR STUDENTS ACROSS GRADE LEVELS HAVE EXPERIENCED A WHOLE ARRAY OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TIED NOT ONLY TO DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, BUT ALSO WHERE APPROPRIATE TO CHASING SPACE.
OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO SONIA'S DIGITAL WORLD IN WHICH YOUNG SONIA GOES ABOUT HER DAY, BUT REALIZES JUST HOW IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY IS IN HER WORLD AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN COMMUNICATION.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS ALL THE WAY UP FROM K UNTIL 12, OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE AND RELEVANT TO WHAT THE KIDS ARE EXPERIENCING.
AS FAR AS DATABASE, OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT HAS HAD THEIR SECOND TRAINING WITH DATABASE, AND SO WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF PLANNING WHEN WE CAN DO TURNKEY TRAINING TO OUR ADMINISTRATORS.
I WILL BE UPDATING YOU WITH FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AT OUR I BELIEVE IT'S A RETREAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN DECEMBER.
IN MUSIC AND ART, MR. VAN BACH, CAVA, AND MS. FALLON, EACH REPORT THAT THEY ARE SEEING A RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC PARTICIPATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
THIS IS ENCOURAGING AS MANY SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS IN THEIR FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THAT ALL HAVE BOUNCED BACK AS OF YET.
THE ART DEPARTMENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IS SETTLING INTO THEIR RECENTLY COMPLETED NEW CLASSROOMS AND ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTS.
LAST NIGHT WE HELD THE FIRST OF OUR TWO ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM NIGHTS AT PROSPECT HILL FOR OUR K12 PARENTS.
THE NIGHT BEGAN IN THE AUDITORIUM WITH THE PRESENTATION ON SCIENCE INSTRUCTION FROM DR. CALLAGHAN, SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION FROM DR. THOMPSON AND THE TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL LITERACY PRESENTATION FROM MS. DUMB ASTRO, AND MRS. SIBELIUS.
FOLLOWING THIS, PARENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ON THE ROLE OF THEIR CHILDREN IN CLASSROOMS WHERE THEY EXPERIENCED LITERACY AND MATH INSTRUCTION FROM MEMBERS OF OUR FACULTY, BETH FINKELSTEIN, OUR MATH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPER, KIT ALEX OUR LITERACY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPER AND NANCY MONTANA, ONE OF OUR INTERVENTIONISTS LED THOSE SESSIONS.
THEY WERE LOVELY WATCHING OUR PARENTS PLAY THE ROLES OF KINDERGARTENERS AND UNDERSTANDING PHONEMIC AWARENESS IS SWISHING THROUGH SOUNDS AND USING MATH MANIPULATIVES IN THE MATH CLASSROOM.
FINALLY, LAST WEEK, JOHN CEBALLOS, OUR TECHNOLOGIES OR ACTOR, ATTENDED IN NEW YORK EPLP, WHICH IS AN EDUCATION POLICY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, REGIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM IN GETTYSBURG.
DURING THE TWO DAY EXPERIENCE, HE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND A DOCENT LED STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AT THE GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD AS WELL AS THE DAY AT THE US ARMY WAR COLLEGE WHERE FACULTY THERE SHARED STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP CONCEPTS THAT ARE TAUGHT TO MILITARY LEADERS AND ABLE TO BE GLOBALIZED TO DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP CONTEXTS.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS HAS BEEN A PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE FOR HIM AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM HIM ABOUT IT.
BUT IT HAS STRENGTHENED THE STRONG LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT HE ALREADY POSSESSES AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR MORE.
>> THANK YOU. NEXT IS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE ON THE WHOLE CHILD.
[4.5 Assistant Superintendent's Update on The Whole Child]
>> THANK YOU. I'LL BE TRY TO BE BRIEF AS I KNOW IT'S LATE.
JUST QUICKLY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION TOMORROW OUR ICT COACH WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SHE'S GOING TO BE MEETING WITH THE CO-TEACHING TEAMS ON ALL GRADE LEVELS.
[01:25:01]
SHE'S ALSO GOING TO BE DOING SOME OBSERVATIONS IN CLASSES, I THINK THE EARTH SCIENCE CO-TEACH CLASSES.THEN OUR NEXT ELEMENTARY VISIT IS ON OCTOBER 24TH.
DR. CHAMP MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME ADDITIONAL POINTS ABOUT THE SULLIVAN'S MESSAGE WHICH WAS ASSEMBLIES AND PARENT PRESENTATION THAT WAS HELD LAST THURSDAY AT PEL MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PTA.
THE PRESENTERS WERE VERY INTERESTING.
THEY WERE KATHI AND CHRIS SULLIVAN.
SHE STARTED SPEAKING IN 2009 ABOUT ALCOHOL USE AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND MAKING GOOD CHOICES AFTER SHE LOST HER 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AFTER UNDER AGE DRINKING COUPLE OF PARTIES AFTER HOMECOMING GAME.
SHE ACTUALLY MET BETTER HUSBAND, CHRIS, WHO CAME TO SEE ONE OF HER ASSEMBLIES.
HE'S ACTUALLY WAS A FORMER PRO NFL FOOTBALL PLAYER FOR THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, WHO SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES WITH ANXIETY AND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE.
THEIR PRESENTATIONS, I'M SURE TO THE STUDENTS COME AT DIFFERENT ANGLES.
THE PRESENTATION FOR THE PARENTS WAS REALLY RIVETING.
IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE A LOT OF THE PARENTS SAY THAT THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME BECAUSE OF THEIR STUDENTS AND THEIR STUDENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO COME.
YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE SPEAKERS HAVE TO SAY.
THE STUDENTS AGAIN, THE FOCUS WAS ON GOOD DECISION-MAKING AND THE LASTING IMPACTS THAT A DECISION CAN MAKE ON EVERYONE'S LIVES, NOT JUST THEIR OWN.
FOR THE PARENTS, THE MESSAGE FOCUSED ON COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR CHILD, PAYING ATTENTION TO DETAILS, KNOWING YOUR CHILD'S FRIENDS AND SOCIAL GROUPS.
THE GROUPS THEY MOVE ALONG WITH AWARENESS OF THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY AND POSTS.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS ALL REALLY STRONG MESSAGES FOR THE PARENTS.
THIS IS A JOINT MESSAGE FROM DR.
BOWMAN AND I ABOUT TODAY'S PSAT BECAUSE SHE'S THE TESTING COORDINATOR AND I SUPPORT GUIDANCE.
BUT THIS MORNING, THE HIGH SCHOOL SUCCESSFULLY ADMINISTERED THE FIRST EVER COMPUTER-BASED PSAT EXAM TO ABOUT 450 STUDENTS.
WE HAVE TO SAY OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT WAS FULLY PREPARED FOR THIS LAUNCH AND WHATEVER GLITCHES WE EXPERIENCED TODAY WAS NOT ON BEHALF OF, ANYTHING WE DID WAS ACTUALLY WITH GLITCHES WITH COLLEGE BOARD.
>> WITH 10TH AND 11TH GRADERS?
THE FEEDBACK FROM THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WAS POSITIVE.
I WAS CIRCLING AROUND AND LISTENING TO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK.
I THINK IT WAS DIFFERENT FOR THE STUDENTS BUT OVERALL, THE EASE OF ADMINISTRATION, THE STUDENTS SEEMED OKAY, CALM AS I OBSERVE THEM WALKING IN THE HALLWAY.
I THINK IT WENT OFF VERY WELL.
ENORMOUS THANK YOU TO JIM FERRARI, WHO IS THE SAT PSAT TESTING COORDINATOR.
EUGENE FARRELL, DR. TITONE, MR. BERKOWITZ, MARC SIRICO, JOHN CEBALLOS, THE ENTIRE TAC TEAM, THE ENTIRE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING MS. GALISSI AND MR. DI SALVO WHO WAS THERE HELPING DIRECT STUDENTS SO THEY QUICKLY GOT TO THEIR TESTING ROOMS. EVERY PROCTOR, THE SAFETY TEAMS, THE CUSTODIANS.
IT WAS A JOINT EFFORT FOR, I THINK A REALLY SMOOTH UNDERTAKING FOR THIS FIRST COMPUTER-BASED EXAM.
ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME, MR. FARROW WAS DOING HIS COLLEGE BOOT CAMP FOR SENIORS, PUSHING IT TO SENIOR CLASSES.
ACTUALLY, ALL OF THE COUNSELORS WERE DOING THIS.
AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE FINANCIAL AID NIGHT FOR ALL COLLEGE BOUND SENIORS AND FAMILIES IS IN OCTOBER 24TH.
I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION PEL MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL IN EAST CHESTER HIGH SCHOOL, WE'LL BE PARTNERING IN A JOINT COLLEGE FAIR WHICH WILL BE HELD THIS YEAR AT EAST CHESTER HIGH SCHOOL NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE WITH US ON OCTOBER 23RD.
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR ANDREW PELICAN INTENTION, NATCAP, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT WHERE WE GET INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AND TRENDS IN THAT REALM.
MR. BARCELO ATTENDED SCHOOL TOURS IN MINNESOTA THIS YEAR JUST TO GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OTHER COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES OUT OF THE EAST COAST.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS WERE FINISHING THEIR POSITIONS IN THE SIXTH GRADE CLASSES AND THEY ARE GOING TO NOW START TO MEET WITH THE SIXTH GRADERS IN GROUPS TO GET TO KNOW YOU SERIOUS.
OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR, MS. FARAH, STARTED HER FLY FIVE MINDFULNESS LESSONS AS SHE ROTATES THROUGH ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS,
[01:30:01]
ALONG WITH CURRICULUM RELATED TO ELEMENTARY CAREER READINESS SKILLS, WHICH WE SHOULD BE DOING AS PART OF OUR ELEMENTARY COUNSELING STANDARDS.LASTLY, IN NURSING, I JUST WANT TO SAY IT HAS BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET ON THE FRONT OF COVID.
WE'VE HEARD JUST MINIMAL CASES WITH STUDENTS IN THE BUILDINGS, SOME STAFF CASES, BUT IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET. THAT'S IT.
>> WE'RE NOT REQUIRING, ARE WE REQUIRING VACCINES. RIGHT OR NOT?
>> THANK YOU. NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS UPDATE ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND LEADERSHIP.
[4.6 Executive Director's Update on Human Resources and Learning]
>> GREAT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT ON MONDAY WE'RE GOING TO RELEASE OUR SURVEYS OUR CLIMATE SURVEYS OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF AND ONE THAT WORKS THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
WE HOPE TO CLOSE OUT A SURVEY BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT MONTH.
BUT OUR PLAN IS TO THEN PRESENT THE FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS WITH DR. ALAN DAILY FROM THE CORE COLLABORATIVE ART, THE JANUARY 31ST BOARD MEETING,SO WE SHOULD BE ON TRACK WITH THAT.
THANKFULLY, MISS HALL SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SOME ABNORMAL SPIKE WITH COVID ILLNESSES, WHICH IS GOOD, BUT IT STILL EXISTS.
THOSE LAWS AND PRACTICES THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE BY NEW YORK STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STILL EXIST.
NOTHING REALLY CHANGED FROM LAST YEAR, BUT THEY ARE STILL, PEOPLE DO HAVE COVID LEAVE RIGHTS.
ALSO THEY'RE STILL ON THE BOOKS FOR, ACTUALLY, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A HALF-DAY LEAVE TO GET YOUR COVID VACCINATION THAT'S STILL ON THE BOOKS AS WELL THROUGH THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, MATERIALIZES, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING CHANGED IN THE FUTURE.
BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME PIECES IN TERMS OF THE STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND STAFF TENANTS WE HAVE TO KEEP NOTE OF.
I JUST WANTED TO BE AT ONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
WE DO HAVE A NEW LAW IN NEW YORK STATE ABOUT NEW YORK STATE'S TRANSPARENCY PAY.
NOW, ALTHOUGH WESTCHESTER COUNTY IS KIND OF TRICKY IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT OUR COUNCIL HAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A PAY RANGE ON ALL OUR POSTINGS NOW, WHICH WE HAVEN'T REALLY DONE IN THE PAST CIVIL SERVICE, WE HAD HAD THAT.
BUT FOR TEACHERS IN ANY OTHER POSITION, THERE SHOULD BE A RANGE AND MOST OF THAT IS CONTRACTUALLY BASED.
BUT THAT IS A NEW PRACTICE FOR US.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME ABOUT IN SEPTEMBER.
THEN LASTLY, AS YOU WILL SEE ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS ON SCHEDULE E, YOU'LL NOTICE SOMETHING CALLED SALARY RECLASSIFICATION.
TEACHERS AFTER SO MANY YEARS AND SO MANY CONDITIONS, THEY CAN APPLY FOR SALARY RECLASSIFICATION AND MOVE ON THE PAY SCALE.
IT IS ALL COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN, BUT THIS OUR FIRST ROUND OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKED FOR RECLASSIFICATION FOR THE SALARIES.
THERE MAY BE A FEW WE MAY HAVE MISSED THAT WE NEED TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON FOR SOME CREDITS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE TRANSCRIPTS ON RECORD, BEFORE WE CAN RECOMMEND A CHANGE, BUT JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THAT'S A QUESTION ABOUT SALARY OF CLASSIFICATION, WHAT IS IT.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS. BUT THERE ARE LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE LIMITS TO IT.
THERE ARE PROCEDURES IN PLACE THAT YOU CAN'T MOVE ALONG THE PAY SCALE SO QUICKLY.
THAT IS BY THE TEACHER'S CONTRACT.
>> YOU'RE PUBLISHING SALARIES FOR THE 2024- 25.
>> IT COULD BE FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR.
ARE YOU MAKING ANY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT SALARY BASED ON UNION?
>> NO. I MEAN, WE DO HAVE LIKE SO THE TEACHER'S CONTRACT.
THAT THERE MAY BE AN INDICATION OF THIS YEAR, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE FUTURE.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATORS AS WELL.
>> GOT IT. YOU'RE PRESENTING BASED ON EXISTING CONTRACT?
>> EXISTING CONTRACT PER SE. THANK YOU.
>> HOPE YOU GUYS, THE SCHEDULE E ADJUSTMENTS, THERE'S NOT ANY JUDGMENT FOR US TO EMPLOY ON THAT.
IT'S JUST BASED ON THE CONTRACT AND THEY HAVE ALL MET WHATEVER THE REQUIREMENTS ARE.
NO IT'S JUST ACTUALLY LET'S TAKE A SALARY BUT TAKE ACTION ON IT.
BUT IT'S BEEN REVIEWED BY OUR STAFF AND I DO THAT PERSONALLY AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN MOVE ON THE SALARY SCALE, BUT IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CREDITS WHICH ARE IN-SERVICE, PLUS YOUR GRADUATE, NINE GRADUATE IS REQUIRED, AND SIX IN-SERVICE, THE MINIMUM.
BEFORE THEY MOVE OVER, WE LOOK INTO DIFFERENT COURSEWORK AND THERE IS AN APPROVAL CHAIN AS WELL.
WHENEVER A TEACHER WANTS TO GET APPROVED FOR A CERTAIN COURSE FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, THEY GO THROUGH AN ONLINE SYSTEM CALLED MY LEARNING PLAN.
[01:35:02]
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, MINISTERS WHO CHECK ON THAT RIGHT BEFORE HE EVEN GETS TO MY OFFICE.THERE'S A LOT OF DUE DILIGENCE, BUT IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF TIME THOUGH, BECAUSE AS YOU MAY KNOW, CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS NO LONGER APP CERTAIN TYPES OF TRANSCRIPTS, LOT OF THEM ARE ONLINE.
WE WANT OFFICIALS, SO IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A GIVE-AND-TAKE.
>> ARE TEACHERS PAYING FOR THEIR OWN COURSES OR ARE WE AS A DISTRICT?
>> WITHIN SERVICE CREDIT, AND ALSO FOR GRADUATE CREDIT, THAT'S ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S DIME, GOT AN R TIME CAN HAPPEN DURING OUR TIME WHEN THEY'RE GETTING PAID AS A TEACHER.
WE DO NOT GIVE CREDIT FOR SERVICES AND FOR IN-SERVICE CREDITS AND THAT HAPPENS THAT WE PAY LET'S SAY FOR BOZI'S COURSE.
THAT'S JUST PROFESSIONAL HOURS THAT THEY HAD TO KEEP TRACK OF FOR CERTIFICATION, BUT IT HAS TO HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY, AND WE DO NOT PAY FOR IT.
THE ONE THING THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SO ARE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH, AND IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN OURS IS THAT, JUST THE RATE OF CREDITS.
NOT EVERY GRADUATE CREDIT IS EQUAL.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR TEACHER UNION COLLEAGUES IN TERMS OF THE QUALITY AS WELL.
THAT IS ALL DISTRICTS ARE KIND OF CHALLENGE WITH IT.
IT'S JUST NOT LIKE SAYING, HEY, I'M GETTING ANOTHER MASTERS AND HERE'S THE PROGRAM AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY AND IT TAKES DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES.
THAT'S WHY WE MAKE SURE THAT THE ALL THE ADMINISTRATORS, WHETHER IT'S DIRECTORS, WHETHER IT'S THE PRINCIPALS, SUPERINTENDENTS REVIEW EACH CREDIT THAT'S BEING AWARDED.
>> I COULD START AGAIN IF YOU WANT [LAUGHTER].
>> WE ADD ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT [BACKGROUND].
[5. Communications and Comments from the Public]
IF YOU'D JUST COME AND SAY YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.>> TOM CLIFFORD FROM THAT IN 17 BENEDICT PLACE.
JIM YOU HAD MENTIONED THE COLONIAL SCHOOL AND THE SORENSON.
>> YOU MENTIONED A SWITCH THAT SHUTS OFF THE SANITARY SEWER.
YOU'RE SAYING THE SANITARY SEWER WAS FLOODED AT THE TIME WHEN THE STORM SEWER WAS FLOODED?
>> IS IT A PUMPED SYSTEM? THE WHOLE SCHOOL IS PUMPED TO THE SEWER?
>> MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S A GRAVITY SYSTEM WHICH GOES FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE STREET.
BUT WHEN THE STREET BECOMES INUNDATED WITH, I BELIEVE STORM WATER IS INFILTRATING THE SANITARY LINE ON THE STREET.
THAT'S WHEN IT STARTS TO BACKUP.
>> THERE'S A BACKWATER VALVE THAT PREVENTS THAT FROM MOVING INTO THE SCHOOL?
>> EXACTLY. WHAT IT DOES IS IT JUST STOPS ANYTHING FROM COMING FROM THE STREET BACK INTO THE BUILDING.
>> THEN THE ISSUE IS IN THE STREET, THE TWO SEWERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SEPARATED ARE BEING COMBINED SOMEHOW.
>> I KNOW THE VILLAGERS DO IT A LOT OF WORK ON THAT AND I BELIEVE THEY'VE DONE SOME PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THAT AS WELL, BUT I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE WORK WITH THE VILLAGE IS DOING RIGHT NOW.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHEN THOSE HEARINGS MIGHT BE? I'M RECENT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO I'M NOT SURE.
>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
>> IT'S LATER ON IN OCTOBER, BUT IT SHOULD BE ON THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM WEBSITE.
>> I KNOW BEFORE I GOT HERE, THEY WERE THERE WERE SOME DIFFICULTIES WHERE IT DID BACKUP INTO THE SCHOOL AND OBVIOUSLY THAT CREATE A GREAT DISRUPTION.
IN THE MEANTIME, THAT'S THE SWITCH THAT WE USE.
>> YES, THAT'S GOOD FOR THE MEANTIME, I GUESS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO PROPOSE THAT WE DO 6.1 THROUGH 6.7 AS A CONSENT AGENDA. GENERAL MOTION.
>> QUESTION? WE ARE ON 6.6, THE CONTRACT ON TO CULTURAL PROFICIENCY, BELONGINGNESS, PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ISN'T THERE MAY BE [LAUGHTER] CULTURAL PROFICIENCY BELONGINGNESS, BUT CAN YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT HE'S GOING TO BE DOING?
>> IT'S A CATCH-ALL LANGUAGE, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT BALLS IN THE AIR.
REALLY WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK ON COMPLETION OF THE STRATEGIC PLANS OF THE CULTURAL COMPETENCE ASPECTS OF THAT, HELPING US TO CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN THE PATH AND THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS.
WE ALSO HAVE THE DEI POLICY THAT WAS PASSED AND WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT
[01:40:01]
WE'RE ALWAYS EVOLVING AND ENHANCING OUR AIR IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.THE INITIAL WORK THAT I SEE WE ARE ALL DOING IS STARTING WITH CONFERENCING WITH THE BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS IN PARTICULAR AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS.
JUST TO COME AND GET A SENSE FROM THEM OF WHAT HAS THE WORK BEEN? WHERE DID THEY SEE SUCCESSES? WHERE THEY SEE AREAS WHERE THEY'D STILL LIKE TO GROW? WHAT DO THEY SEE AS THE ENTRY POINTS TO THAT WORK? I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT HOW YOU DO THIS WORK IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IS GOING TO BE SOME CONFERENCING AND PLANNING AND GATHERING THEMES THAT ADHERES THERE.
THEN MEETING WITH MYSELF AND THE CABINET, UNPACKING THAT AND THEN DETERMINING WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS ARE GOING TO BE.
WE DO EXPECT HIM TO BE DOING SOME DIRECT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH THE SCHOOL CULTURE COACHES.
YOU RECALL WE POINTED THOSE COUPLE OF MEETINGS BACK.
WE ALSO WILL BE HAVING THOSE FOLKS SERVE ON THE DISTRICT'S CULTURAL COMPETENCE COMMITTEE.
WE JUST FINISHED THE COMMITTEE SIGN-UP.
I'M SURE IT WILL BE MEETING VERY SOON TO SEAT PEOPLE ON COMMITTEES, WE'LL GET THOSE COMMITTEES UP AND RUNNING, SCHOOL CULTURAL COACHES WILL BE PART OF THAT.
ANOTHER PIECE OF EARL'S WORK MAYBE TO HELP US THEN ALSO LOOK AT THIS YEAR, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EXPLORING THE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND SUSTAINING EDUCATION FRAMEWORK A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY.
LOOKING AT CREATING A WELCOMING AND AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENT AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
AS WE LOOK AT THOSE TWO AREAS AND PROBABLY DO SOME SELF-REFLECTION AS A DISTRICT AND TRY TO FIND SOME AREAS AND WE WANT TO MOVE THAT WORK FORWARD.
HE WILL LIKELY BE A SUPPORT AND HELPING TRAIN THOSE CULTURE COACHES, WORKING WITH THEM TO GIVE THEM SOME STRATEGIES AND TOOLS TO THEN GO BACK TO THEIR BUILDINGS AND CARRY THAT WORKOUT.
>> I THINK YOU MENTIONED WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM BEFORE.
>> YES. [OVERLAPPING] HE HAS BEEN OUR PRIMARY SUPPORT FOR RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM.
A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE AND CONCEPTUAL WORK THERE IS ANCHORED IN BELONGINGNESS.
IT REALLY IS A NATURAL EXTENSION TO THAT, AND IT MAY EVEN GIVE US THE ABILITY TO TIE INTO SOME OF THE LANGUAGE STUDENTS ARE ALREADY IN AND JUST FEEL LIKE A MORE NATURAL EXTENSION AND ALIGNMENT AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING ELSE BEING ADDED ON.
>> THANKS FOR THE COLOR [INAUDIBLE].
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? [NOISE] ALL IN FAVOR?
>> ANY OPPOSED ABSTENTIONS? NO, THE MOTION CARRIES.
THEN I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ACCEPT DONATION.
>> THIS READS RESOLVES THAT UPON FOUNDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES HEREBY ACCEPT THE MONETARY DONATION AT $18,720 FOR THE PELHAM MIDDLE-SCHOOL EXTENDED ACADEMY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM.
THAT GRATITUDE BE BESTOWED UPON ITS DONOR, THE PELHAM CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES HEREBY ACCEPT THE DONATION OF $3,340 TO BE USED TO PURCHASE BOOKS FOR THE CYBER NOISE SCHOOL BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB, WHICH CELEBRATES STUDENTS BIRTHDAYS BY GIFTING BOOKS IN THEIR NAMES.
THAT GRATITUDE BE BESTOWED UPON THEIR DONOR, THE CYBER NOISE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
I JUST HAVE TO DO A QUICK PLUG BECAUSE THE POEM CIVICS.
WHEN IS THEIR CIVICS GALA? OCTOBER 27TH.
I THINK THERE'S TICKETS STILL ON SALE.
THEY DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND MY HUSBAND'S SHARING THE GALA.
>> ANY OPPOSED, ABSTENTIONS? NO, THE MOTION CARRIES.
I'LL ACCEPT THE DONATION OR ACCEPT A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OF 7.1 THROUGH 7.5.
[7. Superintendent's Personnel Recommendations]
>> ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS?
>> YES. THANK YOU TO PAULINE FOR YOUR SERVICE HARDWARE.
[01:45:01]
[8. Pupil Personnel Services]
I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE SCHEDULE D.>> ANY OPPOSED ABSTENTIONS? NO, THE MOTION CARRIES.
ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. I'LL ACCEPT THE MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> ANY OPPOSED ABSTENTIONS? NO, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
[NOISE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.