Board of Educationboe.aurorak12.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/...Jan 01, 2014 · Please contact the Aurora Public Schools at 303-344-8060, ext. 28988 if, because of a disability,

Aurora Public Schools1085 Peoria Street

Aurora, Colorado 80011

BoardofEducation

Agendameeting of

January 07, 2014

tynormanTypewritten Text

TYNORMANTypewritten Text

AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1085 Peoria Street Aurora, CO 80011

A G E N D A

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING January 7, 2014

6:00 p.m.

I – PRELIMINARY

A. CALL TO ORDER - ROLL CALL

B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE C. WELCOME TO VISITORS

The regular meeting of the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education will convene in the Dr. Edward and Mrs. Patricia Lord Boardroom of Educational Services Center 4. Individuals wishing to address the Board of Education on a specific agenda item are requested to sign up at the table on the south side of the boardroom prior to discussion of the item. Individuals wishing to address the Board of Education on a non-agenda item are requested to sign up and will be provided an opportunity, limited to three minutes, at the beginning of the meeting and, limited to three minutes, at the end of the meeting during Opportunity for Audience. Please contact the Aurora Public Schools at 303-344-8060, ext. 28988 if, because of a disability, you require special assistance (such as sign language or oral interpreting services) in order to participate in a meeting of the Board of Education. Persons with such needs are requested to make contact at least one week prior to the Board of Education meeting, if possible, in order to allow staff to coordinate arrangements.

D. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

The January 7, 2014, agenda is presented for approval.

E. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the regular Board of Education meeting held on December 17, 2013, are presented for approval.

G. RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE 6:00 - 6:10

H. OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCE 6:10 - 6:20

December 17, 2013, BOE minutes

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l. PRELIMINARY

Shepherd called the December 17, 2013, meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

Roll Call The following members were present:

JulieMarie A. Shepherd, president Cathy Wildman, vice president Mary W. Lewis, secretary Dan Jorgensen, treasurer Amber Drevon, director Eric Nelson, director Barbara J. Yamrick, director

Also meeting with the Board of Education were:

D. Rico Munn, superintendent of schools William Stuart, deputy superintendent Brandon Eyre, district legal counsel Damon Smith, chief personnel officer John Youngquist, chief academic officer Lisa Escarcega, chief accountability and research officer Anthony Sturges, chief operating officer Adrienne Bradshaw, chief financial officer Tonia Norman, assistant to Board of Education

Pledge of Allegiance/Welcome to Visitors

Shepherd led the Board and audience in the pledge to the flag. She then welcomed visitors to the meeting.

Approval of Agenda

The December 17, 2013, agenda was approved as written.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Education held on December 3, 2013, were approved as written.

Recognizing Excellence Munn announced that the Colorado Department of Education recently honored three APS schools with state awards. Yale Elementary School earned the Centers of Excellence Award, which honors schools with the highest rates of student academic growth and a student population that is at least 75 percent at-risk. Montview Math and Health Sciences Elementary School earned the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award, which honors schools that are exceeding expectations in academic growth and meeting or exceeding expectations for academic growth gaps. Aurora Quest K-8 earned the John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award, which honors schools that demonstrate excellent academic achievement by exceeding expectations on the academic achievement indicator and by meeting or exceeding expectations related to academic growth

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gaps. Lewis highlighted the 2014 America’s Promise Alliance calendar. This is the second year that America’s Promise has completed a calendar. All of the monthly artwork displayed on the calendar was done by APS students from Boston, Crawford, Kenton and Peoria. The inside of the back page of the calendar includes youth services agencies in Aurora that partner with America’s Promise. I would like to recognize J. Franklin Horn and district art teachers for all their work and efforts with the selection process of student artwork. America’s Promise held a calendar launch last week and ten of the 12 student artists were able to attend the event. Stuart shared that calendars were distributed to all district principals last week. Staff and community stakeholders can contact him or Lewis to obtain a calendar. Shepherd shared that Vista PEAK’s vocal music program was selected to perform at the Colorado Department of Education’s annual holiday luncheon. This was their first public performance and they did a wonderful job. Vista PEAK’s jazz band was also invited to play at the Dazzle Restaurant and Jazz Lounge in downtown Denver yesterday evening. The mid-year graduation ceremony will be held on Thursday, December 19, at 5:00 p.m. in the Professional Learning and Conference Center. Congratulations to the approximate 73 graduates who have earned their high school diploma.

Opportunity for Audience

Bhuwan Pyakurel, community advocate and navigator, works with refugee students and families in the community. He expressed concerns regarding transportation and the three-mile walk radius to district schools. He emphasized that the walk radius is a big concern for refugee students and families and requested that the Board consider reducing the walk radius so students can better access schools. Jim Warland, community stakeholder, expressed that teachers are under pressure to produce and increase test scores. He discussed the quality of education in America and noted that Asian students are outscoring American students in math and science. He invited Board members to the Robotics Olympics to see some of the amazing robots. The event will be held on December 18 and 19 at the downtown convention center. Selene Garcia, parent of students at Sable, North, and Hinkley, voiced concerns related to school safety following the recent shooting at Arapahoe High School. She would like to see metal detectors installed at district schools as a preventive measure and asked how parents could best support schools to increase safety for students and staff. Shepherd asked Chief Operating Officer Anthony Sturges to meet with Garcia to discuss safety precautions and measures that the district currently has in place.

II. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS Superintendent’s Report

Munn extended his thoughts and prayers to staff and students at Arapahoe High School. He shared that the district has provided crisis counselors and other aid

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to support staff and students at Arapahoe High School. He recognized Sturges and his team for all their work and efforts to secure district schools and sites following the school shooting. Leadership Team Report Legislative Protocol Munn provided the Board with a draft proposal of legislative communication protocol to utilize as a guideline under Board policy 1.1. The Board requested additional clarification around Item 7 to indicate that individual Board members can express opinions related to legislative impacts as long as it is clarified that they are speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the Board. APS Lobbyist Mary Kay Hogan will provide a legislative update to the Board in January. Munn will work with Hogan to determine legislative priorities to highlight with the Board. Shepherd asked Board members to send additional revisions or concerns to Munn or the district Leadership Team. Priority Improvement or Turnaround Unified Improvement Plan Schools Escárcega and Youngquist provided an overview of the process, root causes and steps for unified improvement planning. A Priority Improvement or Turnaround Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) must be submitted to the Colorado Department of Education and adopted by the local school board no later than January 15 of the school year in which the school is directed to adopt such a plan. The Aurora Public School District and the following schools received priority improvement or turnaround status: Arkansas Elementary School; Crawford Elementary School; Iowa Elementary School; Paris Elementary School; Sable Elementary School; Wheeling Elementary School; Boston K-8 School; and Aurora Central High School. Principals and staffs of priority improvement or turnaround schools were present in the audience to answer questions or concerns of the Board. Nelson asked about the turnaround time line for implementation. Youngquist replied that it is a two year process to determine if planned outcomes and strategies have increased student achievement. Drevon suggested that the document identifying root causes be revised to better clarify information for parents and community stakeholders. Lewis suggested that root causes for the district UIP be highlighted. Jorgensen suggested providing a link that highlights adequate growth data. Lewis asked for an example of a multi-tier support system. Youngquist shared that Response to Intervention (RtI) is one example of a multi-tier support system that better support schools by pinpointing specific responses or interventions to address attendance, academic or discipline concerns. Wildman asked about differentiated professional learning for new and veteran teachers. Youngquist replied that one district action plan currently being reviewed relates to collecting data in order to determine the number of teaching years, experiences and outcomes to better support teachers and better differentiate professional learning opportunities. Nelson asked what Board members could do to support sites. Youngquist replied that the Board can best support principals and staff by providing a level of

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accountability in terms of the implementation and execution of plans as well as continuous monitoring of plans. Wheeling Elementary School Principal Ramone Carson shared that the Board provides support by asking detailed questions and having these types of conversations. Boston K-8 Principal Jennifer Pock shared that her staff is focused and has a very tight plan and action steps. She asked that the Board continue to help staff maintain their focus. She expressed that staff is working hard to differentiate work to ensure professional learning opportunities look different for new and veteran teachers. She added that late start Wednesdays provide valuable time for professional learning opportunities and relationship building. Yamrick asked how the Board could best support efforts at Arkansas Elementary School. Arkansas Elementary School Principal Kevin Shrum shared that his staff’s focus is centered on reading instruction and determining how instruction should look. He noted the importance of recognizing the excellent work that is occurring at Arkansas and acknowledging it with teachers. He encouraged the Board to visit Arkansas and be visible with staff. Yamrick asked about root causes at Arkansas. Shrum shared that this year staff focused on major improvement strategy one, learning environment and discipline. He noted that systems, protocols and structures have been put into place to address learning environment and discipline concerns. Drevon asked about major improvement strategy two and if new methods to assess student learning were being implemented or refined. Shrum replied that new methods to assess learning are being implemented, but a number of methods are being refined around reading and small group instruction. Jorgensen asked about the general climate at Arkansas and the student engagement learning process. Shrum replied that students are engaged in learning and there is an atmosphere of trust. Jorgensen asked if teachers had embraced the PBiS approach. Schrum shared that kids are very excited and positive about PBiS. He shared that individual students and whole classes earn ROAR tickets for good behavior. Lewis attended community meetings at Arkansas last spring and fall, and shared that teachers, parents and students are now excited and the climate is totally different. Shrum noted that parent engagement is somewhat low, but he is working with parents to increase engagement opportunities. Wildman highlighted a report related to the positive changes occurring at Aurora Central High School. Wildman asked about teacher and principal burnout in terms of expectations around UIPs. Shrum acknowledged that there is some burnout around the end of the quarter or prior to the start of a break. Wildman asked about the number of hours that principals and teachers work in a typical day. Principals in the audience concurred that they work long hours, but they all want what is best for kids. Nelson asked about academic growth gaps and plans in place for students with

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disabilities. Director of Student Achievement Rich Patterson highlighted services that look at learning gaps to help students with phonics and sight words to become better readers. Intervention courses are available in mathematics and acuity data is available at the high school level to assess student learning. Youngquist shared that district-wide reading data is being collected and monitored to better assess student learning. Paris Elementary Principal Lisa Jones highlighted how special education teams are monitoring data to better pinpoint student learning. Yamrick asked about the yardstick in terms of monitoring standards and expectations for students with disabilities. Youngquist replied that the yardstick is based on Colorado academic standards. Long range assessment data such as DRA-2 and other assessments are utilized to monitor student progress. Drevon asked about past and current major improvement focus areas and strategies at Iowa and Wheeling. Ramone shared that staff dug into equity work last year that focused on personal and social needs of students. He noted that a number of equity programs were previously reviewed, but lacked personal relationship building. Iowa Elementary School is focusing on major improvement strategies, common core standards and assessments. Action steps are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Nelson asked if plans had been reevaluated to help close achievement gaps. Aurora Central High School Principal Mark Roberts shared that staff has reviewed metrics, the budget and other priorities to pinpoint achievement gaps. He shared that professional learning has been centered and focused and teachers have received approximately 35 hours of staff development as part of the Tiered Intervention Grant. Teachers are coached by both district and internal coaches. Students are required to write a monthly five paragraph essay that is graded and reviewed utilizing a rubric developed by staff to monitor progress. The majority of teachers are ecstatic about the work that is occurring and we are seeing positive data on the acuity assessment. Pock shared that a nice professional learning community is being built in the northwest quadrant of the district in which teachers and staff are sharing and working together to assist with professional learning opportunities to increase student learning. Crawford Elementary Principal Jennifer Passchier shared that their plan and action steps are brand new. She expressed that the staff is very focused and centered on standards-based instruction, planning and providing enrichment opportunities when needed. Escárcega shared that plans will be included on the January 7 consent agenda for action. Plans will then be submitted to the Colorado Department of Education for review. Feedback will be received in March and presented to the Board for review. Shepherd thanked building administrators for all their work and efforts with UIP planning. She appreciates all of the thought and detail that have been incorporated into plans. A copy of the District and School Unified Improvement Plan report is appended to

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the December 17 Board minutes. 2013-14 Readopted Budget. Chief Financial Officer Adrienne Bradshaw and Budget Manager Stan Rodriquez provided an overview of changes to the 2013-14 readopted budget. This item will be included on the January 7 consent agenda for action. A copy of the 2013-14 readopted budget report is appended to the December 17 Board minutes. Use of a Portion of the Beginning Fund Balance as Authorized by Colorado Statutes Bradshaw and Rodriquez provided an overview of the beginning fund balance as authorized by Colorado statute. This item will be included on the January 7 consent agenda for action. A copy of the 2013-14 beginning fund balance readopted budget report is appended to the December 17 Board minutes. District Pathway Update Munn provided an overview of the district pathway program, which prepares students for college and careers and provides opportunities to earn college credit, industry certificates and associate degrees through intensive coursework, career exploration and field experiences designed to prepare students for high-demand, high-skilled and high-paying careers. The four district pathway programs include health sciences, STEM, arts and communications, and business. District pathways are designed so elementary students can access industry experiences, middle school students can explore and high school students can prepare. Munn shared that the current pathway model has challenges, including scalability, access, sustainability, student impact and equity. Youngquist discussed the idea, process and possible implementation of an innovative digital badge framework in order to continue to effectively build on pathway strengths. He shared that the digital badge framework would give more students access to pathways and 21st century skills by providing a visual representation of learned and demonstrated skills and abilities. He highlighted how badges are earned at the postsecondary level to demonstrate various learning levels and skill sets. He noted that a number of principals and staff members are meeting to explore and develop ideas around the digital badge framework for a possible pilot by fall 2014. He will provide the Board with a number of websites that provide additional information regarding the digital badge framework. Munn noted that the Board received the first program monitoring report at tonight’s meeting. Lewis requested that the number of students who are involved in current pathway programs be provided to the Board. Yamrick voiced excitement regarding the digital badge framework. Munn suggested that Board members visit diy.org to see a demonstration of the digital badge framework.

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Lewis asked if students would have opportunities to earn badges in core classes or through other extended learning opportunities. Munn replied that students would have opportunities to earn badges in both settings and highlighted how districts identify and access learning components in the digital badge framework to demonstrate 21st century learning skills that could be earned in a number of core classes, business partnerships, or via an online provider. Youngquist is currently working with the online high school and classified staff in the Division of Instruction to determine how digital badges could be utilized to pinpoint skill levels and abilities. Shepherd requested that additional information around the digital badge framework be provided to the Board in January. A copy of the pathways report is appended to the December 17 Board minutes.

III. ACTION ITEM

Enrollment vs. Capacity Sturges noted that the Board was presented with information and five recommendations to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges at the December 3 Board meeting. He shared that a number of questions that the Board had at the December 3 meeting were addressed in the appendix section of the presentation that was provided to the Board prior to the meeting. Shepherd thanked and acknowledged district staff for providing clear expectations and options related to enrollment vs. capacity challenges. Jorgensen recognized all of the work and efforts of staff to answer his questions and concerns. He voiced concerns related to the manner in which Board members received information, citing that Board policy requires a six-month lead time to evaluate proposals related to large scale projects. He expressed concerns related to taking funds from the general fund to finance a new school, and does not believe a complete scenario to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges was explored. Yamrick requested that the community be considered in discussions related to the instructional model for the new Mrachek. Sturges shared that there is time to explore an instructional model and design for the new school as funding is dependent on the passage of a future bond. He emphasized that the community would be involved in the design process and the Board would receive periodic updates. Wildman also voiced concerns related to taking funds from the general fund to finance the P-8 school. She shared that only stakeholders who would benefit from a new school were asked to participate in community meetings and take part in the survey. She noted that employees are the biggest district asset and taking funds to finance a new school would affect staff. Nelson asked what would happen if the Board does not approve recommendations to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges. Sturges emphasized that the district must provide seats based on enrollment projections. He expressed that the five recommendations before the Board are the best options to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges, but acknowledged that it

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is a short-term fix and expects to have a similar conversation related to enrollment vs. capacity challenges in 2016 Drevon asked about long-term plans to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges. Sturges shared that the Board has directed staff to start exploring year-round school options to address future enrollment vs. capacity challenges. Wildman shared that colleagues in the Cherry Creek School District were provided an extended time line to study issues and options related to enrollment vs. capacity challenges and have implemented a year-round calendar schedule. Jorgensen pointed out that 65 percent of district schools are overcapacity, and shared that the community is concerned about students in underserved schools. He noted that the recommendations that were presented are valid, but reiterated the need for early planning in order to get more community input. Sturges expressed that staff started conversations around enrollment vs. capacity challenges last spring. Shepherd shared that Board members have received input from many community stakeholders. She added that the district team has provided thorough and thoughtful recommendation for the Board to consider. Lewis moved and Nelson seconded to adopt the five specific recommendations from Leadership Team to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges. Roll Call: Drevon, Nelson, Jorgensen, Lewis, Shepherd, Wildman, Yamrick #8283 Approved on a vote of 6-1 Wildman voted against approval of the five specific recommendations to address enrollment vs. capacity challenges.

IV. BOARD WORK Ends Conversation and Open Dialogue

Policy Perception Checklist Did the Board receive information at tonight’s meeting that requires a policy change? Jorgensen suggested that the Board have a future discussion to review policy regarding the six-month lead time in order to better facilitate planning and evaluating of large scale district proposals. Lewis shared that enrollment vs. capacity challenges were discussed at a number of community meetings, including the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and the Long-Range Facilities Advisory Committee. Jorgensen requested that Board committee representatives provide periodic updates to the Board. Did the Board receive information at tonight’s meeting that requires additional information or monitoring?

The Board requested additional information around the digital badge framework.

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The Board will receive a two-page summary of the RMC report in January. Open Dialogue

Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) Conference Debrief Yamrick highlighted a presentation that focused on community engagement. She shared that the concept of a whole community open school in which board members and the Superintendent visit with staff and explore strategies to build better communities was the main focus of the presentation. Nelson was impressed with information that highlighted the role of a Board member, sharing that he gained a better understanding and knowledge about speaking in one voice. Jorgensen shared that it was a great conference and noted the importance of spending time together as a Board. He highlighted a session on school finance and an advocacy session hosted by CASB Deputy Executive Director Jane Urshel. Lewis shared that the concept of “learning cultures” was reiterated many times at the conference. She welcomes the focus on student achievement, adding that it is the Board’s job. Lewis read an article that discussed the over compensation of teacher salaries. She disagreed with the premise of the article, stating that Board members need to make sure that our community is aware of the long hours that principals and teachers work to educate our kids. Drevon received good information from the foundation session for new board members and the introduction to policy governance session. Wildman was impressed with the caliber of students that presented information at the CASB conference. She enjoyed all of the speakers, but was most impressed with a sub culture session hosted by Cherry Creek staff. She would like to have high school students attend a Board meeting to highlight their perspective related to their education. Wildman highlighted a session from a recent Southwest TURN (Teacher Union Reform Network) meeting that focused on education from the bottom up and gives parents an opportunity to select the type of educational experiences that they want to see during a school day. She shared that the session was hosted by staff at a low income school in Jefferson County. She also noted that school staff provides space for parents to store important papers. Shepherd enjoyed a number of sessions that she attended at the CASB conference. She will make sure that all Board members have an opportunity to ask one question following a presentation. Board Handbook Review Veteran Board members had an opportunity to review the Board handbook with new Board members. Lewis suggested including the Board handbook as an agenda topic at the next retreat.

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The Board requested that staff do a cost analysis related to televising Board meetings on Channel 8 or via a webcast. Jorgensen shared that Chief Communication Officer Georgia Durán is actively pursuing a district engagement plan, and suggested looking at other districts to determine if this would increase meeting attendance. Shepherd suggested checking with CASB to determine best practices related to televising meetings. Lewis suggested that the Board also check with the Pourde Valley School district. School Assignment Shepherd reviewed the revised school assignment list. Lewis requested that new Board members visit schools with veteran Board members. New school assignments will be included in the January newsletter. Committee Assignments Jorgensen will represent the Board on the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee; Drevon will represent the Board on the District Advisory Accountability Committee; Nelson will represent the Board on RMSEL; Shepherd will represent the Board on the APS Education Foundation; and Lewis will represent the Board on the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee. Yamrick will serve as the substitute for RMSEL. January Retreat The Board will hold a planning retreat on Monday, January 6, and Tuesday, January 14, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Shepherd will check with CASB to see if a general overview regarding policy governance could be held at the retreat. Shepherd and Wildman will develop retreat agendas. National School Boards Association (NSBA) Conference Nelson and Shepherd will attend the NSBA conference in April. Jorgensen will review the travel and registration budget with Board members at the January retreat to determine how to best utilize funds for conferences and professional learning opportunities. He noted that Board members who attend conferences are expected to share information with the Board. Nelson was recommended to participate in the Harvard Kennedy leadership training and shared that a number of scholarship opportunities are available for students. Wildman shared that Board members are always welcomed to attend Southwest TURN meetings. Yamrick requested that Board members participate in a monthly book club to help build better relationships. Shepherd asked Yamrick to provide book titles for interested Board members. Jorgensen suggested holding rotating parent coffees to better engage with community stakeholders. Yamrick would like to meet with site staffs to determine interest in starting a

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student led Future Problem Solvers club. Shepherd suggested that Yamrick provide information related to the club in the next newsletter.

Board Self-Monitoring

Lewis appreciates all of the Board’s comments and is looking forward to a refresher on policy governance at a planning retreat in January. Shepherd thanked Pickens Technical College staff for providing the beautiful poinsettias surrounding the board table.

V. CONCLUDING ITEMS

Next meeting date The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on January 7, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. in the Dr. Edward and Mrs. Patricia Lord Boardroom of Educational Services Center 4.

Adjournment The regular meeting of the Board of Education adjourned at 9:53 p.m. _________________________

President

ATTEST _________________________

Secretary

December 17, 2013 Division of Instruction

Division of Accountability & Research

District and School Unified Improvement

Plans

1

Accountability SB-163

• Adopt and implement a system for accrediting the schools of the district, which may be more rigorous in expectations and in the imposition of remedial actions than the state’s system for accreditation of school districts

• Annually submit to the Department the accreditation category assigned to each of the district’s schools and what evidence was used for the determinations beyond the school performance frameworks

Accountability SB-163

• Adopt a District Performance, Improvement, Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan (whichever is required)

• Adopt the school plans for Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plans

• Submit Priority Improvement and Turnaround Plans for the district and for schools in the district to the Department for review and approval

Continuous Improvement

Section: Data Narrative

Section : Target Setting

Ongoing: Progress Monitoring

Unified Improvement Planning Processes

Describe Notable Trends

Prioritize Performance Challenges

Identify Root

Causes

Set Performance

Targets

Identify Interim

Measures

Identify Major Improvement

Strategies

Identify Implementation

Benchmarks

Gather and Organize

Data

Review Performance

Summary

Preparing to Plan Section:

Action Planning

• Description of trends for every performance indicator, identifies based on analysis of three years of data ▫ Performance Indicators:

Academic Achievement

Academic Growth

Academic Growth Gaps

Post Secondary Readiness

• Provide the big picture

Notable Trends

• Specific statement about the school's performance challenges with at least one priority identified for each performance indicator where the school did not meet federal, state and/or local expectations

• Prioritized list narrowed from significant trends

Data Analysis

Priority Performance Challenges

• Statements describing the deepest underlying cause, or causes, of performance challenges, that, if dissolved would result in elimination, or substantial reduction of the performance challenge(s).

• Describes why the performance challenge exists

• If resolved would result in student learning

Data Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

Major Improvement Strategies

• Respond to root causes of the performance problems the school/district is attempting to remedy.

• Action steps are smaller activities that fit within larger major improvement strategies.

• Improvement Strategies and Action Steps must be associated with resources, people, and time.

• Stakeholders involved in UIP Development: ▫ Parents- Parent Breakfast and District Accountability ▫ Teachers- Climate Survey and School UIP Review ▫ Principals- School UIP Review and District Root Cause Dev

• Description of processes • Review of performance summary • Identifies what additional data was reviewed • Describes notable trends • Describes the priority performance challenges and the

process used to prioritize needs • Describes the root causes of each performance challenge and

how they were identified and verified (more than one data source)

Data Narrative

Aurora 2012-1013 UIP Feedback

Performance Trends

Major Improvement

Strategies

• The UIP identifies a large number of Priority Performance Challenges (PPCs), which limits the focus and clarity of the UIP. The PPCs should reflect the magnitude of district performance challenges and provide

focused and targeted major improvement strategies.

• The district does not tie in 1) Post-Secondary & Workforce Readiness data as a part of the overall description of district performance; 2) Teacher attributes; and 3) Specific special populations. Such analysis provides a more robust picture of student performance.

• Aurora faces the delicate balance of articulating Major Improvement Strategies, while also being mindful of district priorities and initiatives. However, the district should develop Major Improvement Strategies and Action Plans that are focused and specific so as to eliminate identified PPCs.

• As a diverse district, it is essential that Aurora include Major Improvement Strategies designed to focus on 1) Graduation Improvement and Dropout Prevention; 2) Parent and Community Engagement; and 3) Support for Special Populations

Changes into 2014-2015 & 2014-2016 UIP

•Inclusive and Methodical Stakeholder Engagement •Root Causes drawn directly from school site Root Causes •Focus on Achievement Goal with all strategies specifically supporting the acceleration of student learning •Fewer and more focused set of Performance Challenges •Specific Strategy related to parent engagement •Achievement strategies that had been viewed as separate are drawn together to gain advantage of resources (ie: aligning support for ELL and Literacy development)

The APS Goal

We are committed to accelerating the learning of every APS student every day.

2013-14

RE-ADOPTED BUDGET

December 17, 2013

12/17/2013 1 My job is to accelerate learning for

every APS student, every day.

ALL FUNDS

12/17/2013 2

Fund

2013-14

Adopted

2013-14

Re-adopted Difference

General 317,794,276$ 322,563,186$ 4,768,910$

Charter Schools 32,777,386 32,305,200 (472,186)

Athletic 783,516 788,622 5,106

Bond Redemption 60,229,607 61,160,137 930,530

Building 45,500,000 41,467,367 (4,032,633)

Colorado Preschool Program 5,982,682 6,572,017 589,335

Grants 31,373,351 37,698,147 6,324,796

Internal Service - Print 702,000 694,902 (7,098)

Nutrition Services 17,717,009 17,759,309 42,300

Pickens Post Secondary 6,340,185 7,211,155 870,970

Pupil Activity/Agency 3,194,198 3,231,068 36,870

Risk-Related Activity 4,024,787 4,323,257 298,470

School Health Services 3,097,300 4,212,289 1,114,989

Special Programs 8,996,029 9,728,480 732,451

Total 538,512,326$ 549,715,136$ 11,202,810$

My job is to accelerate learning for


http://www.50states.com/colorado.htm

Four main factors affected the development of the re-

adopted General Fund budget:

• Carry forward of unspent 2012-13 funds

$3 million (one time Mill levy)

$2.3 million (capital projects)

• Student count 0.5% over projections

• READ Act funds $1.4 million (158,413 transferred to

charters)

• Decrease in state per pupil funding of $48 per pupil

0.7% decrease, from $6,933 to $6,885 per pupil

12/17/2013 3

General Fund

Re-Adopted Budget




12/17/2013 4

General Fund

Re-Adopted Budget

Carry forward unspent 2012-13 allocations - MILL 3,021,413$

Carry forward unspent 2012-13 allocations - Capital Projects 2,344,700

Budget realignment (232,889)

Increase in Tabor reserves 220,955

Reduce operating reserve - for increase in carry forward (1,831,857)

Add READ Act budget (minus 158,413 to charters) 1,246,588

Total Additional Expenditures 4,768,910$

Additional Expenditures




General Fund

Re-Adopted Budget

12/17/2013 5

June 2013 Adopted Budget 317,794,276$

Plus Additional Appropriations 4,768,910

January 2014 Re-adopted Budget 322,563,186$




Beginning Fund Balance

2013-14 Re-adopted Budget

Fund Amount

General $39,073,652

Athletics $215,106

Bond $25,580,904

Building $41,367,367

Colorado Preschool Program $312,961

Grants $2,132,290

Internal Service - Print Services $284,902

Nutrition Services $1,140,672

Pickens Technical College $3,870,700

Pupil Activity/Agency $1,031,068

Risk-Related Activity $98,470

School Health Services $3,212,289

Special Programs $3,705,575

12/17/2013

Building and developing upon the vision

Pathways

Pathways provide an environment that

replicates the real world, preparing

students for academic success in

college, real-life jobs and the realities

of a global economy.

Vision of Pathways

What is Pathways? Focused on Post-Secondary Workforce Readiness

Prepare

Engage

Position

How does Pathways work?

All Pathways strands are designed to:

Prepare students for college and careers with university credits, industry certificates and associate degrees.

Engage students through career exploration and relevant core academics.

Position students to compete globally for high-demand, high-skill, high-paying careers.

Journey Through Pathways

Aurora Lights…

Elementary School:

ACCESS

“My teachers help me understand why school is important.”

“I am curious about the world, and I am wondering what I’ll be when I grow up.”

“My teachers help me think about these questions:”

• Why do people go to work?

•What is their work?

•How do people learn to do the work they want to do?

•How does their work make the world a better place?

“What work would I like to do?"

“We have visitors who talk with us about their jobs. Sometimes they show us things from

their work, and they tell us why we should be good readers and writers and mathematicians

. . . and thinkers! Last week, we met a man who is a nurse! He brought some x-rays of

broken bones.”


Aurora Lights… Middle School: EXPLORE

“My teachers help me see how what I am learning can prepare me for an important job.”

“My teachers help me think about these questions:”

•Why do people go to work?

•What is their work?

•How do people learn to do the work they want to do?

•How does their work make the world a better place?

What work would I like to do?

“At Aurora LIGHTS Town Hall Meetings, we talk about what we’re learning, and we hear from guest speakers.

Last week, we heard from an expert about FASD. That’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.”

“I am working on my ICAP and thinking about so many jobs. All of the jobs that I like require more school or

training after high school.”

“We meet a lot of people who work on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Some come to our classes, but the best

part is when we go to the medical campus to see what people do there. All of the people tell us that we have to be

strong in math and science and English.”

“When we walk over to the Anschutz Medical Campus, we find out that people there do many different kinds of

work. Not just doctors and nurses. I liked the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. Maybe I’ll be an Exercise

Physiologist.”

“Some high school students came to our school to talk about their Aurora LIGHTS experiences. I want to be

there.”


Aurora Lights…

High School: PREPARE

“My teachers help me find connections between the high-level content that I am learning and career

opportunities for me. “

“I’ve been thinking about jobs for a long time, and I have ideas about how I can match my interests

and skills with a fulfilling profession. I am an Aurora LIGHTS student because I believe that I can

have a job that impacts human health. “

“I thought that I would study to become an Exercise Physiologist, but now that I am involved in a

medical device project at the Innovation HyperLab, I’ve discovered that I’m really pretty good at

inventing and building prototypes. I can use anatomy and physiology in Bioengineering!”

“I am still working on my ICAP, and I know that simply meeting basic graduation requirement is not

enough to get me where I want to go. I have to be very strong in math and science and English, and I

have to be good at thinking through problems. At the Innovation HyperLab, Dr. Tagg introduced

me to some university students who are helping me with my project.”

“I like sharing ideas and plans with other LIGHTS students, even though they have different

education and career goals in the health professions. Some of us will go to college right after high

school, and some will earn certificates and licenses that open doors to health and allied health jobs,

right away. Either way, we’ll all be prepared to go to college, when or if we decide that we should.”

“The workshops are my favorite, like the Orthopedic Surgery workshop. I learned that surgeons

work with mechanical engineers to find ways to repair broken bones and straighten spines. I don’t

think that I want to be the surgeon, but designing and testing the hardware is interesting to me. I like

the way bioengineers can make the world a better place. Our Pathway Coordinator has arranged a

visit from the UCD/AMC Bioengineering Program.”

“In LIGHTS, I’m earning college credit while I’m in high school. I’ll have more than the 12 credits

that I need to go to Community College of Aurora in the ASCENT Program, where I can earn an

Associate degree—free.”

Pathways Successes

Industry partnerships between APS and community businesses have

provided students with opportunities to experience future careers

through field experience, mentoring, internships and job

opportunities.

Pathways dual-credit and admissions agreements have greatly

prepared many students with the opportunity to finish high school

with transferrable college credit.

Pathways has done a great job providing institutions of higher

education with a clear return on investment, since culturally diverse

and highly skilled students are fulfilling college and university

recruitment goals.

Challenges with the “How” of the Current Pathways Model

Scalability- the initial model suggested that all Pathways programs would be present in every school. The current model suggests that all Pathways will be present in every high school, with broad, foundational preparation in elementary and middle schools.

Access to substantial partnerships is difficult to achieve in every school.

Highly qualified and credentialed teaching staff members are expensive and hard to come by.

Access - the current model is satisfied by elective courses that enhance the required core. There are scheduling challenges for some students. (Supported by a federal grant, the Aurora LIGHTS Pathways was designed as a pipeline to Health and Allied Health Careers.)

High school and middle school IB/MYP students face scheduling challenges.

Middle school students who are in an ELD, SPED, or yearlong music or world language courses face scheduling challenges.

The current Pathways program reaches a limited number of students.

Currently many ELD and SPED students cannot pass the Accuplacer and/or ACT requirements for concurrent enrollment.

Sustainability- the maintaining of high quality, accessible programming requires additional district and outside resources.

Student Impact- the initial goal of changing the APS culture by mandating Pathways in every school limited the effectiveness of the Pathways program in reaching all students.

College bound and/or career readiness has not been significantly impacted for non-Pathways students. (All students have access to concurrent enrollment options, if they pass the Accuplacer, regardless if they are involved in a pathway program or not.)

Although interests and talents may span more than one pathway area, students are unable to choose more than one pathway (Health Sciences, Business, STEM and Arts and Communications).

Equity

The current model operates from a deficit perspective, that is, it focuses on what cultural capital students do not have as opposed to what they do.

Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness

Foundation knowledge & skills for all career Pathways include:

Academic Content Knowledge

Civic Responsibility

Collaboration

Communication

Creativity & Innovation

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Information Technology

Global & Cultural Awareness

Personal Responsibility

Work Ethic

What core competencies would we like our APS students to be able to demonstrate P-20?

How do we increase focus on these core competencies so that they are accessible and equitable for all APS students?

How can we build upon the Pathways

model?

One way to create connected learning

opportunities that extend far beyond the

current Pathways model is to implement an

innovative digital badge framework that is being

adopted in higher education and businesses

throughout the world. Digital badges would

provide access to all students with a focus on

recognizing the development of 21st century

skills.

What are digital badges?

Digital badges are a visual representation of skills

earned through evidence of learning that are displayed

in a learner’s digital badge backpack.

Many entrepreneurial and innovative learners are

currently moving toward implementing a system

where they can create learning opportunities, build

relationships and develop post-secondary and

workforce readiness skills by creating their own

connected learning ecology that extends far beyond

our current pathways model.

What are digital badges?

What are some of the educational institutions,

businesses and organizations currently using digital

badges?

Colorado State University

Auburn University

Boise State University

Ohio State University

University of California-Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute

University of Chicago

University of Illinois-Urbana

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Washington

4-H Robotics

Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Student Network

Disney-Pixar

NASA

Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt and National Design Museum

CSU Extension Certified Gardener

Grown by: Colorado Master Gardener

Curriculum Map

The Colorado State University

Example

Example Badge Path

Trek Badges

Quest Badge

1of 11 Mastery

Badges

How can badges be used in APS

Academic and Career Pathways?

We can do much more in APS to support student

access to this kind of connected learning ecology.

We should systematically support and

acknowledge this learning so that these skills and

core competencies are accessible to all of our

students and ultimately become part of the

conversation in hiring decisions, school

acceptances, mentoring opportunities and even

self-evaluations.

The Transition

The current model… The proposed model…

Prepare students for college and careers with university credits, industry certificates and associate degrees.

Engage students through

career exploration and relevant core academics.

Position students to compete

globally for high-demand, high-skill, high-paying careers.

Prepare: by capturing and translating the learning across contexts.

Engage: by encouraging and motivating participation and learning outcomes.

Position: by formalizing and credentialing existing aspects of informal and interest-driven pursuits learning.

Next steps… Digital Badges Think Tank

More than 25 participants representing teachers of all levels, school leaders, district personnel

Thoughts from the first “Think Tank” meeting:

Badges may be earned based on skills developed and demonstrated outside of the school day, school week or school year.

This should be about 21st century and post-secondary skills

Partnerships with universities and corporations lend validity

Every badge needs to have a distinct meaning- how do they build upon one another?

Badges may make the intangible visible.

Could these represent an electronic portfolio or resume?

Badges may be able to align into a Pathway.

Representation of skills we often do not acknowledge.

“Meta-Information,” representing the learning content and process is vital

A Draft Model Aligning Digital Badges &

Pathways Through the Years

Elementary Years

• Badges may be defined as: general interest, learning reinforcement

• Soft skills development

Middle Years

Badges may:

• help define an existing Pathway

• inform initial ICAP development

• represent the exploration into new areas of interest

• Soft skills development

High School/Post-Sec. Badges may:

• inform ICAP revision/ post-sec. planning

• represent skills and abilities developed in a specific pathway

• continue to represent exploration into new areas of interest

• be represented as “resume” indicators of experience, knowledge and skills.

Research and Development Spring

2014

Groups demonstrating interest in exploring and

developing ideas around Digital Badging:

Vista Peak Exploratory

Vista Peak Prep

Jewell Elementary School

Columbia Middle School

On-Line High School

Variety of High School Teachers

QUESTIONS?

Agenda, January 7, 2014 Board of Education

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II – INFORMATIONAL REPORTS

A. BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT 6:20 - 6:30 B. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT 6:30 - 7:00

Time reserved is for the Board to receive information and discuss issues introduced by the Board, Superintendent or Leadership Team. Agenda items may be scheduled in advance or raised at the meeting. No Board action on substantive matters is taken.

C. LEADERSHIP TEAM REPORT

1. VISTA 2015 Update 7:00 - 7:15 Presentation

2. Legislative Update 7:15 - 7:45 Presentation

(Attachment under separate cover)

The Board will hear a legislative update from APS Lobbyist Mary K. Hogan.

3. Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) Annual Report 7:45 - 8:00 Presentation

(Attachment under separate cover)

Charge for the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee Overview: The Board of Education (BOE) directs the Superintendent to establish a “Bond Oversight Committee,” comprised of 10 community members, a majority of whom reside in APS, to monitor the implementation of bond projects authorized by voters on November 4, 2008. The Chief Operating Officer of Support Services will serve as liaison to the group. Charge: The BOE desires an independent review of the major projects approved by voters. The committee should meet at least quarterly and plan to provide annual progress reports to the BOE. The committee will be responsible to:

Review the process to solicit, qualify and select general contractors and vendors for major projects.

Review financial statements for congruence between the identified bond projects and spending.

Review requests for major changes in the expenditure of funds (e.g., project budget increases in amounts greater than $50,000) and make recommendation for/against such proposals.


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Make recommendations to the BOE as to policies and procedures which will enhance accountability for bond dollars to district stakeholders.

Assist in maintaining public trust and confidence in the district through active involvement in communications related to the bond projects.

Report its findings to the BOE at least annually each fall. A written report should be submitted to the BOE at this time.

Although the committee will have no independent authority to obligate district funds, the committee’s recommendations are expected to hold great credibility with and influence upon BOE decisions.

Staff Cooperation: The committee is to be granted access to reports, construction sites and documents pertinent to their investigation. Staff members and service providers shall also be made available to the committee upon request. Duration of Charge: The committee will sunset following completion of all major bond projects, but no earlier than the expensing of 90 percent of all bond proceeds. In order to ensure continuity for this multiyear assignment and to respect the committee’s volunteer members, terms ranging from one to three years will be designated for the original committee members. Future appointments to the committee will be made through the standard application process used by the district. Staff Liaison: The committee will work directly with the Chief Operating Officer of Support Services who will make necessary resources and staff available to the committee.

4. Jamaica Early Learning Center School 8:00 - 8:15

Naming Recommendation Presentation

(Attachment under separate cover) The Piton Foundation, Foundation for Educational Excellence, Gates Family Foundation and Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation have partnered with Aurora Public Schools to build a new early childhood center for children ages 3 weeks to 5 years old. The center is located adjacent to the Jamaica Child Development Center. In addition to providing a quality early learning program, the center will offer parenting classes and promote community partnerships for teen parents and families in APS. APS Board of Education Policy FF-R establishes the process for the naming of a school or facility. The policy requires that an advisory committee designated by the superintendent make a recommendation to the Board on a proposed name for each school. In accordance with this policy, Superintendent Munn requested that the APS Early Childhood Education Department include a naming recommendation as part of the charge of the Jamaica early learning advisory committee. This committee was comprised of APS and ECE staff members, education consultants and community members. The APS Communication Team will discuss this process and share the committee’s recommendation with the Board.


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5. Policy GCE/GCF-R 8:15 - 8:25 Presentation

(Attachment II-C-5)

Policy GCE/GCF-R outlines the processes and procedures which governs the recruitment and hiring of professional staff. The policy revisions were drafted to be aligned with and meet the intent of state law. The policy revisions have been reviewed by Dion Arguelles, director of employee relations; Brandon Eyre, legal counsel; and the district leadership team.

6. Vanguard Charter Agreement Addendum 8:25 - 8:35 Presentation

(Attachment II-C-6) On October 15, 2013, the Board of Education approved by resolution the charter school renewal application for Vanguard Classical School. The Board of Education will review the contract addendum.

7. Resolution Expressing the Intent to be Reimbursed 8:35 - 8:40 for Construction Costs Presentation

(Attachment II-C-7)

It is necessary to make capital expenditures to acquire and construct the new P-8 school prior to the time that the District arranges for the Certificates of Participation financing for the school. It is the expectation that when such financing occurs, the capital expenditures will be reimbursed to the district’s General Fund with the proceeds of the financing. This resolution expresses official intent of the Board to authorize these reimbursements.


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III – CONSENT AGENDA

A. BOARD OF EDUCATION

No Items

B. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

No Items

C. DIVISION OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESEARCH

1. Priority Improvement or Turnaround Staff Responsible – Escárcega Unified Improvement Plan Schools 8:40 - 8:45 Q & A

For schools/districts that are required to submit to the Colorado Department of Education, a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Unified Improvement Plan, local school boards must adopt a plan no later than January 15 of the school year in which the school is directed to adopt such a plan. Prior to adopting a plan, the school board will hold a public hearing. The Aurora Public School district and the following schools received priority improvement or turnaround status:

Aurora Public School District

Arkansas Elementary School

Crawford Elementary School

Iowa Elementary School

Paris Elementary School

Sable Elementary School

Wheeling Elementary School

Boston K-8 School

Aurora Central High School RECOMMENDATION: The Board of Education approve the plans for the indentified schools on priority improvement or turnaround accreditation status.

D. DIVISION OF EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT

1. Equity Audit of District Policies and Regulations Staff Responsible – Lavinder Q & A 8:45 - 8:46

The Board was presented with an equity audit of district policies and regulations on December 3, 2013. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the equity audit of district policies and regulations as presented.


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E. DIVISION OF FINANCE

1. 2013-14 Readopted Budget Staff Responsible – Bradshaw Q & A 8:46 - 8:48

Prior to January 31 of the current budget year, local Boards of Education may re-adopt their District budget. At the meeting on December 17, 2013, the Board was provided a revised budget with changes that have been incorporated since the original adoption in June.

Re-adoption of the 2013-14 Budget & Appropriation Resolution

WHEREAS, budgets for the 2013-14 General, Charter Schools, Athletic, Bond Redemption, Building, Colorado Preschool Program, Grants, Internal Service-Print Services, Nutrition Services, Pickens Technical College Post-Secondary, Pupil Activity/ Agency, Risk-Related Activity, School Health Services and Special Program Funds have been prepared, and; WHEREAS, in accordance with Colorado Revised Statutes, the Board of Education of each school district shall adopt a budget and an appropriation resolution for each fiscal year prior to the beginning of the school year (CRS 22-44-110(4)), and may review and change the budget any time prior to January 31(CRS 22-44-110(5)); THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education of Joint District No. 28-J of the Counties of Adams and Arapahoe adopt the following budget amounts and appropriate said amounts including appropriations by program and object in the General Fund of the adopted budget for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2014;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the amounts designated below are committed by the adoption of this budget for the specific purposes mentioned:

Fund/Program Amount Committed for the purpose of:

Athletic Fund $273,766

Student fees collected for the purpose of scholastic athletic programs and activities within the Athletic Fund.

Risk-Related Activities Fund $4,224,787

Self-insurance, premiums, claims, loss prevention and other insurance activities within the Risk Related Activities Fund.

Special Programs Fund $4,670,145

Before and after school programs, concurrent enrollment, Destination Imagination, extended-day kindergarten, secondary instrumental music, yearbook, drama, First Steps Program and other specific programs within the Special Programs Fund.


7

Capital Projects Program $7,165,490

Maintenance, renovations and improvements to structures; acquisition of school buses, equipment, land and structures; non-bond related construction and building activities within the General Fund.

Fund Re-adopted January 2014

General $ 322,563,186

Charter Schools 32,305,200

Athletic 788,622

Bond Redemption 61,160,137

Building 41,467,367

Colorado Preschool Program 6,572,017

Grants 37,698,147

Internal Service - Print Services 694,902

Nutrition Services 17,759,309

Pickens Technical College Post-Secondary 7,211,155

Pupil Activity/Agency 3,231,068

Risk-Related Activity 4,323,257

School Health Services 4,212,289

Special Programs 9,728,480

Total $ 549,715,136

RECOMMENDATION: The Board of Education adopt the resolution as presented.

2. Use of a Portion of Beginning Fund Balance Staff Responsible – Bradshaw s as Authorized by Colorado Statutes 8:48 - 8:50 Q & A

Resolution Authorizing the Use of a Portion of Beginning Fund Balance

as Authorized by Colorado Statutes

WHEREAS, C.R.S. 22-44-105 states that a budget, duly adopted pursuant to this article, shall not provide for expenditures, interfund transfers, or reserves, in excess of available revenues and beginning fund balance; WHEREAS, the Board of Education may authorize the use of a portion of the beginning fund balance in the budget, stating the amount to be used, the purpose for which the expenditure is needed, and the district’s plan to ensure that the use of the beginning fund balance will not lead to an ongoing deficit; WHEREAS, the Board of Education has determined the beginning fund balances in the General, Athletic, Bond Redemption, Building, Colorado Preschool Program, Grants,


8

Internal Service-Print Services, Nutrition Services, Pickens Technical College Post-Secondary, Pupil Activity/Agency, Risk-Related Activity, School Health Services and Special Programs are sufficient to allow for the one-time expenditures; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, in accordance with C.R.S. 22-44-105, the Board of Education authorizes the use of a portion of the FY 2013-14 Beginning Fund Balance for the following funds:

FUND AMOUNT FOR THE PURPOSE OF:

General $39,073,652 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Athletic $215,106 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Bond Redemption $25,580,904 Scheduled payment of principal and interest and the purpose of funding reserves

Building $41,367,367 Approved bond projects

Colorado Preschool Program $312,961 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Grants $2,132,290 Day-to-day operations of several grants

Internal Service – Print Services $284,902 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Nutrition Services $1,140,672 Maintaining a reserve

Pickens Tech College Post-Secondary $3,870,700 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Pupil Activity/Agency $1,031,068 Making all funds available to the students and their specific programs for which money was raised

Risk-Related Activity $98,470 Maintaining a reserve

School Health Services $3,212,289 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Special Programs $3,705,575 Maintaining a reserve and a portion for day-to-day operations

Use of the General Fund balance addressed above is due to continued and substantive reductions in per-pupil revenues, almost no growth in property valuations and associated taxes, and projected migration of students from traditional district schools to charters schools that will increase funds transferred to District charter schools. RECOMMENDATION: The Board of Education approves the resolution as presented.

F. DIVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES

1. Classified Personnel Staff Responsible – Smith 8:50 - 8:51

a. Resignation

1) Nichole Carter 11-22-13 Bus Driver, Transportation 2) Maria Gonzalez- 12-19-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Pickens Ramirez Technical College 3) Donell Jones 12-03-13 Campus Monitor, Gateway 4) DeAnn Livensparger 12-19-13 Interpreter, Educational Sign Language,

Aurora Central 5) Gail McKinley 11-26-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, South 6) Regina Springli 01-03-14 Secretary, Principal, William Smith 7) Jessica Stanley 12-16-13 Paraeducator, Before & After Assistant,

Dalton 8) Kerry Swearingen 12-13-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Gateway


9

9) Lariza Velasco 12-06-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, East 10) Temeisha Williams- 11-20-13 Paraeducator, Before & After Assistant, Nehal Side Creek 11) Thomas Zimmerman 12-19-13 Paraeducator, Transportation

b. Termination 1) Rebecca Blackman 12-04-13 Paraeducator, Severe Needs/Life Skills,

Vassar 2) Elena Flores 12-06-13 Paraeducator, Health/Office, Clyde

Miller K-8 3) James Royston 10-18-13 Paraeducator, Transportation 4) Elizabeth Schlomer 12-13-13 Paraeducator, Cross Categorical,

Pickens Technical College c. Appointment

1) Marisela Baladez 12-03-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Arkansas 2) Thyra Brown 12-03-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Sable 3) Tabitha Caswell 12-13-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Sixth

Avenue 4) Carolyne Copeland 12-03-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Side Creek 5) LaTyra Crowder 12-09-13 Paraeducator, Classroom, Iowa 6) Kimberly Finch 12-04-13 Paraeducator, Severe Needs/Life Skills,

Murphy Creek P-8 7) Johanna Garcia 12-13-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Sable 8) Alicia Harper 12-13-13 Paraeducator, Classroom, Kenton 9) Malissa Hubble 12-02-13 Bus Driver, Transportation 10) Diane Johnson 12-09-13 Coordinator, GED Assessment,

Accountability & Research 11) Karen Kirkpatrick 12-09-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Century 12) Ryan Lombardi 12-10-13 Campus Monitor, Gateway 13) Sarah McLean 12-04-13 Educational Assistant, Technology,

Hinkley 14) Michelle Moe 12-10-13 Paraeducator, Classroom, Vista Peak

Exploratory 15) Nayeli Molina 12-09-13 Paraeducator, Preschool, Jamaica CDC 16) Mirna Oviedo 12-03-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Side Creek 17) Christian Owens 12-13-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Sable 18) Camila Pena 12-03-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Side Creek 19) Carolyn Price 12-02-13 Paraeducator, Transportation 20) Tamar Rowlette 12-06-13 Paraeducator, Severe Needs/Life Skills,

South 21) Patricia Salas 12-02-13 Clerk, Department, Hinkley 22) Debbi Stutz 12-09-13 Facilitator, Preschool, Jamaica CDC 23) Sofia Vallarte - 12-02-13 Facilitator, Preschool, Jamaica CDC Hernandez 24) Brandon Velikaneye 11-27-13 Technician, Maintenance, Exterior

Operations, Facilities 25) LouElla Wright 12-09-13 Bus Driver, Transportation


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d. Leave of Absence

1) Henrietta Heck 11-04-013 Medical Manager, Cook II, North 2) Lillie Martinez 11-15-13 Family care Paraeducator, Cross Categorical, North

e. Return from Leave of Absence 1) Henrietta Heck 12-03-13 Manager, Cook II, North 2) Vanessa Slegl 12-13-13 Paraeducator, Transportation

f. Reassignment

Gail McKinley 11-18-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Jewell to

South g. Transfer 1) Debra Bailey 11-18-13 Paraeducator, Media Assistant to

Educational Assistant, Media Technician, Elkhart

2) Kevin Childs 12-10-13 Paraeducator, Cross Categorical to Campus Monitor, Gateway

3) Michelle Maldonado 11-18-13 Assistant, Nutrition Services, Murphy Creek K-8 to Manager, Cook 1, Global Village

2. Licensed Personnel Staff Responsible – Smith Staff Responsible – Smith

8:51 - 8:52

a. Resignation 1) Steven Beaudoin 12-03-13 Math/TOSA-Teacher Leader, South 2) Katherine Bossman 12-20-13 Grade 4, Paris 3) Joshua Brenning 12-20-13 Social Studies, Vista Peak Exploratory 4) Mary Claire Cartford 01-09-14 Audiologist, ESC 1 5) Claire Kachidian 12-20-13 Math, Rangeview 6) Elizabeth Sweeney 12-20-13 English Language Arts, Mrachek b. Appointment 1) Jessica Brown 12-05-13 Grade 2, Vista Peak Exploratory 2) MacKenzie Bruns 01-06-14 Intervention Teacher, Fletcher 3) Deborah Eberly 12-16-13 Intervention Teacher, Side Creek 4) Laura Kirk 12-02-13 Grade 2, Yale 5) Lindsay Lammers 01-06-14 Intervention Teacher, Fletcher 6) Gregory Urman 11-22-13 Math, North


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c. Leave of Absence 1) Catherine DeVan 12-03-13 Medical Kindergarten, Altura 2) McKenzie Vallot 11-25-13 Medical Grade 2, Murphy Creek P-8

d. Return from Leave of Absence 1) Angela Martinez 12-02-13 Grade 4, Fletcher 2) Karen McBroom 12-02-13 Art, North 3) Veronica Parks-Ramos 12-03-13 ELA Teacher, Vista Peak Preparatory

e. Reassignment 1) Barbara Larson 11-21-13 ACE Work Study Teacher, Pickens

Technical College to ESS, ESC 2 2) Carolyn Todd 11-21-13 ACE Work Study Teacher, Pickens

Technical College to ESS, ESC 2 f. Transfer Deborah Butler 12-02-13 Grade 2, Vista Peak Exploratory to

TOSA, Administrative Support, Park Lane

3. Non-Licensed Administrative & Professional/ Staff Responsible – Smith

Technical Personnel 8:52 - 8:53 a. Resignation

Carlynn Fitzgerald 01-03-14 Coordinator, Nutrition Services, ESC 3

b. Appointment 1) Rhonda Hammerquist 11-21-13 Coordinator, Healthy Schools, Nutrition

Services, ESC 3 2) Raymond Hooker 12-03-13 Coordinator, School Based Pathways,

ESC 1 3) Debra McCammond 12-02-13 Coordinator, Childcare Programs,

Jamaica CDC 4) Wendy Sullivan 01-06-14 Coordinator, Charter Schools, ESC 2 RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the personnel actions.

G. DIVISION OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES No Items


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H. DIVISION OF SUPPORT SERVICES

1. Student Organization Charter – Vista PEAK HOSA Staff Responsible – Sturges Q & A 8:53 - 8:58

(Attachment III-H-1) The purpose of the club is to build confidence in students and their work by providing opportunities to assume responsibilities and develop personal and occupational competencies and social skills that lead to realistic career choices and successful employment in the health care field. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Vista PEAK HOSA

club charter as presented.

2. Student Organization Charter – Vista PEAK Staff Responsible – Sturges Technology Student Association – Visual and Design Arts 8:58 - 9:03 Q & A

(Attachment III-H-2) The purpose of the club is to increase knowledge and understanding of the technological world and assist technology education students in making informed and meaningful career goals. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Vista PEAK Technology Student Association – Visual and Design Arts club as presented.

3. Student Organization Charter – Vista PEAK Staff Responsible – Sturges Creative Careers 9:03 - 9:08 Q & A

(Attachment III-H-3)

The purpose of the club Creative Careers club chapter is to provide additional opportunities for postsecondary and high school students to develop vocational competencies for visual and fine arts. Creative Careers is an integral part of the instructional program and promotes a sense of civic and personal responsibility. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Vista PEAK Creative Careers club as presented.

4. Student Organization Charter – Vista PEAK Staff Responsible – Sturges Technology Student Association – STEM 9:08 - 9:13 Q & A

(Attachment III-H-4)


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The purpose of the club is to increase knowledge and understanding of the technological world and assist technology education students in making informed and meaningful career goals.

RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Vista PEAK Technology Student Association – STEM club as presented.

5. Student Organization Charter – Vista PEAK Staff Responsible – Sturges Latino Student Alliance 9:13 - 9:18 Q & A

(Attachment III-H-5) The purpose of the club is to foster unity among Latino students by providing a forum for all students to explore and celebrate identity and culture and to engage and connect with one another. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Latino Student Alliance club as presented.

6. Student Organization Charter – Gateway Staff Responsible – Sturges Invisible Children 9:18 - 9:23 Q & A

(Attachment III-H-6) The purpose of the club is to bring awareness and raise funds for the Invisible Children’s organization. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Invisible Children club charter as presented.

7. Student Organization Charter – Aurora Central Staff Responsible – Sturges Black Student Alliance 9:23 - 9:28 Q & A

(Attachment III-H-7) The purpose of the club is to create and maintain Black cultural consciousness and identity. RECOMMENDATION: The Board approve the application for the Black Student Alliance club as presented.


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IV – BOARD WORK

A. Ends Conversation

1. Policy Perception Checklist 9:28 - 9:38 Did the Board receive information at tonight’s meeting that requires a policy

change?

Did the Board receive information at tonight’s meeting that requires additional

information or monitoring?

2. Open Dialogue 9:38 - 9:48

B. Board Self-Monitoring 9:48 - 9:58

Dan Jorgensen, Self-Monitoring Facilitator


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V – CONCLUDING ITEMS

A. OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCE

B. NEXT MEETING DATE

The next meeting of the Board of Education will be held on January 21, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. in the Dr. Edward and Mrs. Patricia Lord Boardroom of Educational Services Center 4.

C. ADJOURNMENT

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Attachment II-C-5

Policy GCE/GCF-R – Recruiting and Hiring of Professional Staff

AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS APS Code: GCE/GCF-R

Approved February 1981

Recoded October 1998

Issued December 1998

Revised December 2011

PROFESSIONAL STAFF RECRUITING/HIRING

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To maintain control and continuity in the hiring and transferring of teachers, no one other than the

Division of Human Resources is to make a commitment for employment or assignment. All

scheduling of interviews and decisions on employment status are communicated to applicants through

the Division of Human Resources.

The outline of procedures followed in the hiring process are described below.

I. Application

A. Completed applications for teaching positions, either contract or substitute are to be

filled electronically by each applicant after which they are screened and maintained

online by the licensed personnel office.

B. In areas where applicants are scarce, the District will initiate and maintain an active

recruitment effort.

II. Screening

A. When all requested information is received to complete an applicant's file, the file is

screened by the licensed personnel office.

B. A complete file consists of the application, placement papers and a resume.

C. Each file is coded to identify subject areas which the candidate is qualified to teach

and to indicate if qualified for coaching.

III. Selection for General Interviews

A. General interviews are conducted, as needed, throughout the year to maintain a

sufficient number of well-qualified candidates in the employment pool.

B. Candidates to be interviewed are selected by the principals or other appropriate

administrators from among the list of qualified applicants with complete and screened

electronic files.







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C. Additional input for those selected to be interviewed may be received by principals

and other appropriate administrators and that additional input, if appropriate, shall be

submitted to the licensed personnel office.

D. Principals are encouraged to observe and evaluate substitutes to determine whether

they should be considered for general interviews.

IV. Conducting General Interviews

A. Interviews are arranged for the selected candidates by the principals or other

appropriate administrators or by the licensed personnel office.

B. Candidates are interviewed by a combination of building administrators, teachers and,

if appropriate, subject area consultants, a parent representative and/or an

administrator from the Division of Human Resources.

C. Interviewers are provided a suggested series of questions to be used during the

interview.

V. Unassigned Hiring

A. Following completion of the general interviews, a limited number of qualified

candidates may be hired unassigned, depending on anticipated staffing needs in the

District.

VI. Selection for Specific Vacancies

A. As specific vacancies occur, principals or other appropriate administrators will

complete and submit to the licensed personnel office the form entitled "Personnel

Request Form."

B. All vacancies are posted within the District so that teachers have an opportunity to

request a transfer.







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C. Interviews are arranged for teachers requesting transfers unless the principal or other

appropriate administrator knows the capabilities of the teacher, in which case the

teacher is considered but not interviewed.

D. New employees hired as provided in VI.A. are not given specific assignments until all

requests for transfer have been considered.

VII. Interviewing for Specific Vacancies

A. Interviews are arranged for the selected candidates by the principal or other

appropriate administrator or the licensed personnel office. Generally, three to five

candidates will be interviewed for a vacancy.

B. If none of the candidates are acceptable to the principal or other appropriate

administrator, additional candidates (if available) will be interviewed at the principal's

or other appropriate administrator’s request.

C. Candidates for itinerant positions will be interviewed and recommended for

employment by the principals or other appropriate administrators who share joint

responsibility for the assignment.

D. During the summer months, if the principal or other appropriate administrator or

designee is not available when a vacancy occurs, the position may be filled by other

appropriate District personnel and the licensed personnel office, depending on the

number of qualified applicants in the pool.

VIII. Recommendation for Employment

A. The principal or other appropriate administrator shall make a recommendation for

employment in writing to the licensed personnel office.

B. The principal or other appropriate administrator or the licensed personnel office will







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perform the necessary reference checks. The licensed office will then conduct a

criminal background check.

C. The successful candidate is contacted by the licensed personnel office and verbally

offered the position. If the candidate accepts, the principal or other appropriate

administrator is notified and the candidate is sent a letter of intent. A job offer is

contingent upon approval by the Board of Education.

D. The candidate's name is then placed on an appropriate Board of Education agenda for

appointment.

IX. Fingerprinting Non-licensed Administrators

A. All non-licensed applicants selected for employment in an administrative position must

submit a complete set of fingerprints taken by a qualified law enforcement agency or

an authorized district employee and a notarized, completed form (described in B

below) as required by state law.

B. On the form the applicant must certify that he or she has never been convicted of a

felony or misdemeanor charge, not including any misdemeanor traffic offense, or that

he or she has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor charge (not including any

misdemeanor traffic offense). If the candidate affirms a conviction, the form must

specify the felony or misdemeanor, the date of conviction and the court entering

judgment.

C. The school district will release the fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of

Investigation for the purpose of conducting a state and national fingerprint based

criminal history record check utilizing the records of the Colorado Bureau of

Investigation and the Federal Bure

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