February 11, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Dustin Hunt Deb Brown Breez Daniels Billie Jo Norsworthy James Lash Nichole Ciz Emma Christoffersen Nichole Weyer Scott Shoop Travis Bomengen Cortney O’Connor London Jenks Lexi Yarrington (delayed)

Assessment Liaison: Parke Price Guests: Aimee Kay, Dawn Peterson

1. Review of CCC Norms: Superintendent Hunt reviewed CCC meeting norms.

2. Review of the January 14, 2016 meeting summary: CCC meeting summary was accepted as written.

3. Old Business: None

4. New Business: “Getting Kids Reading” professional development evaluation results Evaluation results were shared with Council members. Superintendent Hunt stated that Mr. Johnston may be invited back to do a community/stakeholder presentation in the future. Although many HSCSD #1 staff have heard Mr. Johnston’s presentation; the program in January served as a welcome refresher for veteran staff and important information for new staff. CD’s of Mr. Johnston’s presentation are available for check out. Principal Brown noted that the majority of responding RWE staff fell in the Excellent or Good professional development evaluation categories on all key points of the presentation.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion items: SpED J. Lash-HSCSD #1 Special Education department is hosting an open house on February 18, 6-7:30 pm in the boardroom. Terri Dawson, Director of Wyoming State PIRC, will be here to work with parents assisting with questions regarding special education regulations and information on http://www.wpic.org/ Several SpED staff attended an Autism training. HSCSD #1 may partner with Cody and Powell, working through the Autism Treatment Center in Cody. TMS B. Daniels-TMS focus in January included completing MAP testing followed by data analysis and reflection on MAP student data. Principal Daniels shared a handout, exemplifying how and why TMS uses MAP data. Staff worked together during Friday roundtable discussions. RWE D. Brown- A Day in Your Life continues at RWE. Kindergarten traded with 4th grade; 3rd grade will exchange with 1st grade. Teachers shared their experience with staff. Participating teachers requested they have the opportunity to observe their exchange partner in the traded classroom during reading and math. Friday, RWE will celebrate MAP successes with construction of achievement chain links and an assembly. RWE will host three more achievement assemblies. As of January 25th, tardies are being counted at RWE. There have been no negative parental comments. An update for RWE READ 180 results- 88% of targeted students have met or exceeded growth goals. 63% have doubled growth and 13% are back in the regular classroom for reading.

HS S. Shoop-High School continues to develop the HSCHS PLC with teachers meeting before school and for an hour after classes on Friday when there is no district scheduled professional development. Staff is focusing on continued development of fundamental skills that effect instruction. During planning periods, staff are using peer observation followed by a brief discussion to address classroom rigor. Four HS staff members traveled to Cody for training on classroom rigor. Ms. O’Connor- high school plans two more Challenge days this spring with activities and discussion groups. Juniors continue to work with freshmen, offering guidance to the younger students. After meeting with seniors and senior parents, it was determined that 72% of the class of 2016 are college bound, 18% plan to join a branch of military service, 7% plan to immediately join the work force and 1% plan a religious mission. Juniors are prepping for the April ACT. Juniors have taken one pretest and will have the opportunity to take another in March. Students are using time Friday morning to review skills necessary to be successful at the ACT. Two Hot Springs County students received University of Wyoming Trustee scholarships based on excellent ACT scores.

6. Assessment Review: TMS--A. Kay presented 7th & 8th grade science assessments and protocol documents. Ms. Kay stated that collaboration and PLC techniques, both formal and informal, have assisted her in developing curriculum and enhanced teaching skills. Superintendent Hunt commended Ms. Kay as an excellent example of a solitary core subject area teacher, utilizing PLC concepts to benefit her students. RWE--D. Peterson shared 2nd grade reading and math assessments with council members. Ms. Peterson noted comments and will share with the 2nd grade team. Superintendent Hunt thanked Ms. Kay and Ms. Peterson for their willingness to attend CCC and present their work. HS-none High School will share activities, lessons and/or projects in March. TMS will not be presenting in March due to PAWS. In closing, Superintendent Hunt:

• start time change to the board o more collaboration time

• Future of assessment review as the process evolves • Assessment review process at building level • Protocol checks & the strength of the review process • CCC addressing more parts of the PLC process • Planning for next year

CCC concluded at 3:40 p.m.

March 10, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Dustin Hunt Billie Jo Norsworthy James Lash Nichole Ciz Emma Christoffersen Catie Deromedi Travis Bomengen Cortney O’Connor London Jenks

Assessment Liaison: Parke Price Guest: Sharon Cordingly

--Odyssey discussion as added agenda item

1. Review of CCC Norms: Superintendent Hunt reviewed CCC meeting norms. S. Hunt reiterated the importance of the meeting norms, stating that CCC meetings should be a safe place to share concerns and a place to speak freely. Also noted was the importance of #4. No Parking Lot conversations, preserving the sanctity of council business.

2. Review of the February 11, 2016 meeting summary: CCC meeting summary was accepted as written.

3. Old Business:

WyCEL ECHO Project-HSCSD#1- Presentation postponed until a full CCC council is available

4. New Business:

“Schools Cannot Do It Alone” w/J. Vollmer professional development evaluation results Council members reviewed evaluation results. Based on evaluation results from 2015-2016 Professional Development speakers/trainings, Superintendent Hunt asked Council members to solicit feedback from building staff for future Professional Development wants/needs or particular topics.

Origo Math – RWE N. Ciz presented a preliminary proposal addressing the renewal of Origo math for kindergarten. Origo math offers numerous online resources. Kindergarten teachers proposed adding student workbooks. Origo math was used in the kindergarten classrooms last year. The program was purchased for kinder and first grade classrooms. First grade opted out of the program, finding the program less than effective. The cost of the renewal and addition of student workbooks has not been determined. A kindergarten representative will address the proposal at the April CCC. Further investigation into the program will be undertaken with the assistance of secondary math personnel, determining if the program has been effective and verifying alignment with the HSCSD #1 math curriculum. Origo math may be used as a supplemental program. The initial purchase of Origo Math was not administered through the prescribed CCC curriculum resource selection process.

Preliminary resource proposal discussion– TMS o Catie, Literacy: C. Deromedi presented a preliminary Literacy proposal for TMS. Ms. Deromedi

explained the process TMS staff used in determining appropriate literacy resource materials. 5th grade plans to utilize a guided reading approach, 6th-8th may employ an independent reading structure. Lexile levels were used in the selection process as were online resources including Fountas & Pinnell Literacy and titles suggested by Common Core. Resources will be housed in grade level tubs, with tubs containing a variety of genres & Lexile ranges. Grade level tubs will not duplicate titles. High interest books may be available in more than one location.

After discussion, it was determined that paperback books would be ordered, allowing for a larger, more diverse selection of books for students. Books will be stored in classrooms. Teachers are open to suggestion regarding literacy selections. Superintendent Hunt asked that all titles be researched thoroughly, ensuring all materials avoid controversial or inappropriate topics. In addition, S. Hunt requested that Lexile scores be added with each title in the final proposal. Preliminary budget figures: $1,000.00 per grade level 6th-8th grade $1500.00-$1,800.00 5th grade selections A few more essential pieces may be added following summer curriculum and assessment training. CCC was in full consensus regarding the new selection process and Literacy tub plan.

o Parke, Technology: P. Price presented a preliminary technology proposal for TMS. Mr. Price shared a handout depicting the software packages and some of the funding expectations. It was stated that TMS will not be using Odyssey in the future. L. Jenks shared the changes expected with Odyssey in the future. Compass Learning is offering an updated program called Hybridge. The program would continue to be self-hosted. Compass Learning will gradually phase out Odyssey. A limited number of high school students currently use Odyssey. IDEA will continue to assist with funding.

https://compasslearning.com/hybridge/ TMS teachers, attending the national NCTM conference in April, will further research AIM’s web.

Reflex math is utilized by lower grade levels; MangaHigh math is being used at the upper grade levels, noted for its student customization capabilities. Superintendent Hunt asked that the final proposal, slated for presentation at May CCC, be prioritized in anticipation of potential funding issues. Also noted was the need to check for replication between software packages.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion items:

SpED J. Lash- Mr. Lash shared that the February Special Services open house was a success with excellent participation feedback. Terri Dawson, speaker for the evening, was well received. Two parents attended the Parent Information Center conference in Casper following the open house. Special Services paraprofessionals will now all be using Chromebooks. Chromebooks are a more cost effective tool for paras. Paras will be trained on use of the Chromebooks and Google docs March 11. Shared folders will be created to allow a student’s team access to pertinent information and notes regarding the student. --2016 PAWS-ALT administration is almost complete. --2016 ELL ACCESS administration is complete. TMS C. Deromedi-A positive praise jar has been placed in the TMS office. Teachers that call home with positive student feedback place their name and the student’s name in the jar. A drawing from the jar determines a weekly winner. 2016 PAWS administration is well underway. A PAWS preparation period prior to the administration window helped prepare students for testing. The test prep was built into pacing guides. TMS Math and Science teachers switched grade levels, lending unique expertise and a different perspective to the process. HSCSD #1 is hosting the North Central math conference. High school and middle school teachers will be attending. Organizers include P. Price, C. Deromedi, J. Smith, E. Hergert, & S. Czarobski. The physical education department will be recognized at the next Board of Trustee meeting i.e. hiking & biking Monday, WDE will be at TMS for PAWS security review. Classroom testing procedure and PAWS test security will be under review.

HS C. O’Connor- High school plans to MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test 9th graders Fall 2016. The decision to administer MAP will be a yearly one. The benefits include another source of data and student familiarity with the assessment. April 19th has been designated test day. Juniors will take the ACT; 9th & 10th grade will take ASPIRE. High School will host an academic achievement celebration in late March. Career Fair will take place Friday, March 11th. Representatives from a number of area colleges, industry leaders and military reps will be available for students 8th- 12th grade. Qualifications for Hathaway scholarships may soon be based on any national percentile rank college entrance exam and a student’s GPA. Currently, only ACT and GPA act as qualifiers. Ms. O’Connor asked for input on possible speakers for the academic awards night. RWE D. Hunt- PAWS testing is currently being administered. Superintendent Hunt noted that tracking PAWS materials is a challenge. RWE is currently developing the 2016-2017 schedule, working to enable all staff to participate in collaboration. Work includes aligning RWE culture to the Mission/Vision statement, with a goal of prioritizing immediate needs and moving forward in a positive manner. Staff members have been encouraged to write an introductory letter to the 2016-2017 principal; Ms. Graves may be in district occasionally during 4th quarter. 82 parents and students were present at the first grade family night. Superintendent’s Superintendent Hunt- Legislators predict a 1% cut in funding, with 2.4% cut in funding over the next two years. The district’s goal is to avoid cutting people or programs. The Board of Trustees with meet with staff to determine what funds are available and how they will be utilized. A new business manager will be on board for the 2016-2017 school year. The board of trustees approved an annual $250.00 stipend for certified staff not federally funded, to purchase the electronic device/tool of their choice. New teachers will receive a onetime $500.00 stipend to purchase a machine of their choice. As of 2016-2017, the district will no longer be buying laptops for certified staff. This practice will ensure people have a preferred device. Technology support for the devices will continue. New staff will receive their stipend in the August payroll, continuing staff will receive their stipend in the September payroll. The technology committee is working to ascertain the needs of teachers, making sure placement of technology equipment is appropriate. Determinations may include Interactive SMARTBoards vs. SMART televisions in classrooms. Some of the benefits of TV’s include substantially lower prices and much better visibility. Assessment Review: RWE—Ms. Cordingly shared a reading and two math assessment with council members. The first grade team have revised the assessments, working on vocabulary. Superintendent Hunt congratulated the team on a job well done. The team may revise the assessments further during curriculum and assessment training this summer. Ms. Cordingly noted the comments and suggestions of council members and will share the feedback with her team. HS L. Jenks-High school is moving forward with discussion on rigor, defining rigor, & how it applies to assessments and general classroom instruction.

Teach Like a Champion philosophy is ongoing at HSCHS.

Staff are using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Mr. Jenks gave an overview of DOK and shared examples of assessments aligned to the levels of DOK.

In closing, Superintendent Hunt touched on a few next steps:

Practice Perfect, admin book study. The book may be the piece teachers need next.

Prioritizing support software in May proposals

Development of a Technology Resource Outreach Committee with parent representatives Mr. Price and Mr. Jenks volunteered to serve on the committee. Areas of concern included getting word out to parents regarding the availability of support software. The district is paying for parental access for several support programs. Ideas for information dissemination included:

digital letter to parents over the summer, informational letter home with reports cards at the end of the year magnet with info to be distributed with the current year’s calendar magnet promotion at Back to School nights and P/T conferences family night focused on technology resources

Upcoming Agenda items

Resource material proposals for April

Technology resource materials proposals for May

CCC concluded at 3:40 p.m.

April 14, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Dustin Hunt Billie Jo Norsworthy James Lash Lexi Yarrington Nichole Ciz Emma Christoffersen Breez Daniels Scott Shoop Travis Bomengen Cortney O’Connor London Jenks

Assessment Liaison: Parke Price Guest: T. Olsen, C. Hamer, L. Shaffer, B. Webber, S. Haughian

1. Review of CCC Norms:

Superintendent Hunt reviewed CCC meeting norms. S. Hunt reiterated the importance of the meeting norms, stating that CCC meetings should be a safe place to share concerns and a place to speak freely. Assessment norms were reviewed.

2. Review of the March 10, 2016 meeting summary: CCC meeting summary was accepted with the following revisions: Under agenda item 5, Reports, Analysis & Discussion items, Superintendent’s portion, Mr. Lash asked that Special Services staff be added to the list of certified staff that do not receive stipends for purchase of electronic devices of their choice. Special Services will continue to purchase machines for SS Staff. In addition, Mr. Price noted a typographical error on page 3. March CCC meeting summary was modified to reflect the changes.

3. Old Business: • WyCEL ECHO Project-HSCSD#1- Presentation postponed • Final resource proposal-TMS Literacy

o Principal Daniels shared itemized grade level literacy resource lists which include titles for the proposed genre grade level tubs as well as a Hot Springs County historical selection tub in partnership with the Hot Springs County Museum. The estimated literacy total is $4938.00. It was suggested the proposal include an additional $200-$300 to cover any materials added during the Summer 2016 curriculum training and assessment review. The proposed literacy materials cover a broad range of topics and Lexile scores, addressing the interests and reading skills of the excelling student and struggling readers. The Curriculum council was in full consensus; the proposal will now go to the HSC Board of Trustees and 30-day public review window.

• Origo Math (postponed until later in the agenda) • Professional Development: Building Level input for future presenters/trainings

o Superintendent Hunt shared information regarding an opportunity for monies to fund projects to enhance the classroom curriculum—Wyoming Trust Fund for Innovative Education. https://edu.wyoming.gov/beyond-the-classroom/grants/innovative-education/ Applications are due by 5 pm May 27, 2016. Teachers are encouraged to participate, assistance for applicants will be available.

o RWE-Ms. Graves will be introducing Math workshops and presenters for Professional Contract Friday’s 2016-2017. A school-wide discipline plan will be an additional focus for 16-17. It was noted that RWE staff will be trading two Professional Contract days in May for two in August 2016 to allow for a staff retreat with new administrator, Ms. Graves. Reading program training will be scheduled after Ms. Graves gets settled; peer staff training will be utilized.

o TMS- 5th grade teachers may participate in the RWE math workshops. As follow up to Teach Like a Champion and Growth Mindset; TMS will be using Practice Perfect by Doug Lemov for a school wide book study 2016-2017. The administrative team did a book study with the text this Spring.

Teachers may be participating in a conference August 2016 with focus on best practices to assist students in retaining information.

o HS-Staff expressed a need for training in NWEA MAP administration and reports. Ninth graders will be taking MAP this fall. Motivational speaker, Dr. Gale Gorke, has presented for 21st CCLC Lights On staff. There was interest in scheduling her for a district-wide presentation. Plans for a “School of Experts” and the associated training is under development. The plan will integrate well with 1-1 model school. It was noted that the jobs our current students may have upon completion of their formal education may not even exist yet. Work continues on school-wide culture.

o SS-An Autism expert will be working with the special services staff. Training for IEP (Individual Education Plan) development supporting grade level outcomes is also planned.

o Please send any additional Professional Development ideas/thoughts to Carol.

• Disseminating parental access information for support software aka Technology Outreach Committee o Committee members will include Superintendent Hunt, L. Jenks, C. Hamer, P. Price, N. Ciz, T.

Olsen and possibly one more core HS teacher. Primary kick off will be Fall 2016. Information will be shared with community and parents at Back to School nights, Parent/Teacher conferences, District Website, District Facebook pages. The council may meet as soon as next week to ascertain best practices and establish a structural foundation. Items that may be addressed include, Innovation School, flipped classrooms, Cloud access, and digital snow days.

4. New Business: • Dr. A. Muhammad PLC professional development evaluation results.

Council members reviewed evaluation results. It was suggested that evaluation sheets go out to buildings after a training, allowing staff to fill out the forms at their convenience. It was stated that Dr. Muhammad will be presenting to the Wyoming Department of Education.

• Proposed resource materials 2016-2017 o Elementary Health Curriculum: Mrs. Kerr will be utilizing the online Health and wellness curriculum.

RWE admin and staff are currently working to develop a new schedule for 2016-2017; Friday’s schedule will cover math and reading as well as some other curricular areas, including Social Studies, Art, Foreign Language/Culture and Health & Nutrition on a rotating basis. Science will continue to be taught in the regular classrooms. Mrs. Weber will be the Ralph Witters K-4 Science specialist. Subject area experts will assist in planning and purchasing for the Friday sessions and may co-teach or demonstrate in their area of expertise. Mrs. Kerr will partner with the food service personnel, making lunch time an educational enjoyable experience. Food service personnel have been working to develop a menu plan that encompasses more scratch cooking and better addresses the specific dietary needs of students. Portion control, meal presentation and improved serving practices have been under discussion. RWE resource proposal: Ms. Ciz shared an itemized resource proposal with council members. Funds needed to address requested items totaled approximately $13,500.00. After discussion, Superintendent Hunt asked that RWE staff review the proposal and reduce the requested amount by half. Ms. Ciz and S. Hunt will contact companies to try and reduce the overall costs. In addition, staff will research the difference in cost when buying workbooks vs. printing workbook pages on the copier. RWE will present a revised resource proposal in May. It was stated that Ms. Graves plans to develop a science lab and required funds total $8000.00. Superintendent Hunt and L. Jenks plan to investigate the possibility of applying for grant monies to finance the science lab.

Superintendent Hunt stated that each building traditionally receive $15000.00 annually for resource materials. Often, one building does not use the entire budgeted amount and monies have been shared between buildings. Discussion regarding when cursive writing is introduced at RWE resulted in a possible change. RWE may focus on good printing skills and cursive may be introduced to students later. HS resource proposal: Principal Shoop shared new course proposals with council members. Financial Algebra; AP Calculus AB; Honors Earth Systems and Space Science; Online and Print Media; Advanced Music; Digital Learning (www.Lynda.com ) & Vehicle Maintenance (name TBD) *In addition, the high school proposed the dissolution of the Auto Technology program. Fewer students are interested in Autos & new staffing exhibit strength in construction technology program. Some costs may be incurred during the transition. Dispersion of unused auto equipment will be addressed. Lynda.com offers excellent elective opportunities to students. Thousands of courses are available, some following a specific career path and resulting in a certification, making student immediately employable following completion of the prescribed courses. Instructors are industry leaders and experts in their fields. More advanced courses are available as students move through the system. Courses are self-paced, student-driven, advisor approved self-directed learning student learning contracts with room for adjustment time management skills expanded student opportunities courses are available to all HS students and HS staff student portfolio and end course project may be part of grading –TBD annual cost-$7500.00

Principal Shoop also handed out a resource material proposal with requested materials/funds totaling approximately $3400.00. CCC was in consensus on (a) dissolution of Auto Tech, (b) transition to focus on construction tech, (c) new proposed courses, (d) purchase of Lynda.com and (e) purchase of proposed resource materials. The proposals will now go the HSC Board of Trustees and a 30-day public review window. Further logistics for Lynda.com courses will be addressed and shared at May CCC.

Return to Old Business-Kindergarten Team and Origo The Kinder team addressed CCC regarding continuation of Origo with the addition of online resources and workbooks for each kinder student. It was the understanding of the kinder team that the district had paid for online access for 2015-2016 but the team was unable to access the online resource for most of the school year. This will be addressed with the company during the renewal process for 2016-2017. The team also indicated the importance of using student workbook pages vs. running the pages on the copier. They felt the color pages were of high importance. Origo Math is highly aligned to Common Core and the program integrates other core subjects. Math MAP scores have shown a marked improvement since the inception of the program. The team felt the program meets individual student needs. The team uses self-developed outcome assessments in conjunction with the assessments in the program. CCC was in consensus regarding continuation of Origo Math for Kindergarten.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion items:

SpED: Mr. Lash attended the Spring Wyoming Association of Special Education Administrators. He noted that many districts struggle with special services student assessment scores. The district is moving towards the least restrictive environment for students, including regular classroom attendance utilizing a co-teaching model. The final Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS) meeting will be held in Riverton.

The district is reviewing another Wyoming district’s Positive Behavior Intervention plan. The move of the RWE intervention specialist to a bigger classroom has proven successful.

Final referrals are being completed. The SpED co-teaching model has been highly successful at the Middle School. Some Special Education teachers will help with summer school. Co-teaching model may be introduced at the high school. Online needs for special services high school students will be assessed. Superintendent: A business manager, C. Johnson, has been hired for 2016-2017. Mr. Johnson will be onboard May 16, working with C. Anderson. Ms. Graves will be in district April 15. There will be a casual meet and greet with RWE staff. Ms. Graves will finalize the RWE schedule for 2016-2017. Superintendent Hunt and five HSC Board of Trustee members attended the National School Boards Association conference in Boston. High School: Working towards becoming a school of experts, students and staff. 9th, 10th and 11th graders will be testing April 19th. ASPIRE and ACT Prom April 23rd

6. Assessment Review: Mr. Olsen presented a 6th grade social studies assessment for council review. Members shared suggestions for the assessment. Mr. Olsen stated the sixth grade social studies assessments were aligned to the Wyoming Social Studies Content and Performance standards. Mr. Olsen applauded the opportunities available for teaching staff, noting the advantages of horizontal and vertical collaboration. A council member requested more assessment review at the High School level, with emphasis on how assessments reflect new rigor levels and alignment to Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and feedback for HS staff. High School will be presenting assessments for review at May CCC.

May 12, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Lexie Yarrington Nichole Weyer Catie Deromedi Nichole Ciz Breez Daniels Scott Shoop Cortney O’Connor London Jenks

Assessment Liaison: Parke Price Guests: L. Graves, T. Helms, CJ Scholl, D. Daniels, J. Emery, S. Radabaugh Principal Daniels introduced and welcomed 2016-2017 RWE Principal Laurie Graves.

1. Review of CCC Norms:

Principal B. Daniels reviewed CCC meeting norms.

2. Review of the April 14, 2016 meeting summary: CCC meeting summary was accepted as written.

3. Old Business: • WyCEL ECHO Project-C. Deromedi gave an overview of the presentation and shared pertinent parts with

council members. The presentation has received positive feedback from Wyoming superintendents. • RWE resource material proposal: 2016-17 RWE Principal, Ms. Graves shared a handout with materials

and associated costs for the Science lab. The designated room will require some remodeling to take place summer 2016. L. Jenks is assisting in grant funding opportunities for both the RWE Science lab and TMS MakerSpace lab. CCC reached consensus on the RWE Science lab proposal. N. Ciz shared a revised RWE resource material proposal. CCC had requested the total expenditures proposed in April be cut by 50%. After difficult discussion and prioritizing, the new proposal met that criteria. Handwriting without Tears has been cut from the proposal with the exception of desk strips for Kindergarten. Teachers will continue to teach handwriting skills and staff will work with administrators to ensure writing skills continuity, accountability and consistency be part of instruction throughout grade levels. A HSCSD #1 Board of Trustee representative expressed concern at removing Handwriting Without Tears due to the continuing success of the program. Board discussion regarding the matter will take place. Cursive writing may be moved to the 4th grade curriculum, allowing early elementary students additional time to work on printing skills. CCC reached consensus on the revised RWE resource material proposal. Other discussion points included:

o Budget breakout of consumables vs. hard copy resource materials and how that may affect annual individual building resource material budgets

o Addition of budget lines for equipment, supplies, subscriptions Each building’s needs differ

o Proposal to allow new teachers additional summer curriculum training time over and above the hours allotted to veteran teachers. Board of Trustee discussion is planned.

o Principal Daniels noted that the new TMS Social Studies teacher would be participating in year-end Professional Development opportunities.

o 3rd and 4th grade literacy will be the focus for RWE resource proposal Spring 2017 4th grade teachers have prepared a wish list in case additional funding becomes

available sooner.

• Technology Resource Material final proposal: RWE shared a prioritized list of technology subscription with the proviso that 4th grade would like to add Reflex math if funds become available. 3rd and 4th grade students use it heavily for fact fluency and students have been better prepared for middle school math courses. It was noted that when ARRA funds were available teachers had the opportunity to test drive a number of software programs. With the cut in funding, a prioritized list becomes a necessity. Teachers may utilize online resources to fill any gaps. The Odyssey subscription is paid through March 2017. CCC reached consensus on the proposed RWE technology budget for 2016-2017. TMS shared a finalize version of the Technology proposal. Mr. Price is still working on the possibility of a less expensive replacement for Odyssey. CCC reached consensus on the proposed TMS technology budget for 2016-2017.

6. Assessment Review: Because of substitute teacher concerns, assessment review was moved forward on the agenda. High school teachers shared assessments from both core and non-core courses. Teachers discussed the rigor of

the assessments and how their teaching has changed with focus on rigor in the classroom. 9th grade Physical Education - nutrition assessment Art - Cultural and Country Origins Biology - Biodiversity AP Computer Science - Computer Programming College English 1020 - Frankenstein

3. Old Business (continued) • Lynda.com L. Jenks shared forms detailing the proposed grading procedures for Digital Learning classes

and gave an overview of the proposed initiative. o Digital Learning Initiative Grade Defense o Digital Learning Initiative Contract o Exemplar Digital Learning Initiative Contract

Students will develop a timeline to follow as they advance through the self-directed class and will check with the coach daily. Students may lobby for additional class choices. Professionalism, performance & progress are desired hallmarks for each student. CCC reached consensus on the proposal for Lynda.com class structure.

4. New Business: a. Proposed technology resource materials HS/RWE 2016-2017

RWE proposal was covered in an earlier agenda item. HS proposal includes Lynda.com (accepted) and ongoing subscription of Naviance.

b. Evaluation of building level curriculum supporting software – covered during the technology proposals c. Health & Wellness policy review: a summary of the administrative team annual review of Policy JL-R

Health and Wellness was shared with council members. High school requested additional information be included indicating that high school is actively pursuing grant funds to enhance their physical education program. The summary with proposed addition was accepted by CCC.

d. 2016-2017 CCC schedule: All council members present indicated that meeting the second Thursday of each month for the 2016-17 school year was satisfactory.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion Items: High school proposed a nutrition class, embedding content into the cafeteria duties. A limit of 4 students per period may participate, working with cafeteria staff in food preparation. Students may utilize a zero-hour period some days. Students would then be allowed to use 3rd period as a reading/study hall. Staff are working with Mrs. Redland to facilitate proper certification. Senior awards night will take place May 17th. This year’s graduating seniors are being awarded a record setting amount in scholarship dollars. Online ASPIRE testing went well for students. Middle school is almost done with Spring MAP administration. 5th grade students traveled to Denver for their annual trip. A student proposed the idea of an Agriculture Exposition in collaboration with the Pioneer Association and Farm Bureau. An Air Force Colonel was guest speaker. TMS students, in coordination with Ms. Martinez, are working on a garden area. Summer school students and volunteer families will water and weed the garden this summer. 6th grade math students worked together to raise funds for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Students petitioned sponsors to donate for every growth point exhibited by a student’s MAP scores. Funds raised totaled over $2,000.00. RWE is completing the Spring MAP administration. DIBELS will be administered starting May 17 RWE Field day is May 20 Both 4th grade groups enjoyed the annual Yellowstone National Park trip 2016 High School graduates will participate in a procession through Ralph Witters Elementary May 19. Technology Department-additional ChromeBooks will be purchased for the 2016-2017 school year.

7. Fall 2016 agenda items: • Update from Cortney on NACEP & CWC concurrent

enrollment requirements • TMS CCC Teacher representative-- 3-year term (application dates, Sept CCC selection) • Parent/Community representative 2016-2017-- 1-year term (Sept Selection)

October 13, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Catie Deromedi Scott Shoop Lexie Yarrington Billie Jo Norsworthy Cortney O’Connor London Jenks Dustin Hunt (delayed) Nichole Ciz (delayed)

Cassie Hetzel Michal Needham Jim Lash Guests: P. Price, K. Ryan, M. McGillivray & Students, C. Hamer, R. Freel, D. Daniels, A. Ready

Welcome and Introductions: Michal Needham, 2016-2017 RWE parent representative was introduced to the council. Individual council introductions and positions were shared for new members. Principal Shoop gave an outline of Curriculum Coordinating Council protocol, roles and responsibilities within the district.

1. Review of CCC Norms: Principal Shoop reviewed the CCC meeting norms with the council and gave a brief

overview of norms for new council members. Mr. Shoop also gave an overview of Assessment Norms.

2. Review of the September 8, 2016 meeting summary: Council Members reviewed the Sept 8 meeting summary; summary was accepted as written.

3. Old Business: • RWE Teacher Representative applications: Council members reviewed the RWE teacher representative

applications submitted to fulfill the final year of N. Ciz’ term. Ms. Ciz became a standing member of CCC at the September CCC meeting. Discussion and decision were postponed until later in the meeting.

• RWE Parent/Community representative: intro at beginning of meeting • TMS Literature/Literacy professional development update-C. Hetzel shared information from two professional

development opportunities. o Angela Latin, Vail Middle School Oregon, presented on September 16 for Middle School Staff. o Sheridan #2 has been assisting with mentoring and support opportunities. The Sheridan #2

school is very close in demographics to TMS. Step up to Writing may be presented at a later date.

4. New Business:

• K. Honeycutt presentation evaluation results: Ms. Deromedi presented a short overview of the day’s presentations. Staff seemed to embrace Mr. Honeycutt’s philosophy and ideas.

Council members reviewed the evaluation data and comments from the presentation. Discussion items included:

Offering one main motivational speaker per year Better planning for visiting speakers i.e. due to traveling challenges, speakers arrive without

adequate rest or prep time o Repetition of material presented at individual building meetings

Plan motivational speaker for later in the year, allowing teachers time to “get their feet on the ground”

Bring speakers in when they can be more fully utilized i.e. Back to School nights/other parental opportunities.

Noted were the positive evaluation results

• Early Childhood state funding challenges-A. Ready shared information regarding funding changes. A Phase One study is showing Early Intervention funds will be moved from Department of Health to Department of Education. Over $81 million in funds have been available to Department of Health in previous years. Legislators are looking to move funds to Wyoming Department of Education. Thermopolis Children’s Resource Center has already cut one position due to the 15% funding cuts. After the legislative session this year we will know how this may impact school districts across the state. Suggested, is a morning and afternoon preschool to function under Hot Springs County School District #1 starting 2017-2018. Once the school board approves this change, advertising and planning for next school year can start. The district is currently offering a preschool option in addition to the programs already in place. Students are bused to and from school. The current program is working in conjunction with area preschools. With a preschool offered in 17-18, one para-professional position will be added to the district early childhood program. A fee may be accessed for attendees, depending on funding. An existing curriculum, Early Childhood Foundations written by the Early Childhood Advisory Board, is emotionally and socially based. Ms. Ready and Ms. Ciz are working on curriculum updates. The following curriculum is currently being used: Handwriting Without Tears, Imagine It Reading Program, and Zoo Phonics.

• RWE 1st Grade Team Professional Development opportunity- Postponed due to time constraints

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion Items: postponed until later in the meeting

6. Assessment Review: RWE Fine & Performing Arts: Ms. McGillivray and students shared a Constitution Day Rap video demonstrating skills learned in 4th grade vocal music. Students demonstrated knowledge of beat, vocal recording and video recording both as individuals and as a group. HS Biology: Ms. Daniels presented assessments demonstrating scientific practices, constructing explanations and arguments using evidence, ties to science portion of ACT and cross curricular examples. HS Digital Learning, Progress Monitoring, Scaffolding for Success: Mrs. Freel shared information regarding the continued & evolving success of the Learning Center. Student services offered include credit recovery, interventions, and CWC online classes. Student participation continues to grow, offering students with many and varied needs anonymity. Mr. Hamer reported on the success of Lynda.com. Approximately 56 students are taking advantage of customized online training with nationally recognized instructors. Mr. Hamer facilitates and monitors student participation. Another 4 to 5 students are using Lynda.com to enhance their learning experience outside the classroom. Students are taking ownership in their own learning experience. Ms. Ciz and Mr. Hamer will be seeking grant funds to expand and enhance the program. Some possible reallocation of current funding sources may also benefit the program. TMS Language Arts: Ms. Ryan and Ms. Hetzel shared two peer reviewed L.A. outcome assessments and resulting student data with the council. Restate, Answer, Cite textual evidence, Explain (R.A.C.E.) is taught & utilized across the middle school curriculum. High Five at RWE leads into R.A.C.E. at TMS. Some high school classes are using R.A.C.E.

Continuation of 3. Old Business— RWE Teacher representative applications After council discussion including the advantages of including an upper elementary prospective, consensus was reached regarding Brockton Merrill joining CCC, fulfilling Ms. Ciz 3-year term. All applicants were thanked for submitting applications and will be encouraged to reapply when the position opens next. Address 5. Reports, Analysis, & Discussion Items: Superintendent Hunt gave a summary of the AdvancED accreditation visit. With few areas of concerned noted, Hot Springs County School District #1 is fully accredited. Supt. Hunt shared his appreciation for the efforts of staff and community in preparing for the accreditation visit. HSCSD#1 exhibited powerful academic practices and teacher advocacy for students. Wyoming Department of Education would like to further witness the district curriculum and assessment development process, complimenting the district’s system. The district needs to improve academic documentation practices. 7. November Agenda

September 8, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Nichole Weyer Catie Deromedi Breez Daniels Scott Shoop (delayed) Cortney O’Connor London Jenks (delayed & early departure) Dustin Hunt Travis Bomengen Laurie Graves Emma Christoffersen

Superintendent Hunt welcomed 2016-2017 RWE Principal Laurie Graves and returning members of the Curriculum Coordinating Council.

1. Review of CCC Norms:

Superintendent Hunt proposed adding a physical component to the CCC meeting norms. He asked that anyone witnessing behavior that may be interpreted as a breach of meeting norms, to discreetly raise a hand to indicate an infraction. This will serve to bring the focus of all council members back to the discussion. A more efficient, productive council will result if no time is lost. Further review of the existing norms resulted in a proposed rewording of norm #3. (3) Focus on Topic/No Sidebar conversations To now read (3) Be a participating member/all feedback is valued CCC was in consensus on the changes. Superintendent Hunt indicated that the CCC Assessment norms may need to be altered as CCC moves forward with a restructure of assessment review procedures later this school year. Superintendent Hunt requested an agenda item be added under new business.

• Proposed restructure of the standing Curriculum Coordinating Council.

2. Review of the May 12, 2016 meeting summary: CCC meeting summary was accepted as written.

3. Old Business: • TMS Teacher Representative applications: C. Deromedi addressed the council, sharing her appreciation

for the opportunity to serve on CCC & her willingness to continue as a member of CCC. Ms Deromedi also stated she would fully support anyone chosen to serve and suggested a Language Arts specialist may serve the council well due to the current curriculum focus. S. Hunt indicated he would support Cassie Hetzel because of the current L. Arts curriculum focus. Principal Daniels shared her appreciation for Ms. Deromedi’s efforts to support CCC and curriculum at HSCSD#1, stating that continuity in a system is highly important but that shared leadership opportunities are of great value as well. CCC was in consensus in selecting Ms. Hetzel as the new TMS teacher representative. A council member suggested that Ms. Deromedi continue on the Curriculum Council as well, utilizing the unique skills of both TMS representatives. It was also suggested that a 2-year term vs. a 3-year term be taken under consideration. After discussion, it was determined the 3-year term limit would be maintained. CCC was in consensus. This prompted discussion regarding the possibility of adding additional members as discipline focus changes in the future. For future agenda

• Curriculum Coordinating Council membership list: S. Hunt proposed adding Nichole Ciz as a standing member of CCC. Ms. Ciz will be undertaking curriculum duties over the course of 2016-2017. CCC was in consensus. A new RWE teacher representative will be selected by CCC. The new member will fulfill Ms. Ciz’ 3-year term.

• Parent/Community Representatives 2016-2017: HS: Lexie Yarrington TMS: Billie Jo Norsworthy RWE: TBD

• Update on NACEP & CWC concurrent enrollment requirements – C. O’Connor Ms. O’Connor shared a letter regarding new requirements and information on the status of Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines for determining qualified faculty. Some changes will go into effect 2016-2017 and some 2017 and beyond. It was noted that none of the HSC high school instructors currently teaching dual credit classes meet the new requirements. Discussion has taken place regarding the advisability for HSCHS moving toward an Advanced Placement structure in place of or in addition to the current dual credit structure. Concern was expressed due to the difficulty of the AP exams. Another area of concern was cost to students; exams can cost students $100. 00 Due to the upcoming changes, increased enrollment in online courses is expected. Superintendent Hunt and Counselor O’Conner will draft a letter of concern to be delivered to the area superintendents.

4. New Business: FYI item-CCC meeting in possible conflict with PAWS and Spring P/T conferences. It was determined there is no conflict.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion Items:

SpED: S. Hunt shared that an outside entity will conduct a para-professional audit to help determine if staff are being used effectively and efficiently. HS: Principal Shoop shared that HS staff are working on organizing PLC and collaboration time. Staff is using 3 mornings a week to assess curriculum. Rich discussions have been taking place. HS is utilizing eelot practices. TMS: Principal Daniels stated that TMS started morning collaboration time this week with great success in 5-8 vertical collaboration Tue/Thur and building wide SIT and staff on Wednesday. TMS staff and students feel the later start time is of benefit to students. Utilizing eelot practices, every teacher will observe and be observed, gaining a better understanding of AdvancED audit techniques. Principal Daniels shared a handout reflecting comparison PAWS Performance ratings data from middle schools & junior highs across the state. Only one school achieved Exceeding Expectations. RWE: Principal Graves noted that RWE has started morning collaboration. Monday-General staff and collaboration with Para-professionals Tuesday-peer review of assessments with data analysis planned for later in the year Wednesday-professional development with various team leaders presenting Thursday-SIT as needed or additional staff meetings RWE will be focusing on eelot in the next few weeks. High school requested TMS share some exemplary assessments. After discussion, it was suggested that a district-wide Google Doc be created to allow all staff to access a resource pool of websites and curricular tools. Superintendent: During the NW Superintendent meeting of September 8, discussion took place regarding the projected state funding cuts. In October, Superintendent Hunt plans to form a budget committee. Membership may include counseling team, superintendent, board member, business manager, representation from each building.

Some of the goals of the committee will include: • giving a better understanding to the community and public regarding funding and how and where

specific funding can be used. • How enrollment effects funding • The need for conservation in upcoming years • Reserves, what the district can and cannot do

Superintendent Hunt indicated his belief that HSCSD#1 is doing well as a district. The district will demonstrate successes to AdvancED; HSCSD#1 embraces the idea of continuous improvement. S. Hunt is scheduled to present to the Wyoming State School Board on accountability and accreditation. Principal Shoop indicated his support for dropping AdvancED accreditation; Wyoming has an accreditation system that replicates that of AdvancED. HSCSD#1 has two teachers represented on the nationally recognized State Assessment committee. There have been indications that the state will disregard the work done by the State Assessment Committee and move in another direction.

6. Assessment Review: Principal Daniels asked for clarification concerning how assessment reviews will be undertaken this year.

• Collection of assessments presented by a subject area team? • An assessment that has been peer reviewed? • A single assessment presented by a teacher?

Suggested by the Council- a subject area team, presenting assessments by grade level that have been peer reviewed.

7. October Agenda TMS assessments RWE-tentative HS-tentative

November 10, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Nichole Ciz Breez Daniels Dustin Hunt Billie Jo Norsworthy Emma Christoffersen Laurie Graves Jim Lash Cortney O’Connor Catie Deromedi Cassie Hetzel Michal Needham Nichole Weyer Lexie Yarrington Guests: Stephanie Czarobski, Emmy Hergert, Parke Price

1. Review of CCC Norms: Mr. Hunt reviewed the CCC meeting norms with the council and gave a brief overview of

norms for new council members. Mr. Hunt also gave an overview of the assessment norms.

2. Review of the October 13, 2016 meeting summary: Council Members reviewed the October 13th meeting summary; Requested addition to old business TMS Literature section to include that Sheridan #2 came back to complete Step-Up to Writing Training. Clarification was needed on which classes use R.A.C.E. at the high school.

3. Old Business:

RWE Teacher Representative: Mr. Merrill was welcomed as the RWE Teacher Representative but was unable to be in attendance.

4. New Business:

Academic Policy Review: Mr. Hunt briefly discussed the need to review the HSCSD#1 Academic Program Policy. The Wyoming Department of Education would like to further witness the district curriculum and assessment development process, complimenting the district’s system. The district needs to improve academic documentation practices. The results of the accreditation visit show that it is hard to come from the outside and see how the curriculum process is completed. Mr. Hunt confirmed an update to the Academic Program Policy would help improve the outsider’s perspective. The draft document will be completed by CCC members and any revisions or input will be discussed by the council. A portion of the document was revised during the meeting, but it was not completed. Council members will receive the draft via Google Docs. Additional work on the document will be completed at the December 8th meeting. Ms. Ciz will share the document with council members. Members are asked to note any changes for discussion at the next meeting. Discussion items included:

• The Subject Area Committee section was revised and discussion took place to address the change of the process to more of a building-level team approach. Consensus was given to call teams “content teams.”

• Adding a paragraph to the members section to included information about assessment validation and data, as there is no section currently in the document to address how individual teams attend meetings and present assessments for review.

o Ms. Daniels shared a suggested addition with the group to include this information, but further discussion about where to include this addition took place. It was decided to remove it from the members section and include it in the Content Teams section as a definition of the curriculum process.

• Discussion about the duties and training of a CCC member took place. • Mr. Hunt suggested making a change to include Ms. Ciz’s duties as secretary and curriculum coordinator

roles, as well as removing #12, as the board member representative and Superintendent will give report at monthly board meetings.

• Discussion and clarification of the term “long-range plan” was addressed. • The Composition and Representation section was revised and numbers were adjusted. • Parent/community person was adjusted within the document to be called “parent representative.” • The Subject Area Committee section was revised and discussion took place to address the change of the

process to more of a building-level team approach. Consensus was given to call teams “content teams.”

• Mr. Hunt explained that regardless of standards changing, the process will remain the same. The change in standards will be addressed with vertical teams above and below and necessary changes will be made regarding curriculum and materials.

• 4 PLC critical questions were addressed and discussion took place about adding them to the document. • The Essential Standards Chart, as addressed by Mike Mattos, was added to the Academic Program Policy

as an addendum. • Ms. Ciz was asked to share the document with council members. Members were asked to email Ms. Ciz

with any additional changes to be brought back to the December CCC meeting. PLC Video: Mr. Hunt shared a Solution Tree video with Mike Mattos called, “How to Get Insanely Clear About Learning Outcomes and Learning Objectives.” A short discussion followed the video. Discussion items included:

• Building shared knowledge o Teams should begin by addressing state standards, reviewing previous data and release items,

and building knowledge to answer critical question #1 when developing Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs).

• “I Can” Statements and performance level descriptors • Addressing standard verbiage and making it simple for students • Noted were the positive comments about the video. Principals may share the video with building staff.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion Items: Reports were postponed until the December 8th meeting.

6. Assessment Review:

RWE Science Lab: Ms. Graves introduced Ms. Weber to present on the RWE Science Lab. Ms. Weber presented on K-4 science lessons completed, which included a brief explanation of their alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards. A slideshow with pictures of K-4 students participating in hands-on projects was shown. Ms. Weber collaborates with grade-level teams weekly and emphasized their partnership on each standard. Classroom teachers complete the reading and writing instruction of science within the classroom and Ms. Weber completes the hands-on activities that classroom teachers would otherwise not have time for. It was noted how excited the students are about the science lab, and the amount of learning taking place through the hands-on activities. TMS Math: Ms. Daniels introduced the TMS vertical math team to discuss spiraling and the impact it has had on students retaining information over time. After seeing this concept in action in Lovell in 2013, the TMS vertical math team began using a similar system. Ms. Hetzel, Ms. Deromedi, Ms. Hergert, and Ms. Czarobski each shared their Drops in Bucket/A.D.D (Arithmetic Developed Daily) workbooks and discussed their use within the classroom, as well as the effect their use has had on test preparation. Students are exposed to a variety of concepts and math vocabulary. This system allows the math team to identify skill gaps and scaffold instruction. Students are able to review skills previously taught and preview skills to come. In addition, this system has increased student organization and improved the classroom entry routine. It was noted how comprehensive the student workbooks were, as well as the collaborative effort between the math team to increase the rigor level of their use throughout each grade-level. The TMS vertical math team was commended on their effort and recognized for their MAP growth in 2015-2016.

7. December Agenda: Principals will invite and encourage building-level teachers to attend for valuable assessment feedback. Further discussion of the Academic Program Policy will take place, with hopes to finalize the document.

December 8, 2016 Curriculum Coordinating Council Meeting Summary CCC Members present: Nichole Ciz Laurie Graves Jim Lash Scott Shoop Emma Christoffersen Cassie Hetzel Brockton Merrill Nichole Weyer Catie Deromedi Dustin Hunt (delayed) Michal Needham Lexie Yarrington Breez Daniels London Jenks Billie Jo Norsworthy Guests: Eric Kay, Brenna Abel, Aaron Taylor, Parke Price

1. Review of CCC Norms: Ms. Ciz reviewed the CCC meeting norms with the council. Additionally, Ms. Ciz reviewed

the assessment norms to be used later in the meeting during assessment review.

2. Review of the November 10, 2016 meeting summary: Council Members reviewed the November 10th meeting summary. No additions or corrections were made.

3. Old Business:

HSCSD#1 Academic Program Policy: Council members continued to work on the HSCSD#1 Academic Program Policy. Discussion items included:

• The remaining PLC critical questions were reviewed and added to the document. • Questions arose regarding the tense of the document. The entire document will be re-written into

present tense instead of future tense, as the council felt it was important for the document to reflect what is currently taking place.

• Vertical collaboration was identified as grades above and below, rather than grade, as teams meet with teams of varying grade levels as necessary.

• The need for keeping the District Assessment System current all times, not just when presented for CCC and/or accreditation visits was discussed.

• Council members discussed the meaning of a “guaranteed and viable curriculum.” Guaranteed: Is every student getting the curriculum that has been adopted by the district? Viable: Is the curriculum doable? If all standards are not viable, are content teams working together to determine those that are viable?

• There were several questions regarding the Mike Mattos Essential Standards Chart. Is the chart necessary in the document? Is it a staff requirement to complete the chart? Ms. Daniels shared that chart completion in not required, but rather to be used as an additional reference by teachers. Final discussion about the chart will take place during the January 12th meeting.

• District Power Standards will remain in the Essential Standards Chart, as a unit of instruction may need to be added to fill in potential gaps in the Wyoming State Standards.

4. New Business: • 5th Grade Math Facts: Ms. Daniels shared with council members that 5th grade students were entering

middle school with solid math fact skills, noting that operations and fluency were excellent. Ms. Daniels encouraged RWE staff to continue doing whatever they were doing, as it is allowing teachers to move forward with the curriculum and not have to backtrack. Further discussion took place about technology subscriptions. Mr. Jenks noted that IXL (approximately $2,500) was kept at RWE, but Reflex Math (approximately $3,000) was not renewed due to budget constraints. This stemmed further discussion about the use of Odyssey in the elementary school and looking further into Waggle as an alternative (approximately $3,600), as it is a web-based program and doesn’t require its own server. Continued discussion regarding Waggle will take place with RWE staff.

• 1st Semester Assessments: Ms. Daniels shared new middle school assessment binders which included all assessments completed first semester. The binders allowed council members and middle school staff to identify standards and content assessments used by grade level teams at the middle school.

Electronic folders with fifth and sixth grade assessments were also shared with Ms. Graves at RWE and seventh and eight grade assessments were shared electronically with Mr. Shoop. Additionally, Ms. Daniels shared that following the accreditation visit in October, a WDE representative of the accreditation team shared the middle school’s assessment practices with a team of WDE officials. The team of WDE officials completed a site visit at TMS three weeks ago and spent the day reviewing the curriculum, assessment, and review process. The team met with the vertical math, language arts, and science teams and TMS teams explained how Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) were defined, as well as pacing and how TMS teachers are ensuring students are meeting benchmarks. The team was very complimentary of the work of TMS staff in this process. Ms. Daniels shared that since the WDE has passed a new state accountability law, the team has been scouting districts around the state with varying performance levels. On January 25th, staff members will have an opportunity to meet with WDE officials and identify what an exemplary school will look like on the state rubric for accountability. TMS will be a mentor school for other schools within the state that are struggling with the curriculum, assessment, and review process.

• Step Up to Writing: Ms. Daniels and TMS representatives shared positive comments about the Step Up to Writing program being piloted at TMS in 5th and 8th grade. 6th and 7th grade teams are also using parts of the program. Ms. Hetzel shared experiences from the training, as well as the online access that the program provided. The organization aspect is also a positive. Many positive comments were shared about Step Up to Writing, including the benefits of using it in regards to the new, statewide assessment. TMS staff is looking at expansion of the program, as well as another training this spring. Content teams have had an opportunity to have two different trainers provide training in Step Up to Writing. Ms. Daniels shared that the expansion of the program may include training all TMS staff this spring. Ms. Deromedi shared the use of the program cross-curricularly, particularly noting the section about organizing notes in math class. Mr. Kay and Ms. Hetzel both shared information about the Article of the Week and Newsela articles. Mr. Kay noted the relevance of the articles to other core subjects. The Newsela site is free and appropriate for grades 2-12. Comprehensive quizzes follow each article, and the articles are adjustable by lexile level. TMS representatives also noted the use of Readworks.org at TMS, noting it is not quite as leveled as Newsela, but has a good range of questioning levels and is often used within TMS assessments.

• TMS Curriculum Resource Purchase (Chromebooks): Ms. Daniels reported after a query sent to TMS teachers regarding curriculum resources, all teachers reported the need to keep Chromebooks updated, as there are not many loaners available. Discussion followed regarding costs. Ms. Daniels requested a purchase of 20 Chromebooks. Total price, including the license to attach to a domain, would be $4,899. Further discussion about Chromebook usage in the district followed. Mr. Jenks noted that $19,000 was used to purchase Chromebooks for freshman last year. The oldest Chromebooks in the district are 6 years old. Chromebooks have never been replaced at TMS or RWE, and are filtered down from the high school. TMS moved away from assigning individual Chromebooks to each student as they found breakage occurred more frequently. Instead, Chromebooks are in class sets. In order to facilitate the varying enrollment numbers in each TMS class, an additional 20% extra are needed if the Chromebooks will continue to be a classed-based set. Questions from the council members regarding ordering the Chromebooks included,

o If they are purchased, will it prevent you from buying something in the future? o What does that leave off the budget?

Ms. Daniels shared that every year something different is needed on the curriculum front, but this year, TMS is in a good spot, and it seemed like a purchase of Chromebooks would allow students and staff to continue its work successfully and move forward. It was noted how much of the curriculum is accessed online, and good devices are needed to access that curriculum. Consent was given to Ms. Daniels to purchase the 20 requested Chromebooks. TMS Curriculum Resource Purchase (Language Arts Mythology): Mr. Kay shared information about the mythology section he teaches as a thematic unit. Mr. Kay addressed concerns about the 7th grade textbook, sharing that there were too few myths. He also shared that Newsela is used to supplement the unit. Mr. Kay requested a mythology anthology, noting the need for well-told comprehensive mythology materials at the 7th grade level. Mr. Kay shared with the council that he found an anthology

on EBay that can be uses ad a resource within the classroom. 30 copies are requested, at $7.31/book. Consent was given to purchase the mythology anthologies.

5. Reports, Analysis & Discussion Items:

• TMS: TMS 5-8th grade “families” are participating in a caring and sharing day, completing community outreach projects to various organizations, including the elementary school and the nursing home. TMS is also a host site for the Tour of Homes on December 19th. Overall pacing has been accomplished during the first semester. Staff is currently reviewing pacing guides that were established this summer and comparing their target dates. Ms. Daniels also shared that 2nd quarter is quickly approaching, as is MAP testing, which begins in January when students and staff return.

• Special Education: Mr. Lash shared information about a professional development opportunity staff participated in with Dr. Carson regarding autism and how students with autism are served within the district. Mr. Lash also shared the paraprofessional evaluation system is being updated, and an evaluation of how paraprofessionals are utilized is also taking place. There are currently 103 students within the district that have been identified with disabilities. Mr. Lash briefly discussed the pilot of the Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) at TMS. He also shared with the council an evaluative tool to use with struggling students on a regular basis. The tool is through Odyssey (SPARK). A trainer affiliated with SPARK will be in district on December 12th in order to determine if SPARK will meet needs of students and staff.

• HS: Continued piloting of digital learning through Lynda is taking place. Mr. Shoop shared that an invitation was sent to the state department for digital learning on formative program evaluation. A phone conference with CWC concerning concurrent enrollment has also taken place. Mr. Shoop explained it would eliminate the need for concurrent enrollment teachers to have a Master’s degree through the use of a HSCHS facilitator/CWC teacher of record relationship. Mr. Shoop and Mr. Jenks additionally noted we will meet the course minimum but may be able to stretch the curriculum further as HS students will have a 5 day/week schedule, as opposed to a 3 day/week schedule within the college. The community is fighting to keep concurrent enrollment courses because of the economic impact. If AP is the chosen route, the rigor is going to leave a lot of students out that benefit through the concurrent enrollment program. The idea of a partnership course with a CWC teacher of record/facilitator will need to be approved through the college accreditation program. Mr. Shoop shared with the council that a benefit to this partnership is that students will complete courses within a single semester and will be able to complete more concurrent enrollment courses throughout the year. Additionally, the social studies curriculum was also addressed. HS social studies teachers have identified a gap in the curriculum, noting that students do not have government until 11th grade. Questions arose about how to proceed with social studies curricular mapping within the curriculum/assessment system. A separate meeting will convene with social studies representation to address curriculum needs. This will include Mr. Olsen from TMS, HS social studies teachers, and administration.

• RWE: Ms. Graves shared that RWE received 100% parent participation at parent/teacher conferences in October. She also noted that Spark a Fire is continuing, but with a different approach. A new activity will take place each quarter to keep parents and students involved in reading. The first quarter activity was a reading rodeo to celebrate summer reading. RWE students and staff read nearly 100,000 minutes over the summer. On December 12th, RWE will begin the second quarter activity called, “One book, one school.” Families will be given a book to read together and each day and teachers will ask comprehensive questions. Students will be put into drawings for prizes each time they answer a question about the book. Ms. Graves briefly discussed the process of grading quarter 2 writing assessments. She noted 242 assessments were graded by RWE staff. Ms. Graves also briefly discussed professional development opportunities with the council. She noted that all grade level teams, with the exception of the fourth grade team, have attended site visits in Sheridan 1 and Sheridan 2. Continued work in professional development has been taking place with the help of the math facilitator. A reading facilitator will be coming soon. The leveled library space is being created and the book boxes have been ordered. The first box of leveled books has arrived and RWE staff is anxious to fill up the library. Additionally, Ms. Graves has hosted a coffee hour with the principal twice. This is an open forum where parents can visit, ask questions, and learn more about RWE. Ms. Graves also shared that PTO has set up a tree with ornaments with each teacher’s wish list for the classroom. The PTO is also putting together baskets to be auctioned off during the concert. The funds will go toward PTO.

Lastly, Ms. Graves briefly discussed the RWE site council. The council includes six parents and two staff members. They have been looking at a variety of report cards and are focusing on standards based report cards. Ms. Graves shared with the members that the RWE site council has been partaking in some very rich discussions and looking at several formats of report cards to share with staff members at a later time.

• Superintendent: Superintendent Hunt briefly shared information from the NWSA meeting. He stated it has been made clear that cuts will be made by the state, but how much has not been established. Superintendent Hunt also noted that the NWSA has requested an emergency meeting with the executive committee in order to discuss funding. A reduction of transportation and special education reimbursements may occur. A budget committee will be formed within the district as the process unfolds. Superintendent Hunt briefly discussed a big push from the state department to add a standardized test to CTE courses, similar to PAWS. He explained it would be very difficult to create an assessment as programs change regularly. Superintendent closed by sharing the results of the election of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Bomengen, Clay Van Antwerp, and Nichole Weyer have all been re-elected as trustees, and Joe Martinez has been elected as a new trustee. Superintendent also shared that Ms. Weyer has been elected to serve on the Wyoming School Boards Association Board of Trustees.

6. Assessment Review:

HS Social Studies: Ms. Abel and Mr. Taylor presented their social studies assessments via Google Slides. Ms. Abel began her presentation by sharing the course map for US History. She explained there are 9 outcome assessments for US History, and the assessment she shared was for outcome 5. Ms. Abel worked collaboratively with Ms. McLean to correlate the assessments with the 6 Traits of Writing. There are a variety of question types, including multiple choice, matching, and a written essay. Each question on the exam included the benchmark standard. Ms. Abel shared that students complete a “bell ringer” at the beginning of each class which includes an essential question from the outcome. These are completed electronically. Additionally, students complete an exam wrapper through Google Forms. The presentation was shared with council members electronically, and they were strongly encouraged to provide feedback to Ms. Abel via email after taking a more in-depth look at the assessment within the presentation. Mr. Taylor also provided a presentation via Google Slides for world history and geography. He shared the course map and also noted the document is a working document, and all revisions have been marked in red. Mr. Taylor explained he has broken his assessment into sections and a data analysis has been completed within each section. His assessments also include multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay questions. Mr. Taylor briefly discussed the use of a game called “Pepper” and a “Do Now” journal question, along with a reading question to prepare students for the outcome assessment. Brief discussion about the use of multiple choice questions occurred, and council members agreed that because the ACT has multiple choice questions, it makes sense to provide them an opportunity to practice answering them on outcome assessments in order to prepare them for the ACT. Similar to Ms. Abel, Mr. Taylor also has his students complete an exam wrapper. The council members commented positively on the use of art history within essay questions. Both Ms. Abel and Mr. Taylor discussed the need to update the district social studies curriculum, as new standards have been added. A meeting with social studies content teachers will be scheduled in January. TMS Language Arts: Mr. Kay shared an assessment from the mythology unit. Members were shown the matrix for the strategic level. Using 4-3-2-1, students are able to pick one of each structure to promote choice building. They must complete 4 brainstorms, 3 outlines, 2 drafts, and 1 final copy (outcome assessment). Students are given lots of opportunity to use graphic organizers to use all four of the text structures within Reading Informational Text and Reading Literature. Mr. Kay noted that students complete approximately one brainstorm per week. During this time, he is able to pull students individually for conferencing. Mr. Kay also shared that Step Up to Writing has provided solid clarifications on good rubrics by text structure. Mr. Kay briefly discussed the 40 Book Challenge and explained how he is able to conference with students about what they are reading. Mr. Kay noted the process of assigning novels to each group, as well as the process of using the matrix questions during classroom discussions before moving on to complete the 4-3-2-1 writing assignment. Members commented positively about the cumulative process of the outcome assessment and praised Mr. Kay for the extensive work he put into the thematic unit.

7. January Agenda:

Principals will invite and encourage building-level teachers to attend for valuable assessment feedback. Further discussion of the chart within the Academic Program Policy will take place, as well as discussion of housing assessments, based upon feedback from the AdvancED visit in October.