Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Minutes from 12/14/2017 Meeting

Private school students and new to Northshore
  • Winter eligibility screening for services in neighborhood schools
  • Multiple opportunities to sign up to screen/test
  • March/April/May, once per week screening for new families
  • August, 5 days of assessments to choose from for new families
  • Accommodations field will be added to the private school application
Gaining insight through testing for things like
  • Assure students that 48 questions in 30 minutes. They aren’t expected to finish but don’t want kids to feel bad about not finishing
  • What does the kid see after 30 minutes?
  • Is it better to skip a question or just guess?
  • Test is by grade, scoring is by age
  • Accommodations like untimed tests can be accommodated
No appeals process for screening, will have multiple years to retest Currently enrolled HiCap kids will take the screener/test but this will not impact current eligibility

1st grade letter: Current 1st grade holistic students will rescreen but these kids will go directly to assessment where other 1st graders are not guaranteed assessment after screening 2-8 parent letter – single subject, all take Torrence and will all take ITBS in not qualified area.

Cannot lose designation in currently qualified area

All letters will go out in alternative language is designated in the system as different home language. Need ethnic groups to welcome incoming students to connect them to a community.

Torrence is one format for all but scored by age Makeups for screener will be available Kindergarten screener will not be WAKids in future  

SEMAC: definition of hicap, house bill, low income demographics presented, demographics of hicap program.

Group agreed that something needs to be done. K-8 needs it because we haven’t done our due diligence. Big pilot test, but it’s what it needed and was agreed to.  

HIcap info night = feb 5th. Communications will send out info. Translated and videotaped, Bothell high 6:30-7:30   Website addition:
  • Documentation from HiCap department will be published. Parents may use these docs to advocate for their kids at the building level.
  • Tenmarks letter
  • Parents letter about screening/assessment
  • Printable format
  K enrollment for 18-19
  • Flyer in every k enrollment packet
  • Not using WAKids for screener, but not advertised. Has to go through SEMAC
  • Probably use Naglieri
  • New tools will be culturally and linguistically appropriate, no need to adjust thresholds
  New to northshore can qualify for full time hicap program for same year Previously qualified students in other schools may qualify them for NSD program   Proctor notes:
  • how do you tell kids they may not finish and it’s ok and at the same time assure anxiety kids they have plenty of time
  • need to be able to tell if there are kids who finished ¾ but got it all right versus kid who finished all but got 75%?
  • Need to pick out the currently enrolled kids and look at their scores
  Article in Seattle times: Jen feels she was misrepresented. Would not say “loosened” standards, would say Removing roadblocks, etc.   K results of hicap testing this year: higher percentage of ELL and Black students qualified for program than in the past   Teacher selection for hicap teachers:
  • parents on hiring panel
  • Adding creativity as a criterion will change how teachers teach and how kids fare in existing classrooms
  • How do you grow potential in kids who haven’t been high achieving?
  • Super looking at diversifying entire district to include more teachers of color
  • Teachers need background in Hicap or at least have some training
  • Inviting HR and admin (dave and heather) to our meeting to tell them issues like
    • Teacher teaches all 6th grade gen ed and one 7th
    • All 7th grade AAP not allowed robotics. Etc.
    • Exec function: teachers have own websites, have parent view sites, etc. hard to find assignments.
  Jen putting together a team of staff to discuss recommendation for resources and PD teachers need. Also partnership with Dr. Ford to work on program models and resources.
  • More diverse classrooms are similar to what teachers usually do
  • Growing program while it’s in service…will get the Cadillac eventually all the way through
  Jen leaves
  • Question about science. Sunrise has specialist still?
  • Woodmore has issue with 3,4,5 grade. Kids not getting science. Sent to gen ed teacher and teacher sends them back. New principal coming in, hopeful this new leadership will help issues