Minutes from the 12/3/2018 Meeting

12/3/2018 HiCap council meeting – In attendance: Jen Benson, Brenae, Austina, Jennifer, Bonnie, Norma, Myriam, Lauire, Lisa, Kristy, Xioying, Lauren  

Council only meeting: Welcome Norma: New sunrise EAP rep

Nonprofit Google G-Suite discussion:

• Bonnie made motion to apply for google nonprofit account for class contact lists
• Jennifer seconds
• Motion passed
• Need a disclaimer notifying people of security offered

Survey gizmo

• Will continue paying for now until we can download data and make sure we got it all

2E issues

• Canyon park is threatening to take away kids 504s
• Middle school kids may not use their 504 but may need it in high school

Sylvia and Myriam talked to PTAs

• Need to give list of training opportunities to teachers from Jen. Council can distribute this to schools if needed.
• PTA willing to financially support this training if district won’t cover
  • Class cost
  • Cost of sub for teacher to attend
  • PACE does pay for subs for teacher training – may be a building decision
• Equity issue: if school has money that school might get more. Need to find the root issue. Is it:
  • Money
  • Getting teachers to participate
  • Principal’s goals for the building

Austina’s talk this week at ?? place at ?? time Gifted ed day is Jan 25^th in Olympia - If anyone interested in affected change for mandatory PD, join in

 Jen Arrived Screening is underway

• K-5 Naglieri
• 6-7 NNAT3
  • New 6-7^th will also do ITBS
  • Existing will use SBA
• Dual qualified kids – no testing at all – will not have a login
• Single qualified – will have assessment but not screening – will not have a login
• Done with screening by December 18^th
• All students K-7 will get communications – Email through mail chimp. Also will have post cards go to every student saying look in kid mail. Results by teacher/school/student. $3k for postcards, cheaper than sending letter with results.
• Should have results by end of winter break
• Step 2 in January
• Missed screening: will use 2^nd data point if they miss the window
  • Schools may not have passed the screening dates on to families
  • Schools screening schedules are on the hicap website for elementary
  • Middle school info TBD – no more than 300 kids to screen
  • Contact teacher or principal to get screening day
• January testing is by HiCap office

Non-Enrolled Students

• Private school, homeschool, and all non-enrolled students
• Will not test these students
• Step 1: Students need to enroll in their neighborhood school on March 4^th for next year to be considered
• Step 2: Will have a portfolio review – out of respect of the student if the portfolio shows advanced learning, why keep testing the student? Will just give them services.
• If private school/homeschool does not do standardized testing then provide what they do have to show their student has high cognitive potential and high academic ability.
• State law does not require schools to consider non-enrolled kids for hicap programs.
  • Other schools charge you to test
  • OR Do not consider non-enrolled students at all for program
• Will allowing student work for non-enrolled kids be an equity issue with currently enrolled kids who don’t test well but have a large body of student work that shows high potential and ability?
• Is there a way to get the overview of what the MST will do when considering non-enrolled students?
• Monthly review of non-enrolled student portfolio. Will convene MST more often if more portfolios come in at once

In-class math

• Using TenMarks for in-class math needs – will sunset in June. Microsoft will be working on a new solution
• Will meet with MS again in January. Will have a more robust model for in-class kids in Fall. Piloting in Spring. Menu of options. Comprehensive solution
• Walk to math might be a part of the menu of math options along with this online by 2021
• TBD if teachers will be contractually allowed to teach math above grade level – but conversations are being had

Middle School

• Conversation around class compositions – HiCap only class or mix
  • Will have AAP in 6,7 next year in all MS
  • Jen and ASST super will take charge of all middle school composition next year
  • End of Feb, composition analysis
    • Notifying parents, getting acceptance
    • Admins will be told what classes they are offering in the fall. Will create sections for buildings and they don’t get to add any kids to those sections.
    • Will determine which kids will go in AAP classes, principals can’t add or take out kids
    • If not at capacity, Jen is giving them students they can add to the class, principals don’t get to choose. Will likely be students who almost made it into AAP or SBA analysis.
    • If challenge classes with AAP cluster, they will provide PD to those teachers
    • Advice to leadership team is that a non HiCap kid added to AAP class, that kid should rollup into HiCap classes next year.
  • In some AAP classes they are not teaching AAP curriculum in the AAP/Challenge mix. Only teaching Challenge curriculum. Is this setting the kids up for failure in future years when they have REAL AAP curriculum?
  • Some schools have limitations of schedule. Ex: one school triple jump math kids don’t have an AAP English class available for them. In another school AAP kids have electives they are not able to take.
  • Math classes with mixed grades is not the same as an advanced math class – pace is not the same
  • Jen will be clustering kids in math classes as well in Middle School
  • Can Jen look at Science and consider ELA qualified kids for HC science?
• Middle School teachers questioning kids 504s
  • Material is easy enough that kids are not needing to use the 504 this year
  • Contact Damen Schuneman who is in charge 504s. Director of CTE and supervises 504s
• EAP
  • Memo about standards in progress report was from jen
  • Some teachers modified or didn’t include jen’s memo
• SEMAC – curriculum committee –
  • Seeking approval today for NNAT3 and Torrence
  • May not use Torrence for all, but want to have opportunity to use it if needed
• Next meeting date Jan 15^th 10-12
• Professional Development
  • Jen has past info on PD but not a schedule for upcoming
  • PTAs willing to fund their own school, but that’s an equity issue
  • Can council fundraise for whole district Inclass teachers to get PD?
  • Jen thinks EduFest (Gifted conference in Idaho July) is a good thing for these teachers to attend as PD. Maybe offer 2 per building
    • Would have responsibility to prepare info to share with building when they get back
    • Principals would have responsibility to give these teachers time to do their responsibilities
    • $470 + 200 housing + 100 meals + air fare+ airport parking/transportation per participant
  • Can we create a page with all of these PD opportunities listed? – need the content to put on there
    • Conferences
    • Online training - NWGifted?

Minutes from 11/5/2018 Meeting - Council Only

11/5/2018 HiCap Parent-only meeting - No admins present Jennifer, Miryam, Bonnie, Austina, Laurie, Kristi, Sylvia,?,?

Does the hiCap Highlights page have the link to enter questions for the info night? Website is confusing for AAP kids. Will all have 6^th and 7^th AAP next year? Not saying this on website.

• Elementary Cadre
  • Maywood principal did not cluster hicap kids in classrooms
  • Teachers not happy with hicap program
    • Parents from different schools talk to each other and come back to teachers asking for what other teachers are doing – extensions versus acceleration from school to school
    • Teachers were only offered PD later in the summer and some couldn’t take it or didn’t
    • Teachers asking for: Special ed kid counts as 1.5, ELL kid counts as 1.5, hicap kid counts only 1
    • Possible documentary being done that will have NSD as a spotlight among others
  • Council could communicate to parents more that the EAP classroom is different than in-school services
• Results of facebook poll on priorities
  • Top vote: hicap PD for teachers –
    • work on legislation on PD for principals
    • talk to the union
    • principals reviewed on how well they implement hicap services for all qualified kids
  • 2: math in elementary for in-school
  • 3: pathway for hicap at high school
  • Services for single subject students
  • Location for new EAP
  • AAP as an actual hicap program
  • Hicap kids who are not yet high achieving – what services can we offer and how can we bring those kids up to the high achieving level they could be?
• High school update from bothell
  • Talked to new principal
    • Aligning math
    • What AP classes can be available to 9^th graders?
    • Science pathway
    • Working with Danielle – counselor to work on these issues
    • Aware of the CHS issue – going through Edmonds versus UW, need consistency
  • Math
    • Multiple entry points?
    • In-school elementary math is not same as EAP math
    • Middle school math has 6,7,8^th grade together, which is iffy
  • Principals need PD on gifted/hicap
  • SBA as a gate for hicap qualification as well as Naglieri?
    • Some teachers prepare kids for SBA test, some don’t. SBA may not be a good representative of achievement.
  • Update on AAP for this year
    • Leota full AAP, all other schools are mixing challenge and AAP in their classes
      • Kids in same class will see different name on their schedule HC/Challenge
      • Kids who appealed may not have gotten into AAP class, but some kid who didn’t appeal might have been put into that classroom
      • 6^th grade challenge for all means that any kid could have been put into AAP
    • Decisions were made by building principals, not by Jen
    • Dr Reid assures us that this mixing will not happen again
  • Trimesters – not ideal
  • Money issues
    • Do we keep survey gizmo or drop it?
      • Can get a free account without logic
      • $35 for full account
      • Jennifer motion, Laurie seconded, unanimous consent to change to free survey gizmo account.
    • We have to pay for mail chimp
  • Vote on new reps
    • North Creek – no candidates
    • Kenmore Middle – no candidate qualified
    • Sunrise Elementary – 3 candidates…may not be qualified if we are looking for parents of EAP students rather than in-school services
    • Lisa Benado will be ongoing elections commissioner
      • Will talk to Kavi
      • Will respond to non-qualifying candidates
    • Priorities for council advocacy
      • Principal/asst-super training on hicap issues, accountability, and consistency across school
      • Teacher training for AAP and in-school
      • Services in the homeschool classroom
        • Accelerated math/in-depth thinking
        • Single subject consistency with EAP
      • Programs for not yet achieving kids

Minutes from 10/23/2018 Meeting

Attendees:
Director of Intervention Services / HiCap Services – Jen Benson
EAP Rep / Bear Creek Elem – Lisa Benado
EAP Rep / Lockwood Elem – Bonnie Plottner
EAP Rep / Moorlands Elem – Allison Headlee
Regional Elem Rep / Woodinville Feeder Pattern – Sylvia Bagley
Regional Elem Rep / Inglemoor Feeder Pattern – Veronica Webb
Regional Elem Rep / Bothell Feeder Pattern – Myriam Juritz
Middle School Rep / Northsohore MS – Xiaoying Zhang
Middle School Rep / Skyview MS – Lauren Lewis
Middle School Rep / Canyon Park MS – Jennifer Spanton
Middle School Rep / Timbercrest MS – Rob Pajaro
High School Rep / Bothell HS – Laurie Ferraiolo
High School Rep / Woodinville HS – Austina De Bonte
High School Rep / Inglemoor HS – Brenae Brix

First Topic

• If come across somebody interested in HiCap let them know to subscribe to the Hi Cap website to get advised of updated information.
• For example yesterday the new process has been added and if you were a subscriber you were notified.
• All new information posted will be notified to the subscribers – HiCap highlights.

Second Topic

• New Families to NSD Process: info in the website, under Eligibility tab.
• Jen gave New Family flyer.
• Jen was contacted by about 40 families, that now she needs to get back with them.
• There is no review of files of families that are not in NSD given that Jen’s primary responsibility is to the currently enrolled families.
• Different steps for new families in NSD based on when contacted NSD:
• Between Aug/11 through Nov/20
• Portfolio review, submit any and all data available, file review and analysis, MST to convene and review file (Dec/1/2018).
• If student did not qualify, move to testing
• If no file review, go directly to testing
• After Dec/1, there will not be more file reviews available.
• Due to level piece, Jen will not accept outside/private testing because it is tricky (for example, summer if you were 5th grade we give you 6th grade).
• From April to Aug/10: They will have 2 opportunities, file review and then screening

Third Topic: EAP Report Card – Do not share (for 1 week)

• EAP: last week convened teachers and discussed the report card.
• In progress report card, there are only yes and nos.
• In the report card, one of the HiCap teachers in the cadre requested to have clarification on the 1/2/3/4 mean.  Met last week great conversation, and wrote memo, shared with Tim (union) he agrees
• When EAP teacher science, social and writing will use grade standards
• When EAP teacher scores math and reading they will score on the standards they are taught to  (for example, 2nd grade will score to 3rd grade standards).
• This is only for EAP classroom not for in-class model.
• Before EAP familes got addendum in the report card for math.
• Last year, they added information in the comments area (’copy-paste’ solution)
• As it is too expensive and 8 months work, so they will continue with the ’copy-paste’ solution.
• EAP grading memo – to give guidance on what the 3/4 mean:
• - 4 means a student demonstrated accurate academic achievement application, reasoning and critical analysis (for example, creating a similar problem, justification to teacher, transfer of knowledge, teaching to another student, come up with the topic sentence, etc.)
• - 3 is accurate completion of standards at grade being taught
• There will be an optional work session for EAP teacher to learn/share about completion of report cards and Jen can compensate for their time.
• Some parent education is needed that given with these new ways of grading some students that had a 4 before will now be scored against following years standards and then get a 3.
• Jen: a parent letter will be sent home with the report card.

To Share

• How can we help you Jen?
• Chat with your building administrators to give feedback on how in-class services are working.
• Jen shared when she was a Principal she always appreciated to hear form the parent before she heard from her supervisor.
• If you hear that the principal dismisses the parent or the parent doesn’t feel heard or the parent feels their students needs are not being met, schedule a meeting with teachers and principal and the purpose should be to review assessment data.  Because assessment data is what will direct the work and services!
• First contact your teacher, teacher should have formal or informal information to have the conversation of meeting students needs.  Then access the Principal, and if it doesn’t work there is always reach out to the Assistant Superintendent for direct support.
• Inform parents that receiving services is possible, that currently buildings are implementing models and doing some experiments on how to deploy in-classroom services.
• If it is not happening at your school… advocate!
• Talk with Assistant Superintendent

Fifth Topic: TenMarks (110 licenses given out)

• Amazon is not selling licenses so for about 48 hours.
• Kokanee’s PTA bought school-wide licenses and because lower enrollment the district could buy licensees.
• Greg (STS from Kokannee) uploaded all new students.  Thanks to Greg and Kokanee!
• There is a webinar for teachers (90 minutes) to take in their own time and can get compensated to learn how to set up the accounts and start the students in TenMarks.
• It is up to the teacher to do the webinar, set up the account, and give to the kids.
• Partnering with Microsoft (through Jen’s husband) that goes beyond Math… exploring options for many uses in the District.

Seventh Topic: HiCap Parent Night – Info can be shared!

• Develop online video instead of evening session.
• It will be posted and people can view it at their own time.
• The website could have a question form so Jen can answer them in the video.
• The question submission open is for about 2 weeks,
• It will be translated into Spanish.
• There will be some information for Elementary, Middle and High.
• Jen will meet with Elizabeth Meza (Natural Leaders) to communicate about more diversity.

They are trying to have less tests and move to services.

• No need parent permission for the screening, but if they move forward the parents need to accept further testing and eventually services.
• There is no referral process, and the tests will be administered during the day and by a proctor.
• The schedule for this years is going to be different from different grades:
• - In January second assessment
• - In Feb MST meets
• - In Feb/March info available for families
• Another thing to review is the service model that the District is providing.

For next year, all students are going to be screened again:

• - kinder – have their own process
• - grade 8th to 12th – file review for qualification
• - grade 1st to 7th – two steps
• Nagilieri will not be for all grades because some grades already have some assessments that can be used as cognitive measures without having to test those students.
• All kids will be analyzed through data or testing, and then decide if they move to the second set of assessments/testing.

For example, - A holistic 1st grader will go though the whole process again. - 1st graders Nagilieri and IRRs for 1st step; they can qualify to continue testing thought either one, given that the Sate requires 2 different opportunities to qualify. - For a 4th grade, the screening is just the SBA (math and/or reading), and if they pass, they’ll have to take the ITBS. Question: As the SBA is a measure of the standards the student was exposed to, isn’t it dependent on the teacher and on the school building the student is at? Answer: The Board has asked this question, and it is a conversation still to be had.

Minutes from 9/27/2018 Meeting

9/27/2018: First HiCap Meeting with Old and new reps Austina, Angie Y, Angie H, Laurie, Jennifer Spanton, Bonnie, Myriam, Rob, Sylvia, Allison, Lauren, Lisa B, Veronica, Xioying, Brenae (later)

Austina: Expectations for Conduct in HiCap Council meetings

• Member of a non-profit, we have duties – Care (make careful decisions), obedience to laws, Loyalty to group (needs of group above personal needs)
• Have good behavior:
  • Council has a good open relationship with admin. Admin will ask council for advice and will tell us things not yet published. Keep non-public info confidential until it is released by Admin
  • Be pragmatic and non-emotional during meetings. Not appropriate to discuss your own kid at these meetings. No losing temper in this room. News is not always good, but we have to work within the group.
  • We are trusted by the admin with confidential info, we don’t want to lose that trust
• Have 3 positions unfilled
  • North Creek Feeder
  • Sunrise Elementary
  • Kenmore Middle School
  • What do we want to do with open spots? Bylaws say we can appoint a representative with majority vote of the Directors

    Jen, Lucy, and Bill Bagnall Arrive

• Open positions:
  • Directors will reach out to potentials
• Updates
  • This Evening will have a k-12 hicap advisory team meeting
  • Continue to meet for rest of the year
  • Add parent members to the advisory team to increase diversity
  • Looking for Hispanic or latino parents to join team. If we know anyone, send to Jen
  • Kindergarten:
    • State says within first 3 months must identify and start services
    • Stay in current classroom and teacher is notified and will administer holistic services
    • Carry holistic designation till end of 1^st grade then will retest
    • Identification process will start soon and be finished by end of October. WA kids will be part of the process, jen will tell us rest of process later after telling cabinet.
  • New to northshore: may have joined last spring, spring, fall.
    • All new family enrollment packets contain hicap info. Before school, families can give documentation about past test scores, letters about hicap programs they were in. District team convened weekly to review info from student. Offered designation based on test scores from previous schools.
    • Screening from April to august for those without previous scores, programs
    • All kids will participate in winter process with other kids – ospi will let district know if anything else is needed for screening, testing for new families. 800 new families total.
    • Still looking at families who didn’t ask to test.
    • Email jen with questions. Surya answers the phone in hicap, goes through the emails and responds. Include student # to expedite response.
  • Partnership with Jonathan Plucker – president of national association of Gifted
    • Interested in analyzing data for screening and testing
    • Austina, Lucy, Jen talked on phone with Jonathan. We are giving him public info right now. Anonymized data is what he would get.
    • We are first district in nation to take on process of testing all kids for equity purposes.
    • He will look at our data to see if the process was necessary. Is there a way to do same thing with less cost – money and student time.
    • He will look at students with high Naglieri scores but didn’t meet ITBS or SBA scores. What is it in the system that didn’t allow them to academically achieve? What demographics? What were roadblocks we put in place and how can we take those down and help them to succeed?
    • Preliminary info will give him info to help us figure out what to do for the 18-19 school year process.
  • HiCap Cadre
    • MS and Elementary teachers – one per school - 18 members so far
    • In July, people went to Edufest conference
    • Bring Jen info from building level
    • One issue is report cards and grading – want it to be consistent across district
    • Teachers can talk to the Cadre member to bring info to Jen
    • Jen gives info to cadre who delivers info to teachers in their building
    • Cadre engage in PD and design PD for colleagues in NSD
  • Nancy Hertzog gave a talk this week
    • About Advanced learners, HiCap designated and non identified
      • Projects, problem based learning, etc. techniques for all classrooms
      • K-8 teachers attended
    • People from Curriculum and Instruction attended. TOSAs attended and will deliver some info to teachers
  • What kind of communication is going out to all NSD parents about this training and PD?
    • Jen will work with communications to create a periodic newsletter that gets put on website, given to buildings for their newsletter, building websites, maybe a one way facebook page, twitter.
    • Will work on ways to push info to families
  • Math
    • Elementary in class model: math services offered currently aren’t same as EAP peers in most buildings.
    • Haven’t solved problem but are making progress
    • EAP world: getting training for new curriculum in mid October with ongoing sessions of training. All 4-5 EAP teachers will get this middle school core focus math trainings
    • IN class teachers: Students would be clustered (no minimum number for a cluster yet) in their classroom with hicap peers. Tenmarks will be purchased for these students through Algebra II. Teacher monitored and moderated. Have to get approval, then students will get it.
    • Tenmarks will go away at end of this year. Partnering with Microsoft to get another online solution for these kids after this year.
    • Pre-assessments will tell teachers if kids would benefit from daily lesson in classroom as well as online tool.
    • HIcap office can see usage report for each kid on the back end
    • What is the consequence for buildings who are not clustering? Ask principal. Parent can contact asst super if principal isn’t clustering.
    • At middle school, will HC designated students be with only HC kids or mixed with Challenge? Depends on the building. Lucy and Jen are doing analysis to see what has occurred in each school.
    • Group of principals are joining Jen to figure out how to offer inclass students correct standards in math. How can 2^nd grade kid get 3^rd grade math? Maybe walk to math, maybe something else.
    • Myriam recommends teachers aren’t gatekeepers to student progressing in Tenmarks and other software solutions.

Analysis of data – This is public and sharable – see handout for charts and graphs

• 26% of students assessed moved on to further testing
• 600+ students added to program
• 15000 assessed
• 95^th percentile cut off, same as previously, no lowering of standards
• Appeals: no lower standards for appeals. 250 appeals
• MST held to initial thresholds
• Of 600+ qualified. 30% have special designation. ELL, low income, Special Ed, 504, IEP
• Racial background: have work to do here to increase percentages
• Low income was also not a high percentage of passing rate
• In program kids: 18% of current kids would not have passed naglieri
• Looking at additional screener. Not just Naglieri
• Looking at an inclusive definition of creativity – not just drawing to assess
• 40 students qualified through Torrence pathway…out of 3k

  Admin leave Laurie motioned , Sylvia seconded money to buy new name tags for new members Jennifer will talk to Toni and order these name tags Finances ok till about January because of donations. Will need to fundraise to keep going after that

• Someone has volunteered to help with fundraising
• We can rekindle the SEPAC fair, sell stuff, etc. ?
• Can PTA give grants or budgeting for EAP/AAP events?

  Duties of directors – read from bylaws to see what is required Austina will add everyone to hcparents email list Everyone will send a headshot to Angie for the website Volunteers for the executive board – president, VP, secretary, treasurer

• No one new volunteered to be on the board
• Is executive board willing to serve again?
• Jennifer moved to keep executive board, Lauren seconded, Unanimous vote to vote in board
• Austina is president
• Laurie is VP
• Kristi is Treasurer
• Angie is secretary

Appointment of people to empty positions:

• Will ask people and ask them to fill out nomination form online
• They need to fill out the form by next Friday oct 12^th then Hicap board will vote at next meeting

Minutes from 8/28/2018 Meeting

8/28/2018 Hicap meeting
Austina, laurie, Angie H, kristi, kavi, helen, lisa, Jen (still reports to Becky), bill bagnall, brenae  

Analysis of data - demographics, etc.

• To Dr reid in next week then to everyone else

New sites

• New site at Moorlands
• Existing in Bear Creek, Sunrise, Woodmoor, lockwood
• 2^nd grade at Bear Creek and Lockwood only because of qualification numbers, not at other schools

Qualification pathways

• 5 pathways to qualify
• Chart on website
• Appeal process: not one student got in with lower scores than threshold.
• Met august 1, then again later in month
• Read every single appeal to the entire team while looking at data for this child. Then team decided on the individual after discussion.
• Failed to provide for 504/IEP, translator needed would be reasons for appeal to be considered further. Hired interpreter and re-administer test in native language
• Testing is an experience built into the everyday process at school, so appeals that say student didn’t know was not granted.
• Hicap designation can’t be the only way students are supported in our school system: talk to school team to get your student what they need

What do we do for kids who didn’t qualify?

• Get data into a system where principals can access it – working with district to get a home in the district servers
• When principals ask for scores, Hicap dept is sending ITBS data to them
• Are schools clustering? According to Jen’s meeting principals have been notified that hicap students should be clustered. Clustering could be a group of any number rather than all hicap kids clustered in one classroom per grade…jen can’t dictate numbers. Austina says groups of 5-9 is what research says is best.

Waivers

• Different EAP school is a waiver
• Wants to go back to homeschool – moorlands – that now has an EAP class is a waiver
• August 9^th was waivers deadline
• Lockwood is finished with getting responses
• 1/3 of parents didn’t respond…probably a communication snafu
• Waivers can’t be considered until they know where qualified kids will go…if they accept
• Moorlands kids are assigned to Moorlands, woodmoor, sunrise and lockmore. Can that be better?
• Maybe scope of eligibility process for this year is less strenuous then they can look at the shuffling of kids to make more sense with capacity

  PD

• Hicap cadre of MS and ES teachers, asst curriculm, tosa, tech, went to edufest in Idaho – 15 total. All of these folks have committed to remaining in group for entire year and have 3 jobs. Receive info, disseminate info to school building, let Jen know of any questions or problems in schools that she needs to address, engage in PD – will go to waetag then give info back to schools.
• High school is TBD
• Teachers were invited to sign up for Nancy Hertzog during the summer, coming back in sept. 26 teachers attended
• Also had summer institute classes appropriate for hicap teachers. Math strategies, tech class, social emotional, science, social studies, 2E session.
• 3 schools with AAP for first time, jen will send some guidelines for these teachers.
• In-class model info sent to principals to pass them to teachers

Schools

• Schools are getting a trickle of students in hicap and at some point it will tip the balance to have HR hire another staff person.
• Schools may be moving teachers from gen ed to hicap then may hire gen ed. Reorganizing staff

Communication

• Hicap parents communicate on Facebook and mailing list
• Mass mailings (goes to junk folder sometimes)
• Website updates
• Opened a twitter account @HicapNorthshore
• Maybe put it in school newsletters, paper letter at curriculum nights
• Tech has said all school websites need to be uniform….not sure principals can put info from their school specifically on there…

Info night

• Will there be one? Will be a variety of nights in different formats, maybe live stream, maybe dedicated Spanish language night

All appeals have been reviewed and emailed as of 3 days ago. Less 2^nd graders, single qualifiers went up Transportation

• Online system works for eap and eap students if you click Advanced search in tool
• Some schools have longer EAP rides – over 1 hour 10 minutes

Next meeting on sept 27^th 10am Elections:

• Do we do them right away in September? Or wait till October when people are in class and know the schools and program?
• Reopen nominations on 4th or in 2 weeks? 1-week voting
• Monday 24^th voting finished
• New people will be half hour early to Jen meeting to get rules : no losing temper, no appealing for your own kid, etc.

Minutes from 6/5/2018 Meeting

6/5/2018 – Jen & Steve, Lisa, Kavi, Helen, Laurie, Austina, Bonnie, Brenae, Kristi, Angie H

MST -confidential

• met Friday and set some qualifications
• See qualification pathway handout
• All qualification has an academic achievement requirement
  • ITBS is always a requirement for qualification
  • Naglieri (95^th%) and Torrence (90^th%) is the other qualifier
  • Torrence is the top 7% of NSD students that took torrence
• Looked at borderline case to get ahead of appeals and consider those kids as well
• Pathway 4 and 5 in grades 1,2,3 we only have reading data on them so they can only qualify in Reading at this time.
• For private schools, they don’t give students the IRR, SBA and STAR usually so Jen can’t compare other tests and weigh scores.
• Top half of level 4 SBA is different for every grade. Jen had to determine top 50% for each grade/subject
• MST decided 95% for elem and MS, which was what the Middle School always had for a cutoff. Adding consistency by making cutoff same in elem and ms.

Eligibility Letter

• 98% of ITBS, 2/3 of torrence are in
• IF student qualifies in a pathway with data available that student will be qualified
• Rolling notification for qualification, placement will come later
• Webpage hopefully live tomorrow (Wednesday)
• Acceptance dates will roll as well. Different date for each group/kid
• Qualification information chart will be at bottom of the webpage
• Appeals info will be on the letters and there is an appeals section on the website.
• First batch of eligibility letters will go out in next 3 days
• Starting with students who currently have single designation in grades 1-4
• Then 1-4 new with no current designation
• Middle schoolers aren’t moving. All MS will have 6^th AAP, if enough in other grades MS will have 7 and 8 as well

Letter categories – school year, child’s name on each letter, scores don’t determine success, patience appreciated

• No letter: appeals info, scores, qualification chart, ITBS info being sent to buildings, can test again next year,
• Single qualification reading: mention ITBS math, appeals, next year, score, qualification chart, services in home school, acceptance date
• Single qualification math: appeals, next year, score, qualification chart, services in home school, acceptance date
• Dual letter EAP: score, qualification chart, service options, when will they get site info?, no acceptance date until site info is available, you will get another letter with site info and we will require your acceptance on a date, no acceptance or email required now.
• Dual letter AAP: score, qualification chart, service options. Site info

Other info

• Even if kids don’t qualify for dual or single qualification, principals and teachers will have the list of students who scored high in ITBS so they can serve those students appropriately.
• May have walk to math in many buildings to accommodate the high Math ITBS
• Open houses:
  • likely happen in august.
  • Austina: not sure it’s necessary after decisions and acceptance
  • Can principals refer new families to a council person – ELL families have point person to talk to
  • Jen will point parents to our website. Need to put new events on there for our open houses at coffee houses, etc.

  Elections

• 4 high school, 4+ elementary, 6 Middle School, Regional non-EAP Elementary rep (4) – feeder to High school elementary (cover unidentified, kindergarten, single subject and dual in neighborhood)
• Timing: wait till later for elections

Change to bylaws to add in the regional representatives listed above and remove unidentified and in-school reps

• Laurie motioned, Brenae Seconded change to the bylaws. Unanimous vote accepted.
• New language added to bylaws (and all other locations where this change is mentioned):

Directors of the HiCap Council shall consist of 12 - 24 individuals from the following representative slots:

1. one parent representative from each EAP school;
2. one parent representative from each AAP school;
3. one parent representative from each High School;
4. one Regional parent representative for each Elementary in the Woodinville High School Feeder pattern
5. one Regional parent representative for each Elementary in the Bothell High School Feeder pattern
6. one Regional parent representative for each Elementary in the Inglemoor High School Feeder pattern
7. one Regional parent representative for each Elementary in the North Creek High School Feeder pattern

Regional Parent representatives will cover unidentified students (nsd, homeschool, private school), kindergarten qualified, single subject qualified and dual qualified being served in the school or program not served by EAP rep.

Minutes from 5/22/2018 Meeting

5/22/2018 – hicap meeting Elementary Data

• Qualification done by end of year
• Looking at individual anonymized schools as examples of data
• Giving high score data from students to schools even if the kids may not qualify for hicap designation so schools can cluster group and meet the needs of kids regardless of designation
• Elementary schools looking at math solutions for kids who need math acceleration
• Measure of Success:
  • all kids have opportunity to go down a path they couldn’t before
  • Teachers will change their concept of potential in children
  • Increased math qualification, opens doors to access to math for children
  • All Naglieri qualified kids have potential, if they don’t qualify, what is it about our system that hasn’t grown that child into one that would pass ITBS? What is it about their academic experience that hasn’t served them well? If we end up with a lack of diversity, what have we don’t as a system that has not served these students? Are we assessing these students for disabilities as well? At grade level work does not mean the child doesn’t have a disability.

MST (confidential right now)

• Waiting on scores, have some grade levels and don’t have others
• Have MST agree on pathways based on scores we have now then apply to later received scores
• All schools won’t have qualification info at once, all in a grade won’t have qualification at one time, each child will be analyzed one by one and get a letter and qualification.
• Communication for existing families – won’t have to move and will have transportation. If you want to move that process will start in August
• Should have a HiCap NSD website with update like “sunrise 3^rd grade has been notified”
• Don’t know what the process next year will look like
• Final communication will be email. 2 communications: first info on designation then second on site
• 6^th grade AAP should know site along with qualification, 7&8 will have to wait on numbers for site communication
• Publish high water mark for scores (like all above 98% will get dual qualification) then say MST will use discretion in borderline qualification

Will try to get website and communication up sometime next week There will be an EAP open house – timeline is unsure at this point: late June, early/mid/late August

• Parents like to see room, kids, teacher to make decision on whether to accept placement
• Usually an empty classroom with panel of kids who volunteered to share info with new families

New to Northshore screen now, assessment May 30^th, private school assessment May 30^th No more than 20 students at any school that will do makeups – SBAC is conflicting with time there, so doing best they can Let families know they will receive results and will hear either way, qualify or not. Update email on file. Response will be due for single subject sooner since no site change, dual with site will come later when Jen figures it out. Hopefully after open house but may come before.   HiCap only meeting:

• Finances
  • Need to fundraise and need someone to head this up.
  • Can we put a donate button on website? can we pass around a box at panels and talks to raise money?
  • Survey gizmo, mail chimp cost about $60+ per month, website costs as well
• Elections
  • 4 high school, 4+ elementary, 6 Middle School, Unidentified Elem, Unidentified Middle, Regional non-EAP Elementary rep – Kenmore, Woodinville, Bothell or feeder to High school elementary (cover unidentified, kindergarten, single subject and dual in neighborhood)
  • Timing: wait till mid-June for elections
• Add paypal on the website – ask for funds for park dates, etc
• Look at mailchimp to see if we can cull email addresses for those no longer interested

Minutes from 4/19/2018 Meeting

4/19/2018 HiCap council meeting Helen, Kavi, Lisa, Lauri, austina, Angie, Angie, Brenae  

Assessment update

• Scheduling last 5 schools now, will do make ups after that
  • All testing done not counting makeups and private schools after end of next week
• In-house scoring of ITBS – first grade. 2 weeks for out of house
• Torrence 4-6 weeks to score. Waiting for first wave to come back still
• Hoping to have acceptance info before the panel dates
• Private school testing: in data file and will schedule as soon as possible.
• Finish testing, makeups next and private school testing after that

  Communication

• Share scheduling : first sweep end of next week, makeups after that, then private school students will be scheduled

Advisory Team

• 3^rd meeting on Tuesday of this week
• Service models for HiCap classes in elementary
  • Supplements they use
  • Strengths, weaknesses
  • Curriculum used
• AAP, cluster in middle school, HS
• April 30: Gayle Hannanan join NSD and May 1
  • Systems change
  • Keys to program improvement
  • PD – hoping to build it into the Mandatory training – working with the union on this
  • Meet with district leadership, visit sites, Lockwood, Fernwood – in class, NMS for AAP
  • Advisory team has a wish list – dr Hannanan will look at these at advisory team meeting
  • Council – by Thursday – send magic wand “if you had a magic wand what would be your top 1-3 priorities to change or address for HiCap services?”
  • Cabinet meeting in Board Room on April 30 at 9am-noon – council invited to dr hannanan’s talk

Guidance Team, Walk-to-math

• Jen working with building staff to convene a guidance team, child study team, (traditionally used for struggling students) to access student testing data, etc. to get a personalized teaching plan for that student regardless of hicap testing results. Not getting into hicap shouldn’t be the only way to access advanced work. Another way to reach out to the school team to get the academic plan to address the needs of the student.
• Steve says Walk-to-Math happening at his school. Some grades have aligned times for math to make this possible. Usually parents initiate this with teacher support.
• In class math kids should be able to walk to math. Each school should have at least one class per grade that teaches math at the same time each day to allow this.

  Update on Data from screening and assessment

• Lots of charts and data on the screening results
• Will present this to cabinet, principals and etc

  Update on schools from us

• Issues with AAP
  • Parents wanting to accelerate in math over summer
  • Issues with 2 aap teachers – one English teacher and one science teacher - talking to principals about this
  • Austina: Algebra with all AAP kids is different than math with multiple grades. May need a new curriculum or book

 

Minutes from 3/15/2018 Meeting

3/15/2018 HiCap Meeting  

Assessment update

• K and 1 are mostly done
• 2^nd done by mid next week Torrence, ITBS later
• Middle school except Northshore done by end of next week Torrence, ITBS 6-7 a bit later
• All other testing will have schedule one week from tomorrow, 23^rd
• Week of 26^th: scheduling private school kids and makeups
• Kim would like hicap council to let parents know we will notify before testing. We are calling parents who have not given permission.
• 25 proctors out daily testing – small groups for younger kids
• Been testing for a month (3600 kids to test)
• Single content areas already been taking care of
• Each school has difference of space and factors: principal office, cafeteria, library, 5^th grade camp, ELL assessment, SBA
• Algebra readiness (5^th grade, all eap testing, all hicap in-school math or dual. No other 5^th grader can opt in unless teacher reaches out to niki Arnold-smith – assistant director curriculum and instruction narnoldsmith@nsd.org) (math 7 will be tested and math 6 – 8^th grade ITBS math and orleans Hannah. For timing, 6^th grade may take 8^th grade for algebra readiness then have to take 7^th for HiCap testing if timing isn’t correct. )
• Testing finishing in May, decisions in June
• Scoring for Torrence will be sent in – 4-6 weeks to score then team will convene to make determinations
• Everyone will get a letter and email with all scores and offer or not of placement
• Will call if parent doesn’t respond to offer of placement
• Did not communicate with the students who did not make score cut off for Naglieri

  Advisory team

• K-12 HiCap advisory team makes recommendations
• Adding Jonny Phu to Advisory team: MTSS coordinator and equity and diversity task force member
• Holistic, AAP, EAP service models discussed tonight
• Retaining students and meeting their needs is a focus
• Need to support teachers new to teaching HiCap classes. PD will be offered – including principals to inform on the difference in HiCap teaching/students
• PD should include message that hicap classes aren’t easier – have many more challenges than gen ed class
• Maybe having a HiCap 101 for principals, teachers to get them up to speed. Everyone should have some of this

Middle schools:

• All 6^th grade AAP kids will be at their home middle school next year
• 7^th and 8^th grade next year. No one will be asked to move to home schools if they don’t’ want to
• Those going through the process now will stay at neighborhood middle school and AAP classes will be created.
• Skyview has enough for 6-8^th AAP and has decided to do so
• Timbercrest and Kenmore will have 6^th grade AAP but have not decided on 7^th and 8^th
• What is the difference between Challenge and AAP in curriculum? Catalog says they are basically the same. Can we make a distinction?
• Can teachers teach 6-8 aap classes rather than 6^th grade gen ed, challenge and AAP? Fewer aap teachers but better trained in hicap

EAP:

• 4 sites are at capacity.
• All newly eligible will have an EAP spot.
• Each EAP schools are estimating EAP students coming in
• Won’t have numbers for all school having EAP, but we may have more sites – Fernwood may have numbers – some key sites will open in some grades. Maybe 4-5 more sites could have one or more EAP classes. Possibly split grades.
• Longer ride kids will look at going back to home school if possible - voluntary
• Current eap at other schools wouldn’t be required to move back to home school but could.
• Puyallup has gone to a neighborhood school hicap model and are now thinking of moving back to a centralized model. Why? Should look into this

ReOrg

• 1000 inquiries for score reports, 200 more every week or so
• With great amount of work – scheduling, email, voice mail, proctor communications,
• Trish, Kim, Lauri all working with Jen now
• Phone will always be answered by Lauri or a temp – be patient
• Emails will be reviewed by Lauri with follow up by Kim
• Kim will focus on scheduling and have all kids scheduled for testing by next Friday – will notify families
• Jen will notify principals
• Trish is working on score reports and sending them out.
• Jen will handle high school emails, or emotional issues

   

Minutes from 2/2/2018 Meeting

2/2/2018 Hicap meeting with Jen

• Parent night 6:30-7:30 in Bothell performing center
• Will be recorded with chapters to look at particular parts
• Posted in a week or 2
• Translation in real time
• Help families find the email in trash/junk mail. Friday everyone should have heard from HiCap. Some got one a month ago

Testing update

• Signatures: not printing out signatures, links in email to give consent then a backup phone call to confirm if they haven’t heard from them. Spanish speaking people in ELL department to call for Spanish speaking families
• Torrence is $20 per student, so to save costs they will move some students on without some of the tests
• 85^th – 94^th percentile is what Dr. Ford suggested. Above 95^th percentile follows NSD traditional cutoffs for HiCap services
• See chart for specifics on how each child’s scores will be used
  • 85-94 = K gets Torrence for Holistic, 1-7 Torrence and ITBS, 8 Torrence only
  • 95-99
    • K = Immediate Holistic services with no additional tests
    • 1-3 = Torrence and ITBS (Math for all, Reading as well for those not IRR 2 grades above grade level)
    • 4-7 = If SBA in top half of Level 4 SBA in either or both content area offer services, take ITBS for any that aren’t in level 4, Torrence for those who don’t qualify immediately by SBA scores
    • 8 = if SBA in top half of Level 4 SBA in either or both content area offer services, Torrence for those who don’t qualify by SBA
  • Did not qualify: not getting scores in letter, can email to request scores = not until feb 26^th
  • Next year there will be an online system to get DNQ scores faster
• ITBS and Torrence can be administered in Spanish if needed
• Single content students can retest every year in other content area
• All families will get letters today if they qualify and will get scores
• Need to educate families and parents that a low score is not indicative of the child’s potential in school. One test on one day isn’t a statement about their ability to be successful.
• Current EAP/AAP kids will not get results until they request it
• We will get analysis of current kids scores in an aggregated form
• K will start assessment Feb 12^th – just Torrence about 30 minutes 250 Kids across 20 elems
• Start with middle schools after K
• Hope to finish in March – have 10 proctors to test 3000 kids (3/15/2018 - updated to say finish in May)
• Could have half of testers quality - 1500 qualify which would double program (1700 currently)
• Some buildings may have enough qualify that they transition gen ed classrooms to EAP classrooms since the kids are already there.

    9^th and 10^th grade transition Survey Results

• Survey results
• Kids generally satisfied
• Ela and Social studies have more dissatisfaction due to AAP->Gen ed in those with what’s available
• Each high school different
  • Bothell uses Edmonds CC for CHS, doesn’t have many AP classes for younger grades
  • WHS uses UW Cascadia for CHS, has lots of AP and can take them earlier
  • Inglemoore have IB, but problem with 10^th grade, not old enough for ib but not AP available
• Pre-AP and Pre-IB are like a step backwards for many AAP kids
• Surprised at number of older kids in their class
• Abrupt change from JR high to high school: HS doesn’t allow retakes in some classes, jr high did. Not growth mindset
• Jen says she’s given guidance to buildings to put kid in appropriate classes regardless of Hicap designation
• Can we have a designated hicap counselor at each high school?
• Need executive function help with these kids
• Some would like to have the AAP cohort stay together
• Can the district distribute the survey to all Hicap 9^th and 10^th kids to increase numbers of respondents
• Put link to survey on our website with bold graphic or something to catch their eye
• Put 2017 satisfaction survey on website, too

  Requested Characteristics of teachers for hicap classrooms

• Teaching in discipline they have their degree in
• Openminded toward gifted population with 2E
• Education around how a child can be designated as hiCap
• Understand Social emotional needs of hicap – teachers and counselors
• Open to hicap training, take PD, Ongoing PD especially for Gen Ed teachers turning into HiCap Teachers.
• Compress curriculum Recognizing pace is important to hiCap kids. Let kids direct the pace and compacting of curriculum per their needs
• Open to more than one way to get the answer. Kids think in a different way, not necessarily use the procedures taught in class. If they get the concept let them dictate how
• Fine isn’t good enough for hicap kids. Conversation on potential disability if kids aren’t functioning at their potential
• Assess potential. Every kid should experience enough challenge that it’s visible. Develop grit
• Competition isn’t a good motivator for this group. Perfectionist tendencies
• Don’t use these kids as teachers for other children
• Instead of memorization, have critical thinking skills
• Need to teach study skills and exec function
• Open to current brain research
• Less repetition and more project based learning
• Have previous experience with hicap kids – have hicap kids, were a hicap kid, taught hicap kids
• Teachers of color, diverse culture and experience.
• Cultural Competency training
• May have to rethink middle school teaching models. Have hicap teacher teach 6,7,8 hicap rather than one grade of hicap, challenge and gen ed per teacher.
• Knowledge in math above grade level they are teaching
• Empathy and patience

Universal Screening Results

As you may know, NSD has undertaken the momentus task this spring of testing all students in grades K-8 for hicap services using the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test.  Students who are already designated as HiCap CAN NOT lose their designation regardless of their score on this test and will not take further rounds of testing. Students who are currently qualified in only one subject and any other student who receives an 85% or higher will move on to the next round of testing.  Currently qualified HiCap students were included in this testing for informational and data collection purposes only.

We have recently learned from the district that all students who received 85% or higher will receive an email before February 5th asking for permission to admister the next round of testing,  or in the case of some students (Kindergarten for example) who scored in the 99th percentile, you will be asked for permission to designate your student as hicap in the 2018/2019 school year without further testing. Please look for these emails in your junk folder or other spam filters if you have not received it by Monday February 5th. If the hicap office does not receive a response in the next week, they will begin making phone calls to the parent of every student from which they have not yet received consent. The hicap office does not want any student to miss this opportunity.

If your student did not qualify for testing, you will receive your letter in the next few weeks. These letters will not contain individual scores, but if parents would like to know thier child's score they may email hicap@nsd.org after February 26th or contact their child's teacher after that time.

Minutes from 1/9/2018 Meeting

1/9/18 Hicap meeting

Screening

• Screening window opened 1/8. 4-5 classrooms administered screening tool. 8 minutes -24 minutes. Agreement with Pierson happened on Friday afternoon. Logins sent to schools on Monday. Majority starting end of this week or start of next week. Colorblind student got a black and white version of the test.
• Parents will be notified of results: families of students moving on will be notified. Not sure if or how others will get the results.
• Email sent to parents: technical problem with sending, so they sent twice to each email for each child in k-8.
• Principals and teachers should tell students/parents when screening will occur. 31^st is last day
• Chromebook or laptop for administering naglieri screening
• 3 practice questions and 2 visuals of kids using the trackpad they do with teacher before screening. If teacher sees kid is struggling with the technology, they can order a paper copy of the test for that child. Teachers were also allowed to help with technology if child told them the answer.
• Will do analysis of currently HiCap designated versus non-designated.

Move onto ITBS

• Holistic students move on regardless
• 85% on screener moves on
• Single content area students move on regardless
• Deadline for accepting ITBS is ASAP

Private school testing

• Where will these kids be screened?
• Decided it will be done at Admin center. 60 families signed up for this screening
• 5 dates reserved for this testing. Max of 30 screened at once
• Found out on website, email to HIcap office, contacted schools to ask, we mentioned it on facebook
• New to Northshore testing will hopefully happen Before school starts in September, either in spring or in August.
• Northshore networks had to sign up to screen. They got the info, but had 5 or less sign up

Tuesday march 6 is next meeting. Feb 5^th is info night Info night

• Will be videoed by NSD. Will have Spanish interpretation headsets. 6:30-7:30 bothell high performing arts center.
• Families will be notified if they are going on for assessment. Will need to get permission at the info night.
• Feb 2^nd – Group of hicap people will help Kim get names for permission for info night. 11-12noon.

FAQ

• Updated on the website. Content is there. Technology to make it more user friendly will happen later
• questions bonnie collected have been answered on FAQ
• Where are the transportation question FAQ? Carolyn?

HiCap Team

• Teachers, specialists, office representation,
• Info to be sent on Friday to principals and certificated teachers. 16 member team most likely
• Deepen and broaden knowledge of hicap issues. Revising policy and procedure 2190(?), reviewing and recommending on eligibility process, reviewing program models, curriculum, assessments and materials.
• Through end of next year to make recommendations to Dr. Reid and Dr. Ford.
• Need 2 parents for the team. Looking for elementary person and a secondary person. Jan 26 is form interest deadline. Tim Brittel will select representatives as well.
• Not looking at student representation at this time.
• First meeting set early February 13^th. Content will be same as presentation to SEMAC.
• Multidisciplinary team will decide if Torrence creativity can be a sole indicator for HiCap, or other factors as well.
• Looking at curriculum for creatively eligible students. Will this be a secondary path? Or will be included in standard?

AAP survey going out on Friday

• Students in 6-7^th grade at AAP sites. Asking if they would like to remain at AAP site or transfer to neighborhood school for AAP? Are parents interested in this? Preliminary conversations and data gathering.
• Not held to how they answered this survey. They can choose differently later.
• Communicate that if they transfer to neighborhood school it will be the same standard at an aap school. Assure parents that Heather Miller will ensure that the standard is the same at every school.

Feb 2^nd 11-1 meeting: first part is info night prep, 2^nd part is brainstorm for skills, background for hiring, and challenges in the 8-9^th grade transition.  March 6^th at 10 Jen will send

• letters to us – holistic and single content ,
• form for her advisory team,
• survey going out on Friday – may have transportation phase out in a year or 2

Jen likes chocolate, caramelos, gummy bears 😊 Jen leaves   HiCap Council only

• Jan 20^th at brightwater $99. Lots of amazing speakers better than a national conference. Lunch is included.
• Would the PTA want to sponsor a new hicap teacher to go to this conference? 6.5 clock hours
• Need to put it on facebook: how to advocate for your individual kids’ needs.
• Need a survey of 8^th/9^th kids on high school transition

            Jeff Sherwood and Laura Poolman join the meeting How does Northshore hire the HiCap teachers?

• Jeff: No special requirement to teach HiCap wrt certificates and endorsements. Specialty endorsement to add a certificate. Whittworth offers this endorsement.
• Have a HiCap job pool on website. A few applicants. One has a Whittworth endorsement for Gifted ed.
• Have not tracked the endorsement, not required, offered widely.
• Historically pull from elementary ed pool. Some have experience with HiCAp. Ask about interest in HiCap when applying.
• Don’t have a way to search pool to look for hicap experience other than the interest check box.
• We are looking for teachers all the time in all content areas.
• We can fill a hicap classroom with any K-8 teacher, so haven’t looked for hicap specific teachers
• Austina: There are degrees that specialize in gifted education, masters and phd programs.
• Steve: Need to draft the job posting specifically geared to hicap
• Laura: do job fairs in Tacoma, Spokane, 12 throughout the year. Hold one at NSD as well in January. Post to professional orgs, universities, social media.
• Angie: are you actively looking for teachers of color? There may be a feeling that NSD isn’t a place for teachers of color. How do we actively change that perception?
• Jeff: It’s been a focus to increase diversity of applicant pools. Doing outreach, redoing parts of our application process. Changing recruiting materials. Market for teachers is more competitive than ever. Need to use the systems we have to gather the information we can use. Growing list of shortage areas. Word of mouth is best way to recruit. More out of state applicants, working on WA certification, Can advertise with national organizations, need to change the perception that NSD isn’t diverse
• Toni: Look at schools with diverse populations for your recruiting. Let the recruitment office at HBCU and other diverse schools know Northshore is looking for teachers of color
• Jeff: Block grant from northwest university to help paras get their certificates. Paras are a more diverse group of staff. How do we find WA residents who have left the state for historically black schools but want to come back?
• Making enrollment projections now for next year. Make guess about how many elementary teachers they need, shuffle contracted staff first before may, and then hire in march – may.
• Helen: Can parents be involved in the hiring of HiCap teachers?
• Jeff: Parents haven’t been involved in the hiring process for teachers historically. We can have a conversation around the early hiring of teachers. Do we need to focus on hicap teachers? Leave it up to the building administration and parent community on whether having a parent on the hiring committee works for them.
• Can do central hiring for hicap teachers to ensure quality if needed

    Heather Miller and Dave Wellington

• Heather: helpful to get a list of specific skills needed for hicap classes. Reassignment of current staff is usually what happens. Will share with principals when they are making that assignments. Feb 2^nd meeting 11-1pm. Second half will be talking about this list for Heather.
• Helen: is there additional training for teachers who volunteer for hicap assignments?
• Heather: Jen has training for this. Ongoing professional dev happens as well.
• Jen: committee can also look at this pd aspect for recommendations.
• Laurie: how will the transition from Middle to high work for aap students and teachers response to that?
• Heather: Can be more specific to help teachers and principals with the aap transition to high school.
• Jen: work on that at next meeting as well.
• Austina: move from a contained cohort environment to a individual model in High school. Is this by design or is there something we can do to help this transition.
• Bonnie: Can middle schools and high schools have a single counselor that knows the needs of hicap students
• Lisa: how do parents who are shy about talking to the teacher/principal raise issues that occurs with their kid?
• Dave: Have individual parents talk to the principal about issues.
• Austina: what do we do about teacher quality issues when there is only one EAP or AAP teacher for that school for that grade/subject? Great hicap teachers understand the social emotional quirkiness of these kids. Deescalation techniques are essential for this population
• Laurie: kids don’t know how to study. Need to have that taught as well, need to be challenged to learn how to study.
• Jen: need to know what PD those teachers need to be a good hicap teacher. Team will help with that kind of thing
• Toni: don’t forget to include librarians, pe teachers, music teachers in this PD. They need to know these kids need different de-escalation techniques as well.
• Kristi: Some schools put a few EAP kids in each science class…those teachers need to know about these kids as well. Kids in these classes need to know this as well.
• Bonnie: perception by teachers and admins that hicap is a pressure cooker high pressure environment. Not encouraging kids to sign up