Minutes from 12/18/19 Meeting

HiCap Parent Council Meeting
with Amity Butler and Angie Hancock (Student Data Analyst)
December 18, 2019

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

1. Testing progress – Currently in makeup phase of testing. Capturing different students at different locations today and tomorrow. District make-up day at HQ on Friday morning. Also opening a testing window in January for Kokanee. They are chasing down kids who were sick or missed the test. 40-50 kids left.
2. Issue from a parent that a child was given both tests when already single-qualified. Evidently there is sometimes confusion during testing lots of kids and sometimes kids are given the wrong test. And there is no Stop Sign after the Reading test ends for the 1^st graders. It just stops – no next button, no nothing. Very confusing and frustrating. First graders also have trouble sitting for two long tests in a single session.
3. 504 plan accommodations – will send extra proctor to test kids in a separate room. Follow SBA recommendations. EL is more difficult. Accommodating translation is really difficult, especially for emerging EL. Heavy text is a problem.
4. Results from testing:
   1. Lots of first graders dual qualified, more than single qualifiers. The number of single qualifiers for math was surprisingly high, given that the numbers include only those who did not qualify based purely on Naglieri.
   2. Capturing ELL students, but not a lot of Low-Income or 504.
   3. Parents and students have not yet been informed of the results.
5. How are proctors found, trained, conflicts of interest?
   1. Trained at district office
   2. Do not proctor at building where they have a child
   3. Asked schools to send a paraeducator if possible. Works best because they know the kids and the kids are comfortable with them.
   4. Proctors are often substitutes or other district employees.
   5. No volunteers. They are paid. $19 per hour for at least 4 hours.
   6. Difficult time finding proctors. Not well paid. Mostly word of mouth.
6. Number of kids who have taken IOWA so far:
   1. 1^st grade: 571
   2. 2^nd grade: 435
   3. 3^rd grade :371
   4. 4^th grade: 279
   5. 5^th grade: 693
   6. 6^th grade: 160
   7. 7^th grade: 111
7. No data yet on kindergarteners. Need to combine with WA Kids data first.
8. EAP Locations for next year:
   1. Confirmed: Lockwood, Moorlands, Canyon Creek, Sunrise and Fernwood
   2. Still discussing: Feeder patterns for Kokanee and Wellington (to Liota). Concern about taking kids out of their middle school feeder pattern. And west for Shelton View, West Hills, Maywood Hills.
   3. Trying to avoid moving kids again. Contingent on multiple programs that all need space and might move. Plus moving music into the school day.
   4. EDTF meeting was cancelled and moved to January. Dr. Reid will make decision based on cabinet, probably in January. Survey was very helpful.
9. Survey Results
   1. Many parents are willing to move their child to a new EAP site if closer to home
   2. Sibling waivers are important and can be a priority depending on the principal, but they are often difficult to guarantee.
   3. Contractual issues about class sizes
   4. Need to determine the priorities to use when making the decisions about placement
   5. Need consistent policies about class sizes and whether promoting non-qualified kids into EAP to balance class sizes is appropriate.
   6. If a student is promoted to EAP, evidently it does not change their actual classification in the system. Unclear what happens about enrolling them into EAP/AAP classes the following year, whether they should be tested.
   7. To make students feel comfortable with a transition to a new school, parents prefer an evening open house event for families and a daytime field trip for students.
   8. Discussion about how to make a field trip happen for kids who are moving schools and how to coordinate a single district-wide day for the event.
10. Discussion about gaps in math for kids new to EAP. Teachers need to be aware of which students are new and not up to speed in math.
11. High School course offerings
    1. HiCap only classes? How that does mesh with IB and AP courses?
    2. No communication with parents. No decisions.
    3. It seems transcript will not change. Not a different title.
12. High school discussion
    1. Incoming numbers of identified HiCap students doubling next year. Are the high schools ready?
    2. When will course offerings start to match (such as advanced math options)
    3. Recap of the high school info night--there were about 30 attendees, lots of questions about how to know what to register for
    4. High school reps should have individual meetings with the high school principals
    5. Ideally, the high schools would all put out documents similar to the BHS and WHS documents we made (with info about 4 year course plans)
    6. Could high schools email the documents to the HiCap identified 8th graders?
    7. Could the high school counselors read the documents as well?
    8. Jennifer to host high school discussion at her house to get all the high school reps (and other interested parties) on the same page to have similar asks of the 4 high schools
13. Next meeting is Jan. 15--talk about the EAP info night
14. Could the council sponsor an "Outstanding HiCap Educator" award, similar to PTA educator awards. Not necessarily money (see below). Promote the positive stories of in-class services (and a way to solicit stories of specific actions--which can then be shared with others) and show appreciation to the teachers.
15. HiCap parents council is very low on funds (treasurer not present so exact amount unknown). May run out of money to pay for Mail Chimp, website
    1. Bear Creek PTA is dissolving and disbursing their funds, possible that they would grant us money?
    2. Send another fundraising email to HiCap list?
    3. Can Game Day be a fundraiser?
16. Game Day is on for Feb. 9 from 2:30 - 5 at the Brightwater center.
    1. There will be a fee, and this is not a drop off event. Tickets to go on sale in early January.
    2. Put up signs around Game Day of what positive things the Parents Council has done.