Tredyffrin/Easttown School District BOARD EDUCATION COMMITTEE

March 14, 2019 7:00 pm

TEAO, Meeting Room 200

Agenda

I. Approval of February 14, 2019 Minutes

II. Reading Report Follow Up

III. Other

IV. Public Comment

Future Dates: April 11, 2019/May 9, 2019

Board Education Committee Goals 1. Review the recommended administrative changes to the academic program that have impact on curriculum or

budget and communicate recommendations to the full Board. 2. Review all enrollment and staffing numbers and projections for the year to determine the extent to which

educational needs are addressed. 3. Review student assessment results. 4. Recommend informational education presentations to include in the monthly Board meetings as priority

discussions. 5. Receive administrative recommendation for school calendar and make recommendation to the full Board. 6. Review current programming to determine alignment with federal and state mandates including Keystone

Exams content and implementation. 7. Make recommendations to Board committees to communicate appropriate educational positions to legislators. 8. Review current programming at the middle school level.

DRAFT PENDING COMMITTEE APPROVAL BOARD EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

February 14, 2019

Tredyffrin/Easttown Administrative Offices 7:00 p.m.

Attending all or part of the meeting:

Board Committee Members: Roberta Hotinski (chair), Kyle Boyer, Katharine Murphy, Tina Whitlow

Other Board Members: Michele Burger, Scott Dorsey, Edward Sweeney, Heather Ward

TE School District Representatives: Wendy Towle (Administrative Liaison), Michele Staves, Richard Gusick, Art McDonnell, Karen Henry

Community Members: Maureen Aneser, Nicole Aqui, Xavier Arnault, Stacey Barry, Kim Brightman, Michele Brown, Nancy Coradi, Jay Darley, Stuart Gutsche, Trish Gutsche, Jeremy Hampton, Marine Havel, Karen Huang, Juliette Hyson, Kerry Jareme, William Kanto, Benny Kurniawan, Jordan McCain, Heather McConnell, Erin Monast, Yanan Peng, Tracy Scully, Kerry Sophocles, Stephanie Thibault, Karen Vadner, Deana Wang, Michelle Wang, Chuansong Wang, Amanda Wollick, Ying Yang, Cindy Yu, Lan Zhang, Margo Tyahla

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m.

Public Comment:

Stacey Barry commented on School Start Times. Amanda Wollick commented on School Start Times. Xavier Arnault commented on School Start Times. William Kanto commented on School Start Times. Benny Kurniawan commented on School Start Times. Kerry Jareme commented on School Start Times. Nicole Aqui commented on School Start Times. Marine Havel commented on School Start Times. Deana Wang commented on School Start Times. Juliette Hyson commented on School Start Times. Karen Huang commented on School Start Times. Kerry Sophocles commented on School Start Times. Karen Vadner commented on School Start Times. Jay Darley commented on School Start Times. Michelle Wang commented on School Start Times. Nancy Coradi commented on School Start Times. Heather McConnell commented on School Start Times. Cindy Yu commented on School Start Times.

Xavier Arnault commented on School District Budget.

Approval of Minutes:

The January 10, 2019 minutes were approved.

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Committee Discussion and Recommendations:

The Committee continued the discussion on School Start Times. Dr. Wendy Towle, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Staff Development and Planning reviewed previously shared information related to District Goal 1.4 which includes investigating potential strategies for addressing adolescent sleep needs, including the implication of school start times. Dr. Towle revisited the process for developing, reviewing and implementing start time changes at all levels. The process includes the following steps: 1) developing options, 2) presenting to the Education Committee, 3) presenting possible start time changes to the public, 4) gathering feedback from students, parents, and staff members and 5) gaining School Board approval. Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 could be repeated as requested by the Education Committee. Implementation would begin after School Board approval. The proposed option for start time changes is as follows:

High School Middle Schools Elementary Schools

Start Time 7:50 AM 8:27 AM 9:10 AM Dismissal 2:50 PM 3:10 PM 3:45 PM

Dr. Towle shared a summary of comments received from community members on proposed start time changes. She also shared updated information on costs related to transportation. Karen Henry, Director of Transportation and Art McDonnell, Business Manager, provided additional context related to a possible opt-in method for transportation as well as further efficiencies with bus routes to mitigate costs.

Dr. Towle explained that staffing for before-school care could be provided for a fee through A Child’s Place in all five elementary schools if appropriate space were made available in each building. The District will continue to investigate the possibility of limited elementary early drop-off at 8:40 AM with CCRES aide coverage. Before-care options in the middle school will be investigated further.

Dr. Towle reviewed additional considerations including the unknown personal impact on families and staff members; student schedule impacts related to timing of away athletic events; elementary students arriving home in the dark during some months; reduced facilities use by outside groups and rentals for CHS sports teams.

Dr. Roberta Hotinski, Education Committee Chair, encouraged questions and comments from the public during the meeting. Dr. Towle and Dr. Gusick responded to questions from the Committee, Board Members, and the public. Dr. Gusick explained that options other than the one proposed would require more intensive study and could not be implemented in the 2019-20 school year.

Following the public comment period and Committee discussion, the Committee recommended that the proposed start time changes move forward for discussion and further review by the School Board on February 25, 2019 with a request that the administration clarify remaining questions on costs related to before/after care as well as costs for transportation. No vote on the proposed start times will be taken at this Board meeting – the presentation will be for information only. Additionally, a Public Information Committee meeting will be scheduled to develop a survey for parents, staff members, and students to gather comments on the proposed school start time changes.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

Future Meeting Dates: March 14, 2019/April 11, 2019/May 9, 2019

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READING SUPPORT UPDATEMARCH 14, 2019

COMPONENTS OF READING

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ELEMENTARY INTERVENTION

MODEL

NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN READING SUPPORT, SPRING (2016-17 & 2017-18)

2017 2018Kindergarten 94 98Grade 1 87 103Grade 2 74 71Grade 3 72 70Grade 4 69 54

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ACROSS DISTRICT ORAL READING FLUENCY, GRADE 2 (2016-17)IMPROVEMENT OF 1.5-2.0WORDS/WEEK (FUCHS, FUCHS, HAMLETT, WALZ, & GERMAN 1993)

71

20

27

47

13

11

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Number of Total Students:

Made Expected Rate of Improvement beginning belowBenchmark Range

Made Expected Rate of Improvement beginning withinBenchmark Range

Made Expected Rate of Improvement (Total)

Did Not Make Expected Rate of Improvement or Benchmark

Did Not Make Expected Rate of Improvement orBenchmark/were Evaluated for Special Education

Number of 2nd grade students in Reading Support (Present for all 3 Assessments) Who...

ACROSS DISTRICT ORAL READING FLUENCY, GRADE 3 (2017-18)IMPROVEMENT OF 1.0-1.5WORDS/WEEK (FUCHS, FUCHS, HAMLETT, WALZ, & GERMAN 1993)

62

14

38

52

8

2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Number of Total Students:

Made Expected Rate of Improvement beginning belowBenchmark Range

Made Expected Rate of Improvement beginning withinBenchmark Range

Made Expected Rate of Improvement (Total)

Did Not Make Expected Rate of Improvement or Benchmark

Did not Make Expected Rate of Improvement orBenchmark/were evaluated for Special Education

Number of 3rd Grade Students in Reading Support (Present for All 3 Assessments) Who…

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READING LEVELS

The expectation for Reading Support students is to make one year’s growth in one year’s time.

All TE Elementary School Reading Support Programs show a mean of one year of growth for students in one year. Many students make MORE than one year of growth.

Theme tests / curriculum-related assessments

LBD benchmarks

District benchmarks (i.e. DIBELS, 4Sight, MAZE)

Teacher observation of student acquisition and retention of skills and concepts

Application of reading skills through a variety of instructional activities

Reading conferences with teacher/student

Participation and engagement of student in reading activities

Written response activities

Standardized testing

For students with an IEP, information related to the IEP goal

For some students, an IRI (informal reading inventory) provides more information

HOW DO OUR STUDENTS MOVE THROUGH ELEMENTARY READING SUPPORT?

Grade 4: 54 students in Reading Support at the end of the 2018 school year

47 were at a 5th grade level to enter Middle School in an on-grade level Reading Class

Grade 5: 21 students entered Reading Support (Both TEMS and VFMS)

Grade 5: 21 total students: 19% (4 students) have 3 or fewer years in TE

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STEPS IN THE REVIEW PROCESS

Investigate new screening toolsInvestigate new screening tools

1Investigate data collection methods/databases

Investigate data collection methods/databases

2Communicate with parents about their information needs

Communicate with parents about their information needs

3Begin implementation of Orton- Gillinghamstrategies with students as appropriate

Begin implementation of Orton- Gillinghamstrategies with students as appropriate

4Ten year cycle of curricular review process for LBD; beginning investigation of other programs that may provide enhancements to our current program

Ten year cycle of curricular review process for LBD; beginning investigation of other programs that may provide enhancements to our current program

5Review the goals of the Reading Support Program

Review the goals of the Reading Support Program

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UPDATED GOAL FOR READING SUPPORT:

We will remediate and accelerate all students in Reading Support toward grade level reading proficiency as soon as possible so they can

ultimately reach their fullest potential as readers.

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Parent Questionnaire:Kindergarten Registration

PRE-K SCREENING PROCESS—LITERACY COMPONENTS

INTERVIEW FINE MOTOR SKILLS LANGUAGE/CONCEPTS OF PRINT

ALPHABET SKILLS AUDITORY SKILLS

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KINDERGARTEN INVENTORY OF DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS: COMPONENTS OF LANGUAGE AND PERCEPTION TESTS

LANGUAGE Vocabulary Concepts of Print

Naming Uppercase

Letters

Naming Lowercase

LettersLetter Sounds

Rhyming Blending Onsets and Rimes

Word Recognition Dictations Comprehension Classifications

Concept of Sequence

AUDITORYPERCEPTION

Repeating a sentence

Auditory Discrimination

Test of Auditory Analysis (TAAS)

normed

INVESTIGATE NEW SCREENING TOOLS

Ongoing discussions with experts in the field including:Ongoing discussions with experts in the field including:

• Reading Specialists• K-12 Psychologists

• AIM Institute consultants• Dr. Earl Oremus

• Dr. David Kilpatrick• Reading League Members• CCIU Literacy Specialist

Research in best practices informed by LETRS, International Dyslexia Association, Response to Intervention Action Network, and othersResearch in best practices informed by LETRS, International Dyslexia Association, Response to Intervention Action Network, and others

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SCREENING TOOLS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW

Possible additional screening

measures may be available through the new reading

program.

Possible additional screening

measures may be available through the new reading

program.

Predictive Assessment of Reading (PAR) includes a RAN

assessment

Predictive Assessment of Reading (PAR) includes a RAN

assessment

DIBELS —under review to be

called a Dyslexia screener (Consider

expanding to kindergarten)

DIBELS —under review to be

called a Dyslexia screener (Consider

expanding to kindergarten)

Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener Pilot in

Kindergarten under review

Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener Pilot in

Kindergarten under review

SHAYWITZ DYSLEXIA SCREEN (SDS)

Brief teacher survey for identifying students at risk for dyslexia (10 questions K)

Teacher training through the provider

Intended for use with students experiencing academic difficulties, but can also be used with all students

5 minutes using an online form

Digital administration and scoring

Recommended by International Dyslexia Association

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WHAT DOES THE SDS MEASURE?

Phonological skills

Linguistic skills

Academic performance

Ratings based on classroom teacher observations

SHAYWITZ DYSLEXIA SCREEN (SDS)

PROPOSED PILOT IN KINDERGARTEN

SPRING 2019

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INVESTIGATE DATA COLLECTION METHODS/DATA BASES

In consultation with Dr. Mike Szymendera, Director of Technology, the following programs were reviewed:

Dibels.net

Hands on Schools from Ed Insight

PowerSchool Performance Matters

PowerSchool’s New Student Information System (SIS)

Roll-out in TESD August 2019

SAMPLE VIEW OF PARENT

PORTAL

Benchmark Range and Student Scores

Graphic of Target Range and Scores

3x/yearDescription

of Assessments

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COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS ABOUT THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS

Reading benchmark letters: Fall conferences, Winter report cards, Spring report cards

Reading support updates, includes benchmark scores as well as information linked directly to targeted areas of instruction in support

Reading support parent meeting (fall and spring)

Parent meetings on OG (day and evening programs) with AIM Institute

Conferences at parent or teacher request

SAMPLE READING

BENCHMARK

LETTERS

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SAMPLE: READING SUPPORT UPDATE AND BENCHMARK LETTER

BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF ORTON-GILLINGHAM STRATEGIES

18 teachers across all buildings including: reading specialists and special education teachers trained through AIM Institute continuing for certification over 2 years (ending summer 2020)

35 hours of Foundational Skills training in multisensory, explicit, systematic phonics instruction

60 hours of hands-on practicum with students who would benefit from OG intervention

Variety of materials purchased for teachers to implement intervention

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ORTON-GILLINGHAMCERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS

All lessons submitted and approved to AIM trainer before delivering to studentsAll lessons submitted and approved to AIM trainer before delivering to students

Monthly mentoring meetings with level colleagues and AIM trainerMonthly mentoring meetings with level colleagues and AIM trainer

Observation and feedback sessions scheduled individually with each professionalObservation and feedback sessions scheduled individually with each professional

Bimonthly whole-group practicum sessions with AIM trainerBimonthly whole-group practicum sessions with AIM trainer

Cumulative assessment at conclusion of practicumCumulative assessment at conclusion of practicum

TEXTS UTILIZED IN TRAINING

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INVESTIGATE CORE READING PROGRAMS

Select a team of teachers: Reps from K-

4, ELD, Reading Specialists, and Special

Education Teachers

Present 3 LETRS modules through CCIU

in December and January

Develop rubric, set of criteria based on

expertise, trainings, and experience

Enhance NCEE Rubric to include cultural

equity in the materials

Continue to meet and review programs

through Winter, Spring, and Fall 2019

Goal: Recommend a program by Spring 2020 for implementation in

Fall 2020

LETRS: LANGUAGE ESSENTIALS FOR TEACHERS OF READING AND SPELLING

LETRS is flexible literacy professional development by Dr. Louisa Moats that shows teachers how language, reading, and writing are related to one another and other critical elements that are most effective in improving overall reading outcomes.

Three Modules Implemented:

1. The Challenge of Learning to Read

2. The Speech Sounds of English

3. Teaching Phonics, Word Study, and the Alphabetic Principle

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RUBRIC FROM INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) conducts unbiased large-scale evaluations of education programs and practices supported by federal funds; provides research-based technical assistance to educators and policymakers; and supports the synthesis and the widespread dissemination of the results of research and evaluation throughout the United States.

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NEXT STEPS

Pilot Shaywitz: Dyslexia Screener:

Teacher training & kindergarten

pilot, Spring 2019

Continue to investigate use of PAR and other

RAN assessments

Continue to investigate parent

portal/data analysis methods

Continue professional

development in best practices

Offer IDA Dyslexia

simulation to TESD School

Board and administrators

Continue core reading program

investigation

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