CRESWELL SCHOOL DISTRICT 40

Ruby Price, Superintendent

rprice@creswell.k12.or.us

 

District Office                                                                                  

998 West A Street                                                                                                           Creswell, OR 97426                                                         

Tel:  (541) 895-6000                                                       Fax:  (541) 895-6019

 
 

 

 

SUPERINTENDENT REPORT – October 2009

Submitted by Ruby Price, Superintendent, Creswell School District

 

 

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:  The K-12 Student Success Science Team is in place for the 2009-10 school year with representatives from CES, CMS, and CHS as well as Lane ESD.  The Superintendent as Director of Curriculum will provide leadership and direction to the team with the purpose of developing and implementing high-quality, research-based science curriculum and instruction that is aligned to grades K-12.

         

The K-12 Student Success Science Team:

  1. Is comprised of Creswell Science Teachers and Lane ESD Specialists.
  2. Compiles, disaggregates, analyzes and evaluates Science assessment results from state and district sources.
  3. Reviews district scope/sequence, learner outcomes, and assessment data.
  4. Facilitates discussions of b. and c. information with peer groups.

Success Team Goals:

  1. Recommend improvements for scope/sequence, learner outcomes, and/or assessment items.
  2. Review and recommend curriculum materials to meet district needs.
  3. Create staff development plans as needed to implement Science curriculum materials to include:  drafting workshop agenda, locating presenters, arranging time and place, and communicating workshop information to staff.

Proposed Activities:

  1. Review goals, current learner outcomes, and assessment data.
  2. Review best practices literature for Science.
  3. Analyze assessment data and prioritize needs.
  4. Update scope/sequence, learner outcomes, and/or assessment tools.
  5. Select appropriate curriculum materials.
  6. Develop a set of recommendations and “next steps.”

First Meeting Date/Location:  October 15   12:00-3:00 PM, Board Room.  Agenda will focus on updates of science curriculum scope/sequence, learner outcomes, and assessment tools. Will investigate Internet resources.  Develop Next Steps.

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:   Improving student learning and achievement is directly linked to effective instruction and teaching practices.   We are working very closely with the Oregon DATA Project, which is a state-wide professional development initiative designed to provide school administrators and teachers at the district, building and classroom levels with the skills and knowledge necessary for effectively using data for decision making.  Included in the Board packet this month are the results of the DATA Project pre-assessments, the statements from the pre-assessments to which the participants responded, and notes from the data portion of the administrative team meeting in August.  For the Strand 3 pre-assessment there is a data sheet showing the results district-wide for all 76 teachers followed by a data sheet for each individual building.

 

All five administrators participated in the DATA Project Strand 1 and Strand 2 pre-assessments in August.  ESD School Improvement team members, Sandie and Sam, shared the results with the administrative team at the August meeting.  Meeting notes are attached.

 

All 76 teachers took the DATA Project Strand 3 pre-assessments in September.  Sam and Sandie returned to visit with the administrative team to compare and contrast the administrative findings with the teachers findings both between groups (administrators vs. teachers) and between schools (elementary vs. middle vs. high school).

 

The administrative team used the data to assist with a S.W.O.T. analysis in preparation for development of a plan for implementing data driven decision making and data teams district wide.

 

Strengths

 

  • Strong instructional leadership from the administrators district wide
  • Alignment of Learning Outcomes and Lesson Plans
  • Administrators and teachers perceive the same levels of use for data
  • Low standard deviation in the teacher results from Creslane indicating that all of the teachers in the building perceive the levels of  use for data at the same level
  • Some teachers trained with TIPS (Team Initiated Problem Solving) with the University of Oregon show confidence in their ability to collect and use data more effectively
  • Teachers know that administrative directives are based on data
  • Teaming happens at all buildings to some degree
  • There is a strong desire for student achievement improvement

 

Weaknesses

 

  • Not doing enough with the data
  • Understanding of some of the terminology is limited (e.g., cause and effect data)
  • Lack of understanding regarding the importance of margin of error
  • Analysis of the data needs bolstering
  • No process in place for data teams
  • Need for discussion of using data to inform instruction

 

Opportunities

 

  • Engaging teachers in the process
  • Finding “good and appropriate” assessments
  • Implementing data teams via the DATA Project professional development strand training
  • Building readiness with a wealth of professional development opportunities available
  • Identification of Instructional Coaches in each building

 

 

Threats (Barriers)

 

  • No professional development days available
  • We’re collecting a lot of data.  We need to collect data that is worthwhile.
  • Analysis of data in a vacuum
  • Balancing preparation of data for analysis against overwhelming teachers with too much raw data and not enough time or robust enough process for analyzing effectively

 

This information will be used to begin drafting a proposal to share with the administrative team on October 30th to address:

 

  • How to engage teachers in a discussion of the data
  • How to use the information to build readiness for implementation of data teams in all three schools
  • Development of time lines for implementation
  • Identification of related professional development needs and coordination of these services
  • How the ESD can best partner with administrators, teachers, and the Oregon School Improvement Facilitator in Creswell to provide professional development and coaching support and services for implementation of data teams and related professional development offerings district wide.

 

GRANT WRITING:   The Creswell School District is one of 100 school districts in the state of Oregon eligible to compete for a $275,000 grant to improve teaching and learning through the use of technology, the 21st Century Technology Rich Learning and Teaching Grant.   A grant writing team of exceptionally talented teachers is working very hard,  under the direction of Christine Collins, Assistant Principal, CHS, and Joel Higdon, Director of Technology, to have this grant ready for submission to the Oregon Department of Education by October 23, 2009.

 

UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN:  I am proud to be able to say that,  even though every Creswell School District staff member has taken a voluntary, district-wide 12-day pay cut this year that saved programs from being eliminated or gutted under the current budget crunch,  United Way loaned executive Bob Kaminski has been a welcome presenter at staff meetings across the district.  The Creswell School District has joined with every other school district represented in the Lane Educational Service District to be part of the United Way campaign to provide support to families and children in need in our communities during the month of October.

 

HEALTH ALERT:  Creswell SD Proactive Plan to deal with H1N1 Virus

The H1N1 virus (formally Swine Flu) has officially been declared a Pandemic Illness and the hospitals in our community have seen an increase in cases in the past few months. In response to requests by Creswell parents, Creswell Public Schools have volunteered all three schools to serve as immunization clinics/sites for distribution of H1 N1 vaccine.   Final selection of sites to be determined by the Lane Health Department; information will be made available to schools, parents, and students as soon as possible.  Parent permission will be required for all students to receive immunizations.

 

 

 

 

Agenda item summary:

 

Agenda item 12.     Recommend review of board policy for filling vacant board positions due to resignation of board member mid-term.  Determine timeline/process that will be used for filling board vacancy.

 

Agenda item 13.     The Creswell School District has been invited to be part of the City of Creswell’s economic development project directed by Rick Dancer, former News Anchor of KEZI news.  The Creswell City Council adopted a resolution to allocate  $6,000.00 to the project at their last board meeting.   Paul and Suzanne Nordquist of the Creswell Coffee Company met with Mark Shrives, Creswell City Manager,  and Rick Dancer regarding the Economic Development Project and possibilities  to provide support/matching grants which would feature Creswell performing arts students in various venues.  A vital educational system of schools is critical to the continued economic development and growth of a community.  This is a unique opportunity to feature the exceptional students, staff, educational/extra-curricular programs here in Creswell School District, as well as the state of the art new Creswell Middle School.

 

Agenda item 15.  Recommended that the board support the corporate sponsorship protocol.

 

Agenda item 16.  Recommend approval of list of alternative schools.

 

Agenda item 17.  Recommend approval of Transportation Supplemental Plan Adjustment

 

Agenda item 19.  Recommend that the Board continue with the process and approve this resolution.  If the interest rate is something other than 0% then the board can make a decision at that point to terminate.

 

Agenda item 20.       Recommend Adoption of 2010-2011 Budget Calendar by School Board