Sept.+2011


 * Curriculum Council Minutes **
 * September 7, 2011 **

Nancy Alibrandi, Val Aubry, Michael Bessette, Bill Carozza, Steve Chamberlin, Sally Codd, Mark Dickson
 * Members Present:**
 * Place and Time**: MSS 3:23 - 4:15
 * Minutes submitted by:** Nancy Alibrandi


 * Items discussed: **
 * New Committee Members Needed**
 * We need a new committee member to represent the Maple Street School (to replace Tina Blinn who is job-sharing this year).
 * Marcia McCaffrey asked that we find a new member to represent the community (Marcia has agreed to be our NHDOE representative and offer input when she can).
 * Liz Durant will continue as our school board representative but will not be able to attend our meetings because of her new job.
 * Tina, Marcia, and Liz have all requested to continue receiving copies of our minutes.

MATH TASK FORCE -Steve Chamberlin SCIENCE TASK FORCE - Michael Bessette, Mark Dickson READING TASK FORCE July 1,2011 meeting: August 22, 2011 meeting:
 * Summer Curriculum**
 * Met for a half day
 * Discussed what happens when you don't ensure learning on the competencies
 * On the NECAP tests, our literacy results outperform out numeracy results
 * Perhaps our numeracy support should equal our literacy support (we have reading support personnel but not math)
 * Instead of text book acquisition should we be looking at program change (what is the most effective use of funds?)
 * There is an understanding of Common Core, but not in depth; haven't aligned their work with the Common Core (hope to do next summer)
 * Approved Calculator Use policy and it's been added to the faculty handbook
 * Looked at NECAP data over time
 * Made aware of current School In Need of Improvement work
 * Need to have a system in place for students capable of accelerating through math program; how do we best meet their needs?
 * Homework is next on the agenda
 * Had elementary and middle school representation
 * Worked using the NH Frameworks; the National Academy of Science submitted a document to Common Core three days after the task force met; the philosophy and enduring understandings of the NH Frameworks were closely aligned to that of the National Academy of Science
 * Moving away from content-based instruction to concept-based instruction
 * Reinforcement of themes through multiple venues
 * Begins with broad focus of discussion (e.g. Bigger things are made of smaller parts), and then the focus narrows as you go higher in grade level
 * Created power standards for each grade level; these can be found on the Science Task Force Wiki
 * Along the left-hand side of the document are themes: Change, Interrelationships, Scale, Modeling, Inquiry/Process - the themes are important to hitting core knowledge
 * Along the top of the document are three content areas: Earth/Space, Physical Science, and Life Science - this represents the context in which the themes should be taught
 * Also at the top, underneath the content areas are the Enduring Understandings - this represents the information needed to meet the framework
 * More work is needed on the Kindergarten and First Grade power standards
 * New Hampshire currently has a great hands-on assessment for science; but it is not part of the stakes for AYP
 * Kelley Conley and Deidre Smith are leading the Task Force. Neither could attend our Curriculum Council meeting so Nancy Alibrandi reported on the summer work.
 * A small, initial group (reading and special education personnel) met twice over the summer to begin to plan the work that needs to be done and gather resources
 * The following GOAL/Mission statement was developed to guide the work: All teachers will provide consistent, targeted, literacy instruction based on assessments that meets all levels of learners at each grade level, in all content areas. This instruction will be based on current best practices utilizing high interest, appropriately leveled texts in a variety of formats.
 * Identified four main "gaps" in reading instruction K-12: informational text; foundation skills (word work, etc.); knowledge of different assessments and how to use the results; writing as it relates to reading
 * Identified these as next steps: training on assessments; assessments needed for upper levels (7-12); common assessments; outline for what a literacy block should look like at each level; look at the four gaps (identified above) and how to improve them; classroom management in literacy
 * Discussion about clarifying the difference between Independent Reading vs. SSR (Silent Sustained Reading)
 * Bonnie McAuliffe talked about the need to develop Foundation Skills
 * Betsy Smith and Stacy Serzans discussed some of the assessments that we currently use and some others that might be useful to us: DRA; Running Records, Dibbles; AIMSweb; Easy CBMs; BalancedReading.com;
 * //The Cafe Book: Engaging All Students in Daily Literary Assessment and Instruction by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser -//Jody Bewersdorf and Betsy Smith will organize a book club for staff interested in this follow-up to //The Daily Five//
 * Next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 27th: Before our next meeting we should meet with grade level teams and find out: What are you currently doing to teach reading? What works well? What doesn't? What kind of professional development would be helpful?

STUDENT SUPPORT TASK FORCE
 * Michael Bessette would like to see a chart developed outlining where specific reading skills are introduced, developed, and mastered
 * Val Aubry said that she has a learning progression which comes out of //The Literacy Plan// developed when they were revamping the ALT Assessment; it is a progression of skills - not by grade level
 * It was suggested that we have a Curriculum Council meeting dedicated to Reading so we could discuss current practice
 * Task force focused on literacy and math skills
 * Discussion about what it would look like if everything was in place for all kids to succeed
 * No behavioral distractions if all needs were met by structuring systems so they worked for kids
 * Set up a system so it doesn't break down if one person leaves
 * Barriers: Time - figure out how to structure the systems; Consistency and buy-in; administrators to take the lead in the building, committees to coordinate
 * Competencies - create the supports to help students make the competencies
 * Use AIMSweb for academic as well as behavioral data collection; use quick assessment probes and observations, train support staff to take that data
 * Need plan to change instruction once we have the data
 * Students can graph their own progress; need to teach students how to organize themselves

__Upcoming Agenda Items:__ Summer Curriculum (High School Competencies, Nurses, Harold Martin, Maple Street) Reading Science 7-12
 * Next meeting is Wednesday, October 5th**