Curriculum and Philosophy Committee Minutes

October 18, 2005 – 7:00 PM

SAU Conference Room

 

Present:  Sally Oxnard, Kim Casey, Patty Lovejoy, Robin Scott, Skip Hanson,

                  Peter Stackhouse and Tom O’Malley

 

Visitor:     Chip McGee and various public visitors

 

  1. Speaker from Bedford was present to answer questions regarding their experience using the NWEA scores.  Speaker was Chip McGee, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum in Bedford. Overview given first.

 

Question 1:To what grades do you do NWEA testing and when do you give the test?

Answer: To grades 3 through 8, as early and as late in the year as possible- start right off in September. You want to be able to document growth.  Then you can also make mid course correction in the winter for specific kids.  7th and 8th graders have trouble paying attention in June.

 

Question 2: Is this test purely a pupil diagnostic instrument, or also for class placement, etc.?

Answer: It is primarily diagnostic. Their teachers see it as a useful measure of where the kids are- some teachers are surprised. It is one of the pieces of data for the enrichment program. NO role re promotion. They look at progress from fall to spring. The fall test helps group kids in the room for instruction during the year.

 

Question 3: Please explain your ability grouping practices.

Answer: They have a heterogeneously mixed Middle School. In math only there is ONE class per grade which is ahead one year. Various diagnostic methods are used for that placement.  (330 per grade, 3 pods in grades 7 and 8). They have flexible grouping- 6 goal areas, they can regroup kids flexibly for a short time for instance a grammar 2 week Zap. They use the NWEA to measure instructional level and skills.

 

Question 4: How do you use the data and report to the community?

Answer: You can look at scores and rates of growth with the data. Slice the kids by where they started vs the national norms. Look for steps of growth in scores, and expect a certain adequate amount of progress. He looks for Rit block units of progress vs the norms- how did our kids perform relative to kids nationally who started at the same skill level?? The scores do get sent home.

 

Question 5: Do you use the virtual distract comparisons?

Answer: Not yet.

 

Question 6: Do you think the NWEA can be a teacher evaluation tool?

Answer: No, this is not a teacher evaluation tool.

 

Question 7: Is this a program evaluation tool?

Answer: Yes- these scores should be able to tell us if we are challenging  each child at his/her individual level.

 

Question 8: Do you only look at fall to spring progress?

Answer: Yes, and we design our curriculum for the year around where the students score in the fall.  The scores are very accurate for lots of kids.

 

Question 9: What age do you stop giving the NWEA?

Answer: Many kids are topping out in the 8th grade, and there is less useful information for HS age students.

 

B.  DINI goals-  we appear to have made safe harbor for grade 10 math, but in reading we have not made AYP as we have improved by 4 % and the goal is 6 %.

 

C.  Results of Senior survey on post HS plans- distributed. See attached.

 

 

Respectfully submitted

Sally Oxnard, Chair

Curriculum & Philosophy – 10-18-05 Attachment #1

 

RESULTS OF SENIOR SURVEY 2004/05

 

 

4 YEAR COLLEGES                        119              (Boys-43  -  Girls-76)

 

Keene State College                         4              (Boys-2  -  Girls-2)

 

Plymouth State University                  9              (Boys-4 - Girls-5)

 

UNH                                             51              (Boys-23 – Girls-28)

 

In-State Colleges & Universities        15              (Boys-5 – Girls-10)

 

TOTAL 4 YEAR COLLEGES              198

 

 

2 YEAR COLLEGES                          54              (Boys-26 – Girls-28)

 

Undecided                                    32              (Boys-21 – Girls-11)

 

Work                                           19              (Boys-15 – Girls-4)

 

Military                                           8              (Boys-7– Girls-1)

 

Other Training                               15              (Boys-6 – Girls-9)

 

PG Year                                        10              (Boys-10 – Girls-0)

 

TOTAL STUDENTS                                  336

 

 

  1. Did financial aid award affect the choice of institution for you?

 

Y – 73                    N – 170

 

  1. Did you receive financial aid?

 

Y – 144                   N - 80