Download Franklin Elementary School Community Council 2016-2017

Franklin Elementary School Community Council 2016-2017
Meeting Minutes of February 28, 2017
Media Center Conference Room
3:45-4:50 pm
In Attendance: Kim Hawkins, Tawn Henrie , Heather Layman, Karen Hoffman,
Michelle Wages, Carrie Prince, Traci Webster, Lynda Keith and Lauralie Morales
Absent: Lillian Wilkinson
Meeting began at 3:45 pm.
Welcome given by Chair Henrie and Principal Hawkins.
Dibels Data and iReady Data presentations were given by Heather Layman. We
reviewed the data from these two software programs and their influence on the
student’s learning at Franklin.
Two factors came into play:
1. Dibels was confusing with the teachers in the beginning. To clarify how Dibels
is supposed to work, and to train teachers on how to specifically help students
with Dibels , a faculty training was given in January where a K-3 reading
specialist demonstrated how to dig down into the student scores to use the
Dibels information to teach and strengthen the student.
We are using cross-grade groupings to most effectively use the Dibels data.
Grade-level leaders meet with the principal once a month. They want to keep the
groupings and even love the art teacher, as art class allows for the smaller
groupings where more intense learning can happen.
2. iReady software is expensive and after reviewing it we learned that a lot of
classes are not using it. The recommended amount of time for a student to
learn from iReady is 45 minutes per week. The grades 3 through 5 find it
“babyish”. iReady is not wanted for next year by the teachers.
Grades K through 2 like Imagine Learning. Imagine Learning is for English
language learners which makes it perfect for the youngest grades as they learn
the English language.
IXL instead of iReady math is more liked and easier to match the concept.
Students like the IXL software program.
A software program called “Moby Max” was introduced in a learning meeting
this year. It has math, Language Arts and science. It is more “teacherish” in the
format. Teachers want to get rid of iReady and to keep IXL for math. Where
iReady cost us $20,000 to run for the year, Moby Max is $2,700.00 per year.
Moby Max also has a prize incentive for hard work from the company. There
would be a fee for this option. It also generates the same kind of data reports.
Teachers and Administration would like for math, to keep IXL and start using
Moby Max. The council discussed giving the teachers a choice between the
two programs for math, but not letting them switch out part way through the
year so there is sufficient data to allow us to determine in the future if it is
working or not. iReady was chosen over Success Maker last year. iReady was
funded $10,000 from Title I funds and $10,000 from Trustland funds.
The Language Arts portion of the iReady software Franklin was trying this
year, but the feedback is not good.
Discussion about Trustland Plan for next year:
 We discussed funding the art teacher again and reserving $5000 for
math.
 The teachers have Acelerated Reading, etc. for reading but really need
some things for math centers.
 We discussed designating one assistant to work with students only with
math.
 STEM-Michele wants to bring STEM to Franklin. Mrs. Hawkins noted
that the space simulator is to be coming to Franklin 6th grade paid
through Title 1. Principal Hawkins reported that STEAM is a STEM but
with art and that for the future Franklin is moving away from being a
technology and language school idea and toward the becoming a
STEAM school.
 Karen explained that math manipulatives are needed as we have so
many new teachers. This year’s plan has any extra funds to go towards
math manipulatives. We spent $1000 last year toward this and it went
far.
 There is also a need for 100 sets of headphones for next year.
 The idea for a math teacher we decided was too expensive for
Trustlands money. Maybe a para we could pay for to teach only math to
the classes.
 K-6 program for Moby Max we would use the math portion only.
Teachers would have to choose between Moby Max or IXL and stay with
their choice through the year.
 We can have the teachers test Moby Max in May on the 30-day trial to
become familiar with it so they can make their choice.
A brief review for next year’s Trustland Plan showed that we all wanted the art
teacher, to keep the math manipulatives and headphones, and $1000 for the
book challenge/library as in the future we can use the books as group reading
books and they will be added to the library. (Note-the prizes for reading the
book are funded through Title 1.) We liked the idea of funding Moby Max
instead of iReady but want to be sure the teachers are using the software that
we spend the money on. The math para would be roughly $12,000.
Summary:
Math manipulatives-$1000
Book Challenge-$1000
Headphones-left over funds
Art Teacher with Dibels instruction
Math para-$12,000
IXL or Moby Math-$2700 (teachers would stay all year with stipulation like the 45 mins
per week for iReady)
The teachers “must have for next year” is IXL
Kim will contact the Moby Max representative to get more details.
Meeting adjourned at 4:50 pm.
Our next meeting will be March 14, 2017 at 3:45 pm. The agenda will be
exclusively voting on the Trustland Plan for the 2017-18 school year.
Please note our final meeting scheduled for May could be pushed to April at a
date yet to be determined—possibly April 11th or March 28th.