Dickinson Public Schools Unapproved Regu

Dickinson Public Schools Unapproved Regular School Board Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 11, 2023; 5:00 p.m. Professional Learning Lab A complete recording of the April 11, 2023, Regular School Board Meeting is available on the Dickinson Public Schools website utilizing the BoardDocs link. The Dickinson Public School Board held a regular meeting on April 11, 2023, at the Professional Learning Lab. Board members present were Board President Michelle Orton, Board Vice President Kim Schwartz, Board Member Brent Seaks, and Board Member David Wilkie. Board Member Jason Rodakowski was unable to attend. Also present were Superintendent Dr. Marcus Lewton, Assistant Superintendent Keith Harris, Business Manager Stephanie Hunter, Lincoln Elementary Principal Tammy Peterson, Elementary Assistant Principal Rich Smith, Director of Student Services Sheri Twist, Director of Instruction Melanie Kathrein, Prairie Rose Elementary Principal Nicole Weiler, Roosevelt Elementary Principal Henry Mack, Berg Elementary Principal Tracy Lecoe, Heart River Elementary Principal Randy Muffley, and Board Secretary Twila Petersen. Call to Order - Board President Orton called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Public Participation – There were no requests for public participation. Approval of the Consent Agenda or Addition/Removal of Consent Agenda Items – Included in the consent agenda are the minutes from the March 13, 2023, School Board Meeting and the April 4, 2023, Board Workshop. Mrs. Schwartz moved to approve the consent agenda as presented. Mr. Seaks seconded the motion. A PowerPoint presentation is posted on the website recognizing many students for their activity and athletic achievements. The PowerPoint was displayed to the Board members. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Approval of the Agenda – Mr. Wilkie moved to approve the agenda as presented. Mrs. Schwartz seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Superintendent’s Report – Superintendent Dr. Lewton addressed the Board. He explained the District is waiting on the community survey from School Perceptions. He anticipates receiving the survey within about a week. He will want the Board to review and approve it before it is finalized and distributed to the community. Dr. Lewton shared dates for some upcoming events. The Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week is May 1-5. Board members will be delivering treats to the buildings sometime that week. The DPS Employee Appreciation Picnic and Teacher/Staff Recognition and Retirement Program are scheduled for Wednesday, May 3 at Dickinson Middle School. The picnic is from 5:00-6:00 and the program will follow at 6:00. Kindergarten Kickoff is on April 18. Fall kindergarteners will have an opportunity to go into their building and see classrooms and the kindergarten teachers. The Dickinson High School graduation is scheduled for Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at the Dickinson State University Biesiot Activities Center. If there is adverse weather, the graduation will be moved indoors to the Dickinson High School gymnasium. There will be very limited seating if it is moved indoors. The Southwest Community High School graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Hagen gymnasium. Business Topics – Informational Topics Board Goals – Available on the website utilizing the BoardDocs link are posted data for Board Goals 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3. These goals target to increase the percentage of students who are proficient or above in third-grade reading as measured by the North Dakota State Assessment of the English Language. Lincoln Elementary Principal Tammy Peterson and Roosevelt Elementary Principal Henry Mack addressed the Board. Mrs. Peterson noted the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) testing becomes more challenging at each step of the testing. It directs the student to challenge their thinking. There are other tests such as the classroom summative assessment. Principal Mack referenced the data for second-grade students. He noted the baseline score was 51% for all students in the second grade. The District Board Goal was that the proficiency would reach 64% by the spring of 2027. In the winter testing window, the score was 60%. It appears the students are on track to meet the goal. Mr. Mack explained the baseline data for the first graders is 66%. The target goal is to reach 79% by the spring of 2027. He added the winter testing of students showed a score of 70%. The kindergarten students were at 85% for a baseline. The target goal is to be at 90% by the spring of 2027. Principal Peterson noted the baseline was from the fall of 2022. She added in the winter, the baseline dropped to 77% for the kindergarteners. This is due to the kindergarteners being challenged more in the winter testing than the fall assessment. Principal Peterson was confident, based on the scores for the first and second graders, that they will meet the target goal. Principal Peterson explained some of the ways the goals are being met in reading. One way is for teachers to have specific training for the interventionists. There is also work within the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that has been more invested in answering the four critical questions of a PLC. Mrs. Peterson commended K-5 Curriculum Coordinator and Response to Intervention (RTI) Coach Lexi Steiner and the Director of Instruction Melanie Kathrein. The buildings are also teaching the students proficiency skills. There has been Benchmark phonics training. The teachers are also focusing on the letter sounds with the students. Principal Mack added the RTI process is getting better in identifying those students that need additional interventions. Board President Orton inquired, if the Board or the community were to ask if the work has been easy or difficult, how would the principals respond? Mrs. Peterson answered it has been a lot of work. She feels the teachers have been working hard with the learning piece and analyzing it. There has been a lot invested in the goals. She said during the Early Release Days, there has been a lot of work accomplished that is not easy. She has seen the teachers practicing some of the skills they have learned during the Early Release Days. This agenda item was informational only. No action was requested. Business Topics – Action Topics Board Self Evaluation Progress Tracker, 1st Quarter 2023 – Posted on the website utilizing the BoardDocs link are the results of the Board’s self-evaluation of the Board Goals during the April 4, 2023, Board Workshop. Mr. Seaks moved to approve the North Dakota Be Legendary Dickinson Public School Board Leadership Framework Quarterly Progress Tracker for the first quarter of 2023 as presented. Mrs. Schwartz seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Establish the Naming of the Early Childhood Program – Mrs. Schwartz moved to approve the naming of the Dickinson Public School District program for students ages 3-5 as the Dickinson Public School District Early Childhood Program that was implemented in February 2022. Mr. Wilkie seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried Dickinson High School Waiver of High School Unit Instructional Time – Available on the website utilizing the BoardDocs link is a copy of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction form for the Waiver of High School Unit Instructional Time. Mrs. Schwartz moved to approve Dickinson High School’s Waiver of High School Unit Instruction Form, as presented and directed the administration to submit the form to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction before the deadline. Mr. Seaks seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Consider Rescheduling the June Board Meeting to Monday, June 19 – Mrs. Schwartz moved to reschedule the June 2023 School Board Meeting for Monday, June 19, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. at the Professional Learning Lab. Mr. Wilkie seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Early Resignation Benefit – Mrs. Schwartz moved to approve the early resignation benefit for Elmer Krebs, Jr., custodian at Dickinson High School with an effective date of June 30, 2023. Mr. Wilkie seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Dissolve Open Enrollment – Mr. Seaks moved to dissolve the open enrollment for two children of Kayleen Wentz from South Heart Public to Dickinson Public. Mrs. Schwartz seconded the motion. A voice vote was taken on the motion. The motion carried. Reaffirm Board Policies, First Reading and Final Adoption – Available on the website utilizing the BoardDocs link is posted Board policy BEA, Candidate Orientation. Mrs. Schwartz moved to reaffirm Board policy BEA, Candidate Orientation for the first and final reading with no revisions. Mr. Wilkie seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken on the motion: ayes-4 (Schwartz, Seaks, Wilkie, Orton); nays-0; absent-1 (Rodakowski). The motion carried. Rescind School Board Regulation, First Reading and Final Adoption – Available on the website utilizing the BoardDocs link is posted Board regulation HCAA-BR, Criteria for Evaluating Informal Bids or Proposals. Mr. Wilkie moved to rescind Board regulation HCAA-BR, Criteria for Evaluating Informal Bids or Proposals for the first reading and final adoption as presented. Mrs. Schwartz seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken on the motion: ayes-4 (Seaks, Wilkie, Schwartz, Orton); nays-0; absent-1 (Rodakowski). The motion carried. Board Policy Revisions, First Reading – Available on the website utilizing the BoardDocs link is posted Board policy BBBA, Officers of the Board. Mrs. Schwartz moved to approve the first reading of the revisions to Board policy BBBA, Officers of the Board. Mr. Seaks seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken on the motion: ayes-4 (Wilkie, Schwartz, Seaks, Orton); nays-0; absent-1 (Rodakowski). The motion carried. Closing Items Announcements – There is one Board policy, BEB, New Member Orientation, for the Board to review before being placed on next month’s Board meeting agenda. This agenda item was informational only. No action was requested. Superintendent Lewton referenced the Superintendent’s Guardrail regarding Response to Intervention (RTI). He noted there are three progress measures attached to RTI; the percentage of staff using data to make decisions within PLC teams, all students having access to Tier 1 instruction, and the percentage of students having access to Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventionists as needed. Superintendent Lewton commended the principals and teachers for the work they are doing. Adjournment – President Orton declared the meeting adjourned at 5:28 p.m. Michelle Orton, Board President Stephanie Hunter, Business Manager Twila Petersen, Board Secretary (May 3, 2023) 219547