MINUTES
Monday, February 7, 2000

Members of the Board Curriculum Committee, Margaret Williams, Chairperson, Charlene Koch, Monty Perfetti, and Richard Agretto met on Monday, February 7, 2000, at 7:00 p.m. in the Superintendent's Conference Room at the Education Center. Also in attendance were Board Members, Joseph Craig, Lynn Glancy, and Loretta Leeson, and Superintendent Thomas Doluisio and Assistant Superintendent Michele Kostem.

No topics were presented.

The Bethlehem Area School District has just completed the first semester of the second year of the David Project. The purpose of the presentation was to provide some initial data with regard to attendance, conduct, and academic performance of the students assigned to David teams. There was an excellent turnout of teachers from both high schools who are working with these students.

Ms. Fran Bentkowski, Assistant Principal at Freedom High School, provided history to the purpose for creating David teams. Two years ago, a high school student serving on the superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, commented that even though he wasn’t an honors student, he still wished that he could have ‘big books’ like those students do. He suggested that just because he couldn’t learn as fast, didn’t mean that he didn’t want to learn. The David Project was an outgrowth of this desire to give all students a better opportunity to learn. It also became a natural link to the objectives of the district’s Academic Standards Project where all curriculum was reviewed to ensure that the educational delivery would assist all students to meet standards. The David concept for students in grades 9 and 10 includes ‘looping’, whereby teachers remain with their students for two years.

David curriculum is application-based and networks within the community to provide hands-on learning. Criteria was developed to appropriately place students in the program. A factor that most David students have in common is that they are difficult students, who possibly through academic-deficiency frustration, were giving up on education. Students were reading below two grade levels and were experiencing difficulty with grades in the middle school. An attitude survey was created for students to complete at the beginning of ninth grade and served as one of the assessments for evaluation of the program. (Results from this survey can be found on page 2 of the David Report that was distributed at the meeting.) The attitude survey, when given to the same students at the end of the school year, demonstrated a significant improvement in student attitude toward school during enrollment in the program

Mr. Perfetti continued with the discipline results. The information found on page 5 of the report indicates that students who were in grade 8, and well on their way to tracking through the code of conduct, had fewer suspensions in the ‘more than 4 referrals and multiple suspensions’ category than when they became a part of the David Project for their grade 9 placement. It was noted that, in general, grade 9 students are the district’s most challenging students and this result is extremely significant. With regard to student attendance, using Davison Report data, the grade 9 applied student missed an average of 15.8 days and the vocational prep student missed an average of 18.8 days during the 1998-99 school year. The David student, who would have previously been placed in one of these two academic programs, now is absent an average of 11.7 days.

Mr. Donaher, Academic Interventions Assistant Principal, reviewed academic performance (beginning on page 7). Students were given the New Standards Reference Exam in grade 8 and then in grade 9 were given another version of the grade 8 test to assess skill improvement. There were significant gains in math basic skills and reading basic understanding. In the past, based upon Davison Report analysis, data provided showed little to no improvement, and even a decrease in scores.

There was a concern by the board that David classes now contained students who are some of the district’s most difficult students with regard to behavior issues. The concern focused on the potential for disruption in the classroom which would prevent the teachers from providing an academic environment to students genuinely interested in receiving an education. Mr. Perfetti responded that a student may be performing below their achievement levels for various reasons, one of which my definitely be due to behavioral issues, yet be placed in David. However, those students who continue to be behavior concerns will eventually take themselves through the code with the potential for expulsion from school as a habitual offender, or removed from the class through the Academic Review Board process. It was additionally noted by the board that future data on David performance may negatively be affected by students with behavioral issues and these statistics may not necessarily be indicative of an unsuccessful program.

The administration is currently analyzing how students moving through David will fit into the current eleventh grade curriculum.

Discussion then focused on pre-high school interventions which currently include reduced class size in grade one, Reading Recovery Program, and post grade one summer school sessions to increase new standards skill development. Mr. Doluisio said that the administration will carefully assess the impact that the David Project will have on high school students, hoping that this additional academic support does not come too late in the educational career for these students.

A video on the David Project, prepared as part of the New Standards video project, was shown at the meeting. The board and the administration thanked the teachers in attendance for their support and enthusiasm they share for the students in their program.

Attached to the minutes are the criteria currently used to determine student placement in the David Project.

Mr. Perfetti distributed the Student Code of Conduct 1998-99 Annual Report. As time was running short, a brief overview was presented in regard to the information found in the report. The committee suggested that they individually review the report and address any questions directly to Mr. Perfetti.

Brief highlights of the report were reviewed. Level III infractions pertaining to safety issues have decreased in almost all categories. Students suspended on two or more occasions have decreased significantly. Previous reports included a comparison to data prior to the implementation of the Code of Conduct. This report, however, now compares three years of actual Code of Conduct data and provides a more accurate reflection of how students are responding to expectations defined in the Code. It was noted that Threats/Harassment are on the increase and is a concern to the administration. Some of this may be due to teachers reporting more threats, which prior to the increase of recent school violence, may have not been taken as a serious threat. There is a significant decrease of Level III infractions at the elementary level, and it is hoped that as the students are taught to respect the issues identified in the Code, incidents will reduce at the secondary level.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Minutes Prepared by:

Gayle Justice, Confidential Secretary