BOARD CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

MINUTES

Monday, February 3, 2003

 

Members of the Board Curriculum Committee met on Monday, February 3, 2003, at 6:45 p.m. in the Superintendent's Conference Room A of the Education Center. Present were Curriculum Committee Members, William Nelson, Monty Perfetti, and Richard Agretto and Board Members, Loretta Leeson, Craig Haytmanek, William Heske, Charlene Koch, and Margaret Williams. Also in attendance were Superintendent Joseph A. Lewis and Assistant Superintendent Michele Kostem.

 

Open Forum

 

Loretta Leeson expressed concern regarding the PSSA test scores. Dr. Lewis told her that several strategies are currently being reviewed. He will respond with more in depth information at a later date.

 

Senior Project

 

Mr. Villani, reviewed for those present, the proposed high school portfolio system. He explained each grade level document, as well as the 25 Book Requirement Sheet and the Standardized Test Scores Sheet. The portfolio is color coded by grade level and is reviewed at each grade level. Throughout each semester, students submit samples of their best work to be placed in the portfolios. The portfolio provides a variety of student work to complete the assessment process. This process will help to determine whether students, as they progress through high school, will meet Standards. Portfolios can also be used for the college application process and for students seeking perspective employment.

 

Mr. Villani explained how the contents of a portfolio would be used to assist a student in completing the required Senior Project. Teachers would provide input to students during regular portfolio review sessions and by requiring a yearly reflective essay. They would also assist students in preparing their presentations. Students would be responsible for organizing their portfolios, logging any projects or learning experiences, preparing and maintaining projects at home, and seeking teacher assistance, as needed, on projects.

 

Students in danger of not meeting Standards or completing the Senior Project, would be required to participate in a nine week review program. In response to a concern from Loretta Leeson about when this nine week review would take place, it was suggested that this could occur as an after school program or during the summer months. The .5 Community Service position would be expanded through grant monies to accommodate students needing guidance in order to complete their Senior Project.

 

The areas still needing to be addressed or fine tuned are: process review, rubrics for presentation, portfolio revision, project oversight, student accountability/remediation, implications for special education/ESOL students and listing of potential culminating projects.

 

Margaret Williams asked how much extra teacher time the project would require. She was told that the process has been designed to be a part of the daily classroom activity.

 

Mr. Burkhardt mentioned the need to incorporate technology to maintain this project. Dr. Lewis commented that the process should become mostly electronic in the future.

 

Dr. Lewis thanked everyone involved in preparing the presentation. He noted that this project still needs a good deal of refinement.

 

The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.

 

 

Minutes Prepared By: _______________________________

                                    Lynda Ruth, Confidential Secretary