BETHLEHEM AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

MEETING MINUTES

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2004

 

 

Members of the Board Curriculum Committee met on Monday, March 8, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. in Superintendent’s Conference Room A of the Education Center. Present were Curriculum Committee Members Anthony Villani and Richard Agretto; Board Members Rosario Amato, Joseph Craig, William Heske, Charlene Koch, Loretta Leeson, Diane Rowe, Julie Venanzi, and Margaret Williams. Also in attendance were Dr. Joseph Lewis, superintendent of schools, Michele Kostem, associate superintendent, Dr. William Nelson, director of student services, Monty Perfetti, director of operations, planning and special programs, and representatives of the press.

 

OPEN FORUM

 

1.   Mrs. Koch again requested a review of the visitations to the charter schools. Dr. Lewis informed her that the administration will be bringing the board an update at the April meeting.

 

2.     Mrs. Leeson inquired if this was the year to review the math program and what is the time line? Mr. Villani informed her that Mrs. Julie Victory has begun reviewing the curriculum with teachers and that revisions would be made over the summer.

 

3. Mrs. Leeson also inquired about grading minority graduation rates and how do we calculate them? Dr. Lewis replied that tracking begins with the ninth grade. Students who leave the system receive a follow-up meeting with a guidance counselor to determine why they are leaving our district and where they are going (another school, GED classes, work, etc.). He also noted that some students simply leave our schools without giving notification and we have no way of tracking where they have gone.

 

4.     Mrs. Leeson also noted that an article appeared in the newspaper stating that the district’s Reading Recovery and Academic Academy programs were only for minorities. She wanted it understood that these programs are not only for minorities, but for all district students who qualify for them.

 

5. Mrs. Koch requested a report on the ratio of female/male students graduating in each ethnic category.

 

GRADUATION PROJECT UPDATE

 

Mr. Villani introduced Mr. George VanDoren, coordinator of English language arts, who presented an update on the Graduation Project. Mr. VanDoren informed the board that the project had changed from a two-day presentation in front of a panel of teachers and community volunteers to a project with a five to eight minute final presentation in English class.

 

 

 

 

HOME SCHOOLING/EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

 

Dr. William Nelson distributed copies of a survey the district conducted with other local school districts regarding home schooled students being permitted to participate in extracurricular school activities. He noted that the Bethlehem Area School District currently has 129 home schooled students. He presented an agenda item for review which recommends that the Bethlehem Area School District continue its policy not to permit home schoolers to participate in academic and/or extracurricular activities because permitting participation may reduce the opportunities for students currently enrolled in the district. In addition, more staff might be required to accommodate the increased number of participants. This item will be placed on the agenda for the March 15, 2004, Regular School Board Meeting.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.

 

 

 

Minutes Prepared By:

 

_____________________________________________________________________

Charlotte L. Zimmerman

Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction