District Advisory Board Minutes

Monday, November 9, 2009

JSSC - 7:00-9:00pm

The meeting was called to order at 7pm. The minutes from the October meeting were approved as
written. They are available dab.posterous.com .

High School Graduation Requirements

PSD has been working on revising high school graduation requirements for two years. The process
was originally scheduled to be completed in January, but due to the recent snow storm delaying public
comment and to changing state recommendations, the process has been delayed by about two months
and will be wrapping up around March. The state is also coming up a set of high school graduation
requirements. Their process was supposed to be completed by December 2009, but is now delayed
indefinitely. Currently, 27 states have standardized graduation requirements.

More information and additional links can be found at PSD’s web site:
http://www.psdschools.org/psdinfo/newsevents/index.aspx?newseventid=997465&affid=

District Ends policy 1.0 is also on PSD website at:

http://www.psdschools.org/documentlibrary/downloads/Board_of_Education/Policy_Governance/Polic
ies/District%20Ends/DE_1-0_General_Ends_Policy.pdf

There is one more public comment session on the high school graduation requirements issue at Rocky
Mountain High School this Thursday, November 12th at 7:00pm. Also, please feel free to e-mail
Chuck DeWayne cdewyne@psdschools.org or Manny Ortega mortega@psdschools.org with any
additional input into this process.

The proposed number of credits required for graduation would increase from 220 to 240 credits under
the proposed requirements. This would essentially require students take an additional two math or
science classes to graduate. The aim is for additional requirements to address additional math,
financial literacy, and science.

Additionally, course content will likely be changed to meet changing state requirements, Cap 4 K
legislation which is in the works, and the PSD Board of Education District Ends 1.0 policies.

Legislation involves multiple pathways in education allowing for students to look to college or careers
following graduation. Cap 4 K legislation is in the works.

Proposed PSD graduation requirements are consistent with other requirements nationally. You can
find more information by looking at the National Governor’s Council website.

In the proposal, there is an option to take courses to help focus on particular pathway. We are still
working on this, but an example currently in use is the course Geometry in Construction. This course
applies both construction and geometry principles to real life applications. Students receive both
geometry and construction credits. A course in economics could be taken through either a social
studies or business pathway.
Connection to DE 1.0 (District Ends – see link above). Our requirements will need to take into
account the ends developed as educational objectives by the PSD Board of Education.

There will also be recognition of some middle school courses for high school credit. This will not be
retroactive since we need to make sure the same content is covered and rigor applied at both the middle
school and high school level.

We also want to recognize IB degrees. IB has slightly different courses and a different course
sequence, but the degrees still cover the required material.

Part of this proposal offers students incentives to go beyond the basic diplomas by allowing students to
receive an “endorsement” in an area. A student would receive both a high school diploma and an
endorsement. Examples of endorsement areas might include:
• Bio science
• Welding receive
• Creative Application
• Meritorious Service (Civic engagement/ public service)
• Attendance (largely for the special education population)

Students could earn an associates degree while in high school at PSD cost in a variety of programs.
Providing choice and options to students will hopefully encourage them to finish high school and
reduce the drop out rate. We want to encourage kids who struggle.

The change in graduation requirements would need to be made with enough notice that upon entering
high school in 2011/2012 as freshmen, students would be aware of these changes.

Could students receive drama credit for being in a play outside of school? We need to distinguish
extracurricular activities from coursework. While being in a play would be considered an
extracurricular activity, the student (by prearrangement) might be able to receive credit for an outside
drama class at CSU taken to support their extracurricular interests.

Do or will AP or IB classes give students more credit than if they took the regular class in the same
subject? This is not currently in the proposal, but we could look at this. Currently, for purposes of
calculating a GPA the grades in AP and IB classes are weighted more heavily than in other classes.

In looking at this proposal, is enough history required? It is expected many different courses which
include history would be available to students under the social studies category.

Student Think Tank – Elaine Holmes, Student Think Tank Coordinator

Matthew Donovan, Poudre High School
Rachel Malone, Fort Collins High School
Terah Lyons, Rocky Mountain High School
Nicole Ela – Rocky Mountain High School

(Additional student names will be added when I receive them)

The idea for the Student Think Tank was born five years ago at a Colorado Association of School
Boards (CASB) conference. Students came back from the student leadership strand at the conference
and wanted to have a voice in education. It is important to not just talk about students, talk to them.

The Student Think Tank has done surveys, public forums, and deliberation. They have gathered
information and facilitated discussions. They facilitated getting student feedback from students on the
topic of childhood obesity. They received input on what would work to help solve the problem of
childhood obesity - healthy eating, P.E., school, family, etc.

The students have worked with the Center for Public Deliberation.

This year topic they talked to students who had graduated from PSD. What worked in their education
and what didn’t? How were they prepared for the transition into college?

The students are speaking at CASB conference this December. Not all districts have direct student
representation. Students who are involved in the Student Think Tank aren’t necessarily involved in
other leadership opportunities. These are all very motivated students. These are the only high school
students trained in deliberation facilitation.

Global connectedness in education is important. Some foreign students are more advanced in some
areas and they would like to learn what to do get to the same level.
They have also talked to students who have dropped out to try and help reduce drop out rate.

Teachers & administrators don’t always involve students. The students should have a part. Students
circulate in different spheres than adults. There’s a whole world that just students live in. Being
involved motivates students. We encourage students to be involved – the more involved the better.
Communication is key. Reporting from personal experience makes education more effective.

One DAB member encouraged the kids to also be involved by contacting their political representatives
about education and educational mandates.

Facility Utilization Update – Jim Sarchet & Kevin Hahn

The Facility Design Committee includes the work currently being done by the Facility Design
Feasibility Committee and which will be beginning soon by the PSD Boundary Committee.

Feasibility Committee information can be found here:

http://www.psdschools.org/services/communication/communications34302.aspx?
commit=1&language=en

Input sessions have been scheduled so far are found here:

http://www.psdschools.org/psdinfo/newsevents/index.aspx?newseventid=999464&affid=

PSD has spent time studying

• Choice Busing looking at a zonal system with 4 zones originating at each of the 4 major high
schools.
• Small Schools Study – Which showed that it costs more to educate kids in smaller settings.
 • Facility Planning Committee – Which recommended schools for consolidation, closure, and
repurposing based on numbers only. This committee didn’t take other issues into account
(traffic, parking, programmatic, etc.).

Budget reductions and flat enrollment are additional reasons for looking at his now. With the current
economy, we are expecting rescissions this year and next year. We also heard from community
members during budget meetings last year and from focus groups that we should consider closing
schools.

The charge of the Facility Design Feasibility Committee is as follows:

Phase I
• Finding a location for the Lab School for Creative Learning within an existing school
site. Locations to be studied are Moore and Riffenburgh elementary schools and Cache
La Poudre elementary and middle schools given the Lab School’s interest in moving to
a K-8 configuration.
• Moving Early Childhood and other programs out of Fullana and Barton to Moore,
Riffenburgh, Bauder, and/or other elementary schools. Temporarily close Fullana and
Barton for different programming considerations.
• Moving Red Feather Elementary students to Livermore Elementary. The committee
will study the feasibility of moving students based on many factors, including cost
efficiency, transportation costs, facility maintenance, and enrollment trends.

Phase II
• Combining either Lopez or Riffenburgh Elementary with other existing schools within
the next 3-4 years to provide a site for a small specialty high school.

We were hoping to complete Phase I by December, but right now it looks like Phase I will move into
January or February. Community input sessions for Phase I start this week. This Friday the committee
will be moving into the analysis phase.

How does this work with bond/mill?

• Facility Master Plan – accounted for in mill/bond
• Rich Teck, Cheryl Zimlich, Len Roark from DAB all on mill/bond committee
• Committee focused on 4 learning goals as opposed to on facilities

Will costs and savings will be part of feasibility committee analysis? Yes
What will happen to closed schools? Washington building, where the Lab School is currently, will be
sold, but other schools might be “mothballed” or repurposed.
What type of specialty high school is proposed? Nothing has been determined yet. That would need to
looked at further.
Who is in charge of coordination of all these various committees and long range planning? Is there a
cohesive strategy for looking at all of these issues?
The results from some committees have fed into others. Public input plays a big part.

Enrollment projections are only good out about 5 years. Projections are not very accurate beyond 5
years.
Budget Projections have been fairly predictable in the past, but given the current economic climate the
projection is only about 12 to 24 months.

We have looked at zonal busing because PSD we have so many choices students. Currently over 30%
of PSD choice into schools and we are heading towards 35%.

There are two part of the Boundary Committee. The Boundary Steering Committee is the smaller of
the two committees which includes representation from schools which are likely to be impacted. The
Boundary Steering Committee includes an administrator and parent from each school. This committee
is about 90 plus people.

The goals of the Boundary Committee are:

• Balancing enrollment
• Contiguous boundaries
• The focus this winter and spring is primarily elementary school boundaries
• Recommendations in April

When balancing enrollment are you looking at numbers only or demographics? To completely even
demographics, busing would need to be involved. Some demographic balancing should occur when
non-contiguous boundaries are fixed.

The Boundary Committee in process of forming now. The Boundary Steering Committee is a filter
and the public will review this work. The Boundary Steering Committee will be comprised of
elementary and of most impacted schools. The Boundary Committee will look at scenarios which
come from Feasibility Committee. We hope to have recommendations in April. Phase-in of any
recommendations usually starts in the following school year.

How much has already really been decided versus how much listening is being done and how much
input is being considered? Nothing has been decided yet. The feasibility and public input need to be
considered.

Accreditation Review – Chuck DeWayne

We need to change the accreditation review process due to state legislation which is being developed.
The November 16th public accreditation review process has been cancelled. We are hoping to get
additional information from the state in December.

The process is going to change. The state is promising this is the last time that is going to change for
next 5 years.

There is some confusion of the various accreditation types. The state is trying to paint a consistent
picture of each school going forward. The alignment is primarily within the state boards not
necessarily aligning to other state accreditation requirements.

Other ways to inform the community of status of schools are being looked at. Schools are accredited
every year. The state is trying to get a more focused approach and report information aligned between
different types of reports. There are no more SARS reports. The School Improvement planning
process will use numbers.

How does it relate to AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) and NCLB (No Child Left Behind)? This is part
of the confusion of the current reporting system. Schools with enrollments over 5,000 don’t ever make
AYP, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good schools. AYP is not related to accreditation.

DAB Representatives
Please share DAB information with your sites and bring questions back to DAB – especially related to
the 4 district learning goals

Committee Reports
Best Grad – Jeffrey Dunn
District Ends - We are still trying to figure out what the BOE and Dr. Wilson would like from
us. Additional meetings next week may help to clarify this.

Calendar Committee – John Lynn

A one time meeting was held giving basically the same information which was presented to
DAB. No further input or involvement in the process was offered,

Tom Balchak reported that he and BOE member Nancy Tellez will be taping a BOE television show
on District Ends. The show will be taped this Friday.

Future Meetings
December DAB Meeting
Annual Legislative Forum including state representatives and possibly some state school board
members and others.

January DAB Meeting

Security Updates – bomb threats, etc.

Feel free to suggest additional topics for upcoming DAB meetings by e-mailing Terri Sunset.