CHPSPO Meeting Notes – June 21 2016

 

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan 215 G Street, NE

June 21, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

 1. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Requirements (http://sboe.dc.gov/page/essa-updates) – Sean Chalk, SBOE

Background:

• Federal accountability law, replacing NCLB.
• New accountability system
• NCLB primarily rested on testing, for ESSA testing is still 51% (or more) of state measure… SBOE is collecting input on what we (DC parents, teachers, agencies want the balance (49% of state measure) to be
• 6 month process to roll out new system
• What you should know about ESSA (presentation) http://sboe.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/sboe/page_content/attachments/5-20-16%20ESSA%20Presentation%20-%20FINAL.pdf
• Title 1 funding (federal) is tied to ESSA.

ACTION: Online form to collect feedback: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nzsoTYtSBTxXM8sX3ClnWrLXJuLV82g1COkTHdAeqrM/viewform?c=0&w=1

Brainstorming:

 What do we think makes a great school?

• School climate/school safety
  • Climate: ask student questions about how they feel about their school, welcoming, do they understand what they need to do to be successful?
  • Are practices unbiased?
  • Parent involvement: encouraged? Retribution? Have a PTA/PTO?
  • Teachers: their voice. Do they trust leadership? Do they trust each other?
    • U of Chicago – 5 essentials of great schools: https://uchicagoimpact.org/5essentials
  • Things that go beyond testing subjects: arts, music, phys ed., library studies, science, history, foreign language
    • How to measure this?
  • Health, mental health, social/emotional learning, conflict resolution, bullying prevention
    • DC among first to test health education; DC CAS health test: AIDS, teen pregnancy prevention (8^th and 10^th grades)
    • Nutrition; physical activity
    • How the school handles adverse childhood experiences; homelessness incarceration, divorce, exposure to drug abuse
  • School cohesion (ex: Tyler Spanish + Creative Arts… programs are not cohesive)
  • Special populations
    • English learners, new arrivals
    • Homeless populations
    • There are provisions to measure special populations. Are we looking at growth or end results?

What’s the role of testing, and what should we be looking for through the tests?

• PARCC for schools, but not for students and teachers, but DIBELS, etc used by teachers to assess students. What about better use of testing w/ a goal to test less. NEED audit to assess testing – how much are students testing, how much are they being prepped for tests,
• Growth: Assess at beginning and at end of year to test for growth w/in a school year

Next Steps:

• Review data currently collected, which could be used towards measuring (climate, health, etc…); what do we need to fill in the gaps?
• Assign weight to the selected indicators’

 

2. DCPS Education Specifications – DCPS Facilities Team – Josh Tuch

Background:

• Ed spec = guidebook handed to architects when designing a new school
• DCPS is in process of taking over leadership/ownership of Modernization process from DGS
• Updating ed specs for the first time in 10 years
• Met w/ all wards, principals, offices
• Seeking to develop menu of baseline options; Not cookie cutter, site-specific ed specs
• Ed specs will defer to local code
• ‘future proofing’ so that school is flexible as tech/times evolve
• Note: Ed spec does not define whether full or partial modernization
• Presentation: http://www.21csf.org/csf-home/DocUploads/DataShop/DS_424.pdf

Process (for Ed Spec update):

• DCPS Expert Interviews and Visioning > Community Input > Document Development & Publication > Site Specific Ed Specs (for individual schools)– Community Input
• Finalize Interviews/Collect Feedback (Spring 16) > Publish Final Documents (Summer 16) > Collect Community Feedback on Final Document (Fall 16) > Develop Site Specific Ed Spec Policy (Fall 16)
• Going to engage specific focus groups around grade configuration specs (elementary, middle, high, K-8, etc)
• Note: Second opportunity for community feedback in the Fall. (reactions to draft)
• Sample Design Concepts (see presentation)
• See brainstorming outcomes (attached photo)

OUTCOMES:

• DCPS needs to have a process around stabilization, (along with modernization)
  • Community should be meeting with Nathanial Beers or Bridget Stesney to address gaps in stabilization and modernization processes (examples: Jefferson has been unable to kick off, in spite of having funds in place. Maury has had to restart process to reflect accurate enrollment projections – which were difficult to obtain.)
  • NOTE: Dr. Beers told council they were anxious to begin community engagement w/ Jefferson, but this has not transpired
• Community has heard conflicting plans around engagement for CIP? Need to improve approach for engagement.
• CIP needs to be revisited for Ward 6, from a feeder-pattern perspective (Ex: Eliot-Hine swing space, is this the most sensible use of space, when Eastern will likely be over-enrolled in a few years?)

ACTION/NEXT STEPS:

• DCPS (Josh/Sharona Robinson) to send to CHPSPO (by way of Suzanne Wells)
  • Current Ed Specs (DRAFT Orr Educational Specification 10-01-15 were shared)
  • DCPS SIT process presentation
• DCPS Facilities Team will schedule a Ward 6 community meeting with DCPS leadership to begin a discussion on the stabilization plans for Ward 6 that incorporates accurate enrollment projections and accurate accounting of prior facilities improvements, along with plans for meaningful community engagement.

 

Next CHPSPO Meeting:  July 19, 2016

Upcoming Events

Cross Sector Collaboration Task Force

June 28, EducationCounsel, (101 Constitution Ave, NW Suite 900), 6 – 8 pm

 

DC Council Hearings (confirm these, as times/rooms sometimes change)

June 22, Joint Oversight Hearing on Lead Testing in Public Facilities, 10 am, Room 500

July 6, Education Public Hearing: DCPS School Foods Contract, 10 am, Room 412

July 11 Education Public Hearing: Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities Amendment Act, 1 pm.

Parades

July 4^th Parade, Barracks Row