May 2008 Compilation

 

Are Rhonda and Lynne, in Special Ed, HQT in any subject areas? Rhonda and Lynne have Multiple Subject credentials.

Can  IT create boxes that can be checked, such as CAHSEE Intensive, Learning Center Classes, HQT Access, etc. and then make a template for the learning record; basically all of the required elements in the learning record could be laid out and on the bottom of the LR could be the blurb from the ES. Textbook: PLIP: ETC.

Thank you for the great ideas, they will be discussed as possibilities, and if approved, will be added as FRED requests for Fall.

 

Can Moodle be available for all teachers for AESS, tutoring, communication, etc.? Yes, in the future

 

Can we schedule some of our ES staff meetings online? This may be something to consider for the future.

 

We want to thank Jamie Tinley for the great job on Moodle training.  Yeah!!!

 

It would be great if the new materials tracking list could have a box for the ES to indicate whether the item must be returned to the ES. This will be sent to IT as a request.

 

On the upcoming materials list in Fred, will there be a way to take the consumable materials off? This is the plan

 

The FRED materials list in not correct now, despite emails asking for items to be removed or transferred.  Some veteran ESs still have computers and other items from Heritage and Horizon on their lists, though those students and materials have been gone for years.  We love the idea of the new materials tracking system but think the lists should be cleaned up first. Reported to IT for a solution.

 

11 out of 11 ES’s are concerned about the learning center library check –out policy.  They would like to have the option of keeping a book checked out.  For example because of the nature of our school- students may begin the next level of a book in January or February and need to continue it in the fall- if they have to turn it in, they are not guaranteed to have it available when check-out resumes in the fall. This will be considered by the library committee.

 

Regarding the library check out policy, ES’s also felt the # of books allowed should be increased, especially in the case of AESS. This will be considered by the library committee

 

Can we set up the library system so that ESs can renew texts w/o taking them in ?  For example...I borrow a text for a student, they don't finish the work by the end of the year, I plan to have them complete the course the first part of next year...can I just call in and renew the text ?  This will be considered by the library committee

 

Can one test tools CD (for English and Math) be given to each ES at the fall ES meeting? These CDs are very expensive and should only be used with students who do not have online access. They can not be duplicated.

Test Tools- do all the students need to start at the same time? Yes, if they are part of the intensive plan

Curriculum News from  Lori Freeman- one ES had a great suggestion to make the Test Tools CD part of ES’s CD pack?  That way each ES will have it as needed—as there was a concern that we would not have STAR scores until August, yet we needed to request the CD by May 30th.  Some people know already that their students are at risk and will need the additional help.

 

Could a step by step list of directions for administering the WRAT be created and posted on the WEB? This request has been sent to Assessment and will be available at the beginning of the school year.

 

Parent council nominations: could we have the parents offer a quote about what they want to accomplish on the parent council, or at least a little more about them. Some parents do not like to vote for the unknown. We are really happy and fortunate to get the current information. We barely get parents to agree to sign up to be on the ballot. This is certainly a goal to have more information but we barely get the people in time for the ballot. Some Eses provided names for the PC but most of them declined. Then we ask ESes again and more parents decline. We were just elated to have parents that said, “Yes”. Having some parents write a statement may deter them from running which may make it more difficult.

 

Elluminate teachers have to communicate with the regular ES, who then communicates with the parent if there is a problem. There is no phone number for the Elluminate teacher to call the parent directly if they need to. (Emails are great for most situations, but sometimes a phone call is needed).  The ESes include their phone numbers on the syllabus as well as in Fred. The HQT teacher can contact the ESes if needed to get contact information.

 

Please revisit the idea that a student can do HQT if they don’t have high-speed internet.  The HQT that is doing Eluminate over dial-up (Roy Shimp) is often kicked off in the middle of class or not available because he can’t get online.  Students with dial-up also experience many additional problems joining and remaining in class.  If the student’s budget can handle it, why can’t we pay for it?  Traditional schools usually have some form of high-speed internet, so it is not unheard of to use school funds for it.  Is it unavailable everywhere?  This option has been reviewed and is not an option for our school.

 

We are allowed to use Aventa for HQT Access.  With that program, the student has access, as needed, to an HQT teacher.  They go online anytime instead of a set class hour.   They follow the class outline, submit online assignments, have their work corrected, and get a-g credit.  Why is this allowed but we are not allowing the same thing from our HQT teachers? This sounds like HQT Access.

 

Seven ESs at our meeting have either limited or stopped serving High School students in the past year because of the difficulties in keeping up with HQT requirements.  Others have stopped recommending a-g classes to their students. HQT is for all students not just those who are taking a-g classes. The goal of the current United States Administration is that No Child Is Left Behind and that all students have access to a HQT.

 

HQT teachers put out varying syllabuses for their classes.  Some have dates, some page numbers, some chapter numbers, some state standards met.  Then the class changes during the semester based on student needs (as it should be able to).  This makes it virtually impossible for ESs to keep track of which students should be where at any given moment. 

What we would like to see:

- Standardized syllabi for all classes.

- Physical HQT access at the learning centers for all HQT subjects (like Debbie Kutz does now).

- A way to sign up for access that just allows students to access the teachers as needed without any other requirements except a final at the end of the semester.

- Finals (not long-term projects) for access students posted online a week or two before the end of the semester with the same due dates for all classes.  Again it is impossible to keep up with all deadlines for all students with the system we have now.

- Make it SIMPLE to use

CWCS is a WASC accredited school of high standards and accountability.  Our HQTs are teachers of integrity and want to ensure that the students have learned the subject matter and the grade given. The students will have to show that they have earned the grade received.

 

Is the mileage stipend going to go up to compensate for the price of gas? We use the IRS rates as theirs goes up ours go up.

 

Ceniom- There is concern from those of us who use our desktop home computers to receive school email.  Many of us also have personal and financial information on those computers.  We want written assurance that the program they will install when they have access to our computers will not allow access at any other time without express permission from us. There is also concern that additional programs will slow down already slow laptop computers. Use your school laptop to have Ceniom initiate the process with the Microsoft Exchange Server, and then it can be accessed through the website on your personal computers. Administration will consider the purchase of additional ram for the school owned laptops as needed if funding is available.

 

Regarding FRED:  Although everyone was excited about new changes, 8 out of 11 ES’s have noticed a significant SLOWING of FRED between screens, especially in the transcripts screen.  This slow performance was not noticed by those ES’s in any other application, email or Internet use on their computers, leading us to believe the problem is with FRED. Feedback sent to IT.

 

When the learning centers open would it be possible for newly enrolled students to make an appt. for Scantron testing? Provide proctors within the first two weeks of August as well? Proctor schedules are being put together now, and your request is being considered. Look for an all ES email regarding schedules. We can’t begin making appointments for the testing until August 1st.

 

Would it be possible to get the search engine on the vendor list updated so it is more consistent, update the parent website of vendors more often, and resume listserve messages when a new tutor or vendor is approved? Request renewed with IT.

 

A suggestion was made to change the “Print SS list” so that more than 20 students can be printed, as many SS ES’s have more than 20 students. Request sent to IT, done!