March 2008 Compilation

 

We thought placing the low-scoring tenth graders in a CAHSEE intensive was a great idea, but then realized their 9th grade STAR scores don’t come out until August usually.  So how will we know which students will need to be enrolled in those classes before classes start?  Will the classes start a little later this year? The classes will not start until September.

 

To place students in Basic classes, what assessment are we using to determine they are at a 5th grade reading level? Terry Souza is recommending WRAT and a new Houghton Mifflin Reading Placement Assessment. Information on the new assessment will be posted to the ES manual when available.

 

Is there any way we can take extra elementary students on our student load if we have some high school students who are taking all HQT classes? If you are asking to make transfers because you have too many HS students, you may make a change to your student list by stating that you will no longer serve High School students (keeping the ones that you have, but not taking any additional ones), and then as new students arrive, you can take on any available K-8 students as they become available according to seniority. If your student load is not full, you may need to change that back to accepting HS students at a future date.

 

This one is time sensitive!  How can we ensure that a CP course for summer tutoring will be paid from this year’s funds?  And must the student be enrolled simultaneously in an HQT course, or can they just get weekly tutoring?  Response from Rolff Christensen, summer school administrator: “#1: I will check with accounting to make sure they have a system of encumbering the funds. #2: So long as they are fulfilling the HQT requirements, then they don’t need to be enrolled in an HQT course.

 

 Is there a 15% charge on CP courses or other classes? The 15% is only added for CP courses for vendors that are not businesses. Classes created with a service PO do not have the additional 15% added as the employee expenses are covered by the business. This is not new, and has been charged in this manner with all IEM schools even prior to the start of CWCS

 

5 of 9 ES’s who had been requested to be at an IEP/Spec. Ed meeting this year were only given 2 days notice of the meeting or teleconference.  It was also noted that the notification paperwork (indicating the meeting date and time) mailed from the special ed dept. arrived at ES’s mailboxes a day after the meeting had been held.  Concern was voiced that at least a week or two notice be given,  in order to rearrange and reschedule any learning record meetings or other school duties. Special ed does call the parents and ESes for meetings well in advance. However, they need confirmation from parents and ESes, and it may be difficult to coordinate a time with some parents. They have been asked to email our ESes so that all have a record of the communication.

 

A recommendation for the future:  have the phone number to Aris in Placerville included in the STAR test site letter to parents, so that if they can’t reach their ES, they have that phone number to call in an emergency.

We also noted that many families never got their STAR test site letter. They need to be crystal clear. Have the date, time, and address in bold, different font, centered, colored, or something that can’t be missed.  How about postcards they can put up on their fridge?  Lots of parents seem to misplace the letter by the time testing rolls around. A postcard, like the dentist office might send, might not have all the behavior policy, etc. That would still go in the letter. But a postcard that either the office sends, or that ESs could print out from Fred and give to families, might be helpful.  Thank you for sending the letters!  Note in Response from Assessment Department: “Thanks for the wonderful feedback, we will use it in planning for next year!”

Please note that the letter is just a back up , the ES must confirm and remind the families about testing. The parents should be given the dates of testing as soon as they are posted.

 

Can ESs be checked out with family accounts (IFs) in the red, so long as the overall ES IF balance is in the black (positive)?  No, each family’s account will need to be reconciled and in the black before checkout. Please work with your Advisor if you have a discrepancy.

 

Student Placement/Intake- Many ESs felt that perhaps the intake ESs weren’t given enough time to get a real feel for incoming students and explain all policies, especially HQT. We are still getting students with NO parental supervision who have been kicked out of other schools.  We understand that parents lie about this at intake and it is a continuing problem, as once-a-week AESS meetings can’t adequately serve a student with no home support. We have to remember that we are not a private school. We are a public school and if once our program is explained to a parent and they say that they will do what is needed then we give them the support and a chance at an education. These students probably should be on Academic Probation. Out of the 38 students that were placed on Academic Probation in the fall only 5 dropped. So 33 of these at risk students did pretty good. The ESes should work with their advisor if they are having problems with a family.

 

We would all like a computer refresh vendor in addition to Gizmos. Any Computer vendor in your area that you would like to have added to the vendor list, may be submitted for consideration by submitting a new vender request in FRED.

 

Remedial grades in red.  Would it be possible to petition and have the red grade removed when the student isn't remedial...ie. from another state where birthdates are different for school entry ? This occurrence is relatively rare. The red grade is there for the office’s and your information, and is not viewable to the parent or the student.