Supt's On!

January 25, 2012 Column

We all want kids to be successful at school, but what do you do when they are not? The Belle Plaine School District and other Scott County Districts, along with medical experts, are working together to improve how we help our kids succeed to the best of their ability.  Please join us for this FREE event on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at Prior Lake-Savage High School, from 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  (Speakers start at 6:15pm)  Register at priorlakesavagece.com or 952.226.0080.  Registration is preferred but walk-ins are welcome.  Dinner will be provided from 5:30 until 6:15 p.m.

There will be various breakout sessions and participants are encouraged to attend three.  Some of the sessions that will be offered are:

*  Understanding Challenging Behaviors: Tips for Parents: Discuss behaviors that may indicate mental health concerns, and how parents can help with those behaviors in school.

*  May I Have Your Attention Please? There is More to this than Meets the Pill! Discover strategies to improve attention and focus beyond medications.

*  What is Neuropsychology and How Can it Help Your Child?  Learn the role of pediatric neuropsychology in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders.

*  Keeping it Positive at Home: Learn the impact of negative reinforcement and emotional connections to behaviors, plus how rules and discipline at home help form habits.

*  Over-Parenting:  Three Mistakes Parents Make that Hinder their Child’s Maturity;  Hear how over-indulgence, over-affirmation, and over-protection are preventing our children from growing up.

*  Positive Behavior Support; from School to Home: Behavioral support is available at school - get tips on how to access them; behavioral assessments and intervention plans.

*  Guiding Your Child on the Path to Literacy: Learn the fundamentals to support reading development and how to bring literacy into daily routines and activities.

*  Interventions that Work:  Discuss first step interventions for children struggling with learning.

*  My Child has Autism. What Can I Do?  Get an overview of autism spectrum disorders, resources, and how autism impacts learning and social relationships.

*  Navigating the Education System: Learn how children with potential disabilities are identified in schools and the criteria for special education services.  (Thanks to Scott Hare, Special Services Director for Belle Plaine and Jordan for working with other districts and medical experts to present this series of workshops to help give parents the tools necessary to help their child be successful.)

Congratulations to the Belle Plaine Explosion Dance Team for winning the MN River Conference championship in high kick competition and placing second to Mayer Lutheran in jazz competition.  Congratulations also go out to Coach Kathy Stauffacher for being named Conference Coach of the Year in High Kick.  Great job girls and coaches!  Best of luck as you prepare for Section competition beginning on February 4^th at Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria.

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

 

January 18, 2012 Column

In last week’s column, I began outlining some of the requested changes that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has made in their request for waiver regarding the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements.   The article left off with an introduction of the four measurements that will be used in evaluating districts to develop a proposed Multiple Measurements Rating (MMR).  The measurements used will be proficiency, growth, achievement gap reduction and graduation rate.  Using these four measurements, schools earn up to 100 points. MDE then looks at the percentage of possible points that each school earned to generate an MMR.

Using the results of the MMR, schools can fall into three groups:

- Reward Schools- These schools are the top 15 percent of Title I schools in the MMR. They represent the highest-performing schools on the four measurements. Currently, the reward for these schools mainly comes through public recognition. These schools are identified annually.

- Focus Schools- Using just the proficiency and achievement gap reduction measurements from the MMR, each school receives a Focus Rating that measures they’re contribution to the state’s achievement gap. The 10 percent of Title I schools with the lowest Focus Ratings are identified as Focus Schools, and must work with MDE and their district to implement serious interventions aimed at improving the performance of the school’s lowest-performing subgroups. Essentially, Focus Schools are designed to attack the achievement gap head on. These schools are identified every three years.

- Priority Schools- These are the 5 percent most persistently low-performing Title I schools. Just less than half of these schools are identified through their participation in the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. The remaining schools in this group are the Title I schools with the lowest percentages in the MMR. These schools will implement turnaround plans to drastically change the way the school operates.

To encourage continuous improvement in all schools, MDE has proposed the creation of two additional groups. Title I schools in the 25 percent of schools directly behind the Reward School cutoff may apply to be Celebration Schools. These schools can show both quantitative and qualitative results in making their case. MDE will select a total equal to 10 percent of Title I schools so that when combined with the Reward Schools, we are recognizing the top 25 percent of Title I schools. On the other end of the spectrum, the bottom 25 percent of Title I schools will be identified as Continuous Improvement schools if they are not already Priority or Focus Schools. These schools will work with their districts to create improvement plans. MDE will audit a percentage of these schools’ plans to ensure fidelity.

Finally, in order to ensure that all schools are being held accountable, MDE will annually publish two measurements so that the parents, teachers and the public as a whole can see how every school is performing . . . . The Dept. of Education will also report the MMR of every school in the state through a Multiple Measurements Chart. The Chart will show the results in each of the four categories and schools’ total percentage of points earned. Using the MDE website, parents can compare the performance of schools in every category and in the total percentage of points earned.

Please note that the previous information is only a proposal at this time.  Minnesota will soon learn if their request for a waiver was successful or not.  As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

 

January 11, 2012 Column

     I recently attended a presentation by Dr. Brenda Cassellius, MN Commissioner of Education, who briefed the audience on Minnesota’s request for a waiver of the federal No Child Left Behind requirements.  The following is part 1 of the waiver summary.  

     “If approved, Minnesota’s ESEA Flexibility Request will cause the following No Child Left Behind (NCLB) provisions to be waived:

         - 2014 goal of 100 percent proficiency

         - Sanctions on schools resulting from not making AYP

         - Mandatory financial set-asides for School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services

         - Sanctions for districts resulting from not making AYP

         - Identification of schools as in need of improvement, corrective action and restructuring

         - Identification of districts as in need of improvement or corrective action

    In order to have these provisions waived, Minnesota’s application had to meet four principles:

         - College- and career-ready academic standards

         - State-developed system of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support

         - Supporting effective instruction and leadership

         - Reducing unnecessary administrative burdens

     Minnesota was well-positioned in three of these four principles to the extent that the application only had to describe what we’re already doing in the area of standards, teacher and principal evaluation, and streamlining of reporting. The accountability system was the principle for which Minnesota had to do the most work, and therefore it is the area of the application that has drawn the most attention.

    Essentially, the application describes a new accountability system for the state. At the core of the new system is the use of multiple measurements for accountability. Unlike AYP, which is mostly centered on proficiency, Minnesota’s proposed Multiple Measurements Rating (MMR) uses four ratings, weighted equally, to measure school performance:

            - Proficiency- Schools earn points in the MMR by meeting AYP proficiency goals in individual student subgroups. The percentage of subgroups that make AYP determines the percentage of points a school receives.

            - Growth- Students are measured by their performance on the MCAs relative to their performance in the most recent year they took the test. Schools get a growth score based on the average growth of all students in the school.

            - Achievement gap reduction- This measurement answers the question, “Is the growth of my lower-performing students such that it is reducing the achievement gap?” Schools are measured based on how the growth of their students from the seven lower-performing subgroups (Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, English Learners, students in poverty, and special education students) compares to the statewide average growth of higher-performing subgroups. Schools earn MMR points based on their ability to reduce the achievement gap.

            - Graduation rate- Schools earn points based on their statewide percentile ranking for four-year, on-time graduation rates.

    I will complete the summary in next week’s column or you may check out the MN Department of Education website at www.education.state.mn.us for more information.  As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

 

January 04, 2012 Column

I have spent some of the break reading the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson and I have been struck by the amount of change that has occurred in the world of personal computers in my life and in just the past decade for that matter.  I found this article online that speaks to some of the constant change that is present in the world and if it will ever end.  It was written by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks.  Hope you enjoy.

“I thought this was appropriate to start the new year.

We all have the tendency to believe that we are living in a very advanced technological period. We get all excited about the new tech we got at Christmas and what we read about that will soon be available to us. In reality, everything we are excited about today is going to be incredibly old and boring much faster than we ever expect.

No matter what year you were born, by the time you finish(ed) high school, its (was) a completely different world. Today’s high school seniors were born prior to the World Wide Web, wireless internet, smartphones,tablets, HDTVs  and changes in world politics that were never imagined.  Without question each of us can remember the things that were new and exciting to us when we were kids, that were unimaginable to our parents, but are now nothing more than old memories.

The rate of technological change is not slowing down. In fact, the argument could be made that it is speeding up.  In our lifetimes, we will reach a point when we reflect back on the good old days of the internet, Facebook, Twitter and other tech that is ubiquitous today. We might even look back at digital the way we currently look at analog.  Things change.

Of course, this isn’t a problem. It’s a huge opportunity. There is a 12 year old somewhere who is imagining what we can’t. Another that is combining elements into something new we should have seen, but did not. It reminds me of one of my favorite sayings. “If you are looking where everyone else is for the next big thing, you are looking in the wrong place”

The reality is, “None of us are born in to the world we live in.”” (This post was originally published by Mark Cuban on BlogMaverick.)

For education purposes, I believe that it is not the type of technology that we currently have in place that captures the power of this discussion; rather it is using whatever technology is currently available to instill a love of learning and individualize the educational process as much as possible that is the key power of all technology. 

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Happy New Year!  Go Tigers and Panthers!

 

December 21, 2011 Column

            Over the past six weeks or so, the school board and administration have been discussing the merits of an additional investment in technology beyond our annual budget.  At our board meeting last night, a motion to invest an additional $!51,880 ($35,665 in federal funds and $116,215 from the general fund) in purchasing additional computers, iPads and other technology to supplement and improve our current technology program.  In addition, an important $51,425 was approved for additional professional development in technology integration and the growth of our professional learning communities.  During our discussions, numerous questions about this purchase were raised.  Here are a few of the questions with answers from the tech department and superintendent’s office.

            What will this purchase allow us to do that is not happening right now?
                1. Replace obsolete computers now rather than the summer of 2012.
                2. Increase the opportunity for more staff and students to begin / develop their utilization of mobile technology in their curriculum.

                3. Promote the Professional Development plan for staff to become proficient with mobile technology via the Professional Learning Communities

                4. Augment curriculum planning to include mobile/online course methodologies for this year and in future curriculum planning cycles.

            What is our long term vision for technology/education in the district?
            Students of the 21st century have never lived without technology, and they are quite adept at utilizing various types of technologies. They are accustomed to interacting with cell phones, computers, social media, etc. Therefore, the educational arena is experiencing a paradigm shift to include the use of various technologies in grades K-12.
            Research indicates that the Internet and technology are powerful tools for teaching and learning and can have a positive impact when successfully integrated as part of the curriculum.  Belle Plaine Schools is working to provide our students with access to technology that will increase engagement and critical thinking while providing students with real-life applications.
            1 to 1 initiatives along with professional development at other schools across the nation have proven to be very beneficial in the following ways (research by ISTE, NCATE, CEO Forum, Millken Exchange and the US Department of Education):

• Test scores go up and Productivity increases
• Students write more and write more effectively and Engagement increases
• Attitudes towards school improve
• Students demonstrate better research and analytical skills
• Students engage more in problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Students collaborate more appropriately and more often on schoolwork

Our intent is not to replace traditional resources but to recognize the power of technology as a necessary instructional tool. Instructional technology coupled with real-life applications helps students learn to make inferences, analyze data and predict outcomes — all valuable real-life application skills needed to meet current academic expectations.

Due to the upcoming holiday break I will not be submitting a column for the week of December 28^th.  Enjoy the holidays everyone!

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

December 14, 2011 Column

In recent years, the evaluation of teachers and principals in Minnesota schools has come under increasing scrutiny by parents, school board members and policy makers.  Currently, Minnesota does not have a uniform method of evaluation for these employees and there is some movement toward towards a standardized model of evaluation for all employees.

During the past legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature passed two bills dealing with evaluation of teachers and principals.  As part of both bills, working groups were established through the Minnesota Department of Education to study this issue and develop a model system that would be distributed to all Minnesota schools as a guide for their evaluation process.

Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, in collaboration the Minnesota Elementary Principals Association (MESPA), and the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP), has named members to serve on the legislatively mandated Principal Evaluation Working Group. The model and recommendations will be presented to the Legislature in a report due on February 1, 2012.  Meeting dates for the Working Group are scheduled for October through January 16.

I am hopeful that the Principal Evaluation group uses the framework that was put in place last year through a collaborative effort of the MN Association of School Administrators (MASA), MESPA, MASSP, and the Board of School Administrators (BOSA – the licensing authority for school administrators in Minnesota).  Members of these organizations worked thoughout last year to develop a model of principal evaluation that was tied to Minnesota’s K-12 Principal Competencies and could be utilized by all Minnesota schools.

Commissioner Cassellius has also named the committee members for the Teacher Evaluation Working Group.  The purpose of the Teacher Evaluation Process Panel is to create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies with the legislative requirements and applies to all teachers without an annual teacher evaluation agreement under paragraph (a), for the 2014-2015 school year and later.

The model developed by the teacher evaluation working group will be available for all Minnesota districts to use or school districts and their local teacher’s union may negotiate a process for evaluation as part of their master agreement.  As stated previously, new teacher evaluation models must be implemented for the 2014-2015 school year and beyond.

As we approach the holiday season, holiday music concerts are flooding the calendar.  I had the opportunity to attend the 7-12 grade band concert on Monday night to hear some terrific music.  Our 7-12 grade choirs will be performing next Monday in the North Gym at 7 p.m. and elementary music programs are on the schedule as well.  Check with your school about times and locations for these events.

Just a reminder that due to the holidays, our regular monthly school board meeting will be held this coming Monday, December 19^th at 6 p.m. instead of our normal fourth Monday of the month. 

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

 

December 7, 2011 Column

The recent release of the November state budget forecast was a surprise to many as it revealed that the projections are for an $876 million balance by the end of 2013.  While this is great news after a series of deficit budget projections including a massive $5 billion deficit last biennium, what does the new forecast mean and will it impact governmental entities such as school districts?  I found the following information on the Association of Metropolitan School Districts website and thought it provided some insight into the process and the results of the recent forecast.

“On December 1, 2011, the November budget forecast was released. This forecast is an initial budget forecast before the February forecast (the forecast that provides the budget numbers that the governor and legislators use to establish or adjust the biennial budget).  So while the November budget forecast does provide a glimpse into the economic status of the state, it has to be taken cautiously as numbers may change in the February forecast.

What does the November forecast tell us?

• An estimated $876 million dollar balance is projected for 2012-2013 (revenues were $358 million higher and expenditures were $205 million below expectations).
• A projected deficit of $1.3 billion is shown for 2014-2015.
• Current law requires the surplus to go into the state’s reserves, so $255 million will go to the cash flow account to restore it to $350 million and $621 million to the budget reserve which would bring the reserve to $648 million-just short of the statutorily desired level of $653 million.   After the reserve is restored to $653 million, future surpluses would go toward repaying the school aid payment shift and then the property tax recognition shift. 
• State revenues are up by 1.2%
• Expenditure reductions are driving the balance of the surplus with two-thirds of the reductions coming from the Health Human Services area.
• K-12 expenditures are growing, but at a slower pace than expected.
• School levies came in lower than projected in the February forecast resulting in lower than expected savings from the shift.
• Minnesota’s economy is likely to do better than the U.S. economy in 2011 & 2012.

How is the information used at the Minnesota legislature?  The Governor and the majority party in the Legislature use the February budget forecast to assess the current budget and to assemble the budget for the next biennium or make adjustments to the existing budget.  According to the Minnesota Management & Budget website, the budget forecast is also used by financial analysts and bond raters to evaluate the state’s economic condition.”

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

November 30, 2011 Column

Recently, Belle Plaine area residents received their proposed property tax notices for the 2012 tax year.  On these statements, details of each of the governing bodies proposed taxes are presented.  For city residents, the three major taxing entities are the school district, the city and the county.  For residents outside of the city limits, the taxing entities are the school district, the township and the county. 

In addition to the proposed 2012 property tax for each entity, there is a listing of the Truth in Taxation Hearing Dates for that entity.  The school district will hold their Truth in Taxation hearing on Monday, December 5 at 6 p.m.  The public is welcome to attend as district officials present information about our current year budget and the proposed taxes that are being requested.  This year our total tax levy will drop by over $331,000 or just under seven percent.

While a seven percent decrease in proposed taxes is a good thing, there are several factors that may cause a different result in your personal piece of property.  Three of those variables are property valuation of your property, overall property valuation in the taxing district and the impact of the homestead market value credit repeal.

In the simplest sense, if all properties within the Belle Plaine School District were to remain at the same valuation from this year to next, all tax parcels would see a seven percent decrease in their school district taxes.  Unfortunately, that is never the case as we have some parcels that are increasing in value, some staying the same and some decreasing in value.  Currently, it is quite typical for residential property values to be decreasing while non-homestead agriculture land is increasing in value.  This will mean an increase in the overall tax burden for the agriculture parcels.

If the total school district property valuation goes down, individual property owners may still see a slight increase in school taxes as there will be less property value to assess the taxes over.  This factor gets even more complicated as the influences of the property tax proposals of the other entities are factored into the overall tax bill.

Finally, the legislature repealed the homestead market value credit and replaced it with the homestead market value exclusion. The size of the credit you received in previous years varied depending on the valuation of your homestead property.  If you received a significant credit in previous years, you may not be receiving a property value exclusion that will match the previous credit causing an increase in your taxes.

Property taxes are rarely embraced as a popular form of taxation, but they are necessary for the proper functioning of local governments.  If you have questions about your proposed taxes, I encourage you to attend the appropriate budget and tax hearing to have your questions answered.

This Saturday is the annual Holiday Express held at Chatfield Elementary.  The Early Childhood Family Education staff, Learning Readiness staff, the PTO and numerous volunteers spend many hours preparing for this great event for young children in our community.  This year the event is open from 9 a.m. through noon.

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

 

November 23, 2011 Column

The second night of parent – teacher conferences for students in grades 7-12 was held on Tuesday night.  It is hard to believe that we are nearly 1/3 of the way through the 2011-12 school year.  Winter activities started with danceline practice several weeks ago and girl’s basketball practice last Monday.  Boy’s basketball and wrestling began practice this week.  The first contest of the winter season is on Tuesday, November 29^th when our girl’s basketball team hosts Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.  Good luck to all winter activities as they compete for conference titles and advancement in the state play-offs.

I hope everyone had the opportunity to see the high school fall drama production of “Anne of Green Gables” this past weekend.  We have been blessed to have outstanding drama performances through the years and this production was no exception.  The cast performed flawlessly from top to bottom, the set was wonderful and the story was both humorous and touching.  Great job to the cast and crew!  Congratulations to directors Allison Jacobson and Allison Burmeister on a great production!

As Thanksgiving approaches, there are many things to be thankful for as I serve as the superintendent of the Belle Plaine Public Schools for my eighth year.  I am thankful for a supportive community that has supported our schools as we have worked hard to improve our facilities and the technology available within them.  We have also been supported through the passage of our operating levy several years ago and that has been a critical piece to the financial stability that we have seen over the past several years.

I am thankful for the wonderful students who enter our buildings every day to improve themselves academically and personally.  We have great students here in Belle Plaine doing great things for themselves and for others.

I am thankful for a great team of employees who are dedicated to increasing the academic capabilities of all of our students.  Whether it is the building administrator, the classroom paraprofessional, or the classroom teacher, all have a common goal of academic excellence for our students.

I am thankful for community members who are willing to run in an election to serve the community as a member of the Belle Plaine School Board.  Being a board member can be a difficult duty at times and I am fortunate to have worked with outstanding board members who have been committed to academic performance throughout my years here in Belle Plaine.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends this Thursday.

As always, if you have any questions about school matters, please feel free to call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers and Panthers!

November 16, 2011 Column

Parents are reminded that this Friday is an early release date for students as teachers prepare for 7-12^th grade parent-teacher conferences on Monday and Tuesday next week.  Conferences are set for 3:30 – 7:30 each day at the JH-SH.  Parents are encouraged to attend this important event and should check in by the office for necessary materials prior to beginning your conference.  There is no school on Wednesday as we begin the Thanksgiving break.

Thank you to students and staff for organizing and presenting a wonderful Veteran’s Day program at Oak Crest Elementary last Friday morning.  It was great to see many of Belle Plaine’s veterans presenting the colors as part of a group from VFW Post #6202 and American Legion Post #144.  Patriotic readings from students in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 along with music provided by the sixth grade band added some great content to the program.  Thanks also to guest speaker, Lt. Colonel Margaret McCue Morrison for her words on the meaning of Veteran’s Day.  What a great way to honor our Veteran’s in Belle Plaine and across the country.  Thanks again Oak Crest students and staff!

I have been negligent in reporting on the success that our FFA members had during their recent trip to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in mid-October.  The Belle Plaine chapter had several members participating in the national competition as Olivia Kendall made the finals in the Job Interview competition and finished with a 6^th place national ranking.  The horse judging team placed in the bronze group with Cody Ekstrom placing Silver individually and Kalli Koepp, Jessy Dols, and Casey Ekstrom placing in the Bronze category individually.

One of the other highlights of the convention was the election of Jason Troendle from St. Charles, MN as the National Secretary for FFA.  No Minnesota FFA member has held a national office within the organization for the past 26 years – that’s a great accomplishment!  Congratulations to all Belle Plaine FFA members who made the trip to the Convention.  My best wishes to all of you as you begin a new round of competition in this year’s events.

Thank you to the Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization for sponsoring the recent movie night at Chatfield Elementary.  A full house enjoyed the movie Cars 2 during a great family activity.  Thanks also to the Kindergarten teachers who provided valuable assistance and coordination to the event as well.

A final thank you to all who voted in the recent school board election.  Board elections are a very important component of the local school district as our board members set the vision for the district and serve as a valuable connection between the school district and the community.  Congratulations to our incumbent candidates, Matt Bigaouette, Matt Lenz, Mike Ludvik who were elected to four year positions and to Gary Steinhagen who was re-elected to a two year term.  New board member positions begin on the first Monday in January.

As always, if you have any questions about the Belle Plaine Schools, please feel free to visit our website at www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us or call me at 873-2400.  Go Tigers!