Getting down to the business of education, board members for USD 428 met Monday night to hear the first reading of a proposal and presentations by the K-6 math adoption team for a new district-wide math curriculum.  After reviewing two options, the teachers came to a unanimous decision with overwhelming support for one that includes text and web-ready lessons, training and professional development, tech-support and consumables over a seven year period.
Assistant Superintendent John Popp outlined the curriculum adoption process, which occurs over a two year period.  Teachers meet and decide what they want to teach in the classroom, and then they select curriculum that is suitable.  This is an important distinction in light of controversy over Common Core Standards.  
“While we adhere to standards, the teachers decide how they are going to teach to them, and what curriculum they want to use,” Popp said.
The teachers brainstormed about what they needed, what they wanted, and what their dream curriculum would be.  Envision Math by Pearson supported the outcomes the teachers were looking for.  They also align to state standards.  
“Common Core adoption has created a higher expectation for our students,” Said Casey Gatton, a third grade teacher at Riley Elementary, said.  “There will be increased rigor, and the amounts of reading and writing in math are going up.”  
Peggy Haig teaches sixth grade at Riley.  She likes Envision Math because it is clearly organized and allows teachers to pair their lessons with the Habits of Mind.  The curriculum can be delivered by book, or through video on the website, which allows kids home from school to be able to keep up with lessons and not miss out on instruction.
Emily Parsons, a first grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary, who likes the readability of the textbook.  “Vocabulary is hit very well in this series,” she said.  “I’m able to run off flash cards that they can work with to learn the words they need to be successful.”
There are also Spanish/English options with the videos online so they can be certain to the ESL students can keep up with the math lessons. The online lessons also allow parents to be able to better help their students at home.
The cost over seven years is $208,814.30. For comparison, in 2001 the district purchased a math program for $88,000 and spent $20,000 each year since then for consumables.
“This is a lot that we are getting for this price,” Popp said.
President Kevin Mauler asked what percentages of students have internet access at home after school.  A study at the high school last year revealed 72 percent of students did, GBHS Principal Tim Friess said.
With the first reading completed, the adoption of the curriculum will become an agenda item at the next meeting where action will be taken.   

Assessments

It’s almost time for the 2015 round of Kansas State Assessments to begin.  This year, according to Popp, the questions will be more rigorous than students have ever experienced before, and there will be multi-disciplinary performance tasks to be completed.  These will require students to read, research, analyze information, come up with answers and use keyboarding skills to write detailed answers, rather than simply filling in a circle, he said.
Grading the tests will require the services of human checkers, and the district has received only vague answers from the state as to who exactly will be doing the work.  
“Essentially, the state has dropped the cost and the process of grading back on the districts,” Reed said, though he too said he had no clear answers yet.
Popp said that results from the testing will not be back until October or November.  In addition, only a sample of the tests will be checked.  That’s because this is the year the new questions will be “normalized.” The testing authorities are still in the process of determining what the test will encompass, and learning how students respond to the questions will be a key part in deciding what the test can include and what it can’t.
“It won’t be until 2016-2017 before we have a test that reflects a score for each student,” Popp said.
Board member Cheryl Rugan asked if the questions will be included in the results that they get.  Popp had to admit he didn’t know.  “Are these tests going to be more time consuming,” she asked.  Reed replied that it will take a lot more time.”  
There are some concerns about the total functionality of the web-based testing system.  Last year, the site was hacked and failed a number of times.  Since then, the district has taken part in two Break Kite exercises to help the testing authority determine how to shore up the system.  

Super report
Reed praised USD 428 teachers and employees for stepping up and increasing donations to the United Way of Central Kansas by $2,300 over last year.  This year, the challenge to be the highest contributing school was one by Jefferson Elementary, with 70 percent of the staff contributing.  Last year, the district collected $6,700, and this year $9,000 was collected, putting the district in the top 10 of organizations taking part in the challenge.  
He also recognized volunteers who contribute about 166 hours of service in various capacities each week across the district.  
“It’s a real benefit for our students and our schools,” Reed said. “Thank you.”
Commenting on the legislative coffee that was held at the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce last Saturday, he noted that he did not see any of the board members there, but encouraged them to come to the next one on March 7.  
The USD 428 Education Foundation has received 37 mini-grant applications for the upcoming school year, and will be reviewing them and choosing winners next month, Reed said.  He recently attended a reception at which this year’s recipients made presentations about the outcomes of their grant awards.

Efficient new software
In an effort to increase efficiency at the district office, Assistant Superintendent Khris Thexton has been looking into new software for payroll, and proposed adopting Skyward Financial Suite as a replacement for the product the district has been using since 2008.  
“We do a lot of things by paper and pencil still,” Thexton said. “Skyward will allow us to automate more of our tasks and save time that can be used better in other areas.”  
The costs are comparable.  Skyward Finance would cost $77,085 to implement, and the yearly fee is about the same as the current program.  The change over cost includes transfer of all data, 27 days of on-site training, web training and unlimited customer support.  In addition to significant time savings, he said, it would reduce human error and improve internal controls.  
Rugan asked if, in light of the budget, the district could continue to get by with Data Teams.  
Thexton said it could, but Reed spoke up.
“It’s like having a ten-year-old truck,” he said.  “You can get by with it, but at some point you’re going to have to replace it.”  
No action was taken.