Minutes from First Meeting

Good to Great: Allocation of Resources Meeting 11/17/10
Sharing Out--Reflections of Annual Growth, Catch Up Growth
• Live and die by the schedule...
• How much do kids need to know at the start of K?
• Admin supported effort
• Clear Expectations--Stuck to the goal
Time and Human Resources...
• With each of these ideas, several issues/blockers are in place...
• We are here to develop the ideas and recommendations...
Early intervention...
• Every child that’s born in Barrington receives a book each month...
• FD and PD is a part of the initiative...
How do we proceed???
• Look at schools who did not make AYP, but now are...
• What did they do? What was the process?
Set goals
• Not to get to the standard, but to be great...
Need some type of data in order to set the mark/goal...
• We as a group will determine or advise that a goal needs to exist, the administrative
team or school boards will determine an appropriate goal...
Leaders of other groups to meet with our group to present work so far...
What did Kennewick do?
• System for minutes required for delivery of services
• Looked at the amount of "non" academic time
• Looking at the "what you should know" when you enter Kindergarten
• Can be "behind"at such a young age
• Strong focus on Pre-K through Grade
3
• Have to test to assess
• Quality time was in the morning
• Uninterrupted reading/instruction time
• Time scheduled for reading was considered sacred
• Make parents aware of what their responsibilities are as a parent in terms of reading
• Administration bought into it and had clear expectations that had to be followed through
• Excellent leadership
• Set a goal - building concensus - 90%
• Focused on annual growth and catch-up growth
• Never lost sight of the consequence of student failure rate
• Increased instructional time - critical every morning, every student, and every staff
member (eye-to-eye instruction without interruption)
• Additional instructional time depending on deficiencies (deficient sub-skill)
• Excellent core instruction
• Comprehensive data collecting was utilized
• Progress monitoring was mandatory, as was diagnostic testing
• Practice time was minimal, direct instruction time set precedence
• Maxim #66 & 67
• School district did not give up - gave it the time needed to meet goal
For Next Time - Research Areas
Korea
 Cassie Cepeck
 Chris Trickett
Finland
 John Brock
 Todd Dumont
Canada
 Edie
 Shelley
 Regina
New Zealand
• Margaret
• Kim Steger

Questions for international research

If you were unable to make our last meeting and did not choose a country to research, please choose one that is least represented (South Korea, Finland, and New Zealand currently only have two people each).  Research questions could include:
What does the school year calendar look like?
What does the school day look like?
What is the teacher to pupil ratio?
What does a teacher's day look like?
What does a student's day look like?
How does the country handle professional development?
How are students promoted from one year to the next?
What age does the educational system start/stop servicing students?
At what age do they begin Math/Reading/Science, etc... instruction?
What role does the community play in education?