Minutes from the May 5, 2011 Board Meeting

Please click here for the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting on May 5, 2011

Board Brief for May 19, 2011

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.

Recognition:

The Board presented Ambassador for Excellence Awards to the following individuals and groups:

• 35 District 54 students whose artwork was chosen to be published in the First Choice Yellow Pages
• Five Mead students who won District 54’s first Math Competition
• Five Keller students who won the Anti-Bullying Slogan Contest sponsored by the Circuit Court of Cook County
• Tristan Fissette, a fourth-grade student at Stevenson, who was chosen as the youngest Military Kid of the Year from Our Military Kids
• Zachary Wcislak, a sixth-grade student at Hanover Highlands, who received the 2011 Infinitec North Outstanding Student Technology Award
• Christopher Madsen, a sixth-grade student at MacArthur, who received first place in the Barrington Bank & Trust’s Money Smart Kid Essay Contest.
• MacArthur School for receiving the Spanish School of the Year Award from the Ministry of Education in Spain. 

The Board presented Above and Beyond Awards to the following individuals and groups:

• David and Dianne Schultz, District 54 retirees, who volunteer many hours at Collins School.
• Amelia Charts, a special services teacher, for the limitless support she gives to the students at Frost.
• Ayumi Nakanowatari, an instructional assistant, for the extra help she gave to a Frost student even after her relocation to Dooley.

Public Comment: An Aldrin parents asked the district to reconsider staffing changes that would move some Aldrin teachers to other schools.

Freedom of Information Act Requests: There have been four requests since the last meeting related to paving work, the Churchill playground and school equipment and furniture.

Consent Agenda: The School Board approved the following items on the Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on May 5, 2011
• Checks dated May 6, 2011
• Resignations, leaves and employment of personnel
• Re-employment of one employee who received a dismissal notice
• Monthly update of revenues and expenditures
• Treasurer’s Report on Cash and Investments for February 2011
• A contract for the purchase and installation of audio/visual projection systems for third- and fourth-grade classrooms.
• A contract for power installation of the projection systems described above.
• The purchase of computers, networking equipment and support, and 911 ENABLE, an e911 solution to enhance our emergency response.
• The 2011-12 workers’ compensation insurance policy from United Heartland Insurance Company.
• Summer writing projects from the Department of Student Learning
• A request for the Illinois Department of Transportation to approve of the list of areas in District 54 that qualify for free busing based on safety hazards
• The appointment of Board Vice President Charlotte Kegarise to serve as the Illinois Association of School Boards Governing Board representative for District 54 until the spring of 2013.
• The destruction of verbatim records of the closed-session school board meeting on Nov. 5, 2009, for which approved minutes already exist.

Reports:

• Superintendent’s Report: Ed Rafferty announced that Hoover received an $8,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to install solar panels. He also thanked the staff for their work with the final round of MAP testing and the mosaic now hanging in the lobby of the District Office. More than 14,000 students took part in creating the mosaic.
• Report of the President: Teresa Huber thanked Karen Strykowski for serving as board president the past two years.
• District Citizens’ Advisory Committee Report: Barbara Hengels reported that DCAC received an update on new technology and art, music and PE enrichment activities planned for next year.
• Illinois Association of School Boards Report: Vice President Charlotte Kegarise is nominated for vice chair of the North Cook Division of the Illinois Association of School Boards.
• Foundation Report: Bill Harper announced the golf outing would be June 13. The Foundation is seeking golfers, sponsors and donors. More information can be found at www.d54foundation.com.
• PTA Report: PTA Council President Lisa Guagenti announced that the PTA awarded 12 high school and 53 elementary scholarships in May.

New Business:

• The Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Schaumburg regarding the School Resource Officer for the 2011-12 school year.
• The Board approved the purchase of BoardDocs Pro, an electronic board document management system and service.
• The Board approved the appointment of representatives to the District Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the 2011-12 school year.

Announcements:

• Board Secretary Karen Strykowski thanked MacArthur School for inviting her to attend the Spanish School of the Year Award ceremony; praised the students in the first District 54 math competition; and applauded the Young Athletes/Partners Club Track Meet held today.
• Board Vice President Charlotte Kegarise sung the praises of the Lincoln Prairie Musical Willy Wonka.
• Board Member Barbara Hengels congratulated the retirees and graduates.
• Board Member Mary Kay Prusnick said she was impressed with Spanish speech competition at MacArthur School, as well as the tour that Blackwell School provided to visitors from Germany.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 8:20 p.m. to closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body; and litigation that is pending, probably or imminent.

Minutes from the April 28, 2011 Board Meeting

Please click here to view the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting on April 28, 2011

Board Brief for May 5, 2011

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.

Discussion – Mathematics Performance Overview

Math Director Jim Vreeland shared an overview of the District 54 math program and student performance. Prior to the 2007-08 school year, schools used a variety of publisher created math programs. At the start of the 2007-08 year, the district implemented a comprehensive kindergarten through sixth grade math curriculum. Since the adoption of Everyday Mathematics, District 54 has observed steady increases in student achievement as measured by the Illinois Standards Achievement Test 

Due to the increased number of students performing at higher academic levels, District 54 implemented an accelerated math sequence for identified fifth- and sixth-grade students, called Pre-Transition and Transition Mathematics.

At the junior high level, District 54 implemented an algebraically based curriculum for every student (Algebra for All). Since the implementation of Algebra for All, the number of students identified by District 211 for remedial freshman math has declined from 302 students in 2008 to 258 students in 2010.

For the 2011-12 school year, a Mathematics Academy will be introduced to continue to support staff with the implementation of a balanced instructional model for math. The academy will include weekly sessions focused on planning math instruction, problem solving and open-ended questioning techniques, differentiating curriculum in a small group setting and using assessment to measure student learning.

Public Comment:  No one asked to speak.

Freedom of Information Act Requests:  There have been seven requests since the last meeting related to the Churchill playground renovation, paving work, wall-mounted tables and benches, interior renovations and summer moving projects.

Consent Agenda: The School Board approved the following items on the Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on April 28, 2011
• Checks dated April 22, 2011
• Employment of personnel
• Re-employment of 16 employees who had received dismissal notices
• A contract to Nicholas & Associations for improvements at Dooley School
• The purchase of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment software from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).

New Business:

• The Board had the first reading of revisions to Policy BHBA – Board Conferences, Conventions and Workshops.

Announcements:

• Board members visited Frost this week to meet with U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam and were impressed with the civics lesson he gave.
• Board members praised the PTA Scholarship Recognition Dinner held last night and congratulated the students who received scholarships as well as the new PTA officers who were installed.
• Board Member Bill Harper reminded everyone to sign up to golf, sponsor or volunteer at the Foundation’s golf outing on June 13.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 7:55 p.m. to closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body.

Minutes from the April 7, 2011 Board Meeting

Please click here to view the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting on April 7, 2011