Okay. Good afternoon everyone. I'd like to call this February 4th, 2025, uh, meeting of the special programs and centers committee meeting to order. Uh, my name is Dr. Rashid and I'm the chair of this committee, and we appreciate your presence here today. The purpose of today's meeting is to, uh, discuss the Academy of Global and Linguistic Studies, uh, update and a proposal, and the specialized programs update. So before we proceed, uh, we value public input.
So if there's anyone from the public that would like to, uh, say something, they, they, they can, let's just fill out a speaker card, um, at the registration table, and I'm not sure if anybody signed up for public comment. Okay. And we will move forward and, Okay. All right. So first off and foremost, we need to approve the minutes from our last meeting. Um, has everyone had a chance to review the minutes and are there any corrections or additions?
And if there's no objections or corrections, I entertain a motion to approve the minutes from December 3rd, 2024. Yes, Ms. LaBelle, I move that we approve the minutes from December 3rd, 2024. I'm so moved. And all those, I, I second obviously. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Say nay. So the minutes are approved. Uh, let's begin by reviewing the agenda, which is very brief
and kind of what I mentioned before. Um, we're again, uh, talking about two information items, which is the Academy of Global and Linguistic Studies Update and Proposal, and the special programs update. Are there any adjustments or additions to the agenda? Go ahead and raise your hand and state your proposed change. Any Ms. LaBelle? Nope. No. Okay. I put hands stand. Okay. Alright. Alright, so we will move on to our agenda item. The first item is the Academy of Global and Linguistic Studies Update and Proposal. I'll turn it over to Mr. Slevin to present.
Thank you, Dr. Rashid. I'm happy to have the team here to do most of the presentation today. I would like to note, though, that this item is an information item for this committee meeting. Um, we did present this earlier in the school year to the special programs committee to get some initial feedback and thinking from the committee. Um, but at this point, as you know, it is proposed in the superintendent's estimate of needs to support a planning year for this academy. And so in order to prepare for that planning year,
we need a approved proposal from the board. Um, so we would like to get your input and feedback on the proposal as it is now. Uh, we would bring it back in our, at our March special programs meeting as an action item, and then it would go to the full board for, um, an information item and then ultimately action, um, for approval prior to the end of this school year. So with that, I'm gonna turn it over to, um, Ms. Clark, our Director of Academic Programs. Thanks Mr. Slevin.
And as he stated, um, our updated proposal is, um, the full proposal is in board docs for you to review. Um, but just wanna kind of review some of the information that we shared with you, I think back in November. So the Academy of Global and Linguistic Studies will provide an opportunity for students to become globally minded problem solvers through meaningful engagement in the sphere of the international relations and high need languages to tackle current
and future global challenges within an academic framework. Can you go to the next slide? Thank you. The program will offer two career focused pathways with a paired language with the potential for expansion to other languages. So as you can see there, we'll have a global leadership pathway with Arabic partial immersion and the global business pathway with Chinese partial immersion. Both pathways will focus on language proficiency,
cultural competence, global problem solving skills, and academic excellence. The academy, um, will be housed in LCPS at one host site, and we will do that. Um, once we get approval, we would pick that like we have any of our other programs through a process, um, for that host. So here you'll see, um, some data, the top chart. Um, while there are several special program options in high school for students pursuing careers in stem, opportunities
for students pursuing careers in the humanities are currently limited in 2022, the LCPS curriculum and Instruction Committee wanted to determine student and parent interest and preferences and language offered in LCPS, Arabic and Japanese were among the top choices. Currently, Arabic is not offered in LCPS and Chinese is only offered at two of our high schools. The National Security Language Initiative has identified
Arabic and Chinese as two of the most important languages for government and military work. The bottom chart in 2022 families were surveyed on potential special programs that LCPS could offer in the future. While an International Global Studies special program was not on the list of possibilities, a civic leadership academy was listed as a potential program and gained significant interest.
And now I'm gonna turn it over to Kelly, um, James, our World Cultures um, specialist. Thank you. Um, so as we look to expand our world language course offerings through the Academy of Global and Linguistic Studies, this chart shows a comparison of neighboring districts and districts of similar size and the world languages that are available to students in person at both the middle and the high school level. The languages that are in bold and red are the languages that are less commonly taught in LCPS.
As a reminder, uh, Chinese is offered at two schools, and we currently have three or four sections of Russian at one school. So looking into what makes this program unique, um, one of the big pieces because one of the pathways is preparing students for global leadership for work in State Department Homeland Security, really that proximity to DC is an ideal location that allows us access to resources and lots of opportunities for these students. Um, as Ms. James just highlighted the expansion
of national security languages. So focusing on those critical language skills for national security. And we did a lot of research of other programs across the state and really across the country prior to and in the process of writing this proposal. And one thing that really sets this one apart is that it's career focused. Um, other programs in neighboring districts and across the state tend to focus more on global leadership, uh, global citizenship. And this really is focused in on getting students into careers in, like I said, state Department, homeland security, those types of roles and
or global business. Um, it's also relatively cost effective. It does not require any specialized equipment or anything of that sort. Um, and really I think it's a pioneering initiative. Um, as I mentioned, we did an extensive research. There is not really anything like this, definitely nothing like it in the state. And something similar, maybe in some ways in Newark, New Jersey. We did visit a school. Um, however, some of the things that we're bringing that will make this unique is the interdisciplinary nature.
We've talked with the English supervisor about how Cortex will reflect the cultures of the area students are studying, and how science courses may reflect case studies from the areas they're studying. So it really is that interdisciplinary approach. And also the fact that it's building on existing programs like the Loudoun International Summit that really could make Loudoun a leader in all of this. I'm gonna pass it to Ms. James, who also has reached, uh, heard from our national intelligence community as well as local businesses.
So, um, we received a lot of positive feedback and support from a chief member of the language group and the National Intelligence Agency who said that it would clearly be an outstanding program that would definitely build the language skills, regional knowledge and domain specific expertise that we need for our national security workforce and for our business and financial communities. Uh, we also received a letter of support from the executive director of Loudoun Economic Development, who confirmed both the need and opportunity for a program like this situated here in Loudoun, home of Dice International Airport
and the international business community within 30 miles of dc Um, international business is a cornerstone of Loudoun business community attracting more than 122 top international companies seeking entry into the US market and creating more than 4,000 jobs. We also gathered feedback from our teachers, teacher leaders, and principals. And really, uh, things they highlighted was the increasing interest in courses that they're seeing, like comparative government that focuses on, or international relations, as well as clubs
with a global focus, like Global Ambassadors Model un. Um, they highlighted that this compliments existing educational initiatives while also providing students unique pathways tailored to their interests and aspirations. It offers options for advanced programs in humanities. As Ms. Clark already highlighted, there aren't a lot of options for students looking to pursue something in the humanities. And it really, uh, highlighted the opportunity, all the opportunities with our proximity to Washington dc.
So our goal would be to empower students to become global citizens and effective problem solvers by providing immersive educational experiences in international relations. Um, fostering that multilingual proficiency, developing more cultural understanding, and then a technological adeptness to address contemporary global challenges. And the Academy of Global Linguistic Studies will focus on the objectives of language proficiency, cultural competence, global problem solving skills, and interdisciplinary academic excellence. We know that language learning, uh, leads
to cross-cultural understanding and the ability to communicate and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, as well as the confidence to engage in global communities and take part in a global economy and international workforce that is becoming increasingly culturally diverse. So on the screen here, you'll see our timeline. So right now we are in the 24 25 program and budget approval stage.
If we get the proposal approved and the funding allotted, then we would move into the 25 26 planning year where we would do program recruitment, enrollment, stop hiring and training. And then our first cohort of students would be starting in the 26th, 27 in the ninth grade with a hundred students, um, at that host school. And then in the 27, 28, again, would be that year two, where we would have ninth and 10th graders. And as you can see, we would continue to build out
that program through the 12th grade. So I want to spend a little more time talking about what these pathways would entail. Um, pathway one, the global leadership pathway. Students would have partial immersion in Arabic, so 25% of their school day would be in that language. And then as they progress, um, they're going to be getting advanced coursework in international relations. Conflict and cooperation. Um, we will provide students opportunities. The school culture will have embedded opportunities
for other exchanges and activities that might promote, um, a better understanding of those cultures. And really the goal for this track is to prepare students for jobs in national security, state department, international organizations. The other pathway, the global business pathway, would have that partial immersion. Chinese. Chinese for 25% of their day with their advanced courses in junior and senior year, focusing on, um, dual enrollment economics and entrepreneurship. Looking at jobs in global companies, multinational corporations, et cetera, with the similar opportunities open to them, um,
where there are opportunities for internships and exchanges, et cetera. So just as an estimated budget, um, at the one school location, you can see here in overview and the next slide, we're gonna see a more in depth, um, view of the budget, but it would take five years for full implementation to get that planning. Plus the four years of students through the cohort. Um, student enrollment would be 400 students in that program, a hundred per grade level. You can see the cost there. And then the total FTEs, um, part of
that cost would be the four positions, which would be a one coordinator, one content specialist, and two FTEs, um, to support that program. Here's the more in depth look of the budget items across the year. So you can see what we're asking for in this current budget cycle would just be that really that coordinator position with a little bit of curriculum and professional development funds to just get that planning year up and running. And then you can see, um, across FY 27, 28, 29, what,
what those additional costs would be. And then finally, really what this is about is expanding opportunities. Um, the Loudoun International Summit was very much a grassroots, uh, I myself was a sponsor when I was in the classroom, um, for the summit where we were bringing in students from all over the world, um, to engage in real conversations about the UN sustainable development goals and how they can have an impact in their community.
Um, so this would allow for an expansion of that and, um, coordinators and specialists and, and a school that this is one of their focuses. Um, the specialists, the global education specialists would be able to promote global education across schools. Um, right now we do have teachers that do exchanges, but expanding those opportunities, um, internships, field trips, um, like I said, we have a a, a wealth of resources in DC that would provide opportunities for our students, um, and also curriculum enrichment to ensure we're keeping that lens in our curriculum.
And that concludes our presentation. We'd be happy to answer any questions you might have at this time. Thank you so much for this, um, for this presentation. Very well thought out and very detailed. Uh, I'd like to open the floor for discussion. So members of the committee, do you have any questions or comments? Yes, Ms. LaBelle? Yes. I was wondering, you're going to have both of these programs in the same school
or two different schools? I know you have the, the, uh, global leadership and then the global business. So they would be two pathways in one school. So yes. Is that what you refer to host site on one of the slides. Okay. And what determines which school? School? Is it a survey that we, we look at? We look at demand. Great question. So we have a process in place for that. So we will, once we get approval,
we will hold an information session for all of our high school principals to attend and learn more about the program to see if they think this is a good fit. Um, but there's a lot of criteria that goes into it. We look, um, they have to fill out a survey that they're interested with some questions of why this would be, um, good for their school. But then we also, um, pull together a committee that reviews the interest from the principal. 'cause we want the leadership on board to support the program to make sure it thrives. And then we'll also look at location transportation.
Um, is it, you know, where is it located? And then also, um, capacity at that building. As you know, some of our schools, um, have more capacity, um, than others at this time. So we would look at all of those components in making a determination for that host site for the program. Thank you. And then I noticed the two differences in the slide. There was one slide with red bold in it, and then there was another slide before that that had asterisk as to the parents' demand versus the students' request.
The one that had the red bold in it. What was that again? It was something about, uh, the most common, those Are, it are less commonly taught languages. The next slide, um, that has the comparison. Those are our, the languages. So at most schools we have, uh, French, German, Latin, and Spanish. So the bolded, uh, languages are the languages that are not, that is common. So American sign language in high school, that that is common. That's what you're saying? Chinese, Russian, that's all Common. A SL is not in LA in Laden is not as common of a language
that we have, which is why it's bolded Is not, is not a common language. Correct. Okay. Yes. Okay. It's interesting how, you know, everything centers around Washington DC We say that a lot and that's, I mean, beneficial to us. Why not take advantage of it. Any final thoughts or comments on this? Can I make one follow up comment? Yes, please. So in, in regard to a SL specifically, because that is a topic of interest to our community and the board, um, I think I would use the word specialized
in terms of languages, um, due to the, uh, due to our ability to offer the course based on, um, finding appropriate staff and, um, to meet the demand. And so, um, I'm not correcting Kelly, but when I think about a SL is the specialization versus like our Spanish and, and French, um, or some of our more traditional languages. So, um, I think we would, that is why, um,
in the budget we're proposing a different approach for a SL this year. Like, can we somehow take a regional approach to offer some of these languages and grow? Um, we, so we just need to start, I think, thinking as a county a little bit differently to how we're offering courses and, and these languages would definitely fit into that model, if that makes sense. Thank you Mr. Lov. Alright, any final thoughts or comments on the agenda item? On this agenda item? Alright, we'll move on to our next one,
our next item, which is special special programs update. And I'll turn it over to Mrs. To present. Thank you Dr. Rasheed. Ms. Clark is going to, um, take the lead on this presentation, um, as well to provide you an update on a number of items related to special programs.
All right, thanks Mr. Slevin. So today we'll provide a, a brief overview of the admissions timelines for our special programs, share some details about the IB stipend positions that we have in place, highlight the outstanding work being done in the HAMEY program and discuss the potential need, um, for a possible new survey.
Can you move forward? Thanks. One more. So, um, up first we'll provide a brief reminder about our current emissions timeline for special programs. So as you can see here, um, our a ET and a OS, that deadline was back in October and the enrollment window will be in March. Um, we've aligned, um, those programs so that all of them will be in that March timeframe, as you can see here for our, um, high school programs.
So advanced A ET and maa, that one is still currently open and we'll close on February 10th again, um, students will find out, um, in that March to August timeframe for enrollment, our health and medical science, our International baccalaureate and our Navy Junior, um, ROTC program that closed on January 31st. And that enrollment window is March through August. I do just wanna point out our SAI and IB does remain open. Um, we pool for the lottery on that January 31st date.
Um, but we do leave that open. Um, just so there's no confusion here. I just wanna clarify that, um, those students that added after January 31st will be added to the wait list of the lottery by date and time. Um, so just wanted to point that out. Our dual language immersion is actively, um, students are enrolling for that, um, for registering for kindergarten and enrolling that will be open until March 21st for kindergarten and first grade wait lists and, um, offers.
And we will be doing those enrollments from April through August. Mm-hmm. Now I'll transition to talk about our IB stipends for international, um, baccalaureate. As part of the IB diploma program, students have to take courses in the six subject groups, and they also have to complete the core. The three core components are the theory of knowledge
in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know. They also have to do something called the extended essay, which is an independent self-directed piece of research, um, that ends with a 4,000 word paper. And then lastly, they have their creativity, activity, and service in which students undertake and engage in activities related to each of the three strands. So these stipend positions for the IB program are crucial
to ensuring the program's success and sustainability. Each of these stipend positions plays a vital role in guiding students through the demanding requirements of the full IB diploma program, including those three, um, pieces of the core. The stipends recognize the dedication and expertise required to fulfill these roles effectively, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the program. And the students it serves.
These three stipend positions have weekly afterschool meetings for their particular area multiple times a week. They have face-to-face time with students to hold progress checks and ensuring the students are meeting the necessary requirements and the de they design and maintain, um, the handbooks for each of those. So each core has a handbook as well. So specifically the TOK, the theory of knowledge stipend responsibilities include,
but are not limited to collaborating with DP teachers to integrate TOK across the school, preparing students for presentations and essays and ensuring assessments are properly uploaded with all necessary paperwork, um, completed. Additionally, the role involves facilitating professional development for teachers, chairing and managing TOK team members and promoting tolerance understanding and international mindedness, encouraging community participation in TOK lessons, staying up,
updated on TOK developments and curriculum changes and working collaboratively with the CAS and EE coordinators to implement CAS and EE within TOK content, um, are also some of the key responsibilities. The extended essay stipend, um, responsibilities, again are some of some of these. And not limited to ensuring students select an EE subject taught at the school and assigning appropriate supervisors.
The role involves introducing, explaining, and supporting the reflection process, providing both general and subject specific EE guidelines to supervisors and students, and completing, signing and submitting the reflection, planning and progress form. Additionally, the responsibilities include providing EE exemplars, ensuring fam familiarity with IB academic honesty requirements, coordinating three mandatory reflection sessions with students and verifying
and confirming the authenticity of a final essay before the final reflection session. And the last one is our creativity, activity and service stipend. And again, these are just some of the responsibilities, but not limited to implementing the cast objectives. According to the cast guide, aligning cast activities with the school and IB philosophy and communicating CAS matters with parents, students, and staff.
The role also involves monitoring and maintaining records of ca activities, facilitating cast related professional development, teaching ca lessons on the stages of service learning, providing quality reflection, exemplars, and ensuring student community interactions at all stages of the service project. And then next, just wanted to share some examples of what those creativity, activity, and service projects could be. So as you can see here, for creativity, um,
they could design and paint a mural in a public space, um, for activity. They could organize a school-wide fitness challenge with various events. And then for service, they could plan and execute a community garden to promote sustainable living. Um, those are just a few, there's some more listed there. Um, and so just wanted to share some examples of what those projects are gonna look like for those ib, the full IB diploma candidates.
And next I would like to, um, have Vandana Sharma, our health and Medical Science coordinator, um, just share a quick spotlight from that program. Yes, Ms. LaBelle was wondering if we could ask questions on the IV program before we move on to the next one so they don't get forgotten or lost. Absolutely. Okay, thank you. Um, when I look at this, the cast, do they have to do one of each?
The, um, creativity, the creativity, the activity and the service project? Do they select one or two of them or do they do all three? Yes, they have to do all three. And when I look back at, I guess it was the one we had before it, with the, um, signing up for the a OL, did you find that there were more students signing up this year in the, uh, I know you're not finished yet,
but in the, um, ADA program, did that seem to open up more this year? We have some initial numbers, but the, the process is still Ongoing. Yeah, that process closes on February 10th. But yes, we have, um, significant interest in our, in our programs, all of our programs. Okay, thank you. So, and I can share, um, I don't know if I have Matt written down. So
You have 26 40 Oh yeah, I have 2000. This was as of yesterday approximately 2,640 students for Mada. For madada. But again, that one is still, the window is still open. Yeah, That's Great level. Okay, thank you very much. Those are a couple of the questions that I had My, But in comparison to, like at this time last year, just 'cause we know how like things have changed when it came to lottery, is that, if, you know, is that, um, higher than what we had proportionally at this time last year
for the meta folks or the meta applicants? I believe it's slightly higher, but, um, I would definitely wanna confirm that. But yeah, I was Very curious and I'm excited to to know. Absolutely. Awesome. And then what did DP stand? It was in dual DP stands for the diploma program. Diploma program. So there are four programs that IB offers. They offer the, um, PYP at the elementary, the MYP at the middle years, and the dp, which is the diploma program that is the program we're authorized.
And the last program they offer that we could consider is the career program. It's the CP program, so diploma program. And then also with the volunteer you had mentioned as the services. Can they start that any time in the four years They're in high school in the IB program. So that really starts the DP program, um, truly starts in 11th and 12th grade. So that is when that, um, kicks in is 11th grade. But does it, let's say like a freshman in in the IB program or a sophomore would like to just volunteer in any of these things at the, under the service title.
Could they do that? Um, let's say they did that in 10th grade, could that count towards their final, uh, uh, IB diploma, so to say? Um, I'm not sure, but I can find out and get back to you. Yeah, Sorry, this is very Specific. I was just curious. Um, but the DP is specifically for 11th and 12th. Um, so I, I believe it has to happen within that, but they absolutely, um, as a school try to engage all the students and get them to participate. Um, but I can find that answer out and get back To you. Yeah, no problem. Thank you so much. Mm-hmm.
And while we're on, while we're on ib, I do wanna take advantage of, um, speaking directly to these stipends since it was an interest of the board at the budget session last week. Um, one of the things that we, uh, had the opportunity to do when we were developing our IB programs is to work with the, um, international Baccalaureate. And early in the process we had some advising about how to support support programs. Um, and it's common that these three particular topics are supported in some form or fashion in IB programs across the country and the world.
Um, and so when requesting a stipend in the budget process, um, staff such as Ms. Clark are responsible for kind of listing out what those job responsibilities are, the number of hours, um, that we anticipate them working every week outside of their regular workday. 'cause these are just teachers at Valley and Heritage that are receiving these stipends. And based on that number that there's a process that's used to determine the amount. Um, these stipends were actually,
if you recall in the presentation, there was an asterisk that said FY 25. There were actually the budget, um, for the stipends were, was approved last year, but the actual job descriptions weren't finalized. That's why they're showing up this year with that process. So hopefully that helps a little bit of understanding of how we came to that, um, role and description of what they do. Yes, Ms. Bel. So I'm trying to understand how many teachers do we have teaching, uh,
IB in each school are, is there one or a core like of three that teach everything they need? And one of them would get the, the stipend. How would that work? So we have, um, teachers in subject areas across, um, almost all subject areas that teach ib. So it's not just a couple teachers. Um, the school selected their cast stipend, ee stipend. And so the coordinators worked with their school staff
to identify those positions and then they submitted those names. Um, so those are teachers again that are also most likely teaching ib, but these are extra responsibilities outside of, um, their contract day. It's one teacher per stipend at each school so that multiple, multiple teachers aren't getting the stipend. No, that wasn't my question. Okay. I just wondered if it was one teacher and a stipend, and I'm thinking, wait a minute, how many do we have? So that clears it up. Thank you very much.
Well, while Mr. Slevin is pulling it up, thank you so much for, uh, spotlighting sci tonight.
I am so excited. I'm really proud to be part of this fantastic opportunity for our students. Um, at hsci we focus on providing students with hands-on, um, real world learning experiences that develop critical skills while exposing them to exciting careers in healthcare. For example, our students this year have participated in labs like DNA fingerprinting and toxicology. These activities not only hone uh, their analytical skills,
but also encourage them to think about the ethical and scientific complexities of solving real world problems. Through these labs, our students engage in dis discussions about the ethical implications of DNA analysis and the interpretation of toxicology reports, preparing them to tackle complex scenarios. Career exploration is at the heart of ham side. Uh, from the moment our students join, they learn about wide range of careers in biomedical science.
These include familiar roles like medical examiners, as well as less conventional paths like data scientists and contact tracers. Uh, to expand on this, um, to expand our and expose our students to multiple career pathways, we've partnered with Inova to host a guest speaker series. Through this series, students will hear from professionals in radiology, imaging, respiratory therapy, medical lab services, and diagnostic imaging.
These small group sessions are designed to provide insight into their daily work career journeys and motivations. Students, uh, will also hear about logistics, uh, like training requirements and salary expectations. Uh, we are excited to help our students connect classroom learning with real world opportunities. And if you'd like to learn a little bit more about our guest speaker series, that QR code will take you to our flyer. And, uh, I want to thank you for this opportunity today.
Are there any questions about ham side before we move on? Just a comment. It would be nice maybe one day for ham side to have CPR, uh, just for their students, but that's just a thought. But I, you know, we, I don't have a question. So with staff received that feedback and we talked about CPR, I believe in CNI. Um, so we're happy to, uh, come back
with an update on that in the future. All right. So next we just wanted to talk, um, about special programs and academies and potential, um, new survey if this committee feels necessary. So just to kind of remind you, back in March of 2022, um, there was a survey, so it's been almost three years coming up since we last surveyed our community about what programs and academies they might be interested in.
So our question for you this afternoon is, does this committee, are you guys interested in conducting a new survey for both students and parents and guardians? Um, and there's a potential timeline there if we wanna discuss that, of potential bringing back a draft to you, um, to get feedback in April and then potentially delivering that survey in May. If I could ask, and just for clarification for the committee, um, this survey would be specifically
for all the programs or anything specific, just so that the, just so that we, that we all know here Is that Yeah, that's the only, So Dr. She, the previous survey included some topics, um, some specific ideas for academies, um, and we also left it open-ended
for just general ideas and input. And so the intent would be to, um, include existing ideas that are in development or have been put on the table. Um, and some specific, some more broad, but we would want input from the committee, um, from you all in terms of where, what you would like to be included. That's why we'd like to come back like a draft survey to make sure it's meeting your needs as a committee. Um, one of the things we're, we're hearing from this committee is thinking about the
future and having, um, some, some data on what our community is looking for, um, would, would help us as we make future recommendations for special programs and pathways. So I think, I think we have a lot of options where we could go. That's why we wanted to kind of take our time to make sure we get a little bit of, put some ideas on paper and then get some input from you all before we move forward with the survey if it's something you all feel like you need as a committee. So,
um, yeah, my thoughts are, you know, since it's a little bit dated and I think someone had mentioned before that normally, uh, surveys are conducted, I'd say three years, I think, uh, and in this case it has been a little bit of a while and there's been quite a lot of changes since 2022, especially since the pandemic. Um, so yeah, I'm definitely in favor of conducting the new surveys. I just wanted to hear input from my colleagues here.
Uh, yes, mrr, Uh, thank you very much. Uh, I agree. I think it, it would be a really good idea to see what a survey could look like to the community. Um, at this stage. Um, I am also very curious about our CTE office and what they have and how that would maybe that, that could align. I know that, um, special programs are different from CTE and more comprehensive, but, um, I'd just like to understand how the two would coincide.
Thank you, Mr. Streff. Any anyone else before we move further? Ms. Abel? No, I'd like to say thank you. I think a survey would, would actually be wonderful to have. There's been some, um, changes in career pathways availability, different kinds of careers coming up, little deviations from what the, the general road might be. And I think the survey would be very helpful in identifying the community interest in those pathways.
Thank you. I, I would say, um, to Mr. Raffe, we are planning on bringing, um, a CTE update in, in the near future to this committee in terms of the work Dr. Grubbs is doing with C TAC related to a five year plan. Where are some, where are some initial steps for initial steps we wanna take for program expansion or reviewing what we currently have? Um, and so the timing may work out that there may be an opportunity to
see some, seek some alignment there. So we will definitely take that reflection and think about our approach to this as we come back to the committee with options. Because you have a question? No, but can I answer the Matta question from earlier? I pulled up the data please. From last year. Yeah, please. That's in board docs from our presentation in November. So last year in 2024, we had 2,239 applicants. Um, that was the total number for Matta.
And as we sit right now, um, as of yesterday it was 2,640. So, um, again, we do not close that until February 10th. Just wanted to provide that while We're here. Thank you so much. It's just reassuring to see that it has gone up. Um, I just wanted to ask one question from the global linguistics, uh, presentation. I forgot to ask. Uh, there was a a, a brief mention about bus transportation.
Would there be a, a heightened need, a more of a need for bus transportation wherever the host site would be, uh, for such an offering? I'm just curious. So it'd be like any of our other special programs, um, for students outside that zone. They would need to get to a hub stop location to take a bus to that host site. Um, so same thing as our IB or Hams, I and JOTC, um, all of those programs. So they would need to get to that to be able to get to that,
that host site. So, um, yes, there would be some additional transportation costs, but similar to any other special program. Thank you so much. And I just wanted to point that out to my colleagues, like just, you know, this is what we were talking about, like when it comes to these little bits and pieces of, of transportation, I know it, it doesn't surmount like such a large amount of buses, but in the end of the day it is important to consider. 'cause as we're coming up with more and more special programs, maybe we're gonna need more and more, more
and more smaller bits of, uh, bus transportation, even if they have to go to a hub school. So it's just something to consider. Thank you so much. Do you have any questions or comments about this item? I, I dunno if you guys were done with the presentation. Okay. So if there's any questions or comments about this last item before we kind of close. Alright, fair enough. Um, okay. So our next meeting is scheduled for take out your calendars. This is the big moment, right? March 4th at three 30.
Um, March 4th, 2025. That's our next meeting. So mark your calendars and if there's no further business, I entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting. Okay. Or second? Second. Second. Okay. And those in favor of adjourning the move a meeting say aye. Aye. Aye. Okay. Those in favor say nay. Thank you for coming out.