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the committee to order. The committee would like to welcome the audience. Viewers may watch live board committee meetings online at tcaps.net/board. Recorded meetings may also be viewed on demand at the same address. The committee has set aside
this time for public comment. Kelly, do we have public comment? Yes, we do. Uh first one is Gail Lampine if I apologize or and uh topic indigenous ad. Great. Um so individuals addressing
the board shall have one opportunity to speak during public comment and shall be limited to three minutes each. Individuals should not make personal attacks unrelated to actions affecting the school system. We strongly encourage common courtesy and constructive
feedback. Detailed rules and procedures including a complaint process are outlined in board policy 25004. My name is Gail Land here and I'm here as um an interested citizen but also a member
pard okay of uh the Presbyterian Church racial justice working group and we worked with Hollyird uh a lot on different issues in particular one
particular issue was the um and I hope I'm going to pronounce this right, Mandon um resource manual which was written by five Anisha women um and it has been out
there with blessings from the state department of education um since 2022. So I'm here to learn more about the process of the curriculum um committee here and and also um we have
talked to um staff people uh at TCAP. So um in in Holl's memory and because we all want on our committee and hopefully thousands of others want everyone to
have a view of the true history of the indigenous people of this area. So, thank you so much for the work you do and I look forward to learning more. Next is Sophia
Hog. Topic is credit hours. Hi, I'm Sophia Hogue. I'm a student at um West Senior High and I'm just a little concerned with credit hours. So, I have I have already completed all my four math credits. I I took CEBC BC this
year and I will be earning credit for that, but I am aware that as a junior I there is a half a credit I have to take, but I guess I'm just wondering why that would be necessary when I've already gone above and beyond for math credit hours. And I know there are a couple
other students in my situation who may be who may have taken the AP calculus class, but they may not be able to earn credit for to continue on to calc 3 at NMC. So they may not want to take an additional math class like AP statistics
or personal finance. Thank you. Thank you. Um, with that we can move on to our procedural items. First up are our draft committee meeting minutes from April 29th. Are there any changes to the
draft meeting minutes? Okay, then hearing no changes. The minutes will remain as posted and we can move on to our TCAPS district course catalog for what remains of this school year 2024 and 2025. Miss O Hotton. Yep.
We have no new courses that we've added this month. So, it's just a standing memo and placeholder for that. Okay. Then we'll we'll keep that on consent agenda for the next full board meeting. And moving on toformational items, we have our monthly board curriculum
learning series. So, I will defer to our chief academic officers. Yeah. Great. So, we have two topics today we want to talk to you uh about and share some work we've done. Our first topic is our professional development for our teaching staff for
next year. And we have two guests with us here. Two of our great teachers. Chandra Fles who is not only an elementary teacher for the district, she also serves as the president for our TCEA union and Ben Zenner who teaches up at West Senior High and I think is the
No, you're not the vice president. You're the almost the vice president. Um, and so we work with um, these guys and some of our other teacher leaders and principles as we develop our professional development. So, we wanted to bring them here um, thinking that you guys might have questions for them about
what's important for our teachers when they have their professional development and how are we meeting their needs and what other things could we be doing as a district, too. So, we'll start with a little bit of just an overview um, as we sit down and think about our professional development plans. Dan and
I, you know, we're former teachers, so we always think about end in mind, right? What do we want at the end of the year for our teachers to feel like they've had some focus time to grow and develop? Um, how is that related to best practice about teaching and learning? Um, lots of research out there. And how
is it, and Dan and I have talked a lot about staying narrow and focused? Um, and trying to not put a whole board of lots of options that sometimes means nothing really gets movement and traction. um but how do we really stay coherent and focused on something that
we know connects to the work our teachers um are already doing. So days available you'll see there it's sort of that's throughout the calendar it within their contract they have uh time that's developed for professional development. The state does require us to provide at
least 30 hours of what we call DPPD um development hours which we go a little bit above and beyond that as a district. We also have some required training through um like a bloodborne pathogens and some seclusion and restraints are some of those requirements that our staff has to have
as well in addition to instructional um development too. Yeah. And I think our goal here is you know just as far as available time is is that this is within the school day. Um we find that professional development after school is is taxing. It's hard
after teaching a full day to come in and ask for more. Uh so to try to get as much as this within the school day as possible, which I think we've done, I think is important. Yeah. And so and I sort of briefly touched on these six here. This is sort
of what we're looking for when we start to roll out our plan and um work with our different groups to to prioritize um our time together. Um I I you know that number six is sort of like it has to be in there right it's not everyone's favorite but we want to make sure that
we are hitting the compliance that we have to for the state. Yeah. Are those u mandatory trainings like the bloodborne pathogens are those annual? They are annual trainings. Yep. So how many of those are there how much time do they kick up? I think it's it's up to six
hours now. So what we've done is um we've taken our early release days um I believe we have nine of those and um five of those are used for PLC's and then the remaining of those uh can fulfill those hours of those uh those
trainings. Okay. And then this next slide here just gives you a little bit more detail as to how that time breaks out and what some of those focuses look like. Um the one biggest difference we have between secondary and elementary is and it's
based on the number of conferences they have with parents, which sounds like a strange thing, but that's another variable in there. Um is that our secondary staff have two meetings per month with their building and our elementary staff have one meeting per month after school.
Yeah. So, I I had previewed the slides, so um thank you very much for sharing those with us in advance. I just have a question about the process that you all use to get here because it sounds like, you know, you've really taken a thoughtful approach with evaluating what
you've done in the past and then getting the input of of teachers this year. So, I wondered if you could just give us a little bit more background and context of what were we doing, you know, in the years up until now. How will next year be different time-wise? I would I would say it's similar
timewise. Dan, you can jump in. Well, I think that the biggest difference is I mean there's a lot of differences, but I think first of all getting that teacher work time on August 26th in my mind and speak also because I've sat through this is year 28 in TCAPS, so I've been
through several August dates, right? as far as um really great PD and PD that wasn't so great. And so obviously that experience helps build it. But I know as a teacher or even as administrator, right, when you start off that first day with PD and we used to do in previous
years we had a half day Monday paid, Tuesday, Wednesday with professional development and then Thursday was the teacher workday. So in your mind, then we have open houses happening in elementary even before the teacher workday. So you're sitting there in PD um you know stressing somewhat about you
know classroom stuff everything you got to do getting ready for open houses and then that Thursday is your open house and then I mean the Thursday is your your uh your work day. So just kind of it started I think with calendar right once we started to look at the calendar
kind of removed that Monday out there um and then rebuilt how those that week in August works was kind of what was the was the start. Yeah. And so the orange font is all district level professional development.
So you'll see like that falls on that um that Wednesday and then we kind of hit we hit again during that RSDD which is our November 4th day and then you see it secondary. They're going to carry that same theme. And so I've been talking to some of the secondary teacher leaders
about what content area instructional focus would be beneficial for your group. For instance, math um has been working really hard on these uh vertical non-permanent surfaces and so they've done a book study the last few years. So, we're bringing in an expert in that,
right? And so, how do we enhance that in their math specific practice? Um I know Britney Kay is working with the ELA teachers at secondary on vocabulary. That's been a weakness that we've seen in our student achievement data. And so she's been working on who could we bring
in as a as a as an expert in that area that would enhance and provide our teachers with some new strategies or uh more intentionality around some of that. Um our social studies teachers have been doing the DBQ. Um and so I've been talking to some people who help lead up
that in the nation and how do we bring them in to enhance something our teachers are already doing. It's the other thing that Dan and I have really talked about is there's tons of great work do going on and we don't need to necessarily chase something new and shiny over here. We can talk to our
teachers and figure out like what is it that they've been doing that they think we could get a little bit better and be a little more focused about and then how do we bring in an expert in that area to highlight and strengthen that. Um so and then the green font is all of your building focuses. So each of our um
principles are working with their leadership teams on you know what is our building specifically at I know a lot of the elementaryaries are working together on that. I know our high schools in particular are working a lot on some uh grading practices. Um so all three of
the high schools are and the middle schools are using some of the same um research and same books and so they'll see some of that woven throughout their professional development for their teachers. So would those building focused professional development days be aligned
with their school improvement plans? Can you give us a couple of examples? Yeah. So like this year the middle schools focused on academic conversation. Um both of the middle schools did but how that looked played out a little bit different based on you know Mr. Ranger
and Miss Studman and their leadership team, but they were using the same research and using the same um uh ideas so they could share and they can collaborate, but at the same time they can say, "Okay, based on our building where we're at, this is how we're going to use that." So, they were,
you know, teaching their staffs different prompts that they could use, different ways to support the academic conversation. And then when they did some of their instructional rounds visits, they observed that and they had um some feedback around that. um that the for secondaries I think all five of them are now on board. We're they're
going to work with grading practices um really on how are we measuring what students know and are able to do in a way in which builds up the confidence of our learners um and provides them opportunity to think about what do I still need to demonstrate in this course
to show that I'm on my way for mastery. Um, so they're all sort of using the same right now. They're all reading it as administrators. Um, and I think then they'll pull that to their leadership teams and decide like who leads this session, right? Sometimes it's not the building principal. Sometimes it makes sense for it to be the building
principal. We have different teacher leaders in different buildings who feel comfortable or have a desire to lead some of the professional development. Um, and we we want to honor that when it when it's appropriate, too. Yeah. And for elementary, it was I mean the PLC's were not as far as building focus. So,
it was more of a district lens around science of reading. So, and then there was some also a lot of one-off PD that we kind of filled space with um with the PD plan coming into the year. So, that's what we're hoping to do is make it more focused. As Jesse said, we don't like
the flash in the pan necessarily, but we thought it was important with the science of reading and working with the reading league to build that strong foundation as we started to move into CQLA. uh PD was virtual during those times so it wasn't I don't think the most engaging. Uh I think the
information was good but I think it's uh we're definitely not going to be doing that next year. Our PLC's are going to be in elementary more like true PLC's working specifically around explicit instruction. Um a lot of a lot of the work the past couple years have been with the opportunities to respond for
kids in class. I think we're going to move towards that I do I do we do you do and focus more on the the kids doing the work in the in the small group um and getting more of that as as Jesse mentioned with the idea of academic
conversation getting the kids processing information more I have a question do you ever also do special topics uh there have been a couple of big reports that have come out nationally and it seems like those would be great
discussion points for some of the teachers. Not that you necessarily do your classroom planning around them, but to be aware of and the ones I'm thinking of were the surgeon general's report that came out on cell phone. That
information is very valuable uh and I think should be sort of like a baseline of discussion. Um and the recent report I've started winning my way through the what is it the MAHA report
um looking at what kids uh may be facing in terms of influence that will affect their learning their attention spans and it actually is a fascinating report. Um I wasn't quite sure what that
was going to look like. I've made it through half of it, but it's it's good. It's going to affect the the nation. Um the other thing uh speaking to one of the questions that came in from the audience
is um I'd like to think that there was a place for discussion on how to weave some of these history curriculum together. um the uh current
indigenous curriculum I've looked at. I I think it's important um but how it weaves in is important so that it's an accurate full fair because it's going to be some good things on
both sides of where there was conflict and some bad things on both sides where there was conflict. And so a discussion of conflict can also come out of that. So those are more general topics besides
test scores. But they're being aware of what's going on in your country and how they're influencing kids. I don't think that you're teaching the same kids um as to what they were when I when I
was in school or before World War II. I think the audience of the student population was very very different. And so we keep thinking we're going to get similar scores, you know,
as if that was a constant we've accepted in our global universe, but there's so many other factors too to be aware of. So I'm just bringing that up. And do you ever do anything like special topics even if
teachers come in on their own time that you think would be interesting to them? You know, this year the PD we did a special topic was AI. So that could be a learning series we could think about from year to year as far as the special topics and we did time sheet with that.
This time is so finite, right? as as far as how much time we have teachers and our and the idea of our, you know, Jesse and I have been committed to that tier one instruction and how important that is and to stay focused on that. Um, and with elementary continue to look at the
reading piece and making connections with the social studies. But yeah, I can understand why your required PD is very much focused on that. I I do understand that. But I keep thinking there are some very serious topics that are out there
and I'd like to think that our teachers were on top of it, you know, because they're interested. They'll affect all of us. I I would definitely say I think they are. A lot of the teachers that I communicate with regularly share articles back and forth. Um, and I know a lot of our secondary and Dan reviews
the elementary internal communications, they share our articles like that a lot to their staff and engage them in thinking and discussions. I I think that that kind of what we're focusing on here is Dan said like the tier one instruction is time is is very limited.
Um and but it's not a bad idea to do a different special series next year um for some of those topics. I'd love to open it up to Ben and Chandra and let them talk a little bit about as teachers, both of them with the district for a while. Um, you know, what professional development has been
impactful for them and their practice and what have they found that teachers saw a lot of benefit in and how can we do more of that as a district. So, turn them on. I don't know if I need it on, but I'll turn it on. Okay. I guess I I guess for me like been
around for what like 20 years and for me the the most relevant PD is the stuff that has like through lines, right? And we've stuck with and we've backed. Now that's been few and far between, right? The one I'm thinking of is like the reading apprentice apprenticeship.
Remember that stuff? That was like 2010 2011 and it was solid. It was good training, right? It was like 10 days of PD uh that we went to. we went right we were together right um that we went to and then it stuck around for like a
couple years so we had this time in the groups was around that theme so I would love I would and most would love right this idea of if we can find some of these common themes whatever it may be and then we stick with it because there
tends to be a theme at least from my point of view in TECAPS that we do one thing right and then the next year it's something totally different we're on to the next uh and and it's tricky, right, to to bring that stuff into the classroom when you're only talking about it for six PLC's a year, right? So those
constant themes and I would love to see as like a veteran teacher, right? So I I like to think I I have a grasp for what's going on, but if we could have these themes and then somebody, you know, it'd be relevant for somebody like me at 25 years, but somehow to work in
those new teachers, right? So we're all going to that that consistent goal. we're trying to achieve the same thing, but they're not having to jump in maybe at at a veteran teacher teacher level where they've they've dealt with this stuff for years and years, right? So, kind of like keeping that in mind, too,
that you have a varying staff. And I think in the near future, we're going to have a lot of young staff, right? Or at least new to TCAP staff coming into the district, like how do they fit into this plan of PD to make it relevant for all, but yet like an end goal? I mean, that
would be just awesome if we had something that from year to year was the same. So, we didn't feel like we were jumping from one ship to another, right? And and that, I guess, would be my take. So, I like Jesse when you said focused. Yes. I literally wrote that. Yes. Like, that would be great, right? Something
that's relevant, that's focused, that we can continue to work on from year to year. I mean, it doesn't have to be the same thing every year, but, you know, it ties back in some way. So maybe it's the grade. I I don't know, you know, but that's my hope is that moving forward that's what we're going to get.
What was the apprentice? Uh so the reading apprenticeship stuff was put on by uh West Ed, I believe, uh ISD from Detroit area, somewhere down state. Uh it had tons and tons of research, but it mo mostly focused on reading strategies.
So it it it allowed staff in all content areas. So, it wasn't just an ELA training, right? As a social studies teacher, as as a science teacher, as a math teacher, right? Going in and how does literacy how can we improve literacy across the board in all subject areas and kind of breaking that uh
stereotype that well, this is an English class, so why are we reading, right? Like incorporating those skills across the board, right? Spanish class, you name it, every class. And then we worked on those for several years, those specific strategies, uh, and how we were
incorporating them and like sharing lessons and what we were seeing from students and that type of stuff. And then f, you know, just as it's a public school system, so as funding kind of went away, that just kind of tapered off. Yeah. Did Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No,
there's nothing like following carrot. Mhm. I was just going to say, did TCAPS feel like it had achieved its goal in that regard with the literacy back then? Was that part of it as well? Yeah. I I don't I can't really speak to that. I don't I didn't I wasn't on those
uh decision- making crews. I you know, it just it just kind of dissipated after a few years. Um and it doesn't have to be that. just, you know, something that has some some clear themes would just be fantastic and consistent and relevant
and focused. So, in your view, does the plan for this coming year with the CKLA kind of hit on all of those notes for you and tie to our we have a current strategic plan that we're at the tail end of. we're about to, you know, try to launch a new one, but um, you know, are
you all both of you seeing the plan for the next year to Well, I can speak more to the CKLA being an elementary. I it's a um it's a big thing to undertake new curriculum as teachers. So, um, of
course, the content and the target, you know, focusing on that this year is going to be very important. Um, I'm interested in seeing how it's going to go in the future though because right now we do have new curriculum. So that's kind of an easy focus. Um, and making
sure that we have that scope and sequence which tells us like where are we starting? Where are we going with that? What, you know, what's the objective? But I I do want I'm interested to see how this will go in the future when we're not adapting new curriculum to ensure that we're not um
taking some new shiny thing on because we have often done that. It's like, oh, look at this and it's really great, but then you might not even hear about it later that year. You definitely don't hear about it the next year. So just making sure that it's relevant and that it's something that's going to stick in
the district that we're going to continue to use is important. I think that kind of goes back to Jesse's idea of the common theme that shows up in the classroom and and I think that's right. I' I'd also like to
see something on addressing the kids that are the middle kind of right there. If you were looking at a proficiency line, the kids that are over it in some tests and then the next year they may be down. They're just back and forth across that line.
um addressing that and addressing kids that haven't made it to proficiency. How do we help these kids as we move them through the grades? Don't let them get too far behind. Are there other approaches that will work? And and I'm
kind of hoping that that too is something and and I don't know if that's outside your line of of being the same message useful for all. But I think those kids are going to need
uh attention. But they do your tier one instruction is hopefully going to, you know, look at that and help with those those kiddos that are on the cusp and those students that need it. And then when I was looking at um Britney did a really great layout of CKLA. It looks
like she's going to be we're going to be looking at that tier 2 in um instruction with the CKLA in the future. So that's what I like to see about that is it really showed like here we're first starting with that tier one, right? Because adapting a new curriculum is a
lot and to learn it and it's massive. So like really focusing and honing in on that and then we'll start like building more with that tier 2 intervention because when you do it all at once it be can become totally overwhelming. So I feel like with the district's plan at
this time and working with us, there is a good scope and sequence that's going to hit the tier one and the tier two. So both the people the students that are, you know, in that mid-range to low range. And I'd be really interested in h hearing depending on what the committee
thinks um periodic reports back on how you think it's going. You know, are there things that we can do to support because I think that it's not just enough to get sort of like a summary
statement, but sort of like how's it progressing? You know, are there things that the community can do? Well, I can tell you I get reports all the time after every PD and PLC. Okay. um I hear about it, but I I have a great collaboration with this
team and so I you know I keep in constant communication with them whe I mean sometimes it's a text like oh this isn't going so great or I stop in and talk to Jesse and we talked about like how I remember having this conversation right at the RSC day um this last year
of like what can we do better and that's where we talked about the scope and sequence and making sure it's relevant and making sure that teachers know like where are we going with this because otherwise it's hard to get them to buy in because we have so much already. So, we really just need to keep that
collaboration and that communication and I feel like it's been working really well. That's great. Yeah. And Dan and I have been meeting um like I met with the world language leaders like okay so what's important for your area? Where do you guys want to focus? They talked to their teachers. They're going to do some stuff on technology thinking about like
there's so much with world language on speaking and listening and and how do we have a platform that's more consistent that allows our teachers and our students to use it. So like that's their focus. Great. The art teachers, I met with them. They wanted to bring in a couple visiting professional artists. They gave me a list. Emily and I are
reaching out who can and we're really trying to tie that August day and that November day to the same theme for those teachers so that they've got, you know, six hours on that August day to sort of really launch into it. think about this. Oh, where am I at with my practice, they do some work, they kind of come back at that November as a check-in and we're
hoping this was an idea that Chandra and I had that because there's some consistency and both those dates are connected that'll make that P that PL uh that PD more meaningful and relevant and more engaging and the teachers will see I'm getting a launch with it, go do some work and then I get to come back in and
check in with that expert and see and my colleagues too. So I a concern of the EA too and we're working on it with the collaboration is ensuring that it's relevant for people outside of like you know the elementary classroom instruction right so there is also your
specialist teachers your social workers your you know behavior interventionists there's lots of different positions that special education um you know ELLL the list can go on but making sure that their PD and PLC is also relevant because I have sat in um these
professional developments so many times and I see our social workers there that I'm thinking whoa like what can we do to help support them because listening to how they're going to teach reading you know in a classroom isn't relevant to them. So um we're going to continue that
you know conversation but just making sure it's relevant for each for each staff. So I on that note I took the CKLA in parenthesis on this slide just just to be an example right now. It's just an example of what the elementary and I
want to acknowledge that for the current year, you know, we're at the end of but about, you know, almost a year ago when we were still piloting CKLA, there was an emphasis on reading last August, right? So, this will be year two of the
reading PD, right? Yeah. In a year two, it won't be as stringent as year one. in our year one with reading league as far as uh 35J grant is that all educ we had to have 100% attendance for all educators it was my understanding for that PD so a lot of that making that
connection of what is relevant for our teachers world language PE teachers uh world um EL teachers special ed social work this year we're going to have much more specific PD looking at those August dates and that November 4 all of those
groups I've been working with Um Misty, Tiffany and I are also going to touch base. And then our EL teachers, uh we've kind of reconfigured as far as the elementary goes that we have, um we have six EL teachers next year, a couple of those being part-time, but when you have
a bigger group like that where we've moved from two to two to actually have five um then you can actually start a little more collaboration, professional development around and and to Shandra, did you want to say something? Yeah, I was I was just kind
of reflecting too on both what Beth and Ben said about um kind of like the one-offs like this is our main one, right? But I'm thinking of me um who taught at Traverse Heights for a decade and got moved to a new grade every year. So I had to learn that curriculum every
year. And while my strong sue is ELA, you know, I can pick it up, I can read it, I can, you know, and it's often the focus of the district. what I struggled with as a teacher was the math instruction and it was very hard for me to get that math PD or some support. Um,
and so that's something I think we need to focus on as a district is like there are other areas that you know teachers would like to grow in. Um, and so providing those opportunities to to do
that would be really important too. As you can see, our our focus has been ELA, but um like Ben said, you know, we have new teachers that are coming in that may not have gotten the professional development for the current math curriculum we're teaching. So, how can
we help support them after they've missed all that? So, there is some growth to do there. Um but that was just another thought I had. So, for this coming August, just to try to wrap this up, do we have specific plans for those different kinds of
teachers like um you've got like different content areas plus the specialists? We do. Yeah. Yeah. We're working with content leaders and department leaders to build that PD. I think some of So, some of it specifically CLA like um when we do that
initial training, we are going to want, you know, our our EL teachers and our special ed teachers as part of that, right? because they're going to be teaching that curriculum also. But like I mentioned outside of that, when we look at social work for sure, Misty has a a PD plan for the entire year. And
then I work with and Jesse does also are our also specialist teachers and we talk about art. This is just mainly for um for elementary. We look at art and PE and what that and then the secondary art and music teachers. What would they
get at that time? Same. They usually meet K12. Okay. Yep. And that's what I've been going through a meeting with. I met with the world language uh leaders last Thursday. I met with the art leaders last Wednesday. I've got a meeting this week with the PE secondary leader. And so we just sort of go
through what secondary with the content targeted is not they're not all together at all, right? Like social studies is going to be working with some DBQ stuff because that's some writing that they've been working out with and wanting the middle school and the high schools to be more aligned and more intentional with
that. Math is going to do some um making thinking visible, some um building classroom stuff. English is going to do vocabulary. So, they're all sort of separate. There's not one focus because it really is designed to be around their subject that they're teaching for
secondary. So, it's like a lot of different groups, the counselor's group, too. So, I appreciate the collaboration, the input that the teachers had in this process this year. And um just one thing to follow up with what Beth asked about
um was the teacher feedback. So, are there teacher surveys at the end of the August week just to get their, you know, more comprehensive quantitative feedback on on the PD, whether it fulfilled their expectations and so on. is really good
at making surveys. I'll just tell you that. And and I mean as a you know and I share it I share it out with Jesse and Dan. I do do um surveys a lot to get the the touch um because sometimes I hear from people and I'm not sure if it's the
minority or the majority. Right. So I'm trying to figure that out. So um I would be happy to collaborate with you guys and making some kind of survey and and discussing that too after that. Yeah. That's a good point. Yeah. the noisy one or did you represent the group? Yeah.
And and I I mean as a board we would obviously defer to you all. One limitation is that the TCEA represents what 80% of our teachers. So would we be missing 20%. You know that's something for you all to evaluate if you needed
districtwide one. But however you want to do that might be val. Yeah. And I would just say this last slide was just sort of showing you the team that we meet with throughout the year, our content teacher leaders, principles, Dana, myself, and then the
instructional coaches. But J's not wrong. Like it it takes a whole teamwork effort to make all of this. We're trying to meet the needs of hundreds of professionals who are all at different points in their career and are teaching all in sometimes very unique situations. Right? We have one full-time French teacher in the district, right? How do
we make sure she has high quality professional development in the midst of all of that? Right? And and these guys are awesome awesome with collaborating with us with giving us feedback is same with like I hope us one saying to them like hey help us figure this out or what
did they say about that or um that's been a huge huge value ad for this. So thanks to you guys. One thing I'll add for the board to think as um we have new ISD leadership coming in
like you know that that's a big piece of this is you know Ben had mentioned in the past like ISD support and and you know that's one of the things that we're trying to get more focused on you know that one of the hard parts we have is because our ISD is five counties and
trying to say okay this district's working on this but this district's working on And so we are are are trying to engage more conversation like on the RSDD day, you know, of of that truly that pattern of needs of what we're trying to do is
met because they do have some financial resources that we don't to be able to help accomplish that. So um you know in your ventures with other board members from the ISD and others like that's important for us to continue. Yeah. So
this year, given that change of leadership, do we have the ISD delivery plan to deliver the November? No, Jesse and Dan are are working with them and I think again that's something that we're trying to find some, you know, ways to bring more focus to some of the things
that we're trying to do. you know in the past there there has been um I wasn't here so like you know when the when Journeys was done the rest of the ISD went CKLA and TCAPS was the only one that went journeys so there was no ISD
support and all the PD all of that for the curriculum when that was adopted so you know that's that's part of the you know I think for a long time there was a bit of um discon connect. You know, I think we've come a long ways with that
and that's something that we want to try and continue to to narrow down that, you know, that we want to get the support that we need as well, knowing that they also have other districts, but we make over 40% up of the students in the ISD. So, that's an important piece to this
mix for us. And I think that goes back to both Jesse and Ben's point of not chasing a new shiny something, but finding those common through lines and what's important to all kids and how can we shape that for the whole
Okay, are we ready to move on to virtual learning? So, okay. So, um, just some new happenings with virtual learning. And we also wanted to take a little time to have I brought Jen Choic here, principal at Trevor City High School to share a little bit about how things are
going at the Compass Center. She's got some data for you guys and some good stories. And then next to her is Mr. Ryan Ranger as we are kicking off next year a fully virtual middle school um, opportunity for TCAPS students. So, he's going to talk a little bit about that,
but uh Dan wanted to jump on the virtual train and talk about it. Yeah, elementary virtual learning. Let's see it. Uh the forgot about Yeah, we do have an elementary program. So, I just wanted to touch base real quick. Uh every year we have five to 10 kids that are part of
this program enrolled for various reasons uh for that choice for their family, but we do support it. um asynchronous learning. So they do the modules and and learning guides through Lincoln learning. Um they've been fairly successful as far as the students that
take it. Sometimes we see a varied success, but the majority of kids that are participating in this program are completing the modules. Um and then we also have Rhonda Bush. So that's kind of that same idea as what we're trying to do in Compass. And we do have an actual
support person that the families and students can go to with questions and and help with with any learning that needs to take place. Rhonda is a retired teacher here from TCAPS. She does a fantastic job. We we talk to her on a monthly basis to see if the students are
being successful, if coming back face to face would be a better plan. It's a fairly small program. I don't know if we have any questions about that. Yeah. Lincoln, I just remember Lincoln learning. I mean, we've been using that since co 2020, right? And and
uh I think there's been some ongoing evaluation about whether that's the best virtual. Um there are not there are not very many elementary options. Um, and this is one that across the state has,
you know, generally been liked and and uh not perfect by any means, but but definitely one that um they've found that, you know, it the system works pretty well and it doesn't crash all the time. And you know, you have some of
those at the elementary level that have been pretty bad to be honest. So, we've had relatively good success with those families that have chosen that, right? Yeah. Sarah five to 10 kids right now we have six six okay so yeah the is that I mean
it's far fewer than what we had in 2020 and 2021 and yes and 2022 and actually I think we've just kind of got lost in 23 and 24 didn't even hear about this so well you know we really don't promote it a lot you know I mean there is a two different approaches you could take
there are K12 cyber schools across the state that could sign up you get a lot of people that um maybe are um hybrid homeschoolers is the best way I can explain it. Um you know that they use these and and have that and maybe
supplement in their own way as their family you know wants those the kind of things and and really um we haven't ventured into this deeply to try and and promote it to recruit that if you will. Um it's just I mean in
my opinion it's so tough right if a elementary student as far as socially I mean these are six I bet you if you were to sit down with each of these families every one of them has a unique circumstance on why they're doing it whether they're traveling all the time for figure skating is one of them or
there's an illness at home or so we we definitely Dr. Magn said don't promote this and trying to learn how to read virtually. Uh obviously super tough. So even the kids that are on there we monitor very closely that if it's not working we go semester by semester we
have that conversation with the families as secondary does try to promote coming back and and I I feel like you've just hit the mark with that. I mean that's exactly my perspective on this. um to have it as a fall back for those families that need it because otherwise
they could be homeschooling um and it does keep them connected to TECAPS for down the road. They can still participate in LEAP all the sports everything that's really important and you know there there [Music] are abilities to ramp up and to do a
hybrid kind of a of an opportunity. Um, I, you know, I think that we're learning. We learned a lot this year, as you'll see in our high school program. We're going to learn a lot next year in our middle school program. And I think when we get very comfortable with that, it's maybe a conversation to come back
and have on the elementary. But until we get to that point, just just with bandwidth of team and everything, we're we're not there. Yeah. But you know there there are some interesting models out there of people that are using it in micro school concepts and some things if
you look at like Beth said some of the research if you look at there's some interesting concepts that public schools are doing with people that just want to choose more of a of a home route you know but but and maybe a drop in you know drop in center that has a teacher
there to work with them. Um, but again, there there's a real capacity to build like we've built with Compass, you know, and you know, we're just not there yet to even have that conversation. Do these kids take the same testing?
They do. They come into the schools and Rhonda's the test. Okay. That's interesting because that way you can kind of begin to evaluate. It is a requirement for all of our virtual students even all the way through the high schools that they have to take the same some of those a lot of that state
testing is required and if these students who are enrolled with us don't take it we won't hit our compliance our 95% that we need to assess so and if some kids are just really struggling whether it's chronic absenteeism is that part of when you
counsel them is this one of the things you discuss it has not been so far that we've not gone there at the elementary level Again, high school level, we've had conversations with Compass on it. Um, middle school, we're just going to start. So, but elementary, no, we have
Sure. Sure. I understand. Okay. All right. So, our middle school virtual learning. So, I'll let you know that just um this kind of came out of what we've seen as a growing need in this area. Um, and Jen really can attest
to this as holding the high school program. um a lot of phone calls, a lot of people reaching out, a lot of people requesting. We do have a few middle school students currently um at who are students at West or East who are fully virtual due to a lot of different circumstances. Um and we want to keep
these kids connected to learning. We want to keep them moving forward and developing their skills. As Dr. Van Wagner said, our goal is actually to get these kids back in person and give them those experiences. However, we just we don't want them to be so far away that when they try to make that bridge, it's
really really difficult. So, we're we're really thinking this could be a nice middle ground to keep our kids connected. Um, so I'll let Ryan talk a little bit about some of these highle bullet points and and what he's hoping over at East. I will tell you, we did decide to do the lab at East instead of
West for capacity to be, you know, transparent. Ryan's got a great staff. He's got counselors to have. What we've learned with the high school is to have all of those kids together in one spot really allows Jen to staff it and to focus on it and to, you know, we've got
a full-time teacher whose job is just to oversee those kids in that program versus, okay, I got five kids online and I'm teaching a 100 in person and I'm doing, you know, it was it's too much to spread it out. So, um Yeah. Yeah. No, and we're excited at East Middle School
to have this opportunity, right? Um, and we're going to learn a ton from Jen and her staff. Um, which I'm sure you'll hear more about a lot more about. I don't have all of the specific details. We're still kind of um, getting some things figured out, but I can share some things with you that, um, we do have a
designated lab area. Um, where that's going to be located, we're still in discussion about, right, and and working that through. But, um, we will have a space designated for those Compass Learning kids. Uh the vehicle will be a Celis uh the same as
what um the high school is offering as well. So that's nice. It's not Lincoln learning. It's going to be consistent with what the high school's um going with. We do have staff signed up for training um to attend that in late June. Um that will be our teacher. Um one of
our assistant principles is going to go um that's going to oversee the online learning program. But um so we're getting some of those pieces in place. We do have a certified teacher, as I mentioned, that's going to be trained. Um, he will be responsible for the two-way communication. We're also
looking at having um a case load teacher for special education students that might need access occasionally um to that. So, we'll have an hour or two designated for that time as well. Um thinking what else right now numbers are small, but we're anticipating growth
much like what you're going to hear about from the high school. Um, when I say small, probably about 10 right now that are expressing interest. Um, but I know Jen just mentioned that she's got a few coming my way um that she's gonna
refer to me. So, again, in line with what Dan was saying, Mr. Tisworth, they do have full access to TCAP's resources. Um, not just the athletics, the music and things like that, but it might also be like counseling, social work, or whatever it is they need, right? Um, we
want these kids to have access to um figuring out the in-person courses as needed. That's that hybrid schedule, right? So, when kids need to maybe participate or maybe they want to participate in a PE class just to get
some energy out but then want to uh unwind a little bit with the online um just whatever whatever fits their needs best. Those are all individual u basis and discussions with those families. So, um, and we're also going to have flexibility with our transportation. Um,
so if a kid can't stay all day, um, we'll work with Beta on what that's going to look like. Um, so again, it's a very new, um, process for us, um, in terms of the Aselis and what the Compass Learning Center is going to look like.
We're very fortunate to be able to learn from Jen and, um, their successes and also some of their challenges, right? So, we're going to we're going to learn from those and face our own, I'm sure. But, um, we're going to have successes, too. So, we're excited about that. So,
do the kids have to come on site to use the lab or can they use it from home? They can use it from home, right? I mean, you know, from home. Um, the SLIS programming. Currently, we have it set up where students need to come in for their midterms and their finals um in
order to take those so we can have some academic integrity there. Um but we find that a lot of students do come in if they're struggling and that mentoring piece with the two-way communication really encourages them to come in and so I think that's one of the best benefits
is when those students can come in, they feel connected to the teachers and staff and then some other programming and wraparound services. So, we encourage them to come in, but um we had some students that started to come in all day. We found that was a little too long for them to sit there on a computer and
try to do online. We're like maybe two to three hours. Yeah, that's where the flexible transportation comes in and helps them out. But I I think you speak to something really important is that relationship side, right? That they're able to build with that um with our certified teacher, you know, just
somebody they can trust and go to for help and support. And then the other questions are kind of related. One is if a student is struggling say with math class, can they also take the Ocelus
math class comparable and and have them augmented each other? That's one. And the second question, Jesse's shaker. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Yeah. We don't do summer school. So kids who've
not been successful, you know, they can't use it. Is there any plan to have in effect an online summer school? Well, we do summer school for our high school students. So, and we use a Celus for that and we're running that out of the same lab at TC High. So, any of our high
school students who are off track for graduation um are able for free. We offer um programming for them to to earn credits and get themselves back on track. And that's staffed by um teachers who are at any of our secondary buildings. It's primarily teachers who
are at West Senior High and Central High School and TC High who teach that because they're familiar with the courses. But we do have a fiveweek program that runs in July and they would be familiar with the curriculum so that they could bridge back and forth which would be kind of cool too. Would be.
Thank you. Did you have a second question? Well, that's that's the summer school and can you augment if you're having a struggle right now? Um, just in terms of the transportation flexibility, so how does that work for kids who live on the west side of the district versus
the east for the location being at East Middle School? Yeah. Working through beta, right? Yeah. So, if you live on the east, if you're zoned for east side, you get a TPS. Yeah. you would be able to go to a TCAPS bus, but if you're on the west side, your transportation would
have to be beta. Is there is beta's like route system exhaust? Is it exhaustive enough? Okay. And even and I believe even east side would have to use beta. I mean, they could get them to school or they could pick them up from school on a route, but if they were to midday or
whatever, three hours. Yeah. If it's not a full day. What what's going to be interesting is, you know, we we've talked a lot about um with middle schoolers, how many of them need, you know, there's there's nobody at home, whatever. Like how how much more, you
know, are they going to need to be there all day versus not? We don't know that answer. We don't know exactly what that's going to look like. um versus high school maybe has a ride is able to drive, you know, and and so I think that's something that when when Ranger
and I walked the building last week, we just we're, you know, we don't have that answer. Um we're going to find out, you know, so um you know, we're the we're the only one at this point in the the Northwest region that's doing this. Um
so, you know, in other places that you know, if it's a district that's six square miles, that's easy. not a district that's 300. That's not that easy, you know. Um, so it'll just be really interesting to see logistically how those kind of things end up working
out. How how is TCAPS uh do they get full tuition from the state? We do. We get the full we get the full foundation for the students. Um everything they're a full-fledged student in every way of services they provide and our funding
that we get that's provided. So, and so they're and the other thing that is with this they're able to get breakfast and lunch you know if they qualify all you know with but it's only virtual right never right no it's real it's not a virtual it's not a virtual breakfast or lunch until the star track
you know food creator you know comes out we're not there yet best but uh but they like I said they'll have every opportunity that a face toface traditional student has so I'm just trying to refresh I'm trying to refresh my memory on aselis because during co we
had the link and learning for K through five we had something else for secondary we did and it wasn't aselis yeah so so bring us up to speed on how did we pick a year ago we started look I think Jen and her team really started to look statewide and talk to um different
alternative ed you know schools high schools taking a look at success that they were having that they felt was comprehensive enough but students were able to navigate And so we really kind of started out piloting you know a cellus from that standpoint. Um and and
I've had really really good feedback with it and good success. Um so at this point we'll be in year two of of uh in fact I think did we not use it at the very tail end of we used it for summer um academy last year to pilot it and try
out the features to make sure that it would be what we wanted and what everybody the feedback we had was true. So, it's nice because there's a lot of different um supports that are built into it with the different levels that we can pro like set students at if
they're doing credit recovery, if they have an IEP and doing more tuned learning, if they want an honors course. And then there's a lot of supports built in that has been working really well for our students and staff to use that platform. And and Ryan, you mentioned you're
anticipating about 10 kids next year to start when when Jen shares the numbers of growth they've had at the high school. I don't know if we'll see it to that extent, but we do anticipate growth as word gets out, right? Um even word of mouthwise. So, yeah. And so, and we've
staffed this with one full-time teacher. And so, that gives us the capacity to go up to 40 um students. Um, and then if we get more than that, then we're going to have to relook at staffing and support for that person. We have an LOU that we've um, worked really hard with the union to figure out like this is a
different job than the other jobs that our teachers do, right? They don't have they're not delivering the curriculum, nor are they grading the curriculum. Um, they're supporting it and what does that look like? And they're doing these two-way communications. And so, we've sort of landed on a a case load of 40
being um a full-time FTE. So that's what we're starting with and then we'll see where we go from there. And then how many kids did you have this year which I guess you would consider your pilot. I think this next year will be our first will be our first.
All right. So the pilot that was a TC highlight. Okay. Yes. Got it. If the student wanted to take a a foreign language in middle school could they take through that throughelis? We do have there's Spanish offerings.
Yes, but if they want to take German, I don't believe those are in the course catalog. They're available on Osalis. We we currently don't offer them. So, it might be some of them still do Michigan virtual for those courses. That's what the high schools we still we know we've
got a student at one of our high schools who's taking Chinese and they're doing it through Michigan virtual. The thing with M Michigan virtual is they provide us the certified teacher. We don't have a teacher in our district who's certified in Chinese, right? So that sometimes is a barrier for us. Um and so
that's and it works well with the clearing house. There's other reasons why at the larger two high schools we and you guys have a few kids doing Michigan virtual classes at the middle school for a variety of reasons. Um it could be because and you have a kid doing French, I think, because there's not any French classes, but there is
French at the high school that goes to the high school. So that makes sense to prepare that kid. Um we also just want to be cognizant about like what programming do we have and are we setting these students up to be successful? Like as we heard from the public comment, like if you're taking this this year and you're still going to be with us another year, do we have
course offerings that make sense for you to continue your learning? Right? We don't want to offer something that would kind of put a kid down a road that has a dead end at it. Right. So the moment both of our traditional high schools have French on No, one has
French, one has German. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. French I was going to say on the east side. Central High School, German on the west side, and then Spanish across the district. So, at least having those three foreign languages on offer um the school level would make sense,
right? And it would be at least Spanish across the board. Virtual, you have the option for the kids to be get ready earlier for that. Yep. Right. And then if you have the oneoff that wants to do Mandarin or Japanese, then the virtual options fully there through Michigan
virtual. I totally get that. I mean, Clearly, we just want kids to come to school, you know, in some way, shape, or form and graduate in our court courses. But I do love how TCAPS does go up to year six. I mean, that's really phenomenal in
Spanish and German at least. I'm not sure about French, but French does as well. Yeah. Okay. So, I mean, that that's incredible. We do have those teachers at our high schools, five and six. Yeah. And I do stand corrected. It looks like there can be in middle school German, French and Spanish. Okay, great.
So that's an alignment. What about sign? American sign is not Yeah, that's one that we have struggled to staff. Um we've also seen struggles on accepting that um on student transcripts for colleges because it doesn't have all
three components of a world language course. Written, speaking, um and listening. Those are the three. There's no a lot of colleges actually don't consider that one a world language course. Um so it's something um and
we've also struggled with staffing. To be transparent, we've had a sign language teacher position posted for years and years and um I think the teacher that West Senior High is doing a fabulous job is not actually uh highly qualified in ASL is highly qualified in
English, I believe. Um so yeah. Um All right. So, let's hear a little bit from Jen about her year at the Compass Learning Center. Well, we have um expanded to really try to create the most flexible scheduling for our
students in order to meet their needs and remove barriers. So, we obviously have our 100% in person, then the 100% online, and then the hybrid model. So, a few numbers. I mean, we started with 17 and we are at 162 online. So, I do
expect that you will have some growth there. Be ready. Still take 10. Yeah. But we're like, we don't know. Um, and we still have a pretty robust inperson as well. That has changed a little bit with that with incorporating a little bit of the hybrid. So, each hour we have
four hours a day. Um, we do have a one hour dedicated for online students. Um, but they have to they're considered in person. they have to be in school in that classroom with the certified teacher and that has helped to fill gaps in their um their transcripts when they
come to us their transcripts are kind of all over the places from whatever life has thrown at them and so that has really helped with that. So last year we had about 130 students total and now we currently have about 270 total and that
falls under the umbrella of all these programs and it's sometimes hard to get the exact number of who's in person, who's online because one of the nice things about this is the students do have that option to go between the two when when they can. We have students that have been online that now are in
person. And we have students that were in person that now need are online because of I a bunch of different circumstances. Um and this has also increased our graduation um numbers. Last year we had about 35. We had projected um about 50. We have about 65
that are graduating this year and finishing up. And we had 11 more from last year that walked and are finishing up. And that's due to this um programming. it's due to 18 credit diploma offering um and just a really amazing staff that has been flexible
this whole year to support all these students. Um so we've done this through the CLC lab which we were just talking about. We've also taken on some SOS lab students and helped support them um and provided some wraparound services for those students um that are there. and
it's a just another safety net for these students that may just need another a different option. Um, and then our incredible staff, like I said, they have been working working very hard and been flexible to support all of these changes
and our growth going from 17 students online to 162 and then our numbers just growing and it their jobs have they've stepped up at every turn um to make this happen because they're dedicated to these students. So, these seven um in-person teachers also are really
interwebed into the online and the CLC lab. They're teachers of record. They're called in to help students that need help on a math test or um an ELA where Mr. Living Goods in there and can help coordinate all of that as well. And they are stepping up to be mentors and doing
two-way communication. A lot of that is helping the students to be able to feel more comfortable when they come in and make that connection. And some of those students are looking to be in person next year. Um, so that has worked really nice. Um, and it's a pretty unique program to be offering those three and
to have students be able to be flexible between all three. Um, and then lastly, next year we applied for the um, waiver for um, four days a week for in person and our staff has been dedicated to really working on creating a schedule
for our inperson and offering that to the online all TCHS students. um providing ways to com connect with the community and increase their post-secary goals. So, they have ways to bring community in or students going into the community and they've set up those um
they've been working and they have a whole calendar that will be letting students know about an orientation. So, cool. Um so, we've created a lot of systems this year um to support students through various learning platforms as I just
said. Um, I would say that probably one of the biggest parts of that again is the staff and coming together and wrapping doing the wraparound. A lot of the online students utilize our social worker, SSN, our guidance counselor, our
teachers so that they can access their education and remove those barriers. Um, we have had all sorts of success stories and it's hard to put them into categories because every student comes in with a very unique story. Um we've had um a couple of special ed students
that were at Central and they were with us last year and they couldn't even walk into a classroom. Last year we were able to get them in the classroom but not very many classes. Um they couldn't quite get to the work. There was still a lot of anxiety there. They actually come into the CLC and they're online now. Um
they come in two days a week for about four hours each day and one of them has passed 15 classes and the other one's 17 online. and with those wraparound support services going up and working with a special ed teacher and it just works for them. It just works and they get their breakfast, their lunch, all of
that when they're there. Um we have had students that come in that are older, like 18, almost 19, hadn't been in school in a long time. Um, we actually started the student with a hybrid schedule just to kind of help ease ease her in and she's actually doing
full-time now in person doing community connections class and has really come out of her shell. So, we have all these different stories. They're all very unique because they choose online for a unique circumstances. Um, we learned a lot this year and so
we'll be hopefully helping and I'm excited to have a partner in this now that we can bounce ideas off of. Um, but we really are improving our mentoring systems. The systems that we had to follow first were really we start out with what we had to do mandated which
was the two-way communication. But what we've really found is that sorry um but what we've really found is that the two way is where you reach out and make sure that the students doing what they need to do, but it really needs to be mentoring. Um checking in with them,
seeing if they need anything beyond their academics, helping them schedule times to come in, all of those outreach outreach um services that we have. and our team, Living Good, everybody in that CLC has worked hard to make those
systems in place to make sure those students are being contacted and being supported. Um, we're looking for orientation for all students. Um, that'll look a little different for online that first week of school. And then one of our first Friday activities is doing an orientation team building
with our in-person students and any of the online that we can encourage to come. Um, and then increasing student connections to school and community. I talked about that a little bit with our Fridays and our our staff has worked hard um setting all of those up and
creating a schedule for those students. And all of those students have access to career tech center. So she has some students who are virtual might go to Yep. and NMC classes. So again, when we say they these students get all the opportunities that TCAP students get, that includes some of those programmings
that are unique to our high school students. And one other statistic that I just want to throw out there. We said TCAPS. We actually have 43 students that came to us from out of district that are in our 43. Um Jen, just remind us what is the SOS lab? If you go back to the previous
slide, what does SOS stand for? Oh, I don't know. It's Save Our Students. So, thank you. It is a it's a kind of a tutoring lab that is it's a private LLC that that runs uh here in Trevor City. And so, um, they've
actually been partnered with another school district in the past, um, downstate. And so, we're working with them to work with Jen for students, um, to to be able to be a part of of, uh, TC High. Okay. Um, rather than we use them
this year as well. Uh, we we did a kind of a pilot partnership second semester with that. Um, gone well. Um, but we we're hoping that that expands um, next year. uh they do have about 200 kids um that they've had that are from
our district in various districts. And so we're we're trying to collaborate to work that to where it's not one that goes down to the Detroit area but stays here from those resources. Yeah. And then Jen also just the TC high
enrollment. Um, if you go back to that, I just I mean that's that's really, you know, massive. And you said 65 students are graduating this year. Was that just from Compass or is that It's a combination. And again, it's it is I could get you the numbers, but it is
hard to identify which ones were 100% online in person because they do go between and I could break those down for you if you'd like, but that's fine. I mean to me I you know I I just want to get kids going to school and finishing
school. So you know as we've discussed you know I'm I'm nervous the younger the kid is about having all virtual learning but I think that's a collective concern here. Um but you know to get high school kids you know have doubling your TC high
graduation you know having attended those for years now I mean you know, we would get, you know, usually a class of about 30 36 and and so that's really exciting to see that many more kids, you know, succeeding.
Yeah, it is exciting. I think for our staff that's been pretty veteraned at Trevor City High School and with the idea that, you know, our backbone is relationships and having these kids in there, this has been a huge shift for us to pivot in our minds what is best for
students and is it's allowing them access to the the education in whatever form it meets and then us figuring out what barriers and hoops we need to jump through to make that happen. Um, and so that's been a huge shift, but the numbers speak loudly to it's it's being
successful. We have some tweaks to do, but it's definitely being successful. Been successful. And I think it's about us as a district giving Jen and her team as many tools as possible. It's interesting when you hear her say like I asked her too like, "How many are just virtual? How many are she's like Jess?
They don't. It's all of it, right? It's whatever that kid needs at that time, right? She's got kids who for nine weeks were all virtual and then they decide to come in person and then the next nine weeks they've got two classes online because they are not you know only a few kids need them so we're not offering a
section of that and then the rest of the day they're there in person. So it really she's got an environment in which it's able to sort of respond to what the kid needs um to get them to progress towards you know their diploma. Um and that's been really cool to see. Um a lot
of work though for her and for her her team. um and a lot of support from the district we've had. So that's and working all together. I share your concern with kids going online or being online, but my hope is that we'll pick up some of those kids who to
homeschooling that just for a variety of reasons the school day just does not work for them or or no schooling or no school. Right. Correct. I mean there are across our state like 30,000 kids. We're just not sure. We just don't know.
Absolutely. So that it it actually makes me really excited that we have an elementary option because I've seen so many kids just go. Yes. And the wonder of where are they? What are they doing? So
absolutely. But we're there's no doubt in my mind we're on the absolute right track with this program. Yeah. You know, no doubt. So, um I I just want to encourage you all to to c like we need to take this moment and celebrate. I know we have
that next on our agenda, so it's a good segue, but really um you know, when kids succeed, we all succeed. So, um just a very quick question I had about the improving mentoring systems and the student connection to school
community. uh just you know uh triggered in my mind like a question of do we have big brothers and big sisters coming in to TC High? We do not. We do not. Okay. Is that something that we've looked at in the past because you're talking about mentor you know mentoring within TCAPS
but I know we have big brother bigs coming into other TCAP schools. So when we put the mentoring on the um on the slideshow, it was more for our staff members have to do mentoring with the students that are virtual and with our in person to make those connections. But
we are always looking for adults that are, you know, qualified and um to come in and be mentors to our students because the more at lunchtime would be a great time for that um because our kids don't have a lot of options and I anytime they can connect with an adult
in the community would be great. So, I'm open to that opportunity if we can make it happen. Can I ask a question about the middle school? Um, just being in elementary and knowing some truency concerns. Um, I'm
thinking particular of a student has huge anxiety and she's in fifth grade going into sixth grade. I have brought up the possibility of this. Are there conversations that you can have with like social workers or administration at
those buildings to try and catch those kids to say like, "Hey, this is an opportunity because we'd rather have them in virtual than not in school at all." Absolutely. I think once we start really nailing down where we're at, communicating with them and getting uh some communication out to families,
again, it's a slippery slope, like how much are we sharing versus um letting it be a slow build, but those are exactly the kind of kids that might be strong candidates for programs like this, right? And we don't want to lose them um to truency issues or things like that. I
mean, for lack of a better term, I think keep your hooks in them a little bit and and try to coax them back in, right, is is the hope. So, nice suggestion I do. Yeah. I can think of a kid in middle school at your school. Yeah. Who could
benefit from that? And I'll I'll just go out on a limb and and say I would be interested in seeing Compass and EMS in action in the new school year. Maybe we can have a board opportunity for us to tour. We'll make
TC highway one of our visits. Yeah. TC and yeah and EMS too. I think would be good to see. We'll be knocking it out of the park. We can get a little van home field here. Home run. We can use We can use our shuttle van. Yeah. I
like it. You can just go to EMS. You can't go to both. Oh yeah. So it's not that bad. Its range isn't that bad. Yeah. Okay. Moving right along then is celebrations of successes. Um so we we
we will we have quite a few because it's the end of the year and so there's so much good stuff going on with 12 days. 12 days Mr. Zen. Well, 11 more mornings. 11 more mornings. Um so we will uh go through these for you guys, but feel free to ask Dan and I
more details afterwards, too. Yeah. So, kicking things off at Blair here, Catherine Wooden's first grade class. I've seen this project in other elementary school schools. They decided to focus on science and the science projects they did throughout the year. So, they use a virtual company online.
They have the kids make their books and then they they submit to the company. The company then comes back with an actual uh hard coverver book. So, super cool project that helps highlight uh our science in the elementary school. Wonderful. And then here is our choir
program at Central High School. I mean, we we know how amazing, especially these last few weeks, we've been able to hear lots of great concerts and our and our students, but really, you know, high ratings across the state at all of their festivals and their competitions. We've had students who have been selected to
be part of a very exclusive allstate choir. So just I mean our kids in these and our directors just do a phenomenal job of a top-notch programming for these kids. And our Traverse City Optimist Club celebrating our fifth graders uh from each of our school as part of their
youth appreciation day specifically positive attitude, kindness, and goodness that they bring to all of their classrooms. And then this is a photo of our west senior high uh STEM students, but I know our central students as well went on the
inland seas and spent a day out on the Great Lakes doing some science. And that's a really fun program. They do a great job teaching the kids. They um I do know that the central group locked out. I think they went on those days it was 80°. So that was nice. Although this day looks pretty nice for the West kids,
too. So um and I think we have more kids going out today, tomorrow from West. their 10th graders are going on a visit. So, really cool to use our local resources and expose all the kids to those. And this is uh out of Corte. This is Mr.
Boyce's uh fifth grade class as part of their fantastic garden. We learned quite a bit in their nutrition and fitness meeting the other day. Mr. Rasho in which he's probably been there a while cuz I think the road's named after him there in front of the school. Uh helps on a regular basis with the cart with
the garden as far as compost but also provided the chicks at hatch and the kids observe do studies with them. It's a kind of a nice interactive program with our our local community. Told my granddaughter about it. She wants to go to Cork.
They got a lot going on there. Uh, and these are some of our business students over at Central High School. They, uh, won a competition, a branding competition. Um, really excited about that. And Miss Harvey just does a phenomenal job just getting her kids out in the community and connecting with local businesses. So, um, they earned
$900 uh, for winning that competition. So, and shout out to our food service department uh, specifically working with our our local farmers. It is asparagus season. Um, so they were working this was out at Long Lake just doing some uh
samples as far as taste testing and then the students got to vote if they were fans of asparagus or if they were not. Do you know what the results were? It looks like love. Tried it. Loved it. Looks like it won. Liked and tried. I didn't
put the picture in with the kid sticking her tongue out. Don't hug my yum. You h my yum. I'll come around. Right. Um, let's see. There we go. And, um, this is, uh,
at Central High School, they had, uh, Trevor City's mayor and Trevor City Clerk come by after their APV exam and and sort of talk to the kids about what does it mean to be in in local politics. Uh, what are those services and those roles look like? You can see there they're using the lab, the innovation
center there for that presentation. Again, it I've gone over there a few times for different things and they are using that space a ton for a ton of different things. Um, and so this was a great opportunity to show off that space and also um hear about some of our local
officials and Corte again partnered with uh employees from Costco. They came over every Wednesday uh to read with kids and then at the end of the program donated several books. So, thanks to our friends at Costco for their their time and resources.
And this is Nate Brush's uh class at West Middle School. He's our STEM teacher there. I think some of you guys were able to tour some of his stuff. And I mean, he always is doing really cool stuff um with his kids. But uh this is when they were building their own roller coasters and um doing that. So high
engagement, pretty cool hands-on activities for kids. And this is an annual our annual all city track meet uh put on by our our LEAP. Uh several of all of our elementaryaries participated. It's a huge event. Uh just a lot of fun and a
lot of success. And then this is some of our our uh different publications. So this is our West Senior High newspaper. They won um a lot of different awards here at their competition. And then the next slide
here is our East Middle School students as well. Um, and their awards that they had won too. And I think there's a little video that we wanted to show you. It's short and it's pretty cool. It's the kids. They were watching the awards ceremony um live. And so Oh, no. Get it
or no? Download. Download it quick. Um, and what happens when secondary tries to one up me? It's a really cute video because Miss Mackey knows I wait and Jod knows they were about ready to win. So she's taping
of the kids and they're hearing all the schools, you know, they're calling off some Ann Arbor schools, they're calling off different schools and they're all the kids are just sitting there and then they call East Middle School and the kids just go crazy. It's a really cute video. So, and they were what? One of four middle schools in the competition
for the for the Mippa and then the Spartan Award. Um, they were actually the only middle school and there were four schools selected and they were the only middle school. So, pretty good stuff. It It's impressive. Really impressive. Yeah. And this is from Eastern Elementary. The
Central High School's class of 2025 that attended Eastern Old Mission came back to visit our students at Eastern Elementary. That video link in the lower right. Let's see if your video works.
[Music] There we go. Oh my gosh, look at that video. It's pretty fun that the seniors love it. They love to walk through the school and a lot of our elementary schools do this. Um, and the little kids that are younger students love that, too. So, pretty cool. Is there a way to
standardize that? I wonder. I know there's a lot of questions from different kids. I don't know if Maggie did it or not, but she has one scheduled this week at Long Lake. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have it at Well, they at least came over on I know they stood on
the sign. Yeah. I thought they all did that. No, they don't. No, it really is like the the elementary school's the one who takes the initiative to like reach out and contact the kids. And then also, you are organizing seniors who sometimes it's more difficult to organ. It's easier to organize them when school's
still going on. Our seniors are done now. So then it becomes a little harder to organize them to show up at the right time. You hope to get them at rehearsal. You can do that. And then lastly, uh, congratulations our TCAPS employees for their 2025 outstanding educator award is
something that's for years have been partnered with TBA credit union and Northwest Ed. Um, she had Miss Helman. I know she is over at Corteade. We also had Carrie Leante, a German teacher at West Senior High. Kirk Rainey, principal at Blair, Charles Taylor who works with
our shared time with St. Francis and Immaculate Conception. And then Betsy Wells, administrative assistant at Central High School. Celebration will be Wednesday, June 4th at 6:30 p.m. at the City Opera House. There we go. Great. Any other items?
Okay. And with that, um, our next board curriculum meeting will be Tuesday, July 8th at 8:30 a.m. at this location, Glen Lewis Building. Um, and actually I sorry, I'm just going to add in a little other item here, just to confirm, is
8:30 on generally the first Tuesday of the month. I think it's still a good time for everybody. We're meeting in July and we're not meeting. Yeah. Sorry. Sorry. It's either the last week of the month or it's the first week of the
month. We have two in July depending on holiday. It just kind of how it fell on July 8th, right? So there's no late June meeting. Um it's probably because of the July 4th holiday week being closed for the administration office. But just to
confirm generally Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. are good for my fellow committee members and okay so we'll keep it so so with that we are adjourned. Thank you everyone. Part: 2
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the committee to order. The committee would like to welcome the audience. Viewers may watch live board committee meetings online at tcaps.net/board. Recorded meetings may also be viewed on demand at the same address. The committee has set aside
this time for public comment. Kelly, do we have public comment? Yes, we do. Uh, first one is Gail Lampine if I apologize or and topic indigenous ad. Great. Um, so individuals addressing the board
shall have one opportunity to speak during public comment and shall be limited to three minutes each. Individuals should not make personal attacks unrelated to actions affecting the school system. We strongly encourage common courtesy and constructive feedback. Detailed rules and procedures
including a complaint process are outlined in board policy 254. My name is Gail Land here and I'm here as um an interested citizen but also a member pardon me. [Music]
Okay. of uh the Presbyterian Church racial justice working group and we worked with Hollyird uh a lot on different issues and particular one particular issue was
the um and I hope I'm going to pronounce this right Mandon um resource manual which was written by five Anisha women um and it has been out there with blessings from the state
department of education um since 2022. So I'm here to learn more about the process of the curriculum um committee here and and also um we have
talked to um staff people uh at TCAP. So, um, in in Holly's memory and because we all want on our committee and hopefully thousands of others want everyone to have a view of the true
history of the indigenous people of this area. So, thank you so much for the work you do and I look forward to learning more. Next is Sophia
Hog. Topic is credit hours. Hi, I'm Sophia Hogue. I'm a student at um West Senior High and I'm just a little concerned with credit hours. So, I have I have already completed all my four math credits. I I took CELBC this
year and I will be earning credit for that. But I am aware that as a junior I there is a have a credit I have to take. But I guess I'm just wondering why that would be necessary when I've already gone above and beyond for math credit hours. And I know there are a couple
other students in my situation who may be who may have taken the AP calculus class, but they may not be able to earn credit for to continue on to calc 3 at NMC. So, they may not want to take an additional math class like AP statistics
or personal finance. Thank you. Thank you. Um, with that, we can move on to our procedural items. First up are our draft committee meeting minutes from April 29th. Are there any changes to the
draft meeting minutes? Okay, then hearing no changes, the minutes will remain as posted and we can move on to our TCAPS district course catalog for what remains of this school year 2024 and 2025. Miss Odin? Yep. We
have no new courses that we've added this month. So, it's just a standing memo and placeholder for that. Okay. that we'll we'll keep that on consent agenda for the next full board meeting. And moving on toformational items, we have our monthly board curriculum
learning series. So, I will defer to our chief academic officers. Yeah, great. So, we have two topics today we want to talk to you uh about and share some work we've done. Our first topic is our professional development for our teaching staff for
next year. And we have two guests with us here. Two of our great teachers. Chandra Fles who is not only an elementary teacher for the district, she also serves as the president for our TCEA union and Ben Zenner who teaches up at West Senior High and I think is the
Oh, you're not the vice president. You're the almost the vice president. Um and so we work with um these guys and some of our other teacher leaders and principles as we develop our professional development. So, we wanted to bring them here um thinking that you guys might have questions for them about
what's important for our teachers when they have their professional development and how are we meeting their needs and what other things could we to be doing as a district, too. So, we'll start with a little bit of just an overview um as we sit down and think about our professional development plans. Dan and
I, you know, we're former teachers, so we always think about end in mind, right? What do we want at the end of the year for our teachers to feel like they've had some focus time to grow and develop? Um, how is that related to best practice about teaching and learning? Um, lots of research out there. And how
is it, and Dan and I have talked a lot about staying narrow and focused? Um, and trying to not put a whole board of lots of options that sometimes means nothing really gets movement and traction. Um, but how do we really stay coherent and focused on something that
we know connects to the work our teachers um are already doing? So, days available, you'll see there, it's sort of that's throughout the calendar. within their contract, they have uh time that's developed for professional development. The state does require us
to provide at least 30 hours of what we call DPPD um development hours, which we go a little bit above and beyond that as a district. We also have some required training through um like a bloodborne pathogens and some seclusion and restraints. There some of those
requirements that our staff has to have as well in addition to instructional um development too. Yeah, I think our goal here is, you know, just as far as available time is is that this is within the school day. Um, we find that professional
development after school is taxing. It's hard after teaching a full day to come in and ask for more. Uh, so to try to get as much as this within the school day as possible, which I think we've done, I think is important. Yeah. And so, and I sort of briefly
touched on these six here. This is sort of what we're looking for when we start to roll out our plan and um work with our different groups to to prioritize um our time together. Um I I you know that number six is sort of like it has to be in there, right? It's not everyone's
favorite, but we want to make sure that we are hitting the compliance that we have to for the state. Yeah. Are those u mandatory trainings like the bloodborne pathogens are those annual? They are annual trainings. Yep. So how many of those are there? How much time do they take up? I think it's it's up to six
hours now. So, what we've done is um we've taken our early release days. Um I believe we have nine of those and um five of those are used for PLC's and then the remaining of those uh can fulfill those hours of those uh those
trainings. Okay. And then this next slide here just gives you a little bit more detail as to how that time breaks out and what some of those focuses look like. Um the one biggest difference we have between
secondary and elementary is and it's based on the number of conferences they have with parents, which sounds like a strange thing, but that's another variable in there. um is that our secondary staff have two meetings per month with their building and our elementary staff have one meeting per
month after school. Yeah. So I I had previewed this slide. So um thank you very much for sharing those with us in advance. I just have a question about the process that you all use to get here because it sounds like, you know, you've really taken a
thoughtful approach with evaluating what you've done in the past and then getting the input of of teachers this year. So, I wonder if you could just give us a little bit more background and context of what were we doing, you know, in the years up until now. How will next year be different timewise?
I would I would say it's similar timewise. Dan, you can jump in. Well, I think that the biggest difference is I mean there's a lot of differences, but I think first of all getting that teacher work time on August 26th in my mind and speak also because I've sat through this
is year 28 in TCAPS. So I've been through several August dates, right, as far as um really great PD and PD that wasn't so great. And so obviously that experience helps build it. But I know as a teacher or even as administrator, right, when you start off that first day
with PD and we used to do in previous years we had a half day Monday paid, Tuesday, Wednesday with professional development and then Thursday was the teacher workday. So in your mind then we have open houses happening in elementary even before the teacher workday. So you're sitting there in PD um you know
stressing somewhat about you know classroom stuff everything you got to do getting ready for open houses and then that Thursday is your open house and then I mean the Thursday is your your uh your work day. So just kind of it started I think with calendar right once
we started to look at the calendar kind of removed that Monday out there um and then rebuilt how those that week in August works was kind of what was the start. Yeah. And so the orange font is all district level professional development.
So you'll see like that falls on that um that Wednesday and then we kind of hit we hit again during that RSDD which is our November 4th day and then you see it secondary. They're going to carry that same theme. And so I've been talking to some of the secondary teacher leaders
about what content area instructional focus would be beneficial for your group. For instance, math um has been working really hard on these uh vertical non-permanent surfaces and so they've done a book study the last few years. So, we're bringing in an expert in that,
right? And so, how do we enhance that in their math specific practice? Um I know Britney Kay is working with the ELA teachers at secondary on vocabulary. That's been a weakness that we've seen in our student achievement data. And so she's been working on who could we bring
in as a as a as an expert in that area that would enhance and provide our teachers with some new strategies or uh more intentionality around some of that. Um our social studies teachers have been doing the DBQ. Um and so I've been talking to some people who help lead up
that in the nation and how do we bring them in to enhance something our teachers are already doing. That's the other thing that Dan and I have really talked about is there's tons of great work do going on and we don't need to necessarily chase something new and shiny over here. We can talk to our
teachers and figure out like what is it that they've been doing that they think we could get a little bit better and be a little more focused about and then how do we bring in an expert in that area to highlight and strengthen that. Um so and then the green font is all of your building focuses. So each of our um
principles are working with their leadership teams on you know what is our building working specifically at I know a lot of the elementaryaries are working together on that. I know our high schools in particular are working a lot on some uh grading practices. Um so all
three of the high schools are and the middle schools are using some of the same um research and same books and so they'll see some of that woven throughout their professional development for their teachers. So would those building focused professional development days be aligned
with their school improvement plans? Can you give us a couple of examples? Yeah. So like this year the middle schools focused on academic conversation. Um both of the middle schools did but how that looked played out a little bit different based on you know Mr. Ranger
and Miss Studman and their leadership team, but they were using the same research and using the same um uh ideas so they could share and they can collaborate, but at the same time they can say, "Okay, based on our building where we're at, this is how we're going to use that." So, they were,
you know, teaching their staffs different prompts that they could use, different ways to support the academic conversation. And then when they did some of their instructional rounds visits, they observed that and they had um some feedback around that. um that the for secondaries I think all five of them are now on board where they're
they're going to work with grading practices um really on how are we measuring what students know and are able to do in a way in which builds up the confidence of our learners um and provides them opportunity to think about what do I still need to demonstrate in
this course to show that I'm on my way for mastery um so they're all sort of using the same right now they're all reading it as administrators Um, and I think then they'll pull that to their leadership teams and decide like who leads this session, right? Sometimes it's not the building principal. Sometimes it makes sense for it to be
the building principal. We have different teacher leaders in different buildings who feel comfortable or have a desire to lead some of the professional development. Um, and we we want to honor that when it when it's appropriate, too. Yeah. And for elementary, it was I mean the PLC's were not as far as building
focus. It was more of a district lens around science of reading. So, and then there was some also a lot of one-off PD that we kind of filled space with um with the PD plan coming into the year. So, that's what we're hoping to do is make it more focused. As Jesse said, we
don't like the flash in a pan necessarily, but we thought it was important with the science of reading and working with the reading league to build that strong foundation as we started to move into CLA. Uh PD was virtual during those times, so it wasn't I don't think the most engaging. Uh, I
think the information was good, but I think it's uh we're definitely not going to be doing that next year. Our PLC's are going to be in elementary more like true PLC's working specifically around explicit instruction. Um, a lot of a lot of the work the past couple years have been with the opportunities to respond
for kids in class. I think we're going to move towards that I do I do we do you do and focus more on the the kids doing the work in the in the small group. um and getting more of that as as Jesse mentioned with the idea of academic
conversation, getting the kids processing uh information more. I have a question. Do you ever also do special topics? Uh there have been a couple of big reports that have come out nationally and it seems like those would
be great discussion points for some of the teachers. not that you necessarily do your classroom planning around them, but to be aware of and the ones I'm thinking of were the surgeon general's report that came out on cell phone. That
information is very valuable uh and I think should be sort of like a baseline of discussion. Um and the recent report I've started winning my way through the what is it the MAHA report. Um looking
at what kids uh may be facing in terms of influence that will affect their learning, their attention spans. And it actually is a fascinating report. Um I wasn't quite
sure what that was going to look like. I've made it through half of it, but it's it's good. It's going to affect the the nation. Um the other thing uh speaking to one of the questions that came in from the audience is um I'd like
to think that there was a place for discussion on how to weave some of these history curriculum together. um the uh current indigenous curriculum I've looked at I I think it's important
um but how it weaves in is important so that it's an accurate full fair because it's going to be some good things on both sides of where there was conflict and some bad things on both sides where
there was conflict. And so a discussion of conflict can also come out of that. So those are more general topics besides test scores, but they're being aware of what's going on in your country and how they're
influencing kids. I don't think that you're teaching the same kids um as to what they were when I when I was in school or before World War II. I think the audience of the student
population was very very different. And so we keep thinking we're going to get similar scores, you know, as if that was a constant we've accepted in our global universe. But there's so many other
factors too to be aware of. Um, so I'm just bringing that up. And do you ever do anything like special topics even if teachers come in on their own time that you think would be interesting to them? You know, this year the PD we did a
special topic was AI. So that could be a learning series we could think about from year to year as far as the special topics and we did time sheet with that. This time is so finite, right? is as far as how much time we have teachers and our and the idea of our, you know, Jesse
and I have been committed to that tier one instruction and how important that is and to stay focused on that. Um, and with elementary continuing to look at the reading piece and making connections with the social studies. But yeah, I can
understand why your required PD is very much focused on that. I do understand that. But I keep thinking there are some very serious topics that are out there and I'd like to think that our teachers were on top of it, you know, because they're interesting. They'll affect all
of us. I I would definitely say I think they are. A lot of the teachers that I communicate with regularly share articles back and forth. Um, and I know a lot of our secondary and Dan reviews the elementary internal communications, they share our articles like that a lot to their staff and engage them in
thinking and discussions. I I think that the kind of what we're focusing on here is Dan said like the tier one instruction is time is is very limited. Um and but it's not a bad idea to do a different special series next year um for some of those topics. I'd love to
open it up to Ben and Chandra and let them talk a little bit about as teachers, both of them with the district for a while. Um, you know, what professional development has been impactful for them and their practice and what have they found that teachers saw a lot of benefit in and how can we
do more of that as a district? So, turn them on. I don't know if I need it on, but I'll turn it on. Okay. I guess I I guess for me like been around for what like 20 years and for me the the most relevant PD is the stuff that has like
through lines right and we've stuck with and we've backed now that's been few and far between right the one I'm thinking of is like the reading apprentice apprenticeship remember that stuff that was like 2010 2011 and it was solid it was good training right it was like 10
days of PD uh that we went to we went right together, right? Um that we went to and then it stuck around for like a couple years. So, we had this time in the groups was around that theme. So, I would love I would and most would love,
right, this idea of if we can find some of these common themes, whatever it may be, and then we stick with it because there tends to be a theme, at least from my point of view in TCAPS, that we do one thing, right, and then the next year it's something totally different. We're on to the next. uh and and it's tricky,
right, to to bring that stuff into the classroom when you're only talking about it for six PLC's a year, right? So those constant themes and I would love to see as like a veteran teacher, right? So I' I'd like to think I I have a grasp for what's going on, but if we could have these themes and then somebody, you
know, it'd be relevant for somebody like me at 25 years, but somehow to work in those new teachers, right? So we're all going to that that consistent goal. we're trying to achieve the same thing, but they're not having to jump in maybe at at a veteran teacher teacher level
where they've they've dealt with this stuff for years and years, right? So, kind of like keeping that in mind, too, that you have a varying staff. And I think in the near future, we're going to have a lot of young staff, right? Or at least new to TCAP staff coming into the district, like how do they fit into this
plan of PD to make it relevant for all, but yet like an end goal? I mean, that would be just awesome if we had something that from year to year was the same. So, we didn't feel like we were jumping from one ship to another, right? And and that, I guess, would be my take.
So, I like Jesse when you said focused. Yes. I literally wrote that. Yes. Like, that would be great, right? Something that's relevant, that's focused, that we can continue to work on from year to year. I mean, it doesn't have to be the same thing every year, but, you know, it ties back in some way. So maybe it's the
grade. I I don't know, you know, but that's my hope is that moving forward that's what we're going to get. What was the apprentice? Uh so the reading apprenticeship stuff was put on by uh West Ed, I believe, uh ISD from
Detroit area, somewhere down state. Uh and it had tons and tons of research, but it mo mostly focused on reading strategies. So it it it allowed staff in all content areas. So, it wasn't just an ELA training, right? As a social studies teacher, as as a science teacher, as a
math teacher, right? Going in and how does literacy how can we improve literacy across the board in all subject areas and kind of breaking that uh stereotype that well, this is an English class, so why are we reading, right? Like incorporating those skills across the board, right? Spanish class, you
name it, every class. And then we worked on those for several years, those specific strategies, uh, and how we were incorporating them and like sharing lessons and what we were seeing from students and that type of stuff. And then f, you know, just as it's a public school system, so as funding kind of
went away, that just kind of tapered off. Yeah. Did TCAPS Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No, there's nothing like following carrot. I was just going to say, did TCAPS feel like it had achieved its goal in that regard with the literacy back then? Was
that part of it as well? Yeah, I I don't I can't really speak to that. I don't I didn't I wasn't on those uh decision making crews. I you know, it just it just kind of dissipated after a few years. Um and it doesn't have to be
that. you know, something that has some some clear themes would just be fantastic and consistent and relevant and focused. So in your view, does the plan for this coming year with the CKLA kind of hit on all of those notes for
you and tie to our we have a current strategic plan that we're the tail end of. We're about to you know try to launch a new one, but um you know you all both of you seeing the plan for the next year to Well, I can speak more to
the CKLA being an elementary. I it's a um it's a big thing to undertake new curriculum as teachers. So um of course the content and the target you know focusing on that this year is going to be very important. Um I'm interested in
seeing how it's going to go in the future though because right now we do have new curriculum so that's kind of an easy focus. um and making sure that we have that scope and sequence which tells us like where are we starting where are we going with that what you know what's the objective but I I do want I'm
interested to see how this will go in the future when we're not adapting new curriculum to ensure that we're not um taking some new shiny thing on because we have often done that it's like oh look at this and it's really great but then you might not even hear about it
later that year you definitely don't hear about it the next there. So, just making sure that it's relevant and that it's something that's going to stick in the district that we're going to continue to use is important. I think that kind of goes back to
Jesse's idea, the common theme that shows up in the classroom. And and I think that's right. I' I'd also like to see something on addressing the kids that are the middle kind of right there. If you were looking at a proficiency
line, the kids are over it in some tests and then the next year they may be down. They're just back and forth across that line. Um, addressing that and addressing kids that haven't made it to proficiency. How do we help these kids
as we move them through the grades? Don't let them get too far behind. Are there other approaches that will work? And and I'm kind of hoping that that too is something and and I don't know if that's outside your line of of being um
uh the same message useful for all, but I think those kids are going to need uh attention. But they do. Your tier one instruction is hopefully going to, you know, look at that and help with those those kiddos that are on the cusp and those students that need it. And then
when I was looking at um Britney did a really great layout of CKLA. It looks like she's going to be we're going to be looking at that tier 2 in um instruction with the CKLA in the future. So that's what I like to see about that is it really showed like here we're first
starting with that tier one, right? Because adapting a new curriculum is a lot and to learn it and it's massive. So like really focusing and honing in on that and then we'll start like building more with that tier or two intervention because when you do it all at once it be
can become totally overwhelming. So I feel like with the district's plan at this time and working with us there is a good scope and sequence that's going to hit the tier one and the tier two. So both the the people the students that are you know in that mid-range to low
range and I'd be really interested in hearing depending on what the committee thinks um periodic reports back on how you think it's going you know are there things that we can do to support because I think that it's not
just enough to get sort of like a summary statement but sort of like how is it progressing you Are there things that the community can do? I can tell you I get reports all the time after every PD and PLC.
Um, I hear about it, but I I have a great collaboration with this team and so I, you know, I keep in constant communication with them, whe I mean, sometimes it's a text like, "Oh, this isn't going so great." or I stop in and talk to Jesse and we talk about like how I remember having this conversation
right at the RSCD day um this last year of like what can we do better and that's where we talked about the scope and sequence and making sure it's relevant and making sure that teachers know like where are we going with this because otherwise it's hard to get them to buy
in because we have so much already. So, we really just need to keep that collaboration and that communication and I feel like it's been working really well. That's great. Yeah. And Dan and I have been meeting um like I met with the world language leaders like okay so what's important for your area? Where do
you guys want to focus? They talked to their teachers. They're going to do some stuff on technology thinking about like there's so much with world language on speaking and listening and and how do we have a platform that's more consistent that allows our teachers and our students to use it. So like that's their focus. Great. the art teachers. I met
with them. They wanted to bring in a couple visiting professional artists. They gave me a list. Emily and I are reaching out who can. And we're really trying to tie that August day and that November day to the same theme for those teachers so that they've got, you know, six hours on that August day to sort of really launch into it, think about this.
Oh, where I'm at with my practice. They do some work. They kind of come back at that November as a check-in. We're hoping this was an idea that Chandra and I had that because there's some consistency and both those dates are connected that'll make that P that PL uh that PD more meaningful and relevant and
more engaging and the teachers will see I'm getting a launch with it go do some work and then I get to come back in and check in with that expert and see and my colleagues too. So I a concern of the EA too and we're working on it with the collaboration is ensuring that it's
relevant for people outside of like you know the elementary classroom instruction right so there is also your specialist teachers your social workers your you know behavior interventionists there's lots of different positions that special education um you know ELLL the
list can go on but making sure that their PD and PLC is also relevant because I have sat in um these professional developments so many times and I see our social workers there that I'm thinking whoa like what can we do to help support them because listening to
how they're going to teach reading you know in a classroom isn't relevant to them. So um we're going to continue that you know conversation but just making sure it's relevant for each for each staff. So I on that note I took the CKLA in
parenthesis on this slide just just to be an example right not it's just an example getting what the elementary and I want to acknowledge that for the current year you know we're at the end of but about you know almost a year ago where we're still piloting CKLA there
was an emphasis on reading last August right so this will be year two of the reading PD Right. Yeah. In a year two, it won't be as stringent as year one. In our year one with reading league as far as uh 35J
grant is that all educ we had to have 100% attendance for all educators. It was my understanding for that PD. So a lot of that making that connection of what is relevant for our teachers, world language PE teachers, uh world um EL teachers, special ed, social work. This
year we're gonna have much more specific PD looking at those August dates and that November 4th for all of those groups. I've been working with um Misty Tiffany and I are also going to touch base and then our EL teachers. Uh we've kind of reconfigured as far as the
elementary goes that we have um we have six EL teachers next year, a couple of those being part-time, but when you have a bigger group like that where we've moved from two to two to actually have five um then you can actually start a little more collaboration and professional development around
and and to sh did you want to say something? Yeah, I was I was just kind of reflecting too on both what Beth and Ben said about um kind of like the one-offs like this is our main one, right? But I'm thinking of me um who taught at Trevor's Heights for a decade
and got moved to a new grade every year. So I had to learn that curriculum every year. And while my strong sue is ELA, you know, I can pick it up, I can read it, I can, you know, and it's often the focus of the district. what I struggled with as a teacher was the math
instruction and it was very hard for me to get that math PD or some support. Um, and so that's something I think we need to focus on as a district is like there are other areas that you know teachers would like to grow in. Um, and so
providing those opportunities to to do that would be really important too. As you can see, our our focus has been ELA, but um like Ben said, you know, we have new teachers that are coming in that may not have gotten the professional development for the current math
curriculum we're teaching. So, how can we help support them after they've missed all that? So, there is some growth to do there. Um but that was just another thought I had. So, for this coming August, just to try
to wrap this up, do we have specific plans for those different kinds of teachers like um you've got like different content areas plus the specialists? We do. Yeah. Yeah. We're working with content leaders and department leaders to build that PD. I think some of So, some of it
specifically CLA like um when we do that initial training, we are going to want, you know, our our EL teachers and our special ed teachers as part of that, right? because they're going to be teaching that curriculum also. But like I mentioned, outside of that, when we look at social work, for sure, Misty has
a a PD plan for the entire year. And then I work with and Jesse does also are are also specialist teachers. When we talk about art, this is just mainly for um for elementary, we look at art and PE and what and then the secondary art
and music teachers. What would they get at that time? Same. They usually meet K12. Okay. Yep. And that's what I've been going through a meeting with. I met with the world language uh leaders last Thursday. I met with the art leaders last Wednesday. I've got a meeting this
week with the PE secondary leader. And so we just sort of go through what secondary with the content targeted is not they're not all together at all. Right. Like social studies is going to be working with some DBQ stuff because that's some writing that they've been working with and wanting the middle
school and the high schools to be more aligned and more intentional with that. Math is going to do some um making thinking visible, some um building classroom stuff. English is going to do vocabulary. So, they're all sort of separate. There's not one focus because it really is designed to be around their
subject that they're teaching for secondary. So, it's like a lot of different groups, the counselor's group, too. So, I appreciate the collaboration, the input that the teachers had in this
process. this year. And um I just one thing to follow up with what Beth asked about um was the teacher feedback. So are there teacher surveys at the end of the August week just to get their you know more comprehensive quantitative feedback on
on the PD and whether it fulfill their expectations and so on. Is really good at making surveys. I'll just tell you that. And and I mean as a you know and I share it I share it out with Jesse and I do do um surveys a lot to get the the
touch um because sometimes I hear from people and I'm not sure if it's the minority or the majority. Right. So I'm trying to figure that out. So um I would be happy to collaborate with you guys and making some kind of survey and and discussing that too after that. Yeah. That's a good point. Yeah. Are you the
noisy one or did you represent the group? Yeah. And and I I mean as a board we would obviously defer to you all. One limitation is the the TCEA represents what 80% of our teachers. So would we be missing 20%. You know that's something
for you all to evaluate if you needed districtwide one. But however you want to do that that might be val that would probably Yeah. And I would just say this last slide was just sort of showing you the team that we meet with throughout the year. Our content teacher leaders,
principles, Dana, myself, and then the instructional coaches. But J's not wrong. Like it it takes a whole teamwork effort to make all of this. We're trying to meet the needs of hundreds of professionals who are all at different points in their career and are teaching all in sometimes very unique situations.
Right? We have one full-time French teacher in the district, right? How do we make sure she has high quality professional development in the midst of all of that? Right? And and these guys are awesome awesome with collaborating with us with giving us feedback and same with like I hope us one saying to them
like hey help us figure this out or what did they say about that or um that's been a huge huge value ad for this. So thanks to you guys. One thing I'll add for the board to think as
um we have new ISD leadership coming in like you know that that's a big piece of this is you know Ben had mentioned in the past like ISD support and and you know that's one of the things that we're trying to get more focused on you know that one of the hard parts we have is
because our ISD is five counties and trying to say okay this district's working on this but this district's working on Yeah. And so we are are are trying to engage more conversation like on the RSDD day, you
know, of of that truly that pattern of needs of what we're trying to do is met because they do have some financial resources that we don't to be able to help accomplish that. So um you know in your ventures with other board members
from the ISD and others like that's important for us to continue. Yeah. So this year given that change of leadership, do we have the ISD delivery plan to deliver the November? No, Jesse and Dan are working with them and I
think again that's something that we're trying to find some you know ways to bring more focus to some of the things that we're trying to do. You know, in the past there there has been um I wasn't here. So like you know when
the when Journeys was done the rest of the ISD went CKLA and TCAPS was the only one that went journeys. So there was no ISD support and all the PD all of that for the curriculum when that was adopted. So, you know, that's that's
part of the you know, I think for a long time there was a bit of um disconnect. You know, I think we've come a long ways with that. And that's something that we want to try and continue to to narrow down that, you know, that we want to get
the support that we need as well, knowing that they also have other districts, but we make over 40% up of the students in the ISD. So, that's an important piece to this mix for us. And I think that goes back to both Jesse and Ben's point of not chasing a new shiny something, but finding those common
through lines and what's important to all kids and how can we shape that for the whole Okay, are we ready to move on to virtual learning? So, okay. So, um, just some new happenings with virtual learning.
And we also wanted to take a little time to have I brought Jen Choic here, principal at Trevor City High School to share a little bit about how things are going at the Compass Center. She's got some data for you guys and some good stories. And then next to her is Mr. Ryan Ranger as we are kicking off next
year a fully virtual middle school um, opportunity for TCAPS students. So, he's going to talk a little bit about that, but uh Dan wanted to jump on the virtual train and talk about elementary virtual learning. See it? Uh the forgot about
Yeah, we do have an elementary program. So, I just want to touch base real quick. Uh every year we have five to 10 kids that are part of this program enrolled for various reasons uh for that choice for their family, but we do support it. um asynchronous learning. So they do the modules and and learning
guides through Lincoln learning. Um they've been fairly successful as far as the students that take it. Sometimes we see a varied success, but the majority of kids that are participating in this program are completing the modules. Um and then we also have Rhonda Bush. So that's kind of that same idea as what
we're trying to do in Compass that we do have an actual support person that the families and students can go to with questions and and help with with any learning that needs to take place. Ron is a retired teacher here from TCAPS. She does a fantastic job. We we talk to
her on a monthly basis to see if the students are being successful, if coming back face to face would be a better plan. It's a fairly small program. I don't know if we have any questions about that. Yeah, Lincoln I just remember Lincoln learning. I mean, we've been
using that since co 2020, right? And and uh I think there's been some ongoing evaluation about whether that's the best virtual. Um there are not there are not very many elementary options. Um, and
this is one that across the state has, you know, generally been liked and and uh not perfect by any means, but but definitely one that um they've found that, you know, it the system works pretty well and and doesn't crash all
the time. And you know, you have some of those at the elementary level that have been pretty bad to be honest. So, we've had relatively good success with those families that have chosen that, right? Yeah. Sarah five to 10 kids right now we have
six six okay so yeah the is that I mean it's far fewer than what we had in 2020 and 2021 and yes and 2022 and actually I think we've just kind of got lost in 23 24 didn't even hear about this so well you know we really don't promote it a
lot you know I mean there is a two different approaches you could take there are K12 cyber schools across the state that kids site up you get a lot of people that um maybe are um hybrid homeschoolers is the best way I kind of
explain it. Um you know that they use these and and have that and maybe supplement in their own way as their family you know wants those kind of things and and really um we haven't ventured into this deeply to try and and
promote it to recruit that if you will. Um it's just I mean in my opinion it's so tough right if a elementary student as far as socially I mean these are six I bet you if you were to sit down with each of these families every one of them has a unique circumstance on why they're
doing it whether they're traveling all the time for figure skating is one of them or there's an illness at home or so we we definitely Dr. Magn said don't promote this and trying to learn how to read virtually. Uh obviously super tough. So even the kids that are on
there we monitor very closely that if it's not working we go semester by semester we have that conversation with the families as secondary does and try to promote coming back and and I I feel like you just hit the mark with that. I mean that's exactly my perspective on
this. um to have it as a fall back for those families that need it because otherwise they could be homeschooling um and it does keep them connected to TCAPS for down the road. They can still participate in LEAP all the sports and
everything that's really important and you know there there [Music] are abilities to ramp up and to do a hybrid kind of a of an opportunity. Um, I, you know, I think that we're learning. We learned a lot this year, as
you'll see in our high school program. We're going to learn a lot next year in our middle school program. And I think when we get very comfortable with that, it's maybe a conversation to come back and have on the elementary. But until we get to that point, just just with bandwidth of team and everything, we're
we're not there. Yeah. But you know there there are some interesting models out there of people that are using it in micro school concepts and some things if you look at like Beth said some of the research if you look at there's some interesting concepts that public schools
are doing with people that just want to choose more of a of a home route you know but but and maybe a drop you know drop in center that has a teacher there to work with them. Um, but again there there's a real capacity to build like
we've built with Compass, you know, and you know, we're just not there yet to even have that conversation. Do these kids take the same testing? They do. They come into the schools and Rhonda's the test. Okay, that's
interesting because that way you can kind of begin to evaluate. It is a requirement for all of our virtual students even all the way through the high schools that they have to take the same some of those a lot of that state testing is required and if these students who are enrolled with us don't take it we won't hit our compliance our
95% we need to assess so and if some kids are just really struggling whether it's chronic absenteeism is that part of when you counsel them is this one of the things you discuss it has not been so far that we've not gone there at the elementary
level again high school level we've had conversations with compass on it um middle school we're just going to start so but elementary no we have sure sure I understand okay all right so our middle school
virtual learning so I'll let you know that just um this kind of came out of what we've seen as a growing need in this area um and Jen really can attest to this as holding the high school program um a lot of phone calls a lot of people reaching out a lot of people requesting. We do have a few middle
school students currently um at who are students at West or East who are fully virtual due to a lot of different circumstances. Um and we want to keep these kids connected to learning. We want to keep them moving forward and developing their skills. As Dr. Van Wagner said, our goal is actually to get
these kids back in person and give them those experiences. However, we just we don't want them to be so far away that when they try to make that bridge, it's really really difficult. So, we're we're really thinking this can be a nice middle ground to keep our kids connected. Um, so I'll let Ryan talk a
little bit about some of these highle bullet points and and what he's hoping over at East. I will tell you, we did decide to do the lab at East instead of West for capacity to be, you know, transparent. Ryan's got a great staff. He's got counselors. to have what we've learned with the high school is to have
all of those kids together in one spot really allows Jen to staff it and to focus on it and to you know we've got a full-time teacher whose job is just to oversee those kids in that program versus okay I got five kids online and I'm teaching a hundred in person and I'm
doing you know it was it's too much to spread it out. So, um, yeah. Yeah. No, and we're excited at East Middle School to have this opportunity, right? Um, and we're going to learn a ton from Jen and her staff. Um, which I'm sure you'll hear more about a lot more about. I
don't have all of the specific details. We're still kind of um getting some things figured out, but I can share some things with you that um we do have a designated lab area. Um, where that's going to be located, we're still in discussion about, right, and and working that through. But um we
will have a space designated for those compass learning kids. Uh the vehicle will be a Celis uh the same as what um the high school is offering as well. So that's nice. It's not Lincoln learning. It's going to be consistent with what the high school's um going with. We do
have staff signed up for training um to attend that in late June. Um that will be our teacher. um one of our assistant principles is going to go um that's going to oversee the online learning program. But um so we're getting some of those pieces in place. We do have a
certified teacher, as I mentioned, that's going to be trained. Um he will be responsible for the two-way communication. We're also looking at having um a case load teacher for special education students that might need access occasionally um to that. So we'll have an hour or two designated for
that time as well. Um thinking what else? Right now numbers are small but we're anticipating growth much like what you're going to hear about from the high school. Um when I say small probably about 10 right now that are expressing interest. Um but I know Jen just
mentioned that she's got a few coming my way um that she's going to refer to me. So again in line with what Dan was saying, Mr. with they do have full access to TCAP's resources. Um not just the athletics, the music and things like
that, but it might also be like counseling, social work, or whatever it is they need, right? Um we want these kids to have access to um figuring out the in-person courses as needed. That's that hybrid schedule, right? So when
kids need to maybe participate or maybe they want to participate in a PE class just to get some energy out but then want to uh unwind a little bit with the online um just whatever whatever fits their needs best. Those are all
individual um basis and discussions with those families. So um and we're also going to have flexibility with our transportation. Um, so if a kid can't stay all day, um, we'll work with Beta on what that's going to look like. Um, so again, it's a very new, um, process
for us, um, in terms of the Aselis and what the Compass Learning Center is going to look like. We're very fortunate to be able to learn from Jen and, um, their successes and also some of their challenges, right? So, we're going to we're going to learn from those and face
our own, I'm sure. But, um, we're going to have successes, too. So, we're excited about that. So, do the kids have to come on site to use the lab or can they use it from home? They can use it from home, right? I mean, you know, from
home um the SLIS programming. Currently, we have it set up where students need to come in for their midterms and their finals um in order to take those so we can have some academic integrity there. Um, but we find that a lot of students do come in if they're struggling and
that mentoring piece with the two-way communication really encourages them to come in and so I think that's one of the best benefits is when those students can come in, they feel connected to the teachers and staff and then some other programming and wraparound services. So we encourage them to come in but um we
had some students that started to come in all day. We found that was a little too long for them to sit there on a computer and try to do online. We're like maybe two to three hours. Yeah, that's where the flexible transportation comes in and helps them out. But I I think you speak to something really
important is that relationship side, right, that they're able to build with that um with our certified teacher, you know, just somebody they can trust and go to for help and support. And then the other questions are kind of related. One is if a student is struggling say with
math class can they also take the ascelus math class comparable and and have them augmented each other that's one and the second question Jesse's shaker not yet not yet not yet not yet
we don't do summer school so kids who've not been successful you know they can't use it is there any plan to have in effect an online summer school. Well, we do summer school for our high school students. So, and we use a Celus for that and we're running that out of the
same lab at TC High. So, any of our high school students who are off track for graduation um are able for free, we offer um programming for them to to earn credits and get themselves back on track. And that's staffed by um teachers who are at any of our secondary
buildings. It's primarily teachers who are at West Sior High and Central High School. and TC High who teach that because they're familiar with the courses, but we do have the fiveweek program that runs in July and they would be familiar with the curriculum so that they can bridge back and forth which be
kind of cool too. Would be. Thank you. Did you have a second question? Well, that's that's the summer school and can you augment if you're having a struggle right now? Um, just in terms of the transportation flexibility. So, how does that work for kids who live on the west
side of the district versus the east for the location being at East Middle School? Yeah. Working through beta, right? Yeah. So, if you live on the east, if you're zoned for east side, you get a T. Yeah. You would be able to go to a TCAPS bus, but if you're on the west side, your transportation would
have to be beta. And is there is beta's s like the route system exhaust? Is it exhaustive enough? Okay. And even and I believe even east side would have to use beta. I mean they could get them to school or they could pick them up from school on a route, but if they were to
three hours if it's not a full day. What what's going to be interesting is you know we we've talked a lot about um with middle schoolers, how many of them need, you know, there's there's nobody at home, whatever. Like how how much more, you know, are they going to need to be
there all day versus not? We don't know that answer. We don't know exactly what that's going to look like. Um versus high school maybe has a ride is able to drive, you know, and and so I think that's something that when when Ranger and I walked the building last week, we
just were, you know, we don't have that answer. Um we're going to find out, you know, so um you know, we're the we're the only one at this point in the the Northwest region that's doing this. Um, so you know, in other places that, you
know, if it's a district that's six square miles, that's easy. Not a district that's 300, that's not that easy, you know. Um, so it'll just be really interesting to see logistically how those kind of things end up working out. How how's TCAPS uh do they get full
tuition in the state? We do. We get the full we get the full foundation for the students. um everything they're a full-fledged student in every way of services they provide and our funding that we get that's provided. So, and so they're and the other thing that
is with this they're able to get breakfast and lunch. You know, if they qualify all, you know, with but it's only virtual, right? Right. No, it it's real. It's not a virtual it's not a virtual breakfast or lunch until the Star Trek, you know, food creator, you know, comes out. We're not there yet,
best, but but uh but they, like I said, they'll have every opportunity that a face toface traditional student has. Great. So I'm just trying to refresh I'm trying to refresh my memory on Aselis because during COVID we had the Lincoln learning for K through five. We had
something else for secondary. We did and it wasn't as it was. Yeah. So so bring us up to speed on how did we pick? A year ago, we started look I think Jen and her team really started to look statewide and talk to um different alternative ed you know schools, high
schools, taking a look at success that they were having that they felt was comprehensive enough but students were able to navigate. And so we really kind of started out piloting you know a solus from that standpoint um and and I've had really really good feedback with it and
good success. Um so at this point we'll be in year two of of uh in fact I think did we not use it at the very tail end of we used it for summer um academy last year to pilot it and try out the features to make sure that it would be
what we wanted and what everybody the feedback we had was true. So, it's nice because there's a lot of different um supports that are built into it with the different levels that we can pro like set students at if they're doing credit recovery, if they have an IEP and doing
more tuned learning, if they want an honors course, and then there's a lot of supports built in that has been working really well for our students and staff to use that platform. And and Ryan, you mentioned you're anticipating about 10 kids next year to
start. When when Jen shares the numbers of growth they've had at the high school, I don't know if we'll see it to that extent, but we do anticipate growth as word gets out, right? Um even word of mouthwise. So, yeah. And so, and we've staffed this with one full-time teacher.
And so, that gives us the capacity to go up to 40 um students. Um, and then if we get more than that, then we're going to have to relook at staffing and support for that person. We have an LOU that we've um, worked really hard with the union to figure out like this is a different job than the other jobs that
our teachers do, right? They don't have they're not delivering the curriculum nor are they grading the curriculum. Um, they're supporting it and what does that look like? And they're doing these two-way communications. And so we've sort of landed on a a case load of 40 being um a full-time FTE. So that's what
we're starting with and then we'll see where we go from there. And how many kids did you have this year which I guess you would consider your pilot? I think nothing this next year will be our first part will be our first. All right. So the CLIS pilot that was a
TC highlight. Okay. If the student wanted to take a a foreign language in middle school could they take through that throughelis? We do have there's Spanish offerings. Yes, but if they want to take German, I don't believe those are in the course
catalog. They're available on Osalis. We we currently don't offer them. So, it might be some of them still do Michigan virtual those one courses. That's what at the high schools we still we have. I know we've got a student at one of our high schools who's taking Chinese and
they're doing it through Michigan Virtual. The thing with M Michigan Virtual is they provide us the certified teacher. We don't have a teacher in our district who's certified in Chinese, right? So that sometimes is a barrier for us. Um and so that's and it works well with the clearing house. There's
other reasons why at the larger two high schools we and you guys have a few kids doing Michigan virtual classes at the middle school for a variety of reasons. Um it could be because and you have a kid doing French, I think, because there's not any French classes, but there is French at the high school that goes to the high school. So that makes
sense to prepare that kid. Um, we also just want to be cognizant about like what programming do we have and are we setting these students up to be successful? Like as we heard from the public comment, like if you're taking this this year and you're still going to be with us another year, do we have course offerings that make sense for you
to continue your learning? Right? We don't want to offer something that would kind of put a kid down a road that has a dead end at it. Right? So at the moment both of our traditional high schools have French on the No, one has French, one has German. German. Yep.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. French I was going to say on the east side, Central High School, German on the west side and then Spanish across the district. So at least having those three foreign languages on offer um the school level would make sense, right?
It would be at least Spanish across the board. Then virtual, you have the option for the kids to be get ready earlier for that. Right. Yep. Right. And then if you have the oneoff that wants to do Mandarin or Japanese, then the virtual options fully there through virtual. I
totally get that. I mean, clearly we just want kids to come to school, you know, in some way, shape, or form and graduate in our court courses. But I do love how TCAPS does go up to year six. I mean that's really phenomenal in Spanish
and German at least. I'm not sure about French, but French does as well. Yeah. Okay. So I mean that that's incredible. We do have those teachers at our high schools 15 and six. Yeah. And I do stand corrected. It looks like there can be in middle school German, French and Spanish. Okay. So great. So that's an
alignment. What about sign? American sign. Yeah. is not. Yeah, that's one that we have struggled to staff. Um, we've also seen struggles on accepting that um on student transcripts for colleges because it doesn't have all three components of a world language
course, written, speaking, um, and listening. Those are the three. There's no a lot of colleges actually don't consider that one a world language course. Um, so it it's something um that we and we've also struggled to staff it to be transparent. We've had a sign
language teacher position posted for years and years and um I think the teacher at West Senior High who's doing a fabulous job is not actually uh highly qualified in ASL is highly qualified in English I believe. Um so yeah.
Um all right. So let's hear a little bit from Jen about her year at the Compass Learning Center. Well, we have um expanded to really try to create the most flexible scheduling for our students in order to meet their needs and remove barriers. So, we obviously
have our 100% in person, then the 100% online, and then the hybrid model. So, a few numbers. I mean, we started with 17 and we are at 162 online. So, I do expect that you will have some growth there. Be ready. So, take 10. But we're
like, we don't know. Um, and we still have a pretty robust inperson as well. That has changed a little bit with the I with incorporating a little bit of the hybrid. So each hour we have four hours a day. Um, we do have a uh one hour dedicated for online students. Um, but
they have to they're considered in person. They have to be in school in that classroom with the certified teacher. And that has helped to fill gaps in their um their transcripts. when they come to us, their transcripts are kind of all over the places from whatever life has thrown at them. And so
that has really helped with that. So last year we had about 130 students total and now we currently have about 270 total and that falls under the umbrella of all these programs. And it's sometimes hard to get
the exact number of who's in person, who's online because one of the nice things about this is the students do have that option to go between the two when when they can. We have students that have been online that now are in person. We have students that are in person that now need to are online
because of I a bunch of different circumstances. Um and this has also increased our graduation um numbers. Last year we had about 35. We had projected um about 50. We have about 65 that are graduating this year and
finishing up. And we had 11 more from last year that walked and are finishing up. And that's due to this um programming. It's due to 18 credit diploma offering. Um and just a really amazing staff that has been flexible this whole year to support all these
students. Um so we've done this through the CLC lab which we were just talking about. We've also taken on some SOS lab students and helped support them. um and provided some wraparound services for those students um that are there and
it's a just another safety net for these students that may just need another a different option. Um, and then our incredible staff, like I said, they have been working working very hard and been flexible to support all of these changes
and our growth going from 17 students online to 162 and then our numbers just growing and it their jobs have they've stepped up at every turn um to make this happen because they're dedicated to these students. So, these seven um in-person teachers also are really
interwebbed into the online and the CLC lab. They're teachers of record. They're called in to help students that need help on a math test or um an ELA where Mr. Living Goods in there and can help coordinate all of that as well. And they are stepping up to be mentors and doing
two-way communication. A lot of that is helping the students to be able to feel more comfortable when they come in and make that connection. And some of those students are looking to be in person next year. Um so that has worked really nice. Um, and it's a pretty unique program to be offering those three and
to have students be able to be flexible between all three. Um, and then lastly, next year we applied for the um, waiver for um, four days a week for in person and our staff has been dedicated to really working on creating a schedule
for our in-person and offering that to the online all TCHS students. um providing ways to com connect with the community and increase their post-secary goals. So, they have ways to bring community in or students going into the community and they've set up those um they've been working and they have a
whole calendar that will be letting students know about an orientation. So, cool. Um so, we've created a lot of systems this year um to support students through various learning platforms as I just said. Um, I would say that probably
one of the biggest parts of that again is the staff and coming together and wrapping doing the wraparound. A lot of the online students utilize our social worker, SSN, our guidance counselor, our teachers so that they can access their
education and remove those barriers. Um, we have had all sorts of success stories and it's hard to put them into categories because every student comes in with a very unique story. Um we've had um a couple of special ed students that were at Central and they were with
us last year and they couldn't even walk into a classroom. Last year we were able to get them in the classroom but not very many classes. Um they couldn't quite get to the work. There was still a lot of anxiety there. They actually come into the CLC and they're online now. Um they come in two days a week for about
four hours each day and one of them has passed 15 classes and the other one's 17 online. and with those wraparound support services going up and working with a special ed teacher and it just works for them. It just works and they get their breakfast, their lunch, all of that when they're there. Um we have had
students that come in that are older, like 18, almost 19, hadn't been in school in a long time. Um, we actually started the student with a hybrid schedule just to kind of help ease ease her in and she's actually doing full-time now in person doing community
connections class and has really come out of her shell. So, we have all these different stories. They're all very unique because they choose online for a unique circumstances. Um, we learned a lot this year and so we'll be hopefully helping and it's I'm excited to have a partner in this now
that we can bounce ideas off of. Um, but we really are improving our mentoring systems. The systems that we had to follow first were really we start out with what we had to do mandated which was the two-way communication. But what we've really found is that sorry um but
what we've really found is that the two-way is where you reach out and make sure that the students doing what they need to do, but it really needs to be mentoring. Um checking in with them, seeing if they need anything beyond their academics, helping them schedule times to come in, all of those outreach
outreach um services that we have. and our team, Living Good, everybody in that CLC has worked hard to make those systems in place to make sure those students are being contacted and being supported. Um, we're looking for orientation for all students. Um,
that'll look a little different for online that first week of school. And then one of our first Friday activities is doing an orientation team building with our in-person students and any of the online that we can encourage to come. Um, and then increasing student
connections to school and community. I talked about that a little bit with our Fridays and our our staff has worked hard um setting all of those up and creating a schedule for those students. And all of those students have access to career tech center. So she has some students who are virtual might go to
Yep. and NMC classes. So again, when we say they these students get all the opportunities that TCAP students get, that includes some of those programmings that are unique to our high school students. And one other statistic that I just want to throw out there, we said TCAPS. We actually have 43 students that
came to us from out of district that are in our 43. Um, Jen, just remind us what is the SOS lab? If you go back to the previous slide, what does SOS stand for? Oh, I don't know. It's Save Our Students. So, thank you. It is a it's a kind of a
tutoring lab that is it's a private LLC that that runs uh here in Traverse City. And so, um, they've actually been partnered with another school district in the past, um, downstate. And so, we're working with them to work with Jen
for students, um, to to be able to be a part of of, uh, TC High. Okay. Um, rather than we use them this year as well. Uh, we we did a kind of a pilot partnership second semester with that. Um, gone well. Um, but we we're hoping
that that expands um, next year. uh they do have about 200 kids um that they've had that are from our district in various districts. And so we're we're trying to collaborate to work that to where it's not one that
goes down to the Detroit area but stays here from those resources. Yeah. And then Jen, also just the TC high enrollment. Um, if you go back to that, I just I mean that's that's really, you know, massive. And you said
65 students are graduating this year. Was that just from Compass or is that It's a combination. And again, it's it is I could get you the numbers, but it is hard to identify which ones were 100% online in person because they do go between and I could break those down for
you if you'd like, but that's fine. I mean to me I you know I I just want to get kids going to school and finishing school. So you know as we've discussed you know I'm I'm nervous the younger the kid is about having all virtual learning
but I think that's a collective concern here. Um but you know to get high school kids you know have doubling your TC high graduation you know having attended those for years now I mean you know, we would get, you know, usually a class of
about 30 36 and and so that's really exciting to see that many more kids, you know, succeeding and graduating. Yeah, it is exciting. I think for our staff that's been pretty veteraned at Trevor City High School and with the idea that,
you know, our backbone is relationships and having these kids in there, this has been a huge shift for us to pivot in our minds what is best for students and is it's allowing them access to the the education in whatever form it meets and then us figuring out what barriers and
hoops we need to jump through to make that happen. Um, and so that's been a huge shift, but the numbers speak loudly to it's it's being successful. We have some tweaks to do, but it's definitely being successful. Been successful. And I think it's about us as a district giving
Jen and her team as many tools as possible. It's interesting when you hear her say like I asked her too like how many are just virtual, how many are she's like Jess, they don't it's all of it, right? It's whatever that kid needs at that time, right? She's got kids who
for nine weeks were all virtual and then they decide to come in person and then the next nine weeks they've got two classes online because they not you know only a few kids need them so we're not offering a section of that and then the rest of the day they're there in person. So it really she's got an environment in which it's able to sort of respond to
what the kid needs um to get them to progress towards you know their diploma. Um and that's been really cool to see. Um a lot of work though for her and for her her team. um and a lot of support from the district we've had. So that's and working all together. I share your
concern with kids going online or being online, but my hope is that we'll pick up some of those kids who lost to homeschooling that just for a variety of reasons the school day just does not work for them or or no schooling or no
school. Right. Correct. You know, I mean there are across our state like 30,000 kids. We're just not sure. We just don't know. Absolutely. So that it it actually makes me really excited that we have an elementary option because I've seen so many kids just
go. Yes. And the wonder of where are they? What are they doing? So absolutely. But we're there's no doubt in my mind we're on the absolute right track with this program. Yeah. You know, no doubt.
So, um I I just want to encourage you all to to c like we need to take this moment and celebrate. I know we have that next on our agenda, so it's a good segue, but really um you know, when kids succeed, we all succeed. So,
um just a very quick question I had about the improving mentoring systems and the student connection to school community. uh just you know uh triggered in my mind like a question of do we have big brothers and big sisters coming in to TC High? We do not. You do not. Okay.
Is that something that we've looked at in the past? So you're talking about mentor, you know, mentoring within TCAPS, but I know we have big brother bigs coming into other TCAP schools. So when we put the mentoring on the um on
the slideshow, it was more for our staff members have to do mentoring with the students that are virtual and with our in person to make those connections. But we are always looking for adults that are, you know, qualified and um to come in and be mentors to our students
because the more at lunchtime would be a great time for that um because our kids don't have a lot of options and I anytime they can connect with an adult in the community would be great. So, I'm open to that opportunity if we can make it happen.
Can I ask a question about the middle school? Sure. Um, just being in elementary and knowing some truency concerns. Um, I'm thinking particular of a student has huge anxiety and she's in fifth grade going into sixth grade. I
have brought up the possibility of this. Are there conversations that you can have with like social workers or administration at those buildings to try and catch those kids to say like, "Hey, this is an opportunity because we'd rather have them in virtual than not in
school at all." Absolutely. I think once we start really nailing down where we're at, communicating with them and getting uh some communication out to families, again, it's a slippery slope, like how much are we sharing versus um letting it be a slow build, but those are exactly
the kind of kids that might be strong candidates for programs like this, right? And we don't want to lose them um to truency issues or things like that. I mean, for lack of a better term, I think keep your hooks in them a little bit and and try to coax them back in, right? Is
is the hope. So, nice suggestion. I do. Yeah. I can think of a kid in middle school at your school. Yeah. That could benefit from that. And I'll I'll just go out on a limb here
and and say I would be interested in seeing Compass and EMS in action in the new school year. Maybe we can have a board opportunity for us to tour. We'll make TC highway one of our visits. Yeah, TC and yeah and EMS too. I think would
be good to see. We'll be knocking it out of the park. We'll go second. We can get a little van home field here. Home run. We can use our shuttle van. Yeah. Yeah. I like it. You can just go to EMS.
You can't go to both. Oh yeah. So it's not that bad. Its range isn't that bad. Yeah. Okay. Moving right along then is celebrations of successes. Um so we we we will we have quite a few because it's
the end of the year and so there's so much good stuff going on with 12 days. 12 days Mr. Zen. Well, 11 more mornings. 11 more mornings. Um so we will uh go through these for you guys, but feel free to ask Dan and I more details afterwards, too. So yeah.
So kicking things off at Blair here, Katherine Wooden's first grade class. I've seen this project in other elementary school schools. They decided to focus on science and the science projects they did throughout the year. So they use a virtual company online. They have the kids make their books and
then they they submit to the company. The company then comes back with an actual uh hardcover book. So super cool project. Helps highlight uh our science in the elementary school. Wonderful. And then here is our choir
program at Central High School. I mean, we we know how amazing, especially these last few weeks, we've been able to hear lots of great concerts and our and our students, but really, you know, high ratings across the state at all of their festivals and their competitions. We've had students who have been selected to
be part of a very exclusive allstate choir. So just I mean our kids in these and our directors just do a phenomenal job of a top-notch programming for these kids. And our Traverse City Optimus Club celebrating our fifth graders uh from each of our school as part of their
youth appreciation day specifically positive attitude, kindness, and goodness that they bring to all of their classrooms. And then this is a photo of our west senior high uh STEM students, but I know our central students as well went on the
inland seas and spent a day out on the Great Lakes doing some science. And that's a really fun program. They do a great job teaching the kids. They um I do know that the central group locked out. I think they went on those days it was 80° so that was nice. Although this day looks pretty nice for the West kids,
too. So um and I think we have more kids going out today, tomorrow from West. their 10th graders are going on a visit. So, really cool to use our local resources and expose all the kids to those. And this is uh out of Corte. This is Mr.
Boyce's uh fifth grade class as part of their fantastic garden. We learned quite a bit in their nutrition and fitness meeting the other day. Mr. Rasho in which he'd probably been there a while because I think the road is named after him there in front of the school. Uh helps on a regular basis with the cart
with the garden as far as compost but also provided the chicks at Hatch and the kids observe do studies with them. It's a kind of a nice interactive program with our our local community. I told my granddaughter about it. She wants to go to quick day.
They got a lot going on there. Uh, and these are some of our business students over at Central High School. They, uh, won a competition, a branding competition. Um, really excited about that. And Miss Harvey just does a phenomenal job just getting her kids out in the community and connecting with local businesses. So, um, they earned
$900 uh, for winning that competition. So, and shout out to our food service department uh, specifically working with our our local farmers. It is asparagus season. Um, so they were working, this was out at Long Lake just doing some uh
samples as far as taste testing and then the students got to vote if they were fans of asparagus or if they were not. Do you know what the results were? It looks like tried it. Loved it. Looks like it won. Liked and tried. I didn't put the
picture in with the kid sticking her tongue out. Don't hug my yum. Right. Yeah. Tell you how old I am. It's come around. Right. Um let's see. Here we go. And um this is uh at Central
High School, they had uh Traverse City's mayor and Traverse City Clerk come by after their APV exam and and sort of talk to the kids about what does it mean to be in local politics? Uh what are those services and those roles look like? You can see there they're using the lab, the innovation center there for
that presentation. And again, it I've been over there a few times for different things and they are using that space a ton for a ton of different things. Um, and so this was a great opportunity to show off that space and also um hear about some of our local officials
and Corte again partnered with uh employees from Costco. They came over every Wednesday uh to read with kids and then at the end of the program donated several books. So thanks to our friends at Costco for their their time and resources. And this is Nate Brush's uh class at
West Middle School. He's our STEM teacher there. I think some of you guys were able to tour some of his stuff. And I mean, he always is doing really cool stuff um with his kids. But uh this is when they were building their own roller coasters and um doing that. So high engagement, pretty cool hands-on
activities for kids. And this is an annual our annual all city track meet uh put on by our LEAP. Uh several of all of our elementaryaries participated. It's a huge event. Uh just a lot of fun and a lot of success.
And then this is some of our our uh different publications. So this is our West Senior High newspaper. They won um a lot of different awards here at their competition. And then the next slide here is our East Middle School students
as well. Um, and their awards that they had won too. And I think there's a little video that we wanted to show you. It's short and it's pretty cool. It's the kids. They're watching the awards ceremony um live. And so Oh, no. Read it
or no? Download it quick. Um, and what happens when secondary tries to one up? It's a really cute video because Miss Mackey knows I wait and Jody knows they were about ready to win and so she's taping the kids and they're hearing all
the schools, you know, they're calling off some Ann Arbor schools. They're calling off different schools and they're all the kids are just sitting there and then they call East Middle School and the kids just go crazy. It's a really cute video. So, and they were what one of four middle schools in the competition for the for the MEIPA and
then the Spartan Award. Um they were actually the only middle school and there were four schools selected and they were the only middle school. So pretty good stuff. It It's impressive. Really impressive. Yeah. And this is from Eastern Elementary. The
Central High School's class of 2025 that attended Eastern Old Mission came back to visit our students at Eastern Elementary. See that video link in the lower right? Let's see if your video works.
[Music] There we go. Oh my gosh, look at that video. It's pretty fun that the seniors love it. They love to walk through the school and a lot of our elementary schools do this. Um, and the little kids that that are younger students love that, too. So, pretty cool. Is there a
way to standardize that? I wonder. I know there's a lot of questions from different kids. I don't know Maggie did it or not, but she has one scheduled this week at Long Lake. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have it at Well, they at least came over on I know they stood on
the sign. Yeah. I thought they all did that. No, they don't. No, it really is like the the elementary school's the one who takes the initiative to like reach out and contact the kids. And then also, you are organizing seniors who sometimes it's more difficult to organ. It's easier to organize them when school's
still going on. Our seniors are done now. So then it becomes a little harder to organize them to show up at the right time. You hope to get them at rehearsal. Yeah, you can do that. And then lastly, uh, congratulations our TCAPS employees for their 2025 outstanding educator award is
something that's for years have been partnered with TBA credit union and Northwest Ed. Um, we had Miss Helman, I know she is over at Corte. We also had Carrie Labonte, a German teacher at West Senior High. Kirk Rainey, principal at
Blair, Charles Taylor, who works with our shared time with St. Francis and Immaculate Conception. And then Betsy Wells, administrative assistant at Central High School. Celebration will be Wednesday, June 4th at 6:30 p.m. at the City Opera House.
There we go. Great. Any other items? Okay. Then with that, um, our next board curriculum meeting will be Tuesday, July 8th at 8:30 a.m. at this location, Glen Lewis Building. Um, and actually I
sorry, I'm just going to add in a little other item here, just to confirm, is 8:30 on generally the first Tuesday of the month. I think it's still a good time for everybody. We're meeting in July
and we're not meeting sorry it's either the last week of the month or it's the first week of the month. We have two and just depending on holiday just kind of how it fell on July 8th, right? So there's no late June meeting. Um it's
probably because of the July 4th holiday week being closed for the administration office. But just to confirm generally Tuesdays and 8:30 a.m. are good for my fellow committee members and okay so we will keep it so so with that we are
adjourned. Thank you everyone.