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General Library Item Name Release Date Expire date Access Content Private Friday Report 2013-09-06 September 7, 2013

Administrative Content
Board Meetings & Minutes Drafts There are no minutes drafts to provide the board with this edition of the Friday Report. A special meeting on superintendent evaluation has been added tentatively to the calendar on Saturday, November 2, 2013 starting at 10:00 a.m. This will be a special workshop involving several boards from the Northwest ESD. An alternate is planned for Saturday afternoon, November 23, during the WSSDA Annual Conference. Board Agenda Items Catholic Community Services Agreement (Strategic Target: 5.1.a): The attached agreement between Everett Public Schools and Catholic Community Services (CCS) of Western Washington will provide mental health services for children (from preschool through grade 5) and their families at Hawthorne Elementary School. CCS will employ one therapist to work on the campus of Hawthorne and help school staff to identify and develop strategies to assist students with mental health issues and to connect families to essential community resources. CCS agrees that it and its personnel will maintain confidentiality of family information. Everett Public Schools will provide office space and basic office equipment. Hawthorne staff will identify students who may need a mental health assessment and refer them to the program. In addition, Hawthorne will designate a staff member to assist CCS in navigating district procedures. While this one-year agreement provides a range of help services to Hawthorne students and their families, it provides an early application of our "community resource center network" concept for which the district's Community Resource Center and partnerships structure forms the hub. This agreement will be presented for board approval at the September 24 regular meeting. Attachment: Agreement Between Catholic Community Serivces & EPS 20130906.pdf (67 KB) City of Everett STEM Partnership Agreement (Strategic Target: 5.1.a): The attached agreement between the city of Everett and Everett Public Schools is designed to augment the district's work to develop an integrated approach to STEM integration K-12. The agreement is intended to be part of a broader array of partnership and contractual arrangements that will support and guide the district's efforts over the next several years. This project is expected to extend to a community-wide program of business partnerships that will result in the type of employment opportunities described in the U.S. Conference of Mayors report that is also attached. The agreement will presented for board approval at the September 24 regular meeting. Attachment: City of Everett STEM Agreement 2013-14.pdf (138 KB) Attachment: USCOM Partnerships for Summer Youth Employment Report 201301.pdf (2,435 KB) Legislative Update WSSDA Legislative Assembly: The annual WSSDA 2013 Legislative Assembly is scheduled for September 19-21. The purpose is to develop a legislative platform for the 2014 legislative session. During the upcoming September 10 regular meeting, Pam LeSesne, your elected legislative representative, will facilitate a discussion on the WSSDA Summary of Legislative Assembly Proposals to obtain consensus on proposal positions and identification of the highest priorities for the students of Everett Public Schools. Prior to attending the board meeting, please print and complete the two documents attached in anticipation of the legislative position discussion.

1. The first document (summary) asks that you identify your stance, pro or con, or your suggestion to amend. 2. The second document (prioritization) asks that you select the top priorities for WSSDA; please identify your top ten.
Please bring each document with you to the September 10 board meeting. Do not distribute your ratings to other board

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members in advance of the meeting. Staff will collect your choices, produce a spreadsheet for comparison, and return them to you for that portion of the meeting discussion. Links to the various legislative documents are also included below. Attachment: Legislative Assembly Guide Proposal Summary 2013 (web).pdf (138 KB) Attachment: Legislative Assembly Guide Proposal Prioritization Form 2013 (web).pdf (99 KB) WSSDA Legislative Assemblies - Policy 1290 WSSDA Legislative Assembly Procedures - Policy 1290P WSSDA Legislative Assembly Proposals and Process - Policy 2082 WSSDA 2013 Legislative Assembly Proposal Guide WSSDA 2013 Summary of Legislative Assembly Proposals WSSDA 2013 Proposal Prioritization Form Mutual Consent: Late in the last session in Olympia it became apparent that the mutual consent bill became stalled. Senator Rodney Tom is the Senate Majority Leader for the Majority Coalition Caucus. According to a Seattle Times article at the time, Senator Tom "said Senate leaders have largely backed away from two policy bills that they had sought one that would have given principals the option of rejecting teachers who are appointed to their schools and the other that would have placed limits on the rate of growth for non-education spending in the state budget. Tom said the Senate is moving away from those proposals because of opposition from the House." Currently, conversations with legislators indicate that the desire for a mutual consent bill is still alive. The essence of the proposal is that principals should not have to accept teachers they do not want in their schools, and that teachers should not have to accept transfers to schools at which they do not want to teach. Counsel's analysis of the bill language indicates the proposed law would limit principals' ability to assign teachers within a school as well, and would prevent the district from reducing staff at a school if enrollment fell (extending the principals' right to select staff to a right to retain staff). The negative financial impacts would be devastating to districts. (About fifty staff transferred between schools this past season.) This past week two legislators, including Sen. Tom, visited the district to observe the staff balancing process that occurs during the first few weeks of school. More have been invited for the coming week. Legislators are receiving a short briefing on the pertinent collective bargaining agreement provisions, the enrollment projection process, and program differences among schools, and the labor cost structure within which decisions must be made; then they sit in on the staff balancing meeting and are able to stop the process to ask questions. Our hope is this experience provides a greater depth of understanding of the complexities involved in balancing staff assignments to student enrollment among about 1,000 classrooms in 26 schools. Instructional Hours: In the adopted 2013-15 Operating Budget, the Legislature mandated an increase in instructional hours for seventh to twelfth grades starting the 2014-15 school year. Section 502, Increased Instructional Hours For Grades Seven Through Twelve, provides, in part: (a) School districts shall implement the increased instructional hours for the instructional program of basic education required under the provisions of RCW 28A.150.220(2)(a) beginning with the 2014-15 school year, which enhancement is within the program of basic education. (b) Amounts provided in this section are sufficient to fund increased instructional hours in grades seven through twelve. For the 2014-15 school year, the superintendent [of public instruction] shall allocate funding to school districts for increased instructional hours. In calculating the allocations, the superintendent shall assume the following averages: (a) Additional instruction of 2.2222 hours per week per full-time equivalent student in grades seven through twelve in school year 2014-15; (b) the general education average class sizes specified in section 502(2)(c); (c) 36 instructional weeks per year; (d) 900 instructional hours per teacher... The Legislature also provided for two separate studies of instructional time, directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee ("JLARC") to conduct a study regarding how districts use school days. This included a definition of instructional time and an estimate of instructional hours. On August 14, JLARC met and did not include this study in its 2013-15 work plan. The second is a study that Central Washington University will conduct on the percentage of a teachers day spent on teaching related duties. Compliance with this law will result in the need to open the collective bargaining agreement between the district and the Everett Education Association, and possibly other labor agreements for employees affected by the change in length and structure of instructional days. State Accountability Index: The Washington State Achievement Index is designed as a unified state and federal system intended to meaningfully differentiate among schools. It is a snapshot of a school's performance based on statewide assessments. Directors can compare how a school performs in reading, writing, math, science, and graduation rates. The achievement index is a joint project between the State Board of Education and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. As a result of the state's NCLB waiver, and legislative attention to achievement gaps, the state's Achievement and Accountability Workgroup has been preparing a revised accountability index. Directors are encouraged visit the AAW site, peruse the materials, and view the videos. The use of student growth percentiles in calculating schools' performance will be a very significant change in the accountability structure. Biology Instructional Calendar (Strategic Target: 1.1.a) On August 28, all district biology teachers gathered at Jackson High School to determine an instructional calendar for the beginning of the year. They used the draft scaling and leveling documents produced last year to scaffold students' learning and

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produce a base for a common assessment. Focused, district-wide collaboration is routine for biology teachers, following the OEL grant-supported training provided so many of the district's science teachers (directors have been provided insight into this grant work through the State of School Review process). This collaboration time and structure was not prompted or arranged by administration; it was originated and organized by the teachers. Collection of Evidence (COE) Math Score Results (Strategic Target: 1.1.a) The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released the math scores for the June submission of the COE alternative assessment option used to meet graduation requirements. There are 32 total score points possible for Year 1 COE; students must score 24 out of the 32 points on a Year 1 Math COE to meet standard and demonstrate proficiency. Twenty Everett students submitted full Year 1 (algebra) collections and three students who submitted new work samples enhance the existing COE, referred to as an augmented COE. All of the 23 students demonstrated a proficient level of performance and met the math graduation requirement. ACT District and School Reports (Strategic Target: 1.1.b) The ACT is a curriculum-based measure of college readiness which is used for college admissions purposes at many four year colleges and universities. It includes tests of academic achievement in English, math, reading, science, and writing (optional). In addition, students complete a Student Profile Career Interest Inventory. The ACT provides information about high school grades and courses to colleges as reported by the student. These ACT reports provide performance information on the 2013 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2013. However, only about two hundred students take the ACT from Everett Public Schools. This sample is considerably smaller than the SAT. The five-year district-wide trend for the percent of students who met all four college readiness benchmarks listed above increased from 32 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2013. The national, state, district, and school reports are posted on DocuShare. Advanced Placement Results, Spring 2013 (Strategic Target: 1.1.b) In 2012-13, Advanced Placement exams were taken in 20 subject areas in one or more of the four high schools. Six hundred and eleven students took 832 exams. The mean score for total exams taken in the district exceeded the state, nation, and global mean scores. Considering only subject areas where the number of tests (N) exceeded 10, the district significantly outperformed the state, nation and global mean scores in biology, chemistry and psychology. The district percent of total AP students scoring a 3 or higher have steadily increased from 61 percent in the spring of 2010 to 70 percent in the spring of 2013. At the same time, the number of exams taken increased from 685 to 832. Traditionally, more female students have taken AP exams than male students; however, in spring 2013 the male participation rate exceeded that of females. Over the course of the last four years, there has been an increase in participation by students in grades 10 and 11, while student participation in grade 12 remained constant. A copy of the AP Report for 2012-13 is attached. Attachment: AP Report 2012-13.pdf (303 KB) Applications in Mathematical Reasoning (AMR) (Strategic Target: 1.2.b) Important goals for every EPS graduate includes the completion of four years of meaningful, rigorous mathematics in high school that includes at least one year of college preparatory math. At each high school a new fourth-year college preparatory math course, Applications in Mathematical Reasoning (AMR), began this year. This course can be selected after completion of the algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 sequence. It is a viable, college-level math option for those students who are not interested in pursuing the traditional pre-calculus and calculus track at this time in their academic studies. It is also college credit eligible through Everett Community College. Course topics include statistics, data analysis, personal finance, mathematical modeling, and discrete mathematics problem-solving. Preparing graduates for a successful transition to college or career choices after high school is one of the main goals of this fourth year senior-level math course. Kindergarten Assessment and the Common Core (Strategic Target: 1.2.b) In two weeks a committee of teachers will meet to align the existing Kindergarten Assessment Resource Kit (KARK) to the expectations of Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The math and literacy curriculum departments will be hosting these sessions as teachers analyze the current assessment items and make necessary revisions for teachers to apply this year. This committee work will be one of many steps in aligning our assessments to CCSS. Common Core State Standards-Course Syllabi/Curriculum Mapping (Strategic Targets: 1.2.b, 1.2.c) In August, district secondary English language arts teachers and social studies teachers worked collaboratively to develop common curriculum maps and syllabi. In the case of English language arts, these plans are focused on teaching and learning the rigorous Common Core State Standards through the use of the College Board's SpringBoard materials. Social studies plans address state social studies standards and also Common Core State Standards expected for social studies. Teachers demonstrated professional leadership in these work sessions, sharing ideas for instructional and assessment strategies to boost student learning and achievement. They designed rigorous performance assessments, which call on students to demonstrate knowledge and skills in engaging performance tasks. Highly Capable Program (Strategic Target: 1.3.a)

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The highly capable program is an alternative placement for students to receive additional and accelerated experiences. The program begins at grade two and continues through grade five. Eligible students are offered enrollment in a self-contained classroom for highly capable students. Teachers from the highly capable program recently convened for a day of professional development. They worked on Common Core mapping and "accountable talk" for engaging gifted students. They also met in their highly capable professional learning communities to set goals and discuss common assessments to use in the district's highly capable classes. English Language Learner Summer School (Strategic Targets: 1.5.a, 1.3.b) Six elementary schools hosted summer school for English Language Learners (ELL): Emerson, Garfield, Madison, Monroe, Silver Lake, and Woodside. Schools were selected based on their number of ELL students, and students progress on the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Twenty-five students from each school participated in a hands-on science unit infused with Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) strategies. Fifteen ELL seniors completed their Collection of Evidence (COE) during summer school. These students had not passed the 10th grade reading High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) and the COE was their alternative assessment to demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing in English. Forty-five ELL students completed their Washington State History credit during summer school. The class used the students' own stories of immigrating to Washington as the foundation for studying about the different peoples who have influenced the history of the state. Student Information System Enhancements (Strategic Targets: 2.1.a, 2.3.c) Information systems and technology staff are partnering with the food and nutrition services department to field test software enhancements resulting from this summers software upgrades to eSchoolPlus, the districts student information system. This fall two elementary schools will test a new feature that allows student lunch count information to be entered online by the classroom teacher and automatically totaled in eSchoolPlus. This feature eliminates the manual processes currently used by the schools and reduces office staff workload. The new feature will be available to all elementary schools that wish to participate upon successful completion of the field test this fall. New Teacher Orientation (Strategic Target: 3.2.a) On August 27-28, approximately 90 new certificated staff members received an in-depth orientation to key district priorities at View Ridge Elementary School. Jody McVittie, MD, Executive Director & Co-founder of Sound Discipline, launched the two-day induction with a keynote on the importance of establishing an optimal classroom culture through positive behavior support. Dr. McVittie also facilitated smaller group breakout sessions, along with other Everett Public Schools staff members who led workshops on best instructional practice, technology, grading, and student progress reporting systems. Day two included learning about human resources, special education, and technology fundamentals. Breakout sessions included contentand-assignment-specific professional learning designed to familiarize new staff with the curriculum, instruction, assessments, and support structures at the center of our work. The orientation was supported by several generous community sponsors, including Everett Public Schools Foundation, Everett Education Association, PEMCO Insurance, School Employees Credit Union of Washington, Everett Aquasox, Everett Transit, Everett Silvertips, Snohomish County Parks & Recreation, United Way of Snohomish County, YMCA of Snohomish County, and the Everett Performing Arts Center/Village Theatre. Safety Net Funding (Strategic Target: 4.2.b) Special services submitted 71 student applications for Safety Net funding. The district was initially awarded $1,078,304 in grant reimbursement. The department appealed two files that were unfunded on the initial grant award; the appeal was granted bringing the total reimbursement to $1,210,982. This total is a 21 percent increase over the dollars budgeted for safety net reimbursement. The funds received from safety net are applied to the costs for services required for students in special education. High School Athletic Competitions (Strategic Target: 5.2.b) The 2013-14 athletic season began with football on Friday, September 6. Cascade traveled to Shorewood, Jackson traveled to Monroe, and Everett hosted Edmonds-Woodway at Everett Memorial Stadium. All other fall sports competitions begin next week. Directors' athletic passes have been placed in the U.S. Mail and should arrive at your homes by Monday, September 9. High school athletics schedules can be found at www.WescoAthletics.com. WaKIDS Family Connection Meetings This Week (Strategic Target: 5.3.a) In the 30 Everett full-day kindergarten classrooms participating in the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) administration, entering kindergarten children and their families are welcomed with a family connection meeting. These meetings help establish a relationship between families and teachers and create a safe environment for families to share sensitive information about their children. Teachers get to know the family, learn about the child, and address concerns or questions that will help families feel more at ease about the transition into kindergarten. This past session the legislature (HB 1723) allowed up to three school days to be used for the family connection at the beginning of the school year without the district being required to apply to the State Board of Education for a waiver from the 180-day school year requirement. Essentially, the legislature finally recognized these teacher-student-parent sessions as a valid use of instructional time. Monday, September 9 will be the first day of whole class instruction for children in classrooms using the WaKIDS tool.

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STEM Biotech Course Update (Strategic Target: 5.4.a) This week the first wave of equipment arrived in the three biotech classrooms. Industry standard and precision balances are installed at each high school. These balances will allow students to conduct biotech projects consistent with the skills required for biotech employment opportunities in Snohomish County and beyond. The purchases of the balances are possible through CTE enhanced classroom funding. Everett's biotechnology class is a capstone opportunity within the STEM health science pathway. Beginning in kindergarten, students learn the basics of biology and progressively build on their understanding through each grade level. Biotechnology, and similar specialized CTE-STEM classes, allow students to put their accumulated understanding into practice in a problem-based environment, similar to what they will encounter in the work world. Miscellaneous Attachments, News Releases & Articles Annually the Northwest ESD produces a "composite calendar" that provides a summary of district's key calendar attributes for the year. The current year comparison is attached for directors' background. Attachment: NWESD Composite Calendar 2013-14.pdf (152 KB) News Releases Points of Pride Budget Articles Directors' Dates to Remember Tuesday, September 10 - Board Meeting - 4:30 p.m. - Educational Service Center Board Room Thursday, September 19-21 - WSSDA Legislative Assembly - Seattle Airport Marriott Tuesday, September 24 - Board Meeting - 4:30 p.m. - Educational Service Center Board Room Tuesday, October 8 - Board Meeting - 4:30 p.m. - Educational Service Center Board Room Tuesday, October 22 - Board Meeting - 4:30 p.m. - Educational Service Center Board Room Saturday, November 2 - Board Meeting - 10:00 a.m. - Location to be determined November 21-24 - WSSDA Fall Conference - Bellevue Hyatt Regency Tuesday, November 26 - Board Meeting - 4:30 p.m. - Educational Service Center Board Room

Executive Content

Last Modified by Kathy Mahan on September 19, 2013

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