5-8-01 Board Meeting

EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EVERETT, WASHINGTON Regular Meeting

The Board of Directors of Everett Public Schools, Snohomish County, Washington, held a regular Board meeting on September 12, 2006, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington. Those in attendance were Sue Cooper, Kristie Dutton, Karen Madsen, Ed Petersen and Roy Yates. [Board member Madsen was delayed due to traffic and arrived at 4:40 p.m.]

ADOPTION OF AGENDA
President Yates called for any recommended changes to the agenda. Superintendent Carol Whitehead reported that there would be a revised personnel report. With that, Kristie Dutton moved to adopt the revised agenda. Ed Petersen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Sue Cooper moved for approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of August 22, 2006. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Later in the meeting, it was noted that the minutes of the special meeting of August 29, 2006 had also been included in the Board’s packet of materials. President Yates called for a motion to adopt these minutes. Ed Petersen moved to adopt the minutes of the special meeting of August 29, 2006. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS
Dr. Whitehead reported that there was an incident today at Everett High School involving a telephone bomb scare. Police and fire units were called and the school was evacuated at approximately 11:30 a.m. The Washington State Patrol brought in three canine units. Students and staff were out of the buildings for a couple of hours while each building was examined. Student behavior was exemplary—they recognized the seriousness of the situation and waited cooperatively. An investigation is ongoing. A bomb threat is a felony. Support from local law enforcement was amazing, as always. Once the school was re-occupied, a message was sent via the Connect -ED system. A written follow-up message will also be sent home. Central Office staff members are to be commended for their handling of telephone calls associated with this incident.

Next, Everett High School principal Catherine Matthews introduced EHS science teacher Cindy McIntyre who has been named the Washington State High School Science Teacher of the Year by the Washington Science Teachers Association for her contributions to science education in her school, the District and the greater community. Ms. Matthews indicated that this is a significant honor. She read from her letter of recommendation for Cindy and presented her with a special plaque. Cindy thanked the District and Board for their support and said Everett High’s is the best science department in the state. She has the opportunity to work with top-notch science equipment in the classroom. The community offers great support and is an excellent example of the partnership between the school community and the community-at-large.
On behalf of the Board, President Yates congratulated Cindy.

[Board member Madsen arrived at this point in the meeting.]

Dr. Whitehead reported that she received a letter from Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson reporting that 2006 Cascade High School graduate Joseph Dang has received the 2006 Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship. Joseph is a freshman at Dartmouth. The scholarship is a federally-funded, state-administered program established to recognize exceptionally able high school seniors who show promise of continued academic excellence in post-secondary education. The average award is $1,500 per year for four consecutive years. The average SAT score for recipients was 1530 (verbal + math) and almost all of the students had obtained a 4.00 grade point average.

School started on September 6 and things are going well. Cabinet members are visiting all of the schools. Dr. Whitehead reported that at each site she has visited, students are on task and teachers are smiling. Enrollment figures are almost on target. Staff overages and shortages at the sites are being examined and appropriate adjustments are being made in accordance with the negotiated agreement. Central support to the schools on the first day of school was provided by staff from the Educational Service Center and Longfellow.

Durham School Services recently donated $2,000 worth of transportation time in support of District students going to Operation School Bell to shop for school supplies and clothing.

Everett Rotary and the Everett Public Library have published a bookmark telling individuals how to volunteer to help children either by donating time to help children learn to read and/or by donating books.

As part of the continuing boundary review process, a special Board meeting to hold a public hearing has been proposed for October 17 @ 4:30 p.m.

Dr. Whitehead called on Director of Maintenance Gary Jefferis who outlined various maintenance activities, including summer projects, which occurred during the 2005-2006 year. He listed the many responsibilities of the 125 employees in the department, including collecting and hauling refuse, intra-District courier service, grounds maintenance, warehousing, surplus books and supplies, moving teachers to different classrooms and/or sites, handling food service supplies, taking care of flooring, the re-keying project, rebuilding and replacing cabinetry, maintaining roofing, maintaining and testing backflows, servicing all kitchen equipment, replacing air filters, painting, re-carpeting, and sanding and re-finishing hardwood floors. Dr. Whitehead said Everett’s maintenance crew is the most efficient and effective she has ever seen.
SUPT’S COMMENTS

SUPT’S COMMENTS
(cont’d.)
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.

RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
Gary Jefferis introduced retiree Bobbie Dutton, who has worked in Everett Public Schools for 25 years, 22 of them in Maintenance. He said it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Bobbie. She is an exceptional employee, colleague and person. Bobbie thanked the District and Board for their support and for the many opportunities she has had. She introduced her husband Ed, who has been retired for two years. Their future plans include moving to Marblemount and traveling. President Yates congratulated Bobbie and thanked her for her outstanding service. He then presented her with a crystal memento apple.
PUBLIC COMMENT

RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
The Administration presented information about assessment results. Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma opened the presentation by reporting

ASSESSMENT RESULTS
that not all data is available as yet. He called on Executive Director for Curriculum
Alignment and Implementation Terry Edwards who reported on the information that is on hand. Terry distributed a copy of a PowerPoint presentation for tonight’s discussion (E:01/07). He reported that even though receipt of data is lagging behind, some patterns are emerging. Among the changes in administering the WASL are that the number of grade levels being assessed have increased; this is the first class of students taking the WASL where it has become a graduation requirement; this is the first time 9^th graders have had the opportunity to pre-take the WASL; summer re-takes were offered for the first time this year; we expanded how we provided tests so that we could give developmentally appropriate WASL tests for special education students; data availability was a challenge this year in that test scores came to the districts later than usual; there was heightened security for storing, shipping and administering the WASL; and test windows this year were different. It is planned that data will be delivered to parents by September 29 and will include an Individual Learning Plan for each student.

Scores this year are not what it was hoped they would be. Terry showed a comparison between 2006 state results and District results in reading, writing, mathematics and science. He shared an analysis of how students performed on the WASL between 2002 and 2006. Next, Terry talked about the achievement gaps in reading and writing by race, English Language Learners (ELL) and special education students. The actual gap is determined by comparing these percentages to those of white students. Low-income is the District’s lowest category, but no bar graph was prepared for tonight’s presentation because the state did not begin reporting that information until 2005. The AVID program and Gear-Up grant are designed to provide additional incentives and program offerings for low-income and minority students.

Terry talked about Washington’s graduation requirements which have significantly changed with the Class of 2008 and include the culminating project, the High School and Beyond Plan, state and district credit requirements, and the requirement to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement/Certificate of Individual Achievement. Terry displayed a graph showing actual numbers of students at grade 10 who scored at Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4 on the WASL. He then discussed the charts showing the total numbers and percentages of 10^th grade students who met standard in 0, 1, 2 or 3 subjects. Summer re-takes were offered for the first time and a total of 219 tests were administered. Terry then outlined immediate next steps for the Class of 2008 which include enrolling students in appropriate math courses, determining student skill levels accurately, using diagnostic information to select intervention options, and ensuring that intervention classes and regular math classes are mutually supportive with strong teacher collaboration. He listed Accelerated Learning Support classes for the Class of 2008. Additional funding has been provided by the state in the form of the PAS (Promoting Academic Success) program to target those in the Class of 2008 who did not meet standard.

In her comments, Dr. Bergeson has indicated that the scores at 4^th and 7^th grades appear to be an anomaly this year; they do not follow the pattern. Terry said it is important to “hold the course.” The District has a very solid program that has shown strong stairstep gains over the years.

Board member Petersen asked about the validity of this year’s testing. Terry said the state has assured us that the results are valid. The District will continue to analyze the data to ensure everything possible is being done to help students meet standard.
Board member Cooper asked, in terms of “staying the course,” is the District re-doubling its efforts or is it implementing new strategies? Terry said the District will look for new strategies and will explore other areas. Shortcomings will be identified and addressed.

Dr. Whitehead emphasized that the 4^th and 7^th grade individual student data has been extremely late in arriving; in fact, the first piece of student data was only received today, but not for all students. The 10^th grade assessments were scored apart from the 4 ^th and 7^th grade assessments in order for data to be received in the spring so that summer school and/or additional re-takes could be offered during the summer. The 10^th grade data was received in a timely fashion, but the 4 ^th and 7^th grade data is very late in arriving. Consequently, it is not possible to release the data to families by September 22 as announced by OSPI. In addition to not having the data in its possession, the District intends to include Student Individual Learning Plans when the data is released which, for Everett, will probably be by September 29. Dr. Whitehead further stated that, since many more grades are being tested, there are also many more tests to score. This is true for every state in the nation. Of concern about the validity of the data was the significant impact on the scoring of data and the release of data. OSPI has revisited these concerns and it is their belief that the data is valid. Therefore, the District is moving forward, but there are no plans to change practices based on the 4^th and 7^th grade data received this year. There is not enough information to change direction. It is important to “stay the course.” Nevertheless, it is disheartening for staff to receive this data, as it will be for the students and their parents, particularly when, in the spring, students were saying, and staff members were confirming, that students were feeling confident and competent as they were taking the WASL.

Board member Cooper asked how the information will be shared with the teachers, to which Dr. Whitehead replied that it is being disseminated via the Leadership Team, at principals’ meetings, and at Instructional Connections workshops whose attendees will include leaders in the buildings who will take the information back to the schools. Terry said when the data is available, it will also be put in Pentamation where teachers can view it. Dr. Whitehead said that parts of the WASL are objective and parts are subjective. Although there is a standardized way to score the subjective pieces of the WASL, concern was expressed because there are so many more tests to score. However, OSPI has said the scoring mechanism is valid.

Board member Madsen asked about the development of cohort data. Terry said with the new testing regime, the District will be able to follow the data year by year and hopefully see the value-added feature. Currently, the tests are not linked year by year. Terry is hopeful that much more information will be gleaned when the test points are linked. Board member Cooper asked for more information concerning the earlier reference to tests being better linked to connect cohort groups. Director of Curriculum & Assessment Ric Williams explained that this involves connecting the level of difficulty of the test items from grade level to grade level.

Board member Petersen sought more information about Hawthorne Elementary School’s designation as a “needs improvement” school, to which Dr. Whitehead replied that a report to the Board will be presented at a future Board meeting. Mr. Petersen then asked for a description of the categories of the WASL. Terry talked briefly about the cells and indicators and Dr. Whitehead said that the subject of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) will be a topic for an upcoming orientation session for Mr. Petersen.

President Yates asked how the test scores will be communicated to families. Terry said that Individual Student Learning Plans will be included with test scores along with some explanatory literature. When Mr. Yates asked how it can be ensured that parents receive the results, Terry said schools will decide whether sending the data home with the student is secure enough or whether it should be mailed. It is possible a Connect -ED message will be sent alerting families to the fact that the information is on its way. Karst noted that parents will also have the opportunity to come to the District office and review their student’s test results. Mr. Yates said it is important that parents understand what is being communicated and where they can direct their questions. Dr. Whitehead said a variety of methods are used: school/PTA newsletters, curriculum nights, Connect -ED. She also described parent meetings that were held during the summer. The meetings were conducted by language group and interpreters were on hand to demonstrate how to use District computer equipment and gather information about their student’s test scores.

Dr. Whitehead said, in reality, the data is being used in ways for which it was not intended. Growth on the WASL is being examined over time, yet different students take the test every year and are tested on different test items. This is not an exact science, yet conclusions are being drawn that require an exact science.

President Yates reaffirmed that the District is “staying the course.” The Board is aware that the District is not alone in concerns about test scores. Dr. Whitehead said we are
stretching the learning for our students all across the state and in Everett. They are learning more and are more involved.

ASSESSMENT RESULTS (cont’d.)

ASSESSMENT RESULTS (cont’d.)
ACTION ITEMS
Karen Madsen moved for approval of the revised Consent Agenda items. Sue Cooper seconded the motion.
1) Personnel Report (revised) (E:02/07);
2) Voucher Lists (E:03/07);
3) Resolution 861—Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement for the Purpose of Establishing an Interlocal Agreement with Spokane School District No. 81 (Res. 01/07);
4) Resolution 862—Interlocal Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Between Everett School District No. 2 and Tacoma School District No. 10 (Res. 02/07);
5) Declaration of Surplus Property (E:04/07);
6) Tentative Agreement Between Everett School District No. 2 and Everett Education Association/United Teachers of Everett (E:05/07);
7) 2006-2007 Salary Schedule for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925 (E:06/07); and
8) Membership on Gertrude Jackson Advisory Board (E:07/07).
The motion carried unanimously.

CONSENT AGENDA
BOARD COMMENTS
Board Member Madsen apologized for being late to tonight’s meeting. She was in Olympia and was delayed by traffic. She reported that a series of hearings are being held concerning the Washington Learns project and there will be one on September 20 in Mount Vernon. Dr. Whitehead indicated she will be attending the meeting and would welcome being accompanied by a Board member.

President Yates reported that former Board member Paula Kelley-Clarke is being treated for cancer. Good thoughts are going her way.

President Yates adjourned the regular meeting at 6:25 p.m.
BOARD COMMENTS

_____________________________ ________________________________
Carol Whitehead, Secretary Roy Yates, President

The Board of Directors of Everett Public Schools, Snohomish County, Washington, held a regular Board meeting on September 12, 2006, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington. Those in attendance were Sue Cooper, Kristie Dutton, Karen Madsen, Ed Petersen and Roy Yates. [Board member Madsen was delayed due to traffic and arrived at 4:40 p.m.]
ADOPTION OF AGENDA President Yates called for any recommended changes to the agenda. Superintendent Carol Whitehead reported that there would be a revised personnel report. With that, Kristie Dutton moved to adopt the revised agenda. Ed Petersen seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.		ADOPTION OF AGENDA
APPROVAL OF MINUTES Sue Cooper moved for approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of August 22, 2006. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Later in the meeting, it was noted that the minutes of the special meeting of August 29, 2006 had also been included in the Board’s packet of materials. President Yates called for a motion to adopt these minutes. Ed Petersen moved to adopt the minutes of the special meeting of August 29, 2006. Kristie Dutton seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.		APPROVAL OF MINUTES
SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS Dr. Whitehead reported that there was an incident today at Everett High School involving a telephone bomb scare. Police and fire units were called and the school was evacuated at approximately 11:30 a.m. The Washington State Patrol brought in three canine units. Students and staff were out of the buildings for a couple of hours while each building was examined. Student behavior was exemplary—they recognized the seriousness of the situation and waited cooperatively. An investigation is ongoing. A bomb threat is a felony. Support from local law enforcement was amazing, as always. Once the school was re-occupied, a message was sent via the Connect -ED system. A written follow-up message will also be sent home. Central Office staff members are to be commended for their handling of telephone calls associated with this incident. Next, Everett High School principal Catherine Matthews introduced EHS science teacher Cindy McIntyre who has been named the Washington State High School Science Teacher of the Year by the Washington Science Teachers Association for her contributions to science education in her school, the District and the greater community. Ms. Matthews indicated that this is a significant honor. She read from her letter of recommendation for Cindy and presented her with a special plaque. Cindy thanked the District and Board for their support and said Everett High’s is the best science department in the state. She has the opportunity to work with top-notch science equipment in the classroom. The community offers great support and is an excellent example of the partnership between the school community and the community-at-large. On behalf of the Board, President Yates congratulated Cindy. [Board member Madsen arrived at this point in the meeting.] Dr. Whitehead reported that she received a letter from Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson reporting that 2006 Cascade High School graduate Joseph Dang has received the 2006 Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship. Joseph is a freshman at Dartmouth. The scholarship is a federally-funded, state-administered program established to recognize exceptionally able high school seniors who show promise of continued academic excellence in post-secondary education. The average award is $1,500 per year for four consecutive years. The average SAT score for recipients was 1530 (verbal + math) and almost all of the students had obtained a 4.00 grade point average. School started on September 6 and things are going well. Cabinet members are visiting all of the schools. Dr. Whitehead reported that at each site she has visited, students are on task and teachers are smiling. Enrollment figures are almost on target. Staff overages and shortages at the sites are being examined and appropriate adjustments are being made in accordance with the negotiated agreement. Central support to the schools on the first day of school was provided by staff from the Educational Service Center and Longfellow. Durham School Services recently donated $2,000 worth of transportation time in support of District students going to Operation School Bell to shop for school supplies and clothing. Everett Rotary and the Everett Public Library have published a bookmark telling individuals how to volunteer to help children either by donating time to help children learn to read and/or by donating books. As part of the continuing boundary review process, a special Board meeting to hold a public hearing has been proposed for October 17 @ 4:30 p.m. Dr. Whitehead called on Director of Maintenance Gary Jefferis who outlined various maintenance activities, including summer projects, which occurred during the 2005-2006 year. He listed the many responsibilities of the 125 employees in the department, including collecting and hauling refuse, intra-District courier service, grounds maintenance, warehousing, surplus books and supplies, moving teachers to different classrooms and/or sites, handling food service supplies, taking care of flooring, the re-keying project, rebuilding and replacing cabinetry, maintaining roofing, maintaining and testing backflows, servicing all kitchen equipment, replacing air filters, painting, re-carpeting, and sanding and re-finishing hardwood floors. Dr. Whitehead said Everett’s maintenance crew is the most efficient and effective she has ever seen.		SUPT’S COMMENTS SUPT’S COMMENTS (cont’d.)
PUBLIC COMMENT None. RECOGNITION OF RETIREES Gary Jefferis introduced retiree Bobbie Dutton, who has worked in Everett Public Schools for 25 years, 22 of them in Maintenance. He said it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Bobbie. She is an exceptional employee, colleague and person. Bobbie thanked the District and Board for their support and for the many opportunities she has had. She introduced her husband Ed, who has been retired for two years. Their future plans include moving to Marblemount and traveling. President Yates congratulated Bobbie and thanked her for her outstanding service. He then presented her with a crystal memento apple.		PUBLIC COMMENT RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
ITEMS FOR INFORMATION The Administration presented information about assessment results. Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma opened the presentation by reporting		ASSESSMENT RESULTS
that not all data is available as yet. He called on Executive Director for Curriculum
Alignment and Implementation Terry Edwards who reported on the information that is on hand. Terry distributed a copy of a PowerPoint presentation for tonight’s discussion (E:01/07). He reported that even though receipt of data is lagging behind, some patterns are emerging. Among the changes in administering the WASL are that the number of grade levels being assessed have increased; this is the first class of students taking the WASL where it has become a graduation requirement; this is the first time 9^th graders have had the opportunity to pre-take the WASL; summer re-takes were offered for the first time this year; we expanded how we provided tests so that we could give developmentally appropriate WASL tests for special education students; data availability was a challenge this year in that test scores came to the districts later than usual; there was heightened security for storing, shipping and administering the WASL; and test windows this year were different. It is planned that data will be delivered to parents by September 29 and will include an Individual Learning Plan for each student. Scores this year are not what it was hoped they would be. Terry showed a comparison between 2006 state results and District results in reading, writing, mathematics and science. He shared an analysis of how students performed on the WASL between 2002 and 2006. Next, Terry talked about the achievement gaps in reading and writing by race, English Language Learners (ELL) and special education students. The actual gap is determined by comparing these percentages to those of white students. Low-income is the District’s lowest category, but no bar graph was prepared for tonight’s presentation because the state did not begin reporting that information until 2005. The AVID program and Gear-Up grant are designed to provide additional incentives and program offerings for low-income and minority students. Terry talked about Washington’s graduation requirements which have significantly changed with the Class of 2008 and include the culminating project, the High School and Beyond Plan, state and district credit requirements, and the requirement to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement/Certificate of Individual Achievement. Terry displayed a graph showing actual numbers of students at grade 10 who scored at Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4 on the WASL. He then discussed the charts showing the total numbers and percentages of 10^th grade students who met standard in 0, 1, 2 or 3 subjects. Summer re-takes were offered for the first time and a total of 219 tests were administered. Terry then outlined immediate next steps for the Class of 2008 which include enrolling students in appropriate math courses, determining student skill levels accurately, using diagnostic information to select intervention options, and ensuring that intervention classes and regular math classes are mutually supportive with strong teacher collaboration. He listed Accelerated Learning Support classes for the Class of 2008. Additional funding has been provided by the state in the form of the PAS (Promoting Academic Success) program to target those in the Class of 2008 who did not meet standard. In her comments, Dr. Bergeson has indicated that the scores at 4^th and 7^th grades appear to be an anomaly this year; they do not follow the pattern. Terry said it is important to “hold the course.” The District has a very solid program that has shown strong stairstep gains over the years. Board member Petersen asked about the validity of this year’s testing. Terry said the state has assured us that the results are valid. The District will continue to analyze the data to ensure everything possible is being done to help students meet standard. Board member Cooper asked, in terms of “staying the course,” is the District re-doubling its efforts or is it implementing new strategies? Terry said the District will look for new strategies and will explore other areas. Shortcomings will be identified and addressed. Dr. Whitehead emphasized that the 4^th and 7^th grade individual student data has been extremely late in arriving; in fact, the first piece of student data was only received today, but not for all students. The 10^th grade assessments were scored apart from the 4 ^th and 7^th grade assessments in order for data to be received in the spring so that summer school and/or additional re-takes could be offered during the summer. The 10^th grade data was received in a timely fashion, but the 4 ^th and 7^th grade data is very late in arriving. Consequently, it is not possible to release the data to families by September 22 as announced by OSPI. In addition to not having the data in its possession, the District intends to include Student Individual Learning Plans when the data is released which, for Everett, will probably be by September 29. Dr. Whitehead further stated that, since many more grades are being tested, there are also many more tests to score. This is true for every state in the nation. Of concern about the validity of the data was the significant impact on the scoring of data and the release of data. OSPI has revisited these concerns and it is their belief that the data is valid. Therefore, the District is moving forward, but there are no plans to change practices based on the 4^th and 7^th grade data received this year. There is not enough information to change direction. It is important to “stay the course.” Nevertheless, it is disheartening for staff to receive this data, as it will be for the students and their parents, particularly when, in the spring, students were saying, and staff members were confirming, that students were feeling confident and competent as they were taking the WASL. Board member Cooper asked how the information will be shared with the teachers, to which Dr. Whitehead replied that it is being disseminated via the Leadership Team, at principals’ meetings, and at Instructional Connections workshops whose attendees will include leaders in the buildings who will take the information back to the schools. Terry said when the data is available, it will also be put in Pentamation where teachers can view it. Dr. Whitehead said that parts of the WASL are objective and parts are subjective. Although there is a standardized way to score the subjective pieces of the WASL, concern was expressed because there are so many more tests to score. However, OSPI has said the scoring mechanism is valid. Board member Madsen asked about the development of cohort data. Terry said with the new testing regime, the District will be able to follow the data year by year and hopefully see the value-added feature. Currently, the tests are not linked year by year. Terry is hopeful that much more information will be gleaned when the test points are linked. Board member Cooper asked for more information concerning the earlier reference to tests being better linked to connect cohort groups. Director of Curriculum & Assessment Ric Williams explained that this involves connecting the level of difficulty of the test items from grade level to grade level. Board member Petersen sought more information about Hawthorne Elementary School’s designation as a “needs improvement” school, to which Dr. Whitehead replied that a report to the Board will be presented at a future Board meeting. Mr. Petersen then asked for a description of the categories of the WASL. Terry talked briefly about the cells and indicators and Dr. Whitehead said that the subject of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) will be a topic for an upcoming orientation session for Mr. Petersen. President Yates asked how the test scores will be communicated to families. Terry said that Individual Student Learning Plans will be included with test scores along with some explanatory literature. When Mr. Yates asked how it can be ensured that parents receive the results, Terry said schools will decide whether sending the data home with the student is secure enough or whether it should be mailed. It is possible a Connect -ED message will be sent alerting families to the fact that the information is on its way. Karst noted that parents will also have the opportunity to come to the District office and review their student’s test results. Mr. Yates said it is important that parents understand what is being communicated and where they can direct their questions. Dr. Whitehead said a variety of methods are used: school/PTA newsletters, curriculum nights, Connect -ED. She also described parent meetings that were held during the summer. The meetings were conducted by language group and interpreters were on hand to demonstrate how to use District computer equipment and gather information about their student’s test scores. Dr. Whitehead said, in reality, the data is being used in ways for which it was not intended. Growth on the WASL is being examined over time, yet different students take the test every year and are tested on different test items. This is not an exact science, yet conclusions are being drawn that require an exact science. President Yates reaffirmed that the District is “staying the course.” The Board is aware that the District is not alone in concerns about test scores. Dr. Whitehead said we are stretching the learning for our students all across the state and in Everett. They are learning more and are more involved.		ASSESSMENT RESULTS (cont’d.) ASSESSMENT RESULTS (cont’d.)
ACTION ITEMS Karen Madsen moved for approval of the revised Consent Agenda items. Sue Cooper seconded the motion. 1) Personnel Report (revised) (E:02/07); 2) Voucher Lists (E:03/07); 3) Resolution 861—Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement for the Purpose of Establishing an Interlocal Agreement with Spokane School District No. 81 (Res. 01/07); 4) Resolution 862—Interlocal Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Between Everett School District No. 2 and Tacoma School District No. 10 (Res. 02/07); 5) Declaration of Surplus Property (E:04/07); 6) Tentative Agreement Between Everett School District No. 2 and Everett Education Association/United Teachers of Everett (E:05/07); 7) 2006-2007 Salary Schedule for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 925 (E:06/07); and 8) Membership on Gertrude Jackson Advisory Board (E:07/07). The motion carried unanimously.		CONSENT AGENDA
BOARD COMMENTS Board Member Madsen apologized for being late to tonight’s meeting. She was in Olympia and was delayed by traffic. She reported that a series of hearings are being held concerning the Washington Learns project and there will be one on September 20 in Mount Vernon. Dr. Whitehead indicated she will be attending the meeting and would welcome being accompanied by a Board member. President Yates reported that former Board member Paula Kelley-Clarke is being treated for cancer. Good thoughts are going her way. President Yates adjourned the regular meeting at 6:25 p.m.		BOARD COMMENTS
_____________________________ ________________________________ Carol Whitehead, Secretary Roy Yates, President