PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
ST. JOHN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING
August 27, 2020 – 4:00 p.m.
Via Zoom Teleconference &
Streamed Live on St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools Facebook Page
Due to the public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 virus and in the interest of the health and safety of the public and the School Board, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet in special session on Thursday, August 27, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. via teleconference utilizing Zoom Video Conferencing. (See attached Certification of Inability to Operate Due to the Lack of a Quorum.) The meeting will be streamed live on St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools Facebook Page so that members of the public may view the meeting in real time. All public comments regarding agenda items should be sent to: Public-Board-Comments@stjohn.k12.la.us between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2020. Public comments must include all three (3) of the following: 1. First and Last Name; 2. Agenda Item Number you are commenting on; 3. Your comment. All public comments will be read aloud before each agenda item is discussed.
The meeting will be open to receive Public Comment at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be in recess until 4:30 p.m. to allow for Public Comment to be received and will reconvene in special session at 4:30 p.m.
The agenda is attached for the meeting.
The President opened the meeting at 4:00 p.m., then read the agenda aloud and recessed the meeting for 30 minutes to allow for public comment.
ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Chair reconvened the meeting in Special Session at 4:02 p.m. He called for a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Ms. DeFrancesch.
ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS: The Chair called for Public Comment.
PRESENT: Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
ABSENT: Holden, Triche
There were 9 members present and 2 members absent.
ITEM 3. Public Comment. Dr. Lynett Hookfin – Request approval to amend the School Year Calendar 2020-2021
MOTION BY: Schum
SECOND BY: Jones
No objections.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Wallace, Triche
The motion carried.
A revised school calendar, reflective of Option 4 must still be adopted by the Board at a later meeting.
ITEM 4. Public Comment. Dr. Juanita Hill – Request approval to waive introduction policy and request approval of the Pupil Progression Plan for 2020-2021
MOTION BY: Schum
SECOND BY: Jones
No objections.
Roll Call:
8 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Keller, Jones, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
1 Not Seated – DeFrancesch
2 Absent – Johnson, Triche
The motion carried.
MOTION BY: Jones
SECOND BY: Wallace
No objections.
Roll Call:
8 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Keller, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
1 Not Seated – DeFrancesch
1 Absent – Triche
The motion carried.
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2020– 2021 Pupil Progression Plan Additions and Revisions
I. Placement of students in kindergarten and grade 1
2019-2020 -2020-2021 – No changes were made
II. Placement of transfer students
2019-2020 - The procedure used for determining Carnegie credit for high school students:
· Carnegie credit will be determined by data on certified transcript and/or the passing of St. John the Baptist Parish post benchmark assessments for all core subject areas.
2020-2021 Additions – The procedure used for determining Carnegie credit for high school students:
· Carnegie credit will be determined by data on certified transcript and/or the passing of St. John the Baptist Parish post benchmark assessments for all core subject areas.
· The transfer credits must come from an “accredited school” or credits will not be accepted.
III. Promotion for students in kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7
2019-2020 - Eligible students may enroll in any accelerated course (i.e., a course that covers content above the current grade level) in schools where such a course is offered. To enroll in such a course, students must meet 3 of the 4 following criteria:
· Student must score Mastery or Advanced on the prior year's LEAP 2025 assessment in the content area of the accelerated course
· Student must score Mastery or Advanced on the prior year's 3rd Quarter District Benchmark Assessment in the content area of the accelerated course
· Receive a grade of "A" or "B" in the year prior to the course in the same content area of the accelerated course
· Receive a recommendation from the prior year's teacher of the content area of the accelerated course OR receive approval from the school's Principal
In the case of new students transferring into the school and wishing to enroll, such students must (1) receive approval from their school's Principal and (2) meet one of the following criteria:
· Student must score Mastery or Advanced on the prior year's LEAP assessment in the content area of the accelerated course
· Score Mastery or Advanced on a district entrance exam, which will be identical to the district 3rd quarter District Benchmark Assessment in the content area of the accelerated course from the grade immediately preceding the one in which the student is enrolling.
2020-2021 –Revisions
Eligible students may enroll in any accelerated course (i.e., a course that covers content above the current grade level) in schools where such a course is offered. To enroll in such a course, students must meet 3 of the 4 following criteria:
· Student must score Mastery or Advanced on most recent LEAP 2025 assessment in the content area of the accelerated course
· Student must score Mastery or Advanced on the most recent 3rd Quarter District Benchmark Assessment in the content area of the accelerated course
· Receive a grade of "A" or "B" in the year prior to the course in the same content area of the accelerated course
· Receive a recommendation from the prior year's teacher of the content area of the accelerated course OR receive approval from the school's Principal
In the case of new students transferring into the school and wishing to enroll, such students must (1) receive approval from their school's Principal and (2) meet one of the following criteria:
· Student must score Mastery or Advanced on the most recent LEAP assessment in the content area of the accelerated course
· Score Mastery or Advanced on a district entrance exam, which will be identical to the district 2nd quarter District Benchmark Assessment in the content area of the accelerated course from the grade immediately preceding the one in which the student is enrolling.
2019-2020 Additions:
Incomplete grades
An Incomplete grade “I” is to be posted for the applicable grading period until a student fulfills all class requirements and virtual assignments for each grading period. Requirements include completion of home/class assignments/virtual, etc., as stated by the teacher in his/her class syllabus/class requirements and approved by the Principal.
· Promotion and support of students in grade 4 2019-20
· ELA and Math Interventions will be provided to students during the summer school year, during the school day, and/or on Saturdays to provide remediation. Summer school remediation may be provided in ELA and Math. Upon meeting promotional requirements, students will be promoted to the next grade level (see Section III-Recommendation for Promotion).
· Quarterly evidence of support should be available for struggling students who are promoted.
· The school shall convene an in-person/SBLC meeting as outlined in section VI of this Pupil Progression Plan.
· See Appendix B for Individual Academic Improvement Plan.
2019-2020 – Revisions
· Each school will develop and individual academic improvement plan for any student who scores below BASIC in at least two core subjects (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies). The plan will include the following:
o ELA, Math, Social Studies and Science Interventions will be provided to students during the summer school year, during the school day, and/or on Saturdays to provide remediation. Summer school remediation may be provided in ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies. Upon meeting promotional requirements, students will be promoted to the next grade level (see Section III Recommendation for Promotion).
o Quarterly evidence of support should be available for struggling students who are promoted.
§ Progress reports and report cards
§ After school tutoring logs and Summer school logs
§ Reports from online academic software programs (Ex: Zearn, Edmentum, Imagine Learning)
§ Student work from Intervention class
· The school shall convene an in-person or virtual /SBLC meeting as outlined in section VI of this Pupil Progression Plan. The plan will be signed the parent/legal guardian following a discussion of the plan.
· See Appendix B for Individual Academic Improvement Plan.
IV. Promotion and support of students in grade 8 2020-2021 – Additions:
· If final classroom grade (F) in ELA and/or Math determines that the first time eighth grader is non-proficient, upon the recommendation of SBLC, the student will be required to attend summer remediation. If the student meets the LEA’s promotional requirements, he/she will be placed in transitional 9th grade.
· Each school will develop and individual academic improvement plan for any student who scores below BASIC in at least two core subjects (ELA and Math). The plan will include the following:
o ELA and Math Interventions will be provided to students during the summer school year, during the school day, and/or on Saturdays to provide remediation.
o Upon meeting promotional requirements, students will be promoted to the next grade level (see Section III Recommendation for Promotion).
o Quarterly evidence of support should be available for struggling students who are promoted.
§ Progress reports and report cards
§ After school tutoring logs and Summer school logs
§ Reports from online academic software programs (Ex: Edgenuity, Edmentum, Imagine Learning)
§ Student work from Intervention class
· The school shall convene an in-person or virtual /SBLC meeting as outlined in section VI of this Pupil Progression Plan. The plan will be signed the parent/legal guardian following a discussion of the plan.
· See Appendix B for Individual Academic Improvement Plan.
· Summer school remediation will be required in the non-proficient subjects, ELA and/or Math for students who are determined non-proficient.
· The Professional School Counselor will meet with 9th grade students and parents to review their Individual Graduation Plans.
· Students taking Algebra I as 8th graders must pass the course in order to receive high school credit.
· If student meets district’s promotional requirement and was non-proficient on LEAP 2025, the student will be placed in transitional 9th grade.
· Transitional 9th grade students will be enrolled in ELA Fundamentals and Math Fundamentals to remediate and allow exposure to 9th grade level content.
· Students will also have an opportunity to earn Carnegie units towards graduation.
· The LEA determines appropriate placement in ninth grade or transitional ninth grade for students who transfer to the LEA from another state or country, no later than October 1 of each school year.
V. High School Considerations2020-2021 Additions:
Grades 9-12
NOTE: Due to COVID-19 school closures during the Spring semester of 2020, and students’ inability to complete EOY assessments, this requirement has been waived for perspective 2021 seniors only.
Credit Recovery
Students may earn a maximum of seven credit recovery units that may be applied towards diploma graduation requirements and no more than two Carnegie units annually. The school system must annually report to LDE the rationale for any student:
● receiving more than two credit recovery credits annually; and/or
● applying more than seven total credit recovery Carnegie units towards graduation
requirements.
Students earning Carnegie credit in a credit recovery course must have previously taken and failed the field. Previously attempted coursework is considered an academic record and must be recorded on the official transcript.
Completed credit recovery courses must be recorded and clearly labeled on the official transcript. Students enrolled in credit recovery courses are not required to meet the instructional minute requirements found in §333 (Part A).
Credit recovery courses must be aligned with state content standards and include a standards aligned pre-assessment to identify unfinished learning and a standards aligned post-assessment to demonstrate course proficiency for content identified as non-proficient.
Credit recovery courses taught in a classroom setting using online courses designed for credit recovery must have an assigned certified Louisiana teacher of record or certified teacher of record recognized through a state reciprocity agreement facilitating the instruction.
The end-of-course exam weight in a student’s final grade determined by the LEA must be the same for a traditional course and a credit recovery course. Students who have previously passed the end- of-course exam, but have failed the course, may choose to retain the previous end-of-course exam score in lieu of participating in an additional administration of the exam.
NCAA Policy Nontraditional Courses
Courses include classes taught online or through blended learning, distance learning, credit
recovery, independent study, or similar means. For a nontraditional program to be approved, the courses must meet the following requirements:
· The courses must meet NCAA course requirements.
· The courses must have ongoing and regular teacher-initiated interaction for the purposes of teaching, evaluating, and providing assistance throughout the duration of the course.
Examples include synchronous or asynchronous instructive interaction, including emails, videoconferencing, online chats, phone calls, and feedback on assessments.
· The courses must have a defined time period for completion. This means the nontraditional program must identify the fastest and slowest paths to successfully complete a course.
Nontraditional courses could fail to meet NCAA core-course requirements for any of the following reasons:
· Does not require regular and ongoing instructive interaction between the student and teacher throughout the duration of a course.
· Does not require students to complete the entire course.
· Allows students to take numerous courses at the same time, especially courses in the same subject area or that are sequential.
· Does not prepare students for four-year college classwork.
· Does not have official student grade records.
Information for school administrators
If a nontraditional course or program at your school has not yet been reviewed by the NCAA, please contact the NCAA Eligibility Center to begin the review process.
Credit recovery programs
For a credit recovery program to be approved, the courses must meet the following requirements:
· The courses must meet NCAA core-course requirements, and in some instances, nontraditional course requirements.
· The school must follow its credit recovery policies, regardless if the student is an athlete. The NCAA Eligibility Center may request the school’s policy, if necessary.
· The credit recovery courses should be clearly identified as such on the high school transcript.
· Repeated courses must be substantially comparable, qualitatively and quantitatively, to the previously attempted course.
Distance and E-Learning Environments
Coursework completed via distance learning during the spring and summer of 2020 will not require a separate review. This guidance applies to students seeking college eligibility.
Students are encouraged to complete their NCAA-approved core-courses through the channels of instruction provided or recommended by their school, district, or state department of education.
2019-2020 Revisions:
· Meet state requirements for attendance.
· Students promoted from 8th grade must enter high school in a 9th grade cohort.
· Carnegie units – Classification of students into grades on the basis of units will be as follows:
· Students who are entering their 4th year of high school, have at least 17 credits, and entering their 12th year of school since entering 1st grade, may be classified as a senior depending on their transcript and courses needed to meet minimum graduation requirements. Students must have passed all required components of the LEAP 2025. NOTE: Due to COVID-19 school closures during the Spring semester of 2020, and students’ inability to complete EOY assessments, this requirement has been waived for perspective 2021 seniors only.
· LEAP Alternate Assessment - Students with disabilities who participate in the LEAP Alternate Assessment (LEAP CONNECT) shall have promotion decisions determined by the IEP team. *If extenuating circumstances exists, a waiver to the above policy may be granted from the school administrative team which includes the regular education teachers, Professional School Counselor, special education teacher and Principal (or designee). Or, an IEP meeting may be conducted to make this decision.
VI. Support for students
2020- 2021 – no changes made
VII. Promotion and placement of certain student populations 2020-2021 Exiting Additions:
A student will be eligible for reclassification once he/she scores a profile of Proficient (Level 4 or 5) in all tested domains. The student will then be reclassified as a “monitored” student and will no longer need to take ELPT. Monitoring will take place for 2 years.
· Students take the ELPT until they achieve proficiency and are eligible for reclassification.
· Please add on page 27 of the original document the following the section below the Exiting Section.
· All students who have been reclassified from the EL program in the St. John the Baptist Parish Schools will be monitored for satisfactory academic progress for at least two years, and if necessary, will be offered additional language support.
· The EL Coaches will be responsible for conferencing with the mainstream teachers of our Former English Learners (FEL) 4 times a year. A Monitoring Form for reclassified students will be completed by the mainstream and the EL Coach at the end of each nine weeks:
o Progress reports and report cards Grades on Benchmark tests
o Teacher feedback
o Teacher feedback regarding areas of concern in the different curriculum areas
o Teacher recommendations for continued academic progress
o Interventions which are already in place
o Student participation in class and completion of daily work
If a FEL student is having difficulty in the mainstream classroom, the EL Coach and other members of the instructional team will work to determine the reasons for an individual student’s lack of academic success. The student may either reenter the ESL Program or may be referred to the school’s SBLC. If the student is considered for reclassification as an English Learner, the parents will be appropriately informed of service options.
VIII. Alternative education placements
2019-2020 - St. John Alternative Program, Success Academy, and eLearning are alternative programs approved by the Louisiana Department of Education that service the following students:
· Students expelled or alternatively placed at the Success Academy are afforded the opportunity to return to their home-based school upon meeting a specified attendance, behavioral, and academic criteria. It is an alternative program for expelled regular and special education students as well as placement for special education students alternatively placed at the site as a result of an IEP.
· Students who previously failed at least twice and are 15 years old or older. They are afforded with an opportunity to learn in an environment consisting of a lower student- teacher ratio. They are transitioned back to their home-based high school in the 9th grade after completing requirements in their middle school grade levels. These students are also provided an opportunity to earn Carnegie units while in the program.
2020-2021 Revisions:
St. John Alternative Program, Success Academy, and eLearning are alternative programs approved by the Louisiana Department of Education that service the following students:
· Students expelled or alternatively placed at the Success Academy are afforded the opportunity to return to their home-based school upon meeting a specified attendance, behavioral, and academic criteria.
o It is an alternative program for expelled regular and special education students.
o Also, special education students could alternatively be placed at the site as a result of an IEP.
· Students who previously failed at least twice and are 15 years old or older are afforded an opportunity to learn in an environment consisting of a lower student-to-teacher ratio. They are transitioned back to their home-based high school in the 9th grade after completing requirements in their middle school grade levels. These students are also provided an opportunity to earn Carnegie units while in the program.
IX. Due process related to student placement and promotion – 2020- 2021 – no changes
X. Additional LEA policies related to student placement and promotion2020-2021 Additions
Retention Request by Parent:
Parents requesting that their child be retained, must meet with the SBLC committee prior to the recommendation being upheld.
A. Appendix A: Glossary Additions
a. Transitional 9th Grader:
B. Appendix A: Glossary Revisions
a. Remedial Programs
C. Appendix C: Success Academy Revisions
b. changed “Career Readiness” to “Quest for Success “
D. Appendix D: STEM Program Addition
Local Process of placing students in the STEM Program
All students selected will be classified as 8th, 9th, and 10th, graders. Selection criteria that will be used includes the following:
*As part of the SJBP STEM Magnet program expectations, students are required to remain in good standing in the areas of academics, behavior, and attendance. If students do not maintain good standing, they could be placed on probation. If after the end of the probationary period a student is still not in good standing, the student could face exclusion from the program.
E. Appendix I: NCAA Policy Addition
F. Appendix J: SBLC Transitional 9th Grade Placement Form Addition
G. Appendix K: Promotion to Transitional 9th Grade Letter to Parent Addition
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ITEM 5. BOARD ITEMS OF INTEREST
Mrs. Schum asked if we could hand out Census2020 papers when we have parent training. She also asked for a report at the next meeting of the number of students enrolled at STEM and what their “home school” is.
Mr. Sanders stated that there will be a Special Board Meeting on September 10 to adopt the budget.
ITEM 6. ADJOURNMENT
The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a
MOTION BY: Keller
SECOND BY: Jones
MOTION: Motion for adjournment.
There were no objections.
10 Yeas – Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
1 Absent – Triche
The motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 5:17 p.m.
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Dr. Lynett Hookfin, Superintendent/Secretary Patrick H. Sanders, President