Board Briefs
Meeting Highlights - March 2018
Science Curriculum Review and Adoption Project Team Charge
The District reviews and updates its curriculum, instructional practices and classroom materials according to Board policy and Oregon State Statute and Administrative Regulations.
The Project Team will consist of teachers, curriculum specialists, community members/parents, administrators, students and a School Board member. The team will review existing curriculum and practices in Science and make curriculum, professional development and adoption recommendations to the School Board. The team will update the Board on its progress.
A K-12 Teacher Cadre reports to the Project Team and is charged with:
- Researching best practices
- Researching instructional materials to be considered for possible adoption
- Articulating long term supporting learning targets
- Recommending professional development and structures for ongoing professional learning for staff.
The 12-month process will allow the District to implement curriculum and materials in September 2019.
PE Curriculum Review and Adoption Project Team Charge
The District reviews and updates its curriculum, instructional practices and classroom materials according to Board policy and Oregon State Statute and Administrative Regulations.
The Project Team will consist of teachers, curriculum specialists, community members/parents, administrators, students and a School Board member. Board members asked how the Project Team's work would intersect with the work of the Active Schools Task Force.
A K-12 Teacher Cadre reports to the Project Team and is charged with:
- Researching best practices
- Researching instructional materials to be considered for possible adoption
- Articulating long term supporting learning targets
- Recommending professional development and structures for ongoing professional learning for staff.
The 12-month process will allow the District to implement curriculum and materials in September 2019.
Public Comment
- How the national conversation about school safety is playing out in Beaverton
- The recent reconsideration of the book "Stick" and concerns over possible future censorship
- Safe Routes to Schools
- District spending
- The recent reconsideration of the book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and concerns about age appropriate reading materials
Beaver Acres Elementary School
Additionally, 90% of students report that there is at least one adult who cares about them, which is up from 83%. Geale credits the continuity of staff and the culture of the building for the increase.
Student Supervisor Christine Downing spoke of concerns with the attendance rate at Beaver Acres. Data shows on average, 31% of students are absent more than 10 days of school, leading to gaps in learning and student frustration. The school's action plan includes a team that closely monitors attendance. The team makes phone calls, conducts parent meetings and home visits. They work to address obstacles to attendance, including providing alarm clocks or "good morning" calls to families.
Title I Teacher Lindsay Birbeck said another challenge at Beaver Acres is the performance of 5th grade students in Math, particularly Hispanic/Latino students. To address those concerns, staff have increased the amount of Math support provided to students through the Title I program. Early release collaboration time has been spent focused on math and addressing the specific needs of individual students.
Bethany Elementary School
Lange said his first few months have been spent getting to know staff, students and community. He met one-on-one with every staff member in the building to identify what was working well, what needed to change and what supports they need as educators. He found that staff members didn't feel as though they were part of the decision-making process and needed to feel valued and trusted as educators.
His action plan to address the issue includes a consistent framework for student expectations, shifting the mindset toward accepting every student in the building as their student. In-service days included team-building activities. Lange says the level of collaboration that exists at Bethany is unlike any he has seen in his time in education.
Lange said he faces the typical challenges by any new principal in a building and to a district. In addition, he says last year's data points to two challenges. Twenty percent of students missed more than ten days of school. His action plan includes increased phone calls and meetings for students struggling with attendance, information in the weekly newsletter and identifying patterns and trends to attendance.
The other challenge presented in the data was the growth percentage of each student subgroup. Staff have completed two professional development sessions where they focused on the importance of student conversation in the classroom and the ongoing need for students to be receptive listeners. Two professional development sessions focused on Math workshops. The school's testing team is meeting to determine best practice for SBAC testing, designing a testing schedule and program that will allow each student to maximize their output.
WE Expect Excellence
WE Expect Excellence
Individual School Board Member Comments
- Board Chair Anne Bryan thanked the Board for their work on the Local Option Levy Renewal.
- Board Vice Chair Becky Tymchuk spoke to PTO groups about the Local Option Levy Renewal and safety concerns. She also talked with bus drivers at Conestoga Middle School, watched the high school basketball playoffs and attended a performance of Westview High School's "Fiddler on the Roof."
- Board member LeeAnn Larsen reminded the community that the Health Curriculum materials are available for review. She also said she is seeing some movement on revenue reform and organization around that within the business community.
- Board Member Eric Simpson visited a Sunset High School Civics class.
- Board Member Susan Greenberg visited Vose Elementary School, speaking with the principal and visiting classrooms. She also voiced her support for concerns over school safety.
Other Reports, Discussion & Action
The full packet with meeting materials can be found on BoardBook.
Directors: Anne Bryan (Chair), Becky Tymchuk (Vice Chair), Susan Greenberg, Tom Colett, LeeAnn Larsen, Eric Simpson, Donna Tyner
Beaverton School District
The Beaverton School District recognizes the diversity and worth of all individuals and groups. It is the policy of the Beaverton School District that there will be no discrimination or harassment of individuals or groups based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, marital status, age, veteran status, genetic information or disability in any education programs, activities or employment.
Email: community_involvement@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: beaverton.k12.or.us
Location: 16550 SW Merlo Rd, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 356-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @beavertonsd