Etowah County SchoolsAdministrators

August 4, 2011

Dr. Alan CosbySuperintendent

• GET IT!

AYP

Insurance claims/buildings/insurance assessment

Energy

Finances/units/budget

Nurses

New tenure law

Ethics law

AHSAA Licensing

Joan Hightower

Brandi ParrisJessica Dooley

Laura ParkerChild Nutrition Program

• 30 day grace period• Only need one per household• Online application– Link coming to website, step by step instructions; secure

• Processed 10 days after received at Central Office• Things to look for prior to sending to C.O.– Signature– Social Security Number

• Only need last 4 digits• If no SSN, need to check box

Free & Reduced Applications

• Drinkable water must be available to students at no charge– Must be in the foodservice location or immediately adjacent to

meal service area– Reasonable costs are allowed (cups, dispensers, pitchers, but

not water fountains– Examples: pitchers, cups, dispensers, faucets, fountains

• Schools must comply no later than the beginning of 2011 – 2012 school year

• Cost to our students: 5¢– Small cups for elementary students (8oz)– Larger cups for middle/high students (12oz)

New Guidelines - Water

• ARE INCREASING FOR PAID STUDENTS, STAFF, AND VISITORS

• BREAKFAST– $1 students, $1.25 staff, $2.25 visitors

• LUNCH– $2 students, $2.50 staff, $3.50 visitors

• Reduced prices unchanged (30¢ for breakfast, 40¢ for lunch)

• Please require all visitors and staff to pay for meals

Meal Prices

• Only offering one hot item daily• Increasing Grab & Go options– Sandwiches offered daily– Salads offered almost daily (?Monday)

• New vendors– Flavorich– Sara Lee– Etowah Chemical

Menu Changes

• Breakfast and Lunch must be served EVERY DAY of the school year

• Lunch schedules can be adjusted slightly for ½ days

• Breakfast must be served on the first day of school

• Auditors coming late August, possibly later in lunchrooms

Vacation/Weather Days

Dr. Kim MintzTesting, Attendance, AYP

Testing/Calendar

• Etowah County Schools Calendar – shared with all principals •Includes all system-wide events• Access when logged into your Gmail (top – click “Calendar”

Our System calendar is always subject to change… These dates are set by the SDE.

Calendar with yearly important dates included.

Assessment 2011 - 2012DIBELS remains under ARI – materials aren’t SDE secure… I will update the online Data system…

ARMT-Plus

The new ARMT-Plus will be given in the spring. Grades 3 – 8 will include Reading and Math… the Alabama Science Assessment will be incorporated for Grades 5 and 7.

SAT10

EXPLORE – 8th GradePLAN – 10th Grade (2012-13)ACT w/Writing – 11th Grade (2013-14)

Spring 2012 – Last chance for Science AHSGE Biology will be continued in place of the Science portion

Accountability - AYPReleased: August 1System is in Improvement

Special Education Reading

Log into the AYP information and save/print all information about your school

www.drc-web.com/aypappealsUser name begins with ALAYP028

Attendance• Report attendance each morning during the

first 5 days of school• Call, Email, IM, Fax… whatever you choose… to

Theresa Crowder or Kim Mintz• PLEASE report by 10 am• Number of live bodies, and number of teacher

units (by grade in elementary schools)

This applies to ALL students enrolling for the first time on or after September 1, 2011

• An original, certified copy of the student’s birth certificate should be provided.– If the student does not have a birth certificate or if

the birth certificate shows that the student was born outside of the US, provide parent with the “Supplemental Documentation” letter

Alabama’s Immigration Law

– If student does not provide supplemental documentation within 30 days, code in INOW as “enrolled without birth certificate”NO Student shall be denied enrollment or admission to the school due to a failure to provide the birth certificate or other supplemental documentation.Previously required documentation for admission remains unchanged:• Immunization certificate (Blue Card)• Social Security Number/Temporary number• Proof of Age for Kindergarten and Grade 1

Alabama’s Immigration Law

School Safety• Update School Safety Plan – by August 26– Current School Year– Current Staff Names/Positions

• Submit updated floor plan (to Kim Mintz) by August 22• Fire/Tornado/Lock Down Drills– Copy to our office– We will forward a copy to EMA

• Check Fire Extinguishers (make sure they are labeled as checked monthly)

• School Resource Officers– Should always be first law enforcement contact – If they need assistance or backup – they will make

that contact– SROs should be paid a minimum of time and a half

for security (ie: ballgames, dances, etc.)

School Safety

Student Interns• JSU Student Interns should begin on the

Thursday Inservice Day… • JSU allows the student to request a school and

grade – we do not always accommodate the student’s request

• Email (Kim Mintz) the names of teachers (with grade/subject) in your school that are willing to serve as a cooperating teacher (do not include those that you feel should not serve)

Mr. Jimmy SewellTransportation

ITEMS OF DISCUSSION:• Chaperones• After school and weekend trips• Sept. 14th system wide bus evacuation

drill.• National Bus Safety week• Extra curricular trips $1.20 mile

• Fuel and clean buses after field trips, sporting events, etc• Early dismissal• Meet with your drivers• Update cell numbers

School Old Bus Number New Bus Number

Ivalee 02-38 11-64

John Jones 02-99 11-9

02-49 11-93

02-19 11-52

Rainbow Middle 02-41 11-53

Highland 02-42 11-72

02-20 11-86

02-10 11-91

Duck Springs 02-16 11-3

TEXTBOOKS

ITEMS OF DISCUSSION:• No “out of adoption” textbooks will be picked up

this year.• Have teachers relay textbook needs to local

school contact person.• Textbooks will always be delivered or picked up

with a form to be signed by your school personnel and delivery personnel. Please keep a copy in your files.

• Inventory & payments are up to date

• Contact textbook company representative with Teacher Edition and workbook needs.

• Please contact Mr. Bottoms before approving a new class. Funds may not be available for textbooks.

• Math text

Mrs. Sharon BrownSpecial Education

Focused Monitoring

• State Department Team will arrive at The Learning Center at 11:00 on October 17, 2011

• The team will be out in the schools all day on October 18 and 19. Interview appointments will be scheduled with teachers, parents, related service providers and other agency personnel involved in the education of selected special education students.

• An exit conference will be held on the morning of October 20, 2011.

Prior to Monitoring

• Special Education Training for teachers will be held August 11, 2011 at The Learning Center. Elementary teachers will meet at 8:30. Middle and High School teachers will meet at 10:30.

• Case Managers will complete a Compliance Verification Form for each student on their caseload by August 29, 2011.

• Psychometrists will meet with the special education staff at each school and conduct Compliance Verification of Special Education Records maintained by teachers.

School Nurses• The State Department has decreased the funding provided for

School Nurses.• Etowah County Schools is maintaining the 187 day contract for

School Nurses.• All School Nurses are system wide nurses.• A School Nurse must be in attendance at all times in schools

with students who have prescriptions for Diastat or Glucagon.• All invasive procedures must be done by a School Nurse. • Do not use a School Nurse to fill in for office staff.• Students may not be admitted to school without an up to date

Blue Slip.

2011-12 Gifted Schedule

• Monday: Duck Springs, Highland, Ivalee, West End Elementary

• Tuesday: Whitesboro, Carlisle, Southside Elementary• Wednesday: John Jones Elementary, Glencoe

Elementary• Thursday: Glencoe Middle, Rainbow Middle• Friday: Hokes Bluff Elementary, Hokes Bluff Middle,

GastonNext school year the schedule will rotate.

New Learning Center Personnel

• Melody Bennett is our new psychometrist who will be serving the following schools: Glencoe Elementary, Glencoe Middle, Glencoe High, John Jones, Rainbow Middle, Highland, and Career Tech

• Amy Elmore will be filling Occupational Therapy needs for the entire system on a contract basis.

• Dr. Matthew Remick will be available to provide expert assistance for student needs related to autism and behavioral issues.

Instructional Day Verification Form

• Due to shortened school days caused by transportation schedules in the state of Alabama we must verify that this is not occurring in Etowah County.

• Please complete the Etowah County Schools Instructional Day Verification Form and send it to The Learning Center on September 6, 2011.

Mr. Butch DixonAlternative EducationCommunity Education

Section 504

High Hopes

Extended Day

Alternative School Referrals

New Secretary, Nicki

Mrs. Melissa ShieldsTechnology

• EIGHT Certified Promethean Trainers– Chad Strawn, Farrah Kilgo, Dena Statum, Cara Whitehed, Dana Sweeney,

Mark Snead, Kim White, and Beth Knight

• 22 Summer Technology Workshops

• Distance Learning / ACCESS– 712 students enrolled last year (344 students in 2008-2009)– 8th Grade Students Eligible for Participation– Credit Recovery now available - FREE

• Advanced Placement– 70 qualifying AP test scores (29 in 2009)– 366 AP Students (192 in 2009)

Good News!

•Over 7100 Registered Users•Centricity2 Upgrade in September•73% of our teachers routinely communicate with parents/students/stakeholders via email/website (IMPACT Survey)

Item #33: In the past 12 months, to what degree have your technology-professional development needs been met?

2011 – 82% (high degree-completely)2010 – 74%2009 – 40%

Item #15: How many of you use a Digital Projector to teach your students?

2011 – 64%2010 – 48%

ECBOE Impact Survey

Do you think your child’s school is doing a good job preparing today’s students for jobs in the 21st Century?

2011 Yes – 67% (higher than the national average!)

2010 Yes – 47%2009 Yes – 33%

Speak-Up Survey (Parents K-12)

How would you rate the effectiveness of your school or district’s communications with you?

2011 75% (Effective-Extremely Effective)

Top Concern regarding your child’s school right now?

62% - Not enough funding24% - Classes too big

24% - Too much homework

Speak-Up Survey (Parents K-12)

How could your school make it easier for you to use technology?• Allow great access to websites – 69%• Let me use my cell/smart phone – 76%

How likely are you to allow students to use their own mobile devices at school?•Not likely/Very unlikely – 75%

Speak-Up Survey (Students 6-12)

Speak-Up Survey (Administrators)

What challenges “wake you up” at night? • Standardized Test Scores – 63%• Adequate Funding – 50%• School Safety – 50%• Student Behavior/Attendance – 50%

How important is the effective implementation of IT to your district/school’s mission?• 100% - Important/Very Important

Speak-Up Survey (Administrators)

Hundreds of grants have been posted on the district website at

http://www.ecboe.org/grants

Grant resources, including tips and “buzz words,” have also been posted.

Grants – You Can Do It!

• Low cost internet and netbook computer for qualifying free lunch families

• www.ecboe.org/internetessentials

Comcast Internet Essentials

What are you doing as the instructional leader to encourage 21st

Century teaching and/or learning at your school?

ENGAGE Admin Blog

What 21st Century technologies and/or Web 2.0 tools would like to see more of in your classrooms this year? Why?

ENGAGE Admin Facebook Blog

Name a technology, lesson, or Web 2.0 tool that you feel hasmade a significant impact at your school in preparing studentswith the "3 R's" (Relevance, Readiness, and Rigor)?

ENGAGE Admin Facebook Blog

Get IT! Initiative

Mr. Barry BottomsAssistant Superintendent

• Kindergarten Grading Procedures• LEA Improvement Issues• RtI Update• Title II Teacher Placement• Summer School Revisions• Contact Person for Homeless: Cindy Kirkland• Kindergarten Attendance, First Week of School• Students First Law• Monitoring August 29• Teacher Institute August 10 8:30 a.m.

Southside HS• Support Staff InstituteAugust 10 1:30 p.m Southside HS

Mr. Terry FosheeCareer Technical

Professional Evaluations

Mrs. Becky MillerAYP Issues