WAUSAU SCHOOL DISTRICT

Curriculum Committee Minutes

Submitted by:  Julie Mieska

 

The CURRICULUM COMMITTEE met at a 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006, in the Nicholson Board Room at the Longfellow Administration Center.  The meeting had been properly posted in compliance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.

 

PRESENT:  Kathleen Grant, Chairperson, Keith Montgomery, Jenny Garver and

John Ostertag

 

Also Present:  

Steve Murley, Superintendent of Schools; Nancy Caskey, Director of Elementary Education; Roger Rindo, Director of Secondary Education; Julie Mieska, Recording Secretary

 

I.  CALL MEETING TO ORDER

Grant called the meeting to order at 6:36 p.m.    

 

II.  APPROVAL OF MINUTES

 

Ostertag moved to approve the minutes from the October 23, 2006 Curriculum Committee meeting.  Montgomery seconded.  Motion carried.

 

III.  WAUSAU WEST HIGH SCHOOL INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Joy Trollop, Principal, and Denise Rusch, Dean of Student Services, from Wausau West High School were present to share information regarding the proposed Wausau West High School Incentive Program.   The program is designed to offer juniors and seniors who are in good standing an opportunity to leave campus for a pre-arranged two mod block per day.  The criteria for West’s Incentive Program will be basically the same as the program at East High; however, Rusch noted that the procedure for determining eligibility has been slightly modified to accommodate West’s flex-mod schedule.  Upon approval, plans call for the program to start second semester.

 

Garver moved to recommend to the Board of Education the approval of the Wausau West High School Incentive Program as presented.   Ostertag seconded.  Motion carried.

 

IV.  READING INTERVENTION UPDATE

An update was given regarding the Leveled Literacy Intervention, Read 180, Corrective Reading, Reading Mastery, and Language For Learning reading intervention programs that were implemented this school year.  Rindo reviewed the number of students served and teachers participating in these programs at the middle and high school levels.  He also explained the Lexile level ratings used to measure student reading ability.  Caskey shared similar data for the elementary level.  Nell Anderson, Director of Bilingual/Multi-Cultural/Equity, spoke on how the Corrective Reading, Language For Learning, and Reading Mastery programs are benefiting ELL students at all grade levels. 

 

Implementation costs for these programs were then discussed.  Grant emphasized the importance of cost effectiveness and asked for a report on the total FTE’s in each program.

 

Board members are invited to observe any of the reading intervention programs in action by contacting building principals for specific schedules. 

 

V.  READING RECOVERY REPORT  

A comprehensive report entitled, Changing Futures: An evaluation of the Reading Recovery Program in the Wausau School District, was reviewed.  Caskey noted that this report reflects an analysis of ten years of data that was evaluated by the Reading Recovery Task Force.  Marggie Pempek, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader; Loranda Addison, Reading Recovery Teacher and Literacy Coach at South Mountain and Stettin; Marsha Stella, Grade 1 Teacher at Maine; and Linda Birkholz; Reading Recovery Teacher at Franklin; were present.  A brief video describing the Reading Recovery program was viewed. 

 

Pempek and Addison shared information regarding research on the effectiveness of Reading Recovery with low achieving first grade children throughout the country, along with stories of their personal experiences as Reading Recovery teachers.  Caskey reported that 737 students were served over the past 10 years, and highlighted various charts illustrating end of program status and test result comparisons. 

·        Seventy percent (70%) of all WSD children served by Reading Recovery accelerate their learning so that they are able to learn in the classroom and meet grade level expectations.  Eighty-four percent (84%) of children who have the full series of lessons were reading at class average.

·        Not only do Reading Recovery students maintain their skills, they improve as they progress through the grades.  Sixty-three percent to seventy-three percent (63%-73%) of all WSD children score at the proficient and advanced levels on state reading assessments in grades 4, 8 and 10.

·        Only six percent (6%) of full series students from 1996-2006 were referred and placed in learning disability programs after participating in Reading Recovery.

 

Stella and Birkholz acknowledged the Reading Recovery program as a critical early intervention for struggling readers, and pointed out that survey results from administrators, classroom teachers, parents, and Reading Recovery staff are overwhelmingly positive.  Special guests, Nicholas Unger, a Junior at Wausau East High School; and Mary Runnoe, a Sophomore at Newman High School; spoke about how their experience with Reading Recovery in first grade improved their reading skills, and consequently, was a positive influence on their success in school throughout the years.

 

Discussion ensued about how Reading Recovery fits into the District’s total comprehensive literacy plan and expenses were reviewed.   Grant reiterated the importance of cost effectiveness in light of budget restraints.  The Curriculum Committee was appreciative of the efforts made to develop the comprehensive report and was impressed with the results of Reading Recovery.

 

VI.  ADJOURNMENT

 

Montgomery moved to adjourn at 9:12 pm.  Ostertag seconded.  Motion carried.