Download minutes PDF Minutes Draft

Liberty STEAM Charter

Minutes

LSC Board of Directors Academic Committee Meeting

Date and Time

Tuesday January 20, 2026 at 9:30 AM

Location

LSC Network Office
108 N. Main Street

Sumter, SC 29150

This meeting is held in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of the agenda has been made available to the local media & general public.

Committee Members Present

(Tajma) LaShea Davis (remote), Cameron Chandler, Jenny Knopf

Committee Members Absent

Shafara Douglas

Guests Present

Amy Hansen, Trevor Ivey

I. Opening Items

A.

Record of Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

Jenny Knopf called a meeting of the Academic Excellence Committee of Liberty STEAM Charter to order on Tuesday Jan 20, 2026 at 9:30 AM.

C.

Invocation

Jenny Knopf gave an invocation.

D.

Pledge of Allegiance

Jenny Knopf invited attendees to join in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

E.

Reading of Mission and Vision Statements

Cameron Chandler read the mission statement.

Jenny Knopf read the vision statement.

F.

Consent Agenda Approval of Meeting Agenda and Previous Minutes

Motion to approve the consent agenda consisting of the meeting agenda and the minutes from LSC Board of Directors Academic Committee Meeting on 11-20-25.

With no objections, the consent agenda was approved. 

The committee VOTED to approve the motion.

II. Academic Excellence Topics for Discussion

A.

Executive Director's Report

Dr. Ivey welcomed committee liaison Dr. Michelle McDonald to present her monthly report.

  • Cognia Accreditation: The process remains on track, with a scheduled meeting anticipated in March.
  • Transformational Coaching:
    • Increased instructional coaching support at the EA, with two dedicated days for second- and third-grade teacher support.
    • Coaching at the PA will continue at one hour per week, focused on reflective and targeted instructional growth.
  • Best Practices in Grading and Homework Guidance: Policy updates and revisions were reviewed in preparation for Board action in March.
    • Documents include grading practices for K–5, middle-level grading procedures, homework guidance, and promotion and retention policies.
    • Key clarification: Scholars in Grades 1–5 will not receive a grade below 50; scholars in Grade 6 and above will receive the grade earned.
    • Materials have been forwarded to the Governance Committee for policy alignment.

Dr. Ivey welcomed Rashyra Smiling and Emily Hatfield to provide information on Mid-Year MAP Data. Ms. Smiling presented the Primary Academy Performance:

  • Winter proficiency goal of 75% was narrowly missed in math (1%) and more significantly in reading (13%).
  • CSI scholars exceeded growth expectations by 10% in reading and 30% in math.
  • Spring Commitment:
    • 85% of K–1 scholars will meet or exceed MAP proficiency targets.
  • Instructional Focus Areas:
    • Increased differentiation during independent work
    • Expanded small-group instruction
    • PLC driven data analysis to guide targeted academic support

Ms. Hatfield presented the EA presentation: SC READY Boot Camp – Eagle Advantage Program Overview:

  • Eagle Advantage provides targeted academic reinforcement for Grades 2–5.
  • The instructional team includes 12 retired teachers, interventionists, enrichment teachers, classroom teachers, and academy leaders.
  • Scholars Served: 230 scholars supported by retired teachers; 130 scholars supported by interventionists
  • Accountability Measures: Attendance tracking; Bi-weekly mastery assessments; Ongoing data collection and reporting
  • Schedule: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM–12:00 PM
     

Dr. Ivey continued with the Mid-Year Organizational Goals: LSC is performing well across College and Career Readiness, Operational Excellence, Mission Alignment, Culture of Excellence, and Financial Strength, with many targets met or exceeded.

  • Area to Watch: Sustained improvement in reading and math mastery. While growth work remains, early indicators show progress.
  • A full Mid-Year Organizational Goal Report will be presented at the January Board meeting.

III. Closing Items

A.

Committee Recommendations

  • Governance Committee review of grading and homework policy updates
  • Confirmation of SSD grading scale
  • Input requested on expanded after-school and Saturday academic support options
  • Board members are invited to observe Eagle Advantage programming

B.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 11:00 AM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Amy Hansen
Documents used during the meeting
  • Academic LSC Primary MAP one-pager Winter 2025.docx (1).pdf
  • Academic Committee Eagle Advantage Presentation 120.pdf
  • Academic Committee Liaison Presentation (2).pdf
  • Academic Best Practices in Grading Policy Update .pdf
  • ALL Debrief Overall Liberty STEAM Charter School_ Fall '25 Spark Data Debrief (1) (1).pdf
  • ALL NETWORK WIDE STAFF Survey Summary (1).pdf
  • ALL LSC Primary Staff Survey Summary(1).pdf
  • ALL LSC Elementary Staff Survey Summary (1).pdf
  • ALL LSC Special Pops Staff Survey Summary (1).pdf
  • ALL LSC Food Services Staff Survey Summary(1).pdf
  • All Mid-Year Survey Parent Engagement HIGH LEVEL December 2025 (2).pdf
  • LSC EA 25-26 MAP Data.xlsx
  • 2025 EA MAP Linking Study (1).xlsx
  • LSC 25-26 Mid Year Data RIT (1).pdf
  • PA MAP Data Breakdown - MidYear (1).pdf
  • ALL PA MAP Data 25-26 - READING.pdf
  • ALL PA MAP Data 25-26 - MATH (2).pdf
  • 202601 ALL LSC Semester 1 Discipline Report.pdf
  • All Chronic Daily Absenct Alert as of 1-13-26.pdf
  • All Daily Attendance Metrics as of 1-13-26.pdf
  • ALL Liberty STEAM Charter School_Executive Leader Succession and Sustainability Planning 2026.pdf
  • Copy of Ivey's LSC Legacy Plan.pdf
  • Mid-Year Progress to Goals LSC Copy of Organizational Goals 2025-2026 (4).pdf