Sankofa Montessori

Minutes

Academic Committee Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday February 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM

Location

Meeting ID: 601 495 1069

Through a culturally responsive, child and family-centered Montessori education, Sankofa Montessori ensures that all of our students develop the knowledge, skill, and agency to have a life of purpose.

Committee Members Present

A. Allen-Thames (remote), E. Moore (remote)

Committee Members Absent

None

Guests Present

Parent (1) (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

A. Allen-Thames called a meeting of the Academic Excellence Committee of Sankofa Montessori to order on Wednesday Feb 12, 2025 at 2:06 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

E. Moore made a motion to approve the minutes from Academic Committee Meeting on 01-08-25.
A. Allen-Thames seconded the motion.

Amendment rec for wording in Jan minutes. 

The committee VOTED to approve the motion.

D.

Leadership Team Updates

Leadership Team Updates  (PPT presentation)


1. Enrollment status- current status & School Attendance

    Enrollment w/ currently 125 students + 70 new applications= 195 total

    Enrollment by grade: 47 K, 36 1st, 25 2nd, 19 3rd

    Goal for SY25-26 of 200 students

    Daily Attendance:  K- 91.3% (↑2%), 1st- 94%(↑1%), 2nd- 91.2%(↓1%), and 3rd-93%(↓1%)
2. Personnel Updates- Updates on staffing and updates regarding professional
    development of staff.  23 flight crew (9 flight captains,5 co-captains,4 staff support, 4 flight       control, 4 contractors).  Contractors: 1 recruitment, 1 SPED para, 1 gifted teacher, 1 ESOL         teacher.  Hiring for SY25-26 by adding 1 K teacher, 2 Lower El, 1 Upper El and 2 teaching           assistants. Staff absences overall decreased
3. Updates on school suspensions/expulsions by grade

    Out of school suspensions: 0 K, 0 1st, 1 2nd, 2 3rd  w/ reason for suspensions as physical  

     assault
4. Standardized Testing and Screening Data Updates- Outcome data per grade for
    the following fall assessments from August:
    NWEA MAP (Math vs. Reading)/SELweb/Reading Acceleration Pathway/GKIDS for K only
    MAP Fluency Reading Test

    No updates on data.  School preparing all students for Spring MAP and 3rd graders for GA         Milestones in April.
5. Discuss School-Parent (PTO)-  Currently, PTO helping school with parent communications       and school wide events. Specifically, "Love day dance" and "Black Wall Street project"
6. Organizational Chart and Miscellaneous- No current SCSC metrics measure for Academics     (3rd grade cohort pending metrics testing in Spring). 100 day celebration on 1/17 went well         with lots of fun community activities.  First school takeoff celebration on 1/31 around core          value of Joy and introduced February value of Love (Chants, songs, and recognition of perfect    attendance and Student of the Month).

E.

Special Education

Discussion of Special Education
• Discuss student enrollment #/% of student population with suspected and/or
identified special needs

27 students total w/ IEP's (↓ 3%)- {K 7, 1st 8 (+3 from prev mth), 2nd 5, 3rd 7} 

7 students w/ 504 plans (K-1,1st-3, 2nd-1, and 3rd-2 

  • Discuss ESOL- Total 4 students {K-1,1st-1, 2nd-1, 3rd-1}
  •  Any updates on staffing for Special Needs and progress of Special Ed
    classroom-  None
    • Any updates on classroom integration of special needs and updates on external
    supports for special needs (ie Speech, ABA, OT/PT)- 21 students w/ Speech services and 12 w/ OT
    • Any updates on psycho-educational testing for students- plans/progress- None

F.

Gifted Student Services

Discussion of Gifted Services 

 

Discuss student enrollment #/% of student population with suspected and/or identified
for gifted services- Gifted teacher contractor working with 2 students, but 5 additional recently qualified (=7) to receive services. 
Discuss plans for data tracking/allocating #/% of students for appropriate funding per
student for special services or gifted services- 4 students currently in the process of testing for gifted services.

G.

SY 24-25 Goals

Any updates or changes to the short term and long term goals for this school year

School continues with priorities around Small Group Instruction, Students Receiving Feedback, Classroom Management.  Short term goals around Math for each grade, prep for Interim 3 of Reading Remediation Pathway, Lexia reading intervention program, and prep for GA milestones. Students unable to complete K fluency passage ("A Fox") in grades 1-3, given word walls in classroom and sent home with high freq word lists for spelling and enrichment packets. 


Any outstanding items from last year's committee- updates on grants/funding/external
partnerships- N/A

II. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 2:55 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
A. Allen-Thames