Board members shared highlights from their summer. 

CEO Darilek began her update by celebrating the 15-year milestone for the school.  Noting that it was already the third week of school, she discussed the strong energy present at every campus.  CEO Darilek then remarked on the successful all-staff retreat, and positive feedback from the staff in post-retreat surveys. She thanked Board members who attended the retreat, and reviewed topics covered.  Board members remarked on their impressions of the retreat. 

Next, CEO Darilek provided updates on each school:

• The ROAR parent group at the Elementary School has already hosted a breakfast for families and is focusing on reaching out to Pre-K families. 
• Middle School community meetings began on the first day of school.  Both teachers and students made commitments for the year, and upgrades to the facility have brought new energy.
• The High School is enjoying Music Mondays and Fridays, and the senior class will participate in an overnight trip next week to solidify their community building. 

CEO Darilek then updated the Board on staffing, student enrollment, and strategic planning efforts.  She previewed Strategic Plan items that will be presented at the September Board meeting, and noted committees and working groups related to the Strategic Plan. 

COO Carlo-Miranda encouraged Board members to visit the Middle School to see the renovations made to the facilities, including updates to the lobby and new bathrooms. She discussed the positive feedback on the renovations from students and parents. 

COO Carlo-Miranda indicated that the Audit, Finance, and Facilities Committee will be working during the year to plan facilities updates for other buildings. 

Senior Director of Development and Communications Callahan reminded the Board that the 15th Anniversary event would take place in the next few months.  He asked Board members to reach out to donors and advertisers within the deadlines requested. 

Referring to materials provided in advance of the meeting, Board Chair Smith discussed proposed Board candidate-LeKisha Jordan. She indicated that Ms. Jordan was an Elementary School parent, and discussed her qualifications. Board members commented favorably with respect to the proposed candidate. 

CEO Darilek explained that the Middle School received a "Targeted Support and Improvement" designation under OSSE's accountability system due to the Multiple Race subgroup, which consisted of 19 students, performing at or below the level of the lowest performing schools in DC. She noted that 16 out of 19 of these students speak Spanish as their primary language at home, and indicated that the Multiple Race subgroup at the Middle School had a very different makeup than the Multiple Race subgroup for the city as a whole. 

While the school created an improvement plan some time ago, the Board still must approve the plan as a compliance mater. CEO Darilek asked Board members for any questions on the plan provided in advance of the meeting.  In response, Board members asked various questions, including how the plan will align with the Strategic Plan that is being created.    
 

CEO Darilek then provided an update on PARCC results.  She noted the infographic on the results shared with parents and others in the school community, discussed the results for each campus, and noted potential impacts under the performance management framework (PMF). 

Board members noted improvements in some of the data, as well as opportunities for growth going forward.  They thanked the team for the clear presentation of the data.  Board Chair Smith also invited Board members to attend a School Performance Committee meeting if they would like to participate in a more in-depth discussion of the results.