Libertas Academy Charter School

Minutes

Monthly Academic Achievement Committee Meeting

Date and Time

Thursday September 2, 2021 at 5:30 PM

Location

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/5069946767?pwd=QXEvbzlHb0tYZWE4VHl6MCtrVFlGUT09

Meeting ID: 506 994 6767
Password: 12345

Committee Members Present

A. Seymour (remote), M. Montero (remote), N. Barker (remote), T. Curtis (remote)

Committee Members Absent

None

Guests Present

Vilenti Tulloch (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance and Guests

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

N. Barker called a meeting of the Academic Achievement Committee Committee of Libertas Academy Charter School to order on Thursday Sep 2, 2021 at 5:30 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

T. Curtis made a motion to approve the minutes from Monthly Academic Achievement Committee Meeting on 08-12-21.
A. Seymour seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

II. Vilenti Tulloch

A.

Guest Speaker- Academic Leadership Association

Vilenti presented on his mentoring program, the Young Gentleman's Club, part of the Academic Leadership Association. The program seeks to empower students at risk through mentors vetted by the ALA. They partner with Springfield College and Americorps for much of their mentoring pool. Mentors come to campus and work with individuals and small groups of students as identified by school administration. Modesto asked Vilenti to contact him offline to setup a meeting to discuss the program in more detail.

III. ED Academic Update

A.

General ED Update

- COVID-19 response team is meeting daily at school. Plans are being executed according to the response grid established by Modesto before the start of school.
- The key student facing roles have been filled 100%. ED still looking to hire two Teaching Fellows and a Student Recruitment Manager, with the position recently being vacated.
- Attendance update- school had just begun at time of meeting, but LACS was up to 96% on 9/1. LACS plans to use buy back days and vacation days for students who need stronger attendance records. Students will be able to attend via Zoom when out due to COVID-19 diagnosis or close contact.
- Great energy in High School as LACS launches inaugural 9th grade

B.

Student Recruitment

- Modesto and administrative team seeking to fill 20 seats in 6th grade- canvassing in neighborhoods and tabling at Springfield festivals. 7th, 8th, and 9th grades all at or just over capacity.

C.

F and P Testing

- Fountas & Pinnell testing revealed that 85% of Libertas students were more than a grade level behind in reading. 5 % tested at one year below grade level and 9.6% tested at grade level or above.
- assessment involved 1 to 1 testing and represented significant time investment for the school
- Modesto himself and all faculty are all in on reading groups and other interventions to catch students up to grade level. Other mitigation strategies include hiring Literacy Director and committing to daily reading time.
-Tiffani commented that we need to break down the 9th grade data to analyze growth or lack of growth since students' arrival at Libertas. How do we close the gap?
- Libertas will set a growth goal for each student based on their starting reading level for 2021-22 school year.

IV. 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 6:30 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
N. Barker
Documents used during the meeting
  • FY22 September- AA Committee Updates.pptx