Nuasin Next Generation Charter School
Minutes
Education Committee Monthly Call
Date and Time
Wednesday November 18, 2020 at 3:00 PM
Location
Mission
We prepare our students for college through a rigorous arts-infused program.
Vision
All students will be taught by a highly effective teacher in a nurturing environment and will achieve at high levels. Each student will develop the knowledge, skills and values necessary for responsible citizenship and life-long learning. The impact of our collective efforts will fundamentally change public education.
Committee Members Present
E. Chen (remote)
Committee Members Absent
A. Khatiwada, C. Barnes-Watson, J. Boulet, M. Dorrie, S. Huda
Guests Present
A. Ames (remote), Anthony Brown (remote), Jason McNatt (remote), K. Davidson (remote), Liesl Hara (remote), T. Williams (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
E. Chen called a meeting of the Education Committee of Nuasin Next Generation Charter School to order on Wednesday Nov 18, 2020 at 3:09 PM.
C.
Approve October Minutes
II. Education Updates
A.
K - 8 Principal Updates
B.
9 - 12 Principal Updates
- This year for kids who failed 2+ classes is 34%, last year was 9% - met with new teacher with list of students who have failed classes.
- DoE schools are closed as of tomorrow.
- Attendance: 82-83% - lots of students are working as well
- coaching teachers on what education should look like right now - i.e. recording lessons and send to students; breakout room with red flag students and use difference teaching methods like visuals - teachers being intentional
- Director of scholar culture does walk-through in classes to see who is showing up, cameras on, ratio of teachers lecturing or interactions - to provide meaningful feedback to teachers
- teacher leader
- no changes to the strategic goals, as we are now fully remote
- 10th and 1th grade cohort (population from community versus from MET)
- DoE schools are closed as of tomorrow.
- Attendance: 82-83% - lots of students are working as well
- coaching teachers on what education should look like right now - i.e. recording lessons and send to students; breakout room with red flag students and use difference teaching methods like visuals - teachers being intentional
- Director of scholar culture does walk-through in classes to see who is showing up, cameras on, ratio of teachers lecturing or interactions - to provide meaningful feedback to teachers
- teacher leader
- no changes to the strategic goals, as we are now fully remote
- 10th and 1th grade cohort (population from community versus from MET)
III. Other Business
A.
Other Business
Liesl: IEPs testing implementation struggles
The students are getting the support - 1-1 engagements, however faces the same struggles
Anuj asked about Principals concerns now, versus the first time remote learning (different concerns for lower and upper grades)
Tyra: concerned that some will give up on remote, and those who have incomplete and SpEd students, thus some are not eligible for regents
- some students are resistant to catch up and be exempted from testing
Kurt: last time, the kids have 7 months of in person learning; this school year only 50% of the kids had 40% of in person learning - the stakes are higher, albeit better equipped - younger kids are the real concerns (especially when the parents do not speak English) - 3/4 teachers are bi-lingual; using phonics tool and occupational therapy methods to teach
Jessi: is there a way to introduce a new element to address the fatigue?
Tyra: asynchronous teaching (do not commit 5 days a week and changing the schedules)
The students are getting the support - 1-1 engagements, however faces the same struggles
Anuj asked about Principals concerns now, versus the first time remote learning (different concerns for lower and upper grades)
Tyra: concerned that some will give up on remote, and those who have incomplete and SpEd students, thus some are not eligible for regents
- some students are resistant to catch up and be exempted from testing
Kurt: last time, the kids have 7 months of in person learning; this school year only 50% of the kids had 40% of in person learning - the stakes are higher, albeit better equipped - younger kids are the real concerns (especially when the parents do not speak English) - 3/4 teachers are bi-lingual; using phonics tool and occupational therapy methods to teach
Jessi: is there a way to introduce a new element to address the fatigue?
Tyra: asynchronous teaching (do not commit 5 days a week and changing the schedules)
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 4:09 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
E. Chen
- Been contacting families with red-flag: every grade level goes through weekly -> secondary level of outreach
- Younger kids are harder to see how they are learning online
- IA data is up in dashboard:
- upper middle school are doing better than 3-4th graders (3rd grader is a strong cohort, however the IA data is not reflecting) - 20 in school, 30 at home - seeing differences between home and school results (annotate is harder to observe)
- how to approach the IA in remote: more frequent and less stake and truly assess
- first IA taken online
- action plan to assess the timing of schedules and
- stronger with informal assessments
7th and 8th graders are out-performing the rest - is it tech savvy or stamina
Ariana: IA results are not public information; every school is struggling with how to collect data
- Difference between teachers who do better than those: teachers who struggle with regular school are struggling with remote - true engagement works - strong structure and organization, and relationship with kids (looping teachers to kids are doing well, but has to be specific situations).
- require to make adaptations to the strategic goals