Board of Education

Mr. Loy announced that as of March 3, the State of Illinois is now $1.2 million behind in payments to the school district. The state is in the middle of a huge revenue shortfall, and there is still a window of opportunity for people to make their voices heard in Springfield. Contact people in Springfield indicate that unless there is a revenue increase, the school district can expect an 11-15% cut in state funding next year. That means an additional $3 million dollars will be cut from the school district budget next year.

Six schools in the Rock Island-Milan School District were recognized by the Illinois PBIS network for being successful in implementing and maintaining the program: Washington Jr. HIgh, Thomas Jefferson, Primary Academy, Intermediate Academy, Longfellow and Earl Hanson. Earl Hanson is one of the few that has the highest level of implementation. All of Spotlights schools (Denkmann, Thomas Jefferson and are also PBIS schools.

High School Counselor Report
High school counselors Sterling Kingery, Farah Anderson and Jennifer Page updated the board on measures taken to improve reporting and parent communication. A team of administrators, counselors and staff from the technology department worked together to prepare many documents including a Graduation Requirement Report and Student Grade Report to reflect vital information about a students progress and credit hour standing before graduation. Counselors will continue to keep parents and guardians aware of progress of their student(s) through the documents presented as well as email, phone calls, and personal conferences.

Boundary Changes
Administration may be bringing recommendations to the board in late April/early May to change boundaries of two elementary schools that are experiencing a growth in population over the last year. The Denkmann Elementary boundary may be adjusted to move 50 students over to Eugene Field Elementary. An influx of families in the Academy boundary area could push the boundary between Frances Willard and the Academy to the north, thus allowing room for up to 100 more students to attend Frances Willard from that area. More discussion will follow before a recommendation is made to the board.

Personnel
Twenty four teachers were approved for tenure by the Board of Education:

Administrators/Teachers Building

1. Emily Bohling (Math), Rock Island High School
2. William Churchill (P.E.), Rock Island High School
3. Yolanda Grandberry (English), Rock Island High School
4. Georgia Kouris (Associate Principal), Rock Island High School
5. Susanne Stark (Math), Rock Island High School
6. Jack Weese (Welding), Rock Island High School
7. Julie Woods (Math), Rock Island High School
8. Dan Coyne-Logan (Soc.Studies), Washington Jr. High School
9. Phil Ambrose (Principal), Thurgood Marshall
10. Julie Vermeire (Math), Thurgood Marshall
11. Erica McKinzie (Multiage 1-2), Earl Hanson Elementary
12. Melissa Barton (Kindergarten), Frances Willard Elementary
13. Brandy Brunat (Spec. Ed.), Intermediate Academy
14. Teena Cook (Special Ed.), Intermediate Academy
15. Stacy Rohm (Spec. Ed.),  Intermediate Academy
16. Kiley Hudson (Kindergarten), Longfellow
17. Kelli Brannen (Multiage 1-2), Primary Academy
18. Joleen Dierickx (Special Ed.), Primary Academy
19. Carol Kossaris (Special Ed.), Primary Academy
20. Sarah Andrus (Multiage 5-6), R.I. Center for Math & Science
21. Susan Higgins (Pre-K), R.I. Center for Math & Science
22. Amy Moffitt (Multiage 5-6), R.I. Center for Math & Science
23. Stephanie Schulte (Multiage 1-2), R.I. Center for Math & Science
24. Troy Porter (Multiage 1-2), Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Twenty-eight staff members were also given pink slips yesterday. Of the 28 staff members, 11 are those who were hired after the start of the school year and were not going to be rehired for the 2010-11 year. There we no tenure staff reductions.

Scorecard Targets
Dr. Oberhaus recommended that the board reexamine Scorecard targets for Days Cash On Hand and State Rating based on bleak revenue projections for the next two years. State revenue continues to be a stress on the district, and given the current conditions if they don’t improve, by 2012, the district’s state rating number could drop to 2.35 and the Days Cash on Hand will drop to 54. Dr. Oberhaus recommended changing the state rating target to 3.35 and the Days Cash on Hand to 120 for the 2009-10 year, considering the fact that the economy has changed dramatically since the last time the targets were addressed. The board approved changing the targets.

Rockwell Challenge Update
Board member Dave Rockwell has raised about $36,000 of the $48,000 needed to fund the co-curricular and extra-curricular cuts through budget reductions and fundraising. Mr. Rockwell first went to the coach group and held a meeting. Several teams gave up their supply budget, and one team gave up an assistant coach. He hopes that his appeal to the community will generate more funds. The Rock Island Milan Education Foundation has agreed to accept the donations and also designate their Birdies for Charity money this year toward the cause. Mr. Rockwell also recommends that every activity, whether music or sports, should have a participation fee and also charge for events. “There’s still more work to do, but we have a good start.”

Building Excellence
Two ribbon cuttings are being planned this spring: April 8 at Frances Willard and April 21 at Ridgewood. Earl Hanson will have a groundbreaking on April 14 after school. All projects (other than Earl Hanson) are nearing completion, and Dr. Oberhaus suggested the board take a tour of the Center for Math & Science soon to see the progress. Board member Earl Strupp was at Frances Willard for a visit and commented on how beautiful the building looked.

Other items:

• Board approved the Head Start Child Development Program Grant.
• Board approved the the Interagency Agreement Amendment with the Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services.
• Board approved to award a contract to J.B. Robertson Construction, Davenport, IA, in the amount of $583,000.00 for the cafeteria addition at Earl Hanson Elementary School.
• The district’s Strategic Planning is almost complete. A final Capstone session will be held on Thursday, March 11 with representatives of all of the focus groups. The plan will be unveiled later in the spring.

Michelle Lillis, Girls AA Track Coach of the Year

The Board of Education recognized three coaches in the Rock Island-Milan School District who received awards for their outstanding coaching abilities. Rock Island High School Boys Track Coach Ed Lillis and Softball Coach Steve Ebner were inducted into the State of Illinois Coaches Hall of Fame, and Rock Island High School Girls Track Coach Michelle Lillis was selected as Girls AA Track Coach of the Year. “Besides being outstanding coaches, they are excellent in the classroom with students,” said Athletic Director Bob Swanson. “They are teachers on and off the track and field.”

Reports from Board Members
Linda Dothard attended the Science Fair at the Rock Island Center for Math & Science (Audubon Campus). There were many families in attendance and a representative from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy was there as well. Ms. Dothard also attended the Sankofa performance on Saturday in the Rock Island High School Auditorium. The group did an excellent job and Ms. Dothard recommended that everyone attend their next performance.

Board member Earl Strupp attended the Edison Jr. High School Trivia Night. There are two more schools planning Trivia Nights: Earl Hanson and Ridgewood, both are on Saturday, March 6.

Board member Jim Bishop attended the Boys Sectional Swim meet which was hosted at Rock Island High School on Saturday. “It was an exciting event – standing room only.” Senior Kilian Macias was the sectional champion and state qualifier in the 100 yard freestyle.  The Rocks 200 Free Relay team Austin Beine, Reed Duyvejonck, Charles Holliday, and Kilian Macias took top honrs and will compete at state this weekend.

Board President Bill Cleaver reminded the board that Linda Golden’s Thurgood Marshall class now has the Kenya Water Project bracelets for sale. The money raised will be used

Student Board Member Zavier Clark reported that the Interact Club sponsored a dance on Feb. 12 was a success and made about $300. The money raised will go toward Haiti Earthquake Relief.

Superintendent Report
Superintendent Loy attended a fundraiser last week for the HAVlife Foundation. At the end of the event, HAVlife donated $15,000 to Rock Island-Milan Schools specifically to support junior high level youth programs in memory of Hunter Aaron Vondran. www.havlife.org Mr. Loy also announced that the school district has three Illinois Spotlight Schools this year: Denkmann, Longfellow and Thomas Jefferson. There are nearly 900 school districts and thousands of schools, and RISD 41 had three of 425 schools being honored with the award.

Mr. Loy reported that the State of Illinois just passed HB 2240, and in that bill, the state wants to hear from the citizens of Illinois on how to resolve the budget crisis. There is a two week window of opportunity to send letters to the Governor and have Rock Island & Milan voices heard. “We have a chance to be heard, let’s take them up on their offer.” Visit the web site for more information http://bit.ly/atVYsP >>

Rock Island Education Association Report
Bob Smith, President of the Rock Island Education Association announced that the organization will be participating in a letter writing campaign to support HB 174. Also, on February 27, U.S. representative Phil Hare will be holding an educational roundtable at the Regional Office of Education. The Board of Education is invited to attend.

High School Progress Report on Math Department

Associate Principal Georgia Kouris commended the Math Data Team for working hard over the last year to build rigor and relationships to improve math achievement and success at the high school. The team is made up of Emily Bohling, Ryan Kelly, Susie Stark, Connie Brackney, Jon Catterton, Mike Melody, Shawn Trask, Mike Smith and Julie Woods. Rock Island High School Math Teacher and Data Team Leader Michelle Lillis said the number of math failures peaked at 21.04% in 2006. Last semester (09-10) the number went down to 11.34%. The number of students enrolled in Algebra II has increased (440) which is up from 176 in 07-08. Overall, there are more students taking higher level math courses with fewer failures.

Raising the rigor of the math program has been successful due to many supports in place for students to get help: providing assistance before and after school; setting up Lights on for Learning for math; making required and timely parent contacts; offering all students opportunities for test retakes; K-12 math articulation meetings to smooth transition for students; interactive white boards in math rooms and Math Computer Lab; extra help through intersession and summer school math offerings; and co-teaching in some Algebra I classes to provide additional instructional support. “Students who are struggling get the attention they need.”

The Math Data Team accomplished many of the tasks set last fall: investigated math options for career education students; introduced Applied Mathematics; purchased PLATO skill-building software in Math Computer lab and purchase of classroom sets of TI-84 graphing calculators for all Algebra II students; expanded LOFL Intersession extra help; implemented mandatory 9th grade Algebra I and Math Lab for all students who need the support. The team is still in the process of creating a summer math readiness program for incoming 9th grade students who need support. The curriculum is being written at the moment.

English Language Learners (ELL) Report
Over the last couple of years, the dominant foreign language in the Rock Island-Milan School District was Spanish, however the language diversity has increased to over 22 languages for over 300 students in our school district. Currently there are nine teachers in the district who work with ELL students. The Intermediate Academy has grown in over 16 languages in the last year. At the high school, the program had 17 students in 2003-04. Spanish was the dominant language at the time. This year there are 61 students at Rocky who speak 12 languages such as Karen, Nepali, Swahili and Kirundi. Just in the last year there was an increase of 19 students. With the help of school district translator coordinator Annette Moreno, outside translators are used often to help with parent communications. Trained interpreters help in relaying cultural information and issues to the teachers. The ELL teachers help make connections with social services as well, based on the need of the student and/or family. The Access test, a test to measure proficiency, is given annually to assess students level of knowledge of the English language. This has been a helpful tool given two years ago the State of Illinois determined that elementary students should take the ISAT regardless of English proficiency level.

Articulation and Alignment Report
In the past year, a collaborative committee in the Rock Island-Milan School District has been working on grade-wide building-wide effort to articulate and align the district curriculum. Four areas have been covered through articulation thus far: Social Studies, PE/Family Life/Heath Education, Math and Language Arts. Science articulation and alignment group will start this spring. Ken Jaeke, Director of Instruction and Assessment, gave a brief overview of the alignment strategies, practices and materials that are being used in the district to increase access to the core curriculum across the district. An aligned curriculum for grades 7 & 8 has been rewritten and revised, and administration is working on 9-12 aligned curriculum. A K-12 vocabulary curriculum will soon follow. Connie Snell and Terri Sheddan have provided tremendous professional development support for teachers who in turn are supporting the material for students.

Head Start/SKIP Reports & Location
Mike Russell, Principal of SKIP, is looking forward to the relocation of the program to the Horace Mann building and anticipates being moved in to the facility in early July. The SKIP program will have 6 rooms, EDR will use 2 rooms and Head Start will use 4 rooms and also house support services. Long term planning involves creating Horace Mann into a comprehensive Early Childhood Center program will provide an opportunity for an articulated curriculum, provide an academic and social foundation for students, develop relationships with families and collaborate and assist in transition of students to appropriate kindergarten programs.

Nicole Schlotfeldt, Director of the Head Start program in the Rock Island-Milan School District, reviewed the Head Start Annual Report from 2008-09, highlighting increased levels of competency and development in key areas of language development, literacy, math, science, approaches to learning, social/emotional development, creative arts and physical health.

Currently, Pre-K services 120 students and Head Start services over 300 students. The last year has been a year of growth for the program and educational outcomes has demonstrated significant progress through testing at the Kindergarten level. Head Start attendance has increased to 88% over the last three years.

An important part of the Head Start program is the coordination of health services, and Head Start staff work with the family to establish a medical and dental home for the health of children. Social service staff are able to work one-on-one with families to get people the right assistance. Rock Island Head Start is also involved with the national “I am Learning I am Moving” assessment – a curriculum for preventing childhood obesity. Rock Island is the only program in the nation that is being assessed and documenting the results for the national Head Start association.

The proposed budget for 2010-11 is $2,266,959 (used for program operations) and then $30,357 (for training tech assistance). The funds are provided at the federal level.

The Rock Island-Milan Board of Education started the regular meeting with board member reports. Vice President Earl Strupp congratulated RIHS graduate Nick Camlin ‘07 on his success at the primary election last week. Mr. Camlin won the democratic spot on the ballot to represent District 15 on the Rock Island County Board. Board President Bill Cleaver read an excerpt from a story in the Argus/Dispatch regarding the Moline School District’s 2010-11 budget reductions. The neighboring district plans to adopt $3.5 million in cuts. “We aren’t the only school district going through these decisions…and the issue is money not coming to school districts from the state,” Cleaver stated.  Student member Zavier Clark reported that the Academic Team brought back 5th place at the competition in Sterling.

Superintendent Update
Next T.A.G. meeting is coming up in March. In the session the board will discuss specific roles and expectations along with the evaluations process.

School district administration received another letter from ASFCME regarding potential budget reductions with additional suggestions. Mr. Loy thanked the group for the continued communication.

Enrollment projects completed a couple of years ago aren’t happening as administration had planned. The district will be looking into changing elementary boundary again for the 2010-11 year. The population at Denkmann is at 455 students, which is over capacity. Shifting boundaries will allow Eugene Field to accommodate about 50 students from Denkmann. The second area to be changed is the Academy boundary. As of today the school is over 500 students. Shifting Frances Willard and Earl Hanson boundaries respectively will make room for Academy students to go to Frances Willard, and a section of Frances Willard students will shift to Earl Hanson. Administration will be starting the study as soon as possible and more updates will follow in March.

Career Cruising was the featured editorial in the Argus on Sunday. The unconditional involvement with the Quad City Chamber will now allow for more of the business community to be involved with our schools. http://bit.ly/99Cn39

Superintendent Loy visited Springfield last Thursday and Friday in an attempt to find out from legislative officials what next year’s funding looks like for education. A group of superintendents were told to not expect all of the payments this year as the State of Illinois is 5-6 months behind. District superintendents were also told to plan next year’s budget with a decrease from the state of up to 10%, which equates to $3 million for RISD. “The people who are deciding our budget are sitting in Springfield.”

Mr. Loy encouraged everyone to take action and talk to state legislators.

Budget Cuts

The board approved the acceptance of the Tier I cuts of $2.6 million with the amendment made by Dave Rockwell to remove the athletic reductions of $35,000 and the co-curricular reductions of $13,000 from the Tier I cuts.

During discussion, Mr. Rockwell pointed out that he was looking forward to 2010-11 year with the completion of all of the projects. Unfortunately, the state of Illinois had other plans and his disappointment in the lack of action led the district to the cuts today. “Every cut is painful.”

Mr. Rockwell suggested that each department outlined in the athletic and co-curricular reductions should immediately start looking for other funding sources. Mr. Strupp and Mr. Veasey agreed with Rockwell’s suggestion.

Mr. Loy relayed a message from board member Linda Dothard concerning one area of the cuts: the Dean position at the high school. If the position is cut there will be a negative impact. She asks the board to consider moving the dean position from Tier I to Tier II. Superintendent Loy noted that administration agreed to a pay freeze. Mr. Veasey recommended that the Dean position cut also be removed from the Tier I cuts, however the motion did not pass.

View the 2010-11 budget Tier I & Tier II recommendations >>

Building Excellence Update
The additions are finished at Ridgewood. Staff is going through final punch list at Frances Willard with the contractor, and the Academy punch list has been completed. Ribbon cuttings will be planned once the weather improves. The new school is coming together nicely as well. Within the next month the board will be presented the Earl Hanson cafeteria bid. View show >>

Policy Revisions
The board heard the first reading of mandated policy revisions concerning environmental quality of building and grounds and curriculum content:

• Changes the mandatory Internet Safety curriculum to include ALL grades K-12  and needs to be a part of yearly instruction. The bullying prevention and gang resistance education requirement that it must be taught in all grades was dropped. NOTE: as the subjects are no longer being mandated by the State to be part of the curriculum, the school district will still have anti-bullying and drug prevention programs in the schools.
• Implement comprehensive health education program in all schools.
• Adds the following to the list of mandated topics taught in Social Studies: the events related to the forceful removal and illegal deportation of Mexican-American U.S. citizens during the Great Depression.
• Adds the mandatory viewing of a Congressional Medal of Honor film in grade 7 and all high school U.S. History and Government classes.
• Adds the mandated study of disability history awareness and the disability rights movement appropriately to the curriculum.
• Implement comprehensive health education program in all schools.
• Adds the following to the list of mandated topics taught in Social Studies: the events related to the forceful removal and illegal deportation of Mexican-American U.S. citizens during the Great Depression.

The school district is already in compliance with the mandates.

The Board of Education unanimously named Dr. Mike Oberhaus as superintendent of the Rock Island-Milan School District after Rick Loy retires June 2010. Read the story >>

Report from the Superintendent
Superintendent Loy congratulated four Rock Island High School who were named All State musicians: Francesca Byczynski (Bassoon), Jasmine Crider (Flute), Anna Pienta (Trumpet) and Derek Ross (Alto Saxophone). There is a schedule of individual school Winter Programs at rockislandschools.org/rinews, please take the time to attend and enjoy the musical presentations. The board is invited to attend Renaissance Rock Island’s Hard Hat celebration on Dec. 9. The annual awards program honors City of RI businesses each year. Mr. Loy also shared information about President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s charge for the Race to the Top challenge funds. School districts must sign a Memorandum Of Understanding by the first week of January in order to be eligible for the funds. The funds could mean $100,000’s for our district to assist in increasing student achievement success. More details will be distributed in the next week.

Reports from Board Members
Board member Linda Dothard attended 50th celebration of the Rock Island Fieldhouse last Friday; she complimented committee who coordinated the event and was impressed with the turnout of past alumni at the re-dedication ceremony. Student member Kelly Bishop agreed and was also pleased to see so many RIHS students at the celebration event.

Citizens Addressing the Board of Education
Two parents addressed the board about the knife incident a week ago at Rock Island High School. Their concerns centered around safety measures used at the school and the lack of a metal detector at the entrance. Both feel that installing metal detectors will increase the safety of students at Rock Island High School. Parental notification regarding the incident was lacking vital information and parents should be guaranteed that students are safe at Rock Island High School.

Rock Island High School Math Course
The board approved the addition of a new math class, Applied Mathematics, with textbooks to Rock Island High School course offerings. Rock Island High School Math Teacher Michelle Lillis stated that the new math course was developed based on new mandates by the State of Illinois requiring all students to take three years of math. The new course will cover two semesters and would fill in a need for those who require more preparation for the PSAE and/or seniors who want an extra year of math.

RIHS School Improvement Plan
The Rock Island High School Improvement Plan presented by Principal Robert Mason and Associate Principal set PSAE goals for 2008-09 year at the NCLB mandated 70% meets/exceeds for both reading and math. The school did not reach those goals, however saw a gain in reading scores of 8% and a gain of 1% in math over the previous year. The 2009-2010 NCLP mandated goal is 77.5%

Associate Principal Georgia Kouris addressed the action plan for the school. All RIHS participate in two teams to address improvement at the high school: culture & climate team and data team. Strategies developed, such as building a core curriculum, instructional strategies, improved teaching models and gathering student feedback activities will help measure learning on an ongoing basis and pave the way for improvement. The school is also focusing on professional development to strengthen teaching techniques in order for students to reap the most benefit from the material they are learning.

Principal Mason feels that it is imperative to build good relationships with students as it has a direct outcome to their learning potential. The high school teams address that issue on staff development days and share experiences with each other.

District Improvement Plan
Assistant Superintendent Bill Osbourne gave the board a snapshot view of the School District Improvement Plan. The goals of the district revolve around the federal NCLB mandate. As the district is in corrective status from not meeting AYP goals, establishing a core curriculum and aligning the curriculum across the district is a priority. Action Plans were also developed for student support, personnel, parents and community to address those areas of concern that directly reflect upon the achievement scores of the district. Assessment of those areas is provided by the District Scorecard data that is continually monitored and updated.

Other items

• The board approved 2010-11 Calendars for the District and Secondary Schools/SKIP.
• Board of Education awarded a contract to Construction Partners, Inc. of Rock Island for remodeling the counseling suite at Rock Island High School.

Superintendent Loy acknowledged the Board of Education with special certificates in recognition of School Board Member Day, November 15, 2009, in Illinois. “School board members serve countless hours working to make public education the best it can be for every child,” said Loy. “They bear responsibility and oversight in District 41 for an annual budget of $70 million, over 6300 students from Pre K to High School, and more than 500 employees throughout 17 buildings. Your steadfast devotion to this community and its children are very much appreciated. Thank you for a job well done.”

Board Member Reports
Earl Strupp, Linda Dothard and Dave Rockwell attended the Denkmann ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, November 5. Ms. Dothard commended the staff and construction crew for their hard work on the new addition and front office reconfiguration. Mr. Rockwell thanked the school district and community for supporting the Rock Island-Milan Boosters Annual Raffle and Dance last Saturday. The event netted about $6,000 that will be put back into the school district through grants.

Student member Zavier Clark said that the high school wrapped up the Food Drive last week and gathered about 31,000 pounds of food for the cause. Board President Bill Cleaver, a war veteran himself, spoke at Earl Hanson Elementary for their Veteran’s Day program. He thanked all veterans for their dedication and service in this time of war. Superintendent Loy also conveyed a special thank you to all veterans who have made a difference in the lives of citizens.

Mr. Loy announced that the Rock Island County Health Department is setting up an H1N1 vaccine clinic at the high school on Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 3:30 – 7:00 p.m. The vaccine is for children and other priority groups. There is no cost for the vaccine. More information >>

2010-2011 Budget
At the last Board of Education meeting on Oct. 27, Associate Superintendent Mike Oberhaus reviewed five year projections with the board. The Administration is recommending the district consider using surplus funds to cover a half of the potential 2010-11 budget deficit of $4.3 million. Currently there are $29 million in reserves. Revenues for the district are down and  and the board committed $8 million in reserves for the Building Excellence plan. The board agreed to move forward to construct the 2010-11 budget with a deficit of no more than $2,150,000, anticipating the rest of the $4.3 million to be covered by surplus funds.

Administration anticipates bringing a $2.15 million deficit budget to the board with recommended cuts sometime in January.

School Improvement Plan Presentations: Edison & Washington Jr. High
Principal Gary Flecker of Edison identified that his building met 2 of 4 goals set last year. The school achieved A.Y.P. in all categories except students with disabilities. Co-teaching, implemented last year, is anticipated to help that sub-group of students perform to standards. Action plans include bell-to-bell instruction, improved expectations with Building Intervention Team and monitoring ISAT data throughout the year. Mr. Flecker is very proud of the staff and students at Edison Jr. High and the building “is full of energy and knowledge.”

Principal Mark Hepner of Washington Jr. High is pleased with the school making A.Y.P. this year in all areas and commends his staff for putting in time above and beyond the normal school day to help meet the students academic achievement needs. The school has increased supplemental classes and after school instruction with the implementation of Lights on for Learning. Both Edison and Washington have been collaborating with programs and plan to continue to work together to prepare students for high school.

Building Excellence Update
Greg Larrison of Larrison & Associates presented a design plan for Earl Hanson Elementary. The design would expand the north west side of the school to include a new cafeteria, common area and small paved playground outside the cafeteria. The project originally budgeted for 1,950 square feet, however it was determined that the expansion would need about 3,000 square feet. Projected budget: $400,000. Mr. Larrison also presented the Edison and Washington Jr. High remodels. At Edison he proposed to move offices to west side of building where the library is currently located, and create a media center where the current main office location is. Centrally locating the offices near the entrance will allow for a secure entrance feature to be installed. A new re-purposed administration area at Washington Jr. High would allow the entrance to be located near current main office and not near gym/cafeteria. Additional science rooms will be constructed on the second floor to accomodate additional classes.

In anticipation of the 2010-11 budget deficit and overexpentidure of other projects in the Building Excellence plan, administration recommended that the Jr. High projects be tabled and completed at a later date. That will save the district approximately $825,000. The board approved to move ahead with the Earl Hanson project to complete all of the elementary school construction/renovations of the Building Excellence plan. The District plans to break ground at Earl Hanson sometime March 2010.

Building Excellence current construction projects slide show >>

Rock Island High School Attendance Incentive and Finals
The high school perfect attendance incentive allows a student to opt-out of finals if they have had no absences (sickness or other) during the semester. In light of the current pandemic with the H1N1 flu virus, Principal Robert Mason has been aware of concern relating to a students attendance and coming to school sick in order to prevent an absence. As this can be a threat to the health of the high school population, if there is an issue of student absences that correlate with the pandemic flu outbreak, the perfect attendance incentive at the high school will be suspended. Principal Mason and his staff are monitoring illnesses & absences and will continue to do so.

Other items:

• Asst. Superintendent Kay Ingham and S.K.I.P. Principal Mike Russell are working on details to move the Special Kids in Preschool program from Moline to the Horace Mann building in Rock Island. The building could also have room for the district’s E.D.R. program (currently at Earl Hanson) and also some Head Start programs.
• Ken Jaeke, Director of Instruction and Assessment, reported on Building Transitions protocols as it serves students who are moving from Pre-K to Kindergarten, 6th grade to Jr. High, Jr. High to High School and then after graduation. The priority is to move students seamlessly through levels while providing support for academic and social needs. Transitioning not only impacts students, but parents as well, and the district provides opportunities and information to help guide families along throughout the students academic career.
• Board Policy Revisions – as changes in legislation and newly passed laws take effect in the State of Illinois, the board policies are updated to reflect changes. Policies 2:20, 2:40, 2:70E, 2:110, 3:40, 4:40, 4:100, 4:140, 6:340 and 7:190 were recommend for update by administration.
• The board agreed to acknowledge and appropriately honor Robinson Woods at the Rock Island Center for Math & Science and further discussion will ensue as school construction nears completion.
• Board approved a contract to S.J. Smith, Davenport, IA for welders at Rock Island High School.
• Board approved contract to DEPCO, Pittsburg, KS for the Modular Technology Lab at Rock Island High School
• Board approved contract to Center Stage, Monmouth, IL, for replacement of sound system in the Field House at Rock Island High School.
• Board approved contract to RK Dixon, Davenport, IA for switches for computer network upgrade at Eugene Field, Longfellow and Primary Academy.
• Board approved contract to Macintosh Computers to purchase computers for student use and for four staff members pending ARRA IDEA grant from Illinois State Board of Education.
• Board approved contract to Dell Computers for computers for student use at Edison, Washington and Thurgood Marshall pending approval of ARRA IDEA grant from Illinois State Board of Education.
• Board approved contract to Promethean Active Classroom to purchase five interactive whiteboards for special education classrooms at Earl Hanson, Edison and Rock Island Center for Math & Science pending approval of ARRA IDEA grant from Illinois State Board of Education.
• Board approved contract to Dukane Company to purchase carts to be shared by special education teachers at Thurgood Marshall Center pending approval of ARRA IDEA grant from Illinois State Board of Education.
• Board approved to award a contract to Advanced Brain Technologies to purchase listening kits for use with students under direction of Autism Facilitator pending approval of ARRA IDEA grant from Illinois State Board of Education.

Two Rock Island High School senior students were honored at the Board of Education meeting. Allison Brown and Deborah Newcomb were presented certificates  by Principal Robert Mason for being named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. “They are academic leaders in the classroom and have achieved this honor through their hard work with help and support from their parents, families and teachers,” said Mason. Superintendent Loy and Board of Education President Bill Cleaver praised students for their work and dedication. Read more >>

Allison Brown, RIHS Principal Robert Mason and Deborah Newcomb

The board also applauded Principal Mike Russell for being named a 2009 National Distinguished Principal  by the National Association of Elementary School Principals last week at a banquet in Washington D.C. “We are extremely proud of Mike and his leadership in working with students, staff and parents to provide the best learning environment for children in the district,” said Mr. Loy.

Rock Island High School student board members were seated at the meeting: Freshman Kelly Bishop, Sophomore Zavier Clark and Junior Jasmine Taylor will be participating in future meetings however are considered non-voting members. They will be sharing the voice of students and updating the Board of Education on events and happenings.

Board Member Updates:
Linda Dothard attended the Illinois Liquid Asset Fund Board meeting. She also encouraged the board members to take a look at the hallways outside of Spanish teacher Grace Shirk’s room. Students have been decorating the hallway in celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which is November 2. Dave Rockwell attended the Community Caring Conference’s Annual Heroes Banquet on Thursday, Oct. 15. The school district had three “heroes” who were recognized: RIHS student Chasson Randle, Thurgood Marshall Teacher Cheryl Gipson and Rock Island Primary Academy volunteer Michael Bryant won awards at the banquet. Mr. Rockwell announced that the annual Rock Island-Milan Booster Raffle and Dance was approaching. The event is on November 7 and plenty of tickets are available for purchase. He also attended three meetings with the Neighborhood Partners School-Community Task Force in regards to the Safe Routes to School plan for the new location of the Rock Island Center for Math and Science. City staff Jill Doak and Neighborhood Partner President Ed Hanna have been contributing a lot of direction to the plan and should be commended for their efforts.

Student board member Jasmine Taylor attended a college fair at St. Ambrose over the fall intersession. Zavier Clark announced that the RIHS Interact Club presented a check to the Rock Island Rotary Club at their weekly Tuesday meeting for the money the club raised for Shelterbox and Polio eradication. Kelly Bishop asked the board to consider volunteering for the RIHS Varsity Academic Competition on Saturday, November 21.

Superintendent’s Update:
Superintendent Loy announced that the district will be offering free seasonal flu shots to students K-6 in conjunction with Genesis Hospital. The district has taken this flu epidemic very seriously and and want to take all precautions necessary.

Denkmann Elementary has scheduled a ribbon-cutting for next Tuesday, November 3 at 4:00 p.m to celebrate the completion of the construction projects. Board members, the district and community are invited to attend.

The school district has partnered with the Rock Island Park Board to offer Learn to Swim lessons for 1st and 2nd graders in the Rock Island-Milan School District. The first school, Frances Willard, has started their 8 week program at the Rock Island Fitness Center. This program is a reality due to a generous grant from the Rock Island Community Foundation.

There was no report from the Rock Island Education Association.

District Report Card Update
Asst. Superintendent Bill Osborne gave the board a glimpse of the State of Illinois Report card and reviewed some student demographic and test score data. The graduation rate fell slightly to 82.4% from 83.1% the previous year, however positive trends were seen in attendance and truancy rates. Mr. Osborne credits the high school with stricter policies in attendance in place for students who are at risk of cutting classes. 2009 ACT composite scores remain at 19.1% and has seen steady growth over the last five years. The K-8 ISAT scores decreased slightly from 70.7 to 70.4 meets, and the high school PSAE saw a considerable increase from 43.5 to 47.5 meets. The State of Illinois report card data will be released to the public sometime this week.

District Scorecard
Final data for 2008-2009 Scorecard reveal that attendance rate (94%) and promotion rate (98.86%) showed a positive increase about their respective targets of 96.83% and 93.65%. The district State Profile Score went from 3.8 to 3.35 due to the bond sale. The district’s independent audit  this fall resulted in zero findings, and has been a trend for the district for several years. The first quarter of 2009-10 show positive results in students who have received less than 2 referrals over the previous year, and those with no out-of-school suspensions also increased, which is a good trend toward keeping students in school. Student attendance was 94.25% and the district had 1 loss time injury. Both are improvements over the previous year.

Property Tax Levy
Associate Superintendent Mike Oberhaus estimated that the 2009 property tax levy will be $27,330,000 which is a 1.1% increase over last years amount. The recommended tax rate for 2009 is $5.053, a slight decrease from the previous year’s rate of $5.056. Property taxes account for  approximately 40% of the district’s budget and are the most stable form of revenue for the district. The rest of the district revenue is depended on from the State of Illinois, which calculates its number based on the amount of property taxes levied. An increase in tax levy results in less money for the district from the State of Illinios. On November 24 the board will conduct a hearing and then adopt the 2009 levy.

Five Year Projections
The next five years look formidable for the school district revenue. Corporate taxes will decline and competitive grants will be reduced each year. On the expenditure side salaries will increase 3 1/2% (2% increase plus steps) and fringe benefits by 8%. The projected deficit for 2010-11 is $4.342 million. The district administration is recommending that the board allow half of the projected deficit to be covered by district reserves and the other half be covered by a reduction in expenditures.

Other items:

• Asst. Superintendent Kay Ingham updated the board about the Youthbuild program. The Rock Island Housing Authority proposed to take over the administrative and financial aspects of the program and TMC Principal Phil Ambrose will be involved with the facilitation of the program on the school district’s end. If all goes as planned, Youthbuild will resume again in January after details are worked out.
• The board approved the School Improvement Plans for Rock Island High School, Edison and Washington Jr. High Schools, Earl Hanson and Rock Island Academy.
• Board member Dr. Bishop requested that an item regarding perfect attendance and final exam policy be put on a future board agenda for discussion.
• Board member Earl Strupp requested that The Rock Island Center for Math & Science plaque be put on a future board agenda for discussion.
• In compliance with Public Act 96-034 the Administrative Salaries Compensaiton report is posted on the School District’s Web site. Next spring the district will be required to post Certified Staff salaries as well.

Prior to the Board of Education meeting, members of the Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation recognized the 2009 Rock Island Legends and Rock Island Founders Circle Awards. Stanley Goldman ‘38 and Peg Nothdorf ‘51 were recognized as Rock Island Legends and outstanding alumni for their many contributions to the school district and community. Ted Davies and Roger Nothdorf were recognized as Founders Circle members for their unconditional support of the school district and the betterment of its students.

Superintendent Loy presented the 14th Annual State of the Schools address highlighting the Building Excellence Plan, Rock Island High School and key performing indicators of the school district. The address will be available on the Rock Island Public Channel 9 for viewing each Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Articulation and Alignment Committee Report
In the past year, a collaborative committee in the Rock Island-Milan School District has been working on grade-wide building-wide effort to articulate and align the district curriculum. The committee was able to compare and contrast school cultures and cultivate the parts that would allow standardization of the best practices. In addition the committee had the ability to articulate and align instruction-based Power Standards. Many teachers felt that the committee put the curriculum on track and helped to bring focus to each grade level throughout the district. The development of the Math vocabulary stemmed from this committee, as well as the critique and evaluation of the Grades K-6 math pilot. The implementation of Career Cruising. For 2010 the committee will continue to provide input for the math pilot, begin Science articulation/alignment, discuss common assessments of core areas and discuss revised grade reports for K-8.

Other items:

• The board approved the purchase of 20 MacBooks and 8 iPod Touch from Apple, Inc. for the price of $21,560 from the funds of the Thomas Jefferson Booster Club.
• Board Policy revisions of 2:70E, 2:260, 5:220 and 6:15 regarding Board of Education vacancies, Substitute teaching employment period, uniform grievance procedure and school accountability were reviewed by Cabinet members. All members recommended to accept the policy revisions as stated.
• A public hearing was conducted for the 2009-2010 school district budget. There were no presentations that came forward. The Board adopted the 2009-2010 budget as presented at the July 28 meeting. View the budget >>
• Building Excellence Update >>

The August 25 Board of Education started their regular meeting with an update from board members. Linda Dothard, Earl Strupp and Jerry Tutskey attended the Eugene Field Ribbon Cutting event last Thursday, August 20. They commended Principal Weiss and his staff at Eugene Field for their hard work and dedication to the students during their year of construction. Board member Dr. Jim Bishop attended Parent nights at Eugene Field and Rock Island High School in the same week. He was very impressed with the enthusiastic high school staff and feel that this year’s incoming freshman students were off to a good start.

Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Loy started off his report with an update of the 10-day school district enrollment figures. Last year the downward trend came to a halt and evened out with the same figures as in 2007. This year, enrollment is up by 100 students. In the previous years prior to 2007, the district lost about 100 students on average. Class sizes have seen a slight increase and hover around the mid to upper 20’s, with a few classrooms at 30-32 students. The school district also went up another point to 64% low income over the previous year.

The school district won an award from the Women in Construction organization for the Rock Island High School stadium renovation. Construction Manager Ben Hott, Associate Superintendent Mike Oberhaus and Superintendent Rick Loy accepted the award on behalf of the district.

The Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce awarded Rock Island High School with a DCEO Workforce Investment Plan grant in the amount of $14,990.00 to purchase a CNC machine for the Modular Technology Lab.

Important Dates: Thomas Jefferson Elementary will be holding their Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the completion of construction work on the cafeteria next Thursday, September 3 at 4:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. The State of Schools address has been set for Tuesday, September 8. There will be two presentations: the first at the joint Kiwanis/Rotary meeting at noon and then again at the Rock Island High School Library at 5:00 p.m. The Rock Island Milan Education Foundation will also present the Rock Island Legends and Founders Circle awards at that time.

“Ready…Set…Go” Kindergarten Parties Report
Started in the summer of 2008, the “Ready…Set…Go to Kindergarten” Parties has been well received by parents and their children who were entering Kindergarten in the fall.  Sheila Sheer, Title I Parent Involvement Coordinator, started the collaboration with Head Start to help children with the transition to Kindergarten. In 2009, they included 1st grade and invited those incoming students to the events.

Three sessions of parties were held over the summer at the Rock Island Public Library (main branch & southwest branch) and the First Baptist Church in Rock Island. The parents were very receptive to the activities as much as the children. Children went home with books and learning materials. A total of 96 families participated. Ms. Sheer will continue to coordinate the parties next summer and have asked retired teachers from the school district to get involved as well.

Scorecard Update: Graduation and Promotion Rate
The Rock Island High School Graduation Rate fell slightly to 82.40% for the 2008-2009 year, less than a point difference from the previous year. The 82.40% falls slightly below the State of Illinois graduation rate. Principal Robert Mason reported that the high school is taking a two-pronged approach to improving the graduation rate for this year by focusing on culture/climate and curriculum improvements. The student promotion rate exceeded expectations by growing to 98.60%. Basic practices such as frequent review of student progress and intervention plans in place will ensure a steady promotion rate while focusing on increasing the graduation rate over time.

Secondary Math Achievement Report
Even with the decline in school district enrollment population over the years, more students are taking math and there are less failures in math at Rock Island High School. Michelle Lillis, Rock Island High School Teacher and Math Department Chair, shared 10 year Trend Data outlining student performance by number of failure grades over a period of two semesters. The highest failure rate occurred in 2002 at 23.5%. Last year, out of 2614 grades there were 400 failures listed, which came in at a rate of 15.3%. The total number of students participating in AP Calculus at Rock Island High School has increased, and even the minimum participation for other classes has doubled.

In addition, the state education requirements have changed exponentially over the years. The State of Illinois set an increase in math state standards that require freshmen to obtain 3 years of math to graduate and must include Algebra I and Geometry. By 2013 Rock Island High School graduates will have completed a minimum of Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry.

To increase math articulation across the district, last year a committee focused on developing a Math Articulation curriculum for PreK – 12. The first task at hand was to build a “math vocabulary” that would provide a common ground for teachers to use as a basis for learning.  Grades 7-12 are completed and the PreK – 6 is in development.

Other items:

• The board approved an overnight field trip request for RIHS Student Council students to attend the State Convention in Springfield, IL May 6-8, 2010.
• Approved an overnight field trip request for RIHS Natural Helpers to attend the annual retureat at Camp Milan, Sept. 4, 2009.
• Approved the annual renewal of software used by the school libraries to manage materials.
• Approved Intercom Systems Upgrade at Primary Academy, Eugene Field and Longfellow.
• Approved contracts for services and transportation for the Lights on For Learning (LOFL) program at Primary and Intermediate Academies.

The Board of Education welcomed new teachers and employees of the school district at a reception before the August 11 regular meeting.

Board Member Updates
Linda Dothard and Earl Strupp attended the Longfellow Liberal Arts ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening event. The commended the planning committee and many contractors for their great work. Board member Jim Veasey also attended the Longfellow grand opening and also volunteered his grilling expertise at the Rally at the Rock on Monday, August 10. The annual event at the high school features food and games and also allows students to sign up for clubs and extracurricular activities. The Booster Club provides all of the food.

Superintendent Updates
After getting the first week of school under the district’s belt, enrollment is up overall compared to the previous year’s data at that same time. The growth is seen in the elementary area, while the high school is down slightly. There has been a large influx of ELL students and the Pupil Personnel Services area is addressing and meeting the needs of the students.

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) has moved into their space at the Rock Island Center for Math & Science Audubon campus. This office will serve as a satellite location for the western Illinois area. The services they will provide in the math and science area will be available to all schools in District 41 and the western Illinois region.

The River Cities Reader featured an article on the Longfellow Liberal Arts school with interviews from both Augustana and Longfellow faculty >>

Upcoming event: the Eugene Field Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening, Thursday, August 20, 4:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.

Freshman Academy Update
Kirsten Allen, RIHS Freshman Academy Coordinator and Dean, presented 2008-09 second semester data. At the end of the year, the Freshman Academy met their goal of advancing 85% of students to 10th grade with 6+credits. (Sidebar: Students need 24 credits to graduate from RIHS). The attendance rate also improved 2.2%, however missed the goal of 95% and came in at the end of the year 93.14%. The area that missed the mark the most was in discipline referrals, showing an increase of 18%, however most referrals were attendance related due to stricter  policies implemented at the high school last fall. New areas to focus on at the Freshman Academy this 2009-10 year include student study skills, organization and coordinating a student voice group. According to Ms. Allen, “The teachers are noticing a very positive energy this year and feel that 2009-10 is off to a great start.”

Report on AYP and NCLB Choice
Assistant Superintendent Bill Osbourne reviewed Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) criteria used to determine if a school is on target to meet the NCLB meets/exceeds goal. For the 2008-09 year, 70% is the new goal schools must meet/exceed.  Although final 2008-09 AYP numbers are not available, the district can still get a glimpse of performance through initial data. Overall, test scores continue to improve in the school district, however some schools aren’t improving at the 7.5% annual NCLB required level.

Schools that made AYP for the 2008-2009 year: Denkmann, Eugene Field, Horace Mann, Longfellow, Thomas Jefferson and Washington Jr. High. Schools that did not make AYP: Audubon, Earl Hanson, Frances Willard, Intermediate & Primary Academy, Ridgewood and Rock Island High School.

At the start of the 2009-10 school year, the district had to offer public school choice to students at three schools which did not make AYP for two years in a row: Earl Hanson,  Primary & Intermediate Academy. Schools that students could choose to attend: Denkmann, Eugene Field and Longfellow Liberal Arts. Several families responded to the option, and currently 66 students are (or will be) placed at the other choice schools.

The Board of Education voted to release the minutes and recording of the July 28 executive session. The motion passed 4-3. There were no requests from citizens to speak to the board.

The board also voted to accept the contract from Score Tables by Design, L.L.C., Urbandale, IA, for the purpose of installing score board advertising in the Field house and Stadium. The new amenity will generate revenue for Rock Island Athletic Programs.