Leadership Academy Meeting 10.19.09

• To build and integrate thematic curriculum guidelines.
• To establish specific criteria and a process for student admission.
• To create a rubric, interview questions and job descriptions for new teachers.
• To design focus group sessions for student feedback and input.

Previous Tasks:

• Curriculum: [Project Leaders: Sandra]
  • assess the current curriculum and prepare a report on potential thematic integration of existing subjects/courses
  • using Bridgewater State College and the Center for Collaborative Education as resources, collect thematic curriculum samples and as well as research on portfolio and performance based assessment models
    
  • contact Leadership Academy in Virginia (Janet) and New Jersey (Nate) concerning curriculum.
• Admission Criteria: [Project Leaders: Nick and Isaiah]
  
  • contact 8th and 9th grade guidance counselors (directly or through Pupil Personnel?)
    
  • create student intake form
    
  • run numbers on risk indicators from MCAS computer data as well as the Vax/IPass
• Staffing: [Project Leaders - Donna and Nate]
  • collect and evaluate sample job descriptions from the Boston Pilot Schools
    
  • match evaluation protocols in the proposal to job descriptions for incoming faculty
    
  • draft an interview rubric
    
  • outline an open and transparent process for recruiting/interviewing incoming faculty
• Building Constituent Groups (students): [Project Leader: Isaac]
  • draft a permission slip for a student focus group
    
  • contact students and student-centered groups (3rd Eye, Boys and Girls Club, Insight, NAACP Youth Group, etc.) to invite them to participate in a focus group assessing needs and providing feedback on elements in the Leadership Academy proposal
    
  • research facilitation guidelines for student focus groups and provide recommendations/resources for our initiative
• Collaboration: [Janet]
  
  • Creation of a Google Group for email, shared document editing, shared resources, and discussion threads.

Task Update:

• Curriculum: We have not yet examined existing curriculum to explore its potential for thematic integration.  We have, however, examined models of thematic curriculum from the Project for the 21st Century, ePortfolios, and a Virginian high school.  This information will be posted to the Google Group.  We are going to continue to ask CCE and BSC to gather research and sample curriculum regarding thematic instruction.  We are also going to gather samples from other Leadership Academies in the nation.  Our goal is to create the framework of a curriculum as soon as possible.  Information should be gathered by the next meeting (Nov. 5th).
• Admission Criteria: We have not completed the three tasks listed above.

Upcoming Event:  Readiness School Conference on October 21st (attending: Donna Guay, Cara Zajac, Nate Everett, Bob Gadbois)

To Do List:

• Contact CCE and BSC regarding sample thematic curriculum (Nate)
• Contact Deb Harris for consultation, curriculum development and training (Dennis)
• Contact Leadership Schools for sample thematic curriculum (Norfolk, VA – Janet, Bronx – Nate, Elizabeth, NJ – Nate, Met School – Nate)
• Contact CCE concerning SPED/ELL curriculum issues (Nate)
• Brief the Directors concerning the Leadership Academy (Dennis)
• Brief HS Guidance Counselors (?)
• Contact Ermalinda for VAX/iPass lists on risk indicators for incoming students (Dennis)
• Contact New Directions for examples of intake form (Donna)

This is only a partial accounting of the meeting.  I’ll send out the 2nd part later tonight.  See you all soon.  We’re meeting on October 26th with the CCE at NBHS (4-112) and then at our next meeting is on November 5th.

Nate

• Staffing: We created a sample of interview questions and designed a rough draft of an interview rubric, by highlighting criteria that matched our school’s vision.  We also discussed the need to differentiate the application process by including teacher portfolios, observations of classroom instruction, responses to ethical scenarios and student recommendations.  The team decided that the best approach would be an integrated one.  Ideally, we would like to begin interviews by late November.
• Constituent Groups – Students:  We discussed the purpose of holding student focus groups, the parameters of the meeting (when, where, who), and also set a timetable.  November 12th, after-school, we will hold student focus groups to facilitate a discussion with our most important stakeholders.  Our meeting on November 5th will flush out all of the details.

Summary of the October 21st Readiness Conference: The conference was incredibly positive and supportive.  We learned that the NBHS Leadership Academy is one of the leading initiatives in the state in terms of understanding and apply autonomy, district support, and teacher leadership.  Dr. Bonner also outlined future steps that will be detailed below on our ‘to do’ list.

To Do List: (from Part 1)

• Contact CCE and BSC regarding sample thematic curriculum (Nate)
• Contact Deb Harris for consultation, curriculum development and training (Dennis)
• Contact Leadership Schools for sample thematic curriculum (Norfolk, VA – Janet, Bronx – Nate, Elizabeth, NJ – Nate, Met School – Nate)
• Contact CCE concerning SPED/ELL curriculum issues (Nate)
• Brief the Directors concerning the Leadership Academy (Dennis)
• Brief HS Guidance Counselors (?)
• Contact Ermalinda for VAX/iPass lists on risk indicators for incoming students (Dennis)
• Contact New Directions for examples of intake form (Donna)