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Intructional Improvements Committee December 13, 2001

The meeting of the Board of Education's Instructional Improvement Committee was convened at 12:11 PM by Chairperson Karla Wenzel in the Willamette Conference Room of the Blanchard Education Service Center, 501 North Dixon Street, Portland, Oregon.

Participants:
Board Members:
Karla Wenzel, Chairperson Sue Hagmeier
Derry A. Jackson, Sr.  


Staff:
Pat Burk Linda Harris
Theresa Rosalez Karon Webster
Scott Robinson Mary Bastiani
Norm Bennett Michelann Ortloff
Julie Joel  


Others:
Richard Garrett,
Portland Association of Teachers		  


Agenda: Office of Civil Rights Compliance, ESL/Bilingual; Second Language; Instructional Technology

Office of Civil Rights Compliance, ESL/Bilingual
Theresa Rosalez, Director of ESL/Bilingual, discussed the status of Portland Public Schools compliance with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) regarding English Language Learner (ELL) students as detailed in various hand-outs she presented to the committee (please refer to hand-out listing at the end of these Minutes).

Ms. Rosalez said further information will be given to OCR regarding Special Education and ELL students. She indicated 60-100 ELL students will have their Individual Education Plans (IEPs) reviewed by the ELL/Special Education Support Team.

Ms. Rosalez said home language surveys are being tracked to make sure they are completed and returned promptly. She further indicated exit criteria is being closely followed so students who leave the program can participate fully in the regular classroom. Students are tracked for three years after they exit the program. There was discussion regarding the inadequacy of the current student data base system.

Karon Webster, ESL Supervisor, explained information contained in the document entitled Portland Public School District ESL/Bilingual Program which details by cluster ESL/Bilingual data on students (a copy of this document is available in the Board Office).

There was some discussion regarding the PPS ESL Bilingual News (a copy of this document is available in the Board Office). Ms. Rosalez said three newsletters this academic year will be sent to ESL teachers, principals and interested parties. Discussion continued regarding the possibility of posting the newsletter on the PPS web site and mailing it to external partners.

Discussion ensued regarding ESL/Bilingual partnerships, particularly with the Mexican Consulate. Pat Burk indicated material we receive from the Mexican Consulate is of very high quality and extremely helpful.

Chair Wenzel requested ESL/Bilingual send other Board members copies of several sections contained within the ESL/Bilingual Department ,Board Instructional Council, December 13, 2001 document (a copy of this document is available in the Board Office). Ms. Rosalez indicated she would comply with this request.

Second Language
Mary Bastiani, Project Director for Moshi Moshi/Hola Hola, updated the committee on the status of the program and future plans. She indicated they are asking the state for an extension on the timeline to implement the second language program. She has been working with Betsy Costi at the Oregon Department of Education on this process.

Ms. Bastiani also discussed the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission grant proposal. She said this grant would wire six middle schools (Environmental Middle School, George, Gray, Tubman, Portsmouth and West Sylvan) and supply each school with a 27-inch TV/VCR combo.

Norm Bennett, Production Manager for Moshi Moshi/Hola Hola, discussed the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) grant. He said this is a technology-driven grant designed to expand distance learning. Portland Public Schools is the only public school district ever granted a planning grant from PTFP. If the District receives the next layer of the grant , it would mean approximately $400,000 over two years for infrastructure and equipment.

Discussion ensued regarding technology funds and school needs and equitable access to funds by schools.

There was also discussion regarding the need for a second broadcasting channel. Mr. Bennett indicated at this time the District is working with the Portland Police and the Portland Fire Bureau to create a safety channel.

Instructional Technology
Scott Robinson, Chief Technology Officer, presented a Power Point presentation, "Creating an Instructional Technology, December 13, 2001" (a copy of this presentation is available in the Board Office).

Mr. Robinson said the National Education Technology Standards site has valuable information. He stressed the importance of training teachers to be able to integrate technology into their curriculum.

Mr. Robinson commended Michael Malone, a Vernon Elementary teacher, as an example of a teacher who does an exceptional job of integrating technology into curriculum.

Some discussion ensued regarding professional development as outlined in the presentation and possible budget implications and fiscal impact.

The meeting of the Instructional Improvement Committee was adjourned at 2:20 PM by Chair Wenzel.

Note: The following documents are made a part of the record of this meeting -- copies are available by contacting the Board Office:

Submitted by:

__________________________________
Julie Joel, Board Administrative Assistant

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