Butler Elementary School
SCC Agenda
1/18/2023
Parent Members Employee Members
Lori Carter _X___ Aubrey Doyle __X__
Tyson Grover _X___ Gretchen Givone ____
Annettte York __X__ Jeff Nalwalker _X___
Sherrie Merrell _X___
January Anderson __X__
Carrie Welter __X__
Welcome-Lori
Meeting Minutes from last month. Tyson motion to approve, Sherrie seconded, all in favor.
SNAP
School Webpage
The SCCA reviewed the safe walking route, the map, and the associated descriptions.
- Nalwalker noted that on the plan, in the winter we advise people not to walk along ft. union because that side does not get plowed, but it’s not in the webpage, but we will update the webpage to match the plan.
There are no changes to the SNAP plan.
ACTION: Jeff to update the webpage safe walking route to match the plan.
Social Emotional Welfare of Teachers
ACTION: This is a priority on the next meeting for March. We would like to have both teachers present for this meeting. This will be on the top of the discussion list for our SCCA March Meeting.
TSSP Update
TSSP pays for the behavior assistant full time, the reading aids, a little bit of software, but the TSSP funds are generally used largely for personnel.
In the winter the reading scores tend come across lower, but the students do catch up and the scores rise in the spring. Each grade takes 2-5 scores, and those are made into a composite. The scores are from beginning of the year to current. The grades are as follows:
Kindergarten 69% → 72%
1st Grade 70% → 68% This is only a difference in two kids that were proficient in fall, and those that are not proficient in winter.
2nd Grade 78% → 74%
3rd Grade 75% → 76%
4th Grade 45% → 52%
the 4th grade students that are not proficient, take the same screener that K3 is taking, and that is the Acadience screener. So now we take those that are not proficient, re test them on the Acadience screener, then 54% of them were proficient on that screener. So ½ the students that were not proficient on the reading inventory, were indeed proficient on the Acadience screener. So only ¼ of the 4th graders were not proficient. Now in winter 72% are proficient on the winter test, so that leaves us with only 15% that are not proficient on that test.
5th Grade 64% → 73%
The reading inventory is the 64%. SAme as the 4th grade, the chunk that were not provident on the reading inventory, 47% of those that were retested on the secondary screener. Then when they retested in the winter, 72% were provident on the secondary screener, that left only 7 kids that were not proficient by winter.
SCCA Member asked the difference between the two tests. The Acadience test is based on reading fluency (correct words per minute) rated on what percent of words they get correct, then they do a retell of the story. Then those three pieces go together to get a composite.
Cadence, they read a passage, tell a story, it’s more comprehension.
So all in all, we send most of our kids into Jr. High they are reading well. The lower grades often see a drop in the middle of the year.
- Nalwaker explained process, moving students who are below benchmark to above benchmark. There are problem solving teams in each grade level that meet weekly. Those groups do yellow talk, identifying those kids who are below grade level, they have a TSSP goal to move 60% of those kids who are below level, to have them at or above level by the end of the year. Those kids get tested on those screeners weekly to identify the progress.
Math. Composite Scores Fall to Winter for each grades
Kindergarten 68% → 92%; this is typical.
1st Grade 63% → 69%
2nd grade 68% → 72%
3rd grade 57% → 77%
4th grade 55% → 67%
5th Grade 59% → 83%
- Nalwaker will be submitting the TSSP for this year.
Attendance Plan
The attendance plan the SCCA reviewed is the district recommendation and schools can customize what they do. The letters that are sent out are for students that miss a lot of class. These are self generated letters by the district. When a student misses because they are sick or vacation, the result in the classroom is the same. There is no way to make up for the instruction that is missed in the class, regardless of why the student is absence. When the letters go out from the district, those letters require parents to speak with the principal as well as meet with the principal.
- Nalwalker would like to customize the district provided attendance plan.
Nalwalker reviewed the excused absences.
Excused – Doctor Note, Ill
Guardian Excused – When the parent excuses children, due to events or on occasion vacations.
At the 10th absence, the school will take a look at their academic performance, that reminds them that they are encouraging the student to not miss any school.
- Nalwalker will add in the letter, are natural consequences for missing school and make parents aware. This will be noted for those students that are behind grade average, or at or above grade average. J. Nalwaker just wants the students and parents to be aware of the consequences of what happens when the student misses school.
The biggest effect of missing school for students are typically the single day absences that add up throughout the year. Due to the amount of students that are absent, the regular rigor and schedule that is already built into each day, there is not time to have each teacher help each student make up what they missed when they were gone.
- Nalwaker would like to have the parents recognize the effect of the students missing school and ensure this consequence is weighed and if it’s a benefit to missing school.
- Nalwaker will write a cover letter and send it out to the parents when applicable based on the number of absences they miss and tailor it to the academic performance
An SCCA member asked if there was a chart that compared student absences to academic performance, that we could send out with the letter that shows the parents how absences effect academic performance, that are specific to our school.
ACTION: J. Nalwalker to add to the attendance policy some data that compares the number of absences to academic performance. J. Nalwalker will add that information for Butler Elementary and overall Canyons District Data.
There was going to be an incentive, if the student attends 95% of the year, they would be put in a drawing. We are going to remove that incentive so people can weigh their own decisions for their own reasons within their own family.
ACTION: Remove the incentive to attend 95% + of the year for the students in a drawing. That decision should be left up to the family for what works best for them.
The policy on sending work home is not to provide it before a vacation. Without the instruction, the worksheet does not makeup for what happened. Instead, what they do is while the student is gone, the teacher places the papers on their desk that were done, and that gets sent home after they return from being absent.
On the TSSP we are nearly full staffed on classroom aids.
Teacher of the Year Nominations Open
Nominations can be made from a link on our school webpage
Teacher nominations are open. J. Nalwalker wants to get the word out and encourages a lot of nominations. They are due at 5pm on February 6th.
ACTION: J. Nalwaker will add this to the newsletter.
Motion to adjourn by Annette and second by Lori Carter. All pass. Meeting adjourned.
