 |  |
M.L. Professional Studies Committee
Minutes from meeting of 9/19/2006
Connecticut Association of SchoolsMiddle Level Professional Studies Committee
September 19, 2006
Minutes
In attendance were: Fred Baruzzi, Richard Dellinger, Susan Dumas, Jeff Fournier, Diane Hartman Chesley, Charles Hines, John Lineen, Candy Perez, Donna Schilke, James Slattery, Ralph White and Earle Bidwell
1. Chairman John Lineen welcomed those assembled to the first meeting of the year and introduced new and veteran members of the committee.
2. Exemplary School Climate
The visiting committee for Woodbury Middle School will be Richard Dellinger, Donna Schilke, Ralph White (Chair) and a back-up will be Fred Baruzzi if he is needed. Ralph will assemble the committee, select possible dates and notify the school.
3. Exemplary Schools Recognition: Teaching and Learning (Curriculum)
a. Preliminary Discussion: It was suggested that because Breaking Ranks in the Middle (BRIM) included 12 recommendations, along with numerous strategies, relative to curriculum, instruction and assessment that the committee use that work as a springboard for developing a rubric against which member schools could measure their progress. There were some concerns expressed that the work might not reflect the CT curriculum frameworks and that it might need to be tailored to Connecticut. There were also several comments relative to the purpose of the instrument. Was it to develop a process or actually judge progress? It was ultimately decided to use BRIM as a basis for the work and to include evaluative statements in the rubric.
b. Next Steps: A pilot rubric for one or two strategies will be developed by John Lineen, Jeff Fournier and Earle Bidwell in advance of the next meeting.
4. IMPACT:
a. As work on curriculum, instruction and assessment was likely to take most of this school year, that topic will be postponed to the spring/summer edition of IMPACT. The fall/winter edition will focus on “School Improvement & Closing the Achievement Gap.” All committee members were urged to secure writers on the topic.
b. The committee reviewed an article entitled “Why Losing the School Means Losing the Concept: A Disturbing Trend for the Middle Level Movement.” To determine if the focus of the article was consistent with the mission of IMPACT. After much discussion, it was ultimately determined that the article was a little too lengthy, and negative. With twenty-four different grade configurations in Connecticut, an article that supports only one was deemed not to be helpful.
5. Assistant Executive Director’s Report: Earle Bidwell encouraged committee members to identify potential school leaders among their faculties and to inform them of UCAPP information sessions scheduled for November and December. A brochure for the CAS Fall Conference was also distributed.
6. The next meeting is scheduled for November 16, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. Committee members are reminded to bring their copies of BRIM. CAS will acquire some additional copies for those who do not have them.
