SDMC minutes

SDMC – March 21, 2007

Westside High School
Site Based Decision Making Committee

Attendance: 

Paul Castro -- principal
Peggi Stewart – Assistant Principal
Bryan Hill -- faculty
Robyn Davis – faculty
Abe Ngoma – faculty
Karen Tellepsen -- faculty
Vanessa Coronado (Crowe)—faculty
Debbie Savage – faculty
David Clardy – faculty
Susan Boone -- faculty
Analise Richards -- admin
Frances Robinson-Hunt -- parent
Susan Hertz – parent
Kelly Simmons--parent
Kim Clayton -- VIPS
Cathy McDonnell--Parent
Tammy Head – Parent
Cynthia Allen – parent
Dorothy Davidson – community

Group Members not in attendance


Patsy Newsom—faculty
Colleen Stavinoha
Michelle Mulcahy
Jason Catchings
Alaina Turner

Review of SDMC Protocols & Procedures -- handout given at meeting

Focus on School Improvement
Look at professional development calendar and developing plan.

School Updates

Enrollment:  actual enrollment:  2720  (down from) 2762
Intentional reduction – Did not accept AYP transfers

Attendance rate:  93.0% (94% GOAL
            Enrollment x attendance rate x amt. per kid = budget
         92.3 (last year)
           Students that are overage are going to be dropped so will stop affecting            attendance rate.

Staffing – no change

Budget --  indications that budget will drop because of attrition. 

            Other factors:

Whether WHS will be a Title I school

Title I meetings for parent/community.  Drew Bissell is meeting                  with Ms.Thies and the Fast Forward coordinator to
Student attendance--Truancy officer filing citations to parents when students are not coming to school

WAIVERS

            SDMC

Create waivers and solicit faculty response.   Choice could be paper ballot or electronic.  Committee voted to use electronic vote with a read receipt.  Susan Boone will send to faculty and tally votes.  Any number of votes will qualify.  Of those votes, 67% need to vote.  All professional personnel can vote.  SMDC members present for March meeting will be available for questions when waivers are presented.

            See separate email to follow for vote on waivers

Ninth Grade Academy (CONSIDERATION)

SDMC – Last SDMC meeting decided to focus on Ninth grade FOCUS rather than a Ninth Grade Academy to continue work on existing program vs. starting something new.

Suggestion was made to visit schools that have 9th/SLC grade focus.  Wunsche High School in Spring ISD.  SDMC was encouraged to review website.  http://academy.springisd.org/

Just for the Kids --http://just4kids.org/en/ -- Suggested to review website to review Best Practices

Investigate 9th grade focus issues, review these, and develop ‘marketing’ strategies for Westside High School

Community to Outreach – Islamic students in HISD are the future for successful peaceful relationships in our communities.  How can we expand friendships between our HISD families?   – Dorothy Davison

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New Business –

UIL letter jackets –

·        jackets have been purchased for academics.  Students earn these jackets based on criteria that may/may not be documented. 

·        SDMC suggests the UIL coach (Cyndi Elliot) and one SDMC member work on collecting ALL documentation in one place.

Stanford testing over a shorter number of days –

·        The rational for having testing over several days with shorter period of time is that students perform better with shorter testing periods

·        ADA would be a logistical nightmare

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