River Forest District 90
May 15, 2017  
Upcoming Meetings
 
Roosevelt Middle School
Library Learning Center
2nd Floor

Board Meeting
June 19, 2017
7:30 p.m.

Committee of the Whole Meeting
On Summer Hiatus


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Board of Education  Meeting Highlights

Presented by: 
Mr. Ralph Martire, District 90 Board President
Dr. Edward Condon, Superintendent

The Board of Education meeting was called to order by Board President Ralph Martire at 7:30 p.m. in the Roosevelt Middle School Library Learning Center. Judy Deogracias,  Anne Gottlieb, Barb Hickey, Ralph Martire,  Rich Moore, Nicole Thompson, and Stacey Williams were present. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Below is a summary of the Board of Education meeting highlights. Board Packets containing meeting details are posted on the  District 90 website prior to each meeting. Full meeting minutes will be posted on the website once approved.
Recognize Visitors and Public Comments

There were no comments.
Approval of Agenda

Board members approved the agenda.  
Communications

Rich Moore read three messages to Board members. Carol O'Toole sent a note expressing her appreciation for the flowers sent by the District on the passing of her husband. The  Kriegermeier family expressed gratitude for the thoughts and prayers sent by the District on their recent family loss. The family of Pat Nardella sent a note of appreciation for the plant sent by the District concerning their recent loss, as well. 
Freedom Information Act 

District 90 responded to two Freedom of Information Act requests. Impact Networking requested information about the lease and service contracts for the District's copier and printing equipment and contracts related to outsourced IT management services. The District responded to the FOIA request within the legally mandated time frame.

Student Presenter

Hannah, a 7th grade student at Roosevelt, provided an update about activities and classroom instruction at the school. For example, she described a student-produced iMovie that is targeted to incoming 5th grade students. Roosevelt science classes are again participating in the worldwide Flame Challenge, by answering the question, "What is energy?" Students in grade 6 are learning about the issues of inequality and injustice with Humanities students, in particular, studying child and global labor issues. Seventh grade students are learning about the nation's westward expansion and writing persuasive pieces. Eighth grade students are learning about sustainable food production and consumption as well as the civil rights movement.
Consent Agenda

Board members approved the Consent Agenda, which included Minutes from the Board of Education Meeting and Closed Session on April 17, 2017; Special Board Meeting and Board of Education Reorganization Meeting on May 1, 2017;  Payrolls; Orders Relating to Payrolls; Bills; and Treasurer's Report. 
Board Committees
 
Education
Rich Moore relayed that a report on the math pilot would be presented later in the meeting. 

Personnel
 Anne Gottlieb stated that there was nothing new to report, and that there were several vacancies for the upcoming school year. 
 
Policy
Stacey Williams stated that the Second Reading of several policies would be discussed later in the meeting. 
 
Finance
Nicole Thompson stated that there was nothing to report. 

Equity
Ralph Martire reported on the Tri-Board Town Hall Forum, which focused on educational equity issues. He stated that the Forum concluded with the three Boards of Education agreeing to create a standing joint Board committee charged with working and collaborating on equity. 

Facilities
Judy Deogracias stated that  there was nothing to report.

Communications
Barb Hickey reported that the Subcommittee on Collaboration is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 17. A consultant from Jasculca Terman would be present. She also relayed that Village administrators have agreed to pay for the communications survey mentioned at prior Board of Education meetings. Dawne Simmons, Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator, is also scheduled to attend the meeting.
District Calendar Review

Dr. Condon reported about several upcoming events and activities. The activities included the String Fling on May 23; Teacher Institute Day on May 26; Staff Appreciation Lunch on May 26; the Memorial Day Holiday on May 29; Lincoln's Ice Cream Social on June 2; the Committee of the Whole Meeting on June 6; Willard's Ice Cream Social on June 6; and the 8th Grade Graduation on June 7.  A dditional information can be viewed in the Board Packet.
Outside Organization Meetings
 
Council of Governments - Ralph Martire
Dr. Condon reported that the May 12 Council of Governments meeting was hosted by the River Forest Park District. Presentations by the attending organizations included the Subcommittee on Collaboration reporting that the Village will be initiating and paying for the upcoming communications survey. The River Forest Park District reported about the plans for work on their facilities. OPRF High School updated the Council members about the school's climate and culture work. The Fresh Thyme grocery store is scheduled to open in June. The next meeting will be scheduled for the fall 2017.

OPRFHS Community Council - Rich Moore
Judy Deogracias reported on the May 11 meeting of the OPRFHS Community Council, which was the last one for the current school year. Sara Spivey presented information from the high school's Climate and Culture (CC) meeting. CC members were inspired by the recent Tri-Board Town Hall Forum. Several ideas from the Forum resonated with CC members, particularly the opportunity to increase community participation in their efforts. The next meeting will be scheduled in the fall 2017.

Youth Network Council - Barb Hickey
B arb Hickey reported on several activities of the Youth Network Council (YNC). In anticipation of the summer and the challenges presented by the season, YNC has plans to reach out to idle young people, provide them meals, and discourage them from inappropriate activities. Youth Interventionists are also working closely with a group of 8th grade students to prepare them for high school.The next meeting will be in the fall 2017.

District PTO Council - Barb Hickey
Barb Hickey stated that the next meeting of the PTO Council would be on May 19, which is the annual calendar meeting. This will be the last meeting of the current school year.

Inclusiveness Advisory Board - Anne Gottlieb, Stacey Williams 
Stacey Williams provided Board members with an update on the Inclusiveness Advisory Board's (IAB) activities. The IAB met on May 10 and discussed an article about accelerating access to high-level curriculum. Dr. Condon updated IAB members on the renewed contract with the National Equity Project, efforts to recruit and hire diverse candidates for open positions, and general results from the recent IAB 2017 Inclusiveness Perception Survey. An analysis of both the 2015 and 2017 Surveys will be presented to the Board during its summer retreat. He also requested feedback about the Tri-Board Town Hall Forum. IAB members provided favorable feedback about the Forum. The next meeting will be scheduled in the fall 2017.
 
River Forest Service Club - Nicole Thompson
Ralph Martire attended the last River Forest Service Club (RFSC) meeting. The RFSC is in the process of reevaluating its purpose and continuance. Its major event has been to support the Memorial Day Parade. The next meeting will be in the fall 2017.
 
Citizen Corps Council - Judy Deogracias
Judy Deogracias reported that there was nothing to report. The next meeting is still to be scheduled. 

West Cook Governing Board (IASB) - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire reported that the next meeting of the West Cook Governing Board will be June 20.

ED-RED - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire reported that ED-RED has been reviewing the impact of recent Department of Education directives and other federal level actions. ED-RED has also been focused on HB 2808, which promotes evidence-based funding for school districts. Mr. Martire explained that a portion of the proposed legislation advances the adequacy level of funding based on a school district's characteristics, such as demographics and use of evidence-based instructional practices. The next meeting is scheduled for June 2.

River Forest Subcommittee on Collaboration - Barb Hickey 
Barb Hickey reported that the next meeting of the Subcommittee on Collaboration is in the fall 2017.
District Meeting Agendas 

Professional Development Council 
Dr. Condon reported that the April meeting of the Professional Development Council (PDC) focused its discussion about the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) presentation and the professional development needed to implement UDL.  More information is available in the  Board Packet.

Equity Committee
Dr. Condon stated that the Equity Committee met on April 19 and discussed several topics including renewal of the National Equity Project agreement for 2017-18; efforts by the Alma Advisory Group to support the recruitment and hiring of diverse candidates; accountability and metrics that will measure progress; and plans for the Tri-Board Town Hall Forum.  More information is available in the  Board Packet.

Superintendent Leadership Council
Dr. Condon reported that the April meeting of the Superintendent Leadership Council (SLC) focused on the next steps and plans to implement standards-based grading protocols. The SLC also reviewed the results from the focus groups that were held for parents, staff, and students that solicited feedback about standards-based grading. More information is available in the Board Packet.

District PTO Council
At its April meeting, PTO Council members discussed plans for the coming year, the National Equity Project contract, the math pilot, and an update about the Inclusiveness Advisory Board's Perception Survey. The May meeting of the PTO Council will be the calendar meeting with PTO Co-Presidents addressing collaboration efforts. More information is available in the Board Packet.

Communications Committee
Dr. Condon and Barb Hickey reported on the May meeting of the Communications Committee. Several topics were covered including updates about work on the Strategic Plan Action Objective Teams, communicating the Strategic Plan's first year results via the Strategic Plan scorecard and executive summary, and the District's communication support of the Village's Subcommittee on Collaboration. More information is available in the  Board Packet.

Inclusiveness Advisory Board
Stacey Williams and Dr. Condon provided Board members with an update about the Inclusiveness Advisory Board's (IAB) May meeting. Dr. Condon reported on the renewed contract with the National Equity Project, efforts to recruit and hire diverse candidates for open positions, and an overview of results from the recent IAB 2017 Inclusiveness Perception Survey. An analysis of both the 2015 and 2017 Surveys will be presented to the Board later this summer. Dr. Condon also requested feedback about the Tri-Board Town Hall Forum. IAB members provided favorable feedback about the Forum. More information is available in the Board Packet.
Superintendent's Report
Action Items

Policy - Second Reading 
Eight policies were under recommendation for Second Reading. The policies included issues that addressed Board member conflict of interest, employee ethics, and maintaining student discipline. Board members approved the policies that were recommended for approval.  More information is available in the  Board Packet.

Math Leadership Team Curriculum Recommendation
Dr. Alison Hawley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, along with District teachers Cynthia Mares, Lissa Kiepp, and Juan-Carlos Carrillo, reported on the results of the four-month math pilot that reviewed math curriculum and resources for grades K-8. The teachers were representative members of the Math Leadership Team (MLT) that facilitated the year-long process of reviewing current and potential math curriculum resources, establishing a vision for teaching math, ensuring tight alignment with the Illinois Learning Standards, and making recommendations for the revamped math curriculum materials. Two curriculum resources for grades K-5 and another two resources for grade 8 were selected for the pilot. Dr. Hawley explained the qualitative and quantitative process used to evaluate the curriculum materials. She discussed the manner in which the recommended resources address the balance between conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in math. Dr. Hawley presented the final recommendation of the MLT.  Starting in fall 2017-18, students in grades K-5 will begin using the Investigations in Number, Data, and Space 3 curriculum. The math pilot for students in grades 6-8 has been extended into fall 2017, with a final recommendation expected to be presented to the Board in December. There was a robust discussion among Board members about the process, the math pilot, and the next steps. Dr. Condon and the Board members complimented Dr. Hawley and the Math Leadership Team for their hard work and dedicated efforts to ensure that the District continues to offer high quality instruction. Board members approved the curriculum resources of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space 3 curriculum and the extension of the math pilot for students in grades 6-8. More information is available in the Board Packet. 

Approval of Final 2016-17 School Calendar
Dr. Condon presented the final Public School Calendar for 2016-17. He explained that the Illinois State Board of Education requires the Board to approve the final calendar. Board members approved the 2016-17 Public School Calendar.  More information is available in the  Board Packet. 

Board Appointment to Tri-District Equity Collaboration Committee
As a result of the May 1 Tri-Board Town Hall Forum on Equity, the three Boards of Education - OPRF District 200, Oak Park District 97, and District 90 - approved forming an Equity Collaboration Committee with a Board and Superintendent representative from each Board of Education. Ralph Martire volunteered to represent District 90 on this Committee.  More information is available in the  Board Packet. 
Superintendent's Report
Informational Items

Kasarda Geodemographic Report: Findings
Dr. Condon presented the latest demographic study that was recently conducted by demographer Dr. John Kasarda. The report provides anticipated enrollment trends for the District. Dr. Kasarda's report anticipates a small increase in overall student enrollment for the District over the course of the next five years. Lincoln School is expected to remain at its current enrollment level; Roosevelt Middle School will experience a small increase; and Willard School expects to experience a notable enrollment increase. Dr. Condon stated that the District will use the enrollment projections for planning purposes.  More information is available in the  Board Packet.
 
Inclusiveness Advisory Board Survey Results
Dr. Condon presented preliminary data from the second Inclusiveness Perception Survey that was recently administered to students, families, and faculty and staff. He explained that the number of responses this year was down a bit from the 2015 survey. A comparative analysis between the two surveys will be available for the Board's review later this summer. The survey documents will be posted on the District's website. There was discussion among the Board members about using survey results and expressing appreciation to the community for its participation in the survey.  Additional information is available in the Board Packet .

Diversity Focus Group Initiative Summary Report
Dr. Condon updated Board members on the diversity focus group that was convened in March under the facilitation of an outside consultant. The focus group met with five District minority employees about their experiences working in the District. The District is also working the Alma Advisory Group to enhance recruiting and hiring efforts for minority employees. The focus group represents part of the District's efforts to understand the barriers to recruiting and hiring minority staff members. Dr. Condon complimented the Board and administration for their work in support of this initiative. Additional information is available in the  Board Packet .

D90 Dominican University Technology Course Partnership
Dr. Condon reported that the District will continue its partnership with Dominican University in offering its Instructional Technology course. He explained that about 27 teachers have taken the course thus far. The current group of teachers who will be taking the course represent the third cohort to do so. Dr. Condon expressed his appreciation to the Board for its support of this initiative. Additional information is available in the  Board Packet .

Board of Education Resolution Declaring District 90 an Inclusive School District
Dr. Condon presented a resolution Declaring District 90 to be an Inclusive School District.The District worked with attorney Zaria Udeh, of Robbins Schwartz, who also assisted Oak Park District 97 on a similar resolution. District 90's resolution is focused on ensuring inclusiveness for all individuals while making sure that the District remains legally compliant with federal regulations and the Illinois School Code. There was a robust discussion among Board members supporting the resolution and expressing the belief that students and families should feel that the District is a safe place. The resolution will be brought back before Board members next month. The consensus of Board members supported both the resolution and the importance of the underlying message.  Additional information is available in the   Board Packet .

Washington School Memorial Dedication - Wednesday, May 31 - 5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. 
Dr. Condon invited Board members to a dedication ceremony commemorating the former Washington School on Wednesday, May 31 starting at 5:00 p.m. He explained that the Washington School was demolished in 1998 due to lack of enrollment. However, the Village of River Forest has been storing two art deco bas-relief panels from the school's exterior in the public works garage. One of the panels has been installed in the garden area in front of the District office. The dedication ceremony will provide the community with a chance to come and celebrate the role that Washington School played in the Village of River Forest for many years. 

Enrollments
Dr. Condon reported that enrollment data had not changed substantially since the last Board of Education meeting. He will continue to monitor the class sizes in preparation for the coming school year.  Additional information is available in the   Board Packet.
Closed Session

Pursuant to 5ILCS120/2(c) for 2) Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees; and 9) Student disciplinary cases, Board members entered into a closed session.