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| Madison Metropolitan School District Madison, Wisconsin Art Rainwater, Superintendent | ||
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| BOARD OF EDUCATION Minutes for After School Task Force November 12, 2004 |
Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, Room 209 Madison, Wisconsin |
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The task force meeting was called to order by Co-Chair Sue Abplanalp at 8:35 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Janet Dyer, Laurie Frank, Liz Fritz, Fabiola Hamdan, Sara Jenny, Wendy Rakower, Ed Sadlowski
MEMBERS ABSENT: Debie Evans
STAFF PRESENT: Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary
1. Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Wendy Rakower and seconded by Laurie Frank to correct the minutes from the October 21, 2004 meeting as follows: page 2, paragraph 11: The YMCA, Wisconsin Youth Co., Red Caboose and Playful Kids Learning Center are accredited." Page 3, paragraph 2, "to further discuss using the City of Madison Elementary School Age Program Standards."
Discussion: Clarified that state licensing is required through age 7. Private providers have to be accredited if they work in the schools; programs run through Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) do not.
The motion to approve the minutes as corrected carried unanimously with Debie Evans and Fabiola Hamdan absent.
Later in the meeting: It was moved by Janet Dyer and seconded by Laurie Frank that the minutes be further corrected to say "It was agreed that programs should be certified by the City and licensed by the State and to further discuss using the City of Madison Elementary School Age Program Standards." Motion unanimously carried. It was duly noted that Ms. Hamdan's last name was spelled incorrectly.
2. Public Appearances
There were no public appearances.
3. Announcements
There were no announcements.
4. Best Practices for After School Programming
Discussion: Would like to see if we are in agreement about serving all kids no matter what organization is in the schools regardless of income, race, or special needs. Everyone shares the same frustration about not having all the resources needed to serve all the children whether it is people or help with tuition, etc. All the providers want high quality programs that serve all children; the issue is how to do it. Not talking about free services unless there is a need. Financial and space considerations are the issues. Inclement weather plays a challenging role as well and space for storage. Need information about how and when space in the schools is currently being used; there are limits in the permit system. There are spaces that could be used that are off limits right now. Teachers need to access that space as well. Campuses where there is a middle and elementary school attached are more complicated. There are things that are needed to do best practices; resources for one-on-one, small group and large group instruction, and for serving all children. Small and large group size needs to be defined. State licensing does not allow for more than 32 children; have to have two separate programs if there are more than 32 children and then there are the ratios. State licensing requires a 1:17 ratio and the city's requirements vary depending on the age of the children. Large is 32, small is between 12 and 17 and depends on the space. Programs should include time to play, a social/emotional component, and an academic component.
Ms. Hamdan arrived at this time.
Ms. Rakower distributed copies of a review from the Wisconsin After School Association newsletter relative to the debate of "care vs. education." (A copy is attached to the original of these minutes.)
Discussion continued: Daily schedule/curriculum is needed. There can be a homework help component. MSCR philosophy looks at what would be provided for a child if they were at home during that time, including homework time. Children learn very much from what is provided in choices; large motor, eating, child-directed and adult-directed activities and all are connected to storage space. Another key component is consistency and parent education/communication. Also need to build into this regular communication system with the school itself.
Ed Sadlowski referred to some research he conducted regarding the Wisconsin Administrative Code, including space. A copy of the "HFS 46 Licensing Rules for Group Day Care Centers" dated 8/1/97 and Ms. Rakower's version dated 6/01 will be distributed for the next meeting (copies are attached to the original of these minutes). He noted that a lot does not apply to the schools but does apply to the programs in the schools. It was suggested that regulations make it easier to run a quality program.
There was further discussion about a statement in the minutes relative to being certified by the City and licensed by the State and following elementary school age program standards and having uniform accountability. Please see the correction to the minutes under Item 1.
There was consensus that no recommendations would be made until near the end of the timeline.
5. Data to Answer the Board of Education Key Questions
Ms. Abplanalp noted that during the last month people have been pulling together information; there is still some incomplete information that should be ready for next time. She distributed the Third Friday September 2004-05 counts for Free and Reduced Lunch and after school student enrollment by site and by grade, gender, ethnicity-race, income status, special education status, English Language Learner status, and adult education level (copies are attached to the original of these minutes). These will be used for later reference to compare programs and populations. Other demographic information will come later.
Discussion: After school programs are not representative of the school populations. Allied children are represented in the schools they attend. Allied Learning Center is a pre-school program.
6. Proposed Work Plan to Address the Charge of the After School Task Force
The charge statement project list was reviewed.
Item #1: more information coming.
Item #2: Liz noted that the Montessori providers receive funds from parents, the city, the state, and from grants. It was agreed that it would be important to gather this information relative to sliding scale fees, regular fees, scholarships, how many families are accessing tuition assistance, how family income information is generated, any policies in place, criteria for enrollment, types of outreach to make information available. There are children who are eligible for funding assistance but are not getting it because the parents don't know about it or do not apply. MSCR has a staff person to help families. The Y also has staff for these things. Add outreach and accessibility, funding sources per pupil, enrollment policies, what constitutes a waiting list, which programs have waiting lists and how many people are on it, outreach activities, rental fees, child ratio guidelines. There was some discussion about club activities vs. after school programs. It was agreed that the Task Force did not want to include club activities as part of its charge. Ms. Rakower volunteered to gather this information from those providers not represented on the Task Force once the questions have been formulated and to share with them the remaining meeting dates. There was some discussion about making policy recommendations regarding summer school and the days when there is no school during the school year once this information is obtained.
FOLLOW UP: E-mail additional questions to Barb Lehman.
Item #3: Come back to this statement when the funding information is gathered.
Item #4: Different requirements for the school district vs. the private providers; private providers have to be licensed and accredited to provide programs in the schools. Safe Haven people are employees of the district and report to the Board. There is a need for uniform accountability however it is decided to be structured and articulated to the community. Takes away the questions about who is serving whom and quality.
Item #5: All programs should use the same evaluations. Current evaluations are more similar than different. Certain questions could be unique but most could be uniform. Providers should have the flexibility to add their own.
FOLLOW UP: An ad hoc committee composed of Sue Abplanalp, Laurie Frank, Sara Jenny, and Janet Dyer will meet and bring a recommendation to the next meeting of the Task Force regarding evaluations.
Item #6: Quality indicators could be used to make this recommendation. Have to have choices aligned with district policies. It makes a huge difference to parents for the programs to pick up the homework piece and it is the number one concern of the school district. Should there be a homework club rather than enrichment? Should the daily schedule include curriculum planning? Space is an issue for these things.
Item #7: Still need space and fee information. Current policy is that the principal determines the provider. There is a larger system that the principals are a part of which also dictates what happens. There should be a way to enforce communication with both parents and principals. District guidelines have a process for conflicts. Clarified that MSCR's role in conflict resolution has to do with building permits. Criteria involves meeting the needs of the parents and children. Most complaints come from people who do not have access. Process could be better documented and more open with the providers. Outreach component; principal would communicate these things about equity and access. What should be the process? Principal needs recommendations in dealing with conflicts, appeals, etc. Need to communicate to parents that there is a process. Put together an ad hoc group to draft something. Ms. Frank and Ms. Jenny and Liz Fritz would work on this.
Start with charge statements 7, 8, and 9 next time. Same process for all three of them. Data will be completed next time and funding information. Will get additional school-wide enrollment data.
Include in the funding piece whether the organization is non-profit and where they get their funding from, and ask for policy books or parent brochures and registration forms and any other literature they have to share.
7. Other Business
There was no other business.
8. Adjournment
It was moved by Janet Dyer and seconded by Laurie Frank to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 a.m. Motion unanimously carried by those present.
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