Community Partnerships - August 21, 2006

Madison Metropolitan School District Madison, Wisconsin Art Rainwater, Superintendent
BOARD OF EDUCATION Minutes for Community Partnerships August 21, 2006		Doyle Administration Building 545 West Dayton Street, Room 103 Madison, Wisconsin

Partnerships Committee meeting was called to order by Chair Lucy Mathiak at 5:02 p.m. in Room 103

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Lucy Mathiak, Arlene Silveira, Shwaw Vang (arrived 5:09 p.m.)

BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None

CITIZEN MEMBERS PRESENT: Barbara Schrank, Carl Silverman

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen, Lawrie Kobza, Ruth Robarts, and Student Representative Joe Carlsmith

STAFF PRESENT: Sue Abplanalp, Lisa Black, Mary Gulbrandsen, Pam Nash, Art Rainwater, Ken Syke, Barbara Lehman-Recording Secretary

1. Public Appearances

There were no public appearances.

2. Approval of Minutes

It was moved by Barbara Schrank and seconded by Arlene Silveira to approve the minutes of the Community Partnerships Committee dated July 10, 2006. Motion unanimously carried.

3. Announcements

There were no announcements.

4. Strengthening partnerships with parents and caregivers

--What are 'best practices' models within the district?

--What areas need improvement?

--How can we gather information from schools?

--How can we gather information from within the community?

--Who are potential partners in gathering information?

--Assuming that we would like to put together a report by April, what would a

realistic timeline look like?

(Packets included DPI web article "Characteristics of Successful Schools"; a listing of MMSD partnerships 2005-06; Parent Community Involvement Plans for eliciting parent voices. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)

Written information was distributed clarifying that the partnerships listing are ongoing initiatives with outside organizations in which those organizations provide non-compensated support or assistance to the MMSD in some function.

Lisa Black, Special Assistant to the Superintendent for Race and Equity, asked the principals what programs/activities they had in place in their buildings to listen to parent voices and how they speak to the disenfranchised parent. She received responses from about 20 schools. The packets contained samples from three schools that had a lot going on with their parent communities. Franklin Elementary has a DVD that runs on the district's community channel and they are interested in presenting to the committee how they got started.

Discussion:

· Using a model districtwide.

· Examples of ways for parents to participate.

· Use of wireless translation equipment very helpful but still have to invite the parents personally.

Shwaw Vang arrived at this time.

Discussion continued:

· Trying to find a measurement related to academic achievement to make the models easier to market more widely. Difficult to isolate affect on overall achievement. Suggested looking at discipline issues, test scores, just as an exploratory.

· Measuring success not just by the activities offered but whether people are coming in or not.

· Consider using an alternative methodology of having a school be its own control; before and after.

· Parent Community Involvement Plans are now part of the School Improvement Planning process.

· Training for parents who welcome people in the schools

· Friendly Observer process successful in finding out how welcoming a school is and how things are going between teachers and students; staff and PTOs are available for interviews.

· Working on segregated PTOs and how they fit into the welcoming group.

· School offices very busy environments; suggestions for improving (smiling, asking to help, international pictures, translations, positive interactions, etc.) May be some role for parents as volunteers.

· Developing district guidelines for who to contact or where to go.

· Sharing ideas before the next meeting on how to gather this information from the community.

· Holding table group sessions with smaller number of people and present leading questions. Invite combination of parents, caregivers, board members, staff, minority communities, different organizations, etc.

· Preliminary mapping of timeline.

FOLLOW UP: Finding an outcome or measurement from those schools that have active parent communities related to academic achievement. Share a copy of the DVD from Franklin. Think about what kinds of things to ask at the focus groups, how to get a broad spectrum of input, places that must be hit, how to get the turnout, how to engage opinion leaders.

5. Developing a standard process for administering grants to community partners, from call for proposals thorough project report

--What processes are in place for other MMSD grant proposals?

--What other models might we learn from?

--What information do we need to inform our process?

--Who are potential partners in gathering information?

--Assuming that we would like to put together a report by April, what would a

realistic timeline look like?

(Packets included the MMSD grant application review and sign-off procedure; the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin IDEA Endowment proposal timeline, procedures, and guidelines; draft proposal from Lisa Black for Community Service Fund 80 proposal timeline, procedures, and guidelines. Copies are attached to the original of these minutes.)

Discussion:

· Board decisions will be whether to continue to provide grants, how much money, opening up every year or two years based on administration's proposals

· Administration's document is terrific.

· Working on the process for implementation next year, meeting current obligations, thereafter policy issue.

· Developing a process and questions for the committee to decide to refer to the board for policies.

FOLLOW UP: Provide list of those Fund 80 organizations that would fall under this proposal, how much money, and time frame for the commitment, what is being provided and how it relates to district goals. Provide copies of those progress reports that the district currently receives.

6. Set agenda and time of next meeting

September 11, 2006 at 5 p.m.

How to gather information from the schools and the community for strengthening partnerships with parents and caregivers.

Review additional materials requested from the administration to develop a standard process for administering grants to community partners.

7. Other Business

There was no other business.

8. Adjournment

It was moved by Barbara Schrank and seconded by Carl Silverman to adjourn the meeting at 6:05 p.m. Motion unanimously carried.

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