Western Arkansas Education Renewal Zone

Western Arkansas Education Renewal Zone Advisory Board Meeting Wednesday, september 19, 2012

Welcome

Special Guests • June Haynie—ADE • Director, ERZ and Scholastic Audit • Jack Hansen—ADE • Technical Assistance Specialist—ERZ • Dr. John Jones—UAFS • Dean, College of Education

Recap from Academic year 2011-12 • External Evaluation—Sue Street & Assoc.

Recap from Academic year 2011-12 • External Evaluation—Sue Street & Assoc. • Recommendations from state-wide report: • #1—Continue building relationships between school, university and community. • #2—School & university experts examine school data, diagnose school needs, and work to satisfy such needs • #3—Ensure university partners understand how their contributions fit into ERZ goals • #4—Continue to provide forums for collaboration to address ERZ goals • #5—Maintain a “core” advisory group to function as true advisors to the ERZ

Recap from Academic year 2011-12 • ERZ Budget Update • Assistant Director positions across state eliminated • 37% cut in Travel/Mileage • 17% cut in Maintenance/Operations • 40% cut in Materials/Supplies • Salaries for Administrative Assistant and Director maintained—no cut, nor increase

Goal 1 Professional development • Google Docs presentation • August 15th—Hackett School District • 6 one-hour round-robin sessions • 51 administrators, teachers, and staff members participated

Goal 1 Professional development • LDC/MDC • Throughout year working with Fort Smith Public Schools • Northside High School • Southside High School • Darby Junior High • Kimmons Junior High • Ramsey Junior High • Chaffin Junior High • Developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Goal 1 Professional development • LDC—Literacy Design Collaborative • The LDC framework is a “common chassis” to create tasks, modules, and courses designed to teach students to meet the new CCSS while also learning to meet content demands at high levels of performance. • LDC framework template aligns to Common Core Literacy Standards

Goal 1 Professional development • MDC—Math Design Collaborative • Approach by which to implement CCSS • Instructional tool designed to reach goal of 80% of low-income and minority students ready for college by 2025 • 5 key strategies: • Clarifying learning intentions • Effective discussions, questions, and tasks that evidence learning • Forward-moving feedback • Student as owner of his/her learning • Student as resource for others

Goal 1 Professional development • LDC/MDC Resources • LDC: • www.literacydesigncollaborative.org • www.mygroupgenius.org/literacy • MDC: • www.mygroupgenius.org/mathematics • http://map.mathshell.org • ASCD (Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Alexandria, VA • http://educore.ascd.org/

Goal 1 APre-Service Education • CCSS Conference—TENTATIVE PLAN • Wednesday, October 31, 2012 • 9:00 am—3:00 pm • Target audience is UAFS pre-service teachers • Overview in morning • Breakout sessions in afternoon—Math and Literacy

Goal 2Rigorous curriculum • BEST Robotics • Jason Merritt, • UAFS BEST Asst. Hub Director • Sign-up for 2012 season • Monday, September 17, 2012 • River Valley Game Day (local) • Saturday, November 3, 2012 • Frontier Trails Game Day (regional) • Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 2012

Goal 2Rigorous curriculum • Science Lab Review • Hackett High—Sept 7th • Dr. Arant, Dean of STEM College • Dr. Davis Pritchett, Dept. Head Biology • Constitution Day • Hackett High—Sept. 17th • 7-12th Grade • Dr. Eric Baker, Asst. Prof., Political Science

Goal 2Rigorous curriculum • Global Speakers • Oct. 18—Mansfield Elementary • UAFS international students representing the countries of Japan, Taiwan, and France

Goal 2Rigorous curriculum • Festival of Science • Oct. 27th—UAFS campus—1:00-3:30 pm • Brainchild of Chemistry Professors, • Dr. Dave McGinnis and Dr. Jen Jamison • Science engagement event • 60-70 3rd grade students (invitation only) • Teacher Hospitality Room for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade ERZ teachers (1:00 –1:30 pm – meet the professors; 1:30 – 3:30 – Festival Time!)

Goal 2Rigorous curriculum • National Science Bowl • Sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy • Open to junior high and high school teams • Regional site is at UAFS • Limited to 12 teams • Competition Day – Saturday, Jan. 26th • Registration – Oct. 1st—Jan. 12th • Regional science bowl championship teams receive an all-expenses paid trip to compete at the national event in Washington, D.C. • http://science.energy.gov/nsb/

Goal 2Rigorous curriculum • Guest Speaker—Temple Grandin • March 11th—Stubblefield Center • Free admission • Part of UAFS’s READ THIS! annual event • Selected text for READ THIS! 2013 is: • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Goal 3Mentoring Programs • Darby-UAFS Mentoring Project • With the Ranger Recon Program • Video • Consider opportunities to visit campus • Digital, multi-modal composition professional development • Free software programs created video: • Audacity (sound mixing) • Microsoft Movie Maker (video and still images)

Goal 4 Recruit/retain teachers • 15-minute presentations to consider STEM Ed. fields • Visited 7 education classes (Intro to Ed., Intro to Ed. Tech.) • Scheduled to visit 9 STEM classes (Calc I, Chem I, Intro to Cell Bio, Intro to Engineering) • Looking for opportunities to visit appropriate high school classes to share information

Goal 5 Parent/community involvement • Electric Car & Executives in the Classroom • Electric Vehicle able to visit schools or can be set-up for a campus visit • Lead professor recently completed sabbatical at ABB Baldor researching electric motors • Panel discussion could be arranged with professors and career engineers on this authentic STEM problem-solving initiative

Goal 6 Collaboration among partners • Advisory Board Meeting Schedule • Email Info Blast • Opt-in for all ERZ partners • Go to www.uafs.edu/erz for sign-up link • CCRPP Grant • HOLD until Nov. Advisory Board Meeting

Goal 6 Collaboration among partners • CCRPP Grant

Comments & Round table Topics • Open to the floor

Adjournment www.thisamericanlife.org

Western Arkansas Education Renewal Zone