SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, I SEE.
[00:00:04]
TEN PANELISTS ON BOARD, INCLUDING SOME OF OUR GUEST SPEAKERS TONIGHT AND A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE OVER IN THE PUBLIC SIDE.SO I THINK WE'RE GOOD. THIS IS THE TAGA MEETING FOR THE 10TH OF JANUARY.
TALENTED AND GIFTED ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT QUORUM HERE.
SO REALLY FOR OPENING REMARKS TONIGHT, THEY'RE KIND OF BRIEF.
CURRENTLY, AS IT STANDS, THIS IS OUR LAST VIRTUAL MEETING.
WE ARE EXPECTING TO GET AN EXTENSION TO BEING ABLE TO MEET VIRTUALLY.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT'S SET UP, THIS OPTION EXPIRES AT THE END OF JANUARY.
SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS TO DO AND THE STATE HAS TO DO IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HOLD THESE MEETINGS ONLINE.
SO WE EXPECT THAT TO COME, BUT IT'S NOT THERE YET.
SO I DON'T HAVE A GOOD OPTION FOR THE NEXT MEETING COMING THROUGH.
AT THE END OF THE MEETING, I WAS HOPING TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF SUBCOMMITTEE WORKING SESSION NOTES. I KNOW WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT AREN'T MAKING IT TONIGHT THAT WE'RE CHAIRING THOSE, SO I THINK THAT WILL BE A PRETTY BRIEF TAG UP.
I GUESS THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO DO WAS TO GO OVER THE DECEMBER MINUTES AND SEE IF FOLKS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH THOSE AND WE'RE READY TO APPROVE THOSE.
HEY, NICK, THIS IS MARK LACEY, WERE THEY POSTED ON THE ON THE PORTAL FROM LAST TIME? BECAUSE BECAUSE I'M I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THEM.
THEY SHOULD BE MORE CLINICAL, LOOK REAL QUICK.
WEB PAGE WHERE THEY NORMALLY ARE.
IT'S ALL IN NOVEMBER, BUT NOT THE DECEMBER.
I DON'T SEE THEM UP THERE, EITHER, SO IF THEY'RE NOT POSTED, WE CAN'T VOTE ON THEM.
IT JUST AS A MATTER, OF COURSE, SO WE'LL HAVE TO PICK IT UP IN THE FEBRUARY MINUTES, THEY I'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY'RE AT. THEY PROBABLY GOT FILED IN A DIFFERENT WEEK OR SOMETHING. JUST ON THE WEBSITE, SO WE'LL SKIP THAT AND MOVE ON.
[ACPS Staff Comments]
DR. TYPEKIT, YOU'RE UP NEXT ON THE STAFF SIDE.YEAH, THANKS, NICHOLAS, I APPRECIATE THAT.
WELL, HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE.
I HOPE THAT YOUR WINTER BREAK AND YOUR SNOW DAYS WERE JOYFUL AND UNEVENTFUL, HOPEFULLY.
SO WE'VE REALLY ONLY HAD TWO OFFICIAL WORK WEEKS SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET.
SO I DON'T HAVE AS MANY UPDATES AS I DID IN DECEMBER, BUT I DO WANT TO UPDATE YOU ON A FEW THINGS.
OUR KINDERGARTEN MAGLIARI TESTING WINDOW WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL OF LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK, SO BECAUSE OF THE SNOW DAYS AND SUCH, WE EXTENDED IT A FEW EXTRA DAYS.
SO SOME OF OUR KINDERGARTNERS WILL BE TAKING THAT TEST EITHER THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK.
I ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS NOT TO DO MAGLIARI TESTING TODAY AS OUR LITTLE KINDERGARTNERS ARE COMING BACK IN, AND THAT'S A LOT OF TRANSITIONING FOR THEM.
SO WE'LL DO THAT ALSO AS A REMINDER FOR SCREENING.
OUR SCHOOLS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SCREENING RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S GOING TO BE ON A ROTATIONAL BASIS, MEANING THAT IT'S NOT ALL THE LETTERS ARE GOING TO GO OUT AT ONCE.
THEY'LL GO OUT BY GRADE LEVEL AS THE SCHOOLS ARE CONDUCTING THEIR SCREENING AND WRAPPING THEM UP. SO THOSE LETTERS, SOME SCHOOLS MIGHT GET IT THIS WEEK AND ANOTHER SCHOOL MIGHT GET IT THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
AND IT JUST REALLY ALL DEPENDS ON THE NUMBERS THAT ARE AT THE SCHOOL FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SCREEN. SO, SO PARENTS WILL BE RECEIVING LETTERS BETWEEN NOW AND ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY.
OUR KINDERGARTNERS WILL BE SCREENED THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY, BEGINNING, BEGINNING OF SECOND WEEK BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING FOR REPORT CARDS TO COME IN AS PART OF THAT SCREENING PROCESS BECAUSE THEY DON'T RECEIVE A REPORT CARD IN KINDERGARTEN FOR THE FIRST QUARTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY OUR TEACHERS ARE WORKING REALLY HARD ON GOING THROUGH SCREENING.
AS A REMINDER, THEY ARE SCREENING FOR UNIVERSAL YEARS INSTEAD OF JUST FIRST AND THIRD GRADE. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S ADDITIONAL WORK FOR THEM TO BE DOING AND THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH IT AS AS FAST AS THEY CAN IN TERMS OF ELIGIBILITY LETTERS OR TAG DESIGNEES WILL BE SENDING HOME ELIGIBILITY LETTERS, AS WELL AS THE SCREENING MATRICES, SO PARENTS CAN VIEW HOW THE CHILD DID ON THE MATRIX TO KIND OF ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS. I ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO ASK THE TAGG DESIGNEE QUESTIONS IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS
[00:05:01]
ABOUT WHY THEIR CHILD WAS FOUND INELIGIBLE OR ELIGIBLE.THE SCHOOLS AT THIS POINT HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE DATA BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE REPORT CARDS, THE GRADES, THEY HAVE THE WORK SAMPLES WITH THE GRADES.
OUR OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE THAT YET, AS IT HAS NOT BEEN COLLECTED AS SCHOOLS ARE WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
ALL OF OUR APPEAL INFORMATION IS ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE WILL ALSO BE SENDING HOME INFORMATION WITHIN THE LETTERS.
IF YOUR CHILD WAS FOUND INELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES OR NO CHILD GOING THROUGH SCREENING WAS FOUND INELIGIBLE FOR OUR THIRD GRADERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH A SCREENING IF THEY WERE FOUND INELIGIBLE AND THE PARENTS WOULD LIKE TO APPEAL, THAT APPEALS.
DEADLINE WILL BE IN MAY AND WE'LL LOOK AT APPEALS FOR A RISING FOURTH GRADERS FOR ESSAYS SERVICES IN JUNE.
AND THAT WAY IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL DATA IF WE NEED IT DURING THAT SCREENING TIME.
AND SINCE KIDS DON'T RECEIVE THOSE SERVICES UNTIL FOURTH GRADE, IT'S IT'S NOT A MATTER OF A CHILD NOT RECEIVING SERVICES.
SO, SO THAT IS THAT NICHOLAS SENT ME THE OR THE BOARD BRIEF FOR WHAT OUR SCOPE OF WORK IS AND WENT UP TO THE ED.
AND I WILL BE SENDING THAT BACK TO NICHOLAS FOR FINAL APPROVAL AND THEN IT COULD GO ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BOARD. SO.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
AND AS A REMINDER, OUR FEBRUARY MEETING, BECAUSE THE FOLLOWING WEEK ARE NORMAL WEEK WOULD HAVE BEEN VALENTINE'S DAY, FEBRUARY 14TH.
WE'RE MOVING TO FEBRUARY 7TH AS OUR MEETING.
SO WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF WE ARE IN PERSON OR NOT WHERE THAT WILL BE LOCATED.
OH YES. AND THEN ONE FINAL THING WE HAVE, WE'RE STARTING OUR STEERING COMMITTEES FOR THE LOCAL, FOR THE LOCAL PLAN.
AND NICHOLAS, I BELIEVE, WAS REACHING OUT TO A FEW STAFF MEMBERS, TO ENOUGH STAFF MEMBERS, EXCUSE ME, A FEW MEMBERS OF.
THIS COMMITTEE HERE TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE AS PART OF THAT STEERING COMMITTEE, OUR FIRST MEETING IS TOMORROW AT AT 3:00 P.M.
SO WHOEVER NICHOLAS TAPS INTO TO DO THAT WORK, JUST GET IN TOUCH WITH ME BY TOMORROW AND I'LL SEND YOU THE LINK SO YOU'RE ABLE TO JOIN.
IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO JOIN THIS TIME, THAT'S OK.
WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER TIME, BUT WE'LL BE HAVING STEERING COMMITTEES ALONG THE WAY AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS LOCAL PLAN PROCESS.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS THE PHILOSOPHY AND DEFINITION OF GIFTEDNESS WITHIN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND MY GOAL IS TO JUST EVEN BRING IT TO THE LARGER COMMITTEE NEXT NEXT MONTH IN FEBRUARY.
SO YOU COULD ALL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND YOU GET FEEDBACK THAT WAY.
AND ADDITION TO THAT, WE'LL ALSO HAVE THE ACCOUNTABILITY DATA FOR YOU TO SHARE WITH YOU.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PARTICIPANT HERE IN OUR COMMITTEE, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD REST OF YOUR YOUR JANUARY.
SO WE'VE GOT REALLY THE AGENDA TONIGHT IS TO GO THROUGH SOME ACADEMIC GAFFES LIKE FIRST
[ACPS Academic Guest Lectures]
THAT HOMEOWNERS LINED UP FOR US TO INCLUDE SOME MIDDLE SCHOOL ON OR SOME EVIDENCE IN THE AP SOCIAL STUDIES WORK.SO ACTUALLY, I'LL HAND IT BACK TO YOU, MEGHAN, AND LET YOU DO INTRODUCTIONS FOR THOSE GUESTS TONIGHT. ABSOLUTELY.
SO AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR SECONDARY CONTINUUM IS, AND SO I ASKED THREE MEMBERS TO JOIN US TODAY.
WE HAVE JODIE PETERS AND SHE'S GOING TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT AVID.
NOW AVID IS NOT AN OFFICIAL, GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM AS RECOGNIZED BY ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BUT A LOT OF THE TENETS OF AVID REALLY INTERSECT WHAT YOUNG SCHOLARS IS AND AN IDEA OF PROVIDING ENRICHMENT AND INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN.
SHE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL HONORS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE HAVE MOLLY WHO WILL BE JOINING US AT AROUND SEVEN FORTY FIVE TO GO OVER AP AND DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO THAT WILL HELP US HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRACTITIONER PART OF THINGS WITHIN THIS SCHOOL, OTHER THAN THE THEORY ABOUT THIS IS WHAT WE DO AT THIS LEVEL. THIS IS WHAT THEY REALLY DO AT THIS LEVEL AND HOW THEY INTERACT WITH KIDS AND OUR TEACHERS WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS.
[00:10:01]
SO THAT REALLY IS THE START OF TODAY.AND THEN THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THEM.
SO MISS PETERS, DO YOU WANT TO GET US KICKED OFF HERE ABOUT AVID? GREAT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS JODI PETERS, I'M THE AVID DISTRICT DIRECTOR OR KNOWN AS THE COORDINATOR FOR AVID HERE IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IS IT OK IF I SHARE MY SCREEN? ALL RIGHT. ARE YOU SEEING THE PINKISH ALL THE WAY TO THE GOLD SLIDE? HIGHLIGHTING AVID.
OK, GREAT, I KNOW I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE, SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DO NOT KNOW ME.
I'VE BEEN IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR MANY YEARS.
JUST A LITTLE OVER 20 NOW AND I LOVE MY WORK AND I CAN TALK ABOUT MY WORK FOREVER.
BUT I'VE BEEN LIMITED TO MAYBE 15 MINUTES AT MAX THIS EVENING, SO I'M GOING TO KEEP IT TO THAT, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THERE ON AFTER.
SO I'M EXCITED THAT DR TEMPLE MILNER ASKED ME TO TALK ABOUT AVID BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT DOES SUPPORT A CONTINUATION OF SERVICES FOR LOTS OF DIFFERENT STUDENTS AND PROFILE OF STUDENTS HERE IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE'VE HAD AN AVID PARTNERSHIP AND THAT STANDS FOR AGAIN, ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION. AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT HERE IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, BUT WE'VE HAD THIS PARTNERSHIP FOR, I GUESS WE'RE PUSHING 13 YEARS AT THIS TIME WHERE WE STARTED OUR PARTNERSHIP IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS NINTH GRADE AND THEN ROLLED UP SEVERAL YEARS UNTIL WE'VE HAD GRADUATING COHORTS AS WELL AS ROLLED DOWN.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MODEL.
SO JUST AS A FOCUS FOR US TODAY, I HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO WALK AWAY KNOWING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IS ABBOTT AND HOW IT DOES SUPPORT THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, AS WELL AS A CONTINUATION OF SERVICE FOR OUR STUDENTS HERE IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH GRADES SIX THROUGH 12.
BY THE WAY. SO WE LOOK AT IT FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT, THAT'S BASICALLY HOW IT WAS BROUGHT INTO ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THE MISSION FOR AVID IS VERY MUCH ALIGNED TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND NOW IT IS TO CLOSE THAT ACHIEVEMENT GAP BY PREPARING ALL STUDENTS.
AND THERE'S KIND OF TWO SPOKES TO THAT THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS EVENING FOR COLLEGE READINESS AND SUCCESS IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COLLEGE READINESS, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT COLLEGE AND CAREER PREPARATION TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS REALLY JUST TRULY HAVE A PLAN POST HIGH SCHOOL. AND WHATEVER THAT PLAN IS, IT'S PERSONALIZED TO THEM.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT AVID, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT A SCHOOL BEING AN AVID SCHOOL OR AN AVID CLASS, AND THAT IS IN FACT TRUE IN BOTH BOTH REGARDS.
BACK WHEN WE ORIGINALLY PARTNERED WITH AVID, THEY HAD TO FOCUS ON THIS AVID ELECTIVE COURSE THAT STUDENTS APPLIED AND GOT INTO WERE ACCEPTED INTO BASED ON CRITERIA.
THEY'VE SINCE EXPANDED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BECAUSE THEY KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT BASED ON ALL THE EVIDENCE WHERE STUDENTS WERE GROWING THEIR SKILL, SET THEIR AGENCY AND THEIR ABILITY TO REALLY HAVE LOTS OF CHOICE FOR HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING, WHETHER IT'S A TWO YEAR, FOUR YEAR SCHOOL. THEY BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THESE PROCESSES, STRATEGIES AND ROUTINES COULD BE ADOPTED AND ADAPTED SCHOOL WIDE.
SO TO SPOKES OF AVID, NOW ARE WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN.
IT'S THE AVID SCHOOL I MODEL, AND IT'S A COMMITMENT BY THE SCHOOL TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME OF THESE PRACTICES AND ROUTINES.
WE'RE GOING TO CHECK OUT OUR SYSTEMS. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OUR INSTRUCTION AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REPRESENTED BY A DIVERSE GROUP OF INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE A VOICE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO REALLY PROMOTE THIS COLLEGE AND CAREER GOING CULTURE ACROSS OUR BUILDING. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO THAT'S ONE PIECE OF THE PARTNERSHIP.
THE OTHER PART THAT I'LL PROBABLY MAINLY FOCUS ON FOR THE REST OF OUR TIME IN THIS SLIDE SHOW IS REALLY THE FOCUS ON THE AVID ELECTIVE AND EXCEL COURSE.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S CRITERIA THAT I'LL WALK THROUGH HERE IN A MINUTE WHERE STUDENTS ARE QUALIFIED TO ACTUALLY APPLY.
WE GO THROUGH AN INTERVIEW PROCESS AND THEY'RE CHOSEN BY THEIR BY A PANEL OF MEMBERS TO BE ACCEPTED INTO THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS.
AND THAT STARTS AS EARLY AS FIFTH GRADE, WHERE THOSE INTERVIEWS ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE AND STUDENTS ARE ACCEPTED INTO AVID SIX.
THEY CAN APPLY FOR AVID ALL THE WAY THROUGH NINTH GRADE SO THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY ENROLL INTO AVID 10:00 AT THE LATEST POINT IN TIME.
AND SO IN THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES, YOU'LL SEE THE ADDED ELECTIVE.
BUT WE'VE ALSO ADDED A PIECE CALLED AVID EXCEL THAT REALLY FOCUSES ON AVID FOR LONG TERM ENGLISH LEARNERS.
SO HERE IN AKP'S, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW LONG TERM ENGLISH LEARNERS WHO'VE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES FOR FIVE MORE YEARS, AND WE IDENTIFY THEM BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, AND WE FOCUS ON GIVING THEM THE SAME CONSTRUCTS OF AVID, THE AVID ELECTIVE, AS WELL AS COACHING THEM IN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, SO ACADEMIC LANGUAGE AND LITERACY.
SO REALLY, WE'RE TRYING TO TOUCH A VARIETY OF GROUP MEMBERS, FACETS, STAKEHOLDERS WHO
[00:15:06]
COULD REALLY BE PART OF THIS WORK IN THE AVID ELECTIVE, EITHER THROUGH THE ELECTIVE OR THE AVID EXCEL COURSE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS.I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT NOW ABOUT THE CRITERIA.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THERE IS AN APPLICATION PROCESS, THERE'S AN INTERVIEW PROCESS, STUDENTS GET SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.
THEY GET DRESSED UP, THEY KNOW THEY'RE THERE TO TELL ABOUT THEMSELVES AND TELL ABOUT ALL THE GOALS THAT THEY HAVE FOR THEMSELVES IN WAYS THAT THEY WANT TO CERTAINLY THINK ABOUT COLLEGE AND CAREER AND AND WHAT THEY WANT TO KIND OF JUST THINK ABOUT BEING OR EXPLORING IN THEIR LIFE. AND SO THE MUST HAVES FOR FOR OUR STUDENTS IN TERMS OF THE CRITERIA LISTED HERE ON THE LEFT. AND IT'S REALLY A FOCUS ON DESIRE, DETERMINATION AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THEY'RE OPTING TO APPLY.
WE AREN'T HAVING PARENTS TO RECOMMEND OR WANT TO PLACE THEM IN THEY THEMSELVES AS STUDENTS REALLY ARE IDENTIFYING WITH BEING INTERESTED IN AVID.
THAT'S FIRST AND FOREMOST THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE.
THEY ALSO REPRESENT AN UNDERSERVED GROUP IN FOUR YEAR COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES, SO GENERALLY MINORITIES, THEY SHOW ACADEMIC POTENTIAL, MEANING THEIR AVERAGE TO ABOVE AVERAGE. SO THIS IS SEEN AS A RIGOROUS COURSE WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
BUT THERE'S A LEVEL OF READINESS WE EXPECT FROM THEM BECAUSE IN THE LAST BULLET, YOU'LL SEE WE'RE ASKING THEM TO TAKE ON A RIGOROUS COURSE OF STUDY IN WHAT'S RIGOROUS FOR THEM.
SO WE ARE ASKING THEM TO TAKE AT LEAST ONE HONORS DUAL ENROLLMENT OR A.P.
COURSE, DEPENDING ON THEIR ENTRY AND THEIR GRADE LEVEL INTO THE ELECTIVE CLASS.
SOME OF THE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE LOOK FOR THAT OFTEN WE ASK THEM TO MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING IS HERE LISTED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THAT YOU SEE, BUT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, WHETHER IT'S HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OR OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE, SOME STUDENTS, ARE FREE TO RECEIVE FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH OR COME FROM A LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD.
WE ALSO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THEIR ENTRY POINTS FOR OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARE AT A PLACE WHERE THEY'VE ACQUIRED ENOUGH LANGUAGE, THEY'RE READY FOR THE RIGOR THAT AVID EXPECTS OF THEM.
SO IT IS LOOKING AT READINESS IN SOME WAYS.
A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE STILL INVOLVED IN INTERVENTIONS MAY NOT BE READY YET, AND WE AND WE FOCUS ON THE YET PART BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF GROWTH MINDSET BEHIND THAT BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A TIME WHERE THEY ARE IN FACT READY TO APPLY TO BE PART OF IT AND TAKE ON THOSE RIGOROUS CLASSES THAT WE EXPECTED THEM.
AND THEN THE LAST PIECE YOU SEE HERE IS WHAT WE CALL SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE, AND IT IS EXACTLY THAT.
WE'VE HAD STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE MOVED AROUND A LOT OR HIGHLY ACADEMIC THAT THEY NEED THE SAFE SPACE TO REALLY GET ON BOARD WITH THEIR RIGOR.
BUT BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD INTERRUPTIONS IN SCHOOL, PERHAPS THAT'S THEIR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE. WE'VE HAD STUDENTS WHO ARE FOSTER CHILDREN.
THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO HAVE FIVE OF FOUR PLANS THAT COULD JUST THRIVE AS A RESULT OF LEARNING SOME ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES HERE IN EVIDENCE.
SO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES IS, IN FACT, THAT.
AND THAT'S A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TEAM AND THE FAMILY AND TEACHERS WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR THOSE STUDENTS IN THESE SITUATIONS.
SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS.
WE'LL MAKE SOME CONNECTIONS HERE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
THE FOCUS IS OF AVID IS TRULY GETTING STUDENTS READY FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER POST HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING.
AND THERE'S THREE SPECIFIC PARTS OF THIS TRIANGLE THAT REALLY FOCUSES IN OUR HONES IN ON THE SCAFFOLD OF WHAT IT REALLY DOES FOR STUDENTS.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT HERE IN THE TRIANGLE AND THE TOP PART OF THE TRIANGLE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. WE LIKE TO REMIND ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR SCHOOLS OR TEACHERS OR PARENTS OR STUDENTS THAT IT ISN'T AN INTERVENTION.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE PUT STUDENTS IN BECAUSE THEY NEED.
THEY HAVE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ISSUES AND WE DROP THEM IN HERE BECAUSE WE THINK WE CAN GET THEM REALLY ORGANIZED.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT IT DOES PROVIDE, WHICH IS THE REALLY GREAT THING ABOUT HAVING SOME AVID SCHOOL WIDE STRATEGIES.
BUT THEN ALSO THE AVID ELECTIVE WITH THE FOCUS ON STUDENTS ARE REALLY COMMITTED TO THE EXPECTATIONS.
IT IS AN ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR RIGOR.
WE CALL IT A TIER TWO SUPPORT BECAUSE IT IN FACT IS GIVING SUPPORT TO STUDENTS WHO ARE SCHEDULED AND ENROLLED IN RIGOROUS CLASSES.
AND ANY TIME WE ENROLL STUDENTS AND RIGOROUS CLASSES, WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING THEM THAT BRIDGE OR THAT SCAFFOLD TO HOLD THEM UP.
WHEN SOMETIMES THEY HIT A BARRIER, YOU HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD.
SO THE FOCUS IS REALLY ON THE TOP PART OF THIS TRIANGLE, WHICH IS RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PREPARATION. OPPORTUNITY, KNOWLEDGE AND STUDENT AGENCY AND THEN THE BOTTOM PART OF THE TRIANGLE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS WHAT WE ASK OUR TEACHERS TO DO.
ADVOCATE SUPPORT BREAKDOWN BARRIERS ALIGN THE WORK FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF AND REALLY INSIST ON RIGOR, AND THAT MEANS STUDENT TEACHING AND LEARNING.
SO LET ME BREAK DOWN THAT TOP PART OF THAT TRIANGLE FOR YOU.
[00:20:01]
WHAT DOES IT REALLY AFFORD TO STUDENTS AND AFFORDS THAT OPPORTUNITY AND EXPERIENCE TO LEARN? AND THEN FOR THEM TO OWN THE FOLLOWING THEY LEARN ABOUT THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO APPLY TO A COLLEGE? WHAT ARE THE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A STRONG TRANSCRIPT? SCHOLARSHIPS? HOW DO WE ACCESS SCHOLARSHIPS? HOW DO WE ACCESS INTERNSHIPS THAT CAN SUPPORT A REALLY STRONG RESUME? SO IT'S REALLY FOCUSING ON THE CAREER ENTRANCE PROCESS OF COLLEGE AND CAREER ENTRANCE PROCESS, AS WELL AS REALLY LEARNING ABOUT DEEPER LEVELS OF THE CURRICULUM TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO BE LEADERS, TO BE MORE ACADEMIC, TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH CONNECTED TO THE THIRD BOARD THAT YOU SEE ON THIS PAGE.THE SECOND FOCUS AGAIN OF THAT TRIANGLE IS THE RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PREPARATION, AND THIS IS WHERE WE ASK STUDENTS TO, FIRST OF ALL, ENROLL IN ONE OR MORE COURSES OF RIGOR, AND AGAIN, THAT COULD BE HONORS CLASSES.
FOR SOME STUDENTS, THAT CAN BE DUAL ENROLLMENT WITH COLLEGE CREDIT ATTACHED, AS WELL AS ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES, DEPENDING ON THEIR PREFERENCE, DEPENDING ON THE COURSE.
THOSE ARE ALL VERY PERSONALIZED TO THE STUDENTS, BUT WE HELP SUPPORT THE COURSE SCHEDULING AND THAT OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT THOSE CLASSES REALLY OFFER SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A GOOD SELECTION.
IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LEARN AND PRACTICE ACADEMIC SKILLS WHAT WE WOULD CALL STRATEGIES AND DEVELOP GOOD ROUTINES THAT CAN HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL IN THESE RIGOROUS CLASSES IN SOME STUDENTS DON'T COME AUTOMATICALLY HAVING THOSE ROUTINES.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF PRACTICE AND EXPECTATION, A LOT OF MODELING WHEN IT COMES TO ORGANIZATION, TIME MANAGEMENT, ORGANIZATION OF PERSONAL SPACE, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL MENTAL IDEAS AND GATHERING INFORMATION.
HOW DO YOU TAKE NOTES IN A LECTURE? HOW DO YOU TAKE NOTES FROM A MOVIE? WHAT ARE THOSE NOTES LOOK LIKE IN SOCIAL STUDIES VERSUS WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE IN A MATH CLASS? AND SO WE'RE TEACHING THEM ALL KINDS OF STRUCTURES SO THEY CAN CHOOSE THOSE SKILLS AND ROUTINES THAT ARE BEST FOR THEM IN THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, NO MATTER WHAT THAT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE'RE COACHING THEM ON AGENCY AND REALLY LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN BEGIN TO SELF-MONITOR, DECIDE WHAT THEY NEED, ASK FOR WHAT THEY NEED.
HOW DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND SOUND LIKE WHEN YOU NEED SUPPORT FROM A TEACHER? WHAT'S IT? WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL REGULATION SKILLS I NEED WHEN I'M FRUSTRATED? WHEN I'M IN A CLASS, IT'S CHALLENGING.
SO IT'S REALLY DEVELOPING PRACTICES AND TALKING ABOUT VERY EXPLICITLY WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE IN THESE CHALLENGING CLASSES AND HOW YOU MANEUVER THROUGH THEM SO THAT YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. SO A FOCUS HERE IS REALLY SO THAT ALL OF US TODAY OR THIS EVENING CAN UNDERSTAND HOW AVID DOES SUPPORT THIS CONTINUATION OF SERVICES, AND SO THIS IS WHO AVID TOUCHES. IT REALLY KIND OF TOUCHES A WHOLE LARGE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS.
THE FIRST FOCUS BEING OUR RISING SIXTH GRADERS, WE FOCUS ON OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE LONG TERM ELLS OR ENGLISH LEARNERS, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN IN THE COUNTRY FOR FIVE OR MORE YEARS, AND THEY'RE READY FOR AVID EXCEL AT EITHER GW OR FRANCIS HAMMOND BASED ON WHERE THE COURSES ARE BEING OFFERED RIGHT NOW.
IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THEN FOCUS ON THOSE STUDENTS, THOSE AVID EXCEL STUDENTS, WHEN THEY HIT EIGHTH GRADE.
WE BELIEVE, AND BASED ON ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN AVID EXCEL IN GRADES SIX, SEVEN AND EIGHT, THAT'S AN ENTRY POINT.
THEN INTO AVID MATH, THEN THEY WILL TAKE A HIGH SCHOOL RIGOROUS COURSE.
MAYBE IT'S THEIR FIRST HONORS COURSE.
MAYBE IT'S AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY IN NINTH GRADE.
THE SECOND PLACE WHERE WE REALLY FOCUS IN ON THIS CONTINUATION OF SERVICES IS WE A LONG TIME AGO BACK, MAYBE TWO SUPERINTENDENTS AGO TALKED ABOUT THE PIPELINE FOR YOUNG SCHOLARS AND HOW THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS COMING OUT OF ELEMENTARY THAT SHOW GIFTS AND SKILL SETS IN PARTICULAR AREAS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, AS WELL AS DEVELOP THAT INNER SELF CONFIDENCE AND DRIVE AND INTEREST TO OWN WHATEVER IT IS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN IS THROUGH YOUNG SCHOLARS.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS DO TARGETED MARKETING AND RECRUITMENT TO OUR FIFTH GRADERS WHO ARE YOUNG SCHOLARS AND HOPE THAT WE CAN SNATCH THEM UP AND GET THEM TO APPLY AND BECOME PART OF AVID. AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS AT DIFFERENT RATES, DEPENDING ON THE YOUNG SCHOLARS AND THE COHORTS THAT ARE MOVING THROUGH OUR ELEMENTARY GRADES AND WHERE THEIR RISING COHORTS ARE AT THIS TIME.
SO THAT'S A FOCUSED PIPELINE THAT WE ALWAYS DURING OUR RECRUITMENT SEASON, WHICH IS BEGINNING THIS ONE WILL BEGIN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
WE HAVE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THAT HAVE A TRANSITION PLAN THAT DOES INCLUDE COLLEGE OR POST HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING.
AND SO WE FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THEIR READINESS IS IN A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE ON RIGOR, THAT THEY WILL HAVE A TRANSCRIPT THAT AGAIN, WITH GENDER, EVEN WITH GENERAL ED CLASSES OR AN HONORS CLASS OR TWO ARE REALLY READY FOR POST HIGH SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR FOUR YEAR COLLEGE.
AND AGAIN, ANOTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUP, WHICH IS PROBABLY OUR LARGEST STAKEHOLDER GROUP, ARE
[00:25:04]
JUST GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WHO ADVOCATE FOR WANTING TO BE PART OF AVID BECAUSE THEY HEAR ABOUT IT, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.MAYBE THEY HAVE OLDER SIBLINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF IT WHO MEET THE CRITERIA THAT I REVIEWED EARLY ON AND REALLY WANT TO BE PART OF A PLACE THAT PROVIDES THIS CONSTANT SUPPORT FOR THE RIGOROUS COURSES.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN STUDENTS IN FACT DO REACH HIGH SCHOOL, A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS NOT ONLY ARE THEY JUST INVOLVED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT EXTRACURRICULARS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN A WHOLE HOST OF DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES, AP CLASSES THAT BEGIN THE NINTH GRADE YEAR THAT ARE, OF COURSE, OPEN ACCESS.
AND THEN THEY ALSO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN OTHER SPECIALIZED PATHWAYS LIKE THE HEALTH MEDICAL SCIENCES, THE STEM PROGRAM, SPECIFIC CTE SURGICAL TECH ROTC.
AND SO THERE ARE THEY'RE ENROLLING IN ABBOTT AS AN ELECTIVE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THERE'S A SPACE CREATED AND IN THEIR ELECTIVE SCHEDULE SO THAT THEY CAN BE PART OF SOME OF THIS OTHER COURSE OF RIGOR OR A VERY SPECIFIC PATHWAY WORK.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE USE AVID AS A SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THEM IN THESE AREAS.
AND HERE ARE FOUR FOCUSED BULLET POINTS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
SO WHAT DOES AVA DO WHEN THEY GET INTO THIS CLASS? WHAT DID THEY ACTUALLY DO AND HOW DOES IT SUPPORT THEIR COURSES OF BRICKER? SO THE FIRST ONE IS THROUGH A SPECIALIZED ACADEMIC ADVISING.
SO IN HIGH SCHOOL, THEY HAVE TARGETED ACADEMIC ADVISING THROUGH SPECIFIC COUNSELORS WHO ARE ALL THESE STUDENTS ARE PART OF A PARTICULAR COHORT UNDER TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT COUNSELORS THAT DO SOME WORK IN THE CLASSROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COURSES OF RIGOR THAT ARE THERE AND WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN IT'S TIME TO SCHEDULE AS A NINTH GRADER FOR 10TH GRADE CLASSES.
SO THE AVID TEACHER THAT SUPPORTING THAT CLASS WORKS WITH THE COUNSELORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A DEEPER, DEEPER LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF THESE COURSES AND REALLY ADVOCATES AND SUPPORTS THEIR MILESTONES AND THEIR MILESTONES MIGHT BE THEIR VERY FIRST HONORS COURSE. IT MIGHT BE TWO DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES, AND IT MIGHT BE A WHOLE HANDFUL OF AP COURSES, BUT IS REALLY THERE TO SUPPORT THEM ALONG THE WAY.
SECONDLY, THERE IS, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PIECE THAT WE KNOW IS THE TRUE SCAFFOLD OF SUPPORT. IS THIS INQUIRY BASED TUTORIALS WHERE WE HIRE TUTORS WHO COME IN DURING THE CLASS, THE ACTUAL ELECTIVE CLASS AND SMALL WORK WITH SMALL GROUPS, WE HAVE A FORMAT OF A PROCESS THAT WE COACH THEM IN AND IT'S VERY INQUIRY SOCRATIC METHODOLOGY BASED WHERE WE USE LOTS OF QUESTIONING AS A SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS WITH A TUTOR TO REALLY FOCUS ON THEIR POINTS OF CONFUSION FROM THOSE RIGOROUS COURSES.
SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY ENROLLED IN THE RIGOROUS COURSEWORK, BUT THEN THEY GET TO COME BACK INTO THE SELECTIVE CLASS.
40 PERCENT OF THE WEEK IS SPENT IN THE TUTORIALS WHERE THEY BRING THEIR QUESTIONS TO CLASS AND THAT THEY MIGHT BE STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING FROM A TEST, SOMETHING THAT'S COMING UP IN PREPARATION FOR PAPER, A DEBUT OR AN ANALYSIS PAPER.
THEY'RE ABLE TO BRING THESE IN AND REALLY GET SOME GREAT SUPPORT.
THIRDLY, AVID IS KNOWN FOR WHAT WE CALL WICKER OR FOCUS ON WRITING, INQUIRY, COLLABORATION ORGANIZATION AND READING STRATEGIES AND ROUTINES THAT WE COACH STUDENTS IN SO THAT THEY HAVE THIS TOOLBOX OF STRATEGIES THAT THEY CAN PULL OUT AT ANY POINT IN TIME AND USE IN THOSE CONTENT CLASSES.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE REALLY DO FOCUS ON PUSHING OUR STUDENTS TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE TO STRETCH THEMSELVES OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONES TO TRY NEW THINGS.
IF THEY'RE COMING FROM A PLACE WHERE PERHAPS COLLEGE ISN'T TALKED ABOUT A LOT OR THEY'RE LEARNING A LOT OF HAVING LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE.
PART OF THAT IS REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS AND TO THINK ABOUT UNIVERSITY OPTIONS AND WHETHER STAYING AT HOME CLOSE TO HOME IS A BETTER OPTION.
LOOKING AT DIFFERENT FORMS OF FINANCIAL AID AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THESE SUPPORTS ALONG THE WAY THAT CAN ASSIST WHATEVER COLLEGE OR CAREER PATHWAY THAT THEY CHOOSE.
SO THAT PRETTY MUCH WRAPS UP WHAT I WAS ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT ABOUT AVID IN THE AVID ELECTIVE, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE TIME. SO WHAT IS THE SUCCESS THAT YOU HAVE HAD? I MEAN, HOW MANY KIDS THAT GO THROUGH THE AVID PROGRAM DO GO TO COLLEGE AND HOW MANY OF THEM FINISH, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I CAN GIVE YOU SOME GENERALIZED DATA AT THIS POINT.
I HAD A FEELING THAT THIS WOULD COME UP JUST IN CASE I DID WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF DATA REGARDING WHO OUR ENROLLMENT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT BEING A PARTNER SCHOOL WITH AVID, ALTHOUGH IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, THEY ARE CONNECTED TO THE CLEARINGHOUSE.
[00:30:02]
SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE US SOME DATA WITH THE PERSISTENCE OF STUDENTS AFTER THEY HAVE ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE.AND IT HAS TO BE, OF COURSE, A REGISTERED QUALIFIED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AND COMPLETE TWO SEMESTERS.
WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE DATA ABOUT OUR STUDENTS BASED ON THE THE DATA WAREHOUSE THAT WE SUBMIT TO THEM. IF THAT MAKES SENSE, THEY KNOW WHO OUR STUDENTS ARE THAT ARE ENROLLED IN AVID AT THE NATIONAL CENTER, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP BY GATHERING DATA FROM THE CLEARINGHOUSE. SO WE WERE UP UNTIL PROBABLY LAST YEAR.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE MOST CURRENT DATA AT THIS TIME, ONLY BECAUSE THE DATA LAGS A LITTLE BIT. WE HAD ABOUT A 60 PERCENT COMPLETION RATE IN TERMS OF COMPLETION OF FOUR FOUR YEAR CALL. I SAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN FIVE YEARS, WHICH IS PRETTY AVERAGE RIGHT NOW.
WE WHAT WE KNOW AND HAVE CONTROL OVER IS WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO AT LEAST SHOW IN TERMS OF COURSES OF ENROLLMENT AND THEN ALSO COMPLETION OF COLLEGE APPLICATION IN TERMS OF APPLYING TO PLANS TO ENROLL IN.
AND WE GENERALLY RUN BETWEEN 60 PERCENT WHO APPLY AND PLAN TO GO TO A FOUR YEAR SCHOOL AND 30 PERCENT WHO APPLY AND PLAN TO GO TO A TWO YEAR SCHOOL, WHICH IS GENERALLY NOVA.
WE HAVE REALLY STRONG ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS.
WE MEANING NOVA HAS STRONG ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS WITH THE STATE.
SCHOOLS HERE IN VIRGINIA AND VIRGINIA IS AN AMAZING SCHOOL, AMAZING STATE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS IN SO THAT WHEN THEY DO COMPLETE AT NOVA, THERE IS A PRETTY STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN A SEAMLESS TRANSITION INTO THE FOUR YEAR SCHOOL, ANOTHER GENERALLY SEVEN TO 10 PERCENT, AND THAT USUALLY ENDS UP BEING TWO OR THREE STUDENTS MAYBE MAY TAKE A GAP YEAR.
THEY ALSO MAY DECIDE TO WORK IN TERMS OF GOING INTO THE WORKFORCE.
WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME STUDENTS GO IN THE MILITARY OR CIA CULINARY ARTS AS A AS A FOCUS AREA. SO WHAT WE DO KNOW IS WHAT WE'RE GRADUATING STUDENTS WITH.
WE CERTAINLY HAVE GROWN FROM AN AVERAGE GPA OF A TWO POINT EIGHT ALL THE WAY NOW UP TO THREE POINT ONE.
OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING ACCEPTED AND HAVING CHOICES, AND WE CELEBRATE THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW IF THEY HAVE CHOICES IN THOSE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITIES, THEY'RE MAKING THE BEST CHOICE FOR THEM. THEY'RE NOT LIMITED OR PIGEONHOLED INTO ONLY BEING ACCEPTED INTO ONE SCHOOL.
BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY REVISITING OUR PERSISTENCE RATE.
WE'RE ALSO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SOME OTHER PARTNERSHIPS THAT NOVA HAS DEVELOPED WITH GEORGE MASON, WHERE THERE'S AN AUTOMATIC TRANSITION PROGRAM CALLED NOVA ADVANCE AND SO NOVA GEORGE MASON ADVANCE, AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT OUR OUR SUCCESS RATE CONTINUES TO GROW. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE WE MEET WORKFORCE NEEDS AND LOOKING AT WHETHER IT'S FOR YOUR SCHOOL OR ALSO COACHING OUR STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT TWO YEAR CERTIFICATES AND HOW THAT CAN TRANSITION INTO WORKFORCE AND STILL SUPPORT HAPPINESS IN THE WAY THAT THEY WANT TO PROCEED IN LIFE.
AT LEAST PART OF YOU, I KNOW YOU DEAL WITH THIS EVERY DAY.
GOOD EVENING. AND YOU MAY FORGET, BUT JODY AND THE TEAM HAVE STUDENTS GOING TO COLLEGES RANGING FROM GEORGETOWN TO NOVO TO GEORGE MASON.
I MEAN, VCU, UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, I MEAN, THEY HAVE THEM GOING EVERYWHERE, SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU RIGHT THIS SECOND, BUT WE HAVE STUDENTS GOING TO THE TOP, TOP AND ALSO GOING TO A TWO YEAR SCHOOL, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO SAVING A TON OF MONEY. SO JUST TO PUT THAT PLUG IN THERE.
THANKS, DR. MAN. I HAVE A QUESTION, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT WITH ABBOTT, IT'S REALLY ON THE STUDENTS, THEY HAVE TO APPLY.
BUT ALSO, I'M CURIOUS, YOU MENTIONED THINGS LIKE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FAMILIES.
YOU MENTIONED TARGETED RECRUITMENT.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU DO THE OUTREACH? WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION YOU DO, WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION YOU DO TO REALLY SELL ABBOTT AND CONVINCE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO APPLY? YES, SURE, I CAN DO THAT, IS SHE? IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S EVOLVED OVER TIME, AND SO IT USED TO BE THAT WE WERE PUSHING KIDS TO BE PART OF IT.
AND WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE SELLING IT.
THEY'RE SELLING IT TO THE YOUNGER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEY'RE SELLING IT TO COUSINS.
WE SEE STUDENTS WHO ARE WEARING THEIR AVID SWEATSHIRT OR T-SHIRT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY'RE NOT PART OF AVID. THEY WANT TO BE PART OF AVID, AND THEY'RE JUST SHOWING UP THE DOOR. AND SO IN MANY PLACES RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A WAITLIST.
BUT LAST YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, WE WERE ABLE TO DO A TARGETED YOUNG SCHOLARS WEBINAR FOR FAMILIES. WE DO TRANSLATIONS, WE DO INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR OUR FAMILIES.
[00:35:05]
OUR COUNSELORS ARE AMAZING AND IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WHO ARE A REALLY GOOD FIT.YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER OVER TIME.
WE STILL MAY HAVE SOME STUDENTS, CERTAINLY IN POCKETS THAT WERE REALLY TRYING TO TARGET.
WE ARE LOW IN TERMS OF ENROLLMENT ON OUR MALES AND SPECIFICALLY OUR HISPANIC AND BLACK MALE. SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY TRUE FOCUS FOR US OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
AND IT CONTINUES TO BE AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT, IT'S A IT'S A LARGER CHALLENGE THAT IT'S BEYOND AVID.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF FOLKS FROM NOT JUST OUR COACHES AND SPORTS ATHLETIC COACHES, BUT OUR COUNSELORS AND OUR TEACHERS WHO CAN WHO HAVE BEEN MENTORING STUDENTS. AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN THROUGH WEBINARS OR THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IS STARTS WITH COUNSELORS TALKING ABOUT AVID THROUGH THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES TO THEIR GROUP OF FIFTH GRADERS OR THROUGH THE CLASSES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A WEBSITE THAT WE DO SOME ADVERTISEMENT ON.
IT REALLY IS KIND OF TAKEN OFF AND WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE WE'RE NOW WE HAVE WAIT LISTS AND SO WE'RE PUSHING.
AND DR. MANN KNOWS THIS BECAUSE HE'S MY SUPERVISOR, BUT WE'RE PUSHING EVEN FOR MORE TEACHING POSITIONS. AND WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN UP ADDITIONAL SECTIONS AT GW THIS PAST YEAR.
AND WE KNOW THAT HAMMOND IS NEXT IN AROUND THE CORNER AND WE'RE JUST MAKING IT WORK WITH SOME STAFFING. BUT WE HAVE THE NUMBERS TO PROVE THAT WE'RE CERTAINLY OPENING UP MORE SECTIONS. WE HAVE 40 SECTIONS WE STARTED WITH, I DON'T KNOW, NINE SECTIONS BACK IN THE DAY. AND SO FILLING THOSE SECTIONS, OF COURSE, IS IMPORTANT.
BUT THEN MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A NICE BALANCE OF STUDENTS IS REALLY WHAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT. AND SO TODAY, TWO HOURS AGO, I HAD A MEETING WITH OUR COORDINATORS WHO FOCUSED ON LOOKING AT THEIR DATA TO SEE WHERE OUR GAPS ARE IN TERMS OF ENROLLMENT, WHAT WE WANT TO STOP, START AND CONTINUE IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT AND REALLY MAKING SOME SET GOALS ABOUT OUR RECRUITMENT THIS YEAR.
MR LACEY, CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT SOME MORE ABOUT THE OVERLAP WITH THE YOUNG SCHOLARS AND THE AVID PROGRAM? YOU KNOW HOW MANY YOUNG SCHOLARS ARE IN AVID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MORE NUMBERS AND SIZES IS RELATIVE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THAT'S A KEY, IN MY OPINION.
YOUR PRESENTATION, I I'M A GOOD OVERLAP THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, AS A TAG COMMITTEE, USE WHAT YOU HAVE. THANKS.
SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING THAT DATA AS WE SPEAK.
SO I DON'T HAVE A FIRM NUMBER ON THAT.
HOWEVER, I CAN SPEAK ANECDOTALLY THAT THREE YEARS AGO, PATRICK HENRY, 50 PERCENT OF THE YOUNG SCHOLARS COMING OUT OF FIFTH GRADE ARE ENROLLED IN APPLIED FOR IT ENROLLED AND WERE ACCEPTED IN THEIR AVID CLASS IN SIXTH GRADE.
I KNOW ONE OF THE OTHER STRONGER CONTINGENCIES OF YOUNG SCHOLARS IS COMING OUT OF COURT KELLY AS WELL, WITH CORY KELLY REALLY FOCUSING ON THEIR EQUITY WORK OF GETTING THEIR AVID FIFTH GRADERS READY.
AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF YOUNG SCHOLARS THAT I BELIEVE ARE TRANSITIONING THAT HAVE TRANSITIONED. AND SO WE JUST HAD THIS CONVERSATION THIS EVENING.
SO, MR. LACEY, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WITH THAT DATA TO GIVE YOU SOME HARDER NUMBERS AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND AS I MADE MENTION AS THE YOUNG SCHOLARS AND I TRUSTED MY EXPERTS HERE THAT ARE THAT ARE HERE ON THE CALL. BUT AS THE YOUNG SCHOLARS COHORTS GROW UP THROUGH THOSE GRADE LEVELS, DIFFERENT SCHOOLS HAVE HAD DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF YEARS TO ACTUALLY RECRUIT AND ENROLL THOSE STUDENTS.
SO WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WITH THOSE NUMBERS.
DR. TEMPLE MILNER, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT PROBABLY COMING UP, AND SO WE'LL BE PREPARED WITH THAT IN THE FUTURE. YEAH, NO.
ONLY UNTIL LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HAD YOUNG SCHOLARS IN ELEMENTARY. SO SO WE PHASE YOUNG SCHOLARS IN OBVIOUSLY ALONG THE WAY AND THE WONDERFUL ADDITION OF TIANA DOMINICK TO OUR TEAM AND RUNNING THAT YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM.
SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO ON BORDER SCHOOLS MUCH FASTER THAN WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH ONE PERSON IN OUR OFFICE.
AND SO SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT STARTED EVEN TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, THEY STARTED IN FIRST GRADE. SO OUR KIDDOS AREN'T EVEN AT THE POINT YET TO GET INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE ARE LOOKING INTO.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I KNOW STACY PALMER WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT SHE'S WORKING ON THIS YEAR WITH YOUNG SCHOLARS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO I THINK WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH OVER TO TO MISS PALMER AT THIS POINT.
AND IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS AT THE END, WE CAN.
YOU CAN. I JUST I WE HAVE UNTIL WE DON'T, WE ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE OTHER SPEAKERS.
BUT IF WE HAVE TIME, I PROMISE WE WILL GET BACK.
IF NOT, WE COULD HANG BACK A LITTLE BIT AFTER SESSION.
THANKS, MISS PETERS, WE APPRECIATE APPRECIATE YOU, MISS PALMER.
[00:40:02]
ARE YOU READY TO TALK ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL? I AM. OK.AGAIN, LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I AM THE TAG TEACHER AND TAG DESIGNEE AT GEORGE WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS NOW.
AND PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AT GW MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I'VE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT FOR A LITTLE OVER 20 YEARS AS WELL.
SO MY TOPICS TODAY ARE GOING TO BE HONORS, TAG, YOUNG SCHOLARS, DPS AND THEN SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM PARENTS OVER THE YEARS.
SO ONE OF THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IS WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONORS AND TAG? SO LOOKING AT HONORS, ALL OF OUR HONORS CLASSES ARE OPEN ENROLLMENT AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. SO THAT'S FOR LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
THE AKP'S PROGRAM OF STUDIES OFFERS SUGGESTION SUGGESTED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, BUT THEY'RE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY'RE NOT PREREQUISITES, AND OUR COUNSELORS DO USE THOSE INDICATORS WHEN SETTING STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS ON IF THEY SHOULD TAKE A GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE OR AN HONORS COURSE, BUT THEY ARE OPEN ENROLLMENT.
ANY STUDENT WHO WANTS THAT CHALLENGE IS OPEN TO TAKING THAT COURSE.
THE CURRICULUM THERE'S AN HONORS CURRICULUM AND A GEN ED CURRICULUM FOR LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, AND THAT CURRICULUM COMES OUT OF THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION OFFICE.
ACCESS, TALENTED AND GIFTED STUDENTS SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS TAG WITHIN THE SPECIFIC CONTENT AREA.
YOU CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS TAG AND SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS.
WE HAVE UNIVERSAL SCREENERS AT THE FIRST AND THIRD GRADE LEVELS.
AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, STUDENTS CAN MAKE REFERRALS OR REFERRAL WINDOW STARTS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND USUALLY GOES TO ABOUT THAT NOVEMBER DECEMBER TIMEFRAME.
IT'S DEPENDENT UPON WHAT OUR TAG PLAN SAYS AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE WE SET STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS.
TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE TAG REFERRAL WINDOW AND THE TAG SERVICES.
I WILL START DOING WELL SPECIFICALLY AT GW AND MY COUNTERPARTS AT THE OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS, I'M SURE DO THIS AS WELL, BUT WE HOLD MEETINGS FOR POTENTIAL FAMILIES THAT ARE COMING TO OUR SCHOOL FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR.
AND I AM INCLUDED IN THOSE PRESENTATIONS AND DURING THE FIRST QUARTER.
TAG DESIGNEES HAVE PRESENTATIONS THAT THEY GIVE TO THEIR STAFF AND ALSO THEIR FAMILIES.
SCREENING FOR TECH SERVICES OR IN THE CATEGORIES OF ABILITY ACHIEVEMENT GRADES, THE GIFTED RATING SCALE AND A PRODUCT RATING SCALE.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, WHAT WE DO AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE UNIVERSAL SCREENERS IS THE TAG DESIGNEE WILL LOOK FOR OUTLIERS IN OUR MAP DATA AS WELL SCORES. JUST RECENTLY, AN AL TEACHER CAME UP TO ME SAYING THAT A STUDENT HAD AMAZING LEADER SCORES. THEY'RE FLYING THROUGH THEIR CLASSES AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM A REFERRAL IN THIS REFERRAL WINDOW, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED.
ALSO LOOKING AT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IN SCIENCE FAIR COMPETITIONS WHERE I'M USUALLY PART OF THOSE COMPETITIONS CAN LOOK TO SEE WHAT DIFFERENT PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE IN ANY OUTLIERS, AND THE DATA IS NOT LIMITED TO THESE.
THESE IS JUST A SAMPLING FOR A YOUNG SCHOLARS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
WE'RE STILL KIND OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT.
YOUNG SCHOLARS STARTED OUT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND WE ARE WORKING ON WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO CURRENTLY, I MONITOR HONORS ENROLLMENT TO MAKE SURE OUR YOUNG SCHOLARS ARE TAKING AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT TWO, HONORS LEVEL COURSES.
[00:45:02]
I MONITOR THEIR TAG REFERRALS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE JUST STARTED, I THINK LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR, BUT TO MAKE SURE OUR OUR YOUNG SCHOLARS, STUDENTS REFERRING FOR TAG SERVICES. THERE'S A SUMMER PROGRAM THAT WE USED TO HAVE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE THIS SUMMER AND WHAT MISS PETERS WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH AVID RECRUITMENT BECAUSE AVID IS AN ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR RIGOR.
WE FELT THAT THIS WAS A GREAT AVENUE TO CROSS PATHS WITH THE AVID PROGRAM, AND I WILL SAY I DON'T HAVE SET NUMBERS EITHER.
I DID KEEP TRACK OF THE DATA, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE'RE AT LEAST AT 50 PERCENT OF.
THE YOUNG SCHOLARS COMING INTO GW.
APPLYING AND BEING ACCEPTED INTO AVID, SO THAT IS ON THE THE HIGHER CUSP.
AND AGAIN, LIKE DR TEMPLE, MILNER SAID, SOME OF OUR FEEDER SCHOOLS HAVE JUST STARTED THAT PROGRAM. SO AS IT GROWS, WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT WILL GROW AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL AS WELL. SO SERVICES FOR TAG STUDENTS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL FOR LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
TAG IDENTIFIED STUDENTS ARE IN OR CLUSTERED WITHIN OPEN ENROLLMENT HONOR SECTIONS.
THAT CLUSTER COULD BE HALF OF THE CLASS, OR THAT CLUSTER COULD BE THREE TO FIVE STUDENTS, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY TAG STUDENTS WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IN THAT CONTENT AREA IN THAT GRADE LEVEL. BUT THEY ARE NOT IN A CLASS ALONE.
FOR MATH, BECAUSE WHEN STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED FOR SERVICES IN MATH.
FOR THE FOURTH GRADE, IT'S A COMBINED FOURTH, FIFTH GRADE MATH CLASS THAT THEY TAKE, SO THAT SETS THEM TO BE A GRADE LEVEL AHEAD.
AND AS THE WAY THE TAGG PLAN READS, RIGHT NOW, THE SERVICE IS A DIP AND THAT GRADE LEVEL ACCELERATION AHEAD.
DEPTHS, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON ARE ENRICHMENT EXTENSION AND STUDENT CHOICE.
SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE USE IN CREATING DEPTHS ARE THE WILLIAM AND MARY CURRICULUM UNITS AND NAVIGATOR'S COLLEGE BOARD SPRINGBOARD MATERIALS DOCUMENT BASED QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY IN LANGUAGE ARTS AND SOCIAL STUDIES OR COMPETITIONS, AND ALSO PROJECT BASED LEARNING, WHICH AKP'S EXCUSE ME HAS OUR CIVIC TRUCK PROGRAM, WHICH IS BASED IN PBL.
AND THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR K THROUGH 12 TEACHERS.
ONE BIG QUESTION THAT I'VE REALLY GOTTEN THIS YEAR IS HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION TAG IDENTIFICATION IS NOT A PREREQUISITE TO DUAL ENROLLMENT OR AP COURSES OR EVEN INTO ANY OF THE ACADEMIES OF THEIR.
A LOT OF PARENTS AND FAMILIES WERE UNDER THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE TAG IDENTIFIED IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE COURSES, WHICH IS NOT TRUE.
MATH, ACCELERATION AND SEQUENCE.
A LOT OF FAMILIES GET ANXIOUS IF THEY'RE NOT, IF THEIR STUDENT IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TEGMARK SERVICES, THAT THEY WILL GET BEHIND.
IF THEY ARE NOT ON THE TAG SEQUENCE, THE ONLY COURSE NOT AVAILABLE TO THEM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL IS DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE, A DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE.
AND ONCE YOU GET TO THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SEQUENCES AND OPTIONS THAT THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE A FIT FOR YOUR CHILD.
AND SO OUR MAIN FOCUS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS HAVE A SOLID MATHEMATIC FOUNDATION THAT THEY CAN GROW UPON WHEN THEY GET TO THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE WHY BEHIND IT.
UM, I COVERED THAT ONE TEACHER TRAININGS ACP OFFERS A TAG ENDORSEMENT WITH A COHORT I BELIEVE OUR UNIVERSITY RIGHT NOW IS UVA.
IN THE PAST, IT'S WILLIAM AND MARY.
I ACTUALLY USED THAT PROGRAM TO GAIN MY ENDORSEMENT.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT CPS OFFERS THAT.
ALSO, SCHOOLS OFFER PD OR SCHOOL BASED PDS ON GIFTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES, AND I'M ALSO THE AVID SITE COORDINATOR AT MY SCHOOL.
[00:50:01]
SO THIS IS ANOTHER TIME WHERE I TRIED TO LOOK AT.SOME AVID PD OFFERINGS AND HOW THAT TIES INTO THE HIGHER INSTRUCTION AND THOSE RIGOROUS ACTIVITIES THAT WE WANT STUDENTS TO BE DOING IN THE CLASSROOMS. AND WHO WRITES DEPS? ULTIMATELY, IT COMES DOWN TO THE TEACHERS.
I PUT MY AVAILABILITY OUT THERE.
THE SCHEDULES ARE REALLY WONKY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND AGE.
BUT THEY KNOW THAT I'M ALWAYS THERE FOR THEM, AND WE DO HAVE SOME GRADE LEVELS THAT LIKE I THINK 8TH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS IS ONE OF THEM WERE THE FOUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS WILL SIT DOWN AND CREATE THEIR DEPS TOGETHER TO KIND OF HAVE THAT COLLABORATION.
SO I HOPE THIS HELPED ANSWERED SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND DR. TEMPLE MILNER, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TAKE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME OR I KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER PRESENTATION.
NOW, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE MAYBE THREE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL MOVE ON TO MOLLY AND THEN WE COULD ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS AT THE END IF THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO DEDICATE SOME TIME TO THAT IN ADDITION TO THEIR OTHER WORK.
YES. MR DUKES, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I THANKS MISS PALMER.
ACTUALLY, MY QUESTION WAS FOR THE OTHER MISS PETERS, SO I'LL JUST WAIT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PREMISE BEHIND HAVING THE HONORS CLASSES BE OPEN ENROLLMENT AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL? WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THAT? IT'S SO.
TRYING TO THINK WHEN THAT STARTED.
MANN MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME, I KNOW HE'S ON THIS CALL, AND HE, I THINK, WAS AT GW WHEN IT HAPPENED. IT'S BEEN AT LEAST 15 OR 20 YEARS NOW.
IT STARTED 2006, MY FIRST YEAR AS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT GW.
THAT'S HOW I REMEMBER WHEN IT STARTED.
THANK YOU, DR. MANN. AND I THINK THE PREMISE OF IT WAS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUSH THEMSELVES TO TAKE RIGOROUS COURSES THAT WE DIDN'T PUT A ROADBLOCK IN THE WAY OF STUDENTS WANTING MORE OUT OF THEIR EDUCATION.
THANK YOU. SORRY, I'M STRUGGLING WITH MY VIEW.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY EQUITABLE WAY TO LEVEL OUT THE PLAYING FIELDS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF KIDS WOULD GET LEFT OUT IF WE WERE SILLY, DEPENDING ON THE LABEL.
AND IT'S BECOMING A PRACTICE USED MORE AND MORE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I KNOW FAIRFAX HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS AS WELL AS ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND IT IS IT'S AN ACCESS OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN.
MR. CORSO. GOOD EVENING, MISS PALMER.
MY NAME IS ANDREW CORSO, I AM NOT A COMMITTEE MEMBER, JUST A VISITOR TO THIS MEETING, BUT I DID. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO ATTEND THIS MEETING WAS ACTUALLY TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY TOPIC, AND TO MY SURPRISE, IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.
SO I'M VERY PLEASED. BUT I HAVE A SON, A SIXTH GRADER AT GW WHO WAS NOT TAG IDENTIFIED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUT HAS REGISTERED FOR ALL HONORS CLASSES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SORT OF PIQUED OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DIFFERING EXPECTATIONS AND HONORS CLASSES VERSUS OTHER CLASSES AND WHETHER THE EXPECTATION IS FOR MORE RIGOROUS WORK, MORE IN-DEPTH ACADEMICS OR SIMPLY FASTER PACE OR SOME COMBINATION OF THE THREE.
BECAUSE I'VE HEARD DIFFERENT THINGS AND IT'S I CAN SENSE OF MY OWN SON, IT'S A FRUSTRATION FOR HIM IS THAT HE DOESN'T.
HE HAS DIFFICULTY KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE ASSIGNMENTS BECAUSE IT'S A WORK VOLUME ISSUE
[00:55:05]
MORE THAN ANYTHING. SORRY, I'LL STOP NOW.SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT.
ESPECIALLY DURING THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT IS THERE IS A SET CURRICULUM, BUT ALSO THE PACING OF IT AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY MORE WORK BUT MORE IN DEPTH ENRICHMENT WORK.
LOOKING AT THE WHY MAYBE IDENTIFYING BEING A HISTORY TEACHER, I USUALLY DEFAULT TO THAT CONTENT. BUT WHEN LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, PART OF HISTORY, ALSO IDENTIFYING LIKE, WHO'S MISSING FROM THAT HISTORY? WHO DOES THE TEXTBOOK LEAVE OUT? SO BRINGING THAT ENRICHMENT TO IT RATHER THAN TASKS? AND THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO BRING UP WITH THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
AND I CAN SUPPORT WITH THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW, THANKS.
WELL, MISS PALMER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING TONIGHT.
MISS PALMER IS SUCH A TRUE ASSET TO OUR TAG OFFICE.
MISS DOMINIC AND I ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THAT SHE DOES.
SHE IS A MENTOR TO MANY OF OUR NEW TAG TEACHERS COMING ON.
YOU COULD ASK STACEY A QUESTION.
SHE JUMPS RIGHT IN AND HELPS OUT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, STACEY, FOR JOINING IN TODAY AS WELL.
AND THEN AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK NOW ABOUT A.P.
AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SPICE WITH DUAL ENROLLMENT.
AND WE HAVE MOLLIE, WHO'S JOINING US FROM ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU, MOLLIE, FOR BEING HERE.
AS MEGAN JUST SAID, I AM MOLLY FREE TAG.
I'VE BEEN TEACHING IN ALEXANDRIA SINCE 1998.
I AM ACTUALLY ONE OF THE TEACHERS THAT CREATED THE AP WORLD HISTORY COURSE AS IT EXISTS AT ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL NOW.
OVER MANY, MANY YEARS, I THINK WE STARTED IT BACK IN TWO THOUSAND NINE.
AND SO ONE OF THE KEY ASPECTS OF MY JOB, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, IS TALKING WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS, PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE LOOKING FOR VARIOUS LEVELS OF RIGOR.
AND SO I HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH MY STUDENTS IN MY AP CLASSES.
BUT JUST AS WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE AP AND HONORS CLASSES ARE ALSO OPEN ENROLLMENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND SO ANY STUDENT CAN SIGN UP FOR THOSE COURSES IF THEY WANT THE CHALLENGE.
AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK TO SUPPORT THEM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NEW TO AP.
AND SINCE AP WORLD IS A 10TH GRADE COURSE, I TEACH A LOT OF STUDENTS TAKING THEIR FIRST A.P. CLASS. SO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, A.P.
STANDS FOR ADVANCED PLACEMENT.
SO AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE IN SCHOOL, IT IS TAUGHT MORE AT A COLLEGE LEVEL EXPECTATION.
AND SO IN THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR COURSEWORK DOES DO A MUCH DEEPER DOVE WITH HISTORICAL ANALYSIS AND WRITING, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WHERE THE HUGE FOCUS IS AT, ESPECIALLY IN WORLD HISTORY AND U.S.
HISTORY. BUT WE OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF AP COURSES, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS TALK TO PARENTS ABOUT.
ONE THING, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR TAG STUDENTS, IT SEEMS THAT WHEN THEY SEE THE COURSE CATALOG, THEY WANT TO SIGN UP FOR EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO TAKE EVERY AP COURSE OUT THERE.
AND EVEN AS A AS A SOPHOMORE, THAT'S WHEN THEY'VE REALLY FIRST CAN START GETTING INTO A LOT OF THE AP CLASSES.
THEY THEY SIGN UP FOR WAY MORE THAN THEY SHOULD.
AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT LOVINGLY, AND I USUALLY ASK THE NEXT QUESTION OF, WELL, WHEN DO YOU PLAN ON SLEEPING AND EATING DINNER? BECAUSE THE WORKLOAD OF AN AP CLASS DEFINITELY IS NOTHING LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO EXPECT JUNIOR SEEM TO HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE OF TRYING TO TO SIGN UP FOR AT LEAST SIX AP COURSES OR CLASSES, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MINUTE.
AND THEN WHAT I'VE STARTED TO SEE IS A LOT OF THE STUDENTS FINALLY SCALING BACK AND SAYING, WHAT DID I GET INTO? I HAVE NO TIME FOR FIELD HOCKEY PRACTICE, OR I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, DO THE MARCHING BAND COMPETITIONS AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WANT.
SO THANKFULLY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS ESPECIALLY AND I THINK COVID ALSO HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN IT. I'M HOPING THAT THIS CONTINUES, THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE SELF-REFLECTION, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR TAG STUDENTS, AND THAT THEY'RE REALLY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT WHERE ARE MY LEVELS OF INTEREST? AND ALSO MY LEVEL OF SKILL? AND WHERE COULD I REALLY MAKE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR MY BUCK WITH AP AND E CLASSES? SO. SO ANYWAYS, WITH WITH THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES RIGHT THERE, COLLEGE LEVEL BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL OPEN ENROLLMENT.
WE ALSO PAY FOR ALL THE STUDENTS TO TAKE THE AP EXAMS. SO THEREFORE, IN THE COURSE OF A COURSE OF STUDY THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES, IT ACTUALLY
[01:00:03]
STATES THAT WHEN A STUDENT SIGNS UP TO TAKE THE COURSE, THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE AP EXAM. AND SO ALL OF THAT IS TAKEN CARE OF THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.WE HAVE AP CLASSES IN ALL THE CORE CONTENT AREAS.
WE HAVE PROBABLY THE MOST IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN THE HISTORY OR THE HUMANITIES STYLE OF COURSES, BUT ALSO THE MORE THE MORE SCIENCE BASED SOCIAL SCIENCE BASED CLASSES OF PSYCHOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SO ON.
I MEAN, ALL OF THE MUSIC WE HAVE, LIKE AP MUSIC THEORY EVEN IS ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR CLASSES FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE MUSICALLY GIFTED.
AND SO THE STUDENTS REALLY GET THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DIG INTO THE CONTENT THAT THEY LOVE.
I SAY THAT AS AN AP WORLD HISTORY TEACHER WHERE WE USED TO TEACH THE ENTIRE WORLD HISTORY LIKE FROM PREHISTORY TO 2001 IN ONE YEAR AND THEN THE POOR LITTLE TENTH GRADERS WOULD JUST THEIR BRAINS WOULD JUST EXPLODE.
IT HAS FINALLY COME TO THEIR SENSES AND SCALE BACK ON THE CONTENT, AND WE CAN FOCUS MORE ON THOSE HIGH LEVEL SKILLS, WHICH IS WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO ANYWAYS.
IF A STUDENT IS INTERESTED AND AN 11TH OR 12TH GRADER, WE ALSO HAVE DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES NOW. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE MEDICAL SCIENCES PROGRAM THAT WE'VE STARTED WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. THEY DO TAKE DUAL ENROLLMENT AT THE NINTH GRADE LEVEL FOR THAT, AND I BELIEVE THERE'S ALSO MAYBE A ONE OR TWO OF THE COURSES THAT ARE DUAL ENROLLMENT FOR 10TH GRADERS.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, DUAL ENROLLMENT IS REALLY RESERVED FOR THE 11TH AND 12TH GRADERS.
WE DO HAVE A WIDER VARIETY OF DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES BECAUSE THESE STUDENTS ARE DULY ENROLLED WITH HHS AND ALSO THEN, LIKE I SAID, G.W.
UNIVERSITY OR MORE LIKELY THROUGH NOVA.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE EARNING THE COURSE CREDIT AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, THEY'RE ALSO GETTING THE COURSE CREDIT IN IN THAT UNIVERSITY PROGRAM.
NOW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CAVEATS WITH THAT.
BECAUSE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH NOVA, FOR EXAMPLE, THE STUDENTS HAVE TO TAKE THE NOVA PLACEMENT EXAMS IN ORDER TO GET INTO THE CLASSES, OR THEY CAN USE THEIR SAT OR SAT SCORES AS REPLACEMENT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT.
THE STUDENTS ALSO BECAUSE OF THE NOVA RECOMMENDATION OR THE NOVA REQUIREMENTS, THE STUDENTS ALSO HAVE TO MAINTAIN A C-MINUS, I BELIEVE, OR HIGHER IN THE CLASS.
SO ANY STUDENT AT THE END OF FIRST SEMESTER THAT'S TAKING DUAL ENROLLMENT.
UC HISTORY, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEIR GRADES ARE BELOW A C AVERAGE, THEY ARE FORCED TO DROP THE CLASS AT THAT POINT AND IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS COMPLETELY.
NOW THE DIFFERENCE IS REALLY BETWEEN THE AP CLASSES AND THE DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES.
I'LL SPEAK AGAIN FROM THE HISTORY POINT OF VIEW, SINCE I HAVE THE MOST BACKGROUND WITH THAT. MY STUDENTS HAVE ALWAYS TOLD ME AND THIS IS WHAT I'VE SEEN MYSELF.
IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE AP CLASSES AND TAKE AP U.S.
HISTORY, YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LOT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO END UP ON THE AP EXAM.
SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONTENTS ARE COVERED.
THE SKILLS ARE STILL REINFORCED, BUT IT'S REALLY A LOT OF PRACTICE WITH THOSE SKILLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ALSO DO WELL ON THE AP EXAM.
DUAL ENROLLMENT REMOVES THAT AP EXAM REQUIREMENT.
THE STUDENTS CAN TAKE THE AP EXAM IF THEY WISH, BUT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT, SO THIS GIVES THEM MORE TIME TO DO DEEPER DIVES INTO THE CONTENT AND INTO THE ANALYSIS.
SO SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S REALLY INTO THE GILDED AGE, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE A TOPIC THAT THEY WANT TO DO A RESEARCH PAPER ON.
THEY WOULD DO THAT IN DUAL ENROLLMENT.
THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT IN AN AP CLASS.
DUAL ENROLLMENT ALSO DOES MORE WITH BOOK REVIEWS AND OTHER KINDS OF WRITING LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESTRAINTS OF A DB2 OR THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF WRITING THAT WE HAVE IN AN AP CLASS.
WITH THAT IN MIND, I, AS AN AP TEACHER, ALSO TRY TO GIVE SOME OF THESE OUTSIDE WRITINGS AS WELL TO MY OWN STUDENTS.
IN FACT, THEY JUST TURNED THEIR BOOK REVIEWS IN LAST WEEK SO THAT THEY COULD KIND OF GET SOME PRACTICE WITH THOSE SKILLS TO HELP THEM MAKE A BETTER DECISION WHEN THEY'RE DECIDING WHAT TO DO IN THE ELEVENTH GRADE.
RIGHT NOW IS REALLY SOLID IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAY IN VIRGINIA FOR COLLEGE.
IT'S STILL NOT A UNIVERSAL ACCEPTED CREDIT, AND SO STUDENTS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT GOING TO COLLEGE OUTSIDE OF VIRGINIA OFTEN WILL TAKE AP CLASSES OVER DEBT CLASSES.
STUDENTS WHO ARE PRETTY MUCH SET WITH TAKING SAYING IN STATE FOR COLLEGE WILL OFTEN TAKE THE OVER THE AP.
I ALWAYS TELL MY STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT I FEEL WOULD BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN DUAL ENROLLMENT TO TAKE THE DUAL ENROLLMENT AND THEN TRY THE AP EXAM AND COVER BOTH BASES. IT CAN'T HURT, AND THE SCHOOL WILL STILL PAY FOR THE AP EXAM.
SO WHY NOT? SO I DO HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE GONE ON WITH GREAT SUCCESS IN DUAL
[01:05:04]
ENROLLMENT AND THEN TAKEN THE AP EXAM AND THEN THEY CAN BASICALLY APPLY WHEREVER THEY WANT AND HOPEFULLY GET THOSE THOSE COLLEGE CREDITS AS WELL.I AM TRYING TO THINK OF OTHER THINGS.
I NOTICED THAT STACY WAS TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT THAT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN DO FOR ENRICHMENT, AND WE ALSO DO THE SCIENCE FAIR, ESPECIALLY IN THE HONORS LEVEL CLASSES AT HHS.
I'M ACTUALLY CURRENTLY WORKING WITH ONE STUDENT THAT IS DOING A PHD ON HIS OWN BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE NATIONAL HISTORY DAY ATTACHED TO ANY OF THE CLASSES LIKE THEY DO IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IF A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WANTS TO DO IT, THEY HAVE TO DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
I HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL STUDENTS TO THE STATE COMPETITION AND EVEN TO NATIONALS BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR PASSION.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT APPLY TO GOVERNORS SCHOOL, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AGAIN IS ON THEIR OWN.
BUT IT IS ANOTHER WAY THAT OUR, ESPECIALLY OUR STUDENTS, CAN FIND THAT ENRICHMENT THAT THEY MAY NOT GET WITH THE NORMAL, THE NORMAL COURSEWORK OF HONORS OR AP OR DUAL ENROLLMENT. SO I WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME.
I COULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THIS FOR DAYS, BUT I CAN.
I CAN TAKE A PAUSE RIGHT NOW IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS.
YOU SEEM AS OVERWHELMED AS THE STUDENTS ARE.
MR LACEY, I SEE YOUR HAND, DO YOU? MY QUESTION IS WHAT YOU WANT WHEN A STUDENT IS COMING OUT OF EIGHTH GRADE AND HE'S A TAG IDENTIFIED OR SHE'S A TAG IDENTIFIED WHAT COUNSELING OR ADVICE TO THEY GIVE THEM WITH THE AP OR THE DUAL ENROLLMENT? OF COURSE. THANKS. GREAT.
GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO AS THE STUDENTS ARE COMING OUT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY ACTUALLY THEY HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS IF THEY WANT TO DO WELL, IF THEY WANT TO DO THE MEDICAL SCIENCES PROGRAM, THAT GIVES THEM A DUAL ENROLLMENT OPTION RIGHT AWAY IN NINTH GRADE.
IF THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES PROGRAM OR MAYBE THEY'RE MORE HUMANITIES BASED, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AT THE MINI HOWARD CAMPUS.
AND SO THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR NINTH GRADERS TO REALLY TAKE THEIR FIRST A.P.
CLASS. IT'S IT IS A RIGOROUS CLASS, BUT THE LEVEL OF WRITING THAT THEY DO IS NOT TO THE SAME DEGREE AS IN AN AP WORLD HISTORY CLASS, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO MY STUDENTS THAT I TEACH HAVE ALWAYS SAID I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT I TOOK AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY IN NINTH GRADE BECAUSE IT KIND OF GAVE ME A WAY TO MOVE, MOVE INTO A LARGER SCHEDULE OF OF AP CLASSES.
IF THEY THEY DO HAVE THESE KINDS OF INTERESTS, THEY DO HAVE OPTIONS AT THE NINTH GRADE LEVEL. AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPEN ENROLLMENT HONORS FOR SCIENCE AND.
I GUESS SCIENCE AND ENGLISH AND HISTORY OR WHAT THEY HAVE FOR HONORS AT MANY HOWARD AND THEN OF COURSE, IF THEY ARE TAKING THE ADVANCED MATH CLASSES AND SO ON, LIKE ALGEBRA TWO OR IF THEY ARE TAKING THE THE HIGHER LEVEL OF THE WORLD LANGUAGES CLASSES.
OH, MR. AVELO, I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED THAT.
I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE KIDS THAT ARE ACCELERATED IN MASS.
DO THEY TEND? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT AP ARE OPEN FOR EVERYBODY, AND THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY.
ARE THEY TAKING MORE? ARE THEY TAKING FOUR YEARS OF MATH OR ARE THEY SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN ACCELERATED AND THEY HAVE THE CREDIT MATH, THE MATH CREDITS THERE? ARE THEY TAKING OTHER AP COURSES INSTEAD? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE DO HAVE OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS TO TAKE HIGHER LEVEL MATH CLASSES THAT ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE OF THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, SO SOME STUDENTS DO CONTINUE ON BEYOND THE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT THE NICE THING TOO, IF THEY ARE GETTING THE REQUIREMENTS OUT OF THE WAY EARLY, IT DOES OPEN THEIR SCHEDULES UP TO TAKE CLASSES THAT THEY MAY NEVER DECIDE TO TAKE.
I LOVE IT WHEN I HAVE MY STUDENTS COMING TO MY A.P.
CLASS FROM CULINARY ARTS, OR THEY'RE TAKING AN ART CLASS BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY TRULY LOVE.
AND MAYBE THERE'S NOT AN AP CLASS OR AN ACCELERATED CLASS FOR IT, BUT BECAUSE THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR MATH OUT OF THE WAY AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN CONTINUING ON IN MATH, THEY NOW CAN TAKE MORE OF THE CLASSES THAT THEY TRULY WANT TO TAKE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY TRY TO SUGGEST TO MY STUDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO FIND SOME BALANCE. AND IF THEY'RE JUST CONSTANTLY PUTTING THEIR NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE AND TAKING ACCELERATED CLASS EFFORT, ACCELERATED CLASS, THEY'RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO BURN OUT.
[01:10:04]
AND I REALLY ESPECIALLY I ALSO WENT THROUGH THE WILLIAM AND MARY GIFTED PROGRAM THAT STACY WENT THROUGH, AND THAT REALLY OPENED MY EYES TO FOCUSING MORE ON THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT IN REGARDS TO THE PANDEMIC RECENTLY, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ABOUT OUR TAG STUDENTS AND THE KIND OF PRESSURES THAT THEY PUT ON THEMSELVES THAT GO WAY BEYOND THE RESILIENCE THAT THEY NEED TO TO SURVIVE WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER SOAPBOX FOR ANOTHER TIME.
I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
YES, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT THAT YOU BRING UP, MOLLY, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AMONG THIS COMMITTEE IS THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR GIFTED LEARNERS AND AND HOW WE SUPPORT THEM, NOT JUST AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR STUDENTS AND WITH YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME BECAUSE THE PRESSURE IS THERE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES OUR KIDS HAVE THAT INNATE PRESSURE THAT THEY PUT ON THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO GREAT. BUT ULTIMATELY, THERE ARE SOME NEGATIVE DRAWBACKS TO THAT, AND IT IS ABOUT FINDING THE BALANCE.
SO YOU HAVE A PRODUCTIVE, WELL-BALANCED LIFE, NOT JUST IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT YOU COULD CONTINUE THAT ON YOUR COLLEGE AND AND, YOU KNOW, REGULAR LIFE.
YEP. SO. ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS TO MOLLY BEFORE WE GO QUICKLY BACK TO MR JUKES AND WE CAN HAND IT BACK OVER TO MR. MILLER? MOLLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING TONIGHT AND.
AND JODY AND STACEY AND THEN MR DUKES, DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT ONE QUESTION YOU WANT TO ASK? YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND WAS JUST ABOUT I KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THE AVID PROGRAM.
I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE FORTY SIX PERCENT HISPANIC.
FORTY FIVE PERCENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, I THINK YOU SPOKE ABOUT EXPOSURE TO UNIVERSITIES, TO THE STUDENTS, I'M WONDERING WHAT TYPE OF EXPOSURE ARE YOU? CREATING FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO ATTEND AN HBCU OR IS THERE OR, YOU KNOW, AT WHAT POINT, WHAT LEVEL? THANK YOU.
YEAH, SO GREAT QUESTION, I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THAT BACK IN THE DAYS OF WHEN ALFRED STREET USED TO HAVE THEIR HBCU FAIR AT WHAT WAS THEN T.C.
WILLIAMS. WE BROUGHT STUDENTS IN DROVES, AND SO OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WERE, WHERE THEY WERE, THE BENEFITS OF EVEN BEING IN THE NEARBY REGIONAL VICINITY OF VIRGINIA AND WHERE WE'RE LOCATED AND THE RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE THROUGH OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER. WE ACTUALLY HAVE ADMISSIONS FOLKS WHO VISIT OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, SPECIFICALLY FROM OUR TYPICALLY OUR WHITE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS OUR HISTORICALLY BLACK SCHOOLS.
AND WE MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO ACTUALLY LIVE IN ALEXANDRIA CITY, GO TO SCHOOL AT AC HIGH AND THEN LOOK AT CAMPUSES THAT WE, BY THE WAY, VISIT.
WE TAKE OUR STUDENTS ON AMPLE COLLEGE VISITS AND WE HAVE FUNDING THAT'S PROVIDED FOR THAT TO TAKE OUR STUDENTS AS WELL AS OTHER STUDENTS ACROSS THOSE AVID SCHOOLS.
SO IT JUST DOESN'T EXTEND TO THE ABBOTT ELECTIVE, BUT IT EXTENDS BEYOND THAT AVID ELECTIVE FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THOSE AVID PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS TO VISIT COLLEGE CAMPUSES. WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ON A CAMPUS BECAUSE STUDENTS HAVE TO HAVE TO FEEL IT RIGHT.
THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE THE BENEFITS OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS WELL AS RURAL VERSUS URBAN SCHOOL SETTINGS.
AND SO THERE'S LOTS OF EXPOSURE.
WE HOST VISITORS AND PANELS AS WELL AS SPEAKERS, AND WE BRING OUR ALUMNI BACK.
WE JUST AS RECENT AS TODAY HAD ONE OF OUR AVID TUTORS, WHO'S AT NORFOLK STATE, COME BACK AND SPEAK TO THE AVID STUDENTS TODAY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE DO REALLY WELL WITH THAT EXPOSURE.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
WE'RE PROUD OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO TO GET OUR STUDENTS OUT TO CAMPUS.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR THREE SPEAKERS AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ASKING WONDERFUL QUESTIONS AND FOR HAVING A LISTENING EAR.
NICK, WE'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
THANKS, MEGAN, AND THANKS TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS COMING IN TONIGHT AND TALKING, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON TO HEAR THE PERSPECTIVE THAT WAS A REQUEST THAT MEGAN TOOK FROM ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
[01:15:04]
AND SOME OF THOSE, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SHOWING UP.[Subcommittee Working Session Reports]
THE OTHER ITEM THAT I HAD ON THE AGENDA THAT NIGHT WAS TO GO OVER THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES AND HOW MEETINGS HAD GONE AND CHATTING WITH MOST EVERYBODY.ONE ON ONE BEFORE THE MEETING.
I DON'T THINK A WHOLE BUNCH HAPPENED IS TYPICAL, MILNER MENTIONED.
WE HAD A TWO WEEK HOLIDAY BREAK AND THEN WE HAD SOME SNOW IN THERE AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A BUNCH WAS GOING ON.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS AWARE OF WORKING ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS AND EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PROGRESSING ALONG TO FORM THE YEAR END THERE.
SO IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM THAT, PLEASE REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO ME OR DIRECTLY TO DR.
IF YOU NEED HELP SCHEDULING A ZOOM SINCE WE CAN'T REACH MORE THAN ONE ON ONE TO WORK ON THIS. SUSAN IS GREAT ABOUT WORKING ON ALL OF THOSE, SO LET ME KNOW WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE SUBCOMMITTEES COMING THROUGH.
WE DO NEED TO GET MOVING ON THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS, I NOTE IN OUR FEBRUARY MEETING IT IS ACCOUNTABILITY THAT'S COMING IN NEXT TIME, WHICH IS ONE OF EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE MEETINGS ON ALL OF THE NUMBERS AND THAT I'M SURE THERE WILL BE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ON THAT.
WE WON'T GET THE WHOLE TIME WITH THEM, BUT WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF TIME AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT GETS POSTED WELL IN ADVANCE.
SO PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO DIG IN AND HOPEFULLY SHOOT ME THE QUESTIONS OR SHOEMAKING, THE QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN DEBRIEF WHOEVER IS COMING IN FROM ACCOUNTABILITY JUST SO THAT THEY'RE READY.
I HAVE NOT SEEN THEM YET, BUT I HAVE BEEN WARNED BECAUSE OF COVID.
THE NUMBERS LOOK DIFFERENT, SO JUST BE PREPARED TO LOOK AT THE HISTORICALLY AND THEN SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
AND FROM THAT, WE CAN HAVE ALL SORTS OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS ON PATHWAYS AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND HOW VIRTUAL WORKS AND DOESN'T WORK.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING.
WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT.
WE'RE AT 20 PEOPLE RIGHT NOW IN THERE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY.
HEY, NICK. TO YOUR SUBCOMMITTEES? YES, MA'AM. NICK, IT'S MARY BETH.
I JUST WONDERED IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION THAT RELATES TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY PRESENTATION NEXT MONTH. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT COGAT AND CO.
GOT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ACHIEVEMENT BASED.
I KNOW IT'S ULTIMATELY AN ABILITIES TEST SORT OF WHAT THE THE SCORES LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO PRE-PANDEMIC.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NORMALLY COVER IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND I'M NOT TALKING LIKE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT MORE JUST SORT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF SCORES AND WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SEE EITHER NEXT TIME OR AT SOME POINT, BECAUSE I JUST WONDER IF THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT ELIGIBILITY IF THERE WAS A COVID IMPACT ON THAT. SO WE WON'T HAVE THOSE SCORES FOR THE NEXT MEETING BECAUSE SOME OF OUR I'M SORRY, MY KIDS ARE PLANNING THEIR IPAD RIGHT NOW.
I ALWAYS FORGET HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO WORK AT HOME WITH YOUR KIDS STILL HERE RIGHT NOW.
SOME OF OUR KIDS ARE STILL TAKING THE CAR, BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BECAUSE WE HAD KIDS WHO ARE IN QUARANTINE, SO WE DON'T EVEN WE WON'T EVEN HAVE THAT FULL DATA.
YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE TO, THOUGH VERY BEST, BECAUSE IN THE PAST, IN TERMS OF EVEN GETTING INTO THE REFERRAL POOL GOING INTO FOR FOURTH GRADE SERVICES, WE'VE ONLY USED THE KARJAT AS THE AUTOMATIC SCREENER.
AND THIS YEAR WE USE THREE DIFFERENT DATA POINTS AND IT WASN'T AN END.
IT WAS AN ORDER. SO YOU HAVE ONE OR THIS.
SO WHETHER OR NOT KIDS ARE GETTING IN BASED ON THEIR TARGET OR THEIR MAGLIARI, I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR A LONG TIME.
I SPOKE WITH THE ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE ABOUT THIS ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK.
JUST EVEN SEE, I WOULD LOVE TO DO A DATA ANALYSIS OF HOW MANY KIDS GOT IN ON OUR POOL FOR KARJAT AND THEN HOW MANY WERE ABLE TO GET IN ON OUR OUR MAP SCORES AND HOW MANY WERE ABLE TO GET IN ON THE MAGLIARI TO SEE IF BY CASTING A WIDER UNIVERSAL SCREENER NET, DO WE ACTUALLY CAPTURE MORE CHILDREN OR THE SAME CHILDREN? AND I THINK THAT DATA ANALYSIS WILL HAVE TO OCCUR OVER A NUMBER OF MONTHS.
THANKS, MEGAN. I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THAT IN CASE IT WAS POSSIBLE, BUT THAT'S THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR AND TO HEAR THE CONTEXT.
[01:20:01]
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT BECAUSE SOME THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS LIKE, HOW ARE WHISKERS SCORES DIFFERING EVEN WITHIN THIS PANDEMIC AS WELL? YES, THAT'S THAT'S AN ABILITY TYPE TEST, BUT HAS THAT HAS ENDEMIC IMPACTED BECAUSE SCHOOL HADN'T BEEN FULL TIME FOR FOR A WHILE HAS AN IMPACT EVEN WITH SCORES AS NATIONALLY ON TESTS, I THINK COULD BE REALLY INTERESTING THAT A LOT OF OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS AND DATA PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT.BUT IT'S A GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE THE KOGUT SCORE IS NORM TO TWENTY SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY SEVENTEEN STANDARDS, RIGHT? YEAH, I DON'T REMEMBER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S NORM TO HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT WASN'T NORMED.
IT WASN'T. IT WASN'T NORMALLY TWO YEARS AGO.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE MAGLIARI TEST WAS THAT COG VERBAL AND QUANTITATIVE, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING INTO.
THEY WERE PLANNING TO DO NATIONAL NORMS IN THE SPRING OF TWENTY TWENTY AND.
SO THEY HAVE LOCAL NORMS. AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH DR.
BUT IT IS HARD TO NORM EVEN THE NEW TEST IN THIS SCENARIO.
YEAH. WELL, THANKS. THANKS FOR ANSWERING THAT.
GREAT PRECURSOR TO THE QUESTIONS, I'M SURE WE'LL BE SEEING NEXT MONTH.
SO WITH THAT, IF THAT'S IT, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE.
COULD I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ALL RIGHT. THANKS, EVERYBODY, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE, STAY HEALTHY.
MY THANK YOU. BUT I WANT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.