Jan. 8 Regular Meeting
During its Jan. 8 board meeting, the Clover Park School District (CPSD) Board of Directors heard reports from Superintendent Ron Banner and Harrison Preparatory School Principal Kevin Rupprecht. It was also recognized by students for School Board Recognition Month.
Superintendent’s Report
In his report, Banner acknowledged January as School Board Recognition Month and discussed a student recognition.
School Board Appreciation Month
- January is School Board Recognition Month. The school board works to serve Lakewood constituents as they model the Four Pillars of Student Success for students and staff.
- Banner expressed his gratitude to each school board member for their efforts and shared his excitement to work together moving forward.
Student Recognition
- Lakes High School student Isabella Oliver was named National American Miss Washington Teen in June 2023. She has been touring Washington state in that role and had the priveledge of competing at nationals in November.
- She will continue to represent Washington state for the remainder of her reign through volunteer and community service work.
Harrison Prep School Report
Harrison Prep Principal Kevin Rupprecht reviewed the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program, demographics, Smarter Balanced Assessment data and school annual action plan goals.
The IB program at Harrison Prep is offered for students in grades 6-12. Juniors and seniors at Harrison Prep participate in the IB diploma program, which includes additional requirements to earn an IB diploma from the school. Offering IB programs for all students is part of the school’s commitment to equity.
Harrison Prep’s student population has grown in the eight years Rupprecht has served as principal. In particular, the Hispanic student demographic (which constitutes 45.5 percent of the current school makeup this year) has grown while other demographic groups have remained relatively equal.
Rupprecht identified growth as a priority for Harrison Prep students. This is best exemplified by the performance of Harrison Prep students on the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science. Eighth graders have have consistently demonstrated proficiency around 40 percent, while 11th grade students achieved 59.6 percent proficiency this past spring, far out-performing the state average.
Rupprecht highlighted the IB diploma program scores students receive following graduation. Achieving at a certain level on these exams rewards students college credit. More than 92% of the class of 2023 earned college credit in this manner.
Harrison Prep’s school annual action plan goals focus on growth and proficiency, family and student engagement, and student social emotional health.
As part of the Individual Action Agenda, the Board of Directors:
- Authorized purchase of seven school buses from Schetky Northwest. The new buses replace seven designated to be phased out according to the state of Washington’s depreciation formula.
- Approved project for bleacher demolition and installation at Clover Park High School and Lochburn Middle School. It was deemed that the current bleacher systems can no longer be repaired, do not meet code requirements and currently require manual effort for use.
The next regular meeting of the school board will be Monday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m.
Jan. 22 and 23 Planning Meetings
The school board held planning meetings on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23. It heard reports on a variety of topics: the district’s equity journey, capital facilities, districtwide camera replacement, the district’s Academic Improvement Committee, STAR data and student growth percentiles, and the district’s accountability plan.
CPSD’s Equity Journey
Director of Equity and Community Engagement Grant Twyman provided an update on the district’s equity journey. It included a review of goals, how equity is implemented in CPSD, the amplification of student voice and what’s on the horizon.
Equity is a process of inquiring and affirming diverse needs. Administrators use a lens of equity when working to serve and support staff, students and families. Equity is imbedded within the school board’s mission, vision and goals.
The district’s equity policy focuses on providing support for family and community engagement, staff professional development, classroom environment, curriculum and instructional materials, workforce diversity, and land acknowledgements.
Elevating student voice is a priority in CPSD. This is the fourth year of the Superintendent Youth Advisory Council (SYAC), which allows students to advocate for themselves and their peers. The SYAC is working on six projects as part of its work this school year.
A Harrison Prep senior, Jhoselyn, provided an update on behalf of the superintendent’s advisory youth council as part of their community engagement and empowering student voice efforts. She discussed the Fentanyl Awareness work made possible through a grant award from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Capital Facilities Update
Interim Director of Capital Projects Rick Ring provided an overview of the work completed this school year and the remaining projects. He also reviewed the type of work that is considered a capital project, sources of funding and the elements of a capital project plan.
The district has focused on the following projects for the 2023-24 school year:
- Districtwide camera system implementation and replacement
- Purchase of Youth and Community Center facility, which houses Gravelly Lake K-12 Academy
- Fire alarm system replacement at Clover Park High School (CPHS)
- Bleacher replacement at CPHS and Lochburn Middle School
- Tillicum Elementary School sewer connection
- Clean Buildings Act implementation
- Playground replacements at Dower, Tyee Park and Oakbrook elementary schools
- Parking lot improvements at Dower and Lakes High School
- Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at Lake Louise Elementary School
- Irrigation system replacement at CPHS
Ring also highlighted next steps for the development of a five- and 10-year plan. This was followed by a Clean Buildings Act update and facilities advisory committee report that offered recommendations as follows:
- Complete a modernization and addition of CPHS
- Complete a comprehensive study on consolidation or replacement of elementary schools in Lakewood
- Complete a comprehensive study for solutions for Lochburn, including potential replacement, modernization or alternative locations
- Develop a districtwide 30-year capital bond program
Districtwide Security Video System
Director of Information Technology Brad Pierce provided a report on the districtwide security camera system. He outlined the current status of camera coverage and goals to increase surveillance. The district is upgrading and installing new cameras at schools districtwide.
Pierce shared a project timeline to modernize systems, which will run over a four-year period.
Academic Improvement Committee Quarterly Report
Deputy Superintendent Brian Laubach provided a quarter report on the district’s Academic Improvement Committee (AIC). Over the next couple of months, the committee will monitor and examine needs by reviewing course completion and grade data, monitor discipline and attendance data, and review family engagement strategies.
The AIC is focused on three primary goals: preparing students for college and career readiness by increasing academic achievement and closing gaps in a achievement and college readiness; increasing engagement and communication with students and families; and creating a culture of supportive learning environments for students and staff.
Plans for the 2024-25 School Annual Action Plans will be updated as well as work on the professional development planning and review of needs assessment data this spring.
STAR Data and Student Growth Percentiles
Director of Assessment and Program Evaluation Brian Gable provided an overview on measuring and interpreting the quality of student growth on the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA). His report covered ways academic growth is measured, the pros and cons of each approach, and where to find the publicly available metrics for academic growth.
Gabele described the relationship between the STAR assessment, which teachers use to evaluate students throughout the school year, and the SBA, which is administrated once each spring. The STAR assessment does not correlate as directly as expected to the SBA due to varying difficulty levels of the SBA at each grade level.
Student Growth Percentiles (SGP) express the growth of a student in the context of other students statewide. A score of 50 is always expressed as the average and median SGP statewide. SGPs allow schools to evaluate the growth of a student in a way that ignores the difficulty of the SBA.
SGPs can be interpreted for schools at the following levels:
- High Growth: 58-99
- Typical Growth: 44-57
- Low Growth: 0-43
SGP data is available at the Washington State Report Card on the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website.
Accountability Plan Review
The superintendent’s council provided an update on the district’s accountability plan. Superintendent council members spoke on each of the six goals detailed in the plan.
Goal #1: Student Growth/Student Achievement
Highlights were provided for student growth/student achievement, which focuses on reading, math and science growth, graduation rates, and college and career readiness. The district posted a graduation rate of 88.4% last year.
Goal #2: Parent and Community Engagement
Highlights from the district’s work to support parent and community engagement include the Parent Connection Council (PCC), parent conferencing, community partnerships and student volunteers. Conference participation rates for Fall 2023 were 87% or higher districtwide.
Goal #3: Community Relations
Highlights from the district’s community relations work include steady social media activity, use of ThoughtExchange to gather parent, staff and student voice.
Goal #4: Supportive Learning Environment for Students
Highlights from the district’s work to provide supportive learning environments for students include attendance, truancy and discipline. The amount of students with 18 or more absences has declined to pre-COVID levels.
Goal #5: Recruitment of Staff
Highlights from the district’s staff recruitment efforts include staff retention rates, hiring event participation, and alternative routes to certification. Less than 10% of district staff resigned following the 2022-23 school year.
Goal #6: Fiscal Responsibility
Highlights from the district’s commitment to strong fiscal responsibility include community input on budget development, Emergency Connectivity Fund audit finding, federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, general fund balance and budget projections. The district will continue to build on community engagement as it relates to the budget.
Board Procedures and Reviews
The board discussed and reviewed a variety of board-related actions, including: reviewing its vision, mission, beliefs and values; formulation of its goals and objectives; discussing the policy manual review process, school board reports the school annual action plan review timeline and the school board meeting and report schedule.
The board also convened executive session for its evaluation of the superintendent.
The next regular meeting/workshop of the school board will be Monday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m.
