Cascade School Board seeks to set board, district goals for 2017-18 school year

The Cascade School Board is establishing a set of goals for the board and district over the course of the coming school year. Cascade Superintendent Bill Motsenbocker said the board goals define what the board does, while the district goals are taking care of the district schools. 

There are six board goals. 

“Number one, all board members will review the WSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association) self assessment tool online and complete the self assessment before Nov. 30. The composite online results will be shared at the December board meeting,” Motsenbocker said. “Number two, the board will draft and discuss operating principles for monitoring and using social media prior to the beginning of second semester.”

Number three, each board member will independently access various websites, the school district, WSSDA, OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) and NCESD (North Central Educational Service District) to learn what information is available at each site prior to the Nov. 27 board meeting. 

Board member Kristen Wood asked what that will look like. Motsenbocker said this is designed to help board members become aware of the resources available to board members. 

“Number four, the board will research, review and select a method by which to evaluate the performance of the superintendent by Jan. 8, 2018 board meeting. The board will use the selected method to conduct the superintendent’s evaluation to be completed no later than March 15,” Motsenbocker said. “Number five, the board will review and edit all job descriptions found in board policy 1220 by the beginning of second semester. That is one we talked about at the retreat.”

Number six, the board will edit and update the packet of information given to new board members. This will include board’s operating principles, board and school calendars, board monitoring schedule. Applicable contracts, like PSE and CEA and district flowchart, which shows the board member who is responsible in different areas. 

That is to be ready for distribution by the Dec. 11 meeting, which is the only board meeting in December. 

District Goals

Cascade High School will focus on math. The classes of 2019 and 2020 will have 50 percent meeting standard. The class of 2021 will have 60 percent meeting standard. 

“The second part of that would be to align the math curriculum with those adopted by K-8, completed by the end of 2017-18. Watching how that is progressing and seeing how that works,” Motsenbocker said. 

Icicle River Middle School will reduce the number of students not meeting standard in reading by 10 percent from the previous assessment, the Smarter Balanced Assessment in grades 6, 7, 8. 

“That is typically how people talk about it. They will reduce the number not meeting standard, so it’s almost like a double negative. It is pretty well understood,” Motsenbocker said. “They will also show a 10 percent decrease in the number of out of school suspensions compared to the year before. They’ll have some alternative type things for restorative justice.”

Osborn will reduce the number of students not meeting standard in reading on the Smarter Balanced Assessment, using a cohort measurement of the 2017 third graders and the 2018 fourth graders. 

Peshastin-Dryden Elementary will track a decrease of 10 percent in high level discipline from this year to next using the SWIS (School Wide Information System) system using positive behavior intervention strategy. PD will also receive some training from Susan Cole from the NCESD. 

“PD Elementary will determine the future of bilingual reading programs through a committee study task force using historical and current data to identify trends at Cascade in comparison to other bilingual instructional models throughout the state and nation,” Motsenbocker said. “Everyone is aware we used to do Spanish reading until they got to a certain level, then transitioned to English. Now, what they’re going to do is start English reading with them right away. We’re going to see how much of a different that makes.”

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.