Commissioners Approve Playground Grant, New Reduction in Force Policy

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May
5, 2017

During the April 27, 2017, Agenda Review Session, the Indianapolis
Public Schools Board of School Commissioners discussed several key initiatives,
including new playground equipment for two IPS schools and a new Reduction in
Force (RIF) policy.

Innovation
School Reports

Innovation school management teams
presented their semi-annual reports to the Board. Innovation school partners provided
updates on academic achievement and school operations during the 2016-2017
school year. Those schools included:

KIPP Indy Public Schools
Enlace Academy
Phalen Leadership Academy at George Fisher
School 93
Emma Donnan Elementary School

ACTION:
Discussion

School
Quality Review

Aleesia Johnson, IPS innovation officer,
and Dr. Wanda H. Legrand, IPS deputy superintendent for academics, presented a
review of the work being done to enhance the current innovation Restart Framework.
They also reviewed current school support strategies and outlined the School
Quality Review (SQR) process. The presentation also identified the schools that
will receive a School Quality Review (SQR) in fall 2017.

What You Need to Know:

A SQR is conducted for schools that IPS
determines are low-performing. That determination is made by first taking
schools that fall in the bottom quartile on their proficiency test scores and
then, of those same schools, looking at the ones that showed the least amount
of growth.

A SQR will systematically identify struggling
schools and inform IPS-led interventions.
When performing an SQR, IPS is looking at
qualitative data to get the story behind the low-performing numbers. Sometimes that
story is good in that the low numbers are a big improvement over where they
were. Sometimes those stories are not good. But, the district uses this
information to determine what interventions are required.
The team will speak with families, school
leadership teams, students and staff about their school to learn more about the
culture of the building and the experience that students, families and staff
are having. The team will also talk with school leadership about their vision
for the school, how that vision was developed and how they plan to execute that
vision.
IPS intentionally performs these reviews
ahead of the state so that it can intervene early and provide the support a
school needs to improve before the state becomes involved.

Schools receiving a SQR for the 2017-2018
school year are:

Emma Donnan Elementary School
George S. Buck School 94
James Whitcomb Riley School 43
Louis B. Russell Jr. School 48
Washington Irving School 14
William McKinley School 39
H.L. Harshman Magnet Middle School

ACTION:
Presentation

Project
Lead the Way Update

Dr. Wanda H. Legrand, IPS deputy superintendent for academics, and
Ben Carter, director of career and technical education, gave an update on the implementation
of the Project Lead the Way (PLTW).

What You Need to Know:

PLTW is an immersive STEM program that has
expanded to 14 IPS schools and plans to expand to a total of 21 in the 2017-2018
school year.
Nearly 2,000 students in Grades K-12 have participated
in PLTW.
The curriculum offers students insight into
STEM career pathways. Commissioners will
receive a status report on the program and expansion plans for the new school
year.
PLTW received $100,000 for the 2016-2017
school year with another $100,000 approved for July 2017 and $50,000 for July
2018.

ACTION:
Presentation

ONLINE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9wRCFc9W3otc3JkRFdwR2I4QUE/view

Quarterly
Finance Update

Chief Financial Manager Weston Young presented a financial update
to close the 3^rd quarter of the 2016-2017 school year.

What You Need to Know:

The 3^rd quarter of the 2016-2017
budget continued to reflect IPS’ investment in strategic priorities and
requested additional appropriations planned for May 2017.

The 2017-2018 school year budget includes
Student-Based Allocation (SBA) implementation.
Long-Term Budget Planning includes developing
a sustainable funding strategy to finance district priorities such as employee
compensation and health insurance benefits, textbook adoptions and technology.
Student calculations are based on weight
formula:

ACTION: Presentation

ONLINE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9wRCFc9W3otZGJ5MmJ0bHZaclU/view

KaBOOM!
Playground Grant Agreement

Superintendent Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, Deputy Superintendent for
Operations Scott Martin and Chief Financial Manager Weston Young presented a
grant agreement to install playground equipment at Emma Donnan Elementary
School and Center for Inquiry School 70.

What You Need to Know:

The students at Emma Donnan and CFI 70 do not
currently have adequate playground equipment at their school.
KaBOOM! Is a national nonprofit organization
whose mission is to create a great place to play within walking distance of
every child in America.
The playgrounds at the two schools will be
constructed by volunteers under the supervision of a certified playground
contractor hired by KaBOOM!

ACTION:
PASSES 5-0

Modification
to Classified RIF Policy and Guidelines

Superintendent Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee and Board President Mary Ann
Sullivan presented new guidelines to IPS’ Reduction in Force (RIF) policy for classified
employees.

What
You Need to Know:

The Board recognizes that due to changes in
enrollment, coupled with IPS’ instructional model and commitment to supporting
greater autonomy, it will sometimes be necessary to eliminate certain positions.
When executing a reduction in force, the
primary objective of the Board will be to maintain an effective and efficient
staff.
Changes in staffing at the school and district
levels should be based on strategic decisions by school leaders in the interest
of supporting student achievement, and should consider the performance of the
classified employees.

ACTION:
PASSES 5-0

For more information about the items listed above, click here.