Scottsdale Unified School District Arizona’s Most Excelling Schools!

Dr. Ildi Laczko-Kerr, director of student information management and accountability reporting, presented the Governing Board with information regarding Desert Canyon Middle School Attendance Boundary Change. Currently, middle school students who live in the McDowell Mountain Ranch area are assigned to attend Copper Ridge Middle School. If approved, the change will become effective for incoming sixth graders for the 2006-2007 school year. Students who attend Aztec and Zuni elementary schools will continue to feed to Desert Canyon Middle School. The item will be brought back to the Board as an Action Item on January 24, 2006.

Gayle Holland, assistant principal at Chaparral High School, presented the Board with information regarding the 2006-2007 High School Planning Guide. The High School Planning Guide is reviewed and revised annually by a committee of counselors, principals, assistant principals, curriculum specialists and teachers to assure all programs, scope and sequence content descriptions are accurate and clear. The guide provides graduation requirements and a comprehensive listing of every course offered at each of the five high schools. The item will be brought back to the Governing Board as an Action Item on January 10, 2006.

Katy Cavanagh, executive director of middle schools and excelling teaching & learning, and Clif McKenzie, executive director of exception customer experiences, presented the Board with information regarding the District Goal # 2 – Professional Development and Exceptional Customer Service. Mr. McKenzie’s presentation on exceptional customer service included the common goals to provide exceptional customer experiences, frequency and proposed nature of customer service training recommendations, resources necessary to fund customer service training and methodology for obtaining employee feedback. Mrs. Cavanagh presented information regarding professional development. Highlights from her presentation included important Web addresses, sample professional development needs assessment survey, results, standards, ongoing SEI communication and professional development facilities use. Both presentations are available on the district’s Web site at: http://www.susd.org/district/govboard/meetings.htm.

Maureen O’Leary, executive director of communications & marketing, presented the Governing Board with an update on enrollment and district marketing efforts. The presentation included the previous reality, action taken, today’s reality, marketing goals for 2005-2006, strategy, target audiences, key messages, marketing mix, marketing efforts to date and summary. The presentation is available on the district’s Web site at: http://www.susd.org/district/govboard/meetings.htm.

Kim Clark, general counsel, presented revisions of policy regulation JG-R Assignment of Student Classes and Grade Levels. In order to accurately track student data required for reporting to the Arizona Department of Education, AIMS testing, tracking of graduates and drop outs, the Student Information Management and Accountability Reporting department recommends tracking high school data by cohort year. The change will allow SUSD to be in compliance with data tracking required for school accountability.

Ms. Clark also presented a discussion on the policies relating to the possession and self administration of Epipen for students who have been diagnosed with anaphylaxis and the possession and self administration of prescription medication inhaler for inhaler devices. The items will be brought back as Action Items at the January 10, 2006, Board meeting.

Additionally, Ms. Clark presented the revision to policy regulation BGE-R Communications/Feedback. Updates to the district’s policies will be posted to the Law Department’s Web page on HomeRoom. Updates will be e-mailed instead of printing hard copies. Additionally, the SUSD Policy Manual is updated on the Arizona School Boards Association’s Web site.

In other action, the Board:

• Approved the gymnasium fundraising at Cheyenne Traditional School by the school’s PTO.
   
• Approved the 2006 Legislative Agenda.
   
• Appointed Karen Beckvar as a delegate and Dr. Eric Meyer as an alternative to the Arizona Scholl Boards Association Conference and approved ASBA’s position on a proposed bylaw change.
   
• Approved the paying the cost to attend the Federal Relations Network Conference from February 5-6, 2006, in Washington, D.C.
   
• Approved the cooperative agreement for legislative services with Valley School Management Group as per bid at a price of $15,000.
   
• Approved additional architectural design fees and architectural/engineering services for Chaparral Bond Project.
   
• Approved additional architectural/engineering services for Arcadia Bond Project.
   
• Approved the Internal Auditing Plan for the 2005-2006 school year.
   
• Approved Transporters of Learners Recruitment incentive plan.
   
• Approved the acceptance of 2006 AIMS intervention and dropout prevention sub-grantee funds through Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates Program.
   
• Accepted gifts valued at $216,792. The gifts were received from Chaparral Wrestling Club, Copper Ridge Elementary School Student Council, Hohokam Student Council, Pima Student Council, Aztec Community Team, C.H.A.P.T.S., Cheyenne PTO, Cocopah APT, Copper Ridge Elementary School PTO, Desert Canyon Elementary School PTO, Hopi PTA, Kiva PTO, Pima PTO, Sequoya APT, Mountainside Band Boosters, Saguaro Choir Boosters, AM Trust Bank, American Express, Arizona Public Services, Don Chiappetti, Dorian Photography Studio, Exxon Mobil, Lori Jacques, Bela Z. Lestar, Oasis Institute, Wayne Pilcher, Brenda Rziha, Scottsdale Charros, Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, and Wells Fargo.

The next two Governing Board meetings are scheduled for 5 p.m., Tuesday, January 10, 2006, at the Education Center and for 5 p.m., Tuesday January 24, 2006, in Rooms 310-311 at Desert Canyon Middle School.

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