00:00:07,170	Good evening. I’m Dan Eastgate, president of the Bismarck Public School board, It’s 515 on Monday March 25th. I call this meeting to order. Welcome to those of you heard joining us both here and online. If, you can find our agenda. Um, you can find it online under the school board tab at Bismarck, schools.org.

00:00:25,330	Mr Share What You, Call The Roll, please. Mister eastgate here, Mr Hager here, Mr lee. Here. Ms Peterson here, Miss preskey. Please note. We have three board members present Mr Lee is calling in a little under the weather. But.

00:00:47,200	Thanks so much for being here tonight, Mr lee And I know Miss preskey is currently trying to call in right now We’re having some technical difficulties getting around the call, but she should be jumping in so we’ll likely be adding her to the role shortly. Mr Share, Dr F Now could you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Um Item one C on the agenda is the BPS mission vision and values.

00:01:27,870	The BPS mission is to empower every learner to thrive. The bps Vision states together our strong relationships, build inclusive, collaborative and innovative environments that create agency and inspire a passion for learning excellence and discovery. The BPS values are inclusion, excellence, innovation and leadership. You also find a link in the agenda to the BPS strategic plan.

00:01:50,300	Item two is to adopt the agenda. What are the wishes of the board. How. We adopt the agenda. I second We have a motion in a second. Any discussion? X on Dr. johnson. As Peterson. Yes. Mr Yes. Mister Lee. This early. Yes. Yeah, I got a yes. Yes, preskey. Games.

00:02:27,200	Mr President eastgate still trying to get in? And yes, Motion passes 40. Thank you, Dr. Johnson. Next up on the agenda. Item three is focus on success excited about this one tonight science in the classroom Dr. FSN I am too excited about this, and we have students with us tonight. It’s always nice to have them in our audience and presenting to us.

00:02:49,930	So for tonight’s, uh, group. I’m gonna just lead off with Mister van Bardel, and he will address the rest of the group. Good. Evening, Mr Bard. Good Evening board. Thank you for having us, uh, first, I’d like to introduce two students from Northridge Elementary, Nora and ivy.

00:03:06,730	They’ll be talking to you a little bit about some of the things that they’ve been doing in science. Hi. I’m Nora. Hi. I’m ivy, and this is Nora. We both go to North Ridge Elementary, and we want to share with you some things that we do in science class.

00:03:36,530	The Alchemist Potion is fun because we got to learn about the chemical reactions and how to clean a penny with salt and vinegar. The alchemist wanted to turn steel into gold so more projects that we did are the mini ocean to find out how much salt is in the ocean. One other project that we did.

00:03:50,670	Is how to protect a town from a hurricane or flood. Like a robotics are a fun way to learn about engineering and programming. Basically, we built some type of Lego project and try to program it to do fun things. It helps us problem, solve and develop programming skills. Another project that we did was the mold project.

00:04:11,200	It taught us what liquid increases or decreases the growth of mold. The. First time we did it failed miserably. A picture of it is on the right. The second time we made it. We were more successful picture on the left. It like is a substance that behaves like a solid or a liquid, depending on how much pressure you apply.

00:04:32,530	This experiment taught us about the importance of problem solving. We had to work together to figure out what went wrong so we could get it right later. Make making mistakes is like this because that’s how we learn Science has taught us how to work together to problem solve and persevere through challenges.

00:04:57,170	Thank you for listening any questions? Thank you so much. Nora Navy, Um Mr Burdell, Do. You want to go or should I open up for questions or comments here? Board members, any commentary. Mrs Peterson.

00:05:18,400	Thank you Nora Ivy for presenting one of my favorite things that you talked about was failing forward, sometimes us as as board members think of failure as not a good thing, but you really talked about how failure actually taught you to keep going and try. Try again. So is there anything other than just in this particular experience that that has been something that you’ve been learning at school? Um, well in the mini ocean project that nor talked about we had to.

00:05:40,800	Well, one of them. We added. Too much salt, so we had to figure out how to measure out the correct amount of water to figure out what was the proper thing for it. Wonderful example. Thank you guys so much for all that you do, and it’s clear that you guys are learning a lot of amazing things. Mr hager.

00:06:01,200	Thanks. President is so Nora and I be north. Are. You guys. Fifth graders so off to middle school next year. Are, You guys Gonna join Science Olympiad. I don’t know. Probably for you Write that down. I think based on what I saw tonight. I think that’s something you guys would really enjoy. So.

00:06:21,470	Thank thank Science Olympia next year, so of the the different projects that we saw you guys working on there between robotics and some other things. What. What was your your favorite one to work on? Probably like a robotic because you got to learn a lot about like technology and stuff. So Yeah. So.

00:06:40,070	You guys like the engineering robotics side. Well, thank you both for presenting. I know it’s nerve wracking to stand in front of a A group of people with a with a camera in your face and and present like that you guys did a great job. Thanks for thanks for coming. And. Thanks Science Olympia next year. Yeah. Nora Ivy.

00:06:53,500	Thanks so much you both of you for for showing up and what you guys are doing in the classroom. I love looking at this Oobleck We have the slideshow here and just hearing about how you guys work through that, Uh, Mr hager kind of talked about something I was gonna mention I was in

00:07:03,770	Science Olympiad as a middle school kid, and we did something similar to you guys where you had to test different And. I can tell you you did far better than I did. Um, when I competed as a middle schooler, So, I agree with Mr hager. You guys should really check that out. Um, it’s so it’s exciting.

00:07:16,530	Seeing elementary students starting to get a taste of the technology side and what you guys can do with science, so and thanks for teaching us some stuff about teamwork, and that it’s OK that when you don’t get it right the first time, keep trying, right. So thank you so much. You. Guys are awesome.

00:07:28,230	Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now. I’d like to introduce. Um Mister nick Kulis. Uh, Teacher from BHS science teacher. Welcome Mr. Kulas. Thank you. Alright.

00:08:14,400	Well, thanks for having me I’ve been at BHS 17 years now so kind of one of the old timers already but goes fast, But thanks for having me and I’ll just share a few things that are kind of going on at BHS these days in science, Um, I, teach primarily or I. I do teach biology and anatomy physiology. Uh, the last few years. So, um, Anatomy physiology.

00:08:31,700	I’ll talk about dual credit here in a second, but get to do some kind of cool stuff. Um, the one picture of the group there. We, uh Stephanie Tucker and Jeb Williams from game and fish. Where, uh, generous enough to invite us to watch a moon lion. The Cropsey down at at the game and fish lab a couple months ago, so that was pretty cool.

00:08:47,600	Um, just, uh, you know for kids to see kind of that real world stuff, and we do the cat dissection as you can see there in anatomy, so it’s kind of cool to tie that in there with an even bigger cat.

00:09:01,600	Um, and I just threw that picture in there of the the arteries and veins on the cats as kind of cool A kid called me over the other day and said, What’s going on here, so I don’t know if you can Those two big blue vessels running down the body cavity, but usually they just have one vena cava running down the body. And this one kind of looked like it had two. But.

00:09:13,330	It was actually the vena cava just split way up a lot higher than it was so it was kind of cool to have a kid. Uh, Notice that and and call me over. It’s always fun, But. Um and then just, uh, a young man taking a lab practical test there on his arteries and veins.

00:09:28,770	So, Um, threw this in here. A lot of opportunities for a Excuse me a P and dual credit classes. We have biology, chemistry, physics and then a P environmental science.

00:09:44,330	So, Um, about 100 and 30 kids just by my kind of informal, uh, serve survey and taking that and then we add a dual credit for most of those within the last couple of years through BS, CBS, C and Anatomy as part of that as well, um, so about 100 students, um, doing the dual credit options as well. Um, just in our science PLC at BHS with our biology group. Um, we threw this together.

00:10:03,470	Um, I thought it would just be an example of of, uh, kind of taking, uh, a proficiency scale that a lot of that is in kind of teacher, maybe friendly language, and then we kind of broke it out into more of a checklist for kids.

00:10:17,870	Um, you know, so they could, um, it’s kind of in its infant stages yet, but so they could kind of see where they’re at, Um, on a different scales and rate themselves. And then we made a little survey for them, Um, just to kind of do a little evaluation. Um of their own learning as well.

00:10:33,400	Um, as we get towards the end of a unit And then that was just one that the physical science uh, group put together as well. Um, one of the things I think that, um, just in the last five years or so has really taken off. Um, are kind of the blended courses. A.

00:10:51,130	Lot of people use to learn BPS a lot of people use Google classroom. Um, but I think that’s why a lot of people were using it before Covid, but I think that’s one thing that covid really, um, expanded and and, uh um you know, I think pretty much all all classes that I know of or see at BHS are using that a lot not just

00:11:05,930	in science. But in In all content areas, and it just allows for a lot of teacher collaboration. You know I made this quiz I can share it real easily with other teachers. Um, if you have a new teacher say that has to teach biology next year.

00:11:20,930	You can share this stuff out, and it’s kind of all there for him. I know as a new teacher that would have been really awesome. Um 17 years ago, but, um and just a really modern environment for students, you know they can take stuff anywhere.

00:11:36,330	Um, uh, access it at home, Access it on the road if they’re on a trip for basketball, they can see it on the bus and Lot of a lot of benefits to it, so Um, And then I just kind of put this in there kind of a little piece of, uh, you know, self promotion. Maybe. But. Um Naomi Hegwood was a a really high flying student of ours had a really cool story.

00:11:51,870	She was in the news, Um, back when she graduated, but she actually just graduated from Harvard. Um, with a degree, I Think in bioinformatics, whatever that is, But. Um um, but just a great kid and and she wrote a big long email to our staff last fall. And I just snipped a piece out of it.

00:12:09,470	That kind of, you know, talked about how you know the the, um, make up at Harvard. You know a lot different than than, uh, you know what? Um, we get in North Dakota and just the experiences that those kids come in with are a lot different than the experiences that she got in Bismarck.

00:12:25,270	Um, you know, and just a lot of cool things that she got to do here that she shared on obviously really gratifying to see a kid. Um, you know, uh, credit our district and and, uh, kind of her background. That was kind of cool. And, then just a couple last things. Um, some really cool success.

00:12:45,370	That our, uh, kind of extra or co curricular groups have had our enviro on that’s led by, uh, Valerie Small Beck, one of our science teachers. I think they’ve won several state championships over the last several years. Um And. They have their competition coming up here in a couple of weeks. And Science bowl led by, uh, Randy Krogstad, our one of our, uh, science teachers as well.

00:13:02,030	I think they’ve won the last two state championships so they get to go off to Washington DC here at the end of April, and, uh, Science Olympiad as well. I think they’ve won like eight of the last 10 state champions of North Dakota. So they go.

00:13:20,070	Um or they have their, uh, regional and states coming up here again for 2024 so Um, I think that’s all I got on there so Thank you and Hopefully, you don’t have any too hard questions, but It’s awesome. Thanks, mister. Cool it It’s. It’s fun to see.

00:13:38,270	Uh, Bismarck high sweeping the the science stuff, and I don’t remember the last time I got such a close up view of vena cava had a focus on success. We call it the smell of spring around VHS. So. Um Miss Peterson, President, East gate and and Mr Kula I, I think what is is so impressive about what you talked about, And, I Think in in previous board meetings where we talked about some of the increase in dual credit and

00:13:59,030	a P classes and and clearly Just some of this this science knowledge and, um, both, Uh uh, All of our our Children are surpassing my knowledge in science. Um, through some of these these extracurriculars, but just wondering if you, um can maybe just speak to I know that it’s increased at Bismarck High? What, do you? What? Do

00:14:18,830	you attribute maybe some of that growth in the A P classes or the dual credit and and just that excitement around science, I. I just wonder what you would from your perspective. What you think Yeah.

00:14:34,200	Um, you know, obviously the the dual credit, I think is a really good opportunity for kids just to get a jump on on college. I’m sure you guys hear that a lot, you know, being able to go out, you hear of a lot of kids going off and you know, practically have their freshman year done already, So. I think that’s been been a big push for that. And, then I don’t know.

00:14:46,570	568 years ago we had the Nims, um, training and a lot of that, really, I think expanded and a lot a lot of equipment and things like that for a P as well. So. Um, yeah, it’s been good. Fantastic. Any other questions from the board. Xing Nan. Thanks a lot Dr. fs not got something for you.

00:15:07,330	Yeah, Mr Kis. Well done. I Wanna applaud you and your team. Uh, I wanna applaud you for the work you did with student friendly scales? I think, um I Hope, the general audience who wonders sometimes what’s that connection, and I appreciate you educated them about that connection now, like the standards and scales, So we understand when you know what

00:15:26,030	you know, but that student friendly scale, I think when kids know what we expect of them. They hit, They hit it all the time that confusion Which you address those student friendly scales is amazing.

00:15:43,100	Thank you for that hard work? Um so you clearly outline what our expectations are for kids so they can meet the mark so well done. Thank you. Thank you. Alright Thank you? Great. Thanks so much, Thanks for all the focus on success presenters today it’s been a lot of fun having you guys here appreciate you. Moving on the agenda. We’ll Take US to Item four before I get there.

00:16:01,200	I’d also like to just welcome Miss preskey who we did A. We were able to get online so all five board members are are tuned in and have been tuned in. And thanks for being here while you’re out of town. Uh, Item four, is public comment.

00:16:16,270	The board recognized the central role parents play in the education of their Children and support active parent involvement in the educational process. The board’s practice. Public comment reflects and aligns with policy. BC B a in the spirit of its intent for classroom issues, it’s best to follow the chain of command from the teacher to the principal assistant superintendent, the superintendent for district issues Please Reach out Dr. FSN. We had no public comment.

00:16:35,030	Requests and responses at our last board meeting. If. You do speak tonight We. Simply ask that you be responsible, Be helpful and be respectful. Our BPS students deserve had to have adults model the expectations that we have for them. Groups are urged to select one spokesperson.

00:16:52,030	Individuals will be limited to more than four minutes, so we’ll be notified with 30 seconds remaining to conclude their remarks. The board will not debate issues as presented, but we’ll take such matters under advisement without if you have any public comment, please stand and approach the podium if you’d like to speak tonight, there is a sheet there to, um, sign in if you choose.

00:17:14,400	Signal public comment. It’s now closed. And five is the monitor district operations tonight We have our 2.1 academic achievement Science. Dr. fs. Not kind of following that wonderful, uh, focus on success presentation. I don’t know if any of them are gonna any of us are gonna match that tonight. But.

00:17:34,670	I would like to introduce Dr. johnson to the podium to share our science report. Thank you, Dr. johnson. Welcome. Dr.. Johnson. Absolutely. Uh, as Dr. Fash said. I probably won’t try to Impressive beyond the young ladies who are young science and as a father of girls.

00:17:59,870	I really appreciate that opportunity for us to emphasize science early on and get them connected and good plugs for getting them involved beyond because again academics Sometimes I think we see it as narrow between what happens with the Bells versus those outside co curricular clubs and activities are often a deeper extension there and so I’m sure, Miss hegwood.

00:18:20,570	I believe if I pronounce that correct Probably involved in some of those activities too Beyond so not just in the classroom. So, um our pleasure to as we talk about science, and obviously there’s a connection between those, um Uh, focus on success and seeing some of that great work that’s happening at the elementary as well as in the secondary there.

00:18:36,530	Uh, we’re always trying to give you a little bit of insight. Um, we marked this as making reasonable progress. With exception in four of our five indicators. We made reasonable progress and we marked one indicator making original progress, with the exception and zero indicators were failing to make original progress for again backwards Looking July 22 through June of 23.

00:19:00,600	Was a year behind so that we can have complete data comparing apples to apples in the same harvest. Same batch whatever analogy works for you. So as we take a look, Um, we do see that we are making some growth with AC T and N DS A.

00:19:17,170	Um I will talk a little bit about that, Uh, when I get to that, Um, but I will say that we are We work through a couple reporting issues so we actually backdated some of the data. It didn’t really change it dramatically or different from the past and last year was a baseline but Also have the pre AC T going away.

00:19:34,270	Um and so again, we’re trying to figure out what is longitudinal data that we can share with you, the board and the community to really be able to know that we’re able to measure and report and see that out, so we’ll have some recommendations from that as well. They’ll see, um you’ll see that we constantly are surpassing the standards based grading.

00:19:49,270	Uh, expectations for that 2.5 again that’s at B range or higher that we’re looking for students to be actively engaged in that and, um, that’s um, a pretty Good overall again, there’s a few spots where it’s just slightly off. But again. Sometimes that occurs as we get better at defining the criteria for a standard.

00:20:08,030	Um, you might see a little bit of that, Um, drop off there or get a little bit tighter on that reporting, and oftentimes we’re also talking about different groups of kids cohort to cohort. We do know that the North Dakota state adopted new standards, I think, uh, recently someone brought up common core.

00:20:24,570	We don’t teach common core in North, Dakota. We have not been lined and to that in several years. Um uh, some standards might be similar, or another state may have the similar, uh, standard for science or English or math, but we have North Dakota standards that have been vetted by North Dakota teachers that have participated in refining those of what we

00:20:42,530	expect and want for North Dakota students and so again all of our standards in all subject areas. All of our resources are aligned or intended to be used towards teaching towards those North Dakota standards, So.

00:20:59,970	I just wanted to reiterate that as um sometimes that comes up in About that, um, I hadn’t heard that in a while. But I. I wanted to bring that up in case you were hearing about that. Um, we see. Additionally increasing number of students taking sign classes when you’re seeing the great rigor as well as opportunities for dual credit.

00:21:15,670	Why, would you not want your, um your own self to be able to benefit from that, if that is an area that you’re looking at pursuing a potential college degree or or entering a workforce in an area of high interest, So, we So we know that there’s continued work that goes on throughout that time.

00:21:31,970	So as I, take a look, I’ve kind of rattled through them a little bit, but you see that we’re making Great strides were at or above the North Dakota average again for the public. If this is one of your first time hearing about one of these reports. Why. Do.

00:21:48,300	We compare ourselves to North Dakota because that’s kind of the measure and we we as BPS, as the board has said. We want to be at least as good. If? Not we think we’re maybe a little bit better. However, with that caveat is that it’s really tough to out beat the state when one in nine students goes to BPS.

00:22:04,970	Did You, hear that stat one and nine So if one in nine students has gone there, That means if we’re beating the average, we have to kind of beat ourselves, but it’s a challenge worth attempting. And. Uh we strive for that. So again. That’s sometimes why we have why we do hover and there’s not a great discrepancy because it’s really hard to outperform the state.

00:22:20,900	When one of your one and nine of the states Total is actually our students results already. You see the same then with the AC T. We’re performing above the state average at 21.2, compared to the state average of 20.4. What Dr. sad and I have talked to you about, and, uh Miss Peterson and the learning. Um, excellence.

00:22:42,800	Uh, crew is maybe we’re gonna revisit and and take a little bit of look. What does this mean as we move forward in the past? Um, you I know that you as board members are aware, but to the public, too. We had had some, uh, coalition of parents weigh in.

00:22:57,130	Do we take the North Dakota State assessment, Or. Do. We ask for a waiver to be able to take the AC T, and in the past, we had done that except for in science, actually, um, the NSA was taken as that form of accountability exam, but we had in the past opted to provide that and we’re going to

00:23:14,730	revisit that decision and that that choice again, So. I think that’s a great opportunity to just either reaffirm that, But many schools have moved away from that, not as many districts are are having.

00:23:33,400	The AC T so again when we’re comparing ourselves to the state average just know that if all are taking the AC T And if we’re holding on to some of our at risk students by school, as well as by district Sometimes, the data is not always as clear as what you might wanna draw a conclusion of, because if we’re retaining and doing a great job, retaining our at risk students because we believe in all And. If.

00:23:52,670	We’re doing that and one and nine students. All of our students are taking it compared to another district might only have those that are four year college bound and even in that it’s sometimes only those that might be wanting to apply for out of state.

00:24:07,600	There’s just some other things that have happened since Covid is the AC T has not become a requirement for all, um, colleges anymore. So again, something to keep in mind the one where we had the exception, as we talked about was looking at the pre A T what we have really determined and some that we’ll talk.

00:24:23,070	Getting a little bit more with the Learning Excellence committee is that test is kind of going away changing and so with that we’ve been doing a lot of work around stars and again that gives us three measures and their freshman year then moving forward would be our probably looking at. Do. We do that three times. Do. We do it two more times as sophomores.

00:24:39,330	Um, perhaps, uh and then the NSA in the spring. So again. We’re still trying to help align that and there can be cross. Um Alignment work that can be crossing how they’re doing in that exam and how they’re likely to be predictive on skills that are necessary to do well on the AC T or on the N DS

00:24:55,670	a So again, that’s work that, um, occurs as Mr Kass was talking about in that PLC those professional learning communities when at the high school level, the content teachers are getting together at the middle School.

00:25:14,870	It’s where the content teachers are working together as well as at the elementary when teachers are collaborating around those standards and again that brings us to indicator four. And you can see that we’re pretty much, uh, meeting or increasing from year to year and most of that stays pretty level and again. We’re we’re impressed, but I think, um, I will not repeat what Dr.

00:25:30,370	Flet said, because I had made a bunch of notes to try to highlight what Mr Uh Kulash was saying to us because I think that it was really good, but, um, Dr. far not did an excellent job, hopefully tying that and seeing that there’s that theory of action behind as teachers are working and working with the kids, letting them know this is what we want

00:25:45,530	you to do. And, uh, just being clear on those expectations and then helping support them along the way. We’ve, uh, talked about that This is a hard area to increase you. We’ve seen some growth in some of the dual credit numbers.

00:26:03,000	But when we’re talking about percentages, sometimes percentages are hard to move, especially when we’re trying to have a rising tide lift all boats. We want you to choose to increase your math numbers? Well.

00:26:22,430	We also would like science like English like CT all of a sudden it becomes hard at scale to raise everything there, but we do have some longitudinal data where we’ve kind of hovered in those, um Mid upper thirties with a little bit of dip there into the forties, but I think that that’s really reflective of great offerings across the board and no matter what subject area you’re interested in. We have options for you the capacity building again.

00:26:38,670	A lot of it does center around when the state adopts new standards, and that’s part of why he’s highlighting that, so it’s not common core science. It’s North Dakota science standards and when they adopt those standards, those do change and sometimes it doesn’t mean you throw out the baby out with the bath water, But, you gotta realign. Sometimes you gotta put a little more EMP.

00:26:53,200	In an area where maybe we didn’t or at a grade level and make sure we’re backwards mapping opportunities so that as these young ladies they saw coming from Northridge progress through their experience. Hopefully. They’re getting that success of building blocks of foundation so they can do well, we see that we’ve provided opportunity. Also in our vocabulary can be a key.

00:27:11,800	And so there’s a lot of intentional work across many of our disciplines about unpacking the vocabulary that’s pertinent to science or pertinent to, um, mathematics, social studies, etcetera, Um The elementary job elementary level. They’ve done really nice job of what we call pacing units. It’s not rigid on the 26th day.

00:27:31,800	You must be doing this exact lesson because there’s learner flexibility, but there should be a little bit of guide rails generally should be making this far progress and how we might approach that, um same thing in the secondary as we talked about vocabulary and again. Um, I won’t try to impress upon you a better job than what was done by our teacher.

00:27:51,000	Ms Kulis about, um, understanding The time with PLCs and, uh, teachers to be able to hone their craft from one another. You know, like that ability is, um, invaluable time and dedicated focus. Uh, during the day has really helped us. I think move from pockets of excellence or islands of excellence to really systemically. How. Can.

00:28:12,730	We steal the wheel shared our own as he said, Hey 17 years ago. It would be great, but that also means is that Next year when we have a new biology teacher, we can share the wheel and help support them along the way versus Hey, here’s the keys, you know, do good things. So.

00:28:28,830	We’re far more intentional than we maybe were in the past. We see a lot of Le learning activities and labs and we talked about the extension beyond that. So as we see the professional development, it’s all centered around. How. Can we have students be doing the thinking. How. Can.

00:28:46,730	We have them, um, thinking like scientists a few years ago as I had some university professors come into A building where I was a leader at they said. We. Guess that in biology where we begin, we begin back at the cell. By a one on one Said. So what we do want is we want your kids to think like scientists.

00:29:04,400	We want them to be able to read and analyze data and be able to write science writing. That’s different than the five paragraph or, you know in the English essay so again.

00:29:20,400	Things like that when we talk about problem solving is so refreshing to hear our young scientists that were here before you tonight be able to use some of that same language that they’re getting as a scientist. I problem solve. As a scientist. I have to collaborate as a scientist. I engage in critical thinking the subject matter and the complexity may change. But. Those are common, intentional threads that you’re weaving throughout your district and offering this community to be recipients in their young, Um Children’s experience.

00:29:42,730	So as we take a look, Uh we’ll be moving forward with our guiding coalitions. We have really seen a lot of benefit that occurs, uh, with grade representatives at the elementary K through five as well as then there’s a secondary, uh, reps by grade level as well as subject content expertise.

00:30:01,670	We see that as a great way to really just learn and steal the wisdom that’s present throughout the organization. Um, we do see and what I will not say. As I said. Dr. F and I did a nice job. Just know that as the standard space grading data. We move forward from that I hopefully got a hint that we still have standards.

00:30:21,300	And, we still have, um, classroom assessments and feedback that’s going to the students around the standards. It’s just not in that. Traditional or I shouldn’t say traditional in the typical stairs was grating format anymore. So again.

00:30:42,070	Um, that’s a great opportunity for us to see that there’s opportunities for us to capture and how we might demonstrate that, uh, we are teaching all standards and what could be communicated to you? So again? That’s maybe a summer workshop with Dr FN and the board.

00:30:56,070	I think as you talked about that, as well as the Learning Excellence committee that I know that Miss Peterson and fash that have referred to but at this point in time at stand for any questions. Thanks Dr. johnson. I know we got a a lot kind of in there and not a ton of pages. But a lot of a lot of statistics there in data, so appreciate you going through that with us, I. I. Guess I just had one right out the gate. If.

00:31:09,900	That’s all right, Um, an indicator four, and it’s a little bit of a transition year that I’m talking about so some of it might go to Mr Barnhart, but indicator for we see a drop a little bit from grades 5 to 6, and it’s goes all the way back to 2019. So.

00:31:22,130	It’s not necessarily that and then I see that they bounce right back up again. Is that what you I mean? I don’t know that you’ll know this stuff. Top of your head necessarily Dr. johnson because it Might be a deeper, deeper dive. But.

00:31:36,170	Um is that a transition thing that we would consider? Um so this? We’ve seen some trends there in the past. And If you look at that You’re actually kind of notice that across the board. And. Um uh, Mr Barnhardt could, uh, refer to this? But in talking with some of our our members? Uh, who are you know, working with teachers there? I think the type of feedback and specificity that goes on with

00:31:54,130	science at the elementary level again. There’s a lot of emphasis upon reading and mathematics, and they do science and social studies. But even there, they’re trying to get deeper and, uh, calibrate on what level but again when you’re a science teacher, and that’s all you’re doing all day long as 1/6 grade. Teacher.

00:32:14,030	That’s the content versus um, science as part of a maybe a project or part of a a holistic experience. And. Maybe Miss. Barnhart has something else. But again. That’s not devaluing that it’s just it’s knowing that there is an intentionality of now whether it’s math or whether it’s your social studies or sorry science or social studies.

00:32:33,130	Some of those we sometimes get into a little bit more of I’m, a content expert, and we have teased out these 18 different. Standards, and we’re gonna get really deep on this where maybe the depth had not occurred as much. Um, but maybe appropriately, by all means. Just. Be clear, So.

00:32:53,470	I think that that’s where you go from content experts at the secondary to teachers who aren’t Uh, let me be clear. I’m not saying that they don’t have expertise, but their expertise at five or six different disciplines, including art and all those things there So again.

00:33:12,330	There may be a few science standards in fifth grade that they emphasize where there might be Between typically we we target 18 to 20 standards at per content course at a secondary level. So again if you’re dealing with five or so in fifth grade, Um, now you’re talking about 1820.

00:33:33,030	The depth and specificity might be teasing out versus some broader scientific things that are year long standards, typically at elementary where might be Hey, We’re doing it during this unit during October to early November, and then we’re done with the standard. Some of that occurs there where, I think, Um, mister Barnhard if he wants to clarify, could But I think that that’s some of that year long. Um, approach to these are big scientific things. So.

00:33:49,600	We’ve had many, many passes at it, where science and social studies tends to be a little bit more finite. We are done with the unit and now we recorded that grade and we didn’t revisit it. Where English, we might revisit the writing math. We might be revisiting that Yeah. That’s good.

00:34:04,930	Thank you? I Appreciate you clarifying that too, cause I I Do. Remember seven conversations like that In the past. We probably asked about this last year, too, because, like I said, this you could kind of see that transition year in the I appreciate the question I wasn’t like thrown for it, but that I think that I don’t remember if you asked

00:34:17,930	that, Mr Eastgate, but I do think that too again. The public that having that understanding is appreciated as well. And. I know, I know, both as a district also as a board those transition years are important years and they think that we’re just trying to always what are the things that

00:34:30,000	we can do to put in place to continue to help support the kids? And like you said. I, think a lot of that just goes from a more. Uh we’ll call it a comprehensive More focused and like you said, then they move on. So I appreciate that. Um I guess I had one other comment.

00:34:42,630	I guess before, if other board members had questions, But as I, Look at this, Um, report all in all, I, I. Guess just from my perspective, I feel like the district’s really doing a good job. I feel like you’re being a little too self critical little bit Dr. F Dr. Johnson.

00:34:58,170	Um in your recommendation, um, asking for a reasonable progress with the exception when I see, uh, just one and it just really one small area that we’re even looking at making adjustments, So that’s just my opinion. I’d be curious with the rest of the board feels about that. But, uh, board members if you have any other questions.

00:35:12,830	Or comments, please. Oh, yeah. Mr Lee. Uh, thank you. So. I’m looking at Indicator three there and you look at spring 2223. Our sophomores were at 40% if I’m reading it right when they were freshmen, they were at 41%. And. That’s the number.

00:35:35,730	I’m kind of looking at is the same cohort coming through right so it it seems like it should be, you know a flat or decrease under 2%. In my mind. We should maybe look at reworking that indicator to to reflect the same group of students coming through. Yeah. Mr Lee and president is good I.

00:36:00,330	I certainly understand how you’re looking at that again if we would color code that by cohort, you would be seen, Um it would be blue. It’s Under and again, There’s variation when you’re talking about within 2%, you’re gonna get that It’s different kids again from we have 15% of our student population that moves in and out every year. So again. Uh, Mister Lee. I think that your point is well taken.

00:36:17,330	I think the standard was or this indicator was set up as comparing year to year and last year was Baseline year, and that’s something that they’re changing, too. So. I mean you could certainly view it in that way. And. Maybe that does affect President eastgate. How.

00:36:33,570	You’re viewing this whether it’s making progress or making progress, with exception, Um That’d be up to your determination. But. Thanks, Mr Lee, Mr lee Anything else there? No. But II. I Agree with you, Mr eastgate or President eastgate? Uh, you know it. It really Is more of a blip in my mind. It’s It’s not enough to to stay with exception.

00:36:56,400	I think I would be more inclined to say it’s that we’re making reasonable progress. Thanks Mr. Lee, Mrs Peterson. Yeah things President eastgate and Mr Lee. I was gonna I was gonna say the same the same type of thing.

00:37:14,630	Um, plus, if you look at this entire section as a whole, and you look at this being five indicators and four out of the five indicators are making reasonable progress. And, then with the one that is making progress. With exception. We. Still. It Looks like we’re still Talking baseline. We’re still looking at it. And then this indicator may go away.

00:37:33,970	Um, as a result of the committee, I would agree with that assessment that it feels a little harsh. In addition. Um, the fact that even with what your comments were, um Dr. Johnson and Dr. fs not earlier in In other indicators, the one indicator that talks about in every single subject area. We are expecting growth.

00:37:55,300	Um in a P and dual credit and extended learning op. And. And at some point. I mean, I think that’s an amazing goal for for us to have. It’s definitely a stretch goal. But. At. What point you’re gonna start to see. I mean because I, I would argue and and again. We just talked about this with the focus to success. I would see.

00:38:11,670	I mean, there’s we have a lot of different students, a lot of different student paths. And, Um, you know if we just look at at at our own at our own Children, um in our homes, there would be opportunities I think to both take these types of classes.

00:38:28,230	These a P and dual credit for those who have always stretched themselves in areas like science. While. There is also really amazing. Horses that are being offered getting science credit.

00:38:46,270	But are that are very hands on that are offered at the career academy and and those are are just as good, if not, if not better, depending on um student interest, So, I think as a part of the workshop that, um Dr. Johnson has referenced and we’ve referenced that other thing really looking at the results and whether we’re asking the right question or whether those indicators are still appropriate to reflect Maybe the changing district and and and just looking At, Um the amount of indicators and all of those kinds of things.

00:39:07,130	I would agree with your assessment. Um, President Eastgate. And and Mr Lee who kind of talked about that? I would say, you know when you’re looking at four out of the five indicators make it reasonable progress.

00:39:23,130	That’s just that’s just good math right that that that would be making reasonable progress without exception, so That would just be my opinion. Mr Hager. Thanks President eastgate. Um, I agree with you the sentiments that we’ve had so far as you as you look through these indicators, and I would go back to Indicator three.

00:39:40,900	The, the one with the exception is is you look at through through the others and you look at the number of data points we have here. It’s We’ve got two. It’s hard to really establish a pattern of of what may be going on with with two Just data points to look at here. So I. Guess. My. My thought is that Kind of long line with President eastgate.

00:39:58,530	That seems to me that we’re making reasonable progress. Ms Peterson. So with that I would move that with respect to our two academic achievement that we would move to make reasonable progress. Second We have a motion in a second any more discussion. If. You. Allow me, I will add my comments fo Go ahead. You take a vote. I’ll.

00:40:24,000	Add your comments so they don’t maybe they do Or. Don’t bias Your vote I guess to to the board’s, uh, to all of your comments about being critical just for public knowledge, and we debated this as a team beforehand. Like, where should we rate this? I want you to know we tend.

00:40:43,300	My view is that we tend to be more critical than less. I’m always going to be a little more critical when I bring that to you, and then it’s your judgment. To to say I want to change it it philosophical view or come in a little bit harsher.

00:40:58,470	Um, just because we wanna be forthright and honest with the information and say we hold ourselves to high accountability, But, I will say, as you’ve already said, it doesn’t really matter to the vote, but indicator for, um, obviously, we need to address some indicator adjustments in the future doesn’t again affect your motion, But Indicator one and two, as Dr, Johnson said of the AC T.

00:41:16,500	I think that’s great future work for our working committees to just discuss that. And realign our work and, uh, I will say last thing in this has nothing to do with your vote, but I was just thinking as you were debating boy when you get emails from kids in Harvard who say they’re preparatory courses got them ready that says a lot

00:41:34,970	about our programs. And. I appreciate that, but I’ll leave it to you. That’s a great comment. My I. I agree. I appreciate that a lot. That’s a big deal. Um and and Dr. F. Not.

00:41:49,930	Just so you know from my chair in our chairs, it’s we appreciate that, like we appreciate that you guys are gonna be and to Mr Barnhardt and Dr. Johnson, um, that you are gonna come with very critical, uh, recommendation for, uh, for your work. Really.

00:42:05,130	Um, And we also know that in our spot, we get a chance to dig into that and ask you guys questions and and determine where we feel like the the district and you are doing your job. So appreciate that, Uh, With that we do have a motion in a second. Any other discussion. Seeing and hearing. None will go to the roll, Mr Sher. Le Yes, Peterson preskey. Yes Hager? Yes, Eastgate? Yes. Motion passes 50. Thank you. Item six.

00:42:44,930	OK? Matters deserve for board Action six A, the 2024 partial roof replacement project bid Dr. FSN, Uh, we had talked about this previously board members about, um, getting bids for this, Uh, this work.

00:43:04,200	It’s really annual work we fix We repair roofs every time I think, um or remember, Peterson has mentioned that now that affects the budget, so I’m gonna just pass this over to Mr share to explain and ask for your consideration. Thank you Dr. Foss not present eastgate members of the board. Uh, you like, uh Dr. S not said we did talk about this. At a previous meeting. Typically. You’d see this on the consent agenda.

00:43:20,500	Of course you could always pull that off if you wanted more information. Um, but this year we thought it’s important that we actually have this in board action because it’s it’s different than our normal practice. So. This is the one thing that we’re gonna we’re gonna try, uh, to take out of our building fund for a maintenance thing.

00:43:39,930	Um, so the roof replacement, um It is three roofs. It is, uh, a base and an ad at one building and then another, uh, project at? Uh uh, Another building so 22 Total buildings, three separate projects.

00:44:00,930	Um so, like I said in the future, um this unless the board directs us, otherwise would you’d probably see it on a consent agenda, but we just wanted to be up front and clear with the board and transparent that this is a different than normal practice, So. We felt the board should weigh in on it. Thank you, Mr Chair. Yeah, And.

00:44:15,730	You know the roof having it come across, you know, I always say it, but having to buy a roof for the district is not as exciting as a new playground for kids or new technology in the classroom that we feel like can be used, but it’s also important. It’s kind of like Like the tires on your car or the washing machine in your house, right? And? You.

00:44:29,600	Gotta have them, um, sure helps to have them. So board members. Any questions or comments for Mr Sher Dr. Fos. President eastgate? Yeah, Mr Lee. Uh, yeah, Just one question, uh, for Mr share is, uh, we we basically had three companies give us three bids on three different roofs to the roof on the at the same school, But.

00:44:56,370	Um, were we taking, uh, the low bid for each roof? It just happened to be one contractor. Uh or or were we looking at the the total for for each roofing? And taking the low contractor. Does that make sense? Correct So the, um the the same company was low on all three projects. So.

00:45:22,470	I had another company been low on like bid two. We would have given them that rough and the other two would have went to the same contractor. Correct the only one where we made like, you know, bit Item two and alternate bid Item one, they would usually those would be the same project because it’s

00:45:42,730	an alternate to that same bid, But. Yeah, so bid one and bid two could have been two separate con 22 different contractors. Understood. Thanks. Thanks for the question, Mr Lee and thanks, Mr Chair. Any other questions or what are the wishes of the board? Remember hager.

00:46:06,800	I move that we award the Bismarck High school in Walker Middle school, partial roofing projects to twin city roofing. In the amount of 635,290 to be paid by the building fund. Second We have motion IN a second, any further discussion. Seeing hearing none. Mr Share We. Call The roll, please. Peterson. Yes, preskey. Yes. Hager? Yes, Lee. Yes, Eastgate. Yes. Motion passes. Thank you.

00:46:41,470	Item six. B is board member school visit updates. I know we’ve got some more updates coming up down the road, but I do not believe we have any coming tonight. So that will bring us to the end of Item six. Unfortunately. I like hearing those school updates. Um, Item seven is the consent agenda.

00:46:57,730	What are the wishes of the board. Mr Peterson. I moved to adopt the consent agenda. Second We have a motion IN a second. Any questions? Mr Sheriff. Preskey Hager? Yes, Lee. Yes Peterson. He kid? Yes. 50 for the consent agenda. I made is the superintendent’s report. Item eight a The financial report Dr.

00:47:31,270	FSN Again Last report of the evening, but I will pass this behind me to Mr Chair. Thank you. Dr. S, not, uh, board President eastgate, Um members of the board. So have the financial report in front of you couple things I Wanna point out, so this is essentially the finance report as the end of February.

00:47:50,130	So, essentially we have four months remaining. Um, couple of things we had, uh, a little issue with how we were tracking that was tied back to, um, how some collections were at the county that’s starting to clear up.

00:48:11,130	I will if you go to the part where we get the unfavorable, unfavorable, we still are tracking a little bit unfavorable as far as revenues. My prediction is that gap will close closer to zero. So to be closer to what we had budgeted and then the good news on the flip side of that is our V to budget on expenditures is considerably less. So.

00:48:31,930	That’s that’s a good gap to have, um, there Couple just things that I’ll point out If you track how we’re doing kind of Over the two year period everything seems to be in line. Um remember four months left, and we budgeted in interest earned, uh 1.2. We’ve collected almost 1.5. So. We have four more months of some interest money that will definitely help the board on the revenue side.

00:48:53,800	Uh, the other one that I wanted to point out is on. Expenditures is that, um No removal is considered less than budgeted. Which. Um, we thought we’re gonna have to tap that we did have to tap it a little bit this weekend, but not as much as we probably Could have.

00:49:13,530	Um and I had one more and I should have wrote it down. Um I think you know, maybe the other one that I would point out is natural gas is turning a lot lower, too, than we had budgeted. We decided not really to adjust that based on market prices, but Um, So.

00:49:36,000	That’s that’s a positive on the expenditure side. So, um with that I I did have one more, but it’s not coming to me right off. Top of my head so that I’d answer any questions The board may have on anything else in the financial report. Dr. FI. I would make, um Just.

00:49:56,400	One singular comment before I let you guys go ahead, Mr shear in this report, I guess. When as a new Super dan coming in the district. What your first budget you really have little to no control over.

00:50:12,900	It’s already been done by the time you take your first seat in office, your first steps in office If, you look at your report on Page three. The PURPLE COLUMN You adopted budget Just Look at your adopted revenue in your adopted expenditure.

00:50:34,730	If you remember right during that time when we had our our, um, budget meetings we were gonna see probably a negative expenditure to revenue forecast, right? We’re going to spend a little bit more than what we are Budgeting, um as far as revenue and we knew that was a trend that we needed to begin to turn the other way, right. We knew, uh, but even talked about that, So. That’s a multiyear ratchet, that’s gonna take some work to do right that you can’t do some of these things overnight. What.

00:50:49,130	I would tell you if you looked at the projected end of year and that’s projected no promises. Please. Don’t Hold me too much to these, But. Um I am happy to say Hey, My team, My, mister share Our People, um, have been looking at Look at that projected.

00:51:08,530	We’re gonna get that, um, revenue a little less than what we projected but over expenditure So. We’re actually pushing the budget in the right direction. Getting the expenditures down enough that they’re under anticipated revenue, which I do applaud my people for and I think that’s heading it in the right direction. So Thank you, Dr. Fraser. Board members.

00:51:34,070	Any questions for Mr Chair? Mr Chair. If. There’s after questions. I just have a few more comments related to the audit that I’d like to update the board on Sure thing. Anything else on this financial report, though. Seeing. No. Mr chair. Please Continue.

00:51:55,400	Thank you So, uh, will Swanson and I are director of accounting met with, uh, the audit manager and senior auditor. Uh, for our The audit that we’re working on that ended fiscal year. 23. So. What we learned today is hopefully that we will see a draft by tomorrow. Uh, we’ll prepare a response and hopefully then that draft then will come to board members.

00:52:15,070	We’re hoping as soon as Wednesday, Um you’ll have some time then to review that audit. Uh and get it back. Uh, before, um, they will consider it final. Um, The. One thing is that they will be coming to present to the board. Uh, I think What we’re gonna do is push them to the second meeting in April.

00:52:32,230	You know the audit will be submitted to the clearing house before that, But still, um we’ll have the public consumption of the findings of the audit and all that that will come to the full board board by the auditors so that they can, um Get their kind of take on how the audit went everything and then ask questions. Sounds good. Yeah.

00:52:52,700	I appreciate that update. We’ve As a burden as a district. You know we’re we’re kind of waiting to to have that get to our desk. So. Thank you, Mr Chair. Board members any of their questions or comments on that. Dr. FS, not anything else for the superintendent’s report. Then all all items have been considered. I declare this