2006-11-20 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON Monday, November 20, 2006 AT 12:00 noon IN THE Media Center, Charlottesville High School. THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: Luncheon meeting with School Board BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Jeanne Cox CHARLOTTESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER – November 20, 2006 Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: Dr. Brown, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Norris, Mr. Taliaferro. Mr. Kenneth Leatherwood, Principal of Charlottesville High School, reviewed the “Positioning for Success” Program. He listed the opportunities for improvement as follows: student attendance; student retention; student discipline and parent/community involvement. He reviewed the action items for each area and presented key academic data. Mr. Lynch said one question is how the drop out rate is measured, and how do we as a community want to measure it to use as an outcome. Ms. Rosa Atkins, Superintendent of Schools, said it is important to use the state formula. She said the schools try to take all factors into consideration (i.e., students who move out of the district). Mr. Lou Bograd, School Board member, said there are concrete definitions for every measure as was decided would be done in the Strategic Plan. th Ms. Atkins said that on December 6 staff will be meeting with all Charlottesville High School students and parents. She said parents will be made aware of all intervention programs at that time. Ms. Julie Gronlund, School Board member, said she would like to hear more about the Freshman Transition Program. She said we may want to back that program up and move it to Buford as well. Mr. Josh Walton, Head of the Freshman Academy team, said thought is being given to a coordinator at CHS and Buford that would connect the two schools. Mr. Lynch said it appears that the volunteer efforts are ad hoc at different schools. He asked if there is an opportunity for a volunteer coordinator at the central office level. Mr. Leatherwood said that the volunteer needs of schools are different. He said the plan is to establish this through the PTO. Ms. Peggy Van Yahres, School Board member, said allowing students to be exempt from exams if they had an A or B average used to be a tremendous incentive. Mr. Lynch said that there was talk of the creation of an English as a Second Language center a couple of years ago, and he asked if there have been any further discussions about that and having focused intervention. Ms. Gertrude Ivory, Associate Superintendent of Schools, said the needs of adolescents are different than younger students. She said the idea is to do a newcomer’s center at CHS.