School board approves new assessment system

Hargrave stated that data driven instruction focuses on four levels, student level analysis, class level analysis, standard analysis and question level analysis. NWEA MAP focuses on those first two levels, but not all four. “We weren’t able to get the other two, which was standard analysis, really targeting what specific skills students were perhaps deficient in. Then also looking at question level analysis, which question did they miss? What do those questions look like? Maybe, what answer choice were they selecting? What is the misunderstanding and how we can correct that misunderstanding?”

Performance Matters will allow teachers to analyze all four levels to see how students are performing as well as make more informed instructional decisions.

Performance Matters is directly linked to the Beyond Textbooks Arizona State Standards system currently being used by HUSD and will allow teachers to develop standards-based benchmark assessments throughout the school year. Hargrave also stated that Performance Matters allows teachers to make their own assessments. The system is a three-year contract, with a $30,000 start up cost, which includes training for teachers, then an annual $18,000 cost.

In addition, the board designated Power School Group, LLC as sole source provider for the Performance Matters benchmarking system.

Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich stated the transition to Performance Matters would start the following day.

Also, in other business, the board:

* Approved the FY24 salary placement schedules for the 2023-2024 school year. Salary placement schedules include first year certified faculty placement schedule; substitute placement schedule; special assignment positions salary schedule including math, science, special education and Indian Wells Elementary positions; administrator placement schedule; special assignment stipend schedule, certified staff extra duty daily, hourly and periodic pay stipends, and special hourly certified employee pay rates schedules.

* Approved the First Year Extra Duty Certified Faculty Stipend Placement Schedule for Fine Arts, Academic and Other Duties; as well as Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) related activities. There are no substantive changes to this schedule.

* Approved a step increase for those qualifying on the Extra Duty Certified Faculty Placement Schedule for Fine Arts, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Academics and Other Duties; as well as, AIA related activities or a 7% increase to employees that are past Step 5 on the Extra Duty Certified Faculty Placement Schedule.

* Approved a 3% increase in salary for all certified teachers, administrators and salaried employees for the 2023-2024 contract year.

* Approved the 2023-2024 administrator and salaried employee contracts of Dr. Jeff Meeks, Dr. Kevin Fosburgh, Andrea Tomlin, Dr. Charles Haussman, Cheri Grau, Clete Hargrave, Paul DeMuth, Jacob Baker, Jesus Luna-Almendariz, Shawn Tow, Victor Padilla and Ray McLaws.

* Approved school year 2023-2024 contracts for returning certified staff members.

* Approved the list of authorized check signers who may sign checks from the various checking accounts used by the district.

* Approved a Special Services Consortium Agreement for the 2023-2024 school year. The agreement includes an increase in physical therapy and occupational therapy services.

* Approved out-of-state travel for HHS and Holbrook Junior High School (HJHS) staff to attend Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) training July 10-12 in Seattle, Wash. Funding will be provided through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.

* Approved Great Minds Wit and Wisdom/Geodes reading curriculum for a 60-day review for Park and Hulet Elementary Schools. The program will be implemented in grades K-5 as a core reading program. Funding will come from ESSER III funding and district maintenance and operations funding.

* Approved Apptegy/ThrillShare Rooms as a parental communications application for HUSD; as well as, designate Apptegy/ThrillShare Rooms as a sole source provider for this product as part of the current Apptegy/ThrillShare program. Rooms can be utilized by school personnel within the ThrillShare platform to communicate with parents, students, student groups, etc.

* Approved an updated Johnson O’Malley/Title VI Director job description.

* Approved support staff employments of Shyann Nardi, Park health assistant and A-team; Veronica Nelson, Hulet/HJHS library assistant; Ryan Simpson, HHS/Special Education (SPED) high needs para; and Earleen Tsosie, bus monitor in transportation.

* Approved the support staff resignations of McKayla Korkosz, district office clerical assistant.

* Approved the certified employment of Meagan Newton-Pender, Park Elementary School teacher; and Nicole Warner, HHS transfer to Phenix school teacher.

* Approved the resignation of James Self, HHS biology teacher.

* Approved extra duty for Alicia Jimenez and Galen Knight, both for HJHS after school soccer club; Vanessa Morgan, HJHS girls head track coach; Arletta Nez, HJHS boys head track coach; Jessica Paz, HJHS assistant track coach; and Tim Yazzie HJHS sports help.

* Approved professional leave for Heidi Hunsaker, Ariz., Orff Workshop, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Audrey Morris, 34th Annual School Health Conference, cost to the district is $490; Cheryl Carlson, Northland Pioneer College dual enrollment meeting, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Holly Perkins, Council for Exceptional Children virtual convention and expo; Stephanie Bridegam, Preventing Problem Behavior, cost to the district is $165; Patty Singer, Arizona Speech & Hearing Association Convention, cost to the district is $375; Kevin Fosburgh, Cheri Grau, Andrea Tomlin, Clete Hargrave and Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich, Arizona School Administrators Summer Conference, cost to the district is $3,305; Loren Silver, Yakai Yizhchi Conference, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Makenzi Ulibarri, Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) training, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Karalyn Reidhead, Arizona Speech & Hearing Association Convention, cost to the district is $746; Amanda Remos, Arizona Speech & Hearing Association Convention, cost to the district is $801; Charlie Haussman, NAVIT administrators meeting, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $1.2 million.

* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $1.5 million.

* Approved personnel pay for Jacob Baker and Jesus Luna-Almendariz, increasing pay $1,840 to align with salary schedule; Cheri Grau, HJHS professional development presenter, $500; Heidi Hunsaker, Hulet professional development, $500; Alicia Jimenez, HJHS professional development, $500; Beth Self, Park professional development, $500; HJHS professional development, $7,500; bus driver attraction, $3,910; school year 23-24 teacher longevity stipends, $223,000; school year 23-24 contract addendums, $92,965; and Prop 301 quarter three, $155,981.

* Approved requests by student council for a Mr. Roadrunner cornhole tournament, with expected earnings of $1,200-$2,000, a Mr. Roadrunner dodgeball tournament, with expected earnings of $300-$500, Mr. Roadrunner basketball tournament, with expected earnings of $400-$1,000; and National Honor Society Mr. Roadrunner family feud/penny war, with expected earnings of $200-$300.

* Approved donations received from Safeway to Indian Wells Elementary (IWES) for $25 gift card for bowls and cutlery for menudo in the hospitality room; Little Caesars to IWES for 20 pizzas for the hospitality room; Dairy Queen to IWES for food for coach’s room; and Navajo County for $1,575 for the choir California trip.

* Adopted Policy IKF Graduation Requirements.