Willoughby-Eastlake Association for the Gifted and Talented   WEAGT  

WEAGT Board Meeting 4/8/08

WEAGT Membership meeting 4/8/08 held at Willoughby Middle School library.

Present: Tim Higgins, Annette Thompson, Sue Luck, Carol Bergeron, Bruce Allaben, Roberto Marino, Beth Vogt, Judy Shrefler, Shanti Blatnik, Tonya Mihalek, Lori Wylie, Robin Ungar, Georgeanne Botek, Sue Penicka, Shahid Parvez, Kathy Martin Liberatore, Stephanie Perusek, Amy Soltesz, Alison Ciferno, Katie Zalar, Sharon Daneshmand, Amy Harker, Betty Stevens, Trixie Higgins. 

Tim called meeting to order at 6:30 and led Pledge of Allegiance.

Honors teachers Mrs. Simpson and Mrs. Schwenk have illnesses and family emergencies and are unable to attend tonight’s meeting but look forward to being at the May meeting, which is scheduled for May 13 at the Willoughby Public Library. 

Election of Officers for 2008-2009 proceeded.  Carol Bergeron ran unopposed for secretary and was reelected.  Tim states that Marty Shingler’s term as treasurer has expired and thanked him for his terrific service to WEAGT.  Lori Wylie ran unopposed for treasurer and was elected.  Annette Thompson term as co-vice president has expired and Tim thanks her for her expertise in helping lead WEAGT.  Tonya Mihalek ran unopposed for co-vice president and was elected.  Sue Luck ran unopposed for co-vice president and was reelected.  Tim Higgins ran unopposed for president as was reelected.  The Board for the 2008-2009 thanks the membership for their faith in us. 

Tim Hamann, Director of Elementary Education presented on Value Added, a concept for measuring a student’s yearly academic progress.  Value Added measures from one year’s snapshot event (achievement testing) to the next year’s achievement testing.  Reading and Math are the areas Value Added focuses upon.  This is valuable in that progress is measured from wherever the student starts.  Tim showed a video and distributed handouts on Value Added and mentions that this new piece of data will now appear on district report cards.  For more information Tim urges us to contact the Ohio Department of Education’s website at www.ode.state.oh.us and click on value added.  The Ohio Achievement test is the only item used to measure value added from year to year and only math and reading are assessed.  The first year of these tests is the third grade and the tests run through eighth grade. 

Amy Harker presented on Differentiated Education, a concept that allows teachers to prepare lessons, assignments, and assessments that can be varied by content, process, learning profile and environment.  Parents can help by communicating their child’s learning style to the teacher.  This is not individualized instruction but a process that can benefit all students, including those with IEPs. 

Mrs. Harker and Mrs. Stevens state that WEAGT has given five Elmos with LCD projectors to Washington this year, and states that the teachers are grateful and love the new technology, which they use daily.  Next year’s budget is for $24,000 and the teachers would prioritize their requests to include more Elmos and projectors.  Teachers will put their wish lists together. 

We will need new Auction Chair people as Dina Rossi and Michelle Marcsik have served so capably and will now step down.  Please consider volunteering before the end of this year to ease transition.  Tim Hamann states that the new Auction Central will be at the old Kennedy School in Eastlake. 

Tim Hamman states that plans are being made to look at the rigor of coursework in grades seven and up.