Grapeland ISD Board Discusses AEIS Report, Upcoming Events

GRAPELAND - The Grapeland Independent School District Board of Trustees met in its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13. The agenda was relatively short and highlighted by reports on the district’s Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) and Highly Qualified Teacher status reports.

GISD Superintendent Dr. K.L. Groholski provided the board with an update to the ongoing Teacher Professional Development Training. He said, “On Jan. 3, we will have Dr. Mack Hines back in the district to give a full day presentation to our teaching staff. He came earlier this month and visited with some teachers, visited with some students and visited with our administrators. He is putting together a program specifically for Grapeland ISD. We are looking forward to having him here. This is going to be the first of our waiver days.”

Dr. Groholski also reminded board members the Christmas band concert was on Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m., in the Lorena Shoultz Auditorium. Prior to the concert board members will attend a legislative update training at 6 p.m. in the administration building. The board was also informed that the next regularly scheduled board meeting will be held on Jan. 16.

After his superintendent’s report, a public hearing was held on the Grapeland ISD AEIS report.

“This is a lot of detailed information starting off with grade level information of TAKS testing and how the grade level performed from this past year. It also listed the results from 2010,” Dr. Groholski said. “The one thing that I would like to point out to everyone is that, the grade level report from those two years, 2010 and 2011, are not the same group of kids. It is the same grade level. Reading and math are tested all the way up to the eighth grade. At that point, reading gets replaced by English/language arts for the high school. Mathematics is tested from third grade all the way up to grade 11. One of the things you will notice is that the writing exam is given at the fourth grade level and the seventh grade level. The fifth grade brings in the science exam. It is tested there for the first time at the fifth grade level. And we see that again in the eighth grade, 10th and 11th. In terms of social studies, the first time we will see that exam is on grade level eight, then we will see that again on grade levels 10 and 11,” he said. The report also provides information about dropout rates, completion rates, SAT results and college readiness, percentage of students enrolled by grade, demographic breakdowns and several other areas.”

The entire report may be viewed at www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis.

A report was also provided on the status of Highly Qualified Teachers within the district. Dr, Groholski updated board members on the report that they had been provided.

“After the information was printed and packets developed, we received verification on several changes that were made on the qualification guidelines from the United States Department of Education,” he said. “These were in terms of certifications that were viewed in terms of highly qualified status and those that were not. After those guidelines were given to us by the Region VI Service Center, we have two teachers that have been identified as not meeting the highly qualified status. These affect two periods of mathematics on the junior high level and period of math at the high school level.”

Following the reports by Dr. Groholski, the board adjourned into executive session to discuss, among other things a Level III grievance filed by a parent regarding student disciplinary action. The board re-convened in open session after a little over an hour and informed the parent that they would be mailed the board’s decision concerning any action that may be taken.