GOOD EVENING, I HEREBY CALL TO ORDER THE APRIL 22, 2021 CALL BOARD MEETING BY VIDEO
[1.0 Call to Order]
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CONFERENCE OF THE CROWLEY ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEE AND CERTIFY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 551.041 AND 551.045 OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.PURSUANT TO PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING AND AS ALLOWED BY THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY SUSPENSION TO START AN OPEN MEETING LAWS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, I REQUESTED THE OFFICIAL ROLL CALL PLEASE, MR. KIRCHNER. YES, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
TRUSTEE PLACE ONE NEDRA ROBINSON? PRESENT. TRUSTEE PLACE TWO DR.
LA TONYA WOODSON-MAYFIELD? PRESENT. THANK YOU.
DR. MIA HALL? PRESENT. THANK YOU.
TRUSTEE PLACE FOUR JUNE W DAVIS IS ABSENT THIS EVENING.
TRUSTEE PLACE FIVE RYAN RAY? PRESENT. THANK YOU.
TRUSTEE PLAY SIX. GARY GRASSIA.
THANK YOU AND TRUSTEE PLACE SEVEN, DR.
PRESENT. THANK YOU AND SUPERINTENDENT DR.
MICHAEL MCFARLAND? PRESENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING OUR MEETING THIS EVENING, WHICH IS ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO JOIN BY VIDEO CONFERENCE.
WE HAVE VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU BE PATIENT AS WE CONDUCT OUR MEETING IN THIS FORMAT.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR DEVICES ARE MUTED.
IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, PLEASE SEND A TEXT MESSAGE OR EMAIL TO MR. KIRCHNER. AND WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ONE SIGNED UP FOR OUR OPEN FORUM TONIGHT.
SO WE WILL MOVE DIRECTLY TO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[4.0 Executive Session]
AT THIS TIME. THE BOARD WILL ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.074F EMPLOYMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL AND 551.071 PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH THE BOARD'S ATTORNEY.OTHER PARTICIPANTS MAY REMAIN ON THIS LINE AND THE BOARD WILL RETURN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE ARE ADJOURNING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6:02 P.M..
THE BOARD ENDED ITS CLOSED SESSION AT 6:51 P.M.
ON THURSDAY, APRIL 22ND, 2021.
WE ARE NOW BACK IN OPEN SESSION AT 6:55 P.M..
THIS BRINGS US TO OUR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS.
[3.0 Consideration and Possible Action Item(s)]
AGENDA ITEM 3.1 ADJUSTMENT TO WEIGHTED GRADE POINT AVERAGE CALCULATION FORMULA.DR. MCFARLAND? MADAM PRESIDENT, BOARD MEMBERS, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO DEFINITELY THANK YOU FOR JUST ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ARE WEIGHTED GRADE POINT CALCULATION SYSTEM.
AND SO WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS JUST WALK THROUGH A BRIEF REPORT THAT WILL SHARE WITH YOU INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED ABOUT OUR CURRENT WEIGHTED GRADE POINT CALCULATION SYSTEM. AGAIN, WE ARE WE DEFINITELY ARE THANKFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THEREFORE WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO STOP AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, STOP AND ASK QUESTIONS, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY BE PREPARED TO ADDRESS IT. SO JUST THE BACKGROUND FOR WHY WE'RE EVEN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION RELATIVE TO OUR GRADE POINT CALCULATION, IT REALLY GOES BACK TO OUR VISION 2025 DOCUMENT VISION 2025 GOALS.
AS YOU ARE AWARE OF, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, ACTUALLY ABOUT MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF, ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IN CROWLEY ISD AS A RESULT OF STUDENTS ATTENDING OUR SCHOOLS.
WHAT ARE OUR GREATEST ASPIRATIONS? WE JUST, WE COLLECTIVELY, THE COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SOME OF YOU ALL AND OTHERS, WE DEVELOPED WHAT WE CALLED OUR VISION 2025.
AND WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT, THERE WERE SOME GOALS THAT WERE PLACED IN THIS DOCUMENT.
ONE OF THE GOALS IS REALLY RELEVANT FOR WHAT WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TONIGHT WAS A GOAL INVOLVING A THRIVING STUDENTS.
WE WANT STUDENTS TO LEAVE US WITH AS MANY CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE.
WE WANTED THEM PREPARED TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY LEAVE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT ALSO, WHICH HAS BEEN OUR MISSION STATEMENT FOR A WHILE, IT JUST REALLY SPEAKS TO THIS IDEA THAT ALL STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT, THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION IN EVERY DAY AND THAT ALL OF THEM WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. AND THE KEY TERM IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS THE WORD ALL AND YOU ALL BEEN REALLY CLEAR ABOUT DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH AND ALL REALLY MEANS ALL FOR US IN THE DISTRICT. AND SO THAT BEING SAID, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR POLICIES AND OUR PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE SAY, ALL, THEY ARE OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE
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CONDUCIVE FOR ALL STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES. MOVING BEYOND THAT, THOUGH, YOU ALL ALSO, AS A BOARD, VOICED A DESIRE TO BE AN HONOR BOARD, TO BE A BOARD THAT'S RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE YOU ARE WILLING TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, TO MAKE CRITICAL DECISIONS AND TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR KIDS. AND SO WE BEGIN TO BE A PART OF THIS LONE STAR GOVERNANCE.AND A PART OF THIS LONE STAR GOVERNANCE TRAINING, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, ONE PART OF IT WHICH IS RELEVANT FOR TONIGHT IS THE PART OF LONE STAR GOVERNANCE THAT REQUIRED US TO REALLY IDENTIFY STUDENTS WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT, BUT ALSO TO IDENTIFY COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS, A GOAL AND TO SEE WHO REALLY HAD ACCESS TO THE ADVANCED ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND ALL THAT.
SO A PART OF OUR LONE STAR GOVERNANCE GOALS, WE ARE TRAINING.
WE CREATED A GOAL AROUND CCMR COLLEGE CAREER AND MILITARY READINESS, WHICH WILL SPEAK TO HOW WE WEIGHT GRADES AS WELL.
AND THEN THE THIRD DOCUMENT IS OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT.
OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT GOAL IS ONE THAT SAYS, HEY, WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR PRE-AP AND AP AND OTHER PROGRAMS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AS WE INCREASE RIGOR FOR OUR STUDENTS, WE INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL LATER.
IF WE CAN EXPOSE THEM TO RIGOR WHILE THEY'RE IN OUR SCHOOLS, THEN THEY'LL BE BETTER PREPARED FOR LIFE OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT WAS A KEY PART OF OUR GOAL.
AND THEN IN THE EVALUATION, WHEN WE HAD OUR LAST CONVERSATION ABOUT EVALUATIONS, WE TALK VERY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT IN OUR GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM, THE ENROLLMENT IN OUR ADVANCED ACADEMICS, OUR PRE-AP PROGRAMS, OUR AP PROGRAMS AND OUR DUAL CREDIT PROGRAMS. IT WAS REALLY CLEAR TO ME, BOARD, THAT WE NEEDED TO RAISE THE BAR FOR ALL KIDS AND RAISE THE FLOOR FOR ALL KIDS AS WELL.
AND SO WHAT I KNOW IS THAT THOSE DRIVING DOCUMENTS KIND OF LED US TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARENTS THIS SUMMER DURING THE PANDEMIC, ACTUALLY.
IT ACTUALLY STARTED FIRST WITH HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE WE AT YOUR GUIDE, WE CREATED AN EQUITY AUDIT SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD START TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS WHO WERE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ADVANCED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. AND SO THROUGH THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE DECIDED THAT WE NEED TO REALLY HAVE EVEN MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS.
AND DURING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE BEGINNING TO MAKE STATEMENTS AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ADVANCED ACADEMICS, THE IMPORTANCE OF PRE-AP, THE IMPORTANCE OF REALLY CHALLENGING OURSELVES. AND SO IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS, I WOULD SAY THAT I DID.
AND I STILL BELIEVE TODAY THAT IF A KID IS IS IN AN ADVANCED ACADEMIC COURSE AND MAYBE THEIR GRADE IS NOT AS HIGH AS IT WOULD BE IN A REGUALAR COURSE, BUT THAT'S OK, BECAUSE KIDS ARE BEING EXPOSED TO RIGOR.
WELL, WHAT I REALIZED IS AS MIDWAY THROUGH ONE PRESENTATION, MS. HARRIS, OUR COORDINATOR OF COUNSELORS, SHE TAKES ME AND SAID, HEY, DOC, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT MAKES SENSE, BUT OUR POLICY DON'T ALIGN WITH THAT.
AND SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, I ASKED HER TO PULL TOGETHER A GROUP.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD COUNSELORS ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.
WE'VE HAD PRINCIPALS, THE TEACHERS, THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
PEOPLE THAT REALLY GOT TOGETHER BEGAN IN THE FALL SEMESTER TO LOOK AT OUR POLICY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THESE ADVANCED ACADEMIC COURSES AND IN THESE PRE-AP COURSES WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GIVING KIDS A FIGHTING CHANCE AS IT RELATES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS AND MILITARY AND ALL THAT, ONCE THEY GRADUATE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POLICY AND OUR PROCEDURES, WE'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING UNINTENTIONALLY THAT CREATED A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE.
AND WHAT WE FOUND THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS IS THAT IN ACTUALITY IT WAS.
AND SO WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE BACKGROUND OF WHY ARE WE EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR GPA SCALE.
AND SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS JUST BUILD SOME CONTEXT AND WE'LL START OFF AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE 2020 GPA SCALE WITH HOW IT IS CURRENTLY IN OUR POLICY.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. WE WILL POINT OUT SOME WHERE WE ARE IN RELATION TO OTHER TARRANT COUNTY COHORTS, OTHER TARRANT COUNTY COHORT DISTRICTS.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THESE DISTRICTS THAT WE TALKED TO, THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD TO SEVERAL DISTRICTS THAT WE LIKE BENCHMARK OURSELVES AGAINST.
AND SO OFTENTIMES WHEN WE HAVE A CONFLICT LIKE WE DO NOW, WE WANT TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT ARE OUR COHORTS DOING, BECAUSE WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING DISADVANTAGE FOR THEM.
BUT WE ALSO WANT TO ALSO LOOK AT, OK, WHAT ARE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF OUR CURRENT SCALE, MAYBE CONSEQUENCES THAT WE MAY NOT BE REALLY APPARENT TO US.
SO ALL OF THIS INFORMATION LED TO OUR RESEARCH AND THEN OUR DISCOVERY.
AND TODAY ALSO WILL END WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
SO LET'S JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT.
I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO JUST KIND OF ADJUST YOUR EYES TO THIS TO THE SCALE OF THIS ACTIONS THAT OUR POLICY YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO OUR BOARD POLICY RIGHT NOW.
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AND IF YOU GO TO EIC LOCAL DEALING WITH GRADUATION, YOU PULL OUR POLICY UP AND THIS IS PRESENT.WHAT'S NOT PRESENT IS WHAT I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED TO RED IT DOESN'T JUMP OUT, BUT WHEN YOU HIGHLIGHT IT, IT REALLY MAKES THE POINT.
THE REASON I HIGHLIGHTED THE WEIGHTS THAT ARE IN RED IS BECAUSE ANYTHING LESS THAN A 2.O IS CONSIDERED A FEELING A WEIGHT AS IT RELATES TO COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE AND AS IT RELATES TO COLLEGE STANDARDS. AND YOU'LL SEE IT'S ALSO DEFINITELY AN ANOMALY WHEN WE LOOK AROUND.
LET ME LET ME JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IF YOU LET'S SAY YOU'RE A STUDENT AND YOU'RE ON A REGULAR CLASS AND YOU SCORE 79, WELL, WE KNOW THAT A 79, THAT'S A STRONG C.
AND IN SOME CASES YOU'RE REALLY RIGHT THERE AT A B.
AND SO WE KNOW A 79,THAT THAT'S A PRETTY STRONG, YOU KNOW, THE STRONG STUDENT.
MAYBE IT'S IS NOT A GREAT TEST OR THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER REASON, BUT THE REALITY IS STUDENT MASTERS 79 PERCENT OF THE MATERIAL.
FOR OUR SCALE, FOR A 79, THE STUDENT WILL ACTUALLY RECEIVE A FAILING GRADE POINT AVERAGE.
AND SO IN ESSENCE WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE SEVERAL KIDS, MORE THAN MORE THAN A FEW STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER FAILED A CLASS IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, BUT HAVE A GPA THAT SHOWS TO COLLEGE AS IF THEY HAVE BEEN FAILING.
AND SO WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT IS, I MEAN, THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR US WHEN WE TALK ABOUT KIDS LEAVING US WITH CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE KIDS THAT HAVE THE APTITUDE TO DO WELL.
BUT THE SYSTEM AND THE POLICY THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE IS PRESENTING THEM AS IF THEY DON'T. AND SO IT CREATES A CHALLENGE FOR US.
WE FELT LIKE IT WAS ONE THAT WE COULD NOT TURN A BLIND EYE TO THAT WE HAD ADDRESSED.
AND WE KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.
WE KNOW IT IS. BUT WE JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABOUT EQUITY, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE DO THINGS RIGHT.
WE KNOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
SO, AGAIN, THIS IS OUR CURRENT SCALE.
I WANT TO ALSO SHARE WITH YOU OUR COHORTS SKILLS, AND I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
WE'LL START WITH THE 70, IT'S REALLY ABOUT FLOORS AND CEILINGS.
WE'RE TALKING GPAS IT'S ABOUT FLOORS AND CEILINGS.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT CROWLEY ISD IS WE HAVE THE CEILINGS, RIGHT.
WE THE CEILINGS ARE RIGHT WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
IT'S OUR FLOORS THAT WE NEED TO RAISE.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS HOW CAN WE RAISE THE FLOOR AND IN ESSENCE, RAISE THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT BURLESON, SO BURLESON, THEIR FLOOR FOR LEVEL COURSES IS A 2.2.
AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT A 2.0 IS NORMALLY WHERE A 70 IS, AGAIN, BURLESON HAS A WEIGHTING A LITTLE HIGHER. BUT THAT WAS A CHOICE THAT THEIR BOARD MADE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, WE UNDERSTAND.
EVERMAN THEY'RE, WHICH IS MORE A TRADITIONAL SAVING ON A MORE TRADITIONAL SCALE OF 70 IS A 2.0. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN A KID SCORES A 70, IF THEY'RE IN COLLEGE, THEY SCORE 70, THEY SEE THAT AS A 2.0.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE THAT'S EVERMAN'S SCALE.
EVERMAN IS ONE OF OUR COHORTS.
LET'S LOOK AT FORT WORTH. FORT WORTH ALSO IS ON A 2.0 SCALE.
AND I'M LOOKING AT ACTUALLY I'M LOOKING AT THE THE THIRD COLUMN AT THE BOTTOM ROW.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M USING AS MY POINT, AS MY TALKING POINT.
BUT THEY'RE AT 2.0 FOR THEIR REGULAR CLASSES, 3.0 FOR ADVANCED, 2.5 FOR PRE-AP.
AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT MANSFIELD, MANSFIELD IS THE SAME WAY THEY LINE IT UP A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THEIR POLICY, BUT IN THEIR APPLICATION, A SEVENTY IS A 2.0 IN MANSFIELD.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE COHORTS THAT WE LOOK AT.
SO ARLINGTON HAS A DIFFERENT SCALE.
AND AGAIN, THE SCALE IS REALLY A LOCAL BOARD DECISION.
AND SO MOST DISTRICTS ATTEMPT TO ALIGN THEIR SCALE WITH THE COLLEGE SCALES SO THAT IT'S EASY FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ADVISORS TO MAKE THE TRANSITION, TO MAKE THE ASSESSMENT AND TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING.
SO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, OUR AUDIENCE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRANSCRIPTS AND OUR GPA SCALES AND ALL, OUR AUDIENCE IS REALLY OUR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FOLKS.
AND SO IF WE'RE SHARING INFORMATION WITH THEM ABOUT OUR STUDENTS, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY THEY'RE NORMALLY USED TO COMMUNICATING.
IT SEEMS IT SENDS AN UNINTENTIONAL MESSAGE.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL, A 2.0 IS A C, WHICH IS PASSING A 3.0 IS A B.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT DUNCANVILLE, WE WE CHOSE DUNCANVILLE JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE.
THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR IN SIZE TO US.
AND SO THIS SCALE, THEIR SCALE IS ACTUALLY CONSISTENT WITH FORT WORTH.
IT'S CONSISTENT WITH EVERMAN IS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH MOST DISTRICTS IN THE STATE ARE ON A 2.0 SCALE FOR A GRADE OF 70 AS A FLOOR.
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AND SO LOOKING AT THAT INFORMATION, WE WANTED TO GO BACK THERE AND SAY, OK, WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE. WE KNOW THAT WE ARE OUT OF WHACK WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER COHORTS.WHAT ARE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR US TO CONTINUE TO NOT NOTICE THAT OUR SYSTEM IS NOT RIGHT, AND SO THE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL REMAIN AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE WITH TARRANT COUNTY AND OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, NOT JUST WITH TARRANT COUNTY STUDENTS, BUT WITH OTHERS ACROSS THE STATE.
THEY'LL BE AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE KNOW OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO COLLEGE ALL OVER THE STATE, BUT THEY'RE AT A DISADVANTAGE WHEN THEY LOOK AT OUR CURRENT TRANSCRIPTS. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR GPAS ARE LOWER THAN THEY WOULD BE ON A SCALE THAT IS THAT IS MORE IN LINE WITH WITH OTHER COHORTS.
AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE [INAUDIBLE] AND WE GO BACK TO THE VISION 2020, WE TALK ABOUT DRIVING STUDENTS.
WE TALK ABOUT THIS LONE STAR GOVERNANCE AND HAVING KIDS READY FOR COLLEGE, CAREER, MILITARY. WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND MAKING SURE ALL KIDS HAVE ACCESS AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL KIDS GET A CHANCE TO ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL.
WE TALK ABOUT. ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT THERE'S REALLY NO INCENTIVE WITH OUR CURRENT POLICY FOR A KID THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, 80 KID OR A 79 OR 78, 75-4 KID THAT, YOU KNOW, IS PRETTY GOOD AT SCHOOL. BUT MAYBE THERE MAYBE THEY JUST FOR SOME REASON HADN'T TURNED IT ON TO MAKE ALL A'S, BUT THEY'RE STILL PRETTY GOOD AT SCHOOL AND THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE. THERE'S NO INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO TAKE A PRE-AP OR AN AP CLASS.
AND THE MESSAGE THAT I'M SENDING IS IT HAS TO BE EITHER I HAVE TO CHANGE MY MESSAGE OR WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE POLICY. AND I'M JUST NOT WILLING TO CHANGE THAT MESSAGE.
I THINK THAT ADVANCED ACADEMICS, I THINK ALL OF OUR COURSES PREPARE OUR KIDS, BUT I HAVE NO PRE-AP, AP, DUAL CREDIT REALLY PREPARES THE KIDS FOR WHAT'S NEXT.
AND SO OUR CURRENT POLICY JUST SIMPLY WILL NOT PREPARE OUR KIDS FOR WHAT'S NEXT, BECAUSE WHAT I'M TELLING THEM IS YOU GET IN THESE COURSES AND YOUR GPA IS GOING TO BE LOWER AND IS GOING TO REDUCE THE CHANCE FOR YOU TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS RIGHT NOW.
AND I JUST ENCOURAGE US TO CONSIDER MAKING A DIFFERENT DECISION AS IT RELATES TO OUR CURRENT POLICY. SO LET'S LOOK AGAIN AT WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS AND WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, QUITE FRANKLY, IS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS OFFICERS AND MILITARY ADMISSIONS OFFICERS AND OTHERS, WHEN THEY LOOK AT OUR GPA, THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT WHAT IS REAL.
AND SO 70 IS CONSIDERED A 2.0 IN MOST PLACES.
AND SO WHEN WE WHEN OUR KIDS MAKE A 70, WE WANT THEIR GPA TO INDICATE THAT THEY MADE A 70 AND THEN VICE VERSA.
AND SO WE THINK BY MAKING JUST SMALL TWEAKS TO OUR SCALE, WE CAN BRING IT IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
NOW, IF WE DO THIS, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE WILL BE OUTCOMES. NUMBER ONE IS THAT ALL OUR STUDENTS WILL BE WAITED ON THE SAME SCALE AS OUR COHORTS AND AS MOST OTHERS IN THE DISTRICT EXCUSE ME, IN THE STATE.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WEIGHTING GPA WILL INCREASE.
WE TALK ABOUT IT. OUR MISSION STATEMENT, IT ALL MEANS ALL WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO TAKE A STEP WITH OUR POLICY AND TO REALLY SHOW THAT OUR POLICY SUPPORTS THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY SAY WE ARE ABOUT. AND SO ALL STUDENTS WEIGHED GPAS WILL INCREASE.
THIS ONE IS PROBABLY MOST IMPRESSIVE, AND I KNOW THE PRINCIPALS ARE MOST PROUD OF THIS IS THAT THE CLASS GPAS WILL INCREASE THE OVERALL CLASS GPA OF THEIR CLASS.
SO WE HAVE CLASSES AT NORTH CROWLEY, THE CURRENT GPA BASED ON THE FEBRUARY REPORT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY BASED ON FIRST SEMESTER DATA, THEIR GPA WILL GO FROM A 2.7, WHICH IS ABOUT A 77 TO ACTUALLY A 3.2, WHICH IS ACTUALLY CLOSER TO 84, 85.
THAT IS SIGNIFICANT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A STUDENT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FIRST, BECAUSE NOW WE TALK ABOUT ON AVERAGE, OUR KIDS ARE ACTUALLY PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AS WELL AS COLLEGE ADMISSION.
AND SO 2.7, MAYBE THEY GET COLLEGE ADMISSIONS.
MAYBE IT'S LIKELY THAT THEY COULD WITH A 3.5 OR 3.2.
WE KNOW THAT WILL PUT THEM IN LINE WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
AND ALL WE'RE SAYING IS THAT LET'S PUT OUR KIDS ON A SCALE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS ON SO THEY WILL WIN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AT BAYLOR AND A&M OR TCU OR TARLETON, OR TCC.
WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT. THEY UNDERSTAND THIS KID ACTUALLY IS DOING WELL BASED ON WHAT OUR WHAT OUR DATA SHOWING.
GPA AT CROWLEY HIGH WE GO FROM 2.7 TO 3.2.
AGAIN, THIS CHANGE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT AND HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY POSITIVE IMPACT ON ALL STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT AT THIS POINT.
ADDITIONAL POSITIVE OUTCOMES, OF COURSE, 40 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS COULD IMPROVE IN
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THEIR CLASS RANK IF ALL GRADES WERE THE SAME AS THEY WERE ON THE REPORT PRODUCED IN FEBRUARY. SO LET ME BE CLEAR, ALL THE DATA AND THE STATISTICS AS RELATES TO OUTCOMES, THIS INFORMATION I'M SHARING IS ACTUALLY INFORMATION THAT WE EXTRACTED FROM THE REPORT, THE GPA CLASS REPORT THAT WE RAN IN FEBRUARY.NOW THAT WAS READ BASED UPON FIRST SEMESTER GRADES.
WHAT WE KNOW IS JUST IN A NORMAL YEAR, IN A NORMAL SITUATION, THAT RANKING AND CLASS RANKING CHANGES AS WE GO THROUGH THE THIRD THROUGH THE FOURTH SIX WEEKS TO FIFTH SIX WEEKS, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CHANGES THAT OCCURS ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL THE GRADES ARE FINAL. SO WE ARE DEFINITELY BEING CLEAR AND SAY THESE ARE POSSIBLE POSITIVE OUTCOMES.
WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU SOME POSSIBLE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES.
AND THE SECOND, HOWEVER, WE KNOW THAT NOTHING IS FINAL BECAUSE KIDS ARE STILL IN SCHOOL.
KIDS STILL IN CLASS, STILL PERFORMING ASSIGNMENTS, COMPLETING WORK AND GPA WILL CERTAINLY BE MOVING AS THEY ARE DOING THAT.
BUT AGAIN, WHAT WE KNOW BASED ON THE FEBRUARY DATA IS THAT 40 PERCENT AT NORTH CROWLEY HIGH AND 41 PERCENT OF CROWLEY HIGH SCHOOL WILL IMPROVE THEIR CLASS RANK.
NOW, I WANT TO REMIND US ALL KIDS WILL IMPROVE THEIR GPA AND THEN WE HAVE A PORTION OF THAT WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE CLASS RANK NOW, THIS [INAUDIBLE] IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 140 STUDENTS, AGAIN, IN MOST CASES HAD FAILED THE COURSE, BUT THEY HAVE A GPA BELOW 1.99 OR AT 1.99 AND BELOW IN THE DISTRICT AND THOSE STUDENTS WILL MOVE UP.
140 STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT WILL MOVE UP TO A 2.0 OR HIGHER.
AND AGAIN, THE NUMBERS YOU SEE THERE ARE 67 AT CHS AND ALSO 73 AND NORTH CROWLEY.
AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES THAT ARE DEFINITELY WORTH US LOOKING AT MAKING SOME MODIFICATIONS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS WE KNOW THAT WHEN THERE ARE POSITIVES, THERE ARE ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES THAT OR IT COULD BE NEGATIVE OR MAYBE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS FROM BOTH SIDES. AND I WANT TO STOP.
I DIDN'T MENTION THIS, BUT WE HAD COUNSELORS AND OTHERS WORKING.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING RELIGIOUSLY ON THIS AND REALLY INTENTLY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL OUTCOME OF ANY DECISION THAT WE MAKE.
SO COUNSELORS HAVE BEEN DOING GREAT WORK, PRINCIPALS AND OTHERS, AND WE KNOW IT'S A TOUGH TIME FOR EVERYBODY KNOW SO SENSITIVE TIME FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THIS IS A SENSITIVE TOPIC.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO A LOT, BUT WE BELIEVE IS THE RIGHT WORK.
SO HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN THAT MAY NOT BE AS POSITIVE AS WHAT WE WHAT WE THINK. SO 12 STUDENTS, WE LOOK AT OUR TOP 10 PERCENT AND THERE WILL BE 12 STUDENTS, WE BELIEVE, AND THAT NUMBER COULD BE 13 BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE TOP 10 PERCENT WILL CHANGE BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF KIDS WHO END UP GRADUATING.
SO THE NUMBER IS EITHER 12 OR 13.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THOSE STUDENTS AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THEIR FILES.
AND IF THIS SCALE IS APPROVED IN ALL GRADES, REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH THE FEBRUARY REPORT.
THEN WE HAVE ABOUT 12 OR 13 STUDENTS WHO COULD MOVE OUT OF THE TOP 10 PERCENT, SO, OF COURSE, THAT'S THE FIRST RED FLAG FOR US TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, HEY, THERE MAY BE SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE TOP 10 PERCENT WHERE THEIR GPA WILL GO UP, BUT THEIR CLASS RANK WILL MOVE DOWN.
ALSO, ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT COIN, WE ALSO HAVE 12 OR 13 STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY BASED ON THE 2020 SCALE AND THEIR GRADES AT THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER.
THOSE ARE ABOUT 12 OR 13 THAT ARE CURRENTLY TODAY, NOT IN THE TOP TIER, BUT THEY COULD MOVE INTO THE TOP TIER PROVIDED THEIR GRADES REMAIN CONSISTENT IN SIX WEEKS.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
AND SO WE TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER AND WE SAID, OK, LET'S REALLY DO SOME RESEARCH ON THESE 12 OR 13 STUDENTS.
WE WANT TO KNOW, OK, WHO ALREADY HAS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS AND WHO'S RECEIVED LETTERS OF ACCEPTANCE. AND SO WE WANT TO KNOW IF THERE WERE STUDENTS WHO HAD CONTINGENT LETTERS OR CONTINUED SCHOLARSHIPS BASED ON CLASS RANK.
AND SO WE DID DO SOME DIGGING AND OUR COUNSELORS AND PRINCIPALS BEGIN TO LOOK THROUGH THOSE POTENTIAL STUDENTS.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT 12 OF THE 13 STUDENTS EITHER ALREADY OUT, 12 OF THE 13 STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ADMITTED OR HAVE A LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE TO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.
AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS IS STILL IN THE PROCESS.
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AND THE STUDENT HAS ABOUT THREE OFFERS RIGHT NOW AND STILL GOING THROUGH THE SELECTION PROCESS. WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHO HAD SCHOLARSHIPS AND WE BEGIN TO MAKE CALLS TO UNIVERSITIES TO SEE WHO WOULD SEE IF THE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE THE THE ACCEPTANCE WAS CONTINGENT UPON CLASS RANK.AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT IN MOST CASES THAT THE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS AND THE SCHOLARSHIP MONEY WAS BASED MORE ON GPA AND KIND OF A RUBRIC THAT IT WAS SOLELY ON CLASS RANK.
NOW, LET ME BE CLEAR, WHAT THEY ALSO SAID WAS THAT THEY DON'T JUST USE ONE INDICATOR.
LOOK AT CLASS RANK. THEY LOOK AT GRADES.
THEY ALSO LOOK AT OTHER ACTIVITIES.
THEY LOOKED AT HOW KIDS COMPLETED THE ESSAY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INDICATORS THERE'S NOT JUST ONE, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR IS WE WANT TO KNOW IF A CLASS RANK CHANGES AND THE GPA GOES UP.
WOULD THAT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON A CHILD'S ADMITTANCE OR SCHOLARSHIP IF WE DID NOT IDENTIFY THAT TO BE AN ISSUE? AND SO WE WILL MOVE ON.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR WE DID LOOK AT THAT AND WE DIDN'T IDENTIFY THAT TO BE AN ISSUE. NOW, AGAIN, WE'RE OPERATING ON POSSIBILITIES AND WE'RE OPERATING ON INFORMATION FROM THE THIRD SIX WEEKS OF IN THE FIRST SEMESTER INTO THE THIRD SIX WEEKS.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THIS NUMBER MAY CHANGE AND THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER CONVERSATION WE HAVE TO HAVE. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE REMEDY IN A SECOND.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF KIND OF OUR PREPARATION UP TO THIS POINT, SOME OTHER UNINTENDED COSTS, OTHER INTENDED OUTCOMES.
I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR, THOUGH.
WE DO HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE A HIGHER RANK OR WOULD HAVE HAD A HIGHER RANK IN BASED ON THE FIRST SEMESTER GRADES, THAT IF WE PUT IN THIS 2021 SCALE AND THEIR GRADES REMAIN CONSISTENT AS THEY WERE BACK THEN OVER THE NEXT THREE, SIX WEEKS.
WELL, THE NEXT TWO SIX WEEKS NOW, THEN THEY COULD POSSIBLY GO HAVE A LOWER CLASS RANK.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT THAT. AND SO IT'S ABOUT FIFTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS AT NORTH CROWLEY HIGH, ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS AT CROWLEY HIGH.
AND SO YOU LOOK AT THAT, THE FIRST THING IS LIKE, WOW, THAT SEEMS LIKE A LARGE NUMBER AND IT IS. BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT THAT MAY BE MOVING FROM SLOT SEVENTY FIVE TO SEVENTY NINE OR SLOT 30 TO 40 OR SLOT 12 TO SLOT 11 OR OR VICE VERSA.
SO THERE IS MOVEMENT, ANY MOVEMENT.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ALL OUR STUDENTS WOULD BENEFIT BECAUSE THE GPA WILL INCREASE IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REMEDY, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THIS, WHAT I CAN SAY, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY JUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK YOU FOR THE WAY YOU HAVE LABORED AND THE WAY YOU HAVE PUT YOUR HEART INTO THIS.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY CLEAR TO ME THAT WE WANTED TO DO THE BEST THING THAT WE COULD FOR OUR KIDS. AND IF THERE WERE ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TURN OVER EVERY STONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD ADDRESS THOSE AND THAT WE WOULD.
AND SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS JUST WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEN WE'LL BE READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. SO THE FIRST STEP, JUST SO LET ME GO BACK.
SO WE JUST KIND OF TAKE YOU THROUGH JUST THE TIMELINE OF WHAT WE'VE DONE.
SO IN FEBRUARY, WE RAN A REPORT BASED ON THE FIRST SEMESTER GRADES THAT WAS WRITTEN IN FEBRUARY, SOMETIMES IN THE PAST.
I THINK WE READ IT IN JANUARY BEFORE WE HAD THE STORM THIS YEAR, THAT KIND OF DELAYED US A LITTLE BIT. SO FEBRUARY WHEN WE READ THE REPORT, BUT IT WAS BASED UPON FIRST SEMESTER DATA. OFTENTIMES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TOP 10 AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND ALL THAT, THAT INFORMATION IS NORMALLY SUBMITTED DURING THE FALL OF THE SENIOR YEAR, THE FALL AND LATE FALL OF THE SENIOR YEAR. SO EVEN THOUGH WE RAN THE INFORMATION IN FEBRUARY, IT IS LIKELY THAT INFORMATION HAD ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED FROM JUNIOR YEAR AND FROM THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE SENIOR YEAR.
BUT REGARDLESS, WE RAN THE REPORT FOR OUR PURPOSES IN FEBRUARY.
WE STILL HAD THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO WE USE THAT REPORT TO KIND OF MAKE THE ASSESSMENT AND PRODUCE THE STATISTICS THAT WE SHARED EARLIER. WHAT WE'LL DO AGAIN, THOUGH, ACCORDING TO OUR POLICY AT THE END OF THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS, WE WILL RUN A REPORT AGAIN AT THE END OF THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS WE RUN A GPA CLASS RANK REPORT.
IN A NORMAL SITUATION, WE RUN A FIFTH SIX WEEKS REPORT AND WE USE THAT REPORT TO DETERMINE RECOGNITION AND HONORS FOR THE GRADUATION CEREMONY AND ANY OTHER KIND OF LOCAL THINGS THAT WE DO HERE IN THE DISTRICT.
WHAT WE DON'T USE THAT REPORT FOR IS SUBMITTING TO TEA ACKNOWLEDGING AND CERTIFYING OUR
[00:30:06]
TOP TEAM. WE ONLY DO THAT AT THE END OF THE SIXTH SIX WEEKS.AND SO THERE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST TIMES WHERE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP 10 AT THE END OF THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS. BUT BY THE TIME WE GOT TO GRADUATION OR AFTERWARDS, THEY WERE NOT ON THE LIST THAT WE SUBMITTED BECAUSE WE KNOW GRADES CHANGE, THINGS HAPPEN.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IS NOT UNCOMMON.
WHAT IS IS THAT THE CHANGE THAT WE'RE MAKING AND WILL WE HAVE A REMEDY TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO AT THE END OF THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS THIS YEAR, WE WILL STILL FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS.
AND OUR STEP WHICH IS THE PURPOSE FOR ADDING A STEP IS TO TRY TO REMEDY ANY KIND OF NEGATIVE IMPACT THAT US ADOPTING A NEW SCALE WILL HAVE.
SO AT THE END OF THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS, WE WILL RUN A GPA AND CLASS RANK REPORT USING THE CURRENT 2020 WEIGHTED GPA SCALE.
THAT REPORT WILL BE ARCHIVED AND IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS UPON REQUEST IF A STUDENT NEEDS THAT REPORT BECAUSE THEY ARE HIGHER IN RANK AND THEIR RANK MAKES A BIGGER DIFFERENCE THAN GPA THAT A STUDENT CAN GET THAT REPORT, SUBMIT THEIR REPORT TO THEIR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY OR THEIR ADMISSION OFFICER.
IF A STUDENT NEEDS THAT REPORT FOR SOME OTHER REASON, BECAUSE ON THEIR REPORT, THEY MAY HAVE A HIGHER RANK, BUT THEY WILL HAVE A LOWER GPA, THEN IT'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT. WE ALSO WILL AT THE SAME TIME AND TAKE TAKES A LITTLE BIT AND MS. HYATT AND MS. HARRIS AND THE COUNSELORS.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR THAT I KNOW THAT THEY WORK REALLY HARD AND IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT TO GET THIS RIGHT, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THEY RUNNING THE REPORT, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND AUDIT THE TRANSCRIPTS.
AND SO WE KNOW IT'S TIME CONSUMING.
BUT THEN AFTER WE RUN THE 2020 REPORT, THEN WE WILL TURN AROUND PROBABLY A DAY OR TWO LATER AND WE'LL RUN THE 2021 SCHEME.
WE'LL RUN THE THE GPA AND CLASS RANK REPORT USING THE 2021 WEIGHTS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE WHAT WE WILL USE FOR OUR GRADUATION CEREMONY PURPOSES.
AND SO FOR THE GRADUATION CEREMONY PURPOSES, WE'LL USE THE 2021 WEIGHTED GPA REPORT.
HOWEVER, AS A REMEDY, GRADUATION RESPONSIBILITIES AND RECOGNITION WILL BE BASED UPON THE 2021 REPORT, BUT THOSE STUDENTS WHO WERE IN LINE FOR RECOGNITION AND SPECIAL PARTICIPATION AS A RESULT OF THE REPORT THAT WE READ AS A RESULT OF THAT FIFTH SIX WEEKS REPORT, THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE SAME RECOGNITION AS THE NEW SCALE RECIPIENTS.
SO LET ME CLARIFY THAT, BECAUSE I MAY HAVE A CONVOLUTED A LITTLE BIT.
ALL GRADUATION RECOGNITION REWARDS AND HONORS WILL BE BASED UPON THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS REPORT. BUT WE'LL HAVE TWO REPORTS ON THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS, WE HAVE A REPORT BASED ON 2020 AND A REPORT BASED ON 2021.
AND IF A KID ON ANY ONE OF THOSE REPORTS, IF A KID WOULD HAVE BEEN IN LINE FOR HONORS, THEN WERE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR HONORED INTERNALLY.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
SO WE SAID THOSE 12 STUDENTS WHO MAY BE DROPPING OUT OF THE TOP TIER, LET'S SAY 10 OF THEM ACTUALLY DROP OUT THE TOP TIER, BUT WE RUN THE FIFTH SIX WEEKS REPORT AND IN 2020 SCALES, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE TOP TIER.
THOSE STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE AS IF THEY WERE PART OF THE TOP 10 FOR THIS THIS GRADUATION CEREMONY AND ANY OTHER SENIOR ACTIVITIES, BECAUSE THE ONLY BECAUSE WE WANT TO REMEDY THE FACT THAT WE CHANGE THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO IF THE CLASS RANK DROPS AGAIN, THERE'S NO B OR LETTER B SPEAKS TO THAT IF, EXCUSE ME, SPEAKS TO GRADUATION RESPONSIBILITIES.
BUT D SAYS, OK, IF THE CLASS RANK DROPS AND THEIR ACCEPTANCE IN COLLEGE OR QUALIFICATION FOR A SCHOLARSHIP IS IN JEOPARDY OR NEGATIVELY IMPACTED, THAT WE WILL PROVIDE A NOTARIZED LETTER SIGNED BY THE BOARD AND BY THE SUPERINTENDENT TO THAT STUDENT.
AND WE WILL BE WILLING TO GO THE NEXT STEP TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE CONTACT WITH ADMISSION OFFICERS AND REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EXPLAIN AND SHOW POLICY ABOUT HOW AND WHY THEY DROPPED IN RANK, ALTHOUGH THEIR GPA INCREASED.
WE HAVE, OF COURSE, INVOLVED OUR ATTORNEY ALL ALONG THE WAY AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE MOST REASONABLE PATH FORWARD.
WE KNOW THAT THE TIMING IS NOT GREAT, BUT THE QUESTION IS, WHEN IS IT EVER THE RIGHT TIME TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT? AND WE BELIEVE IT'S WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS NOT RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT.
I AM SO THANKFUL TO OUR COUNSELORS AND TO OTHERS WHO HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD.
THEY PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL IN IT.
[00:35:01]
WE RECOGNIZE THAT. AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT TONIGHT THIS PROPOSAL TONIGHT. DR.MCFARLAND, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT TONIGHT.
I WANT TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION WE JUST RECEIVED.
DR. WEAVER? YES, THANK YOU. I HAVE A COMMENT, DR.
MCFARLAND. YOU SAID THIS WAS A SENSITIVE TOPIC AND SENSITIVE TIMING, AND THOSE ARE BOTH VERY TRUE. BUT I AM REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF A DISTRICT THAT WOULD TACKLE A SENSITIVE TOPIC AT A SENSITIVE TIME BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR KIDS.
SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MY DOG IS SQUEAKING HER TOY IN AGREEMENT.
I'M SORRY, SHE HADN'T DONE IT THIS WHOLE TIME WHILE I'VE BEEN MUTED.
BUT NOW THAT I'M ON THE MICROPHONE.
ANYWAY, I JUST APPRECIATE ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD RUNNING EVERY DIFFERENT KIND OF SCENARIO TO SEE WHAT THE EFFECT WOULD BE THAT I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU, DR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? MS. ROBINSON, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I WAS JUST GOING TO ECHO DR.
I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO TOOK PART IN THIS BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING IT THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SO TACKLING THESE ISSUES HEAD ON IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT.
BUT I DO BELIEVE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND WE'RE DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR STUDENTS.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DR. WOODSON-MAYFIELD? YES, I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS DISCONNECTED AND GOT BACK IN, SO THANK YOU.
BENTON WHEN SHE WAS SPEAKING AND THEN I CUT OUT.
BUT JUST TO ECHO HER SENTIMENTS AND ALSO MS. ROBINSON'S SENTIMENTS, I GREATLY APPRECIATE DR.
MCFARLAND AND THE TEAM, THE PRINCIPALS, THE COUNSELORS, OUR CONSULTANTS ON THIS.
IT WAS YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALL, YOU KNOW, IN OBVIOUSLY TO GET THIS DONE.
AND I BELIEVE IN MY HEART EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND THAT'S A HARD MESSAGE EVEN BEYOND THE TECHNICAL.
SO I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE THOUGHTFULNESS TO COVER ALL THE BASES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ADDRESSING ALL ISSUES, ALL AREAS OF CONCERN, BUT THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BENEFIT IS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND YOU'VE LED THIS EFFORT.
WOODSON-MAYFIELD. AND TRUSTEE GRASSIA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ANYTHING? I DO, I HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC THAT I'VE THOUGHT OF OVER THE LAST WEEK AND.
IT ALWAYS MAKES SENSE TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES OR NEGATIVE OUTCOMES THAT MAY COME OF IT AS WELL, AND I THINK THAT WHEN DR.
HALL MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT THERE POSSIBLY COULD BE STUDENTS THAT GO FROM BEING ON PROBATION, JUST TRYING TO GET INTO COLLEGE, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT THAT NEGATIVE TICK ON THEIR RESUMÉ OR THEIR OR WHATEVER COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE.
AND NOW THEY'RE GOING TO GO IN THERE WITH A FRESH START AND AND JUST BE ABLE TO PUT EVERYTHING BEHIND THEM THAT MAYBE THEY DID IN HIGH SCHOOL AND START ALL OVER.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYONE IS GOING TO SUFFER. EVERYONE'S GOING TO TO GET A HIGHER GPA AND IT SEEMS LIKE
[00:40:08]
A WIN-WIN SCENARIO FOR EVERYONE.AND I APPLAUD DR. MCFARLAND AND THE TEAM.
AND I THINK IT'S EVEN THOUGH I SAY IT'S A EASY DECISION, IT'S A VERY HARD DECISION.
BUT I THINK IT'S A DO DECISION.
SO. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE GRASSIA.
MCFARLAND AND THE AMAZING TEAM AND STAFF THAT WE HAVE ON CROWLEY ISD AND FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR HONORING OUR DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND ADVOCACY FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, ECHOING THE SENTIMENTS OF EVERYONE SOMETIMES, MOST OFTEN TIMES MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION IS OFTEN VERY HARD BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL UNEXPECTED OR UNINTENDED OUTCOME.
BUT I APPRECIATE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO BRING FORTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD AND THE DELIBERATION AND INTENTIONALITY IN WHICH THEY INVESTIGATED AND PRESENTED THE INFORMATION AND ALSO THE PERSONALIZED TOUCH THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU EXTENDED TO OUR STUDENTS AND IN THE CONSIDERATION OF THIS PROPOSAL OR THIS ACTION.
BENTON SAID, TO SERVE IN THE DISTRICT WHO HONORS THEIR COMMITMENTS AND WANT THEIR POLICIES AND THEIR PRACTICES TO ALIGN WITH THE TOP RATE THAT WE SAY.
WITH THAT AND WITH THAT, YOU AIN'T WELL, WELL.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THOSE COMMENTS FOR SURE.
AND SO WE DO HAVE AN ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER.
AND SO WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WE NEED TO BASICALLY ADDRESS.
AND SO I'LL ASK MS. KUNSCHIK TO COME FORWARD AND ACTUALLY JUST SHARE THE ADJUSTMENT THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO OUR POLICY. AND THEN IF ATTORNEY ALEXANDER, IF YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING AT THAT POINT IN TIME, ATTORNEY ALEXANDER, YOU FEEL FREE TO DO THAT.
BUT I BELIEVE MS. KUNSCHIK HAS THE INFORMATION AND THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE TO THE POLICY. AND THIS MODIFICATION WILL JUST ALLOW US TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY SHARE THAT WE WOULD DO ON SOME OF THE THINGS WILL ACTUALLY MAKE IT IN POLICY.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE JUST PRACTICE AND HOW WE WILL TRANSITION THIS YEAR.
I KNOW THE SCALE THAT WE SET WILL BE A POLICY.
THE OTHER THINGS ARE MORE INTERNAL THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON.
BUT WE'LL SEE IF MS. KUNSCHIK IS COMING IN. YES, SIR.
WE'RE GETTING MS. KUNSCHIK MOVED OVER RIGHT NOW.
ALL RIGHT, SO, MADAM PRESIDENT, BOARD MEMBERS WE HAVE IN MS. KUNSCHIK WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR ATTORNEYS TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE OUR POLICY IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO MOVING FORWARD AND WHAT WE WOULD DO, JUST SHARE WITH THEM THE THE POLICY MODIFICATIONS THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING AND THAT WE WILL BE ASKING FOR ACTION ON AFTERWARDS.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
DR. HALL RESPECTIVE BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT, DR.
MCFARLAND, THIS EVENING I'M PRESENTING TO YOU A POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM TO ADOPT PROPOSED PROVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY EIC LOCAL.
THIS PRESENTATION, IT DOES ALIGN WITH GOAL ONE THRIVING STUDENTS, EIC, LOCAL HOUSES, THE WEIGHT AT SCALE FOR THE GRADING SYSTEM FOR CROWLEY ISD, WHICH IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS DISCUSSION AS PRESENTED TO YOU AND TO THE PUBLIC BY OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DR.
MCFARLAND. THEREFORE, THE PROPOSED REVISIONS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING ARE THE SEGWAY FROM DISCUSSION INTO BOARD POLICY FOR YOUR BOARD CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION.
THE FIRST REVISION, MR. KIRCHNER, IF YOU COULD TAKE US TO PAGE ONE OF FIVE AND INTO TWO OF FIVE.
HERE, THE TEXT PRESENTS PROPOSED CHANGES THAT ARE TRACKED IN BLUE TO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
TWENTY TWENTY ONE CLASS RANK CALCULATION HALL ALLOW PLEASE, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME TO ALLOW YOU A MINUTE JUST TO SKIM AND THEN I WILL FOLLOW UP BY RECITING THE PROPOSED CHANGES FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
SO IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, YOU WILL NOTE THAT IT ONLY ADDS THE SCHOOL YEAR 2020-21, THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPH STATE THE FOLLOWING.
[00:45:01]
FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR, ONLY AS A TRANSITION PROVISION, GIVEN THE REVISION TO THIS POLICY ON APRIL 22ND OF 2021, THE CLASS RANK OF A GRADUATING SENIOR FOR LOCAL PURPOSES WILL BE CALCULATED BASED ON BOTH THE VERSION OF THIS POLICY EIC LOCAL THAT WAS IN EFFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE REVISION OF THIS POLICY ON APRIL 22ND OF 2021.AND THE AMENDED VERSION, THE HIGHER CLASS RANKING RESULTING FROM THE TWO CALCULATIONS WILL BE USED ONLY FOR LOCAL PURPOSES SUCH AS GRADUATION CEREMONIES.
THE DISTRICT WILL RECORD ON STUDENT OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS, CLASS RANKING FOR THE TOP 20 PERCENT, EACH GRADUATING SENIOR CLASS.
BASED ON THIS POLICY AS REVISED, THE DISTRICT WILL CERTIFY TO THE STATE HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD THE NAMES AND CLASS RANKS OF STUDENTS WHO RANK IN THE TOP 10 PERCENT OF THEIR CAMPUS GRADUATING CLASS.
AS DETERMINED, AFTER ALL, FINAL GRADES FOR THE2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
THE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS OF STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE IN THE 2020-21 OR LATER SCHOOL YEARS WILL RECORD GRADE POINT AVERAGES BASED ON THE VERSION OF THIS POLICY AS REVISED ON APRIL 22ND OF 2021.
ADDITIONALLY, AT THE END OF THE POLICY MR. KIRCHNER, IF YOU'LL TAKE US, PLEASE, TO PAGE FIVE OF FIVE, THE TRACT VERSION OF THE NEWLY PROPOSED WEIGHTED SCALE IS PRESENTED FOR YOUR REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION, THE NUMERIC VALUES THEY MIRROR WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING BY DR.
I'LL ALLOW YOU ALSO SOME TIME TO REVIEW, BUT IT DOES ECHO THE NUMBERS THAT DR.
MCFARLAND SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER.
AND SO THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION TO YOU AS A POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM TO ADOPT PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY EIC LOCAL THAT ALIGNS TO GOAL ONE DRIVING STUDENTS AND WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU, MS. KUNSCHIK, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OK, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, THIS IS A POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM FOR THIS EVENING.
IS THERE A MOTION? I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION AND WE RECOMMEND TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE WEIGHTED GRADE POINT AVERAGE GPA CALCULATION FORMULA AND THE BOARD POLICY EIC LOCAL AS PER I'LL SECOND.
OK, VERY QUICKLY WE HAD A MOTION FROM VICE PRESIDENT GRASSIA AND A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE ROBINSON.
MOVE TO VOTE, MR. KIRCHNER. YES.
MS. ROBINSON? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
WOODSON-MAYFIELD? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
MR. GRASSIA? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
BENTON? YES. THANK YOU AND PRESIDENT HALL, I'M JUST MAKING SURE MR. RYAN RAY DID NOT MAKE IT BACK IN AND I DO NOT BELIEVE HE IS HERE.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
ALL RIGHT, THIS NOW MOVES US TO OUR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, AGENDA ITEM 5.1. EMPLOYMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL PRINCIPAL JACKIE KARDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I RECOMMEND THE MELANIE RANDALL FOR THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL AT JACKIE KARDON ELEMENTARY AS. YOU HIT THE MUTE BUTTON SO QUICKLY, TRUSTEE GRASSIA.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM VICE PRESIDENT GRASSIA.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE ROBINSON.
MOVE TO VOTE, PLEASE. MS. ROBINSON? YES.
DR. WOODSON-MAYFIELD? YES. THANK YOU.
DR. HALL? YES. THANK YOU. MR. GRASSIA? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
THE MOTION PASSES AND THIS MOVES US NOW TO ITEM 5.2 EMPLOYMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, PRINCIPAL AND RESIDENT OF DAVID L.
IS THERE A MOTION? I RECOMMEND NICOLE MONTGOMERY FOR THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL IN RESIDENCE AT DAVID WALKER
[00:50:04]
ELEMENTARY. THANK YOU FOR THE MOTION, DR.BENTON. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. I HAVE A SECOND FROM DR.
MAYFIELD. MOVE TO VOTE, PLEASE.
YES, MS. ROBINSON? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
WOODSON-MAYFIELD? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
HALL? YES. THANK YOU, MR. GRASSIA? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
BENTON? YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVES US TO 5.3 EMPLOYMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, PRINCIPAL AND RESIDENTS OF JA HARGRAVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IS THERE A MOTION? YES, I RECOMMEND ROXIE NORCLIFFE FOR THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL IN RESIDENCE AT JA HARGRAVE ELEMENTARY AS RECOMMENDED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOTION, DR.
WOODSON-MAYFIELD. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND AND A THIRD WITH TRUSTEE ROBINSON AND VICE PRESIDENT GRASSIA MOVE TO VOTE, PLEASE.
MS. ROBINSON? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
WOODSON-MAYFIELD? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
HALL? YES. THANK YOU, MR. GRASSIA? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
BENTON? YES. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THIS NOW BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM 5.4 EMPLOYMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, PRINCIPAL AND RESIDENT OF DEER CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? YES. I RECOMMEND STEPHANIE GRAVELY FOR THE POSITION OF PRINCIPAL IN RESIDENCE AT DEER CREEK ELEMENTARY AS RECOMMENDED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE ROBINSON.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
MS. ROBINSON? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
WOODSON-MAYFIELD? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
HALL? YES. THANK YOU, MR. GRASSIA? YES. THANK YOU, DR.
MOTION PASSES. I WOULD LIKE TO, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, CONGRATULATE MISS RANDALL, MS. MONTGOMERY, MS. NORCLIFFE AND MS. GRAVELY. AND CONGRATULATIONS.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO KNOW THAT SHE'LL BE JOINING US IN THIS CAPACITY.
AND MOST OF YOU ARE ALREADY HERE.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP NEXT YEAR AT THE VARIOUS CAMPUSES.
CONGRATULATIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY MORE BUSINESS TO BRING BEFORE THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT, WELL, WITH THAT SAID, I DID WANT TO HAVE ONE FINAL SENTIMENT, I WANTED TO THANK MY BOARD MEMBERS.
I, AGAIN, FOR THE SAME SENTIMENTS WITH REGARDS TO HAVING THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT WE BELIEVE IS RIGHT AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL KIDS, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE ALSO FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE VULNERABLE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE BRAVE.
SO THAT'S JUST MY HEARTFELT THANK YOU.
AND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER BUSINESS TO BRING BEFORE THE BOARD, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 7:44 P.M.
HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.