Monroe Times: School Beat: Monroe: Board Discusses "Eclipse Curriculum Tracking Software" and "Exit Interview", Trust and Responsibility

(Ed. note. The following is a portion of the minutes as noted in the Monroe Times for the school board meeting of Oct. 23, 2006)

* Heard a special report from Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Thayer regarding curriculum and data software. Thayer said teachers have been researching and mapping curriculum on paper, which is cumbersome and impractical, for about five years. She also said the district has needed to begin data warehousing to track student achievement and other data. Thayer presented software called Eclipse Curriculum Manager from Eclipse Academic Systems, a company based in Madison. Compared to other curriculum and data management software, the Eclipse software is "relatively inexpensive" and still "very high quality," Thayer said. Several area districts using Eclipse, including Albany, Black Hawk, Juda, Monticello and New Glarus, have given the software positive reviews. The software would cost $20,000 in the first year, which would be covered by the Monroe Alternative Middle School grant, and carry under $10,000 in ongoing costs. In the second year, the software could be paid for with the Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy grant. This item will be brought back to the board at its next meeting for official approval.

* Heard a special report from Superintendent Craig Jefson and Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt about the Graduate Survey Report, conducted by LifeTrack. Jefson said several years ago the board issued a directive for an exit interview of all graduating high school seniors and then a follow-up. Jefson and Burandt presented the results of the survey with the class of 2004. Of the surveys sent, 70 percent of students responded. Some of the results were as follows: 58.9 percent were attending a four-year college or university; 93.7 percent said they received a quality education in Monroe; 89.6 said Monroe teachers held high standards; about 72 percent said co-curriculuar activities were an important part of their education; about 79 percent said they received "good" or "excellent" preparation for continuing education. Burandt said the report shows the school district is "doing a pretty good job," but offers no comparative data. The results also do not address the district's weaknesses. At a cost of $3,000 a year, Burandt and Jefson were unsure if the district was getting something valuable. The board voted to not renew the contract with LifeTrack for the Graduate Survey. ........


* Discussed findings from several focus group sessions. Board member Bob Erb said he's had "positive" discussions. Board member Joseph Tomasiewicz said the public still has issues with "trust and credibility" in the district. Board member Pam Wyss said people have expressed concern about maintaining staff morale in light of difficult times.