Education Advisory Group

April 15, 2010

8:30 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.

Calhoun ISD

Meeting Minutes

Members and Alternates Present: Mike Hoffner, EAG Chair/ISD Representative; Kris Jenkins,

Calhoun ISD; Jeff Jennette, Barry ISD/Barry Local District Representative; Joe Lopez,

Quincy/Branch Local District Representative; Dennis Bona, KCC/Post Secondary Institution;

Richard Saterlee/Calhoun Local District Representative; Lee Ann Nagle Hicks, Branch Area Career Center/Academic Representative; Al Miller, Calhoun Education Representative; Suzanne Devyak, Non WDB Employer Rep./Calhoun; Anita Henderson, WDB Member/Barry; Michelle Milnes, Non WDB Employer Rep./Branch

Guests/Presenters: Lisa Larson, WIA Youth/Calhoun ISD, Chuck Parker, KCC; David Spalding,

Quincy H.S.

The meeting was called to order by EAG Chair Mike Hoffner

Welcome and Introductions: Mike and Kris introduced new member Suzanne Devyak, W.K.Kellogg Institute and asked that introductions be made.

Minutes: The February 18, 2010 EAG meeting minutes were approved as printed.

Post Secondary Perkins Plan

• Chuck Parker detailed the 2010-2011 Perkins Plan for KCC. State regulations suggest thatplans be presented to the EAG committee, though committee approval is no longer required.
o Plan Objectives: Serving students pursuing occupational or technical degrees, with a special emphasis on those who are enrolled in non-traditional programs, require English as a secondary language, exhibit financial need, are single parents or displaced homemakers. KCC designates approximately 48% (excluding the local contribution) of the Perkins Grant for student support services; the remainder is applied to occupational program development.

o The workforce Development Board of Barry, Branch and Calhoun has identified the following goals:

Strategic Plan Goal #1: Work to improve/raise skills of the workforce by:

• Increased WIA and JET customers enrolled in occupational skills training activities.

• Increase workplace readiness skills participation by 5% each year.

• Design a system to increase job seeker’s soft skills.

• Michigan Works! participants to receive technology training to increase computer/technology literacy.

• Expand customized training options for Incumbent Worker Training to strengthen worker skills.

• Add Learning Lab availability for Michigan Works! participants to enhance adult education via the use of competency-based instruction.

Strategic Plan Goal #2: Strengthen entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship opportunities by:

• Educating participants in entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship training programs.

• Informing dislocated workers who indicate interest in these opportunities and connecting them with the appropriate resources.

• For more detailed information on goals, programs and budget on the KCC Perkins Plan, please see your hand-out.

o It was asked whether funding filters down to the welding program in Branch?

No – they work with BACC and use their center.

WDB – WIA Youth

• Lisa answered questions from the last meeting about GEDs.

o Calhoun has decreased a bit, but they are still over their goal. The decrease is due to some being exited out.

o Colleges: Lisa broke down the information on colleges being attended and courses taken.

Discussion by the committee: How is it that funding goes to someone at a high dollar college for “general studies”?

• Lisa will check into that.

• The grant: There will be a transition for next year because new contractors will be used and this may change numbers and various other factors in the program

• Joe mentioned that administrators need to know who these WIA students are so they can help them - maybe with seat time credit or whatever else they may need to help give them a boost from their home school to have them be successful in their program.

o Lisa made note of the request and will check into the possibility of that.

National Career Readiness Certificates: How are schools getting that information out to their

students?

o Description of the certificates: The National Career Readiness Certificate verifies to employers anywhere in the United States that an individual has essential core employability skills in Reading, Math, and Locating Information. ACT has researched over 16,000 occupations, and these three skills are highly important to the majority of jobs in the workplace. The Certificate is an easily understood and nationally valued credential that certifies the attainment of these workplace skills. These assessments are part of the MME.

o Dave: In Quincy, they advise kids what the certificate is and what it can do for them. They are also trying to explain to employers that these certificates will show the employer exactly what the student has done during high school and what level of worker they would be.

o Mike mentioned that at the February workshop held at BACC for employers of Branch County, only 7 out of all the employers attending wanted to take it to the next level and work with the certificates.

o LeeAnne and Mike also noted that the first certificates are free, but if students want to re-test for a better score, the additional certificates cost about $5 a piece. To save this cost, BACC will print their own for students re-testing.

o Kris: Branch has taken a lead on the National Career Readiness Certificates. There is not as much involvement with the certificates in Calhoun County. Schools are focusing on the ACT. And, because Calhoun is a much bigger county, it is more difficult getting the word out to employers and getting employer buy-in. There is a lot of hesitation because no businesses are asking for it.

o It was mentioned that even without employer buy-in, the certificates can help students with summer employment. Students should put them in portfolios even if employers aren’t asking for them.

Algebra II Discussion

o Mike again brought up that the state’s requirements on Algebra II are so restrictive that he doesn’t think it can be used in CTE or anywhere. He informed the Workforce Development Board of the state’s requirements and then gave committee members the Opt Out test. They were surprised at how difficult it was and could not answer many of the questions or solve the problems. He is asking the support of the WDB and anyone else to take this to Lansing and persuade them to reconsider the verbiage on the requirement guidelines. Some points of discussion are listed below:

o Anybody who does not have the title of Spec. Ed and does not pass Alg. II cannot get a diploma next year.

o Some occupations need high levels of math, but not all do. The general public does not need to have Algebra II. Somehow the Dept. of Ed. needs to open their eyes and understand this.

o Kris: At CACC, they are pulling kids out of their classes to do NovaNet to get their Algebra II. They should not be pulled out of their classes, but there are not a lot of other options. Next year they need to do it differently and pull all of the kids out at the same time to provide more support to obtain their Algebra II credit.

o Dennis: Algebra II is not a requirement to graduate college yet it is being asked of high school students.

Areas of Program Development at CACC:

• Project Lead the Way: The paperwork for the program has been submitted and approved.

• They now have a final candidate for instructor of the Aviation Exploration Program. The instructor needs to be vocationally certified in order to teach the program and will be working to obtain that certificate. They are working with the Department of Education to get him approved.

• Early childhood: They are at a crossroads with early childhood at CACC. The state will be merging the Early Childhood program with the Teacher Cadet Training program. Our region feels Early Childhood is a good program and should be kept. Al suggests going directly to Flanagan.

Budget Discussion from each Career Center
CACC budget discussion:

• Decreased revenue due to State Equalized Value and Taxable values being down.

• Decreased revenue due to decrease in fund equity interest.

• Decreased revenue due to less millage equalization categorical.

• Increase in expenses for: Student technology, Aviation Exploration Program, NovaNet, retirement increases, transportation reimbursements, etc.

• Conclusion: Anticipated deficit will be approx. $1,037,662 and they will be sliding into a structural deficit.

o They recommended just one layoff at CACC because there are 2 instructors in the same course and enrollment in that course is down.

o They will be studying staff recommendations on how they can cut expenses within the building and materials used in programs.

BACC budget discussion:

• Decrease in property tax revenues.

• Decrease in revenues due to elimination of section 62 state aid.

• Decrease in revenue due to decrease in section 61 state aid.

• Declining enrollment in districts means declining enrollment at the center.

o BACC would be in bad shape if they didn’t have out of district kids that pay tuition to take classes.

• Increase in expenses for: Salary schedule increments, retirement rate, increase in health insurance costs.

• Conclusion: Anticipated deficit will be approx. $758,352.

Adjusting budgets now can make a big impact for the future.

Anita: Healthcare is in the same boat. They are staffing lean (cut hours), and privatizing some

services.

CACC Renovation Project Update: Kris mentioned that this is a strange subject to bring up after

giving a preview of future funding deficits, however the renovations at CACC are to catch them up

to where they should be and to come up to code.

• Work began April 1.

• The first phase they are working on now are:

o New gravel road for the construction work.

o Working on making one entrance (for security reasons).

o Working on the main office.

o A new kitchen hood for the Culinary Arts program.

Tech Prep & Perkins

• The Core Performance Indicators show there are 2 areas where we needed to write a Regional Improvement Plan. The areas are: Academic attainment of reading language arts and academic attainment of mathematics. Kris has written up the Region 21 plans for improvement in these areas and submitted them to the state.

Barry, Branch Updates:

Dennis mentioned that there will be a joint venture between WMU and KCC for a new Air

Traffic Controller program at WMU. There are only five sites in the nation with this plan.

Mike ended the meeting by asking everyone to note the handout with next year’s EAG

meeting dates and asked everyone to put them on their calendars.

NEXT MEETING: Thursday Sept. 16, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30a.m.at Calhoun ISD

Minutes were compiled by Brita Blue