SB 210 Committee Minutes for January 10, 2017

SB 210 Committee Meeting
January 10, 2017
Sacramento County North Natomas Library

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m. by Nancy Grosz Sager, California Department of Education (CDE).

Present: Sheri Farinha, Marla Hatrak, Michele Berke, Georgette Visco, Kristi Panek, Ronda Rufsvold, Elizabeth Foronda, Jane Freutel, Tony Ronco, Licia King, Ann Dexhemer, Michele Tompkins

Excused: Ross Adams

Interpreters: Sheila Brager-Hall, Steve Smith, Michelle, Molly Bowen (courtesy of NorCal)

Visitors: Cindy Dickeson, Julie Rems-Smario, Alice McGill, Esperanza Ross, Rupert Sharras, Laura Covello

Thank you, Sandi (NorCal) for all your help with set up!

Welcome/introductions: Nancy Grosz Sager

Lunch arrangements: Ronda Rufsvold

Work plan: Sheri Farinha broke the group into small groups

Correction to minutes: Ann, Rufsvold need correct spelling

Licia moved/Tony seconded to accept minutes as corrected. Motion passed.

Sheri explained groups and role of visitors (to watch respectfully and participate if they have ideas).

Five work groups (birth to one year, one to two years, two to three years, three to four years, and four to five years)

Sheri explained work plan. Sheri pointed to the large chart papers that had been taped to the walls all around the room, and explained what each workgroup would see in their group work area:

1. Each group has written instructions.
2. For each age group, there are milestones from many different assessments (list).
3. Each group also has a key chart – the milestones on each list are keyed so that the workgroup knows from which assessment/tool the milestone was taken.
4. Each milestone must be in alignment with CDE foundations, so each group has those as well.
5. Each group must select milestones to be included in parent friendly profile.

Sheri reminded the group that their overarching job is to pick language milestones to end language deprivation and ensure children are kindergarten ready. She told the group they could tweak, add, eliminate redundancy in listed milestones (e.g., one milestone is about spoken language/one about sign language – group can tweak to make one milestone).

Marla suggested that the profile can include an overall statement that each milestone can be signed and/or spoken.

Sheri explained that Key Chart lists all resources from which milestones were taken.

10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. – Group work

12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. – Lunch break

1:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m. – Group work

2:30 p.m. – The group was reconvened. Sheri introduced Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools and Services Division, who had dropped in to the group meeting.

2:35 p.m. – Group reports

Birth to One Year – Michele Berke and Licia King - This group said the profile needs to have a preamble to explain what all the terms mean. Birth – 1 year is the building block for future years, so these milestones are crucial. Also, it is important to be sure of cultural competence and sensitivity. For example, the term “motherese” is a research oriented term. Not all cultures use that term, and not all mothers in all cultures use motherese. All of the milestones this group chose apply regardless of the language the child is acquiring.

One to Two Years – Jane Freutel and Elizabeth Foronda – This group did the same process but really cut down. Duplicates were cut and rephrased. This group did not attempt to put things in sequence – they did not get that far. They noted that sometimes there is an overlap between expressive and receptive language. For example, to answer a question, you must have receptive language to understand the question, and expressive language to answer it.

Two to Three Years – Georgette Visco and Tony Ronco –The group reviewed the milestones they had selected. Like the previous group, they had really cut down the list of milestones. They had a question about the importance of writing skills for children in this age group?

Three to Four Years – Michele Tompkins and Ann Dexheimer reviewed the milestones they had selected.

Four to Five Years – Marla Hatrak, Kristi Panek, Ronda Rufsvold – At this age level, some objectives are clearly sign or spoken, so it may be necessary to have different milestones for children (this may be true even for younger age levels.) The milestones here also include grammar specifics and some pragmatics specifics that are language specific. For each milestone, include an example in English and in ASL.

Each group will send a summary of their findings to Nancy.

Sheri will send electronic copies of the word documents that had been blown up and taped to the walls to the groups by tomorrow morning (Wednesday, January 11).

Groups will send summaries to Nancy by next Friday, January 20. Groups of two can work together by e-mail without violating open meeting requirements. Nancy will put all of the summaries together and send them out to everyone, and post them on the SB 210 web site with the minutes of this meeting.

We will try for meeting in February, then again after.

Nancy will send doodle for Feb meeting.

At the next meeting, the group will complete the milestones in the morning, and discuss assessment tools in the afternoon.

The meeting was adjourned at 4 p.m. by Chairperson, Sheri Farinha.