Our Mission: The Sioux City Community School District exists to educate students to believe in their talents and skills, achieve academic excellence and succeed in reaching their potential.
Facilitator: Angela Bemus / Dr. Rod Earleywine
Secretary: Lynn Foster
The Board Student Achievement Committee (SAC) met on Monday, November 18, 2024, in the ESC Board Room.
Committee Members’ Present: Lance Ehmcke and Jan George.
Guests / Visitors: Jim Vanderloo, Director of Secondary Education, Jarod Mozer, Director of Elementary Education, Amy Denney, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment and Professional Development, Jarod Mozer, Director of Elementary Education, Barb Caskey, Director of Human Resources, Blair Taylor, Nodland/Sunnyside Elementary Principal, Mandria Moran, Perry Creek Elementary Principal, Dr. Mandi Bradford, Director of ELL, Chad Fengel, Director of Technology, Laura McElroy, Perry Creek Elementary teacher, Brooke Awtry, Nodland-Sunnyside Elementary Counselor, and Dr. Dora Jung, Director of Equity and Student Services.
Call to Order:
Angela Bemus called the meeting to order at noon.
Educational Standards Exemption Application 2025-2026 Offer and Teach Grades 9- 12 Physical Education:
Jim Vanderloo shared the Educational Standards Exemption Application. He stated the application for exemption allows students to meet state Physical Education requirements within one semester as opposed to the current two-semester structure. The schedule change opens up room in student schedules for additional coursework. This allows students the opportunity to add an additional course each of their four years in high school. He noted the district has been following this policy for the last several years and it is very successful.
SCCSD Educational Planning Handbook:
Jim Vanderloo asked the committee to acknowledge the Educational Planning Handbook. He stated the Educational Planning Handbook is periodically expanded and/or new pathways added. He noted sixteen national career clusters help students focus on an area of interest and possible career path. A pathway defines a study that may potentially lead to post-high school certification. The additional courses in addition to our Career Pathways allow students to build smoother transitions from high school to postsecondary education courses and the work force and earn college credit while in high school.
Retention Plan Update:
Jim Vanderloo provided an update on the Retention Plan. He stated the retention committee was created to come up with different ideas to retain staff. The first item the committee will be bringing forward is a plan to retain staff that will fall into the “rule of 88” category. These are the staff that are leaving the district. The goal is to get them to stay a few more years.
Jim reviewed the hard to fill positions. The retention plan the committee has developed is designed to fill these hard-to-fill positions. He reviewed the projected number of openings in the next three years due to the staff that will fall into this “rule of 88” category. This year alone the district was unable to fill 40 plus teacher openings. Most of these were in Secondary. Based upon the survey sent to these district employees, the majority of them stated a plan to have their health insurance paid would be an enticement to stay.
Jim stated the district would be looking at a three-to-five-year commitment for this plan. The goal of the retention plan is to retain our seasoned teachers in these hard to fill positions. He shared there is still work to be done. The goal is to have a plan in place by the middle of January.
MTSS Support Specialist Review:
Jarod Mozer proposed the addition of MTSS (Multi-Tiered Support Specialists) at Nodland-Sunnyside and Perry Creek Elementary schools. He shared all three buildings have a high percentage of students that are considered At-Risk for behavior needs as identified by referral data and social emotional screeners. He stated this position exists at all of the other elementary buildings through Title 1A funding. Nodland- Sunnyside and Perry Creek Elementary do not currently have this position due to not receiving Title 1A funding. The cost of each position is estimated at $59,805.75. The addition of these positions will provide necessary supports to meet the diverse needs that exist at these elementary buildings for students that are At-Risk related to behavior. The supports will be proactive and responsive in meeting student needs.
Specialty School Status Review:
Jarod Mozer presented the Specialty School status review timeline that is proposed to determine the fidelity of implementation, the academic achievement levels, and possible restructuring of some Specialty Schools. He noted that through this process, the district will review and determine the impact of elementary buildings with specialty status on student achievement. The district will be comparing student achievement scores on iReady Assessments, ISASP results, and Iowa School Performance Profile (ISPP) results to the State and district averages. The district will also determine the impact on student achievement by analyzing the feedback collected through focus meetings and surveys. The information collected will be used to determine the future structure and needs of Specialty Schools in the district.
Jarod stated there is currently no funding for the Specialty Schools. Funds for these programs come out of the building funds. The Specialty Schools in the district are:
Hunt A+ Arts
Irving Dual Language
Loess Hills Computer Programming
Morningside STEM
Spalding Park Environmental
He shared a timeline of the proposed review process. All stakeholders will have input in the review process. By Quarter 1 of 2026, a recommendation to the Board will be presented on the buildings Specialty status
SHIP+SKY Ranch Behavioral Services: SHIELD (Substance Use & Mental Health Intervention for Education, Learning, and Diversion) Update:
Angela Bemus provided an update on SHIP+SKY Ranch Behavioral Services. SHIP and SKY Ranch were awarded an early diversion grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She stated three full time employees provide services at the middle and high school buildings. These Youth Diversion Specialists provide culturally affirming, evidence-based diversion services to divert youth before arrest and booking. The goal is to reduce the number of youths with mental illnesses or cooccurring disorders in the juvenile justice system, increase resiliency skills, enhance school engagement, and improve overall well-being. She noted the three Youth Diversion Specialist also do proactive work in 5th grade. She stated the majority of offenses have to do with THC vaping.
ISASP, ELPA, and ISPP Data:
Amy Denney presented an overview of the ISASP (Iowa State Assessment of Student Progress), ELPA21 (English Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century), and ISPP (Iowa School Performance Profile) data. She stated these assessments meet the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirement as well as provide accountability summative assessments for Iowa students. The assessments are also aligned to the Iowa Core and accurately measure student achievement and growth.
ISASP is administered to all students in grades 3-11 in mathematics and English Language Arts. Science is administered in grades 5, 8, and 10. These assessments are administered every Spring within a threeweek window. Amy highlighted the positive growth in ELA. She also noted that the district is seeing growth in proficiency in math.
Amy next covered the ELPA21 data. This assessment is administered to all English Language Learners in grades K-12. It measures reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It is assessed in six grade bands: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. It is administered in an eight-week window, February through March. Amy explained the domain areas and levels of English Language proficiency for ELL students and the performance level descriptors. ELL students are categorized as either emerging, progressing, or proficient.
Amy noted the State has changed their accountability system and is now giving equal weight to growth and proficiency. Previously, the State had weighted growth higher than proficiency. This is one factor that contributed to the district scores going down. She also reviewed the changes in the point system. Amy stated consultation sessions were held by the IDOE in December 2023-February 2024. No school districts were invited to these consultations. An updated proposal was sent to the US Department of Education in March 2024 and approved by the US DOE in September 2024. ISPP results were released in November 2024.
The last assessment reviewed was the ISPP data. This is a report card reflecting the performance of the state, schools, and school districts. The performance includes both an overall score and performance rating for all Iowa schools across a number of performance measures. Struggling schools are identified as well as student groups within those schools that are underperforming. Amy reviewed the categories of accountability for school identification. Identification of Iowa schools for support and improvement are based on these measures:
Proficiency
Student Growth
Graduation Rate
English Language Growth
Chronic Absenteeism / Attendance Growth
Post Secondary Readiness (high school)
Amy again reiterated that due to the change in accountability measurements by the State, our scores went down. This is due to the State giving equal weight to growth and proficiency. The State also added Chronic Absenteeism as a measurement.
Amy reviewed the ISPP school ratings and point system. Rating categories were as follows:
Exceptional
High Performing
Commendable
Acceptable
Needs Improvement
Priority/Comprehensive
Amy noted no Sioux City schools were considered comprehensive. She next reviewed data of how Sioux City schools compared to other like UEN’s in various categories.
School Calendars Update:
Angela Bemus presented the 2025-2026, 2026-2027, and 2027-2028 school calendars. Each calendar represents over one thousand eighty hours of instructions during the calendar year, and 193 teacher contract days. She stated Friday early outs will continue. She has received positive feedback from teachers on Friday PD days.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m. The next SAC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at noon.