LTC 303-2011 Committee for Quality Education AM I Bz
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 303 - 2011 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the ity Commission
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
DATE: November 28, 2011
SUBJECT: Committee for Quality Education Motions
The Committee for Quality Education would like you to be aware of the attached motions
regarding 2012 Legislative Priorities, which was- approved at their October 25, 2011
committee meeting:
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Attachment
c: Kathie Brooks, OBPI Director
Leslie Rosenfeld, QEC Liaison
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City ibf Miami - Bea&
Comiilifte for Quality ~Education
Meeting of: October 25, 2011
Members Present: Keren Bajaroff, Karen Rivo, Sofia Emuriel, Kay Coulture, Pat Kaine, Ivette
Borello, Beverly Heller, Becky Cohen, Dakshesh Bhatt, Nizia Motola, Waldy Blanco and Maria
Hosu
Members Absent: Sheila Duffy- Lehrman, Tiffany Heckler, and Heidi Tandy
Motion Made By: Pat Kaine
Motion Second By: Beverly Heller
Motion Text with explanation:
1- Continue to allow co- enrollment as a strategy for high school students who need academic credit
recovery or to improve their cumulative average for graduation purposes. In addition, provide
greater flexibility and opportunities for academic credit recovery during the school day (ie.
facilitators, programming).
• The rational for the italicized addition to the approved District 2012 Legislative Priority written
above is to provide students with the option of taking the credit recovery courses as an
elective during the school day.
• This would also allow for more access to courses and will hopefully improve the graduation
rate.
2- Retain advanced academic (IB and AP) monetary incentives to reward teacher and school
achievements to align with the current merit pay formula for teachers and schools for FCAT and end
of course exam achievements.
• Another approved District 2012 Legislative Priority is to preserve funding for Advanced
Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
• The City of Miami Beach has invested significant resources to implement the IB curriculum
in all of its schools, including the International Baccalaureate 'Diploma Program at Miami
Beach Senior High.
• The rational is to ensure the retention and attraction of highly qualified teachers for both the
IB Program and the AP curriculum at Miami Beach Senior High who are already facing
higher class sizes due to the elimination of class size caps for IB, AP and dual enrollment
courses.
3- Update the requirements for school improvement plans to mirror the data points of the school
grade such as graduation rate, advanced academics ('IB and AP) and college readiness (SAT and
ACT).
• Currently the school improvement plan requirements for high schools do not include the
tracking of graduation rates, advanced academics and college readiness. This criteria
amounts to half of the school grade for high schools.
• The rational is to align the state requirements to develop and implement school improved
plans with the actual data points that are used to measure performance.
• This will enable the City of Miami Beach to more adequately track and improve advanced
academic results, including the IB program.
The QEC urges for the Mayor to include the above in the 2012 Legislative Priorities.
Motion Passage: Votes 12 -0