Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development
Summary of the July 2005 Board of Directors Meeting
Technology Conference Center
Student Award Winners
The Board of Directors honored SkillsUSA silver medal winners Ashley Nagel from Oaks Hills, Brittany Potter from Oak Hills and Tara Shaw from Three Rivers. These Diamond Oaks Health Technology students earned their medals at the National SkillsUSA Conference held in Kansas City in June. Their project focused on service animals used in healthcare. Five thousand students from across the nation competed in 80 hands-on and leadership contests.
Occupancy/Use Agreements
The Board of Directors approved an Occupancy/Use Agreement with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center to provide classroom space at Scarlet Oaks for a developmentally handicapped unit.
Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Consortium
The Board of Directors approved participating in the Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Consortium to take advantage of discounts.
2005 Bids for Site Improvements
The Board of Directors awarded bids for improvements that include: asphalt sealing, drainage, sidewalk replacements and utility repairs.
Bids for Scarlet Oaks Interior and Exterior Renovation
The Board of Directors approved bids to begin the initial phases of renovations at Scarlet Oaks.
Architectural Services
The Board of Directors approved an agreement with James F. Jacobs, architect, to provide maintenance and consulting services for existing facilities.
National School Lunch Program
The Board of Directors approved applying for participation in the National School Lunch Program.
Lunchroom Prices
The Board of Directors approved pricing student and adult lunches. Student Type A lunches will increase from $2.00 to $2.25 and adult lunches from $2.40 to $2.75.
Asbestos Maintenance Contract
The Board of Directors approved a contract with Pinnacle Environmental Consultants, Inc. to conduct a six-month surveillance audit for asbestos. Although no problems are expected, Pinnacle will undertake any asbestos abatement that may be necessary.
District Liability Insurance Renewal
The Board of Directors authorized the renewal of district liability coverage with the Ohio School Plan Insurance Program through Hylant Administrative Services.
Construction Update
The HVAC and Veterinary Assisting Labs at Diamond Oaks are under construction and expected to be completed before classes begin.
Adult Workforce Development Enrollment - Term IV
There was a 9% increase in enrollment, services, and facility usage in Adult Workforce Development when compared to the fourth quarter last year. 52,495 adults enrolled in classes or utilized services this year.
Class of 2005 Proficiency Results
The Class of 2005 entered Great Oaks with 453 students, or 31.2% of the class, not having passed at least one part of the Ninth Grade Proficiency Test. By June 2005, 99.7% of the class had passed all parts of the test.
Community Policing Development Grant
The Board of Directors approved requesting a grant from the Department of Justice for $450,000 to enhance training and consultation services offered by the Tri-State Regional Community Policing Institute. This will support initiatives with local and state organizations and private security companies to work cooperatively in improving community safety.
Career and Technical Education Planning District Strategic Plan
The Career and Technical Education Planning District (CTEPD) #044 (Great Oaks) will receive $1,861,398 in Carl Perkins funding. These monies will be used to support the Strategic Plan of the Great Oaks planning district.
Anticipated Enrollment Analysis
At this time, 2535 students are enrolled in Workforce Development programs on our campuses. In addition, 286 students have been accepted into our satellite workforce development programs.
Legal Counsel
The Board of Directors approved the following firms as Great Oaks legal counsels for FY 2006: Santen and Hughes; Bricker and Eckler; Strauss and Troy; and Denlinger, Rosenthal and Greenberg.
Title IX Report
The Board of Directors accepted the Title IX report that is submitted annually to the federal government showing progress in achieving the goals outlined in the non-discrimination mandates. A few highlights of the report include:
· All campuses continued to work on their High Schools That Work blueprints. Laurel Oaks, Live Oaks and Scarlet Oaks were recognized as being among the top 50 HSTW sites in the nation last year. Laurel Oaks and Live Oaks received HSTW Gold Awards last July for improved student performance on the HSTW assessment. Scarlet Oaks is receiving a Gold Award this year.
· The Adult Workforce Development Division earned a five-year accreditation from North Central Association.
· We underwent a review by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and are awaiting the final written report.
· Eighteen students successfully completed a year in the Opportunity Center. They’re on track to graduate and they are enrolled in a career major at one of our campuses for next year.
· The Alternative Center had a successful first year of operation and provided an alternative to out-of-school suspension for 379 students.
· Postsecondary Options: Communications class was provided to 65 students across the district and 100% of them passed the course, earning credit for English 12 plus 5-quarter hours of credit from Hocking College.
Salary and Benefits
Mr. Stamper thanked members for their contributions to the work of the Salary Committee in defining a compensation rationale. A report will be brought to the Board in August.
Legislation Report
Mrs. Parry reviewed Ohio’s biennium budget recently passed in HB 66.
ACTE Report
Mr. Young reminded members of the Ohio ACTE Conference on August 3-5 in Cincinnati. He also advised everyone to watch for continuing updates on the status of Perkins funding.
Curriculum Report
Mr. Harmon reported on the outstanding success of offering postsecondary options to our students. 199 students are signed up for advanced credits in English and Algebra next year.
Committee Leaders
The Board of Directors awarded Dr. Robin White a four-year contract.
Report of the President/CEO
Dr. White reported on the following:
· Steve Jackson is representing Great Oaks at a national school reform summit, Remaking Secondary Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century in Washington D.C. The summit is sponsored by workforce development and career-technical organizations to discern ways to align career-technical and mainstream high school reform. Mr. Jackson is one of 40 participants.
· Scarlet Oaks was one of 29 schools in the country to receive Gold Comprehensive School Reform Site Award from High Schools That Work (HSTW). They received the award for significantly improving student achievement scores and meeting HSTW goals.
· Seventeen Great Oaks associates are presenting six sessions at the High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on July 13 - 16. They will share with a national audience proven practices for setting rigorous expectations that result in increased student performance, higher graduation rates and better preparation for continuing study and meaningful careers.
· Jon Quatman has been selected as a member of the Cincinnati Leadership Class of XXIX. This will be a one-year commitment beginning in September.
· Our Student Services staff recently held their second summit to create a strategic plan to ensure all students are appropriately placed, have an Individual Academic Plan with support where needed, and receive the correct placement. The staff divided into marketing, special needs and counseling sections to fold their strategies into the overall plan.
· Each of the campuses has a leadership team that collaborates on setting direction for improving student learning at their sites. This summer they met collectively to evaluate the past year, and begin establishing their next goals, which included an emphasis on improving numeracy and literacy scores by utilizing data.
· Our district retreat this summer was outstanding. It included campuses and administrative teams mapping their progress in meeting strategic goals, learning to increase the rigor in assignments, reviewing using data to assess learning, and reflecting on future economic trends.
· Ann Jordan and Jane Storace, Great Oaks associates, are our delegates in the Hamilton County-Munich exchange program. They spent several weeks visiting programs and meeting with teachers and administrators. Because Germany values apprenticeship programs, their technical schools offer training in many skills.
· Later in the year, Jim Dixon will retire as Dean of Instruction at Live Oaks, and Claire Patterson as HR Director. Both have been with Great Oaks for many years and have touched the lives of many students, and associates.
