Prince William County Public Schools

Select this link to view the agenda on the Electronic School Board webpage.
Select this link to view the School Board meeting on PWCS-TV.

The School Board Approved:

• The appointment of 2015-16 proposed Gifted Education Advisory Committee members;
• The Deed of Vacation and Dedication providing for a cemetery access easement at Hylton High School;
• The Memorandum of Understanding with PWC Community Services Board to provide assistance to PWCS students;
• November 16 as National Dutch-American Heritage Day;
• November 9-13 as School Psychology Awareness Week;
• The National External Diploma Program Agreement with the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems to assess and certify the high school level competencies of adults and award a high school diploma to those adults who successfully complete the requirements of the program;
• School Board meeting minutes of October 7;
• The cooperative agreement with PWC Department of Parks and Recreation for the recreational and community use of school buildings and fields;
• Revisions to Policies 006, "Prayer at School Function"; 527, "Alternative Scheduling-Managers"; and deletion of Policy 553, "Anniversary Date."

Policies and Regulations:
First review of revisions to Policies 681 "Non-Traditional Education Programs," and 721, "Student Transfers," (No action is required on first reading.)

Citizens' Comments:
Citizens addressed the School Board on the following topics:

• Dr. Larry Price, Cenergistic division vice president and marketing specialist, presented an Environmental Excellence Award to Mr. David Cline, associate superintendent for Finance and Support Services, for the School Division's energy reduction consumption;
• The 13th high school's cost and design;
• Bullying Prevention training for students and employees; and
• Planting of trees at Stonewall Middle School.

Presentations:

• Mr. Michael Wright, principal at Potomac High School, led a presentation about instructional best practices at Potomac High School, which resulted in continuous improvement in student achievement. The Potomac High School team consisting of Ms. Cara Dolan, Mr. Jim Utterback, Ms. Rebekkah Iskiw, and Dr. Michelle DeLoach, also presented.
• Mrs. Rita Goss, associate superintendent for Student Learning and Accountability, and Dr. Jennifer Cassata, director of Accountability, presented the Strategic Plan Report. The report is presented annually to the School Board to showcase PWCS performance on the measures identified in the plan. The measures include test results, program participation rates, graduation information, discipline rates, teacher licensure/endorsement data, organizational data, and the Divisionwide Survey results. (Go to Office of Accountability to view Strategic Plan Report 2015.)
• Mr. Dave Cline, associate superintendent for Finance and Support Services, presented a proposed "hybrid design" for the 13th high school for School Board consideration. The presentation compared costs and benefits of building the new design with those associated with construction of a new school based on the designs of either Patriot or Battlefield High Schools. The presentation can be found online at pwcs.edu. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the design question at its November 4 meeting.

Superintendent's Time:
Dr. Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools, made the following announcements:

• Congratulations to Ms. Margaret Stout, a teacher of students with autism at Antietam Elementary School. Ms. Stout received a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching Fellowship to travel to Israel to study and exchange ideas with other educators. She is one of 48 U.S. teachers selected for the award.
• Congratulations also to Mrs. AJ Phillips, director of Information Technology Services, who is a Top 30 Award Winner in the 2015 Center for Digital Education awards program. This is a unique annual awards program that highlights 30 of America's K-12 and higher education technologists, transformers, and trailblazers.
• A graduate of Osbourn Park High School, Joe Maniaci, along with his teammates at the College of William and Mary, won what is considered to be the World Cup of Science for undergraduates. They won the Grand Prize for undergraduates at the "i-GEM Grand Jamboree" which drew entries from five continents. This is one of the biggest prizes in synthetic biology. The William and Mary team was the only North American entry in the finals.