October 2015 Board Meeting

The ISD Board of Trustees met on Thursday 1 October for its regular monthly meeting. Below are some of the highlights from the meeting. ISD Board Governance Agreement  Board members started off the meeting by signing the 2015-2016 ISD Board Governance Agreement. The Board Governance Agreement encompasses the principles, norms and procedures that all ISD Board members commit to abide by. By signing the agreement, Board members signify their acceptance of the duties and norms therein and their agreement to comply with them. Please click HERE to read the 2015-2016 ISD Board Governance Agreement.  MAP Tests at ISD Elementary School Principal Dr Ian Clark gave the Board a presentation on MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing at ISD. It provided insight into the value of MAP tests from ISD students’, teachers’ and administrators’ perspective. Dr Clark focused on how this individualized assessment tool helps students to set personal achievement goals, supports teachers to analyze students’ progress with a view to maximizing their academic growth, and enables administrators to evaluate the success of academic programs in place. Faculty and Staff Compensation The Board reviewed and deliberated on a five-year Faculty and Staff Compensation Plan recommended by Director Dr Alan Knobloch and the Board’s Finance committee. The overriding goal of this compensation plan is to maintain and improve academic quality by attracting and retaining high quality faculty and staff to ISD. The Compensation Plan considers how ISD compares to benchmark comparable schools in the region. It is recommended as an integral part of a long-term financial plan. Enrollment Reserve Fund The Board voted to approve an Enrollment Reserve Fund. This is in line with the Board’s fiduciary responsibility of ensuring sound financial management of school resources, and in accordance with ISD Board finance policy.* The aim of the Enrollment Reserve Fund is to provide funds to maintain ISD’s educational programs in the event of an unanticipated decline in enrollment. * Board finance policy 5101: The intent of the Board is to adopt a budget that allows for the maintenance of reserve funds. Full minutes of the 1 October meeting will be available to the ISD community following approval by the Board in November 2015. Vesna de la Borde Chair, ISD Board of Trustees