SUMMARY
Ball State University PDS Network Advisory Council
Elementary Schools Representatives
Institute Meeting #22
April 18, 2007
9:00 –12:30
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Ruth Swetnam welcomed the PDS representatives and guests.   She reviewed the agenda of the morning and explained the folder of materials. Included in each participant's packet was a copy of the Ball State University Teachers College Alumni Board Innovative Education Grant application, a chart showing the number of student teachers and university classes in each PDS during the year, and a chart displaying the student achievement in the elementary PDSs over a seven-year period.  Ruth also thanked Jeanette Booth and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis for hosting the meeting.

Harold Roberts, graduate advisor and assistant to the department chair of elementary education, was introduced. Because Harold was previously the principal of Storer Elementary School, he first talked about the benefits of the PDS relationship to Storer. He then explained how it is now possible for students all over the world to take graduate courses and earn their master's degree in elementary education online. The Web address is www.bsu.edu/distance. 

Pat Clark, coordinator of the Indiana Ready Schools initiative, gave a presentation on Muncie's Ready to Learn/Ready Schools Project in which early childhood and elementary educators are collaborating to help all children enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Washington-Carver Elementary School, Mitchell Elementary School, Apple Tree Child Development Center, and Huffer Memorial Children's Center have been participating in the early stages of the project. Wendy Tungate, transition coordinator, described her role and distributed materials.  Cindy Iavagnilio spoke about her participation as principal of Mitchell, and Linda Avra shared the developmental checklist Apple Tree is using.

Break-out sessions allowed the representatives from early childhood centers to discuss common issues such as the accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Representatives from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis and Minnetrista met to address common goals. Melissa Brisco, Mary Hendricks, and Marcy Schuck from Rhoades Elementary School shared their process for analyzing their ISTEP data, determining their school improvement goals, and designing their professional development program.

Jeanette Booth and Denise Salsbury showed the Power Point slides they had prepared for the recent PDS on-site review visit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. They explained that the design of the team visit was altered because of the unique nature of the partnership, and some of the PDS standards were revised to realistically reflect the work in this non-school site. 

Jill Miels reminded the group that Ruth Swetnam will be leaving Ball State in May, and she thanked Ruth for her work with the PDS Network. Jill presented Ruth with a bouquet of roses, a gift card to Barnes and Noble, and a blank journal filled with cards containing messages of appreciation from individuals in attendance. Ruth then thanked everyone for the gifts and for the wonderful opportunity to work with each person and PDS site during the last nine years.

The meeting concluded with the group viewing a video from the Web site www.glumbert.com/media/shift that outlines the changing demographics of our technological world. 

The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.