| Question | Current Answer | Who
Responsible | Timeline |
| What is the role of the Design Team? | From the Charge Statement approved by the school board November 16, 2006, "The purpose of the Secondary Schools Design / Core Teams is to recommend and implement a program design for grades 6 - 12 that prepares students for post-secondary success in the 21st century and reflects District 112's commitment to development of world class schools." | David Brecht, Assistant Principal for Chaska High School is facilitating the team of 60+ people | Design Team recommendations expected to school board no later than January 2008
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| Who is on the Design Team? | The Design Team is made up of over 60 people representing building administrators, district staff, teachers, students, parents, and community members. A list of the membership is located at the website http://www.district112.org/designteam.html
| NA | NA
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| What are Core Teams and what is their role? | There will be five core teams. One for each secondary building (two high school and three middle school). The core teams will be established by February, 2008 and will include building administrators and teachers. The role of the core team is to develop the implementation strategies for the new secondary program recommended by the design team. | District office | By February 2008
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| Will the new high school programs keep the 4-block schedule? | It's too early to say yes or no. The Design Team will evaluate daily schedules to determine what schedule offers the best support for the recommended program design. | Design Team and possibly Core Team | By August 2008 to allow for course adjustments, registration materials, etc by fall 2009
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| When and how will building administration be determined? | District 112 will need to hire an administrative team for Chanhassen High School which may result in some shifting of administration in current buildings. When and how this process will happen is to be determined by the superintendent. | David Jennings | By January 2008
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| Will the secondary school be open enrollment or have boundaries / feeder schools? | This decision has not yet been made. The process to address attendance issues has not yet been established. Equity will be a guiding principle in the decision. | District Office, School Board | By December 2008 |
| What will the Chanhassen High School Mascot and School colors be? | The Storm
Navy Blue and Gold | Dick Ungar | complete
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| What is the process for deciding which staff will go to which buildings? | The process and timeline have not been determined. The District Office in collaboration with principals and union representatives will develop a process that is fair and focuses on meeting the needs of students in each building. | David Jennings, Lynn Scearcy | By June 2008
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| Will the middle schools and high schools have the same programs? Will the district expect alignment between schools? | Once the overall secondary program has been recommended by the Design Team and approved by the School Board, it will be the task of the Core Teams to individualize the recommendation for each building. Expect alignment in the broad secondary design decisions and differences in the details. For example, if small learning communities are adopted as a best practice for the District's secondary program, schools will implement the small communities but may organize them around different themes. | Design Team, District Office, and Core Teams | By August 2008
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| Will the high schools have small learning communities? | There is certainly interest in exploring this strategy. Small learning communities are an educational strategy often connected with larger goals like breaking large schools into smaller units, focusing on relationships, personalizing learning, 4-year planning, and thematic teaching. The Design Team will be identifying and recommending research-based best-practices linked to successfully preparing all learners for post-secondary success. Small learning communities might be one of those recommendations. | Design Team | January 2008
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| How will the different buildings maintain program equity and not have the "haves" and "have nots" depending on program? | District 112 is committed to developing equitable programs at every level, yet recognizes the uniqueness of each building. To that end, the District will provide oversight to ensure that each student, regardless of building, will have an equitable opportunity and experience in preparation for post-secondary success. Specific programming structure may vary as long as students are equally prepared upon graduation. | District Office | Ongoing
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| How is construction going and what is the timeline? | Construction updates and information can be found at the following website
http://www.district112.org/newhs.html | Nancy Kracke | Ongoing
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| When will the new programs open? | The new secondary program must be ready to go on opening day of school, 2009. At that time, District 112 will open two high schools for grades 9 - 12 and three middle schools for grades 6 - 8. Core teams must complete their implementation plans in time for staff selection and professional development at each building. | District Office | September 2009
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| Will there be a 9th grade experience like the Freshman Center in the two high schools? | In response to questions during the November 2006 bond referendum, District 112 told voters that it is committed to a transitional 9th grade program for both high schools. Components of the 9th grade program have yet to be determined. The Design Team will likely address this topic as part of its recommendation to the school board | Design Team | January 2008
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| Will there be an International Baccalaureate (IB) program in one or both of the high schools? | Chaska High School offers Advanced Placement programming but does not currently offer International Baccalaureate programming. The Design Team will be reviewing research for effective strategies to preparing students for post-high school success. International Baccalaureate is a strategy the might be considered and may or may not find its way into the final recommendation to the Board. | Design Team, Core Teams | June 2008
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| Will the seniors for the graduating class of 2010 be split between two buildings in the fall of 2009 or be allowed to stay at Chaska High School? | The senior year is special and the District is very aware of the emotions surrounding this decision. District 112 will consider the advice of other districts that have had this experience and will also consider the input of this graduating class before a recommendation is taken to the Board. | District Office | January 2009
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| How does this Secondary Design work impact the elementary program in District 112? | The work of the Secondary Design Team will have immediate and most significant impact in grades 6 - 12, but will ultimately impact elementary programming as well. Part of the role of the Secondary Design Team is to identify the knowledge, skills, and character that future graduates will need to be successful after high school. The School Board charge statement from November 16, 2006 indicates that "at the appropriate time, an elementary design team will form to review the early childhood and elementary programs..." as a way to ensure that these early programs seamlessly support the goals of preparing students for success after graduation. | District Office | TBD |
| How will the community be informed about the process and decision making? | The School Board requires that the Design Team communicate with all stakeholders. Look for information in our newsletters and on our website. As the Design Team gets closer to its recommendation, look for opportunities for feedback as well. | Design Team | Ongoing
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