Quincy Public Schools

QUINCY SCHOOL COMMITTEE

BUDGET & FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ~ May 11, 2022

A meeting of the Budget & Finance Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 6:00 pm at the Coddington Building.  Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Tina Cahill, Mr. Douglas Gutro, Mrs. Emily Lebo, and Mr. Frank Santoro, who served as meeting chair.  Also attending were Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mr. James Mullaney, Ms. Erin Perkins; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Director of Business James Mullaney presented the Quarterly Budget review through the FY2022 third quarter ending March 31, 2022.  On the salary side, there are deficits that will be covered by a transfer from the city side of the budget that had been set aside for raises that were negotiated during the school year.  The funds for the raises were not included in the school department FY2022 budget. 

On the expense side, there is potentially a surplus for translation and supplies, which will cover the deficits related to natural gas and electricity.  Transfers will need to be authorized at the last School Committee of the year. 

Mr. Gutro asked about the surplus in the translation line.  Mr. Mullaney said some of the outside resources came online later in the year than projected and some services were paid for out of grant funding.

Mrs. Cahill asked if the budget allocation will change for accounts where there is current a surplus or deficit.  Mr. Mullaney said that for translation, there is anticipation that the full amount will be expended next year when the services are available for the full year. 

Mr. Santoro reminded School Committee that during the budget process, members can make recommendations for line item increases or decreases.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Quarterly Budget report as presented.  Mr. Cahill seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 5-0.  Mayor Koch and Mrs. Hubley were absent.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:15 pm. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Quincy School Committee

Teaching & Learning Subcommittee

Mrs. Emily Lebo, Chair

Mrs. Tina Cahill & Mr. Frank Santoro, Subcommittee Members

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 6:10 pm

Coddington Building, School Committee Room

AGENDA

1.  1.  Early College High School Update                           Mr. Keith Segalla

2.  2.  Curriculum Updates for 2022-2023                    Ms. Perkins, Ms. Roy

Members of the public can access the meeting in person, live on QATV Channel 22, or at www.qatv.org.  The meeting will also be recorded for rebroadcast and posted on the QPS website on Friday, May 13, 2022.

QUINCY SCHOOL COMMITTEE

TEACHING & LEARNING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ~ May 11, 2022

A meeting of the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 6:15 pm in the Coddington Building.  Present were Subcommittee Members Mrs. Tina Cahill, Mr. Frank Santoro, and Mrs. Emily Lebo, Chair.  Also attending were School Committee members Mr. Paul Bregoli and Mr. Doug Gutro; Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Ms. Kara Bobrov, Ms. Virginia Cushman, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms. Kimberley Quinn, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Bridget Vaughan, Ms. Heather Wojcik; Quincy College Associate Vice President of Student Success & Partnerships Meghan Cassidy; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Executive Director of Career Vocational & Technical Education Keith Segalla shared demographic information for the 149 Grades 10, 11, and 12 students currently enrolled in the Early College High School program.  84% of the students enrolled earned 3 Quincy College credits in the first semester by earning at least a 73 in the class (September 2021-February 2022).  The students who did not earn college credit still received high school credit for successfully passing the class with a grade above 63.  Students who enter the program in Grade 10 can earn up to 19 college credits by the time they graduate. 

In addition to our dedicated high school instructors and their Quincy College colleagues, the students are supported by the Early College High School Pathway Support Team.  Each high school has ECHS Pathway School Counselors and ECHS College Transition Coaches who work with students during the daily Student Support Block on College & Career Readiness Skills, including time management and organization, goal setting, health & wellness, and effective communication.  In addition, the staff work with students and families on college activities and post-graduation planning.  Communication with parents happens on a regular basis via email and the teams from the two high schools meet to share best practices. 

For the 2022-2023 school year, recruitment is underway with information shared with students and families during the course selection process.  Individual meetings were held with interested and eligible students, and guidance provided to complete the application process.  Projected enrollment is 225 between the two high schools and all new students will be invited to an orientation.  Applications are still being accepted and the hope is the enrollment will continue to grow. 

The Early College High School program benefits from several grants:  $500,000 annually for three years from the State Street Foundation for tuition, books & supplies, salaries for ECHS College Transition Coaches and Guidance Counselors; $200,000 from DESE for textbook, supplies, staff collaboration compensation, and professional development; and $90,000 from DESE for summer programming.  Grade 12 ECHS students graduating in June have been offered a full tuition scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year, up to 24 credits including fees and textbooks.  ECHS support staff are assisting with registration and course selection, including the FAFSA process. 

Program enhancements for 2022-2023 include a Grade 12 Mathematics class (Statistics) and the potential to earn Honors credits.  The Summer Institute will give students entering Grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to take 1 or 2 college courses at Quincy College, which will not count towards high school credits.  The grant covers tuition, fees, lunch, and transportation costs. The team concluded the presentation by reviewing the takeaways, challenges, and successes of the program. 

Mr. Gutro asked about the video shown at the beginning of the presentation.  Mr. Segalla said there is one for each high school.  The video creation was funded by State Street and customized for each school.  DESE may use the videos to assist other school districts.

Mr. Gutro asked if the program is capped at 250.  Mr. Segalla said if additional students signed up, additional staffing will be required.  Mr. Segalla noted that enrollment is open to all students, with a priority for EL, Special Education, and economically disadvantaged students (the terms of the grant).

Mr. Gutro asked about the disparity in students earning credit.  Ms. Cassidy noted that students were still eligible to earn high school credits even if they did not earn college credits.  These students received more intensive supports for meeting expectations for the second semester.  Mr. Segalla noted that several students moved away and so left the program without receiving credit.

Mr. Gutro asked what makes the courses more rigorous.  Ms. Costello said that the courses are semester-long rather than full year and were developed in collaboration with Quincy College instructors and are aligned in content and expected outcomes to Quincy College courses. 

Mr. Gutro asked about the financial health of the college, are the scholarships offered in the hope that students will continue to attend Quincy College.  Ms. Costello said that this is all part of being community partners, increased interest in post-graduate education and keeping non-traditional students engaged in college are the goals.

Mrs. Cahill asked about support so that students don’t become discouraged with the rigor or challenges.  Ms. Cushman said that students with IEPs often receive additional support through Strategies classes and that one of the lessons for this year is that EL students with higher fluency were more successful. 

Mrs. Cahill asked how we can support students who may be struggling before they get to the point where they don’t receive ECHS credits.  Ms. Cushman said that optional tutoring was added as a support for the 2^nd semester and will be available all year in 2022-2023.

Mrs. Cahill asked about students going to college after high school.  All the students have a plan to go to college, whether at Quincy College or another institution.  Mr. Segalla noted that 56 of the students are also CVTE students and some are receiving Dual Enrollment credits as well.

Mr. Santoro thanked the presenters, the work to identify the students and provide the supports to ensure they can have these opportunities.  It is so meaningful that the students have a pathway where they may not have seen one previously.

Mr. Bregoli asked for potential college credits, 22 for a student entering in Grade 10 in the 2022-23 school year.  The credits are accepted at most colleges and universities in New England. 

Mrs. Lebo said that the balance of male and female students is good to see, male college enrollment has dropped off nationwide.  Mrs. Lebo asked about recommendations, it is part of the application process but not required.  If the program becomes oversubscribed, there will be a more formal process with weight given to recommendation.

Mrs. Lebo asked about interaction with the Quincy College instructors, last summer QPS teachers had the opportunity to collaborate with instructors and this will continue this summer. 

Mrs. Lebo asked for clarification, the end of semester assessments are the same as at the college.

Mrs. Lebo asked about use of the MyCap program (similar to Naviance). Mr. Segalla said there is some training offered but we haven’t made the decision to move to this platform.

Mrs. Lebo asked about when the students transition to Quincy College, Ms. Costello said a team is being put together at the College to be points of contact for these students.  Mrs. Lebo complimented the transition plans.

Curriculum Team Administrator Kimberley Quinn updated on the Mathematics curriculum for Grades 3-5 to be implemented in 2022-2023 school year.  As with Kindergarten-Grade 2, Illustrative Math was selected.  Under a grant from DESE, the curriculum materials will be funded for next year.  Training will begin in the fall for the initial phase of the two-year roll out and optional Professional Development will be offered over the summer.  For Grades K-2, training is complete, so full implementation will begin in the fall.  There will also be professional development for principals on supporting and evaluating staff during the implementation.  DESE grant funding will support professional development and online platform.  A Parent Academy will be scheduled for the fall for the Illustrative Math program, along with elementary school Math events, and visits to PTO meetings.

Coordinator of ELA Bridget Vaughan announced that K-5 has selected Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts.  Under the funding provided by the DESE GLEAM grant, a screening tool has been selected for dyslexia.  Building-based Literacy Leaders participated in the evaluation of programs through a 10-week field test of 40 general and special education teachers. 

Mrs. Lebo thanked the presenters, they were clearly invested in stakeholder evaluation in the selection process

Mrs. Cahill made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 pm.  Mr. Santoro seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.