Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts – November 15, 2017
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
November 15, 2017 at the Coddington Building at 6:00 p.m. The Superintendent
called the roll and present were School Committee Chairman Mayor Thomas Koch,
Mr. James DeAmicis, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Emily Lebo,
and Mr. Paul Bregoli, Vice Chair.
Vice Chair Presiding
Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens,
Clerk; Ms. Sarah Anderson, Ms. Donna Cunningham, Mr. Michael Draicchio,
Ms. Julie Graham, Dr. Beth Hallett, Mr. Richard Kelly, Mr. James Mullaney,
Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms. Erin Perkins,
Ms. Kimberly Quinn, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Edward Smith,
Ms. Bridget Vaughan; Quincy Education Association President Allison Cox;
Citywide Parents Council Co-President Courtney Perdios; Quincy Parent
Advisory Council to Special Education President Cassandra Beck; Quincy
High School Student Representatives Timothy Nguyen and Alana Huang.
Mrs. Mahoney was absent.
Executive Session
Mr. Bregoli moved to take the School Committee Agenda out of order. The
motion was seconded by Ms. Isola and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mr. Bregoli then moved for School Committee to go into Executive Session
for the purpose of hearing a Level III Grievance. Ms. Isola seconded the
motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Return to Regular Meeting
Mr. Bregoli noted that School Committee would return to the Regular Meeting
at the conclusion of the Executive Session.
The Regular Meeting resumed at 6:35 pm.
§
Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
10.25.2017
Mrs. Lebo made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hubley to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for October 25, 2017. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
§
Open Forum
As no one wished to speak at Open Forum, School Committee moved on to the
next item on the Agenda.
§
Superintendent's
Report
Dr. DeCristofaro opened the Superintendent’s Report with Inspire Quincy
featuring Motor Activity Day at Della Chiesa, Farm to School at Lincoln Hancock,
the Snug Harbor running club, the Teacher Mini-Grant Reception, Elks Dictionary
donations, Point Webster Middle School students of the month, Middle School
Tennis Championships, Middle School Cross-Country Championships, Veterans
Day Celebration at Sterling Middle School, and the new Marching Band uniforms.
Director of Special Education Erin Perkins reviewed the Pre-Kindergarten Parent
Academy held on October 24, 60 parents were supported by 20 Quincy Public
Schools staff members. Dr. Cardello from Childrens Hospital presented on growth
and development, nutrition, and sleep. This was a very successful event that we
plan to repeat next year. The next Parent Academy will be December 5 at Central,
Dr. Gaab from Children’s Hospital will present on the developing brain.
STEM Team Administrator Edward Smith introduced a renewed partnership with
Proctor & Gamble/Gillette, mechanical engineer Zach Egan who attended
Wollaston, Central, and North Quincy High School and is a HYPER Robotics alumni.
His proposal was accepted by Gillette for a $10,000 grant and 50 students from
middle and high schools visited at Gillette on November 7, showcasing their
robotics projects.
At the Middle School Cross Country All-City Meet, over 200 students competed;
and at the Middle School Tennis City Championship, 140 students competed.
Thanks to the support of teachers and site athletic coordinators for a successful
fall season.
The 2017 Holiday Concert schedule was shared and Dr. DeCristofaro noted that
the 16th annual ‘Tis the Season concert is scheduled for Monday, December 11 at
Quincy High School, a collaboration with the Quincy Symphony Orchestra.
At 18th Annual Mini-Grants Reception, $32,000 in grants from Quincy School
Community Partnership members were shared with for 80 professional staff
members.
A Building Committee meeting was held on November 14, with representatives
from Bond (construction), PCA 360 (project management), and Ai3 (architects).
The presentation will be posted on the QPS website and student learning
opportunities will take place beginning in December for Grade 4 students at
Lincoln Hancock, all grades at Sterling, and Quincy High School CTE students.
A Topping Off Ceremony will be December 14 at 10:00 am.
The next School Committee meeting will be December 6 at 6:00 pm at Central
Middle School in recognition of American Education Week.
§
Old Business
There was no Old Business on the Agenda.
§
New Business
Program Improvement
Plan Presentation:
Special Education
Director of Special Education Erin Perkins presented the Special Education
Program Improvement Plan, reviewing the Special Education Department
mission: to provide specially designed instruction and/or related services based
on individual student needs; assisting students in becoming independent and
productive members of society; designing lessons that build on individual
strengths and abilities; and meeting the diverse academic, emotional, and social
needs of all students. Mrs. Perkins introduced the Special Education staff and
explained that the focus of tonight’s presentation is Mathematics instruction in the
Special Education classrooms, both substantially separate and inclusion.
In reviewing MCAS results for Students with Disabilities, for ELA, Grades 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7 were above state averages for Meeting or Exceeding Expectations. For
Mathematics, Grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 were above the state average. For Grade 10,
students with disabilities exceeded state levels for passing for the second year in a
row. Student Growth for ELA and Math was within the average range of 40-60%
with the exception of Grade 6 Math. For Average Percent Correct, Grades 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, and 10 were above the state average and Grade 8 was one point below. For
Mathematics, Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10 were above the state average, Grade 7 was
at state average, and Grade 8 was just below.
Mrs. Cunningham presented on the Special Education goals, reflecting on the
completion of last year’s goals and moving forward to the new year. In the third
year of the Aspen Special Education module implementation, the focus for training
will be on increasing services and timeline compliance. The Special Education
Team is looking forward to collaborating with the Quincy Parent Advisory Council
to Special Education on upcoming Parent Academies, including a collaboration
with Curriculum Team on Understanding Assessments for all students.
There are separate goals for Elementary, Middle, and High School Special
Education Teams. For Elementary grades, collaboration will continue with
Literacy and English Learners to identify and certify students for special education
services using the Response to Intervention method.
Coordinator of Special Education for Grades 6-12 Sarah Anderson said that this
year’s MCAS data shows that Students with Disabilities are making progress
compared to the achievement of students across the state. For middle school
students on IEPs, this year’s goal is to increase the MAP RIT scores by 6 points
over the course of the school year. The goal will be supported through
professional development for guided math and iReady online instruction.
Middle and high school general and special teachers will be collaborating to
develop a district inclusion model and professional development course to be
offered in Summer 2018. The course will focus on successful co-teaching
partnerships and ultimately provide more access to general education classes for
students with special needs.
Mrs. Perkins said that there are discussions with some out of district families
about 18 to 22 year old students transitioning to the LEAP Program, now
underway in the 2nd year.
Mr. Kelley outlined the goals of the Special Education program teams:
Occupational Therapy (incorporate additional strategies focused on improved
regulation), Speech (modify the data collection rubric), Language Development
(implement consistent Language Based Instruction across subject areas), GOALS
(dropout prevention practices), and CARES/SNLC (increase use of the Unique
Learning System and support MCAS Alternate portfolio development).
Mrs. Perkins shared the related Professional Development for the Special
Education staff. Some opportunities are common with general education teachers,
coaching, observation, updating teacher practices in action. Mrs. Perkins thanked
Curriculum Team Administrators Bridget Vaughan and Kimberly Quinn for their
planning of inclusive professional development and support for all teachers.
Mrs. Lebo thanked Mrs. Perkins for the presentation, very excited to see the
inclusion model evolving. Mrs. Lebo asked about ABA staff. Mrs. Perkins said
there are three BCBA consultants in our classrooms on a daily basis, and the
paraprofessionals are trained by them.
Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the Special Education Program Improvement
Plan. The motion was seconded by Mayor Koch and on a voice vote, the ayes have
it.
§
New Business
District Data Overview
and Curriculum Team
Goals
Senior Director of Curriculum Madeline Roy presented an overview of the District
Data and Curriculum Team Goals, the work of the Curriculum Directors supported
by Team Administrators for Curriculum and Special Education. Ms. Roy reviewed
that Next Generation Assessments were administered for Grades 3-8 beginning in
Spring 2017; these assessments are aligned to the Common Core Standards for
ELA and Mathematics, with an emphasis on critical thinking and multi-part
problem solving. A new scoring report was released to parents on November 1;
parents see overall scores and achievement levels for each content area and
comparison to average schools for schools, district, and across the state. For
students in Grades 5 and 8, Science Assessments are the legacy test. Detailed data
for all grade levels was provided to School Committee and is available on the QPS
and DESE websites.
Dr. Hallett presented the High School Legacy MCAS overview; there was no change
to the scoring levels or reporting to parents. Current Grade 10 students will also
be taking the legacy MCAS in Spring 2018. For the class of 2021 (current Grade 9
students), these students will take the Computer-Based Next Generation
Assessment. There will be mandated field tests in Spring 2018 for Grade 10
students; 25% of students will be randomly assigned to either ELA or
Mathematics. There will be an optional Biology & Physics field test as well.
Tonight’s presentation will focus on Grades 5, 8, and 10 since these levels have
Assessments in ELA, Mathematics, and Science and often represent the highest
grade of testing for a school, the cumulative effort of learning.
For Grade 10, 92% of all students were Advanced or Proficient on the ELA MCAS,
83% were Advanced or Proficient for Mathematics, and 78% of all students were
Advanced or Proficient for Science and Technology/Engineering. All students
scored higher than the state average on all question types in all curriculum areas.
For Grade 8, 58% of students scored in the Meeting or Exceeding Expectations
categories for ELA, 50% of students scored in the Meeting or Exceeding
Expectations categories for Mathematics, and 40 % of students scored Proficient
or Advanced for Science. For all curriculum areas, the students scored at or above
state levels. Growth was 64% on average for Mathematics, a promising
development.
For Grade 5, 54% of all students were at the Meeting or Exceeding Expectations
level for both Mathematics and ELA and 54% of all students were at the Proficient
or Advanced level for Science/Technology & Engineering. Targeted instruction
will be supported by after school enrichment and academic support programs at
the elementary levels, including homework support
For the High Needs Subgroup, 85% of Grade 10 students were Proficient or
Advanced for ELA MCAS, 72% for Mathematics, and average growth was 55% for
ELA and 68% for Mathematics. Scores were above the state level for all standards
and all question types. Grade 8 High Needs students scored 39% Meeting or
Exceeding Expectations for ELA and 38% for Mathematics. 40% of High Needs
Grade 5 students were in the Meeting or Exceeding Expectations for ELA and 44%
in Mathematics.
Looking ahead, increased investment in curriculum and professional development
will support instructional and enrichment activities. Coaching and modeling of
best practices will increase opportunities for targeted dialogue and participation
in small group settings. Increased focus on justification or explanation of work
will assist students in developing the higher order thinking skills needed for
success in college and career. A major area of focus will be the Science/
Technology/Engineering area, where there is clearly work to be done to support
and reinforce Grades 6 and 7 Science curriculum as these are assessed in Grade 8.
Vertical teams will work to identify system-wide needs for Science instruction,
including revision of pacing guides and updating of curriculum materials where
needed. STEM Team Administrator Edward Smith will also meet with site-based
Science Vertical Teams to closely analyze data on problem types and curriculum
strands. Extracurricular supports will be available through Lego League Robotics.
At Sterling Middle School, a Junior Building Committee will be established to go
along with the construction of the new school. Other middle schools have coding
and open computer opportunities.
Beyond the scores, Quincy Public Schools continues to provide a safe and
nurturing learning environment for students, encourages students to persevere in
their studies, seek challenges, discover their gifts and talents, and value and
respect each other. Teachers will be supported through high-quality professional
development, opportunities for collaboration, print and digital curriculum
resources, technology, and connections to the community.
District Goals for 2017-2018 are: (1) ELA K-8: Students will show evidence of
growth and achievement in Reading as measured by average percent correct on
the Next Generation MCAS Spring 2018 Report and an increase of 10 RIT points
above the Fall average as indicated by the Spring 2018 MAP District Summary
Report. (2) Mathematics K-8: Students will show evidence of growth and
achievement in Mathematics as measured by average percent correct on the Next
Generation MCAS Spring 2018 Report and an increase of 10 RIT points above the
Fall average as indicated by the Spring 2018 MAP District Summary Report. (3)
Science Technology Engineering Grade 8: Students will show evidence of growth
and achievement in Science, Technology/Engineering as evidenced by a 3%
increase in APC (from a base of 63%) with a specific focus on close reading of
informational text, constructing sound written arguments, and an increased
understanding of the domains of Earth and Space, Life Sciences, and Physical
Sciences.
Mayor Koch left the meeting at 8:15 pm.
The Curriculum Team will be presenting at the January 8, 2018 Citywide Parent
Council meeting on the upcoming Spring 2018 MCAS Assessments. Parents of
students in Grades 4 and 7 may have particular interest, as these are the grades
that will begin Computer-Based testing this school year.
Ms. Isola thanked the presenters, it is apparent how much thought and analysis go
into looking at this data and using it to work with students and teachers. The
team is constantly thinking of new innovations to assist our students.
Mrs. Lebo reiterated Ms. Isola’s comments, complimented the model of coaching
teachers. Mrs. Lebo said that it is apparent that the Principals and school staffs
see the Coddington staff as very helpful and supportive.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked School Committee for sharing in the Teaching &
Learning process, listening, supporting, and suggesting. The expanded Curriculum
Team allows for a new level of collaboration with Principals, teachers, and this
extraordinary effort is all to be sure “the rain hits the ground”.
§
New Business
MASC Conference
Update
Mrs. Hubley thanked her colleagues for the honor of representing the Quincy
School Committee at the Massachusetts Association of School Committees
conference. All of the resolutions discussed at the October 25, 2017 School
Committee meeting were passed at the MASC general meeting. Resolution 1 was
amended to make January 31 the recommended date for enrollment figures.
Mrs. Lebo submitted a packet of information about the MCAS essay text box
concern, which Mrs. Hubley distributed at the General Meeting and passed on to
Acting DESE Commissioner Jeff Wulfson.
Ms. Isola thanked Mrs. Lebo for bringing the issue to School Committee. Hopefully,
there will be some response from other School Committees and from DESE.
§
New Business
Out of the Country
Travel
Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the April 13-22, 2018 Out of the Country
Travel of Quincy High School to Berlin, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic;
Krakow, Poland; and Budapest, Hungary. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and
on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
§
New Business
Out of State Travel
(Overnight)
Mr. DeAmicis made a motion to approve the November 30-December 3, 2017 Out
of State Travel (Overnight) of Quincy High School to the Yale Model Congress in
New Haven, Connecticut. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote,
the ayes have it.
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to approve the June 7-8, 2018 Out of State Travel
(Overnight) of Atlantic Middle School Grade 8 to New York City, New York. Mr.
DeAmicis seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
§
Additional Business
There was no Additional Business.
§
Communications
Upcoming meetings were announced: January 11 and 24, 2018 at the Coddington
Building at 6:30 pm.
Subcommittee Meetings will be held on November 20 and 21, 2017 (Teaching &
Learning, both at 5:00 pm).
§
Reports of
Subcommittees
Mr. Bregoli noted that all School Committee and Subcommittee meeting minutes
are posted online at www.quincypublicschools.com.
Budget & Finance
Subcommittee
Mrs. Lebo reviewed the Budget & Finance Subcommittee meeting held on
November 13, 2017. Director of Business James Mullaney presented the FY2018
Staffing Reconcilation and 1st Quarter Budget Report.
As there were no corrections, the meeting minutes for the November 13, 2017
Budget & Finance Subcommittee were approved as presented.
§
Athletics
Subcommittee
The review of the Athletics Subcommittee meeting was deferred to the December
6, 2017 School Committee Meeting Agenda.
§
Teaching & Learning
Subcommittee
Ms. Isola reviewed the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meetings held on
November 13 and 14, 2017. The Middle and High School principals presented
their School Improvement Plans; Mr. Segalla presented the Career & Technical
Education Program Improvement Plan; and Dr. Hallett presented the English
Learner Education Program Improvement Plan. All plans were approved.
As there were no corrections, the meeting minutes for both the November 13 and
November 14, 2017 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee were approved as
presented.
§
Executive Session
Executive Session was moved out of order and held as the first Agenda item.
§
Adjournment
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 8:30 p.m. The motion
was seconded by Ms. Isola and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.