Feb. 6, 2013 School Committee Meeting

Agenda

Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
City Council Chambers, Quincy City Hall
7:00 p.m.

I. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting Minutes for January 23, 2013.

II. Open Forum: An opportunity for community input regarding the Quincy Public Schools. After giving his or her name and address, each speaker may make a presentation of no more than four minutes to the School Committee. An individual may not exchange their time or yield to others.

III. Superintendent’s Report:

A. School~Community Partnership Recognition: Quincy Historical Society

B. Atlantic Middle School Young Writers magazine award

C. Central Middle School Update

D. Gateway Cities Grant

E. Upcoming Events

F. Home-School Communication: Curriculum Newsletters from Bernazanni and Wollaston Elementary and Sterling Middle Schools; Educational Learning Center (ELC) Program Newsletter

IV. Old Business:

V. New Business:

A. Attendance Staff Presentation - Mrs. Papile, Ms. Greene, Ms. O’Brien, Ms. Peters

B. DESE Initiatives Update - Mrs. Roberts, Ms. Hallett, Ms. Roy

C. FY2013 Grant Booklet - Mr. Mullaney

D. Out of State Travel: Sterling Middle School Singers to the Providence Bruins Game, Providence, RI on March 10, 2013.

VI. Additional Business:

VII. Communications:

VIII. Reports of Subcommittees:

  1. Teaching and Learning/Policy Subcommittee: Mrs. Lebo to report on the January 24, 2013 meeting.

  2. Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee: Mrs. Hubley to report on the February 4, 2013 meeting.

  3. Facilities and Security Subcommittee: Mr. McCarthy to report on the February 5, 2013 meeting.

IX. Executive Session: Collective Bargaining

X. Adjournment:

Subcommittees of the School Committee

Subcommittee Items


Budget & Finance
Isola/Bregoli/Hubley/Koch/Lebo/Mahoney/McCarthy

School Facilities & Security
McCarthy/Bregoli/Hubley

  1. Sterling Building Plans Referred to Subcommittee by the School Building Task Force in 1998.

  2. Coddington Hall Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. The City of Quincy has appropriated funds to refurbish Coddington Hall to serve as the Quincy Public Schools administrative offices. Wessling Architects has completed the design phase of the project and construction bids are scheduled to go out in early October. All bids being in order, construction should begin in January 2013.

  3. Houses on Saville Avenue Referred to Subcommittee at the May 18, 2011 School Committee Meeting. Currently home to the City’s Public Building department, the School Committee and Superintendent see no future educational uses for these properties.

  4. Outside Lighting Audit Referred to Subcommittee at the February 8, 2012 School Committee Meeting. To address safety concerns, an audit was requested to look for lights that need repair or replacement and locations that would benefit from additional lighting.

  5. President’s City Inn Referred to Subcommittee at the October 10, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Safety concerns have been expressed about this property that abuts the new Central Middle School. 

  6. Classroom Door Locks Referred to Subcommittee at the January 23, 2013 School Committee Meeting. Review of current status by school underway as well as cost estimates for upgrading all schools to meet recommended standards.

  7. School Lobby Security Controls Referred to Subcommittee at the January 23, 2013 School Committee Meeting. Review of existing visitor protocols, with special consideration of current high school policies and discussion of enhancements moving forward for all schools.

Health, Transportation & Safety
Hubley/Lebo/McCarthy

  1. School Meal Charges Referred to Subcommittee at the March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting. New state and federal regulations require formalization of the school meal charges policy.

  2. Science Lab Safety: Referred from the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee at the April 2, 2012 meeting. High School and High School Science labs have been reviewed and needed updates for compliance completed as of September 24, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring of supplies will be handled by High School Safety Team; need similar plan for Middle Schools.

  3. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Referred to Subcommittee at the September 24, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. Student Support Services working with Lincoln Hancock, Clifford Marshall, and Parker Elementary Schools on piloting this initiative.

School Policy
Bregoli/Isola/Mahoney

  1. Graduation Requirements Referred to Subcommittee at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and discussed at the October 11, 2011 School Policy Subcommittee. The discussion centered around adding a fourth year of Math as a graduation requirement; the issue is tabled until more is known about the impact of the new Common Core Standards on the Massachusetts frameworks.

  2. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee. Further discussion will be held in joint Subcommittee Meetings and Executive Session as it pertains to collective bargaining.

  3. High School Community Service Referred to Subcommittee at the December 14, 2011 School Committee Meeting. A resolution was introduced proposing a Community Service requirement; pilot program for Grades 10 and 11 is underway for 2012-2013 school year.

  4. Conflict of Interest: Volunteering, Tutoring, Hiring Referred to Subcommittee at the January 11, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of existing policy requested.

  5. Adding CPR as a Graduation Requirement Referred to Subcommittee at the March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of existing policy requested.

  6. Exempting Student Athletes from Physical Education Requirement Referred at the May 2, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Student athletes who compete in three seasons of athletics with parent permission and maintenance of academic eligibility, would not be required to take Physical Education classes. Review and discussion of existing policy requested.

  7. Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities Referred at the June 13, 2012 School Committee Meeting. Review and discussion of amending the existing policy requested to explore the possibility of raising revenue by accepting advertising sponsorships.

  8. School Wellness Policy Referred to the Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee at the March 21, 2012 School Committee Meeting. New state and federal guidelines will require revision of the existing Wellness Policy. Referred to Policy Subcommittee at the December 3, 2012 Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee after review of first draft of revised policy.

  9. 2013-2014 School Year Calendar Referred to Subcommittee at the March 9, 2013 School Committee Meeting. Draft calendar has been circulated to Principals, Superintendent’s Leadership Team, Administrative staff, Parent groups, and the general public for comment.

  10. 2013-2014 School Committee Meeting Calendar Referred to Subcommittee at the March 9, 2013 School Committee Meeting. Draft calendar has been circulated to Principals, Superintendent’s Leadership Team, Administrative staff, Parent groups, and the general public for comment.

Special Education
Mahoney/Bregoli/McCarthy

  1. Substitute Teachers for SPED Originally referred to Subcommittee at the January 17, 2007 School Committee Meeting. At the Special School Committee Meeting on January 28, 2012 and the Special Education Subcommittee meeting on February 1, 2012, it was agreed that some progress has been made in the way that substitute teachers are informed and educated about accommodations for special needs issues. A form has been developed for classroom teachers to share information and the goal for implementation is the 2012-2013 school year.

  2. Special Education Program Assessment Referred to Subcommittee at the January 28, 2012 Special School Committee Meeting. This will be an ongoing discussion of the curriculum initiatives for Special Education.

Rules, Post Audit & Oversight
Lebo/Bregoli/Hubley

Teaching and Learning 
Lebo/Hubley/Isola

  1. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the School Policy Subcommittee. Two meetings have already been held to begin exploring the requirements of the new regulations (9/21/11 Ad Hoc Subcommittee meeting and February 13, 2012 Teaching and Learning Subcommittee meeting) and further discussion will be held in joint Subcommittee meetings and Executive Session as it pertains to collective bargaining.

  2. Media Specialists in Elementary and Middle Schools Referred at the January 23, 2012 School Committee Meeting. The Citywide Parents’ Council presented a signed petition representing the request to restore these positions in the FY2014 budget and seek additional funding to address the positions for the remainder of the
    2012-2013 school year.

Ad Hoc Committees:

Channel 22
Mahoney/McCarthy

Created at the October 27, 2007 School Committee meeting to encourage the greater use of Channel 22 across Quincy Public Schools.

Central Building Committee
Mahoney

Athletic Rules
McCarthy/Hubley/Lebo

Created at the October 24, 2012 School Committee meeting to continue discussion on Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules.

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts - February 6, 2013
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Regular Meeting

A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mayor Thomas Koch, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. David McCarthy, and Ms. Barbara Isola, Vice Chair.

Vice-Chair Presiding

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The Superintendent called the roll and all members were present. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Ms. Jill Greene, Ms. Beth Hallett, Mr. James Mullaney, Mr. Kevin Mulvey, Ms. Jennifer O’Brien, Mrs. Maura Papile, Assistant Superintendent Colleen Roberts, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Judy Todd; Quincy High School Student Representative to the School Committee Ms. Lindsay Schrier; Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association, Mrs. Tracey Christello, Citywide Parents’ Council Representative, and Ms. Jill Gichuhi, President, Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education.

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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved 1/23/2013

Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hubley, to approve the Regular Meeting minutes for January 23, 2013. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Open Forum

Mrs. Tracey Christello thanked the School Committee members for listening to the many parents who spoke at the last School Committee Open Forum. She reiterated their request for the restoration of Media Specialists, citing the many positives that these professionals bring to schools.

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Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent DeCristofaro began his report by recognizing the Quincy Historical Society, Director Dr. Edward Fitzgerald, the staff and board members. The Quincy Historical Society has worked with over 1,300 Grade 3 and 4 Quincy Public Schools students each year for more than thirty years. Dr. Fitzgerald introduced Andriana Nochi and Ginny Karlis, the teachers who work with the students relating the events of the past to the current world and making history accessible by teaching about Quincy’s rich history. Dr. Fitzgerald thanked the current School Committee and School Committees of the past.

Mayor Koch concluded the partnership recognition by noting how fortunate the city is to have the Historical Society and especially Dr. Fitzgerald as Director. The Society’s staff participate on the city’s Historic District Commission and provide invaluable support on many matters.

The Superintendent continued his report by sharing that the Atlantic Middle School recently received the National Council of Teachers of English magazine award for their Young Writers magazine. Broad Meadows Middle School student Emily Acrosta from Broad Meadows participated in the recent Massachusetts Music Educators Association Eastern District contest. Quincy Public Schools is the recipient of a Gateway Cities Grant from the state. This $214,609 grant will provide a five-week, full-day summer program for middle school English Language Learner students, with a focus on content area language and literacy and incorporating Quincy’s history and marine environment.

The most recent Central Middle School Update was shared with the School Committee; the next meeting of the Building Committee is Monday, February 25 at 4:15 pm. Upcoming Quincy Public Schools Events include the Special Olympics on February 8 at the Squantum Elementary School; the Quincy High School Science Fair on February 13; the Go Math! Parent Information Night for elementary school parents on February 12 at the Clifford Marshall Elementary School. In addition, a calendar of upcoming Quincy School-Community Partnership events was shared with the School Committee. Examples of homeschool connections were provided to the School Committee, including Curriculum Newsletters from Bernazzani and Wollaston Elementary and Sterling and Central Middle Schools; the Special Education department Initial Evaluation Brochure; and the Educational Laboratory Center Program newsletter. Examples of administrative team communications included the Secretaries Team Newsletter and School-Community Partnership Newsletter

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New Business

Supervisors of Attendance

Director of Student Support Services Maura Papile and Supervisors of Attendance Jennifer O’Brien and Jill Greene presented on their department’s focus on residency and attendance. Mrs. Papile reviewed the recent reorganization of the staff and the background and experience each Supervisor brings to their position. With the recent addition of a third Supervisor, this has allowed for re-aligning assignments along feeder school lines. The Supervisors of Attendance maintain close relationships with their school staffs and community support members, enforce laws and regulations relating to attendance and residency. School sites monitor attendance and provide initial interventions with family; when supervisors become involved, there are a number of options including home visits. Ongoing interventions include consultation with the school’s student support team, creative incentives, addressing the problems directly with parents. If interventions are not successful, attendance hearings and/or family assistance conferences will be held. The legal remedies that follow include Child Requiring Aid Application (formerly CHINs), Failure to Send Petitions (Criminal Complaint), and eventually 51A filings. Under the new law, every school system is required to have a Truancy Prevention Program. Quincy Public Schools is one of the few school systems in Norfolk County that had this program in place prior to the new law.

Verifying residency is the other large component of the Supervisor of Attendance responsibilities. The state law states that children are entitled to attend school in the town that they reside; the exception to this being homeless students and unaccompanied youth. Under the McKinney-Vento Act, a child who has become homeless is entitled to the stability of continued education. All students register at their home schools or through Central Registration and are asked to provide two forms of verification of residency. All parents and guardians are asked to sign a verification form; students living with adults not their parents have to complete the RV2 and RV3 forms. Home visits are made to families where schools or Central Registration have identified that documentation is incomplete. Multiple visits are made to verify residency, as well as following up on undelivered mail and tips to the Residency Hotline. Nighttime residency checks are performed in cooperation with the School Resource Officers and Community Police Officers.

Mayor Koch asked about the volume of complaints made to the hotline. Mrs. Papile said that the volume of calls is very low, but new efforts will be made to publicize the hotline. Each Supervisor of Attendance does about 150 residency checks per year, about 10% are actually issues. Mr. McCarthy asked about the possibility of students coming to school on the MBTA from other towns. Ms. O’Brien said that observation and investigation has shown that Quincy student residents are commuting on the Red Line within the city to the high schools. Student pedestrians also walk through the train stations to get to the high schools. Ms. O’Brien cautioned that there are individual situations including homelessness, foster care, students with divorced parents and shared custody that might cause students to be commuting from outside the city.

Mr. McCarthy asked about the protocol for verifying guardianship for students not living with a parent. Mrs. Papile said that court-ordered guardianship should be documented or parents must sign over their educational rights through the RV3 form when there are informal custodial arrangements. Mr. McCarthy asked about the number of guardianships; Mrs. Papile will follow up with how many students are registered under RV3.

Mrs. Mahoney asked for clarification on the QPS Attendance Policy, noting that there are limited circumstances for excused absences. Mrs. Mahoney inquired about the caseloads of the Supervisors. Ms. O’Brien said that the additional Supervisor position and the redistribution of schools is allowing them to spend more time with each family, as families require individual interventions.

Mrs. Lebo thanked the Supervisors for their presentation. She asked them for an estimate of time spent on attendance interventions vs. residency issues. Ms. O’Brien estimated that 75% of each Supervisor’s time is spent on attendance and 25% on residency. Mrs. Lebo acknowledged the complexity of the attendance interventions and asked about the success of the interventions. Mrs. Papile said that the Supervisors make referrals for outside services and build relationships, following families from elementary through middle to high school. Mrs. Lebo complimented the training and experience of the new Supervisors of Attendance.

Mr. Bregoli thanked the Supervisors of Attendance and Mrs. Papile for their dedication; they are a valuable asset to students and families. Mr. Bregoli asked for information on outside resources used for ongoing interventions. Bay State provides in-home clinicians, therapeutic mentors; South Shore Mental Health; Leslie Bridson, Homelessness Coordinator; and the Probation Department, are utilized, among others. Mr. Bregoli spoke of his goal to strengthen the QPS residency procedures; asked for clarification on what defines residency. Quincy Public Schools policy is that the student sleeps in Quincy the majority of the time (with the exceptions for homeless and unaccompanied youth). Mr. Bregoli asked about the Central Registration staff; Mrs. Papile outlined that experienced paraprofessionals complete the process supported by English Language Learner tutors for language testing and guidance staff.

Mrs. Hubley asked about translation assistance for home visits and site-based meetings. The Quincy Police Department has officers with second language competency; school sites provide translation support for Attendance Hearings. Ms. Hallett provided assistance in translating Attendance letters into multiple languages, with more in development. Ms. Isola expressed her appreciation for all the work the Supervisors of Attendance do to assist students and families.

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DESE Initiatives Update

Assistant Superintendent Colleen Roberts and Curriculum Coordinators Beth Hallett and Madeline Roy presented on the many mandates from the federal government and state and our progress towards meeting these. Administrators and Principals are continuing to assist teachers in unpacking and analyzing the Common Core frameworks by school-based grade level teams, system-wide grade level and content areas, and vertical team meetings. Ms. Roy discussed that all elementary schools are using a new Math program, Go Math! for Grades K-3. A parent information night is planned for Tuesday, February 12 at the Clifford Marshall Elementary School. For Reading, Lincoln Hancock, Wollaston, and Squantum are piloting the Journeys Reading program and Central is piloting The Common Core Coach, a Language Arts supplement. Math pilot programs include Go Math! for Grades 4 and 5 at Wollaston and Squantum and Big Ideas Middle School Math is at Atlantic, Central, and Point Webster. All non-pilot schools are using OnCore Math as a Common Core supplement at Grades 4-8. Towards the end of the school year, pilot teachers and principals will complete a criteria checklist to ensure the programs align to the Common Core standards. Using this information, final recommendations will be made for purchasing programs.

As the middle of the school year approaches, analysis of instructional pacing guides is underway and revisions will be made as needed. Related Professional Development includes a partnership with the Southeast District Administration Center (DSAC) and DESE Readiness Centers. For Teachers, Math Coursework has includes Foundations of Mathematics and standards-focused training; for Language Arts, a mix of courses, workshops, and consultation.

Ms. Hallett gave an update on RETELL, noting that the Spring courses are full and registration is open for Summer courses. 464 teachers will need the SEI endorsement, 52% have already taken the required Category trainings and will only have to take the RETELL bridge course. Graduate credits will now be offered for the full RETELL Course. Related professional development will focus on WIDA Standards and directly link to Common Core State Standards. The new assessment for English Language Learners, ACCESS, is almost completed (ends February 13). QPS trained and certified approximately 85 ACCESS Test Administrators in Grades K-12. Ms. Hallett thanked all of the Principals, Assistant Principals, ELL staff, and other staff who assisted with test administration.

The new Educator Evaluation system will be implemented in the Fall of 2013. Collective bargaining is about to begin with the Quincy Education Association on model contract language. DESE is providing guidance to all non-Race to the Top districts in the spring; Evaluator and Teacher Training Modules have been provided by DESE and analysis is underway. A timeline of training and implementation is to be completed by late spring and will be discussed further at an upcoming Teaching and Learning Subcommittee meeting.

Mrs. Lebo asked how pilot sites are chosen; Mrs. Roberts said that often principals volunteer and teachers or department heads initiate a request to pilot new materials. Mrs. Lebo asked about whether Career and Technical Education teachers are going to be required to have the SEI Endorsement. Ms. Hallett said that not right now, but the regulations are evolving. Mrs. Roberts said that noncore teachers will be required to take 15 PDP credits by 2016.

Mrs. Mahoney asked whether the Go Math! parent presentation could be recorded and rebroadcast on Channel 22 and posted on the QPS website. Mrs. Mahoney asked Mrs. Roberts to review why Quincy is not a participant in the federal Race to the Top program which began several years ago. The program participation required the Mayor, Superintendent, and Teacher’s Union signatures. There were two opportunities to apply to the program and the QEA declined to participate on both occasions. Mrs. Roberts noted that there were advantages and disadvantages to not participating; QPS gained another year for implementing the new Educator Evaluation system, but was not able to participate in the decision-making process. Ms. Isola thanked the presenters for keeping School Committee informed in both the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee and the regular School Committee meetings.

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Grant Booklet

Dr. DeCristofaro presented the annual Grant Booklet, noting some of the format and organizational changes. He thanked Grant Administrator Cindie Lally for her work. Mrs. Lebo expressed her appreciation for the Gateway Cities Grant, noting that the opportunities seem to be dwindling. Mr. McCarthy cited the dedication of the Grant Team, the nineteen grants they administer total $6 million, a substantial amount of money contributed to the school system operations.

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Out of State Travel

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the out of state travel of the Sterling Middle School Chorus to perform at the Providence Bruins game in Providence, RI on March 10, 2013. Mayor Koch seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Additional Business

Mr. McCarthy asked whether the Central Middle School construction project is on schedule for September completion. Dr. DeCristofaro said that the latest information is that we are on schedule, the weather has continued to be favorable. Mrs. Mahoney agreed that the school will be move-in ready for the opening of school, based on information shared at the most recent Central Building Committee meeting, with some punch list items to be completed in Fall 2013.

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Communications

Ms. Isola noted that a student writing sample about the importance of school Custodians had been shared with the School Committee and how timely it was, given their recent recognition. Ms. Isola asked that the writing sample be shared with the Custodial Staff.

Mr. McCarthy announced that an Athletic Rules Subcommittee meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 5 and the next Facilities and Security Subcommittee meeting will be held on Monday, March 18. Both meetings will be held in the 2nd floor conference room of the NAGE Building at 5:00 pm.

Mrs. Lebo respectfully requested that Student Eligibility be added to the agenda for the Athletic Rules Subcommittee meeting.

Dr. DeCristofaro mentioned that he’d attended the taping of WGBH’s High School Quiz Show for the North Quincy High School’s competition and was impressed by the students who competed and the large number of students who came out to support the team .

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Reports of Subcommittees

Joint Teaching & Learning/Policy Subcommittee

Mrs. Lebo reviewed the joint Teaching and Learning/Policy Subcommittee Meeting that was held on January 24, 2013. The first item on the agenda was the presentation of the Annual System Profile and Progress Report by Mrs. Fredrickson and Mrs. Papile. The booklet has been organized into three sections: Enrollment, Assessments, and Indicators and will be posted on the Quincy Public Schools website at www.quincypublicschools.com.

The next item on the agenda was Graduation Requirements, specifically considering adding a fourth year of Math. Most of the neighboring cities and towns require four years of English, but other requirements vary, including Math, Science, and Social Studies ranging from two years to four years. Mass Core, the new state recommendations, suggest four years of Math. State colleges and universities are going to expect this beginning with the class of 2016. Quincy Public Schools currently requires four years of English and Social Studies; three years of Math and Science, and two years of Foreign Language. Currently, 95.6% of Quincy High School students take four years of Math, as do 96.2% at North Quincy High School. Dr. DeCristofaro suggested that we continue the discussion and Mrs. Lebo agreed. QPS offers the courses that allow our students to get into any college or university, it is a matter of guidance. All agreed the topic, including the Physical Education Requirement, would be tabled until a later meeting. Mrs. Lebo requested the Math POS Pathways Information be shared with the School Committee.

The last item on the agenda was a School Improvement Plan Update for the Lincoln Hancock Community School for 2012-2013. Revised goals were shared and the School Improvement Plan was approved by the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee.

Mrs. Hubley made a motion to approve the January 24, 2013 Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meeting minutes. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

The next Teaching and Learning Subcommittee is Monday, February 11 at 5:00 pm. Items on the Agenda include New Educator Evaluations and Media Specialists.

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Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee

Mrs. Hubley reviewed the Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee Meeting held on February 4, 2013. The first item on the agenda was an update of the Health, Nutrition, and Wellness Team by Mrs. Kisielius and Mrs. Morrissey. The Team met recently and discussed a number of topics, including the completed revision of the Wellness Policy. All agreed that more education about the new nutritional regulations is needed for schools, PTOs, and the Booster Clubs. Mrs. Kisielius reviewed the BOKS program now being piloted at the Squantum School; this very popular program has over 60 students participating before school twice a week.

Mrs. Morrissey reviewed that the USDA is allowing more flexibility with grain and protein servings by eliminating the maximums allowed. A recent review of menus required by the USDA showed that QPS is close to the calorie limit with the meal patterns already established. The USDA also released their guidelines for competitive foods; they mirror the state’s guidelines but are focused on foods sold, not given to students as part of classroom or school events. The USDA guidelines are in the comment phase and will not be finalized for another year. Mrs. Morrissey reminded the Subcommittee that there are still conflicts between the federal and state guidelines. For example, low-fat chocolate milk can be served with meals sold or provided per the federal regulations but cannot be sold a-lacarte per the state regulations. Ms. Isola suggested that the School Committee send a letter to the state delegation alerting them the issues with the conflicts between the state and federal regulations. Mrs. Morrissey will draft a letter about the issue that School Committee can review.

There is an outstanding item in the Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee about formalizing the QPS meal charges policy. Mrs. Morrissey will send a draft so the Subcommittee can review and discuss before referring it to the Policy Subcommittee for finalization.

The next item on the agenda was a report on the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) pilot currently underway at the Lincoln Hancock, Clifford Marshall, and Parker Elementary Schools. QPS received a Massachusetts Tiered System of Support grant of $10,000 and assistance from the May Institute in piloting this program. PBIS involves all students, reaching them in a tiered system of support. PBIS supports social and emotional competencies, which has long been a focus in QPS, but this program has a data collection piece that will help tailor the school’s responses. The School Wide Information System (SWIS) is used to collect data to help the staff see where intervention is needed. For implementing the data collection piece, SWIS is being piloted at the 3 pilot elementary schools and all five middle schools. School teams (principals, assistant principals, secretaries, school counselors) have undergone training and common Office Referral forms were generated. Elementary pilot schools will generate goals for their School Improvement Plans for next year based on PBIS data. Ms. Todd also shared information in upcoming changes in the School Discipline/Dropout Reform Law that will take effect on July 1, 2014.

Mr. McCarthy agreed that the School Committee should send a letter to the state delegation about the conflicts in the state and federal regulations. Ms. Isola reiterated that we want to educate parents about the issue, provided specific example around chocolate milk and the conflict. School Committee will have no control over the issue and we need to let legislators know that this is a conflict that must be addressed.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the February 4, 2013 Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee Meeting. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Facilities and Security Subcommittee

Mr. McCarthy reviewed the Facilities and Security Subcommittee Meeting held on February 5, 2013. Mr. McCarthy reviewed the Powerpoint that was presented at the meeting outlining the analysis completed to date for building exteriors and interiors, alarms, cameras, access control, id badge systems, and visitor protocols. The decision was made to focus on classroom door lock issues, emergency procedures, and Public Address system issues as immediate prioritize. The School Committee has will do additional work to prioritize other items. The ongoing projects in Maintenance from School Improvement Plans and the Safety, and Lighting Audits were integrated into a spreadsheet; completed or scheduled items have been noted with others flagged for prioritization as well. Research will be ongoing for additional vendors and materials, grants and other funding sources. Mr. McCarthy thanked Ms. Cox who spoke on behalf of the QEA membership and the Montclair parents who were in attendance. He also thanked Mr. Draicchio, Mr. Kevin Segalla, Mr. Murphy, and Superintendent DeCristofaro for their focus on these issues.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the February 5, 2013 Facilities and Security Subcommittee Meeting minutes. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

On the motion, Mrs. Mahoney asked whether we have utilized Homeland Security resources to assess all of our public buildings, including the schools for their suggestions. Mr. McCarthy said that this has not been done to date and each school has been individually assessed. Several years ago, a private security firm did an assessment and most of the issues they cited are the same as our internal list of issues. Mr. McCarthy has reviewed the public records about Homeland Security assessments for other districts and feels we are on track with the items cited there. He would like to see if we would be eligible for a Homeland Security grant.

Mayor Koch said that a general security audit was done of city buildings several years ago and changes were made to building access. The Mayor thanked the Public Buildings department, Kevin Segalla, and Michael Draicchio for all their work; knows the issue is being thoroughly reviewed and looks forward to having cost estimates to consider during the budget process. The Mayor reiterated that school safety is the priority for the city. Mrs. Mahoney asked if there were older reports that could be shared with the School Committee; the Superintendent said there was not a formal report, but a series of conversations. Mrs. Mahoney requested that we do a formal, documented assessment, since this might be helpful for future School Committees.

Mayor Koch noted the cooperation between the Quincy Police Department and the Quincy Public Schools. As a city, we have been proactive in constantly reassessing our safety and security procedures and processes, and have not waited for an incident to response.

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Mr. Bregoli asked to remove three items from the Policy Subcommittee since they have been completed and approved: the update of the Wellness Policy, the 2013- 2014 School Year Calendar, and the 2013-2014 School Committee meeting calendar.

Dr. DeCristofaro apologized that during the Superintendent’s Report he meant to mention the many North Quincy High School teachers and staff members who supported the students competing on the High School Quiz Show by attending the taping. He also thanked all of the School Committee members for the work done over the course of the school year through the Subcommittees.

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Executive Session

On a motion by Mrs. Lebo, seconded by Mrs. Hubley, the School Committee went into Executive Session at 9:00 p.m. for Collective Bargaining. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 7-0. The School Committee will return to the Regular Meeting at the close of Executive Session.

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The School Committee returned from Executive Session at 9:35 p.m.

Approval of MOA Between Quincy School Committee and the QEE Union SEIU 888

Mrs. Hubley made a motion to approve the Memorandum of Agreement between the Quincy School Committee and the Quincy Educational Employees Union SEIU 888. Mrs. Mahoney seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it 7-0.

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Adjournment

Mayor Koch made a motion to adjourn at 9:40 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. McCarthy and on a voice vote, the ayes have it 7-0.