Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - September 25, 2013
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
September 25, 2013 at the City Council Chambers. Present were
Mayor Thomas Koch, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, 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 Mr. Bregoli was absent. Also present
were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk, Mr.
Michael Draicchio, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Mr. James Mullaney, Deputy
Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mrs. Maura Papile, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Ms.
Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Judy Todd; and Ms. Allison Cox,
President, Quincy Education Association.
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There was a moment of silence in remembrance of Mrs. Minukus, a Quincy
Police Department Traffic Supervisor and member of the North Quincy High
School Football Hall of Fame.
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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
9/11/2013
Mrs. Hubley made a motion, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for September 11, 2013. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Executive Session Minutes Approved
9/11/2013
Mrs. Mahoney made a motion, seconded by Mayor Koch, to approve the Executive
Session minutes for September 11, 2013. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Special Meeting Minutes Approved
9/18/2013
Mrs. Lebo made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Hubley, to approve the Special
Meeting minutes for September 18, 2013. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Open Forum
As no one wished to speak at Open Forum, the School Committee moved on to the
next item on the agenda.
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Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent DeCristofaro introduced an Inspiring Quincy video presentation.
The video focused on recent Quincy Public Schools events including the beginning
of the Middle School Cross Country Program, the ongoing Educator Evaluation
Training, the two new High School Athletic Directors, and the new Central Middle
School.
Mr. Bregoli arrived at 7:05 p.m.
Dr. DeCristofaro announced that there would be a dedication ceremony and Open
House for the new Central Middle School on Sunday, October 20. The first day
of school for staff and students at the new building will be Monday, October 21.
The North Quincy High School NEASC visit is scheduled for October 20 through
October 23; the School Committee interviews will be held on Sunday, October 20
at 2:00 pm. School Open Houses continue this week and next; all information is
posted on the Quincy Public Schools website. Class size issues are continuing to
be monitored; a report will be presented at the October 9 School Committee
meeting. 178 students have been awarded Abigail Adams scholarships in honor
of their performance on last Spring's MCAS tests.
Upcoming Quincy Public Schools events include a College Fair for High School
students on October 10 and the Professional Educator Evaluation Status reception
on October 3, 2021. Seventeen educators will be honored at this year's event.
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Old Business
School Committee Goal Setting 2013-2014
Ms. Isola reviewed the Special School Committee Meeting held on September 18,
2013 and attended by members of the School Committee, the Superintendent and
Leadership Team. Goal setting creates a road map and is a way to look forward at
the beginning of the year and review at year's end. Each Subcommittee chair met
with members of the Superintendent’s Leadership Team and reviewed and set their
goals.
For the Budget and Finance Subcommittee, their goal and purpose will remain as
presented. For the Facilities and Security Subcommittee, the items in Facilities and
Security will be reviewed and prioritized at the first Subcommittee of the year. For the
Health, Transportation and Safety, the first two items on the School Committee Agenda
will be retained. A third goal will be added: Increasing communication with parents on
nutritional guidelines and standards of our new Wellness Policy.
For the Policy Subcommittee, all items currently in Subcommittee on the Agenda will be
retained. Mr. Bregoli noted that the item related to CPR training might be something to
work with the new High School Health Interventionists moving forward. For the High
School Community Service pilot, the Community Service Coordinators will be invited to
the first Policy Subcommittee meeting to discuss student completion of hours during the
summer and increased roles for the Deans and Class Advisors. At the end of the year,
Mr. Bregoli would like to assess adding Grade 10 to the pilot. The Math Graduation
Requirement discussion is waiting on information from the state on whether this will
become a mandate. Facility dedications will be discussed at the first Subcommittee
meeting and at subsequent meetings, there will be discussions about extracurricular
eligibility and advertising/ sponsorship. A review of the Residency Policy was added to
the items in Subcommittee.
The Special Education Subcommittee’s goal for this year is to facilitate communication
about the implementation of the Special Education Program Improvement Plan by
monitoring and reporting on compliance with Special Education regulations and
supporting initiatives to increase communication and professional development for
parents and teachers. The Teaching and Learning Subcommittee made wording changes
to Goal 1, adding a step to review the District Profile in Winter 2013 and amending the
first step to include review of a Library Program Improvement Plan. For Goal 2, “and
assessment” was added after “curriculum” and the third goal was changed: To be
informed and updated on all issues regarding the implementation of the Massachusetts
Educator Evaluation process and its effectiveness. Action steps will be added to this goal
as the year progresses.
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New Business
District Improvement Plan 2013-2014
Superintendent DeCristofaro then presented on the District Improvement Plan and
explained that this is the key way that Superintendents identify tasks that need to be
completed and areas for improvement. The District Improvement Plan is an expression of
the beliefs of the school system; all of the Quincy Public Schools staff members
participate in a decision-making model where leadership is distributive and
collaborative. Decision-making is close to the students as possible and this participation
trains the next generation of leaders; most of the current principal team are career Quincy
Public School educators.
The cycle of Planning/Implementing/Reflecting and Assessing is the basis for the District
Improvement Plan. The Design Framework is the structure to manage change – a
constant flow of factors and initiatives from DESE and the Federal Government. With
the Design Framework, the first step is the Plan Your Work phase (Standards/Key
Questions) that is general/ideal/conceptual, followed by the Indicators (What) and
Benchmarks (How) and Documentation/Evidence (Who/What).
In the Planning phase of the Improvement Cycle, we begin with the Framework for
District Accountability and Assistance. As a Level 3 school district, we have a level of
technical assistance through DSAC and access to grants. The MA Conditions of School
Effectiveness are correlated to the Quincy Public Schools Framework.
Implementation is the next phase of the Improvement Cycle: the creation of the Plan and
Components, according to the timeline presented in the cycle. The Plans include the
Superintendent's Annual Plan (collaboration between Superintendent and School
Committee), School Improvement Plans, and Program Improvement Plans (Academic
and Academic Support). All of the Plans are connected to individual Subcommittees,
providing opportunity for input and monitoring. Other District Improvement
Components include the Curriculum and Assessment Plan (expanded from last year's
Curriculum only), the Professional Development Plan, Technology Plan, District Profile,
Team Organization and Goals, Educator Evaluation (new this year), and the Budget.
All of the Program and School Improvement Plans feature smart goals for
improvement. Some of the teams have been reworked this year to address the changes in
the organizational focus: combining Curriculum & Assessment into one team, creating
new vertical teams for K-2, 3-5, middle school, and advanced placement, and a refocused
Athletic Advisory Team. Other key teams include the Teacher Mentor Team and the
Safety & Security Team which both are the beneficiary of community members.
At the end of the cycle, there is time for Reflection and Assessment of the goals of each
School and Program and then the planning for the next year begins. Communication
about managing goals and monitoring progress is done through the Superintendent's
Monthly Message, Principal Staff Weeklies, School Curriculum Newsletters, Program
Newsletters, Team Meeting Agendas and Notes, QPS Website/Social Media Platforms,
and Channel 22.
Mrs. Fredrickson then reviewed that the Academic Program and School Improvement
goal-setting process began with the System Goal Alignment process. The Curriculum
and Assessment Management Team (Madeline Roy, Elizabeth Hallett, Erin Perkins,
Mary Fredrickson) worked through the summer to assess data and the focus on full
implementation of the Common Core. Mrs. Fredrickson shared the progression of
proficiency on Grade 10 MCAS from 1998 to 2012. Quincy mirrored the state, rising
from 34% in 1998 to 88% in ELA; in Math 18% to 78%.
In the 2013-14 school year, DESE is expecting to continue the transition away from
MCAS with the PARCC field test. This year's MCAS will be on the Common Core
standards but still utilize the MCAS format.
The Curriculum Management Team formulated a key question: what does Proficient
student achievement look like under the new standards? After disaggregating the data, a
profile of a student emerges, with their accompanying reading level. Quincy's strategies
are to implement research-based approaches from the Data Coach Course and to assess
the Conditions for School Effectiveness (providing aligned curriculum and aligned
assessment, and providing effective instruction)
.
To monitor student progress, the Curriculum Management Team recommends
monitoring percent correct going forward. Both new elementary curriculums provide
many opportunities for diagnostic and progress monitoring. Schools will be monitoring
progress throughout the year. DIBELS is a good example of how this can work; it is a
focus on consistent measures of progress and what students can do. Student progress will
be monitored through Weekly Assessments, Chapter Tests, Common Benchmark
Assessments, Mid-Term Assessments, MCAS Assessments, and End-of-Year
Assessments. Pre-requisite skills assessments will be consistently given at the beginning
of the school year. This will allow teachers to assess appropriate placement and targeting
effective instruction. When we understand data, we understand what are students can
do. Emphasis should be placed on everyday assessment and less focus on MCAS.
Field testing of the PARCC Test will involve 10% of MA students in Grades 3-11,
randomly selected by grade and classroom. More than 50% of schools in QPS have been
identified for potential participation. These assessments will be performance-based
assessments in ELA & Math and End of year assessments in ELA and Math.
Superintendent and Curriculum & Assessment Team Goals will be the basis for School
and Academic Program Improvement goals: increasing the average percent correct on
MCAS by 2%. To achieve this goal, Action Steps will be contructed so that in ELA, the
focus is on Key Ideas and Details. In Mathematics, the focus will be on constructed/open
responses. PARCC Assessment content is infused in the new curriculum to assist
students in learning how to construct appropriate responses.
Increasing the average percent correct by 2% is a complex goal. In order to increase the
average, each student must increase by 1 point. Rather than targeting certain groups near
proficient, this is a goal for all students, and highly challenging. Mrs. Lebo's concern is
that the state wants us to look at achievement gap for high needs category. Mrs.
Fredrickson said that historically, when we increase the percent correct, we increase the
level of proficiency. Mrs. Lebo would like to be sure that this is going to give us the
improvement that we need.
Mrs. Fredrickson said that high needs groups make up 61% of our population, and this
focus is on all students. Other states have seen plummeting scores with the inception of
the new tests. Massachusetts has long had a rigorous assessment, so we may be in better
shape. Since we can't control the arbitrary line of achievement the state will impose, this
goal that is focused on results for all children. Mrs. Lebo asked if we will have targeted
interventions for Mathematics along the same lines as DIBELS and Literacy
program. Mrs. Fredrickson said we are looking at differentiated instruction and may
need to look at different ways of collecting and managing data (similar to
DIBELS). Vertical teams will monitor progress and curriculum pacing guides. Teams
will be getting closer to student work and teacher work. This work will allow for
confidence in what the end of year assessments show.
Mrs. Lebo asked whether there were new curriculum materials purchased for high
schools; this year's MCAS will reflect the common core. Mrs. Fredrickson said more
information is to come about the PARCC field testing for the high school levels. Mrs.
Lebo asked if we will be focusing on percentage correct, we know that there are issues
with correlation between classroom grades and MCAS. Measures of progress will
include performance levels, growth data, composite proficiency index, progress &
performance index, and percent correct by standards. (New reports from EDWIN
Analytics that will be provided on the teacher level, by standard.) Mrs. Lebo is also
concerned about progress on each standard. Mrs. Fredrickson noted that a teacher may
be able to see that across last year's students, there was success or failure with a certain
standard and that will inform their teaching practices. For new students, teachers will
have information on performance and that will inform instruction going forward. Pacing
guides and curriculum maps will provide detailed information to be shared among
colleagues to standardize practices. Mrs. Lebo complimented the work of the
Curriculum & Assessment team.
Mrs. Fredrickson reiterated that this is a year of high transition and that the aligned goals
will see us through this complicated year. Dr. DeCristofaro said that this is a paradigm
shift and information will be shared throughout the school year through School
Committee and Subcommittee meetings.
For the Superintendent's Annual Plan, Mrs. Lebo proposed that she and Ms. Isola review
the goals and discuss with Dr. DeCristofaro in an Ad Hoc School Committee meeting to
be scheduled. They will present recommendations at the October 9 School Committee
meeting.
Mr. McCarthy praised the Superintendent and Leadership Team for addressing all the
different initiatives as they arise and keeping the School Committee informed. He is very
impressed by the work of the Curriculum Team and Kevin Mulvey on Educator
Evaluation. Quincy Public Schools is changing gears once again to implement the
Common Core and the Superintendent’s Leadership Team’s hard work is really evident.
Mrs. Mahoney acknowledged the challenges of the Common Core implementation and
likes that the ongoing assessment will allow for addressing gaps before the end of year
MCAS. Even though the new PARCC tests are not available. We have challenges
throughout the school system, but information will now be available at a level that was
not previously a resource. Mrs. Mahoney asked about the number of different resources
accompanying the new reading and math programs. Mrs. Frederickson said that it will
be our challenge to utilize all the resources provided in the best way. Teacher
participation in developing pacing and curriculum maps is key to the progress. One
major challenge is how to capture all of this data: technology vs. portfolio or a
combination of the two.
Mrs. Lebo asked about the DESE Learning Management System, but Quincy Public
Schools is not part of this right now as it is for Race to the Top districts initially. Mrs.
Mahoney feels that the technology management of data is the key to moving the district
to a Level 2 or 1 school system. In our District Improvement Plan, identifying the
challenges or weaknesses would assist in developing future budgets, including the
coming need for PARCC testing to be completed online.
Mrs. Lebo said that there are many districts who have technology but no underlying
structure for the data, so Quincy Public School’s approach to this process will develop
ownership of the data and the system and accompanying analysis. Mrs. Mahoney said
that future budgets will need to address the technology needs to enhance what we are
already doing in terms of data collection and assessment.
Ms. Isola thanked Dr. DeCristofaro and Mrs. Fredrickson; when we look at the
challenges, there is much to be fearful about -- so many unknowns that make this
difficult for educators, students, and parents. The Superintendent’s Leadership Team
presentations are consistently informative and she would like to see parent workshops
focused on this issue. The more publicity we can provide will help decrease the anxiety
level of students, parents, teachers, administrators.
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Out of the Country Travel
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Out of the Country Travel of North Quincy
High School to France and Spain April 17 to April 26, 2014. On the motion, Mr.
McCarthy asked about details about the itinerary; details will be provided to School
Committee closer to the date of the trip. Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion and on a voice
vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Lebo asked that information about the per student cost be added to the Student
Travel Request form.
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Additional Business
Mr. McCarthy asked for an update on the new Athletic Directors. Dr. DeCristofaro
said that all indications are good; the additional on-site connection to students is a plus
and the two Athletic Directors will be on the Agenda for the October 23 School
Committee Meeting.
Mr. McCarthy asked about the High School Health Interventionists positions and Dr.
DeCristofaro said that one has been hired and there is a candidate for the other position,
so both should be in place shortly.
Mr. McCarthy asked about the status of access cards for building entry. All cards have
been distributed; some school buildings will be having a second access point added in
the next couple of weeks.
Mrs. Mahoney asked about communications for parents at the new Central Middle
School about traffic and dropoff and pickup procedures; she suggested that the
information be distributed to the neighbors as well. Dr. DeCristofaro noted that there
was a recent meeting about traffic patterns at the school site. Information will be
shared possibly through the website, Instant Alert, and possibly a parent meeting. Mrs.
Mahoney noted that there hasn't been a Central Building Committee meeting since
June.
Mayor Koch provided additional detail about the meeting that was held in his office
with members of the Traffic Department, Superintendent DeCristofaro, and Mr.
Draicchio, reviewing the recommendations provided by the Traffic Department and an
outside consultant. The Quincy Police Department will provide additional coverage for
the first few days and City Councilor Kirsten Hughes is part of notification
process. Once building is open, the traffic pattern will be assessed and adjustments will
be made. Street paving and relining surrounding streets have been completed and new
bus stops established with the MBTA.
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Communications
Mrs. Hubley noted that she has been volunteering at the Lincoln Hancock School
library with their reshelving efforts. Mrs. Mahoney suggested that the high school
students might be able to help with reshelving as a Community Service opportunity.
Mayor Koch mentioned the class size concern that was raised at the last meeting; Dr.
DeCristofaro noted that a full report on class size averages will be presented at the next
School Committee meeting.
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Adjournment
Mayor Koch made a motion to adjourn at 9:00 p.m. The motion was seconded by
Mr. McCarthy and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.