Minutes
Quincy School Committee
Teaching & Learning Subcommittee Meeting
Monday, May 4, 2015
A meeting of the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee was held on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 5:00 pm at
the Coddington Building. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Anne Mahoney,
and Ms. Barbara Isola, Chair. Also attending were Superintendent DeCristofaro, Deputy
Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mr. Robert Cavallo, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Ms. Beth Hallett, Mrs. Ellen
Hunter, Ms. Maureen MacNeil, Mrs. Maura Papile, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith
Segalla, Ms. Judy Todd; Ms. Allison Cox, President of the Quincy Education Association; Mr. Scott
Alessandro, Co-President of the Citywide Parent Council and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.
Ms. Isola called the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee to order at 5:00 pm.
Mr. Keith Segalla introduced the Technology Plan update. Quincy Public Schools is in the second year
of the 3-year technology plan. Technology lab updates at Beechwood Knoll and Wollaston were
completed last summer and QPS invested in a technology inventory system for all classrooms, offices,
etc. 3,900 computers are currently in service in QPS and computers were evaluated for replacement
needs, both in the classroom and in administrative areas. The oldest computers are at Bernazzani,
GOALS, and the Atlantic, Broad Meadows, Sterling, and Point Webster computer labs. For the FY2016
budget, the focus is on replacing 125 teacher computers, plus new labs at North Quincy High School,
Atherton Hough, Montclair, Snug Harbor, and Squantum.
Mr. Bregoli asked if the PARCC test becomes a reality next school year, will we have enough
technology to allow for students to take the test. Mr. Segalla said at this time, we meet minimum
requirements, but not the recommended requirements, particularly at the elementary and middle
school level.
Mrs. Mahoney asked for the information to be broken down so that each school’s information is
detailed of what we have and what is necessary to meet the minimum requirements for PARCC. Mrs.
Mahoney asked about using iPads for the testing; these were not utilized for the PARCC field test
since Central’s do not have keyboards. Mrs. Mahoney asked about the iPads at Central and what the
outcome has been of using them, whether there would be future investment for other schools.
Mr. Bregoli asked about bandwidth for online testing. Mr. Segalla said that in collaboration with City
IT, there are fiber optic lines at both high schools, all of the middle schools, and Lincoln Hancock and
Parker. The other nine elementary schools should be addressed in the next year or so.
Mrs. Hubley asked if the computers at Wollaston and Beechwood that were replaced were
redeployed in classrooms and they were distributed to classrooms for small group work.
Mrs. Fredrickson and Ms. Roy reviewed the Advanced program expansion. Mrs. Fredrickson said
that annually, 180 to 190 high school students are receiving the Adams Scholarship for MCAS
Achievement (top 25% of the district). Central’s APC program regularly averages 80-85 students, so
80-90 students are from the other four middle schools. Ms. Roy said that Mrs. Fredrickson’s analysis
quantified the discussions in the Curriculum & Assessment Team, Principal Team, Superintendent’s
Leadership Team. QPS wants to provide all students with the best opportunities to succeed. In the
middle school level, the schools are anxious to provide advanced courses at all middle schools. The
AP Pathways team has staff from the elementary, middle and high school levels working together to
achieve this goal.
For 2015-2016, APC-identified students will be housed at Central; Central and all middle schools will
continue to offer Honors level work in subjects as students are identified. Advanced curriculum in
ELA and Mathematics will be offered at Atlantic, Broad Meadows, Point Webster, and Sterling.
Pacing and the depth of content will be adjusted to serve the needs of these identified students.
Performance-based assessments will be in place and daily instruction will be modified to meet the
needs of independent, self-regulated learners. Perseverance in problem-solving will be an important
learning characteristic and peer collaboration emphasized.
This summer, middle school teachers will create an advanced pacing guide and curriculum map in
each grade level in both Math and ELA. (Central APC teachers are working on adjusting their pacing
guide as a starting point.) There will be a clearly defined process for identifying students (still in
discussion): MCAS data, current participation in Honors work, current report card grades, or
performance on benchmark assessments). The team is looking at new literacy units, may require
some curriculum purchases. Targeted professional development will support these teachers over the
next two years on differentiating instruction.
Ms. Isola said this is a fabulous plan that recognizes students who have strength in either or both
curriculum areas. Mr. Bregoli asked about the effect on class size. Ms. Roy said there will be a
learning year, we don’t know the class sizes yet. Mrs. Hubley requested a breakdown of the data
presented organized by middle school. Mrs. Hubley asked for and received clarification that this is a
completely separate class.
Mrs. Mahoney asked whether this will require additional staff. Ms. Roy said that current staff would
be utilized and the first challenge will be whether there are enough students to meet the criteria in
each school. As a next step, Honors work would be clearly defined and also scheduled as a separate
class. Mrs. Mahoney said this is an exciting opportunity to equalize offerings across the middle
schools. Ms. Roy said we are not replicating the APC program, but this is a separate opportunity to
challenge students.
Ms. Isola asked whether curriculum purchases would be done with FY2015 funds or as part of the
FY2016 budget. Ms. Roy said this is still to be determined; the APC Grade 8 is looking for new Math textbooks that better aligns with the high school Algebra 1 course. Ms. Roy said that new literacy
units would include new novels. Ms. Isola requested specific information for the budget discussions.
Ms. Roy reviewed the Spring & Summer Professional Development Opportunities: the recent
Annual Literacy Conference was supported through multiple sources, QPS budget and grant funding
(registration and substitutes); Keys to Writing Argument for ELA and Social Studies teacher at the
middle school level. Some opportunities are for teachers, others are for administrators; some for
both. Selecting a cross-section of representatives from grade levels and schools allows for the
message to spread through teacher sharing at their sites.
Priority areas for the next two years: meeting the needs of high achieving students for middle school,
implementing the new elementary report card, STEM workshops for Grades 4-8, Keys to
Writing/Comprehension for Elementary; Developing Strategies and Models for middle school
Mathematics; and preparing for the PARCC implementation at all levels.
Each professional development opportunity has a price associated with it for consultants and
substitute coverage. The total estimated cost is $10,000 to $15,000.
Ms. Roy and Mrs. Perkins spoke about how the Curriculum Pacing was affected by the school
cancellations, early release days, half days, and state-wide testing and other time crunchers.
Mrs. Perkins reviewed that for ELA at the elementary level, Journeys is a 5-week unit. In our custom
pacing guide, we have added a sixth week for review, which can be reduced as needed. All of the ELA
Anchor standards are explicitly covered, the work begins right at the beginning of the year. Each unit
is spiraling and addressing the core standards; each grade level builds on the previous one and the
instruction is more complex as the grade levels progress. Teachers in Grade 4 begin the preparation
for the long composition in the fall. In Social Studies and Science, instruction often rotates between
subjects. Students are learning new concepts right up to the end of the school year. In Grade 5,
where Science is a tested subject, critical standards were identified and are introduced earlier in the
year. Science is cumulative, the MCAS test evaluates elementary school coursework as a whole.
For Mathematics, there are explicit standards for every grade and course. There is a pacing guide
that aligns the 4-6 critical areas for each grade level. The Math programs have a buffet of
instructional strategies and models, teachers select the appropriate exposure for their students and
adjust the pace accordingly to cover the key areas prior to MCAS testing. New concepts continue to
be introduced through the school year, and sometimes preview instruction for the following year.
In summary, QPS staff are adept at making the adjustments to ensure appropriate pacing. Teachers
work in teams at the site level to plan instruction, system-wide days provide opportunities for
checkpoints, and the upcoming Assessment Days will give teachers the opportunity to collaborate
and make adjustments to pacing and plan for the remainder of the school year.
Mrs. Mahoney asked that this topic be reviewed at a full School Committee meeting, with all the
work done to address the needs of differentiated learners and curriculum pacing, this is important
information with a direct benefit to students. Mrs. Mahoney said the value of the early release PD
days allows for important collaboration and parents need to hear this information. Especially in this
year, with parents being sensitive to the amount of days cancelled due to weather.
Ms. Isola asked Mr. Alessandro if he had any questions. He said that direct information to parents
would be helpful with specific examples of where shortened. Mr. Alessandro said that online tools
such as GoMath or Reading Eggs being accessible in the summer is something parents might want to
know about.
Mrs. Hubley made a motion to adjourn the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee Meeting at 6:35 pm,
seconded by Mrs. Mahoney. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.