Minutes
Joint Teaching and Learning/Policy Subcommittee Meeting
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A joint meeting of the Teaching and Learning and Policy Subcommittees was held on Thursday,
January 24, 2013 at 5:00 pm in the 2
nd Floor Conference Room at the NAGE Building. Present
were Ms. Barbara Isola, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mr. Dave McCarthy, Mr. Paul Bregoli, Policy
Subcommittee Chair, and Mrs. Emily Lebo, Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Chair. Also
attending were Superintendent Richard DeCristofaro, Assistant Superintendent Colleen
Roberts, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Ms. Beth Hallett, Mrs. Paula McGeady, Mrs. Maura Papile, Ms.
Madeline Roy, Mr. Frank Santoro, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Robert Show, Mrs. Helena Skinner, and
Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.
Mrs. Lebo called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm
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. For the Enrollment section, Mrs.
Fredrickson reviewed the October 1 enrollment data, including new charts that detail ELL and
SPED populations within schools; district enrollment by grade level; and SPED and ELL
populations detailed by grade level. This information is now easily accessible to support grant
writing. Across the school system, free and reduced lunch percentages are approaching 50%;
trends over three years by school are also detailed. For alternative programs, these are
October 1 figures, but there will be changes as students move into these programs over the
course of the school year. Quincy Public Schools also separately tracks students whose first
language not English, whether they receive ELL services or not.
For the Achievement section, the first pages present District Data for MCAS, followed by
information from the state’s DART tool that compares Quincy vs. state levels for proficiency.
The city’s averages show that the non-high-needs group is not achieving to the potential level
and can be challenged through individualized instruction.
Mrs. Fredrickson reviewed the Indicators section next, highlighting QPS’s very low dropout rate
(1.8%) and very high graduation rate (89.7%). For high risk referrals (incidents/interventions
that involve safety), over half were high school students. For homeless students, the
population of unaccompanied youth seems to be growing. Enrollment stability is improving
and teacher turnover is very low at 6%.
Mrs. Fredrickson then presented an addendum to the Annual System Profile and Progress
Report to show comparisons to Urban and High Incidence ELL Districts, specifically the Gateway
Cities that we are compared to when competing for funding and grants. Quincy is near the top
in most categories, with the exception of students with disabilities. Grade 10 is at often at the
top. For graduation rates, Quincy is second only to Leominster in the state. Mrs. Lebo asked
about what kind of a goal would be written around this data, maybe something focused on
students with disabilities? Mrs. Fredrickson noted the goals for middle school math and
foundational skills at the lower grade levels that are part of the Special Education Program
Improvement Plan.
Mrs. Roberts said that the Conditions of Effective Schools are part of the district’s goals, along
with the implementation of the Common Core. Mrs. Lebo would like to see the district’s goals
based on data, collected from school and program improvement plans. Mrs. Lebo asked about
including SAT scores and AP scores; the data is not yet available. Mrs. Lebo also asked about
the district PPI that was part of the fall presentation; this will be added to the Annual System
Profile and Progress Report. Ms. Isola noted that this report is a good reference tool to have
when reviewing the School Improvement Plans. Mrs. Fredrickson explained that some of this
data is not yet public, so it is highly confidential material.
Dr. DeCristofaro asked Mrs. Lebo for clarification on how many goals should be stated for the
district. These goals need to be specific, perhaps citing the four areas of the Conditions for
School Effectiveness that QPS is concentrating on. Mrs. Lebo said that it is a matter of
quantifying what we are already doing. Dr. DeCristofaro and Mrs. Lebo thanked Mrs.
Fredrickson and Mrs. Papile for their work, this is an impressive document.
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. Mr. Santoro said that the
course offerings do not reflect the range of student interests. An advanced senior student only
can take Calculus, for example. At the High School POS meetings, decisions are being made
about course offerings for coming years and the Math courses will be Algebra, Geometry,
Algebra II for Grades 9, 10, 11, respectively. Mrs. Skinner said that there is a low incidence of
seniors failing Math, if we make it a requirement, it may affect the graduation rate. Ms. Isola
asked if students who take Algebra in Grade 8 could be credited, since they begin Geometry in
Grade 9. Mrs. Lebo said that MassCore states that four courses will be required, including
during their senior year of high school and this could eventually move from being a
recommendation to being a state law.
Mrs. Roberts said that Common Core will also impact these classes, especially the AP classes at
Central where they are compacting the Grade 7 and 8 standards in Grade 7 in order to get to
Algebra I for Grade 8. This is going to be a process, as students currently entering elementary
school will be taught under the Common Core standards and will be prepared for the rigorous
courses in high school. Mr. Bregoli lamented the added requirements that detract from
students’ opportunities to take electives in their areas of interests. Mrs. Lebo said we have to
be thoughtful to be sure that students have enough credits to meet the requirements of the
state higher education system. Ms. Isola said that the guidance departments do an admirable
job preparing students for the requirements that colleges and universities have; one of QPS’s
strengths is guiding students to take the courses they need to attend the college of their choice.
Mr. McCarthy spoke of absorbing the changes required by the Common Core and MassCore
and looking at the course offerings. He acknowledged that the guidance department does a
phenomenal job guiding; our students are competing with private school students who are not
held to the same curriculum and performance standards. Mr. McCarthy suggested that the HS
POS team continue to work together to assess the course offerings. Mr. Bregoli said that since
we want to have the best course offerings to keep the best students in QPS. Mrs. Skinner asked
if there is a way to give students credit for Algebra I in Grade 8 on their high school transcripts.
Mrs. Roberts is not sure that many students will be able to take the new Algebra I at Grade 8
anymore, but the evaluation of this issue is ongoing.
Dr. DeCristofaro said he is leaning towards requiring the fourth year of mathematics, but adding
courses so there are different options for students. He doesn’t want to detract from the
electives already offered and that is the challenge. Mr. Shaw agrees that a fourth year of math
is a good idea, with additional course choices. If there is a four-year requirement, there is going
to have to be more depth at the middle school levels to prepare students for the higher level
Math required by the Common Core. Mr. Bregoli asked if this change would cause us to lose
positions at the high school levels if there were fewer electives. Mr. Santoro said there would
be a tradeoff in positions, more certified Math teachers would be required. Being a Math
teacher, Mr. Santoro is in favor of the idea.
Mrs. Lebo said that there is a discrepancy between MassCore and the state college system
requirements; the college requirements are less rigid than MassCore. Both Mrs. Skinner and
Mrs. McGeady don’t think adding a fourth year of Math would be an issue. Mr. Shaw said the
bigger issue is failure to pass Algebra I in Grade 9, the student is immediately behind. Mr.
Santoro agreed, there are students who fail Math in Grade 8 and struggle in Grade 9.
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. The more rigid our requirements become, the less holistic our students are. Ms.
Isola asked for clarification on the Math figures presented and the current course specifics; how
many students take four years of pure Math. Mrs. Skinner noted that students take some of
the less rigorous math courses because there are no other options. Seniors sometimes have to
take an additional core subject since the elective offerings are narrow.
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. Mrs. Roberts presented
the revised goals for the Lincoln Hancock Community School for 2012-2013.
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By the Spring of 2013, the percent of students who score in the Advanced category on
the 2013 English Language Arts MCAS Test will increase by 2% from the 2012 MCAS
Test.
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By the Spring of 2013, the percent of students who score in the Advanced category of
the 2013 MCAS Mathematics test will increase by 5%.
Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the Lincoln Hancock Community School Improvement Plan.
Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Ms. Isola made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:50 pm. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion
and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.