Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - November 13, 2013
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday,
November 13, 2013 in the NAGE Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room. Present
were 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 Mayor Koch was absent. Also present
were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mrs.
Janet Baglione, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Ms. Colleen Dufresne, Mrs. Mary
Fredrickson, Ms. Beth Hallett, Mr. James Mullaney, Deputy Superintendent
Kevin Mulvey, Mrs. Maura Papile, Mrs. Erin Perkins, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr.
Keith Segalla, Mr. Kevin Segalla, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri, Ms. Judy Todd; Ms.
Lindsay Schrier, Quincy High School Representative to the School Committee;
Ms. Paula Reynolds, Citywide Parents Council Co-President and Ms. Allison
Cox, President, Quincy Education Association.
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There was a moment of silence in honor of Thomas (T.O.) Orseno, custodian
in the Quincy Public Schools for twenty-five years.
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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
10/23/2013
Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mr. Bregoli to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for October 23, 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 opened the meeting with a short Inspiring Quincy
video featuring recent Quincy Public Schools events including Snug Harbor
Community School Kindergarten Parent-Child Day, the Educator Mini-Grant
Reception, Rachel's Challenge, John and Abigail Adams Scholarships at North
Quincy High School, and the Lincoln Hancock Community and Sterling Middle
School Veterans Day Assemblies.
Upcoming Quincy Public Schools events include the Fall Gathering on November
21 at the Tirrell Room and 'Tis the Season on December 5 at Quincy High
School. Twelve high school students will attend the MIAA Sports Summit at
Gillette Stadium on November 22, accompanied by the Athletics Directors.
North Quincy High School Art & Photography students will host an art show on
Thursday, December 12 with the proceeds to benefit Children's Hospital.
The Curriculum Office, in partnership with the Citywide Parent Council and the
Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education, will be hosting two Parent
Academies to introduce the new elementary school Journeys Reading Program.
Both evenings will be held at the new Central Middle School; Grades K-2 will be
the focus on Tuesday, December 3 and Grades 3-5 on Tuesday, January 7.
Dr. DeCristofaro announced the newly opened Aspen Student Portal for Middle
and High School students and families. At the recent Mini-Grants Reception,
sixty Quincy Public School professional staff members received mini-grants
totaling $20,000 for classroom technology; science laboratory equipment;
library books and classroom literature sets; music composition software; recess
equipment; electronic maps; guest lecturer; and interactive literacy
materials. The mini-grants were funded by Street-Works Development, Boston
University, the Ezickson Family, and the Quincy School-Community Partnership
and over one hundred creative proposals were submitted from which these
recipients were selected.
The North Quincy High School Girls Soccer team qualified for the preliminary
round of the MIAA Fall Athletics Tournament as did the Girls Volleyball teams
from both high schools. Quincy High school progressed to the quarterfinals,
while North Quincy High School competed in the Division 1 East Finals. The
North Quincy High School Girls Cross-Country Track team won the Patriot
League Fisher Division Championship and North Quincy High School student
Emily Bryson won the Patriot League Individual Championship in the 3.3 mile.
The Middle School Competitive Swimming Skills Program is underway with
over fifty students from all five middle schools participating at the Lincoln
Hancock Community School pool in the month of November
American Education Week Essays are completed and the panel of retired
teachers will be meeting this week to select the finalists to be presented at the
December 11 School Committee Meeting.
The North Quincy High School ROTC was recognized by the Air Force's regional
director for exceeding standards in their program.
Monthly Newsletters from the Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center; Bernazzani,
Wollaston, Montclair, and Atherton Hough Elementary and Sterling Middle
School were shared with the School Committee, along with the Squantum
Elementary School Curriculum newsletter focused on Library Support. Dr.
DeCristofaro thanked these principals for taking the time to highlight important
school events and communicate with parents.
Mr. Kevin Segalla spoke in memory of Thomas (T.O.) Orseno, who passed away
on November 3. Mr. Orseno was a custodial staff member for twenty years at
Quincy High School. Members of the Quincy High School custodial staff, with
the support of Principal Lawrence Taglieri, are requesting that the Quincy High
School Custodial Office be dedicated to Mr. Orseno. Mr. Bregoli made a motion
to consider the dedication of the Custodial Office to Mr. Orseno in the Policy
Subcommittee. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion, and on the motion, spoke of
the honor of dedicating this room at Mr. Orseno’s second home with his second
family. Ms. Isola noted that the custodial staff are the unsung heroes of Quincy
Public Schools. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Dr. DeCristofaro concluded the Superintendent's Report by asking the Custodial
staff present to stand and be recognized.
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Old Business
MASC Resolutions
After a brief recess, Mrs. Hubley reviewed the Massachusetts Association of School
Committees' Resolutions, which all passed at the recent General Session without
amendment, with the exception of the second resolution where wording was added
to strengthen the resolution.
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New Business
Literacy Program
Curriculum Coordinator Erin Perkins and Literacy Teachers Janet Baglione and
Colleen Dufresne presented the Elementary School Literacy program. The
Literacy Program mission is to promote comprehensive reading development,
provide intervention as early as possible to ensure student success, provide
targeted instruction to meet individual student needs, and frequent monitoring of
progress. 18.5 Literacy teachers provide full and part-time services in all eleven
elementary schools. Students in Tier I receive core classroom instruction, Tier II
students receive supplemental interventions within their classroom, and Tier III
students receive instruction for intensive Intervention from Literacy Specialists.
Currently, 651 students in Grades K through 4 are receiving Literacy services.
Professional Development includes training for literacy and classroom
teachers. Measures of student achievement include DIBELS Next, a diagnostic tool
to assess word recognition and oral reading fluency; GRADE to assess reading
comprehension; and the DRA to assess accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. All
Tier III students are progress-monitored on average once a month to track growth
and use the data to guide instruction. Collaboration with the Integrated Learning
Teams at each elementary school are key to student success: the Principal,
Assistant Principal, ELL teacher(s), Guidance, Special Education teacher(s), Gradelevel teachers, and Literacy teacher(s) meet three times per year. The Literacy
team is grateful for School Committee's continued funding for text and learning
materials: Scott Foresman Early Reading Intervention program focuses on
phonemic awareness and phonology; Project Read for comprehension of fiction
and nonfiction; Great Leaps and Quick Reads, both focused on Fluency; Read
Naturally, focused on Fluency and Comprehension; and Journeys Leveled Readers.
Mr. McCarthy thanked the presenters and noted that the last several years have
seen a rebuilding of the Literacy program. He asked whether additional support
was needed for Atherton Hough, Beechwood Knoll, and Bernazzani where there
are currently .5 positions. Mrs. Perkins said that at this time, the staff are able to
reach all Tier III students. Mr. McCarthy said we should look at this again in the
spring when the budget process for FY2015 begins.
Mrs. Lebo complimented the collaborative work between the Literacy staff and the
Special Education Resource Room teachers and the fluidity where students move
between reading groups as they progress. Mrs. Mahoney asked how the Literacy
team manages a student plateau; Mrs. Perkins said the team shares best practices
and strategizes. Mrs. Perkins said that multiple assessments help with evaluating
each student; they allow for analyzing whether data is consistent across multiple
assessments. Mrs. Perkins said that students also cycle in and out of Literacy
support. Students sometimes return in higher grades as texts get more complex.
Mrs. Mahoney asked about the consultant group that works with the Literacy
Team. Mrs. Perkins explained that the Hill for Literacy group was a multi-year
Literacy Partnership grant originally developed by Mrs. Hughes. Mr. Bregoli asked
if the Literacy Support teachers are available for report card conferences; Mrs.
Baglione said they are available to meet individually or in tandem with the
classroom teacher. Ms. Isola spoke of the compassion of catching students before
they fall behind and asked about the effect of Common Core standards. Mrs.
Perkins said that Common Core's basis in foundational skills reaffirms the Literacy
Support model.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked the team for their work and the difference they make in
the lives of so many students. The data supports the value of this muchappreciated program.
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Former Central
Middle School site
Ms. Isola presented a resolve:
WHEREAS the City of Quincy has recently opened the newly constructed
Central Middle School building, and in doing so, discontinued the use of the
Building and grounds connected therewith that formerly served as home to
Central Middle School; and
WHEREAS, the School Committee has reviewed options for the use of the
old middle school building and the costs for same, and thereupon
concluded that the building does not allow for financially-feasible reuse
options,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE CITY OF QUINCY that, in accordance with the provisions of Section
33 of the Charter of the City of Quincy and G.L. c. 43, § 33, the School
Committee discontinue the use of the building that formerly served as
Central Middle School, and return the building and the land on which the
building now sits, together with the grounds connected therewith, to the
control of the municipal corporation, City of Quincy, hereby forever
releasing all right of control over said premises.
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to return the former Central Middle School building,
the land, and the grounds connected to the City of Quincy as specified in the
resolution. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Lebo and on a roll call vote, the ayes
have it 6-0. Mayor Koch was absent.
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Out of State
Travel
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Out of State Travel of Sterling Middle
School, Grade 6 to Providence College on December 18, 2013. Mrs. Hubley
seconded the motion. On the motion, Mrs. Hubley asked for clarification on who
was attending the trip and it is for all Grade 6 students. On a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
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Additional Business
Mr. McCarthy introduced the proposed construction schedule for the President's
City Inn and announced that he would be scheduling a Facilities and Security
Subcommittee meeting and inviting the property owner to attend.
Mr. McCarthy commended Mr. Bregoli for his work on the Non-Binding
Referendum on combining the two high schools that appeared on the ballot. The
referendum did not pass, but it gave the public the opportunity to express their
opinion on the issue. Mr. Bregoli made a motion to move a comparison of the high
schools' academic and extracurricular programs into the Policy Subcommittee. He
would like the review to ensure that there are parallel opportunities for all
students, including for Chapter 74 programs. Mrs. Mahoney seconded the motion
and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to request a heating audit for the Facilities and
Security Subcommittee. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the
ayes have it. Mrs. Mahoney asked for baseline information on energy
efficiency. Mr. McCarthy said that Mr. Murphy and Mr. Scott would be invited to
attend this meeting.
Mr. McCarthy suggested discussing the high school band with Mr. Kenneally and
the Band Boosters at an upcoming meeting. Mrs. Mahoney asked for clarification
on the band uniforms. Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed that at the October 23 School
Committee meeting, it was discussed that khaki pants, black shoes, and red or blue
polo shirts were purchased for each band member with funds allocated from the
movie rental several years ago. The band members purchased black pullover
sweatshirts personalized with their name. Outfitting the marching band with
traditional dress uniforms and hats would cost in the range of $25,000-$30,000.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to move to the Policy Subcommittee consideration to
dedicate the green space being planned for the former Quincy High School site to
Bruce MacDonald, a 40 year veteran of Quincy High School in recognition of his
extraordinary career as an English teacher and department chair. Mr. McCarthy
seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Reports of
Subcommittees
Teaching and
Learning
Subcommitttee
Mrs. Lebo reviewed the October 28, 2013 Teaching and Learning Subcommittee,
noting that the full meeting minutes are posted on the Quincy Public Schools
website.
In the first of three Program Improvement Plan presentations, Curriculum
Coordinator Erin Perkins shared the Literacy Program Improvement Plan. The
Literacy Program Goals for 2013-14 are: (1) The Literacy Team will support the
district goal of developing proficient students, through the building of
foundational skills in grades K-3 so that students read with sufficient accuracy and
fluency to support comprehension. This will be evident by an increase in the
number of Tier I student by 3%. Professional Development will include PreKindergarten and classroom teachers; all teachers will be able to access the
DIBELS Next Data System in order to monitor progress. (2) In order to address
recommendation 1 and 3 of the May 2013 Literacy Need Assessment, by June
2014, the Literacy Team will support the elementary school teaching staff through
the identification, alignment, and assessment of reading interventions. This will
be evident through the development of an alignment guide, which identifies
interventions and assessments that align with all core literacy components as well
as the 2011 Massachusetts ELA and Literacy Framework.
Curriculum Coordinator Beth Hallett then presented the English Language
Learners Program Improvement Plan. This year, Quincy Public Schools English
Language Learner students have more access than ever to mainstream curriculum.
At the high schools, both schools now have full services at all grades, with nine ELL
teachers and a part-time department head across the two schools. Additional
positions were added for Elementary and Middle Schools in the FY2014 budget to
meet the need for ELL services. For RETELL, 65 teachers completed the SEI
Endorsement Course last spring and there are currently 8 courses, plus an
Administrator Course running this fall. In reviewing MCAS Assessment data,
Quincy Public Schools is above state levels all grade levels for all curriculum areas
tested. 98% of ELL students were proficient or above on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS.
In Math, Grade 3 has 95% at proficient or above and Grade 4 has 92%. For Annual
Measurable Achievement Objectives, Progress and Attainment were both
exceeded, but the Cumulative PPI target was not achieved.
Goals for 2013-14: (1) Vertical Teams will focus specifically on improving ELL
students' writing about increasingly complex texts. This will be measured by 80%
of all ELLs increasing by their individual writing proficiency level on the 2014
ACCESS for ELLs assessment by 0.5. This goal will be supported through utilizing
the Cornerstone and Keystone programs, collaborating on a crosswalk Curriculum
Map between Journeys and Cornerstones. (2) ELL teachers will collaborate with
each other to continue building, revising, and implementing full ELL curriculum
maps for Grades K-5 by grade and English Language Proficiency Levels that align
curricula to all aspects of the WIDA framework and the 2011 MA Curriculum
Frameworks for ELA/Literacy. For the Middle and High School levels, the goal is
essentially the same, but focused on Speaking proficiency.
The ELL Team Goals: (1) The ELL Team will fully support ELL program teachers in
grades K-12 as they focus on their goal of improving ELL students Productive
Language proficiency levels (Writing and Speaking) as measured by the January
2014 ACCESS for ELLs Assessment. (2) The ELL Team will work together to
encourage each other and QPS Academic Teachers of ELLs to enroll in and
complete the appropriate SEI Endorsement courses as part of the Massachusetts
RETELL Initiative in order to properly support and evaluate teachers of ELLs at
each school in the district.
Executive Director Keith Segalla and Principal Stephen Sylvia, Education
Technology team co-chairs then presented the Education Technology Program
Improvement Plan. Education Technology is playing a significant role in teaching
and learning at every school. From the elementary to the high school level,
providing this technology is a collaborative effort including parents, teachers,
administrators, the School Committee and Mayor. The Education Technology
team is made up of principals, assistant principals, and administrators
representing all grade levels.
Goals for 2013-14: (1) The Educational Technology Team will continue to support
and promote education technology resources that will work to enhance the
teaching and learning experiences for both the staff and students in the Quincy
Public Schools. We will provide focused outreach to our staff, students, and
parents on using these technological resources to support and strengthen the
home-school relationship as it relates to student learning, virtual learning, library
resources, and communication. Mr. Sylvia highlighted particular action steps: At
the elementary level, the new reading and math curriculums have technical
components used in classrooms and at home. In collaboration with principals, the
Education Technology Team will share information about classroom technology
integration and online curriculum resources at system-wide events, PTO meetings,
and school-based curriculum events.
(2) During the 2013-2014 school year, the Educational Technology Team
members will assist with the design, development, and implementation of training
or professional development opportunities to support classroom use of the
educational technology, currently in place in the Quincy Public Schools. For
example, ThinkCentral, Reading Eggs, Study Island, and Destiny Library Manager
are all enhanced by data integration with the Aspen X2 Student Information
System. For principals, teachers, and administrators, the Education Technology
team will be assisting to support the Baseline Edge transition for educator
evaluation.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Literacy Program Improvement Plan.
Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the English Language Learners Program
Improvement Plan. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Educational Technology Program
Improvement Plan. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 28, 2013
Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meeting. Mr. McCarthy seconded the
motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Lebo then reviewed the November 12, 2013 Teaching and Learning
Subcommittee meeting which featured presentations of the Quincy and North
Quincy High School Improvement Plans and Career & Technical Education
Program Improvement Plan.
Principal Robert Shaw presented the North Quincy High School Improvement
Plan, student achievement and participation are at the forefront of the school’s
mission. North Quincy High School’s spring 2013 MCAS scores were excellent
with the school showing gains for students with disabilities, including a 40%
increase in students who scored proficient or advanced on the ELA MCAS and 34%
increase in Math. Former English Language Learner students demonstrated a
94% proficiency or advanced score on the ELA MCAS and 82% for Math. The
average student growth rate showed rapid growth with ELA at 68 and Math at 71.
North Quincy High School is rated as a Level 1 School by the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education. 2013-2014 Goals: (1) During the 2013-
2014 school year, students will demonstrate an increased ability to read and
comprehend literary and informational texts independently and efficiently, as
measured by a 2% increase on the Reading Anchor Standard on the spring 2014
ELA MCAS (from a base of 78% in 2013) and demonstrated by related
departments achieving their aligned improvement goals. (2) By June 2014, all
students will demonstrate an increased ability to persevere and use abstract
reasoning to solve complex problems as well as construct a detailed argument
with precise and accurate mathematical language, as measured by a 2% increase
on each of the Open Response and Short Answer portions of the 2014 Math MCAS
(from a base of 70% in 2013) and the development and implementation of content
aligned midyear and final assessments. (3) During the 2013-2014 school year,
ELL students will demonstrate a proficiency-level appropriate ability to listen and
speak academic English while developing perseverance for sustained listening and
speaking at the WIDA appropriate discourse level. This will be evident by an
average 0.5 increase on the student 2014 ACCESS Speaking test (from a 3.0
baseline in 2013). (4) During the 2013-2014 school year, the school will continue
to provide educational activities and opportunities that enhance development of
lifelong wellness practices. This will be evident by the school’s wellness team,
guidance department and special education department achieving their aligned
Individual Improvement Goals, as shown by successful completion of Access Steps,
detailed agendas and notes from regular Team meetings, related Professional
Development and consistent reflection of ongoing goal assessment.
The Foreign Language, Science, and Social Studies department goals align to the
ELA/Reading Anchor goal. The goals are also focused on textual analysis exercises
which will be the base for District-Determined Measures. The Math goal
emphasizes reasoning and problem solving. Professional Development is focused
on Educator Evaluation, debriefing from NEASC, and moving into the work of
action steps and goal achievement.
Principal Larry Taglieri and Assistant Principal Ellen Murray presented the Quincy
High School Improvement Plan. In reviewing the MCAS scores from 2013, Quincy
High School is a Level 2 school based on the participation rate of one subgroup.
93% of Grade 10 students were proficient or advanced in ELA, a significant
improvement and 80% of students performed at proficient or advanced for the
Math MCAS. Mr. Taglieri spoke of the collaboration between the two high schools
in developing the common goals and the concept of the content area departments
supporting the ELA goal. 2013-2014 Goals: (1) During the 2013-2014 school year,
students will demonstrate an increased ability to read and comprehend literary
and informational texts independently and efficiently, as measured by a 2%
increase on the Reading Anchor Standard on the spring 2014 ELA MCAS (from a
base of 77% in 2013) and demonstrated by related departments achieving their
aligned improvement goals. (2) By June 2014, all students will demonstrate an
increased ability to persevere and use abstract reasoning to solve complex
problems as well as construct a detailed argument with precise and accurate
mathematical language, as measured by a 2% increase on each of the Open
Response and Short Answer portions of the 2014 Math MCAS (from a base of 63%
in 2013) and the development and implementation of content aligned midyear
and final assessments. (3) During the 2013-2014 school year, the school will
continue to provide educational activities and opportunities that enhance
development of lifelong wellness practices. This will be evident by the school’s
wellness team, guidance department and special education department achieving
their aligned Individual Improvement Goals, as shown by successful completion of
Access Steps, detailed agendas and notes from regular Team meetings, related
Professional Development and consistent reflection of ongoing goal assessment.
Executive Director Keith Segalla and Department Chair Gina Scanlan then
presented the Career and Technical Education Program Improvement Plan.
Quincy High School has 15 career and technical programs and North Quincy High
School has 2, plus a number of electives. Goals for 2013-2014: (1) During the
2013-14 school year, all first year CTE students will demonstrate Speaking and
Listening by showing an ability to read, comprehend, and present, using
informational texts or periodicals. (2) The CTE staff will pilot, format, and begin to
assess student competence on the new VTEF (Vocational Technical Education
Frameworks) standards in their respective technical majors by June 2014. Mrs.
Lebo suggested the first goal should be SMART, and incorporate an 80%
benchmark. On the progress towards meeting CVTE Core Indicators, the areas
needing improvement is Nontraditional Participation; Perkins funding is based on
meeting these and increased funding will follow success on these Core Indicators.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the North Quincy High School Improvement
Plan. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Quincy High School Improvement Plan.
Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Career & Technical Education Program
Improvement Plan. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes
have it.
Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 12, 2013
Teaching and Learning Subcommittee Meeting. Mr. McCarthy seconded the
motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.
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Adjournment
Mrs. Mahoney made a motion to adjourn at 8:30 p.m. The motion was seconded by
Mr. McCarthy and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.