Nov. 12, 2014 School Committee Meeting

Agenda

Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Wednesday, November 12, 2014, 6:00 pm
Coddington Building

I. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting Minutes for October 22, 2014.

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. Inspiring Quincy

B. Elementary Report Card

C. Partnership Recognitions/Events

D. Adams Scholarship Receptions

E. Cross-Country State Meet

F. Elks Dictionary Donation

G. MSBA Board Meeting, November 19

H. Fall Gathering, November 20

I. 'Tis the Season, December 9

J. American Education Week/Lions Club Speech Contest

K. Holiday Concerts

L. Athletics Permit Update

M. Home-School Connections: Atherton Hough and Wollaston Elementary School Newsletters

IV. Old Business:

V. New Business:

A. Superintendent's 2013-2014 Summative Evaluation - Ms. Isola

B. Superintendent’s Annual Plan 2014-2015 - Dr. DeCristofaro

C. Citywide Parent Council Presentation - Ms. Roy, Mrs. Fredrickson

D. Overnight Travel:

1. Sterling Middle School Grade 7 to Camp Wing, Duxbury, Massachusetts, May 13-14, 2015.

2. Central Middle School Grade 8 to New York, New York, June 3-5, 2015.

3. Atlantic Middle School Grade 8 to New York, New York, June 4-5, 2015.

E. Out of State Travel: Sterling Middle School Grade 6 to Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island on December 3, 2014.

VI. Additional Business:

VII. Communications:

  1. Upcoming School Committee Meetings:
    a. Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 6:00 pm, Central Middle School
    b. Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 7:00 pm, Coddington Building
    c. Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 7:00 pm, Coddington Building

  2. Upcoming Subcommittee Meetings (Coddington Building):
    a. Quarterly Budget & Finance, Monday, January 12, 2015, 5:00 pm
    b. Facilities & Security, Monday, January 12, 2015, 5:30 pm
    c. Special Education, Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 6:00 pm
    d. Teaching & Learning, Monday, January 26, 2015, 5:00 pm

VIII. Reports of Subcommittees:

  1. Teaching & Learning Subcommittee: Ms. Isola to report on the October 27, 2014; November 3, 2014; November 5, 2014; and November 6, 2015 meetings.

  2. Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Grade 5: Mr. McCarthy to report on the October 28, 2014 meeting.

  3. Special Education Subcommittee: Mrs. Mahoney to report on the October 29, 2014 meeting

IX. Executive Session: Level 2 Grievance and Contract Ratification

X. Adjournment:


Subcommittees of the School Committee

Budget & Finance
Hubley/Bregoli, DiBona, Isola, Koch, Mahoney, McCarthy

Facilities and Security
McCarthy/Bregoli/Hubley

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

  2. 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.

  3. 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. Current construction plans were reviewed at the March 18, 2014 Subcommittee Meeting.

  4. North Quincy High School Campus Expansion/Teel Field Project Referred at the January 22, 2014 School Committee Meeting. A presentation on the proposed enhancements will be scheduled.  

Health, Transportation & Safety
DiBona/Bregoli/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. Monitoring of supplies will be handled by School Safety Teams.

  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.

  4. Traffic Concerns at North Quincy High School Referred to Subcommittee at the March 5, 2014 School Committee Meeting. Concerns about East Squantum Street crosswalk/parking lot entrance.

  5. Solar Array Installation on School Roofs Referred from the Facilities & Security Subcommittee on September 10, 2014. Monitoring of the ongoing projects and the educational opportunities.

  6. Learn to Swim Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring the ongoing partnership between QPS and the South Shore YMCA.

  7. Farm to School Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee Meeting. Monitoring the Planning Grant rollout, a collaboration of QPS and the Planning Department.

  8. CPR Certification Referred from the Policy Subcommittee at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Grade 8 students will be certified through Health classes.

  9. Before School Exercise Programs Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Monitoring the implementation of these programs across QPS.

  10. Food Services Technology Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting. Exploring the options for further publicizing the advantages of these new systems.

Policy
Bregoli/Isola/Hubley

  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. In the 2012-13 school year, Grades 10 and 11 completed requirement. In the 2013-14 school year, Grades 11 and 12 completed the requirement. In 2014-15, Grades 9-11 plus any seniors who did not complete their Grade 11 requirement will perform Community Service.

  4. 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.

  5. Residency Referred at the September 18, 2013 Special School Committee Meeting. Review of existing policy and expansion to include additional information on verification process.

  6. Review of High School Academic and Extracurricular Programs Referred at the November 13, 2013 School Committee Meeting. A comparison of the offerings at both schools to be analyzed to ensure equitable and parallel opportunities for all students at both facilities.      

  7. Open Enrollment Referred at the October 8, 2014 School Committee meeting for review and discussion to focus on the timeline for placement decisions and communication to parents.

Special Education
Mahoney/DiBona/McCarthy

  1. Student Information for Substitute Teachers Originally referred to Subcommittee at the January 17, 2007 School Committee Meeting. Aspen Student Information System Special Education module reports will be utilized to share information with substitute teachers beginning in September 2014.

  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
Hubley/Isola/Mahoney

Teaching and Learning
Isola/Hubley/Mahoney

  1. New Educator Evaluations Referred at the September 7, 2011 School Committee Meeting and shared with the School Policy Subcommittee. The 2013-2014 school year is the first year of the new Educator Evaluation process and a collaboration will continue between the School Committee, Superintendent’s Leadership Team, and the Quincy Education Association around issues related to the implementation.

Ad Hoc Committees: Channel 22

Sterling Building Committee
DiBona/McCarthy

Sterling/Point Webster Grade 5
McCarthy/Bregoli/DiBona/Hubley/Isola/Koch/Mahoney

Created at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting to review issues related to Grade 5 being located in middle school buildings.

School District Maps
Isola/Bregoli/DiBona/Hubley/Koch/Mahoney/McCarthy

Created at the September 10, 2014 Special School Committee meeting to review issues related to school district maps.

Minutes

Quincy, Massachusetts – November 12, 2014
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Regular Meeting

A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 in the Coddington Building. Present were Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Noel DiBona, Ms. Barbara Isola, Mayor Thomas Koch, Mrs. Anne Mahoney, Mr. David McCarthy, and Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Vice Chair.

Vice-Chair Presiding

- - -

The Superintendent called the roll and Mrs. Mahoney 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, Ms. Judy Todd; Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association; Scott Alessandro, Citywide Parent Council Co-President; and Student Representatives to School Committee Mr. Michael Mullaney (North Quincy High School) and Ms. Isabella Cobble (Quincy High School).

- - -

There was a moment of silence for Dr. Mary Lydon, former Physical Education and Health teacher, then Physical Education Department Chair, over 40 years of service to the Quincy Public Schools and Dr. Joseph Nicastro, Career & Technical Education teacher, and later Director of Adult and Continuing Education.

- - -

Executive Session

Level 3 Grievance, Contract Negotiations

Ms. Isola made a motion, seconded by Mayor Koch, to take the meeting agenda out of order and move to Executive Session for the purpose of hearing a Level 3 Grievance and Contract Negotiations. On a roll call vote, the ayes have it 6-0. Mrs. Mahoney was absent. School Committee will return to the regular meeting.

- - -

School Committee returned from Executive Session at 7:20 pm. Mrs. Mahoney arrived during Executive Session.

Regular Meeting Minutes Approved 10/22/14

Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mr. DiBona, to approve the Regular Meeting minutes for October 22, 2014. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

- - -

Open Forum

Danielle Neal expressed her concern that the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Grade 5 meeting was a presentation meant to highlight positives of Grades 5-8 configuration. Hopes there will be more open discussion at the next meeting.

Alexis Veith also spoke about the Ad Hoc Subcommittee, noting that achievement gap must be addressed. While it is clear that the teachers and administrators are dedicated, what are the choices moving forward. She asked School Committee to consider reallocating Title I money to assist Point Webster and Sterling.

Courtney Perdios thanked the Ad Hoc Subcommittee presenters and would like to discuss options such as an addition for Clifford Marshall, green space at Sterling, evaluation and grading system, how can Title I funds be shared more equally.

- - -

Superintendent's Report

Dr. DeCristofaro opened the Superintendent’s Report by introducing the Inspire Quincy video, featuring the Middle School Cross-Country championship, Atherton Hough playground dedication, Beechwood Knoll Candy for Troops, Summer Reading Bike Giveaway at Parker, Elks Dictionary Donation for Grade 3 students, Mock Stock Market, Della Chiesa Motor Skills day, and Veterans Day at Sterling Middle School,

Over 150 Adams Scholarship recipients were celebrated at both high schools for being awarded the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship that provides a tuition waiver for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. In order to be eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, students must have scores of Advanced and Proficient on grade 10 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (at least one score must be Advanced) and have combined scores on MCAS ELA and Mathematics tests that place them in the top 25 percent of students in the graduating class in their district. North Quincy High School: Matthew Alexander, Ingrid Andrade, Cheuk Yin Au, Michael Au-Duong, Ashley Beers, Marguerite Belcher, Aicha Belkhedim, Emily Bryson, Julia Bryson, Courtney Campo, Darren Chan, Sunny Chan, Wai Ki Chan, Cindy Chau, Alex Chen, Alicia Chen, Carmen Chen, Donna Chen, Emily Chen, Gui Ying Chen, Jin Cheng Chen, Jordan Chen, Lisa Chi, Emily Chin, Kin Wah Chu, Kiera Clifford, Zachary Dangora, Jessica Diep, Rachel Dunphy, Dong Duong, Mostafa Elhashash, Esterina Elqeni, Jessica Eynatian, Tony Fan, Cassandra Feeney, Xhona Ferro, Paolo Filippi, Gabrielle Flaherty, Ciara Forde, Clint Galac, Matthew Gerakis, Jason Gong, Alexander Greeley, Madison Hally, Mu Han, Phyu Han, Rosanna He, Amanda Huang, Huabao Huang, Kevin Huang, Karen Huynh, Victoria Jiang, Cornelius Koch, Jenny Kung, Nicole Larkin, Samantha Lee, Deanna Leung, Stella Li, Shi Qing Liang, Sophie Liang, Alan Lin, Hui Hui Liu, Tak Kwan Lo, Jiayin Luo, Kelly Luo, Emily Luu, Nadia Lymswan, Calvin Ma, Michael Macrae, Christopher Mak, Sumire Maki, Tiana Masters, Olivia McEvoy, Patrick Mei, Victoria Mele, Julia Mendros, Sarah Molloy, Eirene Moutsopoulos, Michael Mullaney, Ciara Murphy, Hannah Naili, Hailey Naistadt, Brian Ng, Cindy Nguyen, Vena Nguyen, Fiona O’Connor, Rachel O’Driscoll, Ryan Parekh, Andrew Pham, Jennifer Pham, Rose Roper, Evlyn Scuzzarella, Eliza Song-Givens, Rebecca Tham, Kyi Thwin, David Tran, Vincent Tran. Samuel Truong, Bryan Turner, Stephanie Vasquez, Paul Vu, Ashleigh Wilson, Li Wong Fang, Junwen Wu, Shanshan Wu, Xian Feng Wu, Johanna Yu, Brandon Zeng, Casey Zheng, Emily Zheng, Shi Zheng, Yuheng Zhou, Yu Xuan Zhu, Xue Ling Zou; Quincy High School: Marisa Abundis, Matthew Adams, Martin Aliberti, Kimberly Andrews, Ahmed Basabrain, Ralph Besid, Ursula Biba, Bailey Brann, Carly Brilliant, Benjamin Brownlow, Christopher Buzzell, Meghan Caggiano, Marina Chafa, Michelle Chen, Jeanne Chin, Kelly Chow, Isabella Cobble, Lydia Culp, Griffin Curran, Madison Davis, Justina Dearden, Katy Deng, Kassandra Dineen, Christopher Doyle, Nolan Flynn, Aaron Ha, James Hagborg, Mark Hajjar, Ryan Harty, Gianni Hill, Thanh Hoang, Jennifer Hong, Maxwell Hurley, Andrew Johnson, Emma Kelly, Emma Kimmell, Aurelie Lafontant, James Lam, Zachary Latini, Michelle Le, Curtis Lee, Kunyi Li, Jerod Lin, Valerie Lioudinouskov, Emily Lo, Phat Luc, Maryanne Ly, Mary Kathleen Lynch, Colleen Madden, Steven Marstjepovic, Angela McDonald, Joseph McMahon, Erin McMillen, Shu Mei, Anna Nguyen, Michael Nguyen, Toan Nguyen, Daniel O’Hara, Emma Papile, Noreen Plabutong, Suhail Purkar, Zachary Roos, Steven Ross, Robert Salvucci, Jessika Santos, Hiba Senhaj, Andrew Spada, Leonard Strauss, Christine Tam, Jenny Thi, Nikki Tran, John Traynor, Paul Trubiano, Emily Vantassell, Lily Vo, Nicole Welliver, Joseph Yacano, Henry Yip

For the new Elementary School Report Card project, adesign team of principals and teachers is working together to create an electronic, standards-based report card. An update on this project will be shared at the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meeting on December 3, 2014.

The Lions Club State Speech Contest will be held on December 10 at 6:00 pm at the Church of the Presidents. Three to five students in Grades 11-12 from each high school will compete at the local level.

The Quincy Fire Department is again working with Grades 3 and 6 students on fire safety education, thanks to Inspector Gerry McCourt and Lieutenant Gerry Ceurvels, in collaboration with Curriculum Coordinator Erin Perkins and the school Principals.

The Quincy Lodge of Elks has once again donated over 700 dictionaries to Grade 3 students across Quincy Public Schools.

At last week’s Mini-Grants reception, eighty-two grants were distributed to 110 educators for a total of $30,000 in funding provided by Boston University, George G. Burke, Esq., David Ezickson, the Fund for Excellence in Teaching, Arbella Insurance Group, Quincy Education Association, Granite Telecommunications, Bluefin Robotics, Boston Scientific Corp, MountainOne Bank, Quincy Medical Center/Steward Health Care, Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Quincy Retired Teachers Association, Quirk Auto Dealers, Quincy Credit Union, Cerebral Palsy of Mass., and Wessling Architects. Mini-grant funding will provide additional classroom instructional materials, technology, equipment, and a range of special projects that will enhance the learning and extra-curricular opportunities for students across Quincy Public Schools.

This year’s mini-grant recipients were: Shane Aboud, Hallie Acton, Becky Adams, Sarah Ahearn, Cathy Aho, Kimberly Allen, Laura Anderson, Carol Austin, Diane Babcock, Deborah Baird, Joseph Barry, Rita Barry, Sheila Bell, Erin Benner, Rachel Bloom, Robert Bradley, Lori Cahill, Julie Campbell, Meghan Carthas, Diana Cavallo, Mark Chella, Kerri Connell, Katie Connolly, Rebecca Cordero, Ricardo Cordero, Al Costa, Michelle Cunniff, Kathryn Daly, Casey Deaguero, Taylor Dennehey, Beth Donovan, Marcy Edge Eaton, Matt Edgerly, Jessica Falbo, June Feeney, Jackie Fitzpatrick, Marcia Forrester, Joanne Fox, Christina Gilman, Elizabeth Good, Cynthia Grabke, John Green, Nicole Tierney Griffin, Jill Griffith, Paul Griffith, Kelli Guarino, Lori Hammerstrom, Wendy Hanlon, Amanda Harris, Patrice Healy, Tiffany Helling, Laurel Hendrickson, Stephanie Hunt, Lauren Jensen, Kim Jones, Melanie Kelly, Sarah Kerns, Sarah Kiley, Julie Krieger, Mera Kriz, Jill Kyranis, Danielle LaRose, Jennifer Leary, Michael Lenane, Richard Leonard, Katie Lynch, Laureen Macgillivray, Tara MacLeod, Leah Markarian, Helen Mastico, Kathleen Matthews, Stacey Maydak, Kristen McCarthy, Helen McLaughlin, Meghan McLean, Christine McNeil, Mike McNiece, Colleen Meskell, Kerry Monaco, Alison Moreau, Gracia Morrell, Janelle Morris, Mary Beth Mulcahy, Clare Murphy, Trista Murray, Lisa Nasanofsky, Anne Northridge, Susan Norwood, Alyse Olivieri, MaryEllen Phillips, Nicole Pitre, Marisa Qualter, Clair Quinlan, Mary Quinn, William Regan, Sara Riley, John Rogan, Kellie Scott, Jessica Sikora, Kathleen Smith, Georgina Sullivan, Trish Sullivan, Colleen Tempesta, Erin Twomey, Dorinda Vale, Bridget Vaughn, Ellen Wallace, Kenneth Walsh, Sharon Walsh, Eileen Wilson

Upcoming Partnership Events are 'Tis the Season on December 9 at Quincy High School, sponsored by Granite City Electric. The Annual Fall Gathering will be held on Thursday, November 20 at the Tirrell Room, food items are collected for distribution to local food banks. The QEA, Met Life, and the Tirrell Room sponsor this event.

Two new partnership events will focus on student leadership skills and team building, the first to be scheduled for late January. Grade 8 students will be trained in CPR through a partnership with Fallon Ambulance. There will be opportunities for basic training and full licensure. Winter athletics coaches will be trained by Fallon Ambulance on Saturday, November 15 at Central Middle School.

NQHS Girls Soccer and QHS Girls Volleyball teams qualified for the Fall tournaments. Congratulations to both coaches and the student athletes. 75 middle school cross-country students competed at the state meet last Saturday. Dr. DeCristofaro noted that Health Services Coordinator Rita Bailey worked with the high school principals and athletic directors on streamlining the paperwork process for multi-sport athletes.

At the MSBA Board Meeting on Wednesday, November 19 both the Sterling Middle School project and Windows/Doors replacement project for Lincoln Hancock and Parker will be on the agenda for approval to move to the next phase.

Dr. DeCristofaro announced that the dedication of the North Quincy High School basketball court to Robert “Nobby” Nowlin will be scheduled shortly, since the work is being done to add his name to the floor over Thanksgiving recess.

Home-School Connections for Atherton Hough, Montclair, and Wollaston Elementary Schools, and Quincy High School were shared with the School Committee, along with the holiday concert schedule.

- - -

New Business

Superintendent's Summative Evaluation

Ms. Isola presented the Superintendent's Summative Evaluation for 2013-2014, and thanked her colleagues for the work put into the review process. It was very interesting to go through the goals and work through the review of standards.

Ms. Isola reviewed that School Committee is giving Superintendent DeCristofaro an overall rating of Proficient and that this rating of Proficient practice is the rigorous expected level of performance. Ms. Isola read the Evaluator Comments into the record:

This evaluation of Quincy Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard DeCristofaro comes at the end of a challenging school year, 2013-2014. Following the retirement of several senior administrators in June 2013, the first challenge was to oversee the re-organization of the Superintendent's Leadership and Principal Teams during the summer of 2013. In addition to being the educational leader of the Quincy Public Schools and its almost 9,500 students and focusing on the goals specified within this document, Superintendent DeCristofaro mentored new leadership and guided them and more veteran administrators through many initiatives and projects during the course of the school year. The new Educator Evaluation System, District-Determined Measures, NEASC and NAEYC, implementation of the new Aspen Student Information System, and the administrative move to the Coddington Building were a few of accomplishments of 2013-2014.

Superintendent DeCristofaro collaborated or directed collaboration with City of Quincy Departments including the Mayor's Office, City Council, Parks, Recreation, Information Technology, Public Buildings, Public Works, Planning & Community Development, Police, Fire; state agencies such as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts School Building Authority; and a host of community business partners and agencies. He engaged with parents and the general public on issues large and small. Dr. DeCristofaro collaborated with the School Committee on 50+ regular and subcommittee meetings and numerous individual meetings and communications in order to share information and ensure that the School Committee's priorities were addressed, especially in terms of the budget development.

As one School Committee member said in their summary comments, Dr. DeCristofaro is a "[t]rue leader for Quincy Public Schools...Teacher, mentor, and inspiration to Quincy Public Schools. Professional and respectful to all. We will not know how good he was until he is gone. Great person and academic leader."

Dr. DeCristofaro thanked School Committee for their comments and the time spent on the evaluation process.

- - -

Superintendent’s Annual

Dr. DeCristofaro presented his draft goals for 2014-2016, the continuous learning cycle is now in the 2nd year under the new process. In the Analysis, Goal Setting, and Plan Development phase, the Superintendent presents his draft goals at tonight's meeting. School Committee will vote on the goals at the December 10, 2014 School Committee Meeting. Four of the five goals are now two-year goals, but the Student Learning Goal will be a one-year goal as it is MCAS connected. For 2015-2016, the Student Learning Goal will be PARCC-based.

Goal #1 is Administrator Evaluation, expanded from Principals to Superintendent's Leadership Team members. Goal #2 is the 2% improvement for ELA and Mathematics APC for all students and improving performance of subgroups as measured by CPI. School Committee Goal #1 is the District Improvement Plan School Committee Goal #2 is Home-School Connections, continuing the Parent Academy events. School Committee Goal #3 is the Common Core Standards Implementation.

Dr. DeCristofaro also shared the many District Improvement Initiatives, some federal and state mandates and others our own design, such as the Elementary Report Card for Grades 1-5, RETELL Initiative, ASPEN, DDMs, PBIS, and Substance Abuse Prevention/Awareness

At the December 10 School Committee meeting, the Superintendent's Annual Plan will be discussed and the goals voted on. Mid-Cycle Progress Report will be presented in October 2015, along with Benchmarks, Action Steps, and Sources of Evidence plus a PARCC-based Student Learning goal for 2015-2016. In October 2016, the Superintendent will present the End of Cycle Summative Progress report and the cycle will begin again.

- - -

Citywide Parent Council Presentation: Understanding Your Child’s MCAS Reports

Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed that the Curriculum Management Team presented at Monday's Citywide Parent Council meeting on Understanding Your Child's MCAS Report. Mrs. Fredrickson reviewed the presentation and the materials including samples of the report types and a tool to help understand the categories and information presented.

There is a lot of information shared about how an individual child's performance compares to their school, QPS, and the state. Information was shared about the number of questions and possible points, achievement levels and corresponding scores, particularly what Proficient means. The goal for accountability is that all children achieve the level of Proficient. There are advanced items so that students can show their grasp of challenging materials and at Grade 10, qualify for scholarship opportunities. Over 2-3 years, parents can often see a pattern and compare their child's growth to their school, the district, and the state. Growth may be very different for different subject areas. Assistance was provided in decoding the scoring report and how to access released items, including Open Response and Short answer samples.

Information about other kinds of student assessment were shared, including materials that accompany the core curriculum materials, DIBELS, and GRADE. Formative classroom assessments that happen daily and weekly are the most closely connected to curriculum. Additional information was requested about time spent on assessment. Assessment decisions are made based on the value of the information provided.

Mr. Bregoli asked about teacher accountability being tied to MCAS performance. Mrs. Fredrickson said that MCAS will only be administered for one year, then we are looking at the Next Generation Assessments. Mr. Bregoli is concerned about this process and Mrs. Fredrickson said that there are multiple purposes for assessments, but there are reasonable concerns about the amount of time spent on assessment. Mr. Bregoli asked about item analysis for the MCAS, do parents understand how few items there are for different standards. Mrs. Fredrickson said they did explain how to look at the items and the percentage of possible points and the perspective based on the number of actual items. Mr. Bregoli asked if the percentage is the best means of measuring. Mrs. Fredrickson said that Average Percent Correct helps all of us think like a parent, look at the parallel of how a student learns content during the year and retains it for the entire school year. Mrs. Fredrickson said that Benchmark Assessments given closer to the time the concept is taught can be compared to performance on an end of year test. Mrs. Fredrickson said the ongoing review of Pacing Guides is part of this discussion, does review of concepts need to be built in later in the year to ensure retention of the skill. Mr. Bregoli said that retention of basic facts is key to math testing success and students were allowed accommodations previously, worries about there being less. Mrs. Fredrickson said the depth of content areas, more time spent on basic skills should show results.

Mr. McCarthy said that this was a nice presentation for parents, simplified tool to explain the complicated testing. Mr. McCarthy asked about attendance. Parents from Kindergarten through Grade 7 attended the presentation.

Mrs. Mahoney said that it was good to hear that parents of younger students were there. Even if the testing is altered, it is a foundation of how the benchmarks work. Mrs. Mahoney asked if the same or alternate approaches are used when benchmark assessments show that a child is not proficient in a given skill. Mrs. Fredrickson said it is a mix of approaches, and the pacing guide work is key to this. Mrs. Mahoney said every group of students is different and working fluidly and collaboratively allows for the sharing and adapting of best practices and content. Teachers are able to be creative. Mrs. Mahoney said that the approach for parents is exceptional. It is difficult to get the report and take in all the information and figure out what you need to do to help your student, ultimately the goal. Mrs. Mahoney said this would be good to share on the QPS website and SchoolTube, very valuable information.

Ms. Isola agreed that the format of the presentation was very helpful. Ms. Isola asked if individual school PTO presentations are focused on this type of assistance, but most focus on school-wide results.

Mr. DiBona asked about the PARCC test and whether we have any indication of whether it will be adopted. Mrs. Fredrickson said about half of the districts in Massachusetts are part of the second year of field testing, as well as districts in 16 other states. The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will make a decision in October 2015 about whether PARCC will be the assessment that all districts administer beginning in 2016. School Committee is concerned about the additional time on Assessment, similar concerns have been expressed elsewhere. We need to be preparing for the future at the same time we are fully implementing what is currently underway.

- - -

Overnight Travel

Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the Overnight Travel of Sterling Middle School Grade 7 to Camp Wing, Duxbury, Massachusetts from May 13-14, 2015. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

On the motion, Mr. McCarthy asked that all overnight travel adhere to the one adult per ten students Policy as practiced in the past.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Overnight Travel of Central Middle School Grade 8 to New York, New York from June 3-5, 2015. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Overnight Travel of Atlantic Middle School Grade 8 to New York, New York from June 4-5, 2015. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

- - -

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, Providence, Rhode Island on December 3, 2014. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

- - -

Additional Business

There was no Additional Business.

- - -

Communications

Upcoming meetings were announced: School Committee on December 10, 2014; January 14, 2015; and January 28, 2015 and Subcommittee Meetings (Quarterly Budget & Finance on Monday, January 12, 2015; Facilities & Security on January 12, 2015; Special Education on Wednesday, January 21, 2015; and Teaching & Learning on January 26, 2015.

Mrs. Mahoney announced that the Quincy High School Drama Club would be performing MacBeth at 7:00 pm on November 11, 14, 15, 20, and 22.

Mrs. Mahoney announced the Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education Gingerbread party on December 12, a free family event.

Mr. Bregoli announced Policy Subcommittee meeting on December 4 and requested that the Supervisors of Attendance present an update on their work last year and for the start of this school year.

- - -

Reports of Subcommittees

Mrs. Hubley noted that full Subcommittee meeting minutes are posted online on the School Committee page at www.quincypublicschools.com.

Teaching & Learning Subcommittee

Ms. Isola reviewed the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meetings held on October 27 and November 3, 2014. At these two meetings, the high school and middle school Principals presented their School Improvement Plans, and the English Language Learner and Career & Technical Education Program improvement plans were presented by Ms. Hallett and Mr. Keith Segalla. Ms. Isola urged the public to read the School and Program Improvement Plans.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Middle and High School Improvement Plans and the English Language Learner and Career & Technical Education Program Improvement Plans. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

As there were no corrections, the minutes to both the October 27, 2014 and November 3, 2014 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meetings were approved.

- - -

Ad Hoc Subcommittee On Grade 5

Mr. McCarthy reported on the October 28, 2014 Ad Hoc Subcommittee meeting on Grade 5. Noting the concerns of the parents about the differences between Grade 5 students in the elementary and middle school setting, he is hoping to address the grading system through the development of the new Elementary Report Card. Given the review of curriculum topics, Title I overview, class size, student achievement, principal perspectives, and Sterling schedule pilot, he will be working with Dr. DeCristofaro on some action items and will present an update in the near future.

As there were no corrections, the minutes of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Grade 5 meeting on October 28, 2014 were approved.

Mrs. Mahoney asked if there was another Ad Hoc meeting scheduled yet. Mr. McCarthy said that a date will be set and issues for follow up addressed.

- - -

Special Education Subcommitee

Mrs. Mahoney reported on the October 29 Special Education Subcommittee meeting. Ms. Todd reviewed the Coordinated Program Review process that just concluded. A self-study was completed and then many weeks of preparation for the file review. Over 80 people were interviewed and observations were conducted at various school locations.

For the 2014-2015 Program Improvement Plan, Ms. Todd reviewed that the mission of the Special Education Department is to provide specially designed instruction and/or related services. The program builds on individual strengths and abilities, meeting the diverse academic, emotional, and social needs of all students. Special Education Goals for 2014-2015 are: (1) During the 2014-2014 school year, all students with Math goals in their IEPs in Grades 7 and 8, will increase their total Math MCAS percent correct by 1%. (2) The average gain for word reading, as assessed by DIBELS Next was 25.35 words by 2014. By June 2015, the average word gain will be 30. (3) Through the Coordinated Program Review selfassessment, two areas, bullying and autism questions were not consistently applied. In 2014-2015, Quincy Public Schools will demonstrate 100% compliance.

QPAC’s goals for 2014-2015 are: (1) Increase participation in QPAC; (2) communicate with the citywide community, specifically to work with the YMCA to implement social groups and share information with principals and teachers through school newsletters; and (3) Share resources with parents, teachers, and others by creating an information packet for parents, hosting a resource fair, and hosting multiple presentations of special education-related topics.

Ms. Todd gave a brief update on the Aspen Special Education module implementation. A project team is being formed to plan the transition to Aspen. Beginning in September 2015, IEPs will be entered into Aspen and progress reports will be able to be shared by teachers.

For the QPAC Update, Ms. Nabstedt reviewed that the Rights and Responsibilities training was held last week for parents. For goals, communication is managed through social media and email, press releases to the Quincy Sun and Patriot Ledger, the QPS website, and Instant Alert.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Special Education Program Improvement Plan. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

One correction to the notes was requested and with that, the Special Education Subcommittee meeting minutes for October 29, 2014 were approved as amended.

- - -

Quincy Education Association Unit C Educator Evaluation Contract Language

Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the Unit C Educator Evaluation contract language. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.

- - -

Adjournment

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 9:20 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. DiBona and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.