Oct. 22, 2014 School Committee Meeting

Agenda

Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 7:00 pm
Coddington Building

I. Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting Minutes for October 8, 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. City Council Vote on Feasibility Study Funding for Sterling Middle School

C. Coordinated Program Review Update

D. System/Site Professional Development

E. High School Open House Evenings for Grade 8 Parents, October 23 (Quincy High School) and October 28 (North Quincy High School)

F. Merrymount International Night, October 23

G. Motor Activity Day at Della Chiesa ECC, October 31

H. Mini-Grants Reception, November 4

I. Fall Gathering, November 20

J. Home-School Connections: Beechwood Knoll and Montclair Elementary School Newsletters; Parent Academies

IV. Old Business:

A. Policy: National Background Check for Volunteers (Vote)

B. Policy: Regular Meeting Agenda: Reports of Subcommittees (Vote)

C. Policy: Regular Meeting Agenda: Additional Business (Vote) 22 meeting)

V. New Business:

A. Superintendent’s Annual Plan Summative Review - Dr. DeCristofaro

B. 2012-2015 Curriculum Plan - Ms. Roy, Mrs. Fredrickson

C. School Nurse Appointment - Dr. DeCristofaro

D. Overnight Travel: North Quincy High School AFJROTC to Camp Edwards, Bourne, Massachusetts from November 19 through 23, 2014

VI. Additional Business:

VII. Communications:

  1. Upcoming School Committee Meetings:
    a. Wednesday, November 12, 6:00 pm, Coddington Building (6:00 pm Executive Session/Hearing; regular meeting at 7:00 pm)
    b. Wednesday, December 10, 6:00 pm, Central Middle School

  2. Upcoming Subcommittee Meetings (Coddington Building):
    a. Teaching and Learning, Monday, October 27 at 5:00 pm
    b. Special Education, Wednesday, October 29 at 6:00 pm
    c. Ad Hoc Committee, Grade 5, Tuesday, October 28 at 5:00 pm
    d. Teaching and Learning, Monday, November 3 at 3:30 pm
    e. Teaching and Learning, Wednesday, November 5 at 3:30 pm
    f. Teaching and Learning, Thursday, November 6 at 3:30 pm

VIII. Reports of Subcommittees:

  1. Health, Transportation & Safety Subcommittee: Mr. DiBona to report on the October 15, 2014 meeting.

  2. Facilities & Security Subcommittee: Mr. McCarthy to report on the October 21, 2014 meeting.

  3. Budget & Finance Subcommittee: Mrs. Hubley to report on the October 21, 2014 meeting.

IX. Executive Session: None

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. School Lobby Security Controls Referred to Subcommittee at the January 23, 2013 School Committee Meeting. Review of existing visitor protocols, with special consideration of current high school policies and discussion of enhancements moving forward for all schools.

  5. 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. Parent 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. Regular Meeting Agenda: VIII. Reports of Subcommittees and VI. Additional Business Referred at the September 10, 2014 Special Meeting for review and discussion. Concerns about business conducted under these agenda sections being in violation of the Open Meeting Law.

  8. 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 – October 22, 2014
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Regular Meeting

A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, October 22, 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

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The Superintendent called the roll and all were present. Also present were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mr. John Fagerlund, 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, Ms. Judy Todd; Ms. Allison Cox, President, Quincy Education Association; Student Representatives to School Committte Mr. Michael Mullaney (North Quincy High School) and Ms. Isabella Cobble (Quincy High School).

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There was a moment of silence for Vincent Ma, Grade 2 student from the Parker Elementary School, who recently passed away.

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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved 10/8/14

Mr. Bregoli made a motion, seconded by Ms. Isola, to approve the Regular Meeting minutes for October 8, 2014. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Open Forum

As no one wished to speak at Open Forum, School Committee moved on to the next item on the agenda.

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Superintendent's Report

Superintendent DeCristofaro introduced the Inspiring Quincy video featuring Quincy High School Football Coach Bill Reardon, New England Patriots Coach of the Week; Point Webster Students of the Month; the Snug Harbor Soccer program; Rachel's Challenge for Grade 7 and 9 students; the New England Aquarium partnership with Clifford Marshall; French Exhange students at Quincy High School; Boys Golf at NQHS, QHS; Parent Academy for Elementary Parents; and the Montclair student project for books for Botswana.

Dr. DeCristofaro thanked Mayor Koch and the Quincy Parks Conservancy for the $10,000 donation from the Presidents City Road Race for Quincy Public Schools Health and Wellness programs.

At their October 20, 2014 meeting, City Council voted to appropriate $600,000 for the Sterling Middle School Feasibility Study; this is the last item required for the Eligibility Phase, which concludes on October 30, 2014. The Massachusetts School Building Authority Board meeting is scheduled for November 19, 2014 and the project is expected to be invited into the next module to form the project team and begin the Feasibility Study.

The Coordinated Program Review will be completed on Friday, October 24. A tremendous amount work and planning has gone into this from Kevin Mulvey, Judy Todd, Beth Hallett, and Keith Segalla, above and beyond their regular daily responsibilities. Over 150 interviews were conducted and Dr. DeCristofaro hopes DESE is as proud as we are of our accomplishments.

Professional Development is underway for the 2014-15 school year. At the site level, two Assessment Days are completed and next week is the first of the system-wide days.

Open House for Grade 8 Families are scheduled for October 23 at Quincy High School and October 28 at North Quincy High School.

Upcoming events include Merrymount International Night on Thursday, October 23 and Della Chiesa's Motor Development Day on Friday, October 31. Fifteen School~Community partners will present Mini-Grants to recipients on November 4 at North Quincy High School. The Fall Gathering will be held on November 20 at the Tirrell Room; admission is donations to local food pantries.

Home-School Connections from Beechwood Knoll, Montclair, and Squantum were shared with the School Committee.

Dr. DeCristofaro concluded his report by thanking Maura Papile, Erin Perkins, and Madeline Roy for hosting last week's Parent Academy events for Rachel's Challenge and Homework for Elementary Parents. He also thanked Principals Ruth Witmer and Peter Dionne for their assistance with the Elementary Parent Academy.

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Old Business

Policy: CORI/National Background Check for Volunteers (Vote)

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to approve the Policy for CORI and National Background Checks as drafted in the document entitled Quincy Public Schools CORI and National Background Check Policy. The motion was seconded by Mr. McCarthy and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.

Policy: Agenda/Reports of Subcommittees (Vote)

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to limit the discussion, following the Reports of Subcommittee, to the correction of errors, omissions, or typographical errors of the Subcommittee minutes. Mr. Bregoli further moved that no other discussions will take place under the Report of Subcommittees. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.

Policy: Agenda/ Additional Business (Vote)

Mr. Bregoli made a motion that the School Committee Agenda Item of Additional Business be limited, without discussion, to the adding of Agenda items to future School Committee Meetings or Subcommittee Meetings and to issues of an emergency nature that cannot wait for posting and discussion at a further School Committee meeting. Mr. Bregoli further moved that such emergency issues must first be approved by the Chair or Vice Chair of the School Committee. Thereafter, said Chair or Vice Chair shall seek approval to discuss the emergency issue by obtaining a majority vote of the School Committee then present. Mayor Koch seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.

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New Business

Superintendent's Annual Plan Summative Review

Superintendent DeCristofaro presented the Superintendent's Annual Plan Summative Review, beginning with a review of the Continuous Learning Cycle. Last year, the Superintendent and School Committee worked together to create the goals for the 2013-2014 Superintendent's Annual Plan; a Mid-Cycle Review was presented on February 12, 2014. After tonight's review, each School Committee member will complete the Superintendent's evaluation and submit the form to Ms. Isola by November 2. At the November 12, 2014 meeting, School Committee will present the Superintendent's Summative Evaluation.

Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed the Superintendent's Goals. The first goal is Principal Evaluation and evidence of completion for each stage was shared, including Baseline Edge forms and evidence. The second Superintendent's Goal is the Performance, Effectiveness, and Learning goal of increasing by 2% Average Percent Correct (APC) on both the Mathematics and ELA MCAS. For all students, on the ELA MCAS, Grade 7 showed a 2% increase in APC. There was a 1% increase for Grades 3 and 4. The percentage of students scoring Proficient or above increased for Grades 6, 7, and 8. For all students, Math MCAS results showed a 3% increase for Grade 4, a 2% increase for Grade 8, and a 1% increase for Grade 7. The percentage of students scoring Proficient or above increased at Grade 4. For all learners on the Science MCAS, no grade levels achieved an increase in APC, but Grades 5 and 8 showed an increase in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or above. While there are signs of incremental improvement at certain grade levels, the overall goal was not achieved.

The second part of the goal focused on prioritizing improvement in achievement results for High Needs Students and reducing the performance gap between subgroups and their grade-level peers. High needs students are defined as students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students from a family with documented lower income. (There may be overlap among these groups.)

For ELA, High Needs, there was a 3% increase in Grade 7, 2% in Grade 3, and 1% in Grade 4. Increased levels of Proficient or above at Grades 4, 6, 7. For Students with Disabilities, there was a 5% increase for Grade 3 and 3% increase for Grades 4 and 7. Increased levels of Proficient or above were seen for Grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and for all grades. For English Language Learners, scores showed a gain of 8% for Grade 4 and 5% for Grade 3; 1% for all grades. Increases in Proficient or above levels were seen for Grades 3, 4, 5, and all grades.

For Math High Needs, there was an increase of 4% at Grade 4 and 1% at Grades 5 and 7. There was an increase in Proficient or above at Grade 4. For Students with DIsabilities, there was a 4% increase at Grade 4, 3% for Grade 6 and 8, 2% for Grade 7, and 1% for all Grades. An increase in Proficient or above was seen for Grades 3, 4, and 7. For ELL students, there was a 10% increase for Grade 4, 9% for Grade 10, 5% for Grade 3, 3% for Grade 8 and all students, and 2% for Grade 5. There were increases in Proficient or above for Grades 3, 4, 5, 10, and all grades.

For Science, High Needs Students showed no gains. For Students with Disabilities, there was a 3% increase for Grade 10 and 1% for all students. There were increases in students achieving Proficient or above at Grades 5, 8, and 10. For English Language Learners, there was a 3% increase for Grade 10, a 1% increase for Grade 5 and all grades. Increased numbers of students scored Proficient or above at Grades 5, 8, and 10.

In summary, the proficiency gap between High Needs and non-High Needs students was narrowed for ELA in Grades 3, 4, 6, 7, and all students; for Math, Grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, and all grades.

The School Committee's first goal was the District Improvement Plan for 2013- 2014. All components were executed for this very unique model that produces results in many areas across the school system. The second goal was Home-School Connections. In collaboration with the Quincy Parent Advisory Council to Special Education and Citywide Parents Council, topics for Parent Academies were selected and the events produced. The third goal was the Common Core Standards Implementation and through the collaboration of curriculum-related teams, this goal was achieved. Evidence shared included site and district-level meeting agendas, new curriculum materials purchased through budget appropriations, curriculum and pacing guides, and course syllabi.

In addition, many other initiatives are underway across Quincy Public Schools, including MSBA school building and renovation projects, technology initiatives, the School~Community Partnership, Aspen Student Information System Implementation, Health and Wellness Initiatives, Facilities and Security initiatives, NEASC and NAEYC, and DSAC Collaboration.

Dr. DeCristofaro asked School Committee to consider going to a two-year goal cycle moving forward. At this time next year, a mid-cycle progress report would be presented, with the full cycle completed in Fall 2016.

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Curriculum Plan Update

Dr. DeCristofaro then introduced Ms. Roy and Mrs. Fredrickson who presented an update to the Curriculum Plan and progress towards the Curriculum Team goals. For the Reading Anchor standard results for the Average Percent Correct level of 70% was sustained from 2013. For High Needs students, Grades 3, 4, and 7 showed an increase. For students with disabilities, there was a 5% increase for Grade 3, a 4% increase in Grade 4; all grades up 1%. For ELL, there was a 6% for Grade 3, 1% for Grades 4, 5; and all grades. Overall, 2014 MCAS scores did not meet this goal. The Curriculum Team would like to continue the Reading Anchor standard goal for a second year.

For Mathematics, the focus was on improving on constructive Open Responses, an increase of 2%. For all students, an increase was shown in Grade 4, 5, 7, 8, and all students (3%). District-wide, the goal was accomplished. For High Needs, there was a 12% increase in Grade 4, 10% in Grade 5, 1% for Grade 6, 7, and 3% for all grades. For Students with Disabilities, there was an increase of 10% in Grade 4, 5; 5% for Grade 6; and an increase of 4% overall. For English Language Learners, there was an increase of 6% in Grade 3, 19% for Grade 4, and an overall 6% increase in percent correct. For this year, the Curriculum Goal for Math is again focused on an increase of 2% Average Percent Correct.

Data analysis is underway across Quincy Public Schools; next steps are for teachers to look at released items and analyze where students were successful or challenged; how does classroom achievement match up with standardized test achievement.

Ms. Roy explained how the Curriculum Team prioritizes the areas of need with targeted supports. Core Resources are district-purchased curriculum materials used for the majority of instruction. This is the second year for the elementary ELA and Mathematics programs and this year, teachers will be in a position to adjust lesson pacing and timing of assessment. Other core resources to be supported include Grades 3-8 Science where the Next Generation Science Standards are on the verge of adoption. Reading and Writing across the content areas will continue so that all teachers are supported with supplementary materials as needed. Ms. Roy said that the new standards require younger students to read and synthesize complex texts and the emphasis on technical writing is in place for older students.

Another area of focus will be to continue the refinement of curriculum and pacing guides. As new resources are implemented, this work will continue. Four key components of alignment are to align to the new standards, the critical areas outlined in the frameworks, the assessments, and the core resources. Common Benchmark Assessments are a major priority, formative and summative assessments to continue building on the District-Determined Measures.

The Curriculum Team supports professional development with an emphasis on Literacy standards for Social Studies and Science, including comprehending informational texts, building common rubrics, and the claims/evidence/reasoning structure for Science writing. Teachers and administrators will be exploring digital learning tools that accompany core curricula or as supplemental materials.

Mrs. Mahoney asked whether the data presented will this be the baseline focus for moving into next year's goals. Ms. Roy agreed that as School Committee reviews the School Improvement Plans, they will see a correlation on the areas of focus. Mrs. Mahoney said that we look at the subgroups, but how do the non-High Needs students break down. Ms. Roy said that some of that will come out in the School Improvement Plan presentation, the depth of data analysis at the school level is impressive. Mrs. Mahoney said that the amount of data is large, that the comparison and the unique needs of each schools make this complicated. Mrs. Mahoney said that the numbers reflect the students and teachers and these can be difficult conversations.

Mrs. Fredrickson said that work with the Principals focuses on High Needs vs. nonHigh Needs students. They look at the classroom level through Edwin Analytics; teachers have the data on the students in front of them to inform their instruction as much as possible. Mrs. Mahoney said that the data-driven world requires the Average Percent Correct goal and although the effort was made, we did not reach the goal. So many things were going on at the same time, maybe too many initiatives facing us. Mrs. Mahoney is concerned about Grade 10 numbers declining in several categories, and how that might affect graduation rate.

Mr. Bregoli decried the focus on MCAS, these assessments are snapshot of students on one day and don't account for students with different learning styles. There is pressure to cover materials at a pace that may leave some learners behind. Curriculum topics are presented to students who are not developmentally ready for them. Children develop at different rates, we cannot evaluate our school system based on the MCAS results. Our teachers do a tremendous job educating our children and are now under tremendous pressure. The MCAS assessments are unfair to particular schools. Teachers are working as hard as they can to educate our children. He hopes parents do not stress over results.

Mr. McCarthy said there are many good points to celebrate in the report, 33 grades in the subgroups showed increases in Proficiency and above. We are locked into the Common Core and MCAS and PARCC and these won't be the last acronyms we learn about. We are making progress and moving forward. Once past the MCAS in Grade 10, the focus is on other things. This is a tool we have to live with, everyone goes above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference. Lots of positives.

Mayor Koch concurred with his colleagues on the School Committee and noted that he appreciates the work of the Curriculum Team. Mayor Koch is frustrated with the assessment that requires students to fit into a box. Individual teachers will plant the seeds for students future growth, but time is needed. Mayor Koch suggested sending a letter to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to express School Committee's concerns. Complimented teachers on their work, agreed that parents should not worry, we have a great school system. Every year at graduation, we see the accomplishments of our students.

Ms. Isola thanked the presenters and asked for clarification on the Average Percent Correct. These are scaled scores, so a 60% can correlate to Proficient score. Mrs. Fredrickson said the number of items are different for every test and every grade and emphasis varies. Raw scores are different for every grade and every subject area. The Proficiency threshold changes for every grade.

Mr. Bregoli asked for confirmation that when we are comparing data we are comparing different students each year. He asked if we should look at how the same students did the next year. Students are tracked as cohorts and that will be shown in the School Improvement Plans. DESE's accountability data is based on the comparison of different students each year.

For Grade 10, the threshold for proficiency is lower and part of the assessment is for students to be able to demonstrate advanced ability. Mrs. Mahoney said that all students are receiving individual education plans because of the use of data by our teachers. Mrs. Mahoney would like to see more emphasis on demonstrating progression through other measures. We see from year to year that the expectations are more difficult in certain years, performance is relatively consistent. If the threshold changes from year to year, that makes the data much more difficult to understand.

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School Nurse Appointment

Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the appointment of Jordan DeLucca, R.N. as a School Nurse. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Overnight Travel

Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the Overnight Travel of the North Quincy High School AFJROTC to Camp Edwards, Bourne, Massachusetts from November 19- 23, 2014. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Additional Business

There was no Additional Business.

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Communications

Upcoming meetings were announced: School Committee on November 12, 2014 and December 10, 2014; and Subcommittee Meetings (Teaching & Learning on October 27, 2014, November 3, 2014, November 5, 2014, and November 6, 2014; Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Grade 5 on October 28, 2014; and Special Education on October 29, 2014).

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Reports of Subcommittees

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

Health, Transportation & Safety Subcommittee

Mr. DiBona reported on the October 15, 2014 Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee meeting where the Student Support Services, Health Services, Food Services, and Transportation Program Improvement Plans were presented.

Senior Director Maura Papile presented the Student Support Services Program Improvement Plan, noting that many of the goals are continuation goals and across grade-level teams, particularly for the Guidance staff. Mrs. Papile said the competent, caring Student Support staff are focused on supporting all students in the Quincy Public Schools and through analysis of multiple data sources, identifying students at risk. High-risk students are identified and family assistance summoned when needed, lots of intervention on social-emotional issues and getting high risk students into special programs when needed. The Student Support goal for 2014- 2015 is to analyze high risk data that identifies students at risk and provide guidance and support for the following initiatives: school-wide substance abuse interventions and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Health Services Coordinator Rita Bailey presented the Health Services Program Improvement Plan and began with a reflection on last year's goals. Health Services staff have implemented many initiatives at the school level, including opportunities for physical activity before, during, and after the school day. The Health Services goals for 2014-2015 are continuation goals: (1) Identify and implement in collaboration with individual school wellness teams, new wellness initiatives based on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Health Schools Program framework and school inventory. Each school will once again include a Wellness goal in their School Improvement Plan. (2) Continue with the Educator Evaluation process; in the 2nd year, seven nurses completed last year and will begin the first year of their two-year cycle, 15 more will begin this year. (3) In collaboration with the Student Support team, participate in professional development that is focused on the PBIS initiative.

Mrs. Bailey shared that in the 2013-14 school year, QPS nurses documented 86,117 student encounters; worked regularly with 3,500 students with special health care needs; and returned 90% of students return to class following their encounter. Health Services also provide vision, hearing, BMI, and postural screenings, administered 10,748 doses of medication; and had 16,000 documented communications to parents about health issues.

Food Services Director Joanne Morrissey presented the Food Services Program Improvement Plan, noting that this is Year 4 of the Federal Healthy Kids Act. In reflecting on last year’s goals, Mrs. Morrissey noted that most Food Services goals are continuation goals. The Food Services team collaborated with the Health Services team to create a Wellness page with resources on the Quincy Public Schools website. Food Services updated their website to include nutritional and allergy information for parent access.

For this year, the Food Services goals are to (1) complete the implementation of computerized point of sale system (Nutrikids) by installing hardware and software at the final four elementary schools by November 2014; (2) evaluate, purchase, install, and implement usage of new equipment for the packaging of Elementary school satellite meals at the production facility at North Quincy High School; (3) collaborate with school principals and cafeteria managers to conduct performance evaluations of all Food Service Employee Association members; and (4) as a member of the system-level Wellness Team, to work with school-based Wellness Teams to expand awareness of the QPS Wellness Policy and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation guidelines for competitive foods in schools, to promote compliance with current policy, and provide resources and assistance to school Wellness teams to implement school wellness team goals throughout the school year at all levels.

Mrs. Morrissey mentioned the Farm to School Grant initiative underway with the Planning & Community Development department. We will learn in November if we have been awarded the planning grant which will benefit Lincoln Hancock, Sterling, and Quincy High Schools.

Transportation Director Michael Draicchio presented the Transportation Program Improvement Plan. As of today, 1,082 students are transported, although the number fluctuates during the year. Regular education, in-district and out of district Special Education, and homeless students are all transported daily. In addition, students are transported for athletics, field trips, and rentals.

The Transportation Goals for 2014-2015 are a continuation of last year, including (1) professional development sessions will be planned and implemented, including first aid, strategies for Special Education student transportation, and communicating with school nurses and teaching staff; (2) maintaining operational effectiveness by frequent monitoring of all areas of student transportation pertaining to contractual and operational responsibilities; (3) through regularly scheduled successful Registry of Motor Vehicle and State Inspections, the Quincy Public Schools will provide safe bus/van transportation; (4) safely service and maintain all Quincy Public Schools vehicles on a monthly basis; (5) collaborate with the Quincy Police Department on safety issues around transportation; and (6) increase security measures at the bus yard, including additional cameras and a new fence.

Mr. DiBona made a motion to approve the Student Support Services, Health Services, Food Services, and Transportation Program Improvement Plans. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Mr. DiBona made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 15, 2014 Health, Transportation, and Safety Subcommittee. As there were no corrections, the minutes were approved.

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Facilities & Security Subcommittee

Mr. McCarthy reported on the October 21, 2014 Facilities & Security Subcommittee meeting where the Safety & Security and Custodial Services Program Improvement Plans were presented.

Director of Security Michael Draicchio presented the Safety & Security Program Improvement Plan, and reviewed the safety initiatives implemented at all schools: classroom door locks, common area security, and photo IDs for all staff, protocols for visitors and substitutes, access control, video intercom systems, and upgraded DVRs, cameras, equipment at all schools.

The Safety & Security Team has members from the Quincy Police Department, Quincy Fire Department, Norfolk County Sheriff's Office, the Department of Youth Services, the Department of Children & Families, Probation, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, the MBTA Police Department, and Fallon Ambulance, along with many Quincy Public Schools staff members. The QPS Security staff are renewing CPR and First Aid certification this year

Mr. Kevin Segalla presented the Custodial Services Program Improvement Plan. In 2013-2014, Custodial services created an inventory survey for equipment at each school building for the purposes of creating a plan for replacement equipment. Mr. Segalla thanked Gary Cunniff and Public Buildings for support on daily issues and large-scale summer projects. In 2014-2015, the Custodial department will design and develop a new Quincy Public School facilities rental program. The new software will eventually allow for public access to determine facility availability.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the Security and Custodial Services Program Improvement Plans. Mr. DiBona seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to remove Lobby Security Controls from the items in Facility & Security Subcommittee. Mrs. Mahoney seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 21, 2014 Facilities & Security Subcommittee meeting. As there were no corrections, the minutes are approved.

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Budget & Finance Subcommitee

Mrs. Hubley reported on the October 21, 2014 Budget & Finance Subcommittee meeting. Mr. Mullaney presented the Professional Staff Reconciliation. For FY2015, 35 new positions were established in Academic Classroom Teachers, Academic Programs, Academic Support Staff. Adjustments were made to add and remove classroom and program teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels to reflect shifts in student populations, with a net loss of 0.6 positions, which will be reserved for future considerations during the school year as the funding remains in the budget.

Mr. Mullaney then presented the Quarterly Budget Review for the first quarter of FY2015. He reviewed the salary budget for Academic Classroom Teachers, Academic Programs, Academic Support, and Non-Academic Support. All line items are within expected ranges for this point in the year; all step and level increases are accounted for. All salary needs are anticipated to be covered by the FY2015 budget. For Academic Expenses, current expenditures are typical for QPS historical spending, with expenditures for textbooks, supplies, and testing. For Non-Academic Expenses, funding has been encumbered for natural gas and electricity by the issuing of purchase orders. Other lines are on target; the other major account is transportation, the majority of which is Special Education and that spending is on track. Mr. Mullaney noted that Special Education tuition and transportation line items are partly reimbursed by Circuit Breaker funding and we are anticipating a slightly higher rate of reimbursement $226,000.

Ms. Isola made a motion to approve the minutes; Mrs. Hubley requested a correction on page 2 and the minutes are approved as amended.

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to remove Meeting Agenda/Reports of Subcommittees and Meeting Agenda/Additional Business from Policy Subcommitee. Mr. DiBona seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

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Adjournment

Mayor Koch made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 9:05 p.m. The motion was seconded by Mr. DiBona and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.