Minutes
Quincy, Massachusetts - September 3, 2014
Regular Meeting of the Quincy School Committee
Regular Meeting
A regular meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, Regular
September 3, 2014 in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. Present were Meeting
Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Noel DiBona, Ms. Barbara Isola, 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 Mayor Koch was absent. Also present
were: Dr. Richard DeCristofaro, Secretary; Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; Mr.
Michael Draicchio, Mr. John Fagerlund, Mrs. Mary Fredrickson, Mr. James
Mullaney, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mrs. Maura Papile, Ms.
Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Ms. Judy Todd; Mr. Scott Alessandro,
Citywide Parents Council Co-President; Ms. Debby Nabstedt, Quincy Parent
Advisory Council to Special Education President; and Ms. Allison Cox,
President, Quincy Education Association.
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There was a moment of silence for Mr. William Draicchio, father of Director
of Security Michael Draicchio, and retired from the Quincy Police department
and the City Clerk's office and Mr. Joseph Koch, brother of Mayor Koch, and a
long-time staff member of the Parks Department and Department of Public
Works.
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Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
6/11/14
Ms. Isola made a motion, seconded by Mr. McCarthy, to approve the Regular
Meeting minutes for June 11, 2014. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.
Special Meeting Minutes Approved 7/30/14
Mr. McCarthy made a motion, seconded by Mr. Bregoli, to approve the Special
School Committee Meeting minutes for July 30, 2014. On a voice vote, the
ayes have it.
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Open Forum
Ms. Alexis Veith expressed her ongoing concern about Grade 5 students at Sterling
and Point Webster Middle Schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Mauriello expressed concerns about Open Enrollment process and the
impact of limiting this on families across the city.
Ms. Courtney Perdios reiterated her goal of moving Grade 5 students currently at
Sterling and Point Webster back to elementary schools and is looking for School
Committee to suggest how to proceed with the discussion.
Mr. Scott Alessandro noted that the National Background Check for Volunteers is on
tonight's agenda and that Boston Public Schools will not be requiring this check for
volunteers. Mr. Alessandro is concerned that the requirement will deter volunteers.
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Superintendent's
Report
Dr. DeCristofaro opened his report with Inspiring Quincy featured Summer
Scene programs, including Bridge to Reading, SWELL Academy, the
Developmental Learning program, Summer YouthWorks, Summer School, New
Professional Staff Orientation, and the new School Resource Officers. Dr.
DeCristofaro thanked Mr. Marani for his leadership of the Summer Scene and
the Superintendent's Leadership Team for grant writing that made many of the
programs possible. Over 900 students participated in the summer programs.
Dr. DeCristofaro reviewed the staffing additions from the FY2015 Budget: new
academic classroom teachers at the middle school level, including French and
Technology teachers, Kindergarten and Special Education aides. He then
reviewed the summer Administrative Appointments: Rita Bailey, Coordinator of
Health Services; Aliza Schneller, Assistant Principal of Point Webster Middle
School; Stacey Bucci, Assistant Principal of Broad Meadows Middle School; Rick
DeCristofaro, Principal of Central Middle School; Susan Shea Connor, Assistant
Principal of Central Middle School; and Rebecca McInnis, Department Chair of
Career & Technical Education. He thanked School Committee for attending last
week's New Professional Staff Orientation; Principals and Superintendent's
Leadership Team searched out the best candidates for these positions.
Preliminary Enrollment figures total 9,500 students, an increase of about 100
students. More detailed enrollment reports will be presented at the October 8,
2014 School Committee meeting. Ms. Owens presented on the new online Open
Enrollment process: 139 requests were received on the first day, slightly higher
than the previous year. Confirming emails to parents will share projected
sibling open enrollment for each school. Under School Committee Policy,
siblings receive priority for Open Enrollment placement.
The School Committee's annual Special Meeting for goal setting will be held on
Wednesday, September 10 at 5:00 pm at Coddington Hall. Dr. DeCristofaro will
present an end of year review of the Superintendent's Annual Plan once MCAS
data is available in late September.
The City of Presidents 5K Run/Walk to benefit the Quincy Public Schools Health
& Wellness programs and the Quincy Park Conservancy will be held on Sunday,
September 14, 2014 at 10:00 am beginning at Pageant Field.
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Old Business
The Revised Student Discipline Policy, which will be adopting the new law in its
entirety, is sitting on the table for this meeting. A vote will be taken at the
September 17, 2014 meeting.
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New Business
National Background
Check
Mr. Bregoli referred the National Background Check for Volunteers to the Policy
Subcommittee; the first Policy Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for September
16 at 5:00 pm.
Extended Day/
Summer Scene
Programs
The Extended Day/Summer Scene update was covered in the Superintendent's
Report.
Quincy School~
Community
Partnerships
Mr. Fagerlund gave an update on the Quincy School~Community Partnership
activities, including this week's Backpack and School Supply Distribution events at
Snug Harbor and Clifford Marshall. Granite Medical Group also donated school
supplies for the educators at Montclair. Upcoming Partner-sponsored events
include the Teacher Mini-Grant Reception; the14th annual Fall Gathering; and 'Tis
the Season.
The Norfolk County Sheriff's Department is a new Platinum-level Partner; Boston
Scientific is doubling their annual contribution; and Mr. Fagerlund is reaching out to
new potential partners to support the Arts, Technology, and Academics. A Quincy
School~Community Partnership newsletter is in production and will be shared with
School Committee at a later date.
Dr. DeCristofaro thanked Mr. Fagerlund and the difference the partners make in all
our classrooms; Mr. Fagerlund's diligence in pursuing partners is evident by results.
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Assessment
Calendar
Senior Curriculum Coordinator Madeline Roy and Director of Data & Assessment
Mary Fredrickson reviewed the Assessment Calendar for 2014-2015. The
Assessment Calendar evolves each year and includes mandated and selected
assessments administered across Quincy Public Schools. As the school year begins,
students in Grades K-8 will be assessed in Reading and Mathematics through
DIBELS, DRA, and Benchmark assessments associated with core curriculum. Midyear, students are assessed to ensure acceptable progress for each student and so
instructional adjustments can be made. This year, selected Quincy Public Schools
were invited to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(North Quincy High School, Grade 12) and Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study (Central Middle School, Grade 8 and Quincy High School, Grade
12). Participation in these assessments is required under the terms of federal
funding. Background information was provided for School Committee review.
In reviewing the Assessment Calendar, the decision was made to remove the GRADE
Reading Assessment and Otis-Lennon (Grade 4). In weighing the value of these
assessments as compared to newer assessments, the evidence was not there to
support the continued administration.
Ms. Roy presented a review of the District-Determined Measure Year 2 plan. Last
year, over 100 assessments were identified or created teams of teachers and
administrators. These were submitted to DESE as mandated and QPS applied for an
implementation extension, which has been granted. QPS now has a three-year
window to roll out DDMs. In year 2, the DDMs will be informally piloted, scored,
and then the data will be reviewed and analyzed so that usefulness and appropriate
timing can be determined. Progress plans will be submitted to DESE throughout the
year and in June 2015, the final plan must be submitted for the DDMs that will result
in Student Impact Ratings at the end of the 2016-17 school year.
Mrs. Mahoney asked about whether results will be available for NEAP and
TIMSS. Mrs. Fredrickson said the results are aggregated in the Nation’s Report Card
and individual data will be shared for results for released items for the TIMSS. Mrs.
Mahoney asked for more detail about the decision to eliminate the Otis-Lennon
Test. The test was administered to all Grade 4 students each fall, but in recent years
only 12% of Elementary Laboratory Center students were recommended solely
from this tool. Mrs. Mahoney asked to be sure that this change in selection criteria
is clearly spelled out for students and families. Mrs. Fredrickson said the ELC
selection process will continue to employ multiple measures, including MCAS,
parent referrals, and school references. Information about new screening tools will
be shared with School Committee. Mrs. Fredrickson said that new screenings will
identify giftedness and the team is looking to refine the best series of objective
indicators to identify students who will be successful in the process.
Ms. Isola asked that the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee review the process for
selecting students for the ELC and APC programs as a means to educate parents on
the process. Ms. Isola also asked what benefit there is to Quincy Public Schools for
participating in these national assessments. Mrs. Fredrickson said that these could
be important opportunities for Grade 12 students to show what they know before
they head to college; for QPS, it is an indicator of how our curriculum lines up on a
national level with advanced students across the country. At Grade 8, students will
be selected randomly, but again the goal is about informing the educational
community. Ms. Roy said that DESE’s curriculum goals are reflective of these
assessments' results.
Mr. Bregoli asked if dropping the Otis Lennon was based on cost or the age of the
assessment tool. Ms. Roy said the decision was based on effectiveness; after careful
review of the data, it was clear that the tool is outdated. Mr. Bregoli asked what new
assessment tools will be considered to assess candidates for ELC. Mrs. Fredrickson
said that we use several existing assessments and the whole process will be
reviewed later this year at a Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meeting.
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Coordinated Program
Review
Deputy Superintendent Kevin Mulvey reviewed the process for the DESE
Coordinated Program Review which takes place every six years and is focused on
Special Education, English Language Learners, Career & Technical Education
(Chapter 74), and Civil Rights. For Civil Rights and Special Education, the selfassessment stage is underway and a tremendous amount of documentation is
required. For example, 98 submissions were required to complete the selfassessment for the two categories and each must substantiate adherence to current
regulations. DESE’s site review is October 20-24, 2014 and public notice will be
posted.
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School Nurse
Appointments
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to appoint Eileen Conroy, R.N. as a School Nurse,
currently assigned to Atherton Hough Elementary School. Mrs. Mahoney seconded
the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it 6-0. Mayor Koch was absent.
Ms. Isola made a motion to appoint Lisa Codner, R.N. as a School Nurse, currently
assigned to Snug Harbor Community School. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion
and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it 6-0. Mayor Koch was absent.
Ms. Isola noted that after reviewing the resumes of our newest school nurses, we
are very fortunate to have such skilled professionals taking on this important role.
Gifts
Ms. Isola made a motion to accept the gift of office furniture for Coddington Hall
valued at $22,800.00 from General Dynamics. Mr. McCarthy seconded the motion
and on a voice vote, they ayes have it.
Mr. Bregoli made a motion to accept the gift of office furniture for Coddington Hall
valued at $8,800.00 from Arbella. Mrs. Mahoney seconded the motion and on a
voice vote, they ayes have it.
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to accept the gift of a 42-RU Server Rack for the
Career & Technical Education Information Technology program valued at $1,000.00
from Mr. Walter Hubley. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a voice vote, they
ayes have it.
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Overnight Travel
This agenda item was deferred as the trip details are not yet finalized.
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Additional Business
Mrs. Mahoney requested that Open Enrollment be added to the Policy
Subcommittee.
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Communications
There were no Communications.
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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.
Facilities & Security
Subcommittee
Mr. McCarthy reported on the Facilities & Security Subcommittee meeting that was
held on Wednesday, August 27, 2014. Parks Director Mr. Cassani updated the
progress on the Atlantic Middle School project which included infrastructure and
drainage, field restoration, fencing, paving, and landscaping and should be
completed in late September. The greenspace project on the former Quincy High
School site is underway with site preparation work and bidding completed.
Substantial completion is scheduled for early November. General maintenance of
shrubs, trees, and trimming is scheduled to be completed this week to prepare for
the opening of school. Additional safety fiber was installed at Lincoln Hancock,
Wollaston, and Beechwood Knoll Elementary schools. The Squantum playground
will be completed in October and the Atherton Hough playground construction
funded through a Community Preservation grant was completed during the
summer. Upgrades are planned for other playgrounds later this fall or early next
spring: Wollaston, Parker, and Lincoln Hancock. At Clifford Marshall, an additional
playground for younger students was funded through the Community Preservation
act and will be completed next spring during April vacation.
Summer Maintenance projects were completed at all schools. The project of restriping parking lots at all schools in coordination with the DPW was completed this
summer. Computer labs were constructed at Beechwood Knoll and Wollaston. At
Bernazzani, the gymnasium ceiling was re-insulated and a new hot water heater
installed. At Lincoln Hancock, bathroom faucets and a mixing valve were replaced.
At Clifford Marshall, building control issues were addressed and the heating/cooling
fluid loop was services and recharged, including replacing valves. This was a major
project, the first of three schools scheduled to be completed (Point Webster and
North Quincy High School to follow). Merrymount also had maintenance done to
the heating system. At Snug Harbor, the water main line to the school was replaced
by the Water Department. At the Wollaston School, wood floors were sanded in
three classrooms, completing that project. Heating system maintenance was
performed at Atlantic, Broad Meadows, and Point Webster. At North Quincy High
School, the building control system replacement is underway in both the older and
newer sections of the building; installation of new thermostat devices on unit
ventilators is also underway; and the History wing was completely refinished. At
many schools, painting, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing work orders were
completed, along with furniture and equipment moves.
Mr. MacDonald presented an update on the Coddington Hall project, which is
substantially completed. Quincy Public Schools and the City IT department have
moved in and the Planning Department is moving in September 8. Punchlist items
are underway, including completing the AV room and tieing into QATV.
For the Accelerated Repair Program, Wollaston, Merrymount, and North Quincy
High School are being sent out for re-bid in September. Revised bid packages are
being prepared, with the goal of releasing them on September 24, 2014. For Lincoln
Hancock and Parker, the MSBA has assigned a designer and owner’s project
manager. Schematic designs are due October 15, 2014; Inspectional Services
provided building drawings. The MSBA board meeting is November 19, 2014. The
goal is for all five schools to have new windows installed in Summer 2015.
Dr. DeCristofaro updated on the Sterling Middle School. The MSBA will require
evidence of local funding authorization by October 30, 2014 so a City Council vote
will be required. The Feasibility Study Agreement will be executed and an Owner's
Project Manager and Designer selected.
Ms. Dein presented on the Solar Array Installations; the project is underway at eight
buildings, with two more to follow later this week. The Della Chiesa Early
Childhood Center and Wollaston sites are waiting for interconnectivity with the
electrical utility to be completed. At Clifford Marshall, most of the solar panels are
installed. In exchange for these installations, the city will receive discounts on
electrical usage costs for the next twenty years.
Under the competitive Green Communities Grant, Quincy was awarded $250,000 for
retro-commissioning of the heating systems at Lincoln Hancock, Point Webster, and
Clifford Marshall. Lighting upgrades are planned for Snug Harbor, Quincy High
School (phase 2), Atherton Hough, Broad Meadows, and North Quincy High School.
These will be completed over the course of this school year. Lighting upgrades were
previously completed at Lincoln Hancock, Clifford Marshall, and Point Webster.
Director of Public Buildings Gary Cunniff updated on the remaining items on the
Central Middle School punchlist. The general contractor is still responsible for
completing these items, but none are major items that will impact the safe function
of the building. Some of these items will be negotiated from the final contractor
payment and may be completed by the city or a contractual service.
Mr. McCarthy made a motion to approve the minutes of the Facilities & Security
Subcommittee Meeting for August 27, 2014. Ms. Isola seconded the motion and on a
voice vote, the ayes have it.
Mrs. Mahoney asked about Grade 5 Sterling and Point Webster considerations
raised by parents at Open Forum. Mr. McCarthy said this should be discussed at a
Subcommittee meeting. Ms. Isola said that she would like it to be part of the
Teaching & Learning goals for 2014-2015.
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Adjournment
Ms. Isola made a motion to adjourn for the evening at 8:45 p.m. The motion was
seconded by Mr. DiBona and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.