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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-06-30 School Committee Minutes -':,.-4OFq a . E ,�c`I Town of Reading 7 �� Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2014-06-30 Time: 7:00 AM Building: School - Memorial High Location: Superintendent Conference Room Address: 82 Oakland Road Purpose: Open Session Session: General Session Attendees: Members - Present: Linda Snow Dockser John Doherty, Superintendent Chuck Robinson Craig Martin, Assistant Superintendent Chris Caruso Martha Sybert (arrived at 7:05 a.m.) Elaine Webb Jeanne Borawski Members - Not Present: Others Present: Laura Warren, CMS teacher Chris Friberg, CMS teacher Doug Lyons, Parker principal Janet Dee, Technology Integration Specialist Kathy Santilli, Technology Integration Specialist Donna Martinson, Parker teacher Eric Sprung, Birch Meadow principal Joanne King, Wood End principal Heather Leonard, Barrows principal Al Sylvia, Chronicle Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: John F. Doherty, Ed.D. Superintendent Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Caruso called the School Committee to order at 7:03 a.m. A. Public Input (I) There was no public input. B. Continued Business PARCC Presentation and Vote Chair Caruso thanked everyone for their thoughtful and respectful input. He then opened the floor to the School Committee for comment. Page I 1 Dr. Snow Dockser shared that she is not a supporter of standardized testing but has listened to the recommendations of the administration and will support the recommendation to participate in the PARCC testing. Mrs. Webb appreciated the time to process the information and will focus on what is right for our district. Mrs. Borawski also took advantage of the additional time to process the information presented and feels that the MCAS provides reliable data in addition, we know how to administer the test, the community supports MCAS and comfort level of stakeholders have her supporting that the district stay with the MCAS. This was a difficult decision for her and has weighed heavily on her mind. Mr. Robinson asked for more information on the field test. Dr. Doherty shared that the first week was difficult but we were able to work out the bugs. Janet Dee shared that the district tested all types of devices to see what worked including ipads, laptops and desktops. The students are very comfortable with technology and ready to go. Mrs. Santilli echoed what Mrs. Dee said and once the bugs were worked out the students ran with it. Dr. Snow Dockser asked if the younger children were comfortable with taking this test electronically. Mrs. Dee shared that when students encountered a problem they would raise their hand and knew exactly what to ask. The students were comfortable and did not sense anxiety. Mr. Sprung said his third graders took the PARCC assessment and they went through a quick tutorial and practice session before the actual test. The kids were comfortable and the practice sessions also helped the teachers in preparing for this test. The test his students took lasted an hour and most students finished in the allotted time. MCAS administration takes longer. Dr. Snow Dockser asked what the impact was for students grappling with taking the PARCC. Mr. Lyons responded that at the middle school level it is more stressful for students to take a paper and pencil test. Students are more comfortable with technology and using devices for this test connects more closely with how they learn and teachers teach. The students learn by doing and the statewide assessment will be moving away from MCAS to an assessment that uses technology. Mrs. Leonard felt it eased anxiety by being able to provide the students with one section of the test versus the whole test. Students aren't constantly comparing how far along they are in relationship to their peers. It removes anxiety at the elementary level. Mrs. King said that students are anxious over other things and the role of the principals and teachers is to ease this anxiety. The parents have more stress than the students. She also felt it was important for the students to be able to provide feedback. The students felt they had an important role as a test school. Page 12 Mr. Caruso trusts the decision made by the leadership team and will support the move to PARCC. Dr. Snow Dockser will be looking for continuity of test scores and that our students are making progress and will support PARCC. Dr. Doherty said that our math curriculum is changing starting at the middle school last year and the elementary schools this year. Our elementary math program is much more aligned with PARCC. It will take about three years to effectively transition. The MCAS data is not relevant because it is not aligned. Chris Friberg said it is a struggle to extrapolate useful data from the MCAS. The PARCC assessment will provide useful data in a timely manner. Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Dr. Snow Dockser, to approve the Superintendent's recommendation that the Reading Public Schools take the PARCC Assessment instead of the MCAS for the 2014-15 school year. The motion carried 4-1. Mrs. Borawski voting against. Mrs. Borawski wanted it known that she supports the decision of the Board and she struggled tremendously with this decision. II. Recommended Procedure III. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll (A) The following warrants were circulated and signed. Warrant S1453 6.26.14 $393,158.94 b. Calendar IV.Information V. Future Business VI.Adjournment The Chair declared that executive session is necessary to protect the litigation position of the body. Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Mrs. Snow Dockser, to enter into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation and NOT to return to open session. The roll call vote was 5-0. Mr. Robinson, Dr. Snow Dockser, Mr. Caruso,Mrs. Borawski and Mrs. Webb. The meeting adjourned at 7:49 a.m. Page I 3 NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. Jo 1 ` ,•o erty, 1,•.D. Page 14