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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-10-05 School Committee Minutes \ __ c\, Town of Reading r b Meeting Minutes ° ,, ' '4.�90lNCOR=� Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2015-10-05 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Killam Location: Cafeteria Address: 333 Charles Street Purpose: Open Session Session: General Session Attendees: Members - Present: Chuck Robinson, Jeanne Borawski, Gary Nihan, Linda Snow Dockser, Elaine Webb &Julie Joyce Members - Not Present: Student Representatives Gillies (arrived at 7:59 p.m.) & Nazzaro Others Present: John Doherty, Superintendent, Craig Martin, Assistant Superintendent, Martha Sybert, Director of Finance, Cathy Giles, Killam Principal, Chris Copeland, RTA President, Al Sylvia, Daily Chronicle Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Linda Engelson on behalf of the Chair Topics of Discussion: I. Call to Order Chair Robinson called the School Committee to order at 7:00 p.m. II. Recommended Procedure A. New Business (out of order) Killam principal Cathy Giles provided an overview of life in the modular classrooms. The committee then moved to the modular classrooms where kindergarten teachers Nina Balfe and Julia Doherty greeted them and showed them around. The committee returned to the cafeteria at 7:30 p.m. B. Public Input (I) Chair Robinson called for public input. There was none. C. Reports Student Page I 1 Ms. Nazzaro reported on the upcoming RMHS karaoke fundraiser and that there is an upcoming home football game. Liaisons Mrs. Borawski reported that the second annual Downtown Trick or Treat event will be happening on October 28th from 4—5:30 p.m. Mrs. Webb reported on the RCASA annual meeting and film and reminded the community of the next community event on October 29 which will be held in the Endslow PAC. Dr. Snow Dockser reminded the community that the HRAC will be meeting on October 1St D. Continued Business FY15 Final Budget Update Ms. Sybert provided the final FY15 budget update. The School Committee asked clarifying questions. E. New Business RPS Data Analysis—Focus Group Report Dr. Doherty began the topics he will touch upon in his presentation which include the data, findings, suggested next steps and what has been done to address the recommendations. He went on to briefly review the purpose for gathering this information through the community and staff focus groups. It was important to gather qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources that give a picture of the district, for budgetary purposes, to understand the strengths and areas that need to be strengthened, to make decisions in the best interest of students and to inform the community of where our school district is and where we would like to be in the next 2 to 5 years. Data was collected using surveys of the district leadership team, staff exit interviews, YRBS and behavioral health data, publications and other documentation and presentations. It was important to look at a lot of different lenses to allow for continuing growth. Several community forums were held at which the participants were asked the same four questions. Question 1 asked what they perceived as areas of strength and what they would like to see continued. The respondents felt our district strengths included our students, quality and dedicated staff,the extra-curricular programs, parent/teacher collaboration, the middle school interdisciplinary model, quality special education programs and technology integration. The focus groups would also like to see us continue to provide quality professional development, strong community organization partnerships, cutting edge initiatives/focus on innovation, maintaining elementary class sizes, commitment to school safety and continued partnership with METCO. Staff surveys provided similar feedback viewing strengths as a culture of high expectations, a community of learners and a Page 12 culture of teamwork. Students surveyed in grades 3 - 5 felt that the teachers have a positive impact and there are high expectations for continuous improvement. The grade 6 - 12 students felt that they are encouraged to take risks and learn from making mistakes and find the teachers willing to accept differing points of view. Dr. Doherty reviewed the areas of strengths from the Walker Report which include dedicated staff, well written IEPs, support of the building principals for specialized programming to accommodate the needs of the special education students and excellent classroom technology, computers for students and smartboards for teachers. Mrs. Webb feels we need to reach out to all stakeholders and be cognizant that next year will be fiscally difficult. We need to find means to protect and highlight the strengths. Mr. Robinson asked the Superintendent about the priorities. Mrs. Borawski believes the priorities fall under the district goals and mission. She asked if the list of unfunded priorities could be linked to specific goals. Question 2 addresses areas to be strengthened in the district. Learning & Teaching High School math is an area that will be looked at to provide consistency of instruction and expectation across the same level and to support struggling students, to increase the number of female students in STEM based classes, the addition of AP and electives at the high school level and more quality senior internships. The district will reach out to community members to participate in this program. The community would also like to see quality substitutes hired, increased clarity on the elementary report card, vocational and career oriented program offerings at the high school and middle school levels and to look at snow days and instructional time. The Superintendent indicated that there are mixed reviews regarding the blizzard bags used in other districts. Support& Structures The community would like the transition of students between PreK-K/5-6/8-9 to be addressed, increased time for Tier 2 supports, technology support and training, increased ELL resources, school schedules that address the needs of all students and social-emotional support for students, particularly at the elementary level. The district has addressed the technology support concern with the addition of a technician, more professional development and restructuring of the technology personnel. Leadership & Professional Culture There is a need for increased collaboration between special education and general education teachers, increased vertical planning time (K-12), a balance between building-based and district-based professional learning community time. The administration has looked into this area and the meeting times have been adjusted for this year. Page I 3 Mr. Gillies arrived at 7:59 p.m. Facilities & Infrastructure Areas to be addressed in this area include concerns about the excessive heat& humidity in some of the high school classrooms, the lack of small group and classroom space, wireless access coverage in some areas. Wireless access and the temperature concerns at the high school are currently being addressed. Resources The community would like to see the financial support for education/per pupil expenditure and the recruiting and retention of quality staff to be a priority. The results from the staff surveys were in line with what the community would like to see strengthened. The staff would like more time to analyze data, use formative assessments and opportunities to meet in teams to discuss student work. The new PLC structure will help address these concerns. The staff would like to promote cultural diversity as well. The student surveys were also in line with what has previously been discussed. Students would like classroom management skills, differentiated and personalized instruction and the use of formative assessments strengthened. Dr. Doherty quickly reviewed the findings from the Walker Report regarding areas to be strengthened which include the implementation of the multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS), consistency in leadership,program development, co- teaching models, professional development offerings, transition processes and parental awareness and support. Question 3 asked what new programs or initiatives would you like to see started. The community would like to see more career electives and general elective offerings, require Advisory at all grades at the high school with age appropriate topics, more foreign language offerings, change in start times at high and middle schools, add middle school health, eliminate the Wednesday elementary release time, free full day kindergarten and an Early Childhood Center. The Superintendent indicated that all of these initiatives require space and resources. Mr. Nihan asked if there was any data that indicated that the Advisory program was helpful. Mrs. Webb asked if there were any conversations in the area regarding a late start time. The Superintendent indicated that Melrose and Burlington have had conversations. Mr. Nihan asked who was driving this discussion. The Superintendent has heard from parents and the Board of Health to consider late start times for high school students. Mr. Nihan feels that teachers should have input on this matter. Page 14 Question 4 asked what current programs or initiatives would you liked to see changed or stopped. Many felt there were too many initiatives being done at once. The administration agreed that too much was being done at once. The respondents would like to see a refocus on instruction and not assessment; to make homework more meaningful at the elementary level, readdress the standards based report cards and a more consistent use of Edline. There is also a need for better education about food allergies and healthier lunch options. The Allergy Guidelines have been updated and distributed to the schools. The Superintendent briefly reviewed MCAS data. Our high school students continue to do well. We have positive, strong results because of our diligence in curriculum alignment. Mr. Bakr will be presenting on the MCAS for the high school parents at a later date. Youth Risk Behavior Survey results were also touched upon. Ms. McNamara will be at our next meeting to provide a full presentation. Other data presented was information on staff exit interviews. This survey reviewed data collected between May and August 2015 and was sent to teachers upon voluntary resignation/retirement. Conclusions After examination of the data collected there is a positive feeling from parents about the Reading Public School, they are happy about the quality education their children are receiving. Reading has a very high return on investment for the amount of funding vs. student achievement. The structures put in place (PLC & MTSS) and the emphasis on the social-emotional needs of our students is having positive effects on student achievement and behavior. We have dedicated teaching staff and administrators that are focused on doing what is in the best interest of students. The availability of professional development and time for teachers to collaborate is important. The PLC structures have allowed for this collaboration. It has also been discovered that over the past few years the multiple initiatives, changes in curriculum and increased workload has led to an increased stress level. Dr. Doherty said this trend has been happening throughout the state. Our administration has recognized these concerns and has restructured meeting time objectives. As a result of the Walker Report there is a lack of Tier 2 academic and social emotional supports; there is a need for stability in the leadership of the Student Services Department. There is a need for sustainable leadership with clear, concise roles and responsibilities and seamless transitions between levels, clear and consistent co-teaching and inclusionary practices across the district, additional job-embedded, in-depth professional development and parent involvement. Teachers need additional professional development in developing strategies and tools to differentiate instruction through the newly developed District Curriculum Accommodation Plan. The results are very strong in support of changing the start time for middle and high school students, to eliminate the elementary half day on Wednesday, to increase clerical support at the elementary level and Special Education and the need for additional educational space at Preschool, elementary, high school and Special Education to accommodate new and/or innovative programing. Page 15 The next steps to address the findings of this report have begun with a continued focus on the PLC and MTSS models. We also continue to analyze our space needs through continued work by the Space Needs Working Group and have taken steps by adding the 6 modular classrooms at three of our elementary schools. The implementation of the new science frameworks will begin, we will work to increase or add STEM, fine arts and wellness course offerings at each level and create certificate program options at the high school. We will continue to implement the recommendations of the Walker Report, work with the Town of Reading to identify additional revenue sources, upgrade our student information system and components, hire a data analyst, review graduation requirements, address the climate issues at the high school and provide full day kindergarten for all students. Areas that we have begun to address include the addition of an ELL teacher to address the increased case load, the implementation of year 2 of the PLC and MTSS structures, the restructuring of several special education positions, the ability to provide more opportunities for teacher leaders, an improved offering of professional development options, upgraded technology and wireless access, implemented a new grade 5 science program and as previously mention the addition of 6 modular classrooms at the elementary level. The District is exploring the possibility of adding foreign language, science, robotics, and the arts to the Elementary Extended Day program, adding a support position to Extended Day and developing a district Wide Parent Advisory Council to improve communication. Dr. Doherty will be presenting these finding to the community and staff over the next few weeks. Approval of Field Trips Quebec Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb, to approve the annual Coolidge 8th grade field trip to Quebec. The motion carried 6-0. New York City Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Mrs. Joyce, to approve the annual Coolidge 8th grade field trip to New York City. The motion carried 6-0. III. Routine Matters a. Bills and Payroll (A) The following warrants were circulated and signed. Warrant S1614 10.01.15 $116,960.02 Warrant P1614E 10.01.15 $749.28 b. Bids and Donations (A) There were none. Page 16 c. Minutes There were none. d. Calendar Executive Session Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Dr. Nihan,to enter into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to salary negotiations for non-union personnel and to return to open session at approximately 9:15 p.m. The roll call vote was 6—0. Mrs. Joyce, Mrs. Webb, Dr. Nihan, Mrs. Borawski, Dr. Snow Dockser and Mr. Robinson. The open session meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Open session was called back to order at 9:20 p.m. Superintendent's Salary Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Dr. Nihan,to approve the Superintendent's salary of$178,602 for the 2015-16 school year. The motion carried 6-0. IV.Information V. Future Business VI.Adjournment Mrs. Borawski moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb to adjourn. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:23 p.m. NOTE: The minutes reflect the order as stated in the posted meeting agenda not the order they occurred during the meeting. �I 'i4 o F. Doherty, Ed.D. Page 17