HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-02-29 School Committee PacketOpen Session 7:00p.m.
Reading Memorial High School Library
Reading, MA
Reading Public Schools
School Committee Meeting Packet
February 29, 2024
Town of Reading
Meeting Posting with Agenda
This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed
at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting.
Page | 1
2018-07-16 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Committee
Date: 2024-02-29 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library
Address: 62 Oakland Road Agenda:
Purpose: Open Session
Meeting Called By: Thomas Wise, Chair
Notices and agendas are to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meetings excluding
Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays. Please keep in mind the Town Clerk’s hours of
operation and make necessary arrangements to be sure your posting is made in an adequate
amount of time. A listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at
the meeting must be on the agenda.
All Meeting Postings must be submitted in typed format; handwritten notices will not be accepted.
Topics of Discussion:
7:00 p.m. A. Call to Order
7:00 p.m. E. New Business
1. Vote to Approve 07-01-2024 through 06-30-2027 Reading
Cafeteria Employees (AFSCME, Council 93, Local 1703) Contract
7:05 p.m. B. Public Comment
Focus on Excellence
1. Parker Leaders and Parker World of Difference
Consent Agenda
1. Minutes (02-08-2024)
2. RMHS Boys Swim Team Donation
3. RMHS Ski Club Field Trip Request (2)
4. Robotics Competition Field Trip Request
5. Acceptance of FY24 High School Senior Internship in Education
Project Grant Award
Accounts Payable Warrant Reports
1. 02-08-2024
2. 02-15-2024
3. 02-22-2024
Payroll Warrant Reports
1. 02-02-2024
2. 02-19-2024
Reports
1. Student
2. Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning
3. Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
Town of Reading
Meeting Posting with Agenda
This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed
at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting.
Page | 2
4. Superintendent
5. Liaison/Sub-Committee
7: 15 p.m. D. Old Business
1. Discussion and Vote on FY25 School Calendar
7:20 p.m. E. New Business
2. ARC Core Implementation Plan Update: What we are seeing in
classrooms and next steps for calibrating and customizing
3. Special Education Program Review Progress Tracking Update
(SOAR, SAIL, EMBARC, REACH, & LEAD)
4. FY25 Kindergarten Enrollment Update
5. Review of Charter Committee Updates to Reading Home Rule
Charter and Collation of Feedback
F. Information / Correspondence
1.
9:00 p.m. Adjourn
Join Zoom Meeting
https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/81488911454
Meeting ID: 814 8891 1454
Find your local number: https://readingpsma.zoom.us/u/kevtzj5din
Consent Agenda
Reading Public Schools
School Committee Meeting Packet
February 29, 2024
Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Page | 1
2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Committee
Date: 2024-02-08 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library
Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session
Purpose: Open Session Version: Draft
Attendees: Members - Present:
Tom Wise, Sarah McLaughlin, Shawn Brandt, Charles Robinson and Carla
Nazzaro
Members - Not Present:
Erin Gaffen
Others Present:
Director of Finance and Operations Dr. Derek Pinto, Assistant
Superintendent of Learning & Teaching Dr. Sarah Hardy (remote) and
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Lejeune on behalf of the chairperson.
Topics of Discussion:
A. Call to Order – Mr. Wise called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. to review the agenda.
B. Public Comment
Public Comment – Student members of the Students of Color and Allies for Equity, Justice
and Inclusion (SOCA4EJI) followed up with the School Committee on the review and change
of policy FF – Naming New Facilities.
Focus on Excellence
1. Parker Kindness Kits – Dr. Milaschewski welcomed the Parker students, Principal
Rubino and teacher Ms. Peterson to share about their work creating and distributing
“kindness kits” for the Pine Street Inn.
Consent Agenda
1. Minutes (01-25-2024)
2. RMHS Basketball Support Team Donation
3. Habitat for Humanity Field Trip Request
4. Request to Surplus Property
Warrant Reports
1. 12-22-2023
Page | 2
2. 01-05-2024
3. 01-19-2024
4. 01-25-2024
5. 02-01-2024
Mr. Wise provided one correction to the minutes from January 25th correcting “RIF” to
“RFI”. He also noted Habitat for Humanity is a field trip the committee should review in
the future as it occurs outside of the school year.
Mr. Wise motioned to approve the consent agenda as amended, seconded by Mr.
Robinson. The vote passed 5-0.
Reports
1. Director of Finance & Operations – Dr. Pinto briefly discussed his participation in the
Killam sustainability meetings. Dr. Pinto and Food Service Director Ms. Franzetti met
with the acting Town Manager and other town officials recently to discuss the
composting initiative to move that forward. Dr. Pinto has met with Mr. Feudo at the
YMCA to learn more about services and programs provided in the community. At the
end of the month, Dr. Pinto will present the recommended budget to the Finance
Committee and will review year-to-date expenses with principals and cost center
managers.
2. Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Teaching –
a. Dr. Hardy and other central office leadership have been invited into elementary
classrooms over the last few weeks to observe as a number of classes are
finishing up unit two of ARC Core Literacy Program. Students have published
research books as a result of ending this unit. It has been great to see the
student work in action.
b. Recently, a virtual parent information night was held for families at the high
school to walk them through the math pathways and how we are supporting
students. We will be providing information in the district newsletter about the
summer geometry course so everyone has access to the information.
3. Superintendent – No report
4. Liaison/Sub-Committee
a. Mr. Brandt – The select board has been in the process of appointing a new town
manager. They will be meeting again next week.
b. Mrs. Nazzaro – No report
c. Ms. McLaughlin – No report
d. Mr. Robinson –
i. The Charter Review Committee met with town counsel to review the
proposed changes. The committee will be going to other committees for
feedback.
ii. SWEC met and received another presentation from the RFI – Edge Sports.
Mr. Robinson also attended the select board meeting last week to share
feedback on the capital discussion.
e. Mr. Wise – No Report
Page | 3
E. New Business
1. Killam Building Project Update with Designer Lavallee | Brensinger Architects (LBA)
Dr. Milaschewski introduced LBA and Colliers who shared a presentation updating the
committee on where we are to date with the Killam School Building Project, what to
expect ahead and how the community can stay engaged. Highlights of the presentation
included:
- Review of the preliminary overall project schedule and feasibility study work plan
- Project goals
- Educational visioning
- Community engagement
- Existing conditions assessments
- Next steps as we move forward in the process
The full presentation can be found in the packet.
2. FY25 School Calendar Initial Review & Discussion
Dr. Milaschewski reviewed the draft 2024-2025 school year calendar. A finalized draft will
be provided on February 29th for a vote. The union will also be reviewing between now
and then to provide feedback. We have received consistent feedback regarding religious
holidays, and we have kept our practice to not have any religious days off. A lot of
students celebrate a variety of religious holidays and traditions making it challenging to
capture all those days in the calendar. We adhere to the policy around religious holidays
and have tightened up on our end by putting more mechanisms in place to make sure
everyone in the school community is aware of the policy.
The committee discussed the RISE back to school nights and difficulty for families
attending with students in multiple schools. The committee also discussed the number of
days off in the month of November and the fact that the last day of school as it stands
currently would potentially be on a Monday which can lead to high absences. A potential
idea was shared to hold school the Friday after the first day to have the last day in June be
a Friday.
Dr. Hardy mentioned the idea of in future years moving the in-service day to October
instead of November. Dr. Milaschewski reminded the committee the calendar could
require amendments if the high school pilot schedule goes through. There was a request
for the committee to review policy IMDA – Accommodations for Religious and Ethnic
Observances to review language with respect to the classification of major non-national
religious holidays and test scheduling with respect to these holidays.
3. FY24 Q2 Financial Report w/ Potential Budget Trans Approvals
Dr. Pinto reviewed the FY24 Q2 financial report. This report spans from July 1, 2023 to
December 31, 2023. Dr. Pinto noted the projected end year balance at this stage of
$565,000. There is a plan to use those funds in the remaining months of the school year
on the following: new curriculum purchases, tutoring and academic support for students,
refresh of existing technology and augmentation of the special education reserve fund.
Page | 4
Mr. Wise motioned to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Robinson. The vote passed 5-0.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xqD3D4nkLo
Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 8:32pm.
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
DATE: February 27, 2024
RE: Vote to Accept RMHS Boys Swim Team Donation
Please vote to accept a donation of $1,500 from the RMHS Boys Swim Team. This donation is in support
of the RMHS boys varsity assistant coach, Mike Houlihan.
Please find attached the donation letter from Shawn Green.
Thank you.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
February 6, 2024
Reading School Committee
82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
To Whom it May Concern,
The RMHS Boys Swim Team would like to donate $1,500.00 to pay the salary of the RMHS boys varsity
assistant coach, Mike Houlihan. Please accept check# 1194 made to the Reading Public Schools.
Upon approval and acceptance, please make payment to
Sincerely,
Shawn Green
RMHS Boys swim team support
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
DATE: February 27, 2024
RE: Vote to Approve RMHS Robotics Field Trip Request
Please vote to approve an out of state field trip request to Bedford High School in Bedford, NH for
Robotics Competition. The trip will took place on February 17th from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We are asking
the School Committee to retroactively approve this trip as the Robotics Team was notified after our last
School Committee meeting leaving us with short notice to have the request approved.
Please find attached the field trip approval form.
Thank you.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
DATE: February 27, 2024
RE: Vote to Approve RMHS Ski Club Field Trip Request
Please vote to approve an out of state field trip request to Pats Peak Henniker, NH for an RMHS Ski Club
trip. The trip will take place on March 3rd from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM and it is anticipated that students
from grades 9-12 will participate.
Please find attached the field trip approval form.
Thank you.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
DATE: February 27, 2024
RE: Vote to Approve RMHS Ski Club Field Trip Request
Please vote to approve an out of state field trip request to Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel, ME for an
RMHS Ski Club trip. The trip will take place on March 17th from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM and it is anticipated
that students from grades 9-12 will participate.
Please find attached the field trip approval form.
Thank you.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
TO: Reading School Committee
CC: Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Derek Pinto, Director of Finance and Operations
DATE: February 12, 2024
FR: Katelyn Finnegan, Finance and Business Analyst
RE: Acceptance of FY24 High School Senior Internship in Education Project Grant Award
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has awarded the Reading Public Schools with a FY24
High School Senior Internship in Education Project Grant in the amount of $45,000.
The funds will be used to pay seniors for internships in the field of education. This was also done in 2022-2023,
but we are working to expand these opportunities this year by adding additional internship placements and
support the RPS elementary schools at the same time. Each intern will be paid for 100-hrs of interning, for a
total of $1,500. Seniors are currently applying for internships that will begin at the start of term 4, in early April,
and extend through the last week of classes for seniors.
Thank you for your support with your vote to accept the FY24 High School Senior Internship in Education Project
Grant Award.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
Old Business
Reading Public Schools
School Committee Meeting Packet
February 29, 2024
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Dr. Sarah Hardy, Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Teaching
DATE: February 27, 2024
RE: FY25 School Calendar Discussion & Vote
During the February 29 meeting, we will share a final version of the proposed FY25 school calendar.
After receiving feedback from RTA, we have made one minor change from the initial draft which is the
addition of Christmas to the “major religious & cultural holidays”. As it stands now, the holidays listed
on the calendar are those that take place during the academic year leaving Christmas unlisted.
The high school recently piloted a new schedule. If this new schedule is adopted for the 2024-2025
school year, there could potentially be minor impacts to this proposed calendar. If that is this the case,
we will come back to the School Committee with a revised calendar.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
Reading Public Schools | 2024-2025 CALENDAR
AUGUST ‘24
S M T W Th F S
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 V 31
19-23 New Staff Induction
26-27 Teacher In-Service: No School
28 First day of School (1-12)
28-29 Pre-K & K Orientation
30 No School
Teacher Days: 4 Student Days: 2
JANUARY ‘25
S M T W Th F S
H 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 H 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
1 New Year's Day: No School
2 School Resumes
10 MS & HS Early Dismissal
20 M.L.K. Day: No School
Teacher Days: 21 Student Days: 21
SEPTEMBER ‘24
S M T W Th F S
1 H 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
2 Labor Day: No School
3 First day of School PK and K
11 PK-5 Back to School Night**
12 PK & HS Back to School Night (Early
Dismissal)**
19 MS Back to School Night (Early Dismissal)
27 MS & HS Early Dismissal
Teacher Days: 20 Student Days: 20
FEBRUARY ‘25
S M T W Th F S
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 H V V V V 22
23 24 25 26 27 28
7 MS & HS Early Dismissal
17 Presidents’ Day: No School
18-21 February Vacation: No School
Teacher Days: 15 Student Days: 15
OCTOBER ‘24
S M T W Th F S
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 H 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
14 Columbus Day: No School
25 MS & HS Early Dismissal
Teacher Days: 22 Student Days: 22
MARCH ‘25
S M T W Th F S
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
10 Teacher In-Service: No School
Teacher Days: 21 Student Days: 20
NOVEMBER ‘24
S M T W Th F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 H 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 H H 30
5 Teacher In-Service: No School
11 Veterans Day: No School
14 PK-5 Conferences: Early Release
15 Conferences PK-12: No School
27 Early Release*
28-29 Thanksgiving Recess: No School
Teacher Days: 18 Student Days: 16
APRIL ‘25
S M T W Th F S
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 H V V V V 26
27 28 29 30
4 MS & HS Early Dismissal
21 Patriots’ Day: No School
22-25 April Vacation: No School
Teacher Days: 17 Student Days: 17
DECEMBER ‘24
S M T W Th F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 V V H V V 28
29 V V
23-31 Winter Recess: No School
Teacher Days: 15 Student Days: 15
MAY ‘25
S M T W Th F S
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 H 27 28 29 30 31
9 MS & HS Early Dismissal
15 PK-5 Open House
22 MS Open House (Early Dismissal)
26 Memorial Day: No School
30 High School Graduation
Teacher Days: 21 Student Days: 21
*Note: On 11/27/24 and the last day of school, the below release schedule will
be observed:
District-Wide Early Release Schedule
School: Start: Early Release:
Elementary 8:25 AM 11:00 AM
Middle 7:50 AM 10:45 AM
High School 8:30 AM 11:15 AM
Total Student Days: 180
Total Teacher Days: 185
JUNE ‘25
S M T W Th F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 H 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
16 Last Day of School (Early
Release)*
(No Snow Days)
19 Juneteenth
24 Last Day of School (Early
Release) *
(5 Snow Days)
Teacher Days Without Snow Days:11
Student Days Without Snow Days: 11
School Closed District-Wide Early Release Teacher In-Service Days: No students Early Dismissal for HS/MS
BACK TO SCHOOL AND OPEN HOUSE NIGHTS .
Fall: Back to School Nights
Preschool – 5th Grade – September 11, 2024
Middle School – September 19, 2024
Preschool & High School – September 12, 2024
Spring: Open Houses
PK and Elementary – May 15, 2025
Middle School – May 22, 2025
**Wood End and Killam Pre-K locations will have Back to School the same
night as Elementary. The High School Pre-K location will be the same night
as High School Back to School Night.
PARENT/GUARDIAN – TEACHER CONFERENCES
Preschool – 5th Grade: November 14, 2024
Preschool – 12th Grade: November 15, 2024
Preschool and ELEMENTARY EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS
Elementary will be dismissed at 12:45 every Friday. Exceptions are listed
below and Preschool early dismissals are noted:
November 27, 2024 District-Wide Early Release 11:00 AM
June 16/24, 2025 Last Day of School 11:00 AM
SCHOOL START AND RELEASE TIMES .
School Start Time End Time Early
Dismissal
District-Wide
Early Release
Elementary 8:25 AM 2:45 PM 12:45 PM 11:00 AM
Middle 7:50 AM 2:30 PM 12:30 PM 10:45 AM
High 8:30 AM 3:02 PM 1:02 PM 11:15 AM
MIDDLE SCHOOL EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS ..
September 19, 2024
Back to School Night
12:30 PM
September 27, 2024 Professional Development 12:30 PM
October 25, 2024 Professional Development 12:30 PM
November 27, 2024 District-Wide Early Release 10:45 AM
January 10, 2025 Professional Development 12:30 PM
February 7, 2025 Professional Development 12:30 PM
April 4, 2025 Professional Development 12:30 PM
May 9, 2025 Professional Development 12:30 PM
May 22, 2025 MS Open House 12:30 PM
June 16/24, 2025 Last Day of School 10:45 AM
STUDENT ABSENTEE LINES: .
HIGH SCHOOL EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS ..
September 12, 2024
Back to School Night
1:04 PM
September 27, 2024 Professional Development 1:04 PM
October 25, 2024 Professional Development 1:04 PM
November 27, 2024 District-Wide Early Release 11:15 AM
January 10, 2025 Professional Development 1:04 PM
February 7, 2025 Professional Development 1:04 PM
April 4, 2025 Professional Development 1:04 PM
May 9, 2025 Professional Development 1:04 PM
June 16/24, 2025 Last Day of School 11:15 AM
SCHOOL CLOSURE DATES
August 30, 2024 January 1, 2025
September 2, 2024 January 20, 2025
October 14, 2024 February 17 – 21, 2025
November 5, 2024 March 10, 2025
November 11, 2024 April 21 – 25, 2025
November 15, 2024 May 26, 2025
November 28 – 29, 2024
December 23 – 31, 2024
June 19, 2025
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR
July 7 – August 7, 2025
Reading Public Schools | 2024-2025 CALENDAR
Barrows ambabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-942-9166
Birch Meadow bmeabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-944-2335
Joshua Eaton jeeabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-942-9161
Killam JWKAbsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-944--7831
Wood End weeabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-942-5420
Parker wspabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-944-1236
Coolidge awcabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-942-9158
RMHS RMHSAttendance@reading.k12.ma.us 781-670-2819
RISE riseabsences@reading.k12.ma.us 781-942-9179
When sending an email or leaving a voice message, please leave
your child's name, teacher name (if elementary), reason for
absence/tardy and expected date/time of return.
ADDITIONAL MAJOR RELIGIOUS & CULTURAL HOLIDAYS
Oct 3-4* Rosh Hashanah** Jan 7 Orthodox Christmas
Oct 12* Yom Kippur** Jan 29 Lunar New Year
Nov 1 Diwali Begins Mar 1 Ramadan Begins
Dec 25 Christmas April 13 Palm Sunday
Dec 26-Jan 2* Hanukkah April 18 Good Friday**
Dec 26-Jan 1 Kwanzaa March 31 Eid al-Fitr
April 12-20* Passover**
April 20 Easter & Orthodox Easter
*Begins the night before at sundown
**Please follow religious observance accommodations linked above
Revision Date: 2/27/2024
New Business
Reading Public Schools
School Committee Meeting Packet
February 29, 2024
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
DATE: February 28, 2024
RE: ARC Core Implementation Plan Update
During the 2/29 School Committee meeting, we will provide an update on the ARC Core Implementation
Plan. Please find a copy of the presentation in the packet.
Thank you.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
ARC Core Implementation Plan
Update
February 29, 2024
Plan for Literacy School Committee Updates During 23/24
October presentation topics
●Information about first few weeks regarding K-2 Implementation
●Overview of Implementation Plan for ARC Core
December presentation topics
●Early Literacy Screening and Literacy Intervention Plan
○Overview of new screening tool; process for family communication and intervention plans
○Sharing of plan for literacy intervention based on screening tool
February presentation topics
●Update on Implementation Plan for ARC Core -What are we seeing in classrooms?
Tonight!
Process for Adoption of New Curricular Resources
Ongoing Monitoring of Curriculum Implementation
Year 1 and 2 focus -What do we see in the classroom?
●Use of walkthroughs and observations to monitor for the following:
○Use of new materials
○Application of new instructional methods and routines
○Evidence of student voice and work as central to learning
●Review of student work products with teachers and leadership team
●Examination of teacher use of IRLA and School Pace to capture student learning,
including routines for data collection, to monitor strategic instruction
Year 2, 3 and beyond -How well is it working? How can it be improved?
●Review of student growth and achievement
●Review of important indicators, such as IEP referrals and DIBELS results over time
●Collection of staff and student feedback
●Analysis of Implementation Team Communication Loops
Targeted Professional Development: Grades K-2
Year 1 Focus: What does this look like in the classroom?
●Organizing materials and learning about the format and structure of teacher-facing
materials
●Calibrating on routines and expectations
●Supporting understanding about the shifts (how, what, when) in teaching
foundational skills throughout the year -continued focus in 24-25
●Learning about the important features and purpose of knowledge-building
curriculum
●Understanding assessments, learning how to administer, and how to interpret and
target practice based on the results -continued focus in 24-25
Targeted Professional Development: Grades 3-5
Year 2 Focus: What does this look like in the classroom?
●Delving deeper into instructional materials to leverage to knowledge-building
aspects of the program
●Understanding the alignment of materials to grade level standards and expectations
●Utilizing the IRLA to monitor student progress and target individual supports for
students
●Coaching on strategic instruction (IRLA, Toolkits, Power Goals, equitable
conferencing) with ARC team
●Focusing on writing in collaborative Friday workshops
What We Are Seeing in Classrooms
Foundational Skills:
Daily, whole class instruction in phonological awareness and
phonics through an interactive morning message routine.
Grade 1; Morning Messages
linked to content and skills
Foundational skills:
A daily whole class lesson in phonological awareness and phonics with Word Study
Notebook support for practice
Grade 1; Foundational Skills lesson
Foundational skills: Differentiated instruction using Toolkits in small groups that is
targeted to the individual needs of students.
Foundational skills: Toolkits provide explicit and systematic instruction
in phonological awareness and phonics. Toolkits lessons are
implemented through equitable conferencing schedules.
Example of a
targeted skills
lesson in a
toolkit
Knowledge Building
Each unit is built around an important
topic. Students spend time immersed
in texts related to the topic while
engaging in activities that allow them to
discuss and write about the content
they are learning.
Knowledge-Building
Explicit instruction in
content vocabulary
with lots of
opportunities to use in
context.
Grade 2, Unit 2
Models for research
questions with anchor
charts
Knowledge-Building:
Explicit instruction
in academic
vocabulary with lots
of opportunities to
use in context.
Grades 3 & 4, Unit 3
Models for story
elements with anchor
charts
Knowledge-Building:
Growing students general knowledge through whole class,
grade-level instructions. Opportunities for collaboration to
process, understand and interpret content together.
Grade K, Unit 3
Co-constructed story
about the savanna
written after learning
about the savanna
Grade 4, Unit 3
Co-constructed definition
of historical fiction
Knowledge-Building: Students are engaged in frequent writing about their topics that is
grounded in evidence they have gathered from their research.
Grade 4 Unit 2
Working collaboratively to build knowledge and research skills
Writing: Modeling for students what work
could and should look like.
Progressions in Kindergarten with rubric
posted in room
Writing: Research projects that are anchored in the unit
and grade level content to extend and solidify learning.
End of Unit 2 projects (multiple grades)
Writing: Explicit instruction in writing fundamentals
with instruction in the context of students’ writing.
Grade 4
Pre-assessment for
Unit 2 with
identified goals
Post-assessment
for Unit 2 where
student met all
goals set
What We Are Learning
Areas We Continue to Calibrate
Spring 2024
●Training focus with K-2 on a deeper understanding of the foundational skills
scope and sequence
●Supporting teachers in routines for data collection using School Pace
●Bolstering staff use of strategic instruction through toolkit lessons
Looking ahead to 2024/25
●Explicit PD for K-2 teachers in strengthening knowledge base of foundational
skills instruction, including research-based routines and practices
●Continue partnership with The Hill for Literacy to build consistency in
foundational skills instruction
Areas we are customizing in ARC Core to better meet our needs
We continue to monitor implementation and identify areas we want to adjust
programming to better meet the needs of RPS students. Below are some of the ways we
are customizing ARC Core:
●Winter 2024: Adding to and adjusting some ARC rubrics for writing assessments
●Spring 2024: Creation of a grammar scope/sequence for RPS
●Spring 2024: Changing a core text in a grade 5 unit and adapting a grade 5 post
assessment passage
●Next year: Adding in additional vocabulary routines
●Ongoing: Gathering exemplars in a systematic way to support staff
Areas We Continue to Monitor
●K-2 Foundational instruction, materials and approach
○Gathering feedback from K-2 teachers and literacy specialists
○Leveraging learning from the Hill for Literacy -Science of Reading course to examine foundational
skills lessons
○Observations and walkthrough by leadership to see foundational skills lessons in action
●K-2 Foundational skills scope and sequence
○Using IRLA and screening data to see if scope and sequence allows students to meet benchmarks
(particularly in K and 1)
●Connection of knowledge building content with science and social studies
curriculum
○Gathering feedback from K-5 teachers and literacy specialists
○Determining which topics need additional texts for research
Questions?
TO: Reading School Committee
FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
DATE: February 28, 2024
RE: Special Education Program Review Update
During the 2/29 School Committee meeting, we will provide an update on the Special Education
Program Reviews. Please find a copy of the presentation in the packet.
Thank you.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
Special Education Program Review Update
Feb. 29, 2024
The goal of this presentation is to provide an update on progress relating to recommendations provided through the recent special education program reviews, both overall and by specific programs. At the end of the year, the district will present and distribute a written update on each of the recommendations outlined in the program reviews.
Presentation Agenda
1.Context
●Program Review Requirements
●Goals of Program Reviews
●Timeline
1.Updates across all programs
1.Updates by specific programs
●REACH
●SOAR
●LEAD
●SAIL/EMBARC
●LIFT
●RISE
●Learning Center
Tiered Focused Monitoring (TFM) Requirements
State Requirements SE 56 -Special education programs and services are regularly evaluated What is required:DocumentsInterviews
Federal RequirementsM.G.L. c. 69, section 1AM.G.L. c. 69, section 1IM.G.L. c. 71B, section 3
Goals of Program Reviews
●Develop and calibrate the strengths and weaknesses of our programming from an outside perspective
●Ensure evidence based practices and action steps to inform us of strategies, systems and staffing to improve student outcomes
●Consistency within and across systems and practices to impact student outcomes
●Create clear, measurable, transparent outcomes
●Provide clear reports on progress and next steps
Belief and Urgency
All students feel that one's authentic self is seen, valued, affirmed, and connected by/to the school and district.
The urgency is the lives of children and an obligation to ensure that students receive the education they need and deserve in the least restrictive environment with instruction based in evidenced based practices.
Program Reviews -Where We’ve Been and What’s Ahead
●2019-2020:Internal evaluation of the overall functioning of the special education systems
●2020-2021:Internal evaluation of reading evaluations and instructional systems
●2021-2022:External evaluation of E.M.B.A.R.C., S.O.A.R., S.A.I.L., and R.E.A.C.H.
●2022-2023:External evaluation of R.I.S.E. and Learning Center
●2023-2024:External evaluation of L.E.A.D.
●2024-2025: External evaluation of specially designed reading instruction (*tentative)
Updates Spanning Across Programs
Updates Spanning Across Programs
Recommendation: Hire a Program Administrator with appropriate credentials to supervise specialized programsUpdate: Currently, all substantially separate programs have a program coordinator to supervise and coordinate implementation of recommendations. For 2024-2025, we are considering shifting our staffing model to allow for a full time Program Administrator.
Recommendation: Hire a Transition Specialist.Update: Madison Burns started in the role in the fall of 2023 and is focusing on short and long term transition planning as well as development of the LIFT program.
Recommendation: Revise the current program description to define program missions, philosophies, and outcomesUpdate: Program descriptions, missions, philosophies, and outcomes have been re-written and posted on the district website.
Updates Spanning Across Programs (continued)
Recommendation: Increase parent and staff communication.Update: There have been several initiatives to increase parent/staff communication, including individual calls to all program families, written quarterly program updates, and consistent vertical program meetings.
Recommendation: Plan high-quality professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers.Update: We created a new Inclusion Specialist role, filled by Jackie Pelusi, to provide job-embedded coaching to general education and special education teachers around supporting students in the least restrictive environment. The feedback around this role has been extremely positive from staff. Also, we are developing a plan for program-specific training over the summer for all program staff.
Recommendation: Improve transition planning for each student moving between schools.Update: Starting this school year. every student on an IEP will have a documented transition form outlining individual student needs. Additionally, there will be specific program transition activities developed.
Middle School Paraeducator PD
Monthly PD focused on accommodations to support students.
In September 2023…
20%
65%
15%
In December 2023…
81%
19%
Updates by Specific Programs
REACH: Resiliency, Executive Functioning, Academics, Coping Skills, Habits of Mind
Coordinator: Kelly DiCato
Program Review Recommendations:
●Hire a Program Administrator with appropriate credentials to supervise specialized programs at all levels.
●Hire a Transition Specialist.
●Revise the current program description to define the REACH program mission, philosophy, and outcomes of the program.
●Define the roles of the Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Support-related service providers.
●Implement team meeting times for REACH Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Support-Related Service providers.
●Provide relevant professional development to all REACH staff.
●Create a documented transition plan for each student moving from Barrows Elementary School to Parker Middle School to Reading High School.
●Selected a data collection system that is consistent, recorded as a team, easy to share, and informs academic and behavioral instruction.
●Integrate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives into school culture.
●Consider an evaluation of paraprofessional salaries and job descriptions.
●Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Learning Center, SOAR, and LEAD programs before the 2023-2024 school year.
REACH: Resiliency, Executive Functioning, Academics, Coping Skills, Habits of Mind
Coordinator: Kelly DiCato
Major Initiatives:
●Pursuing additional training in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for all professional staff
●Winter/Spring Vertical meeting time has a focus on students transitioning between levels
●In collaboration with the SOAR program applied for reducing Time Out Grant offered by DESE
●Pursuing a social emotional curriculum to vertically align programming
●Working with Parker administration to identify needed schedule changes for next school year
●Creating a summer PD for general education staff as REACH will transition to 8th grade at Parker next school year
●REACH staff are a part of the district SEB (Social Emotional Behavior) committee
●Refining staff roles
●Team meeting times have been implemented for staff consultation
SOAR: Social Skills; Organizational Skills; Academic Skills in Real World Situations
Coordinator: Melissa Forbes
Program Review Recommendations (General):
●Implement collaboration structures to ensure that teachers and specialists have the time and space to work together to support students by having meetings on a biweekly basis (especially for inclusive classroom teachers with SOAR students).
●In co-taught classrooms provide teachers with designated collaborative planning time on a weekly basis as a team to ensure teachers that are co-teaching are well prepared for instruction
●Build a library of modified and accommodated curriculum and assignments (general and special education teachers work together to modify all assignments for every grade level, in accordance with the unique needs of their students). Each time a modification is made, the modified version gets added to the library of modified resources for every assignment in every grade level, which can help meet different types of needs and save teachers’ time.
●SOAR students should each have an individual binder that contains their disability impact statement, their accommodations, and data sheets for behavior and objective tracking
●A specific SOAR program staff member designated to the SOAR classrooms for on duty support, which is outlined in a structured weekly schedule
●Create exit criteria to fade out supports from sub-separate classrooms to inclusive classrooms, based on data
●Designated SOAR paraprofessionals who are aware of student’s needs/goals
●Consistent progress and team meetings where data is graphed and analyzed and adjustments are made
SOAR: Social Skills; Organizational Skills; Academic Skills in Real World Situations
Coordinator: Melissa Forbes
Program Review Recommendations (General continued):
●Professional development for all staff on Autism Spectrum Disorder, Co-teaching, and positive behavior intervention and supports
●Evaluate how staff spend their time and provide guidance on effective use of time (training on utilizing and structuring academic support blocks appropriately)
●Expand the reach and impact of social, emotional, and behavioral supports by using Social Emotional Learning curriculum across schools (i.e. Circles Curriculum, Teachtown, Character Strong, etc.)
●Adding transition and vocational assessments/curriculum (i.e. AFLS, Essentials for Daily Living, Assessment for Employment and Vocational Skills, etc.)
●Hiring a transition specialist to oversee short and long-term transition planning
●Adding assessments for social skills, communication, coping skills, and executive functioning skills (ABLLS, AFLS, Essentials for Daily Living Skills, etc.)
●Dedicated SOAR BCBA (to conduct functional behavior assessments, create a behavior support plan based on the data, and train staff on the implementation of the plan)
●Designated space for students to use as a break area when they are dysregulated
●SOAR Communication logs for communication between home and school
●Funding for transport to the community and activities in the community
●SOAR program open house for parents/students/teachers to meet prior to the school year
SOAR: Social Skills; Organizational Skills; Academic Skills in Real World Situations
Coordinator: Melissa Forbes
Program Review Recommendations (Teaching Strategies):
●Differential Reinforcement Procedures
●Shaping
●Functional Communication Training (FTC)
●Prompt Hierarchy
●Token System
●Interpersonal Training
●Natural Environment Teaching (NET) and Incidental Teaching (IT)
●Modeling/Imitation
●Reinforcement Systems
●Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
●Premack Principle
●Priming
●Denied access/Delayed access/Termination of preferred activity
SOAR: Social Skills; Organizational Skills; Academic Skills in Real World Situations
Coordinator: Melissa Forbes
Major Initiatives:
●An additional full time BCBA was added to increase the support the SOAR program
●In collaboration with the REACH program applied for reducing Time Out Grant offered by DESE
●Aligning programming and working closely with the Inclusion Specialist to have students remain in the least restrictive setting
●Critically analyzing student level of need and providing the appropriate supports within LRE
●Expanding staff understanding of LRE and the impact on instructional practices
●Vertical meeting in collaboration with SAIL and EMBARC to discuss fostering independence for students with diverse needs
●Planning summer professional development around K-12 transition planning for students with ID and Autism Increasing independence in the mainstream and modifying curriculum
●SOAR staff are a part of the district SEB (Social Emotional Behavior) committee
●In conjunction with SAIL and EMBARC secondary students have increased access to Unified Sports, Best Buddies, Community Outings/Partnerships with YMCA
LEAD: Language; Executive Functioning; Academics; Determination
Coordinator: Renee Limauro
2018 Program Review Recommendations: Program Review with MGH IHP is ongoing, with anticipated completion during the spring of 2024, Recommendations from Bridge Program (LEAD) Program Review completed in 2018 by Dr. Melissa Orkin with Crafting Minds at the middle school levelAssessment●Implement Benchmark & Progress Monitoring Assessments that can be administered at least three times over the course of the year to evaluate students’ progress towards grade-level benchmarks, identify areas of strength and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for targeted instruction. Examples of some widely used assessments are AiMsweb, and iReady. ●Broaden diagnostic battery to include measures that assess skills related to naming speed/retrieval and single word reading and decoding efficiency. Recommended measures include the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE-2). Educators’ Experiences●Development of vertical instruction plan for Bridge program students will support the alignment of curricula across grade levels and explicitly address how skills build on each other in various domains (i.e. ELA, math, science, social studies). Furthermore, steps can be taken to maximize students' self-regulation in learning through incremental increases in autonomy over the course of middle school.●In response to concerns shared by Bridge program faculty, grade-level planning time should include all faculty.●Development of a Bridge program council or leadership team that represents the interests of Bridge program faculty & administrators and also can prioritize the instructional needs of educators or the means for addressing recommendations from this report. The team can make recommendations to administrators about instructional directions of the program, professional development support, and necessary resources, and materials.
LEAD: Language; Executive Functioning; Academics; Determination
Coordinator: Renee Limauro
2018 Program Review Recommendations: continued from 2018 reviewINSTRUCTION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
●Integrate specialized remediation with English Language Arts (ELA). One prominent concern among families is the lack of a significant program in ELA skills. Identifying a remedial literacy program that is more integrative in nature, and is specifically tailored towards building reading fluency and comprehension skills would be highly beneficial for most Bridge program students. One such program is called Language! Live.
●Consistently use graphic organizers for reading comprehension instruction. A delimited, rotating set of graphic organizers or mind maps should be identified and practiced with extensively (ideally every reading) to facilitate the internalization of strategies. Organizers that align with the goals of ELA at each grade level will be most helpful, these include main idea and details, character study, character development over time, compare and contrast, sequential, cause and effect, etc.
●Written expression instruction. Writing is a complex process that requires the integration of literacy, comprehension and self-regulation skills, and this process needs to be taught explicitly and systematically. While Framing Your Thoughts sentence level helps students in building high-quality sentences and understanding parts of speech, systematic, multi-sensory structured writing programs that support the development of passages are also essential. Examples of these programs include EmPOWER and Step Up to Writing.
●Follow the gradual release of responsibility model. A gradual release of responsibility model follows three systematic steps in which responsibility for a particular practice or activity incrementally shifts from the teacher’s domain to the student’s domain. By in large, teachers provided students with some explicit modeling and many opportunities for independent practice but needed to increase the time spent on the middle step -guided instruction.
LEAD: Language; Executive Functioning; Academics; Determination
Coordinator: Renee Limauro
2018 Program Review Recommendations: continued from 2018 reviewINSTRUCTION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
●Use academic support time to build executive function skills. The purpose of academic support is often two-fold, both to help students complete their assignments but also to support the development of critical strategies that address weaknesses in executive function skills. There are a number of wonderful multi-sensory strategies that teachers can use with students to help them prepare for an exam, and align with best practices for building key executive function skills. One recommended resource is Promoting Executive Function in the Classroom, Ed. Lynn Meltzer (2010).
●Employ closure routines at the conclusion of each lesson to reiterate/revisit important concepts. Closure Activities end a lesson and create a lasting impression, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the “recency effect.”
●Consider a classroom management curriculum that fosters self-regulation. There is a strong relationship between academic success and self-regulation. Students with language-based learning disabilities are prone to weaknesses in regulatory control and struggle to inhibit impulsive behaviors like engaging in inappropriate behaviors, off-topic discussions, calling out, etc. However, self-regulation in addition to other social/emotional competencies is critical for academic success. By integrating strategies that explicitly teach and support the development of social-emotional and academic competencies, teachers will be able to establish a supportive and productive learning environment.One evidence-based approach that has been modified for use with middle-school students is the Responsive Classroom program.
●A review of educator and family surveys revealed an opportunity to leverage assistive technology resources as a means for facilitating autonomy among Bridge program students. As they move into high school and beyond, students with documented language-based learning disabilities rely heavily on assistive technology tools to manage academic and professional demands. Familiarizing themselves with the tools and finding the best resource for their needs will be highly beneficial in the long run. Resources within the district, like an Assistive Technology specialist or outside organizations like CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) can provide excellent guidance on how to integrate these types of tools.
LEAD: Language; Executive Functioning; Academics; Determination
Coordinator: Renee Limauro
2018 Program Review Recommendations: continued from 2018 reviewCOMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
●A common concern among families is that their children are being “carried” rather than taught autonomous strategies which facilitate independent learning and achievement. Developing a platform that students can use to showcase their work, along with metacognitive reflections that describe areas of success, challenge and anticipated change in the future can be highly beneficial in sharing qualitative academic growth with families and supporting students’ ownership of the learning process.
LEAD: Language; Executive Functioning; Academics; Determination
Coordinator: Renee Limauro
Major Initiatives:
●Established battery of sensitive reading assessments in 2020, which continue to be administered for all initial evaluations &reevaluations for students for whom there are reading concerns & IEP reading services
●Language! Live implementation at middle & high school levels and RAVE-O implementation at the elementary level
●Brain Frame graphic organizers & Key Comprehension Routine graphic organizers used at middle & high school levels
●Framing Your Thoughts Sentence Structure & Paragraph Development as well as Landmark’s From Talking To Writing writing curricula used at the elementary and middle schools
●Google Read & Write provided for and used by all students
●C Pens provided for all LEAD students to access text independently
●Elementary: Additional staff hired to teach structured reading groups
●Middle School Advisory: Ongoing, topics have included Reading & the Brain, Myths about Dyslexia, & Famous People w/Dyslexia. Elementary Advisory to begin in March.
●High School & Middle School: SMARTS executive functioning curriculum alignment & implementation
●Literacy PD: Wilson Reading System, Seeing Stars, Landmark Outreach, Crafting Minds Making Meaningful Growth –Using Progress Monitoring to Plan Instruction, Spring ‘24: Sarah Ward/Executive Functioning, Summer ’24 Meaningful Inclusion Practices
●Program Review: MGH Institute of Health Professions conducted a records review, observed LEAD small group & inclusion classes at all levels, & will be facilitating focus groups (administrators, staff, & families), sending out a family survey, & composing an executive summary, including recommendations
SAIL: Strategies to Support Academics, Independence and Life SkillsEMBARC: Education; Meaningful Inclusion; Becoming Independent; Advocacy; Relaxation and Leisure Activities; Community Integration
Coordinators: Tina Nutter and Adam Blaustein
Program Review Recommendations:
●Provide a Program Administrator with the credentials to supervise the K-12 specialized programs.
●The district should use the 2022-2023 school year as a phase out year for the current Inclusion SAIL program at Wood End and Coolidge Middle School.
●Build a comprehensive EMBARC Curriculum K-12.
●Hire and share a system-wide Transition Specialist for SAIL, EMBARC, and REACH.
●The district should agree on program descriptions, including entrance and exit criteria that clearly define the EMBARC program’s mission, philosophy, and outcomes at all levels.
●Document the referral process to the EMBARC Programs K-12.
●Plan ongoing high-quality professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals and support related service providers.
●Build a stronger philosophy around data collection and consider an outline data recording platform.
●Implement a district classroom management strategy implemented by all Staff.
●Provide common meeting times among staff at all levels.
●Consider early fall (2022) program evaluation of the K-12 Learning Centers, SOAR and LEAD programs.
SAIL: Strategies to Support Academics, Independence and Life SkillsEMBARC: Education; Meaningful Inclusion; Becoming Independent; Advocacy; Relaxation and Leisure Activities; Community Integration
Coordinators: Tina Nutter and Adam Blaustein
Major Initiatives:
●Review student profiles and conduct evaluations and observations to facilitate alignment of appropriate supports including ensuring students are supported in the least restrictive environment
●Secondary students-increased access to Unified Sports, Best Buddies, community outings/partnerships with YMCA in conjunction with SOAR
●Critically analyzing student needs and caseloads
●Piloting data collection system to measure student progress
●Aligning programming and working closely with the Inclusion Specialist to have students remain in the least restrictive setting with appropriate behavioral and instructional supports
●Meetings with staff vertically to discuss fostering independence for students with diverse needs in collaboration with SOAR
●Planning summer professional development with a focus on K-12 transition planning for students with Intellectual and Autism disabilities, also increasing independence in the inclusion setting and modifying curriculum to meet the needs of all students.
LIFT: Living; Independence; Functional; Transition (new 18-22 year old transition program)
Program Review Recommendations: This is a new program, so there was not a formal program review completed
LIFT: Living; Independence; Functional; Transition (new 18-22 year old transition program)
Major Initiatives:
●Developed vision for the program including program description and flyer to outline major components of the program
●Identified staffing needs, space needs and material needs for the program
●Posted for the lead teacher for the LIFT Program
●Continued to build community partnerships for internships, paid positions, and recreational opportunities.
○YMCA, Reading Public Library, Meals on Wheels, Calareso's, Creative Arts
●Continue to identify jobs within the building for pre-vocational students.
●Partner with Pre-ETS vendors such as the Northeast Independent Living Program to get students involved with their Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP) and Pre-Employment Transition Services Program (Pre-ETS).
●Visitation/meetings with other districts:
○In person visits and observations in Gloucester and Littleton to discuss their program implementation and to learn more about their community partnerships.
○Virtual meetings with Amesbury, Andover, Charlestown, Ipswich, and Stoneham to discuss their program implementation and to learn more about their community partnerships.
RISE: Respect; Inclusion; Safety and Effort
Program Coordinator: Kerry Wilcox
Program Review Recommendations:
●Culture, communication and identity issues in RISE must be addressed.
●Hire a .60 FTE Educational Team Supervisor (ETS) for Fall 2023
●Increase parent and staff communication.
●Develop and document the transition process from RISE to kindergarten.
●Improve the RISE application and screening process for students without disabilities.
●Establish behavioral management systems in the classrooms.
●Update the RISE curriculum to align with kindergarten and implement with fidelity in all classrooms.
●Reconfigure the classrooms, both full and half day, and develop a continuum which meets the needs of students with moderate-to-severe disabilities.
RISE: Respect; Inclusion; Safety and Effort
Program Coordinator: Kerry Wilcox
Major Initiatives:
●Community building activities during staff meetings
●Development and implementation of a screening process that will support the child find process more efficiently
●Allocated a part time Team Chairperson for RISE
●Analyzing the application and screening process
●Professional development in math and literacy and implementing with fidelity across all classrooms
●Streamlining the early childhood special education evaluation process to ensure continuity across evaluators supporting the eligibility process and ensure
●Caregiver workshop series on child development led by RISE staff coming this spring
●Continued partnership with area preschools including workshops led by district wide staff
●Continued professional development support staff understanding of least restrictive environment, child development, best practice in early childhood/early childhood special education and the implementation of the new IEP
●Added a transitional program and streamlining program offerings to meet student needs
Learning Center
Program Review Recommendations:
●Strengthen Tier 2 implementation and the SST process
The district has worked very hard to improve general education ELA/Math instruction through implementation of
ARC/Illustrative Math. Special education and general education staff have received very targeted professional
development in this area. Additionally, the district has provided a tremendous amount of training for special education
staff in specialized reading instruction. The next step is to focus on implementing the DCAP, and strengthening the SST
and Tier 2 supports. If Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports are done with fidelity, there should be a reduction in referrals for special
education services. During interviews, staff indicated that special education was often the only option for additional
support because of the lack of Tier 2 supports.
Learning Center
Program Review Recommendations Continued:
●Define the identity and purpose of the Learning CentersThe purpose of the Learning Center support for students across the district was not consistent. This should be the number one priority for students to learn the skills, as determined through their IEP to be as independent as possible to access the curriculum. The district needs to rewrite the program description of the learning center to clarify this information. Additionally, meeting with the SEPAC might be helpful to further parents' understanding of skill building vs homework or test help.
There needs to be a discussion between special education staff, general education staff and parents about the balance of assisting the student vs. trying to get a good grade on the test. General education should focus on teaching executive functioning to all students. Developing the skills to be independent should be the priority for all students. If a student requires specially designed instruction in this area, then the special education teachers need access to a curricular tool such as the SMARTS curriculum.
The district should define and provide professional development on best practices for teaching skills in the general education setting. It is important to remember the focus is teaching a specific skill outlined in the IEP, not assisting in teaching the general education lesson and only providing prompting for students receiving IEP direct instruction. This will include training paraprofessionals on how to efficiently and effectively collect data.
Teachers and students would benefit from periodic observations from a clinical staff person and direct principal coaching and feedback in supporting students with behavioral and academic concerns.
The district should consider changing the name from the Learning Center to “Learning Strategies Center”(LSC). The goal here is to identify the purpose of the Learning Center. We believe giving students the skills is the priority rather than just assisting with specific tests or homework. Learning Center is not a place. It is a service.
Learning Center
Program Review Recommendations Continued:
●Define the identity and purpose of the Learning CentersWhen students require pull out services for an academic area, it is important to determine criteria for skill building to access the general education curriculum.
If the students have mastered the goals in their IEP and are independent in the general educational classroom, they should not need the services from the Learning Center staff. It is important that IEPs do not continue to support students with test taking and homework as a guided study hall. That is a general education service.
The district needs to continue to provide professional development on all new curriculum materials. In addition to the new core curricular materials, supplemental programs for specially-designed instruction should be explored in the areas of: Writing programs to supplement the ARC program, behavior management in the classroom, spiral math programs to supplement district math programs and modify Illustrative Math and increasing crafting minds professional development.
The district should consider adding a Program Coordinator to oversee this work, as they have done with the other program supports in Reading. Not only should the program description be updated but the Program Coordinator should help to establish consistency on topics such as the role of the general education teacher, special educator, and paraprofessionals, who is modifying the curriculum. The administrator should look closely at the workload vs. caseload of students assigned to Learning Center Teachers and related service providers.In addition, the building level Team Chairperson, Principal and Assistant Principals should take an active role in the oversight of the Learning Centers.
Learning Center
Program Review Recommendations Continued:
●Refine Inclusion Service Delivery
Across all levels, there is an inconsistent approach to the provision of inclusion services. There was a very positive response from
the majority of the staff interviewed to implement a collaborative model of instruction. It is crucial that the district define and
make concrete action steps to define meaningful inclusion and how it is measured.
Additional training should be provided to the Paraprofessionals as they support students in general education settings while
accessing general education curriculum.
In accordance with state and federal guidelines every district must ensure that they are not over servicing students. In Reading,
it is important to define what is the specially designed instruction in the general education classroom. It is important to adjust
staffing to meet students needs not to accommodate teaching schedules or the general education topic. As the district continues
to review and refine programming for students on IEPs, a shift in staffing across buildings may be required to support students
within their Least Restrictive Environment within their home school.
As administrators are completing observations and evaluations of staff, it is important to ensure that IEP accommodations,
modifications and direct instruction recommendations are being implemented with fidelity and that data is taken consistently.
Learning Center
Major Initiatives:
●Professional Development includes: Wilson Reading System. Seeing Stars, Landmark Outreach, Crafting Minds Making Meaningful Growth –Using Progress Monitoring to Plan Instruction
●All elementary special education teachers are included in the general education ELA and math curriculum professional development
●Special Ed. Literacy Coach: Ongoing coaching at department meetings & for individual cases regarding literacy instruction that’s targeted,as well as students & instructional practices observations to facilitate alignment of appropriate supports
●Exploring new names that depict the services provided in this model
●Weekly Executive Functioning professional development for all district staff (Michelle Goldner, Occupational Therapist)
●Utilizing Inclusion Specialist to develop student programming and provide professional development
●Working on the goal of providing consistency within and across systems and practices to impact student outcomes.
●The Inclusion Specialist is assisting in aligning SST practices across schools
●The Special Education Literacy Coach and the Humanities Coordinator have presented to school administration, literacy specialists, and team chairs on the use of progress monitoring and the impact on SST, reading instruction and special education evaluation
●Training provided to all District Leadership and special education teachers on service delivery and the impact on student services based on data collected
●Training for all staff regarding LRE and building independence as related to thee new IEP
●Training for paraeducators on providing support in the inclusion setting
●Building Leaders and Team Chairs continue to conduct evaluations and walkthrough with a focus on IEP implementation
Upcoming Meetings
●Tuesday 3/19 @ 6pm: ESY Presentation
●Thursday 4/11 12-1pm:Transition Presentation -(via ZOOM)Presentation with Team chairs and Principals with
breakout sessions to allow for individual school conversations.
●Wednesday 4/24 @ 6 pm: Transition Presentation (In person -location TBD) -Presentation with Team chairs with
breakout sessions to allow for individual school conversations
●Wednesday 5/8 @ 6pm: New IEP Presentation (In Person -location TBD) -This will be a presentation for families to
review DESE's NEW IEP Improvement Project to include our timeline for rollout, what the new forms look like and what to
expect for any adjustments to the team meeting process. (We will have a sign up for this presentation so we can be
prepared with how many families will be attending as we need to be sure to accommodate a large crowd if needed)
●Thursday 5/9 @ 12 pm: New IEP Presentation (via ZOOM) -This will be a presentation for families to review DESE's
NEW IEP Improvement Project to include our timeline for rollout, what the new forms look like and what to expect for any
adjustments to the team meeting process. (This session will be recorded so we can post on our website and share with
families as requested).
1 | Page FY22 Second Quarter Financial Report
To: Reading School Committee
From: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
Date: February 22, 2024
Re: FY25 Kindergarten Registration Update
As of February 22, 2024, Reading Public Schools has received 220 registrations for enrollment in the
kindergarten program for the 2024-2025 school year. Of this total, 3 families requested enrollment in
the half day kindergarten program. We have had 28 students not on census data register for
kindergarten. Projected Kindergarten enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year totaled 268 students.
The census data for rising Kindergarten age students, those born between 9/1/2018 and 8/31/2019,
totaled 268 students leaving us 48 students behind in registrations compared to census and projected
enrollment.
While we are 48 students behind in registrations, we currently have 57 students that we know of
unregistered that are eligible to attend kindergarten in the fall. Last year, the kindergarten registration
update was provided to School Committee on March 2nd. At that point, there were 262 registrations
with census data totaling 284 eligible students. Our beginning of year enrollment totaled 298 students.
The timeline for kindergarten registration is outlined below:
o December 7, 2023 - Mail parent/guardian letters and post info to website
o January 5, 2024 - Post registration documents
o January 9, 2024 - Virtual Kindergarten Information Session
o January 31, 2024 - Kindergarten Registration Parents/Guardians bring in their completed
registration packet
o February 9, 2024 – Second mailing to parents/guardians of unregistered students
o February 27, 2024 – Third mailing to parents/guardians of unregistered students
o By March 15, 2024 - Principals reach out to enrolled students to share transition
activities
o Spring 2024 -Building-based transition activities
As noted above, we started outreach to parents/guardians on December 7th by mailing a flyer to the
home of all eligible kindergarten students. That flyer included a QR code for parents/guardians to sign
up for email communications. After the Kindergarten Registration Night, we mailed a second flyer to the
home of all eligible kindergarten students who did not register. Our third mailing, sent earlier this week
was a letter from the Superintendent sharing information about the importance of registering their
student as early as possible to ensure they are placed in their neighborhood school.
We will continue to closely monitor kindergarten registrations as we will need to make decisions around
potential class size consolidations this spring. We plan to provide updated enrollment numbers to
School Committee during the April 4th School Committee meeting.
Reading Public Schools
Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road
Reading, MA 01867
Phone: 781-944-5800
Fax: 781-942-9149
2 | Page FY22 Second Quarter Financial Report
Below please find projected kindergarten class sizes by school for the 220 registrations received to date: