HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-22-10 School Council - Reading Memorial High Minutesa arxr�
Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Council -Reading Memorial High
Date: 2025-22-10 Time: 4:15 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library
Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session
Purpose: School Council Meeting Version: Draft
Attendees: Members - Present:
Principal Callahan, Assistant Principal Kadl Buckley, Sara Ortins, Trey
Skehan, Lisa Bibeau-Caroione, Rebecca Taubman, Jessica Ayer, Leah Malone
(student via Zoom), Pooja Mandon Parsons (via Zoom), Christine Lusk (via
Zoom)
Members - Not Present:
Jamie Flynn, Grace Cuniff
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Sara Ortins
Topics of Discussion:
Meeting was called to order by Principal Callanan at 4:15 PM.
1. Review and Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
a. The minutes from the previous meeting (9/17/25) were reviewed. A motion to
approve was made and seconded. The minutes were approved as presented.
2. Accountability Data
a. Principal Callahan presented the school's accountability data. Although the full
report is not yet available on the state website, it has been released to
schools.
b. The school is making progress toward the statewide achievement target of
90% proficiency In Math and ELA, currently at 83%.
c. The percentage of progress toward improvement targets decreased to 46% in
2020, largely due to pandemic -related MCAS declines.
d. As a result, the school's rating moved from "Substantial Progress" to
"Moderate Progress."
e. Despite these minor drops, overall performance remains strong across the
board.
f. Reviewed definitions of key terms, including:
I. Proficient %: Percentage of students meeting or exceeding
expectations
il. SGP (Student Growth Percentile): A measure comparing a student's
progress to peers statewide
III. Accountability Percentile: The school's performance relative to other
schools statewide
g. The school's Accountability Percentage is 83, reflecting moderate progress
toward targets.
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h. Discussion noted that SGP can be confusing; for example, students who
scored very high on MCAS in grade 8 may show lower SGPs in high school
simply because there's less room for measurable growth.
I. Principal Callanan shared accountability performance across all schools in the
district.
j. MICAS results in Math, ELA, and Science were reviewed by category and level,
with comparisons to 2024 data.
k. Chronic absenteeism (defined by the state as missing two or more days per
month) increased slightly compared to 2024.
3. AP and Dual Enrollment (DE) Participation
a. Assistant Principal is examining participation by subgroups (race, gender) to
identify trends and potential barriers.
It. Parents suggested that middle school course access and prerequisites may
affect students' ability to enroll in advanced courses later.
c. The goal remains to encourage broad participation while ensuring students
are supported and successful.
d. Principal Callanan noted that schools offering DE classes often have
placement tests or other criteria. Having DE courses offered at RMHS allows
for better support —especially for students on IEPs—than if classes are taken
on a college campus.
e. Principal Callanan emphasized that all decisions and program reviews are
guided by what is in the best interest of students.
4. Graduation Rate, Annual Dropout Rate, AP Exam Data
a. The graduation rate and annual dropout rate were reviewed, comparing 2023
and 2024 data.
b. The percentage of students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams has increased
compared to last year.
c. Science AP scores showed Improvement but remain the lowest at 63%, with a
goal of 85% across all subjects.
d. A parent asked whether double -block labs affect science outcomes. Principal
Callanan noted that Chemistry remains strong, Biology and Physics 1 have
improved, and no significant difference was seen in 2025 data following the
removal of double blocks.
e. English is exploring strategies to increase participation and performance; one
teacher mentioned that perceived course difficulty may influence enrollment.
Meeting adjourned at 5: 15.
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