 Welcome to the Allington school committee meeting today is May 22nd At this time, I would like to welcome Linda Hansen the AEA president and William Sanders who's a junior representative student council secretary This time I would like to share the artwork we have in the room It's from Pearson Brackett school and it's call and response a form of verbal and non-verbal Interaction between speaker and listener in which all the statements calls are punctuated by expression responses from the listener in African cultures call and response as a form of democratic participation in public gatherings in the discussion of civic affairs Religious rituals and in vocal and instrumental music While Colin response originated as an oral and musical form in recent years the visual arts have created Creatively interpreted call and response as a means of pursuing and describing the inspirational process Artists have always found inspiration in the work of other artists and cultures in some cases artists have created unique and personal work Inspired by specific original artworks in essence a call and a response For this year's show each grade was shown one specific work of African art as a call from which to deserve Excuse me derive inspiration From and to create a work of art demonstrating their own personal response we begin right here to my right and It is called mudcloth design by grade one to begin this lesson first grade students were first shown two examples of traditional African textiles Students were asked to examine the artwork carefully and explain what they noticed above the design Decorative use and function as well as material construction Students were then shown an abstract painting Comedians handball created by Paul Clee in 1938 and asked if they noticed any similarities between a sample of Cuba clothing textile and Clee's painting It was then explained that many artists such as Clee often look at the artworks of other artists for ideas and inspiration Often creating their own response to a particular work of art Finally students were shown an example of traditional mudcloth as created by the Manna people of Mali It was then explained how mudcloth Textiles are woven by hand on small looms and designs were created using a fermented mud Process which which stains the fabric and docking with age Students were given a piece of brown paper cut from a paper bag and using only that neutral colors with various drawing materials Were instructed to carefully plan and create an artwork in response to this particular artwork The second piece moving down is From grade three a drinka printmaking. I apologize if I mispronounce anything here Third grade students were first shown an example of traditional a drinka cloth created by the Ashanti people of Ghana Students were asked to examine the cloth and describe what they noticed about the design Composition and construction as well as to determine the original intended use Students noticed the cloth appeared to be printed with a Series of patents using carved stamps and it was explained that this cloth was traditionally used primarily for dressing Ashanti royalty students were then shown a collage Snow flowers created by honoree Matisse in 1951 and asked to describe any similarities between the Matisse collage and the drink and the a drinka cloth It was then explained that many artists such as Matisse often looked at the artworks of other artists for ideas and inspiration Often creating their own response to a particular work of art Students were then informed that they would be creating an artwork in response to another example of African art a wooden doorframe from a house carved by the we we age people of Cameroon after identifying its origin and construction students noticed similarities between the doorframe and the a drinka cloth with use of patent and composition and created styrofoam Block prints inspired by the doorframe Moving further down from the pier school foil metal relief grade four fourth grade students began this lesson by examining and discussing brass plaque showing the oba of Benin benign with attendance by the Edo people of Nigeria After describing the artworks function construction and symbolic meaning the students will lead to notice the relief sculptures such as the plaque Are different from freestanding three-dimensional artworks and are intended to be viewed from one side rather than multiple sides Students were then shown African art inspired by wall relief sculpture created by Dmitri Gear rockers in 1980 and a wooden fetish figure used and created by the Ashanti people of Ghana It was then explained that artists continued to look at the artworks of other artists for ideas and inspiration Often creating their own response to a particular work of art and we're asked to draw parallel similarities between Here are a kiss Sculptures and the fetish figure to identify how and where the inspiration may have been of derived Finally students were shown an example of a wooden here comb created by a con people of Ghana After discussing the artwork students were instructed to use the comb as a call for a relief sculpture of their own design Constructed from cardboard and foil and covered with India ink In the back of our room here is mass collage from grade five Fifth grade students were shown an example of helmet mask created and used by Mende people of Sierra Leone Students were asked to describe what they noticed about the mask and how it differed from other masks with which they may be familiar The uses symbolism and significance of masks in African societies were then discussed and compared to how masks have been typically used in many Traditional and ancient cultures it was then explained that beginning in the early 20th century many artists saw African art for the first time and were deeply influenced by the abstraction and stylized representation of the human face and form Students were shown examples of paintings by Pablo Picasso, which incorporated direct inspiration of African masks as well as they Fetishes by Louis Malau Jones an African American artist who was inspired by the art of her ancestral Heritage throughout her career students within informed that they would be using face masks with cloth hood created and used by the Cuba people of The Democratic Republic of Congo as the call from which they were to create a collage of their own design Limited to using only the colors of the Cuba mask students were encouraged to consider Use origin and design elements as possible inspiration Coming back right to my left here is Pendant pinch pots from grade two Students began this lesson with an instruction in clay pinch pot construction and surface techniques While the pots were drying and being Kiln-fired students were shown an example of African pottery from Nigeria created by the new pay people Students were asked how this pot was similar or different to the pinch pot They had constructed as well as to identify any other interesting characteristics such as the oh boy Sagra Fito surface Technique and the addition of the white top to prevent water from splashing out while the pot was carried It was then explained that many artists often look at the artworks of other artists for ideas and inspiration Offering creating their own response to a particular work of art Students were shown a piece of African jewelry Ifa's divine is necklace by the euro Yo rubah people an artwork discussed in a previous lesson students were asked you notice the texture Shapes lines and colors used in the pendants design and to consider how those elements might inspire the decoration of the pinch pots Students first applied India ink to the pot and later used an oil-paste link ink Resist technique to finish the decorative process and our last piece right here in the corner is Story banner from the kindergarten kindergarten is we're first introduced to this lesson with a reading from the picture book Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears by Verna Aradima an illustrated version of a well-known Ashanti tale from the oral tradition After hearing the story students were asked to think of other ways people can tell stories Orally written through dance and pantomime and through visual pictures Students were then shown an example of African story banner used by the fawn people of West Africa Using symbolic animals and objects to tell it let tell the legends of past kings and their accomplishments Students were also shown a story quilt by Harriet Powys created in 1886 and asked to identify similarities Powys artworks were directly inspired by African applique techniques later adapted into American quilt making Students were then told that they would be creating their own paper story banner in the manner of the fawn people using why Mosquitoes buzz in people's ears as they're featured tail Each child was instructed to construct one to two characters from the story while considering character important size patent and creative use of color These pictures will remain up for probably the next month or so if you ever get a chance to come up to this Floor on the sixth floor at the high school take a look at the artwork wonderful work. Thank you very much At this time we have public participation none at this time. Okay. Thank you. I Would we have school choice public hearing School choice policy dr. Bode This is a Vote that needs to be taken annually before June 1 as to whether the school committee would choose to open our link to Probably schools up to school choice When you open the school system up, what that means is that students from other districts can apply to be to come to school on a on a Availability basis and There and if you have availability to particular grade whoever applies is allowed to come there is Some support for this in terms of Chapter 70 money, but the the past history of the school committee with respect to this has been to not To approve it and that would actually be my recommendation our class sizes right now are too large to To accommodate additional students from other districts, but in addition to that I think that in a community of districts It's it's it's can be fairly destabilizing in and so on that for that reason. Also. I would recommend Not voting For school choice, so I move that pursuant to policy jf bb We move not to admit non-resident students under the terms and conditions of the inner district school choice law mgl 76 12 second any further discussion All those in favor are all those opposed. Thank you Okay, I would like to invite Miss Benson come forward was the yellow school Thank you very much. I'm d.n. Benson. I'm head of school at Leslie Ellis, and I'm not sure how much You know about us. I'll just give a quick now. I'm gonna be quick all the way because I know you have a very full agenda So we're in the Gibbs building We have about 170 students. We're currently preschool. We have kids 2.9 up through sixth grade Our early childhood program is licensed by the Department for early education and care and our entire school is accredited by Association of independent schools in New England We're adding a seventh grade this fall and then an eighth grade the following fall following year I Spoke with dr. Cheson Earlier this week and just want to share a little bit about the process. We've gone through we've been in we've been planning for this for The last two and a half years We've had and have had and currently have an internal committee working on it Plus we've we've had two outside middle school consultants come in which has been a real boon to us to have them Part of it to two folks have spent their entire careers in middle schools. So that's been great We researched other schools what they did we visited other schools research the programs when we were developing the curriculum we Incorporate the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks Also looked at other national documents like common core and for instance in science looked at the next generation science standards And then we shaped each curriculum element or curriculum area Around kind of the core values and culture of our school and how how we teach I know that You received a copy of the curriculum Our curriculum includes humanities For us that's English and history and anti-bias and we are intentionally Calling it humanities and thinking in in the in the scope of humanities Because we really want to have an emphasis on integration and connection for kids at this age as they're Continuing to grow as as critical thinkers Our math will be in seventh grade will be pre-algebra and eighth grade algebra Science will as it does throughout our school Each year have part life science part earth science and part physical science So in addition to those core subjects and core areas we we have technology And really use that as it's not separate for us It's something that we use to integrate into the curriculum and use as a tool to Support research to support communication to support problem-solving. We have PE Spanish visual arts music health and then Also incorporated into the program will be an advisory program pure counseling athletics Have a chorus of performing chorus theater arts. So We've done a lot of work. I think I've told you about it in two and a half minutes of what we've done in the last two And a half years, but I just want to give you a sample of it. I'm happy to then Whatever you would undo next chairman. Hey, does anyone have any questions at this time? No, just that I visited the school and we discussed the curriculum and recommendation that the school committee So I moved that the we Grant authority Okay, I moved to approve the lesion school expanding the curriculum to include grade seven and eight as having met the standards under The private school approval statute general laws chapter 76 section one Second any further discussion all those in favor Thank you, thank you very much, and I hope you get out before 10 o'clock Thank you for the teleprompter good luck This time We all set Mr. Spiegel Thank You mr. Heiner So we're a little ahead of schedule. I'm not sure if any of the girls are coming But I'm going to invite up just any a Castro and Melanie Constantakas Schwartz To talk about the today students tomorrow's teachers program Here at Arlington High School I just want to I send regrets from Regina Keynes who's a member of the superintendent's diversity advisory committee and The executive director of the mass partnership for diversity in education Regina was instrumental through MPDE in bringing TSTT to our greater Boston region and getting at the time is for school districts to Come on board with the program Arlington participates along with and over Lexington and Brookline right now and now and in the greater Boston region There's also a group in Worcester There is going to be this coming year a group in Boston public schools and Cambridge is going to be joining our greater Boston region and I as the human resources administrator I'll sit with the other human resources administrators on the advisory council for this organization and we meet periodically about four times a year to talk about the organization and and Get updates from From just any or the regional program manager or The the national office as well dr. Betty Perkins is The executive director Nationally for this organization which started in New York, so just any a Castro is the regional program manager She has been in this role most of this school year since October. Yeah She was a great find who we were sort of had a little couple rough But a rough year last year with transitions with regional program managers and just any has brought a lot of stability to the program and Melanie constant doc at Schwartz is a social studies and history teacher here at the high school and she Is has been the teacher mentor for two years in this program We had a teacher mentor the first year who left for another position in another district So I will let just any and Melanie talk about the program and welcome Thank you. You said a lot So as Rob said, my name is just Sonia Castro and I am the regional program manager for the today students tomorrow's teachers program We have five students here in Arlington Total in the program. There are 28 between the four districts Come September we will have a total of 44 for the greater Boston region, which is great. The program is growing Boston is on board Worcesters on board, so it's really great, and I just wanted to talk to some of the highlights and Melanie you can chime in whenever Of what the students have been engaged in this year We've had several opportunities to go to various colleges for full-day college events Leslie University is one of our partner schools So that is one of the colleges that our students when they graduate next year will have an opportunity to attend at half the cost so Leslie University they've attended UMass Lowell for the you teach STEM program Students who are interested in math and science And they've also gone to we lock for the annual technology conference So they've been very very busy. We meet every month myself and Melanie There's a 12 a 10 month component for curriculum So we go through leadership tutor training the students have to do teacher shadowing teacher of classroom Observations, so they're really getting hands-on exposure on teaching They do weekly tutoring which they they've been enjoying and they're out in different locations doing that some here in our Learning Center at Arlington High some out in the community at different organizations, so they've they found their niches in terms of Tutoring as well as they have a summer internship Several of the girls have worked at summer fun with me as teachers aides other Other students are active in certain communities, so we have one student who does a project through the Tibetan community So they've sort of found their niches and where they like to work and and how they're interning Another component to this year has been building the Boston College partnership So I've had meetings with Boston College. There's one coming up with Boston University We lock college. We've met with You mass Lowell and there's a meeting set with Northeastern So that's another huge component to this is to build our Boston College partnership So that again when our students graduate they can have that opportunity to have That that grace in their tuition Are there any questions? Can I just chime in on a couple of the other benefits that the school committee members have they do okay good Yeah, so the tuition reduction is great. The kids have been really excited about the SAT Prep that was a real big seller to them. The kids and parents were excited So they've really they've really gotten a lot of services out of this program and you know We're with them working with them finding different opportunities for them for tutoring and shadowing so I really feel like the kids have grown a lot and a Second Rob statement about bringing just any honest brought a lot more stability and growth and development to our Boston area So, thank you. That's great. Thank you. I have one question for you. Is there any breakdown of elementary or secondary interest? They're kind of scattered, you know when we get on the college campuses They're like, oh, I want to do high school. Oh, I want to do middle school So no, I don't have a feel yet of how about gender wise we have out of my 28 I have six males out of Brookline. So that's good We're hoping to grow that number and we have space for one more We're gonna be recruiting one more Arlington student for next year. I have a prejudice any any of those young males looking at elementary? That's okay So one of the the great things about this program This is what is sort of known as a grow your own program for we talk a lot from my Perspective and from my office I give reports on diversity and how we're doing with diversity hiring This is as we you know, and then it's been in the news a lot lately. It's a national concern this program has started in New York 20 years ago and has had great success in the New York suburbs and Westchester County in really growing People who started in the program and became teachers and went back to the schools where they where they went to school and taught And our teaching now some have become administrators. I mean it's been a great success story for a lot of the participants and That's what we're hoping to do. We're on the early side in the greater Boston region We're only in the third year So it's gonna be a little while before we see that that when the kids Are done with college and and have their teaching licenses We'd like to have the opportunity to have them back here in Arlington and the other districts where that have the program And it's exciting because Arlington just to add to that is gonna be part of that first cohort of students that we will see Go through so that's really great. And also it was in the Boston Globe About the TSTT program and how it's known for it's going to be known as a pipeline program for really Working on the shortage of teachers of color. I'm sorry. Do you have a question? Oh, I have a question It sounds like a fabulous program and I first heard about a couple weeks ago and it just sounds great Just a question about how our students identified or how what's the application process like? So it's there's a committee and it consists of principles guidance counselors Myself and identifying students really looking More so on like I think personal knowing students or guidance counselors who may know of a student offhand Who they think would be a good fit or a good candidate for the program and is it your experience? It's that the students hadn't thought of themselves originally as teachers and that sort of this Created the bug in their mind that they might have had otherwise or yeah I mean they even now as most of them are Jews and I do have some freshmen They're still kind of like, you know, well, I don't know what part of teaching I want to do You know, they don't haven't really molded. We're exactly someone to be school nurses So may want to be you know librarian So they're still navigating their way as we continue to expose them to more Yeah, they sort of have the personalities for it and they haven't always said I definitely want to be a third-grade teacher But they're starting, you know, I've got a few that are you know, I think I want to teach art Biology, you know, they're kind of opening their eyes to different ways that that could work When some of them went to the STEM program, it was amazing because they were like, oh, wow I can do this or I can see myself, you know teaching that so I think through time in the exposure that we continue to give them at all Thank you very much We're very fortunate that just any it is is located her office is located here in the high school We're able to find a small room But nonetheless, we were able to find us a space which has been very welcome and it's she's been a great Great supporter here in the high school and I think we benefit greatly from from your being here. Thank you Thank you, and I do appreciate the space and everyone I always say this has been so welcoming since I got here anything I've needed setting stuff up who to contact who to reach out so it's been a great adjustment Some of the girls would have come with us tonight, but tomorrow is the junior prom Yes, thank you again Thank you I'd like to invite Miss Perry to come up Dr. Bodie Yes well As you as you know this year we have had a focus On developing district determined measures. These are assessments which measure student student progress We've had a history and I've said this before but it we've had a history in this district of having common assessments and In some in in some instances these these assessments we've been doing for a number of years actually have measured student progress, but we are focusing on all of our Areas all of our departments in developing and first of all identifying and developing these assessments this year there were Pilots in our core curricular areas and what we're doing over several nights is having you hear what the work has been this year We'll get to district goals next year And we are going to continue this because there are certain departments and areas That still need to develop a district determined measure so that when we're sitting here next year at this time We will have those developed and in piloted in in all of the other Departments that haven't done it next year. So at any rate we have our director of English language arts K-12 Deb Perry who has been here before and thank you very much for coming this evening is going to talk to us about the district determined measures in for Language and for English English and writing I do want to mention to you that Matt Coleman who is a director of math had a family emergency and can I be here tonight, but we'll reschedule him Probably at the June meeting I'm sorry. I can't do anything for math Won't be able to hit that one. I wanted to hello everybody. Thank you for having me I wanted to tell you that I've been interviewing For English teachers for both Ottison in the high school last week and this week We're very popular. We have a choice of many Really capable teachers. So that's just so it's good to hear that Everybody wants to work here and we've been shoving them away People that we we've been able to choose really find people to interview So that's been a fun part of my life this last week. I Thought I'd start and just give you a really a sort of brief Sense of what happens in English classes from 6 to 12 and then I'll talk a little bit about The common assessments and the rubric that we're using One of the things that we're really concentrating on is The idea that reading and writing are highly integrated and so We're defining our job as in a real simple way as Helping students gain ownership of language of the things that they read and then ownership of the things that come out of their heads on paper the things that they write and That's an important the idea of ownership is really key and it's really important because It's it's way too easy to say read this. There's a right thing about it. There's a wrong thing about it and Kids will parrot that we We understand and we're understanding even better as we think about this that We need to help kids Realize that when they read something they bring themselves to it and they bring the ideas out of that back into their own head And there's this sort of communication between their heads and what someone else has put on paper and similarly There's a connection a similar kind of connection when kids write They need they need to sort of have the ideas. They can't just parrot something else The ideas have to go in they have to sort of shuffle around their heads and they have to come out as some kind of Idea hopefully something that's that makes sense to the kids as opposed to just like I'm doing my homework So that whole process is complicated But it's it's a it's a great challenge because it what it means is that every kid every student Can begin to think about reading and writing as something that that belongs to them and Closer we can get to kids Understanding that and knowing that the more thinking we're going to have happening in students minds And that really is our goal that we want kids to be able to think Both creatively as well as critically so with that background I wanted to Talk for a second about the rubric that that I put or that you have in your In your packet this rubric I didn't it's not It's not credited. It's from park. It's a draft and We're at all at the grades from 6 to 12 we are intending to use this rubric We want to have consistency we want to have we want the kids to have a sense of what it is that we're looking for from 6th grade through 12th grade so that they're The concepts that they need to own that they need to think about stay pretty similar We may decide to wordsmith us a little bit. There was some concern that some of the concepts are expressed In ways that might be too difficult for some students. I'm okay with it But there's we're discussing it, but in any case we will have We'll have some version of a rubric that looks pretty much like this that will stay consistent for all the grades and The thing that's there are two or three things about this that I just thought I'd point out to you The first is that there's a this is a writing Rubric, but there's a reading component and I thought that was really brilliant Because so much of what so much of writing and not everything that students write but so much of it Starts with something that they've read and so to to acknowledge that in the rubric Allows us to have a way to to address that with students, and I just think it makes sense So that's there the major categories that are listed below the first category is basically about Students making a claim or having an idea and then the support for that idea So that first section is about ideas and how well students have come up with those the second The second sort of paragraph down or section down has to do essentially with structure How the kids put the ideas together does it make sense is their cohesion that kind of thing and that's that's just That's an important concept Often when people teach writing structure gets all the attention because it's the easiest thing to teach You know it looks like this blah blah blah, and so the kids fill it in But I like the fact that structure is one of three or four things here, and it's addressed It's clearly addressed. It's nicely addressed, but it's not the only thing The third category has to do with style and specifically that gets to the issue of word choice sentences Phrasing that sort of thing how well to the kids use language to Just get the idea across and then the final category is conventions the kinds of stuff that most people You know are always afraid of that they're they're making some sort of grammatical errors or something like that So so those are the things that we will look at pretty consistently at all grade levels the thing that's probably important for me to say is that Even though these categories are the same In the eyes of teachers who teach sixth graders These elements show up very differently than they do for in the eyes of teachers who are teaching 11th graders and so the nice another nice thing about this rubric. I think is that it allows the teachers to Take into consideration What students are able to do at a given age and yet keep the keep the language of discussion about writing Constant at each of these ages so it it it's solid, but it allows the flexibility that we need For all the different reasons that we need flexibility when we're looking at writing So that brings me to the list of Ddms and common assessments as As you heard a minute ago We've had common assessments in English for a really long time. They've been mostly writing For a number of years they see they were They would drop down from the sky so in November there had to be a common assessment so one appeared and then there was one that happened in and let's say January and then there was another happened in March and They were organized to test certain things, but they were all problematic for teachers because You might be in the middle of doing something else and suddenly you've got this thing that you have to do So we're working really hard for common assessments to make sure that what we're asking kids to write about Is part of what's going on at that particular time in the year and the same things actually happening in the elementary and the writing common assessments with the ddms the focus for All the grades is has something to do with writing, but as you can see At oddison grades 6 7 and 8 the actual ddms are writing and then at the high school We're using some a grammar test specifically for the ddm and then the writing stuff happens with the common assessments So that's really what we're doing and you may have questions The so we do both ddms and common assessments. Could you just explain getting going a little more detail about the difference between the two? I'm probably not the best one to do that, but I will try ddms as I understand it Allow teachers to see To measure specific growth for kids as is as neat as is needed for the evaluation Procedures, so we have to have something we could have anything to show that growth But in the minds of the in the minds of English teachers or at least as far as I know in my own mind All of these things I see them as being even and equal I mean, they're just just things that we do to try to figure out where the kids are and then adjust our own approach to what we're doing the grammar stuff has a Has a it's it's it's easier to measure, you know, it is or it isn't but Some aspects of the writing It's pretty measure are pretty measurable as well. Yeah That's always been my takeaway for this that there's that there's a lot of overlap Between the two. Yeah between the two. Yeah, we're I I use the I'm not supposed to but I use the words pretty interchangeably Because to me it's it's the same kind of thing. We just are designating the ddms as the measurable point And I think the other point I think the other aspect of that I could be wrong Laura will know this but The teachers get to choose what they wanted to use as the ddms I mean, so they they could they would choose whatever they wanted because if they're being essentially judged by What happens with the output? So you have an explanation. Yeah, I think your explanation was very good the teachers are and very much involved in the in the selection of the these ddms as they are with all of our common assessments and in fact in English language arts, we've done these prompts for years and I I I know from talking with teachers they do feel that they can see growth Because there was there was they were graded on a common rubric and you can see what the points are and we've kept that data And people can look at it and see So there's a you know a specific to writing prompts Corrected by this rubric is really not a major seismic change and how we've been operating in our in our writing program at all I will say one other thing about ddms is that they're they're not trivial So we're looking even though the teachers select them. We're looking at what are the most important skills or Dispers, you know Understandings that you want students to to show progress with the year so you're not doing a something just to fill this requirement and I would say that in all of the ones that have been selected To this point Really, there's a lot of thought has gone into them and I think that they're very reflective of some of the key Standards and that in that curriculum and I don't know if Laura wanted to add anything to that comment as well Yeah, I would I would agree that As we have the we have a ddm task force and that's a question We keep coming back is is this the most important thing that you cover in this subject in this grade Because those are things we keep going back to meaningful and manageable We want it to be meaningful to the teachers the data that they get because we don't want to do something just to Cross-up a list for the state and we but we also want it to be manageable in terms of You know, we had a couple that were chosen for math that were a little daunting for teachers to get through and we We reallocated what we're gonna spend time on and the number of problems We're gonna cover to what the extent to the ddms and the common assessments informed students grades If it's a writing assignment, I mean what we're trying to do now is make all of these things integrated with All of the things that we're normally doing in a year So most of these things would be assignments and so they would count they're not bigger or not more or less Yeah, just be part because that's for English teachers particularly. That's the hardest part if Every extra piece of writing that an English teacher is asked to correct, you know Is is I mean just incalculable a number of hours to do that So we're we're trying to make sure that everything is valuable for every reason that needs to be valuable and do we We're using the ddms and the common assessments obviously to inform and improve practice are the common assessments You said earlier that the common assessments Came down from on high at one point in time Right and the concept that So now they don't right now now they're written by teachers themselves our work this year and our work continuing next year and Probably it will take another couple of years is to make sure that for any Let's say we decide that we're going to do three common assessments in a particularly Let's say grade 11 and one of them is going to be in November and one of them is going to be in January One is one's going to be in March so Every teacher is not teaching great Gaspi in at one point so we can't have a common assessment That's on great Gatsby so what we've decided to do is to for every major piece of literature that we teach We will have constructed one or two or possibly more Prompts that could be used as common assessments that could be corrected on that rubric and so anything Can be a common assessment and we can still have the discussion because the rubric remains the same The things we're trying to do remain the same so suddenly Rather than having these disjointed things that we're going to do this test now But it doesn't connect anything. I'm teaching in the classroom suddenly we have something that It's of a piece, you know, and it's like it makes it's it's so exciting that I can barely stand to say it I mean, it's like you look excited You know only English teachers can get excited about this sort of thing but it it is just It needed to make sense and it hadn't made it hadn't made sense in that whole way before so I got it. Thank you I just the only question I had was on here. It says 11th grade MCAS right What we've what we've agreed is that we can that the 11th grade teachers can look back at their students who took The 10th grade MCAS and use those scores because this is a measure growth and so No, no, no, you're right. It makes no sense Like he was so excited. There was no MCAS. I was like, oh, when do you have MCAS? He's like Well Unfortunately, you know, I've been thinking a lot about this. It's part of my day job. So I tend to look critically at these things and Maybe I need to learn something here My understanding of DDMs is that we are looking to document growth and growth relative to the population Over the course of a year. Am I right? Okay And the DDM should be really central to the content area so that using Student growth percentiles on MCAS in grades six seven eight and ten Would tens a little more problematic because we're not testing in nine would seem to be Relatively good measures I'm wondering that grammar pre-test at the end of the year is that sort of The essential and how are we going to measure growth? Well, we have a we have a test at the beginning of the year to test what students know about a particular set of grammar skills And then a test at the end of the year to see if they have ownership of those the reason that There's two reasons why why grammar if your question is why grammar as opposed to something else We've spent the high school level probably three or four years on Making sure the teachers understood how grammar Became a part or is used as part of writing so there are certain There are certain Call them con concepts. I guess let's I'll give you one that In the hands of students who understand what they are Writing becomes stronger a good example is subordination So you can connect ideas with and or and or but or or and those ideas are equal As soon as you throw in a subordinate any conjunction like although or if or because Suddenly the two halves of the sentence are unequal one half has real strength. The other half is So as soon as kids begin to play with that idea or understand that's even possible Then the writing Can become stronger the obvious place that this that this is used is we're thinking about A thesis statement a thesis statement often has two halves to it one half the one You know, you really want people to pay attention to and the other half is isn't so As soon as we can teach students a concept like that Then we can give them practice time with it then we can begin to say on a piece of writing Okay, I need to see three underlined examples of Complex senses or I need to I need to see Participial phrases used blah blah blah we can begin to use that language. So it's like it's it's not so It's not dissimilar from any subject where there is a vocabulary That is there in order to help make things stronger or better understood or bigger So the vocabulary of writing tends to be grammatical issues So you're really looking to get some sort of a measure of the sophistication of the writing at various points The the common assessments. Yes Help us to do that and on the rubric that that you have some of that particular Well, it shows up in two places. It shows up in the place where kids Come up with a claim and then it shows up in the third category, which is about style So there are lots of ways to make a point And the more facility students have with how to manipulate language The better the points going to be made so if we can give those if we can give them tools and name the tools and say These are things you can use We will in fact have stronger writers They may still be clumsy writers, but they'll be stronger writers because They know how to use some of these things. So essentially what you're really trying to develop then is sort of a toolbox for kids in terms of applying that to this a more complicated discourse And and if you look at the AP test the AP Language test or if you look at the PSAT There are a lot of there's a lot of concern and also in the common core. There's a lot of concern about What's termed, you know language and how people understand the way language works? It's not Quite as straightforward as it always seems when we talk, you know, because we're kind of making things come out But in the hands of someone's really thinking about it There's lots of ways to play those games and so, you know and the more facility you have the more You know about it better you could be Okay anyone else I Have two parts the morning you mentioned that the rubric is still some tweaking our Have the correct phrase or yes, it is I'm sure that's what I said because I do say that I'm not trying to hold you to anything. Oh, no, no, no So we like the way it I particularly like the way it looks and many teachers like the way it looks right now a Couple people were concerned that the language looked in it was a little too sophisticated Okay, so that's just a matter of Someone convincing someone else my next question. I guess goes to dr. Morning. Dr. Cheson Is this rubric being considered or being used by other disciplines in their writing such as social studies or Science and stuff when they do in their projects not at this time But that is something that we're looking at doing down the line Miss Perry has started to work with Last summer worked with social studies and science teachers from Audison in the summer and professional development with them and is planning on doing so again this summer and When we develop it will not be helpful for them to use a rubric that they don't understand the vocabulary themselves I know I understand that but I mean I think I think it's so important that that language Expression and That's one of the complaints I hear on the college level that people writing things in in the sciences and stuff like that are very disjointed and Anyway You're absolutely right, and I think the vision really is to have a common language in the high school around writing so that what you talk about in terms of grammatical uses or style or That's the same kind of language that we talked about in social studies science math Health whatever Wherever students are being asked to write we don't want to see silos And it and I think that this is a great first step of doing that and I think other Other rubrics exists in departments. I Think just as we evolve with this we're going to see a little more commonality Because when you grade a writing project no matter what the discipline is you have to have some kind of guideline It in terms of how you're going to assess the the effectiveness of the argument or the organization of the paper I think it's important if a sixth grader I mean when you get into the 9th 10th 11th grade, you know exactly what they're gonna look at in my writing Yes, and I know that I got a two and I want a three or a four. This is how I get there and it's consistent That's our hope. Yeah. Thank you so much Yes, I just have a concern about that vision, which I I like That if other departments are expected to use the same rubric that they might feel sort of imposed upon that if they Hadn't had a say in creating it We might sort of feel like it doesn't quite fit their needs and there might need to be some more tweaking and adjusting and It's gonna get sort of common. It will take serious time and a lot of Compromise because I mean I've done this before and the way different disciplines approach writing Very different. Yeah, they are and so to find and everyone hates it if an English teacher says it So, I mean it just we can't you know, it's gonna take right like you can't be creative in scientific writing quite the same way As you are and exactly I just wanted to Kind of underline what miss Perry said an answer to your question mr. Thielman just to make sure it's clear In my mind and I think it's a common understanding on the people that have been working on this task force that district-determined measures are Really just common assessments. Yeah, that have been anointed through a negotiation process between teachers and the administration. They've been selected uniquely for the purposes of the teacher evaluation process So it's a it's a brand new thing common assessments aren't new but choosing which ones that will help determine kind of a teacher's Effect on student learning. That's the whole thing about DDMs That's so that's the difference. That's the distinction and I would call it, you know Next year is the first year that this is happening with the new evaluation system It's the beginning of they're looking for trends over a minimum of two preferably three years So this is something that we'll kind of see the effect of a couple years from now But really I think the way that the district is looking at it is common assessments are important We've known there that they're important before we still think they're important and The state is asking us to select a few to to look at in terms of a teacher's effect on students So we that's what we need to do, but that's the only distinction I got ma'am. My hope is that you know Rather than talking about this as a mandate from the state, which I I acknowledge that it is That we kind of own it, you know, we own it internally. It becomes our own thing and we just use it to improve our practice Mr. Chair, can I say one more thing? Yes And I do really feel like that's been the process up until now that You know like Miss Perry said we don't want and it's been underlined over there by dr. Buddy and dr. Cheson. We're not trying to make up New assessments just because we need to do it for the state Yeah, we're trying to look at what we're already doing and and use this process to maybe refine what we've been doing before But no one has suggested we do something uniquely for the purpose of of coming up with something for the state And so I think we are trying to use it to get better at what we're all already doing and to really make sure that it's Helping students learn to not just be a value judgment on you know teachers effect I think that's that's that's what I want to hear that That and the forefront for this whole conversation has been important to both sides So you know we appreciate the school committee support for that view as well good Thank you, Mr. Pierce. Good evening quick question on just what if you know the extent of the test time in school If it's going to increase or uptick because of the is there going to be added testing in schools because of this? It feels very much like we bounce from test-to-test and as part if part moves in you know That's just going to add to it But I think this plan that we've tried to that were that were coming up with that We can we know the time of year we want the common assessment and the common assessment can be something That's just piece of of what it is. We're teaching at that time. It doesn't seem extra. It doesn't seem added It's it's integrated. So in that sense, it's the work that we do, you know We're always there's always writing that students are doing and so we'll use that and and so I'm I it's my hope that that's going to make this all seem Seam seamless We all said Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you information that I just like to remind the public That mr. Coleman, although was on the agenda. He was not able to make it tonight for personal reasons Moving on for first read of the alley to public school district goals 2014-2015 dr. Bode Well, we have been in as we have in many years we've been in the process of developing the district goals In a collaborative process that involves administrators as well as school committee Just to remind people who are listening this evening the school committee developed a four overarching goals And these are the same goals we're using this year What is what we did this year? We've done in past years is we have strategic initiatives to further the Achievement of that goal and all of these goals are our Our goals that that are always ongoing Particularly in the areas well actually in all of these areas whether it's student achievement professional development infrastructure communication those are the broad categories so The the administrators had had met to talk about what was the sort of like the key strat strategic initiatives That they felt that we was the next step for the school district That was brought to a retreat the school committee gave up their Saturday And I think the public should know that you know the the level of dedication of this committee because We spent hours on a Saturday talking About goals for next year. In fact, I think there was mother agenda items. We never even got to so from that We had a draft, which is at your at your tables. I brought so the draft goals really represents The work of the administrators that I think that the school committee felt Was an important next step but is also what concerns of the school committee that we keep a focus on next year This draft from the retreat was brought to the administrative team Yesterday, and we also have some wordsmithing so I brought another draft Which has some of the wordsmithing that the it's really no dip. There's no change in the content or the the Yeah, the focus of the of the particular initiative But rather just some wordsmithing and you can I put it in bold so you can see it see if you like it This is only a first read tonight. In fact, we don't even have to wordsmith it at this meeting In fact, I think that wouldn't be such a great idea anyway, but To get some feedback over the next couple of weeks as we finally evolved to a final final form and DePerry left before I had a chance to thank her She was actually very helpful and in some of the wordsmithing here just making it stronger language And I appreciated that work So we put it up on an overhead here, and I think for those watching may want to I think we should For tonight's read at least go through them so everybody can hear what the initiatives are That's what you'd like just like to remind the committee that any feedback going to the superintendent understand that it's To the superintendent and not to be shared with each other it has to go directly to superintendent That input and in communication is permitted, but if you involve another member of the committee, it's not I just want to remind everybody As you go it is the bold meant to replace the text above it. Yes, okay That's exactly right. I understood how this was all right good Yeah, so I wanted you to see what we had and then what the change a proposed change would be And this may still get massaged a bit from other suggestions. I have a quick timing question So today's first reading which is May 22nd then June June 12th June 12th is the final. Yes, so we listen now We can talk about it and then we give you an input between now and June. Yes Got it just one of the time I'm glad you asked that question because it relates some and then I'm glad Linda's here tonight too because one of the agreements that we have with the teachers is That we will identify before the end of the school year What are going to be the main strategic initiatives for next year in part because teachers want to be over the summer either getting if they're deciding on a coursework or they're just thinking about Their their own goals for next year want to have a sort of a context in which to do that Because what we're going to be doing is lining these there's going to be a through line through the whole district what we're looking at as a Different initiatives at this district level will go to the school level will go to individual goals And that's why we need it by the end of the year and this is a little bit different than we've done in past years This year we're a little bit of a transition which and I think we're right in the rhythm of it right now good, okay? so With respect to the first goal student achievement The overarching goal and there's the language there for that particular goal the initiatives for next year Focus in several areas one is that we Want to evolve more into having more inquiry and experiential learning and real-world classroom experiences And to promote student engagement and a deeper understanding of the curriculum We already have done more of that but I that there is absolute unanimous Belief among administrators and and I and I think teachers that I've talked with would agree that that that is a direction We wanted to move We will we will do With all of these goal these initiatives is lay them out with action plans and outcomes and who's responsible right now It's just getting the the main ideas in place Let me just ask those the things that you just mentioned would they be become part of the initiatives Written in with the initiatives Well, they'll be this initiative will show different different ways that that will be that will be measured. Yeah. Thank you Another area is that we want to and this relates to the professional development as well provide teachers With more tools to deal with behavior or social emotional issues in classrooms because when Students are not regulated and aligned with the the the classroom It's very difficult for them to access the curriculum. So Students will also experience more supports in this area, but the the the flip side of that is that we're going to be able to work with help teachers just and just expand their own repertoire of of Strategies to work in a classroom the third strategy has initiative has to do with something we were talking about earlier and that is completing the district determined measures in all of the departments areas That did not pilot them this year or or identify their The two the two DDMs the next two are a Continuation really of the two goals that we had this year the first one Setting a goal for each school in the aggregate of having a cumulative PPI score of at least 75 Not only in the aggregate, but in all high-need subgroups That was it's sort of a carryover from this year to keep a focus on that and likewise the fifth strategy is a focus on In mathematics and English language arts that students will have a growth percentile of 51 or greater in those in those Grades that are tested with the state of accountability measure and we use the language state accountability measure because That is in flux this year's in and in 10th grade definitely will be an MCAS test and the other grades It We're going to be talking about this more at the June meeting, but whether we're going to do the park Which I think we've all Have a leaning toward but in any way this keeps a little bit more general because there will be MCAS and in fact The alt the alt exams that we use portfolio That we put together for MCAS alternative assessments those are also going to remain MCAS next year So that there's going to be mixed types of assessments So those are the main the main Strategies under goal one around student achievement That's the second goal, which is staff excellence and professional development The initiatives next year Will be the first one will be to continue to Support teachers with additional professional development for the implementation of the educator evaluation system There are there will still be some areas that we need to provide professional development next year as we continue in the implementation of this new system and And We'll do it with in fact There's going to be another module that might come out for next year that will will will make plans for how we Work with teachers on that The second one is that teachers and administrators provided professional development and planning time to be able to systematically and routinely use data to guide instructional decisions And meet student needs learning needs through this process We we do we Just like we were talking about doing common sense We we clearly look at data Teachers look at data for writing prompts. We look at MCAS data. We look at attendance data We look at a lot of different data and data some people think it's just it has to do with numeric data Sometimes it's observational So there are lots of ways that teachers use data to assess student growth In fact from the time schools began hundreds of years ago This has been the process But what we want to do next year, which is a little bit different is to have a more of a system-wide protocol and Structured time around how we would do this and then there's also the issue is which data Would be used and I think that will vary by Certainly by grade level as throughout the year, but in any rate It's a focus on this and it will involve providing more professional development and more time to do this to do this work The third strategy has to do with providing more professional development to enhance This this toolbox really to provide to expand enhance the capacity of teachers to address students social emotional needs the fourth initiative is That the district will provide professional development What we had from the retreat was to deepen content knowledge technology competence pedagogical skills and ability to differentiate differentiate instruction I actually do like the a new language that has been wordsmithed on this because one of the things that we also Want to acknowledge is that as we differentiate? profession Differentiate instruction for the learning needs of our students Likewise, we want to acknowledge that there's differences in in needs Among our staff for professional development. And so this language new language I would offer here is that Acknowledging that the professional development is aligned to the needs of the staff moving on and the last one with respect to professional development is Acknowledging that we we will continue Providing for teachers the the Department of Education Retail course that allows teachers to have SEI endorsement Next year the plan will be that we will have 60 additional teachers that will be provided this course There'll be 30 in the fall 30 in the spring and we will do this Into the third year. I think there's some There's some issues in how we're going to make sure that all the teachers that need this Course for certification receive the course Well, you've seen now that the course is no longer required, right? You just have to pass the test and one of the things that I've seen a lot of districts starting is study groups and because you can get all of the materials and so We're actually starting one with some of my peers in Lexington And so what we've done is we've kind of coerced someone who's taken the class to just show up once a week with us and Discuss the articles with us and kind of you know, they're not teaching us anything But we're just discussing the articles and she's giving us her Insight as to how the discussions went in the class and she has helped us to kind of come up with a Schedule of all the stuff that we have to get through, you know to kind of make it through I mean, obviously, we're not doing the coursework But we have to get through and understand kind of what the class was So just want to put that out there. It's something I think that a lot of districts are looking at now that All of the materials are available I think they have finally done the math and realized that there is no way we're going to meet their deadline Unless they start opening it up. So a lot of us who haven't been able I mean I've been wait listed in ten districts for two years. I can't get Into the course and so we finally, you know just said listen if they're gonna make all the materials available And I can take the test what I really need is someone who took the class just to help me a little bit And if we're all doing it, you know, there's about I think there's about eight of us who are gonna try to take the test So I just wanted to let you know that it's sounding like a lot of districts are starting to think about just you know It doesn't cost anything So the test yeah, we've all printed out the materials and we're just kind of gonna plug through them ourselves over the summer But kind of meeting occasionally to talk about them and so we look into some share. Yeah, exactly We would certainly not oppose that at all in fact to the extent that we could Thank you, Mr. Chair. All right, so those are the goals the strategic strategic initiatives under professional development with respect to goal three which is focuses on resources infrastructure and educational environment The first one is to evaluate the cleanliness and maintenance of the Alling to public schools facilities In order to present budget recommendations next year. I think that that will We'll need to look at that and it may be budget recommendations with respect to staffing We don't we really do have to take a look at that. I will say That since we have hired a day manager and an evening manager the schools across the board but particularly at the high school there's a noticeable difference and They could not be more cooperative with When particular things happen, but that doesn't mean that this isn't something we still need to do because We we may be faced with the fact that we really are understaffed and that's something we have to look at The second initiative is to complete a feasibility study for the Stratton elementary school That will have a plan to achieve facility parity with the other elementary schools And this plan will be presented to not only the school committee, but to the capital planning committee which will then Look at what could be the funding mechanisms to to have this happen So at this point we have selected as this is a side we have selected an architect Maybe I'll bring this up in the school committee report. I'll do that. Thank you. All right All right in number three. We're want to focus on Increasing structured common planning time for teachers. I think this is a particular need Actually more at the elementary in the high school The middle school Actually has more time planned for common planning than in any other level It just works with the way that the building scheduled Another one that we will talk a little bit about a lot actually is the enrollment growth in this district And we need to develop a plan For space related issues we are Going to be facing if enrollment continues to increase at this at this rate We're going to see some issues of space in a number of buildings and Then the fifth one is to continue to support the technology Implementation is outlined in the technology plan and expand the broadband broadband Connectivity between it and to all schools So those are the five there in goal for under operations communication and stakeholder engagement So there are four initiatives the first is one that is a repeat from this year and Robert already talked a bit about that is we want to improve the the Diversity of our staff so that it better reflects the diversity of our student population And the work we're doing well, it's an investment in the future and with the today's students tomorrow's teachers program Number two is something that was talked about in some subcommittees this year about creating a dashboard of District metrics that is available to all of us stakeholders And I think that we need have some we'll have some subcommittee meetings Probably a big community relations to focus on what are the metrics want to look at and how do we want to organize it? The other the third one has to do with a district website the district website is a tool for communication and There's clearly room for improvement There's been some changes more need to happen and that is going to Be a focus next year as well and then we will have public forum next year as the fourth initiative To communicate more information about the Common Core Massachusetts state standards We actually had one this year for math elementary mathematics, and I think it would be be great idea to have at least one other forum this this year on the Common Core and also To include in that the state assessments So it's a full it's actually a very ambitious agenda for next year but We're game for it I would ask the committee members to look over this and communicate with the superintendent and the timely manna give her an opportunity to react again the dialogue between you and her only and When you think we've got a consensus or somewhat In your perspective, we'd ask you to send it out to us so that we're prepared to have any further discussion at our next Looks like Don't want a second meeting in June. We're gonna have a full agenda, and we need to be well prepared What I would like is if you see the the new language than bold If you just would get back to me if you like it or You would alter it and that would be helpful too Thank you Moving on to the first read on the Allington public schools 2014 2015 school calendar We want to do an each piece in order school committee dates first We we as I said to you we had a Correction I think it's now in here double check Yeah, okay, so One of the discussions that we had in the policy committee Perhaps actually I should remember the policy committee should talk about this in terms of thinking about The dates because actually is a first read on a policy Yes, we had a meeting this week and We decided on dates that would be Thursday dates In the coming school year that would try to avoid the back-to-backs and to I think you'll see one Back-to-back in here in November sort of unavoidable because of the holiday at the end of the month but it was the consensus of the subcommittee that We've been doing Thursdays for a little while now. We like Thursdays we like the time element the 630 to 10 and and to make them Conjoined with the with the adoption of the school calendar every spring seems like a wise decision because then we're not You know Rescheduling or scheduling on the fly as the year goes on saying oh, you know We don't have a meeting this month. Let's let's schedule a special or let's schedule You know, so we've looked at it far enough in advance to hopefully avoid the forgettable consequence of having To get a new meeting on the on the calendar So what you see before you is the suggestions of the subcommittee for a Thursday school committee dates and a revised file be a Which would be well, I can read it now or I can wait till subcommittee report Yeah, it's a short paragraph The school committee shall schedule 20 regular meetings during each school year And I'd like to thank mr. Schlickman for coming up with the 20 Thursday rule Kind of reminds me Billy crystals something Sundays with his father. It was a really nice book Regular meetings shall be scheduled on Thursday evenings with specific dates to be set by a vote of the committee at the time of the Adoption of the annual school calendar regular meeting shall begin promptly at 6 30 p.m. And adjourned by 10 p.m. Unless the rules are suspended by 2 3rds vote of the members present a time shall be set by a majority vote of the Committee members present for the completion of the business Thank you just a potential Conflict and I say potential at least Two people present here tonight may be going to visit Japan and it may conflict with that first meeting in November But I think we should as far as I know we'll still have a Representation on the board unless other members are planning on going the weekend of November 8th and 9th is the Celebration and I go okay, so We're it's not on the week of a school committee meeting, so whether you I mean I thought it was a 10-day trip Well, I don't know how many days the trip is okay We'll deal with that when that comes out or exactly how they're aligning and I appreciate the recognition of the MESC You know one thing I want to point out the important language here is is Shall schedule 20 regular meetings, so you'll notice there's a meeting scheduled on June 25th 2015 if the committee decides We don't need it or there's not a quorum it might not take place So that's this verb is scheduled. We will not bound by the calendar. Absolutely emergencies come up We can adapt and we can add meetings to it right now. We schedule 20 meetings. Thank you That you all said with that that part of it And and these are these are the dates we carefully went through on the policy committee. Thank you for your work All right, we've we had a discussion last time about early release days now. This has been ongoing that it's It can be a burden for families to have the early release day So we took that to heart and in fact the number of elementary Early release days for next year is one less than this last year so You can see them on the counter. We have the same kind of notation as we've had if you see an EA That means it's an early release for all. I will tell you that for the Elementary it's already planned. We know exactly which curriculum area is going to be had But there are also some other Early releases that are or are building meetings that have been given for part of the professional development and or support For the educator evaluation system and the first one is the one on the 23rd of September Goal teachers have to have their goals For the year completed by October 1 and so this gives a chance for teachers to work on those goals And the reason why you need that the collab at the time is that many people do group goals In part of their PLC's and so it's an opportunity for them to get together and look at the data decide what they want to do Then after that pretty much they're all curriculum the One of the things that is new this year with respect to early releases is that the high school Has decided to to trade in an early release day so that they could have two delayed openings And the first of that they're the plan is to have one at the end of quarter one So after all the grades are in they can then sort of assess sort of a formative time where they people teaching the same course Can get together and talk about where we're going for the next quarter So there's one at the end of quarter one which is on the 17th of November and that is the the key for that is HSD and students would not Come in until 830 now that would not be true for our students from Boston. They will come in We're not going to change that we'll just have alternate programs for them during that time the the one nice thing about Late openings we know where all the kids will be until then So 930 not 830 right 930 930 the students would come in and then there would be a different Schedule they that they'll have a late opening day schedule When we look at going into December another type of early release besides curriculum is to look at conference times and We in order to get all of the conference times that we need for elementary we need to have two Two afternoons or two early release Afternoons, and then we're going to have an evening conference which will be on The I believe it's the 17th of December We ran these dates by the elementary principles because the progress reports will be done in late November They go out right before Thanksgiving so gives an opportunity many elementary teachers as parents know We'll also schedule before school But in terms of actually having structured time built in we need to have that kind of time at the height at the middle school They need at least nine hours, and so it's going to be we're gonna do something very different this year And we'll try and see if it works We're only gonna have one early release day And the fact all the levels high school middle and elementary will have an early release day on the 9th of December And that will be combined with after-school meeting time So we'll go to 3 30 now what the middle school is going to do differently this year Is they're going to have a morning conferences up to about 10 30 the students will be in school They'll be there we're gonna do programming for them because we often have all school assemblies and so we're gonna program that and you know, and they will be supervised by Personnel that are not having conferences So we'll see how that works, and then they're gonna have two evenings So the high the secondary level there were two evening conferences at The elementary level is going to be one and the reason we chose one is that the data this year showed that We could do it in one But we do keep an option for parents to do before school and And so the other there's contractually there are Three evening Activities that teachers can participate in and so this would give us a little bit more Freedom at the elementary level, but I think it works well in terms of what we saw from the data this year And then it's pretty much as we had talked about in past years. You can see the codes through this And the next high school delayed opening is not until February A lot of thought was put into the timing of these for example in March We we had feedback from teachers, but we also know from the assessment schedules that we we should not have Early release days too far into March because of the windows for state assessments We also if we move with park next year, we're probably going to need some training time for secondary teachers actually probably across the board on Test administration, so that was why we're putting that date early in March And otherwise it's pretty much as it has been but we were listening. We have one less elementary early release day Then we have in the past and as I said that each each has a each level has a different change The middle school will have a morning conference time and the high school will have two delayed openings and those are the big changes Do you want anything? No, you've covered everything Thank you very much Superintendents report. Oh, I'm sorry Couple questions First I want to commend the administration for listening to the feedback that you received about past calendars I'm delighted to read September is not sort of a stop start sort of month that we have had in recent months In recent years and we see sort of a through second to The first early release on the 23rd So I kind of like that you're starting the first month of school year and sort of a continuous fashion rather than a stop and start Herky-jerky sort of way What I'd really like to see going forward and perhaps this could be in conjunction with the upcoming negotiations with the Union Is some type of focus group or some type of survey as to what types of hours of a school day And what types of early release days are most beneficial to the working community And specifically as Ms. Seuss has pointed out before the part-time workers in our community And what I mean by that is I don't think and I don't I can't remember a survey or any type of focus group ever being done To inform a negotiations or a contract sort of process And I think it would be really really informative for us when we're Bargaining again to talk about well goodness, you know, we need all this professional development I think we all are in agreement about that and There's only so many hours per day But the way our system is laid out in terms of leaving It around two in the afternoon It's kind of an antiquated old-fashioned the sort of time for school to let out and I know other communities like I think Lexington perhaps or Bedford. They have longer School days to accommodate they have one one longer school day equates to one half day right release every week Right, so if that's consideration, so I think that's useful. What that's least useful If you had a half day every week What up, okay, what I'm trying to conceptualizing is is is adding hours So as to not Have as many as 11 for and I appreciate it go from from 12 to 11 and I say this every year I sound like a broken record But it it's really difficult especially on the same day and I love the consistency of it Being expected on the same day on a Tuesday every month, but what about the specials? Are they rotating specials? Are we doing that or are the kids just missing the same specials on on Tuesdays? As a teacher you cannot exclude your special teachers from curriculum discussion So if your students are in curriculum If your teachers fourth-grade teachers are all going you scheduled art music library and PE so you get four released classes at that time while I'm at special you need to somewhere along include those other people We can talk I think the idea of having a discussion is very important include all the people the teachers the union and the parents So but right now are we doing it? That's what I want to know right now. Are we like if is the student missing Jim every other Tuesday every month? for example how the Elementary that there's a variety of ways that they have dealt with that at elementary's and some they just have shortened periods some But it's in one school They they they rotate the Wednesday Thursday the Wednesday Tuesday. I Don't think that I think there are some schools that have not Completely solved the issue, but it's something that we are going to focus on because it isn't it isn't fair to have students missing It's a particular special and it's an issue with terms of professional Clem and planning time, but that we can make up in different ways But the specials are something that we cannot as easily so no we will look at that again and to your question about have we tried to Solicit input we have Well, I have an advisory committee for and I in fact one of the days conversation one of the afternoons was on professional development There was a survey. I think we'll need to do more the one thing that I am by dropping that extra day. I Am a little concerned about is that For the elementary in particular those days are really spoken for for curriculum needs And we would we do want teachers to have Some choice in terms of what they need to to have and so that is something that will remain a challenge within this structure and The choice may have to exist within The day or after school and things that they choose to to get professional development for But at the same time there are needs that you have in a school district to have a common curriculum across seven Elementary schools you need those do you need those common times when all grade three teachers and all the grades come together and So it's a it's a tension and a and a dilemma that We need to look at more closely On the calendar, so I'm looking at August 29th Okay, that is a no school day and a no teacher day correct. That's correct. So should have an N on it It makes it look like it's a school day. Yes That's all I just okay. It's just technical teachers only which is yes for the first two But then 29 does not have anything on it, which makes it look like a school day I just want to make sure that people are here. That's an N. It's a no school day No teachers know nothing so we should put an N on the 29th of August I just want to make sure that that We could do that so it doesn't give me that does say in the column in very tiny print the first day of school is September 2nd Yeah, I know but just having the teacher start. I think it's just a little bit Just yeah, it's good idea I just have a quick question actually So does this allow for the opportunity for more coming planning time or I know that there's a variety of times types of professional development that teachers have Common planning is one of the types So I'm wondering to what extent or is that something separate that is Done in a different way Sorry, that's very naive question, but just sort of to figure out the structure. No, it's actually a good question Not as much as the elementary Most of the PLC time will be at a meeting day though. I think there is there's no after school But at the secondary level the answer is yes, there are a couple of early release days, which is which is given over to Common planning time Because when you talk about professional learning communities, what that's a PLC refers to They tend to be grade level or course, you know course level or else, you know six grade science teachers are working on their plans and or Specific area might be data might be assessments. So The answer is yes, it exists and Sort of carefully look to make sure everything was balanced between building meetings department meetings curricular meetings all of that I Don't think it's perfect, but it's it was given a lot of thought I Think that what we're going to do common planning time as I said the middle school Is works well The high school is a huge challenge because just the way the schedule is and Our first attempt at that is with these delayed openings. It's a small attempt At the elementary level how that's being Done is that there's more There's been more instances this year of getting a substitute that would come in During the day and maybe go from different grade so that teachers can be Pulled off for an hour or two hours to work together Some of that's actually happened at the secondary level too where the teachers have given a whole day To to do some common planning and I think that's the way we're gonna have to do it more as it build it in embedded in Tonight we're not ready to vote this calendar. We know it's the first three That's Dr. Boone just one last comment to I think it's actually to judge point we actually gave a lot of thought to this for example Just after a vacation or after in December we're planning conferences First we had some conferences that first week after Thanksgiving during the day. We said wait We need to make sure when teachers get back and students get back They they get into the rhythm again have momentum before you then have another break And so we tried to do we did do that after every vacation just to have a solid week as much as we can because That kind of start and stop is hard. So yeah, the thought was there What I Did he's reminding me I said that was short it is short It is short this time well first of all I want to Congratulate the art department not only is we have these exhibits here, but there have been going art shows in every school and right now it's still open to see the art exhibit at Town Hall and as You were reading the description of what the art is I that you see this down at Town Hall There'll be a little descriptor of what what was the intent of the particular The particular piece of the genre of the art that's on display. There was a reception last night There were a lot of people there was just a constant stream of people and The the director was marveling at how much food disappeared But it was you it was huge success and congratulations to them last night we had another Concert here at the high school for the technology Course that does music tech I use Develop on the students write music using computers The today was also the math fair and This year rather than having 180 projects down the cafeteria they whittled it down So that we saw the best from each of the classes and they had some Wonderful projects as they have in the past and I would like to figure a way for you all to have an opportunity To see some of these though one will be that will invite you to the math Expo Which will be this I'll get you the date, but it's at the Waltham Natural history. No, no the Waltham Museum that's right on the river there that at any rate The math projects from all of the districts that the do math fairs in the focus on math consortium Will have a display of these projects. So it's the best 12 or 18. I don't know how many ended up selecting today They'll be on display there So that is Let me just double-check No, I said I was gonna be sure I know you did I did I said I was sure this is pretty much seniors last week They've been doing finals and That we had a very successful senior prom it was at the aquarium and it was by all accounts Wonderful, we didn't get emails from the superintendent. So it must have been a great. It was they had a wonderful time Great, it's great. So congratulations to all the students that that Enjoyed it, but also behaved very well. I Did not notice on the agenda. Do we need to vote for the scholarships? Okay, I didn't know if we need That's all This time I'm gonna do the consent agenda All list all items listed with an asterisk are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the committee so request in which event the item will be considered in It's normal sequence Approval of warrant warrant number one four one six two dated May 8th 2014 the amount of 363 thousand eight hundred twenty three dollars and forty four cents Approval of draft minutes May 8th 2014 Approval of Ida Robert scholarship for 2014 to the top two students with highest GPA Approval of grades 9 and 12 and community members to travel to Venice Florence of Rome April 2015 Proval of Arlington High School students performing arts cultural trip to southern Italy Sicily February 2015 second Any discussion all those in favor high yes, post Thank you Subcommittee liaison reports policies and procedure. Thank you. Mr. Chair. We had a great meeting first of this new Session on Monday, May 19th at 6 o'clock We discussed be a which was the regular school committee file and we'll have a second read of that at our next meeting We also reviewed prayer the policy What we are intending to do this coming year and what we're gonna focus on starting at our next meeting Which will be June 10th at 530 here in this room We're gonna continue on with the work that attorney Bryant and mr. Thielman and mr. Schluckman and the subcommittee last year was working on specifically on items having to do with And give me a second give me a second just to look at my notes We're gonna Look to the the new state law having to do a fingerprint printing requirements and we had hoped to have that for a first read tonight We had a couple Questions for for counsel on that suggested policy from MASC on the fingerprinting But we expect to have some answers to that if I may ask and I don't know Is that something we have to have in place the policy by July 1st? I don't think so I think it's the only reason I'm asking is if we have to we can suspend and do with The double read on in June if we have to I don't think you have to I don't I think you have to have a policy I think the fingerprinting is gonna continue The way we started will continue it the policy. I think if it's done in September in a time in that fine Thank you. That's fine. Sorry We're also gonna discuss policies having to do with reconsideration of instructional resources public complaints about curriculum Procedures of handling challenges tutoring guidelines And I'm missing one or two if you guys can remind me They're in our draft minutes somewhere, you know, but we're also What else did we discuss that night Forgive me guys Yeah, I think that's it any questions, but I would like to ask that You do copy me on any draft minutes future as the chair absolutely. Thank you. Yes budget miss Starks We have our next budget meeting on Monday, June 2nd at 5 30 our plan is to talk about pre-k and Also what we can do as far as making the budget Easier to understand for Community relations, mr. Schlickman. Okay, we are looking to have our first meeting of the The school committee year In the next week or two We'll negotiate a date tonight after this meeting. There are a couple things on the agenda We want to start talking about the dashboard. We'd like to also start thinking about overall communication strategy for the district and we also will be discussing a little bit of Possible adjustments in our relationships with Nagaoka kill we may be expanding our Work with the high school, so those are the three things that we'll be looking to talk about Curriculum instruction assessment the condibilities there anyone from that committee that has anything Thank you. Mr. Thielman of facilities. No, I think it's time Special study group with superintendents evaluation nothing at this time As the chair I would like to remind the members of the committee to please copy this Fitzgerald in any correspondence to the superintendent or anyone else if you get a correspondence from a parent or Constituent or anything, please just forward a copy of that so we have it and I think At this time in the Allington it we're going to enter executive session To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with the union and our non-union personnel or contract Negotiations with union or non-union which if you've held in an open meeting may have a detrimental effect It does discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining litigation if an in if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining Litigating positions of the public body and the chair so to clears Tonight we will be discussing the Allington Unit a evaluation Yes This may be the wrong time of it. I wanted to Suggest that we have a liaison to the vision 2020 education task force before we got it Let's we can do it next time. I wasn't sure the right timing of it, but okay. Is it too late? We'll talk about that Motion to enter executive session second Roll call vote Yes, yes, hi. Yes. Yes, hi For you, I apologize. We will not be coming out to take any but we will come up all that only the purpose to adjourn the meeting