Yesterday's snowstorm provided a great opportunity to catch up on a little reading. This article was called to my attention and I found it really interesting:
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/01/programmer_privilege_as_an_asian_male_computer_science_major_everyone_gave.html.
How many of us hear (or make?) statements like "s/he can't <fill in skill/ability/occupation here> because s/he is <fill in race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, etc. here>?" that assert that an individual is less capable than a potential alternative with the opposite trait(s). This article considers the opposite side of the coin, referencing "the privilege of implicit endorsement." What if you were considered more capable because of your personal profile?
In keeping with this theme, to what extent do schools rely on stereotypes to place students in courses? Do we put the "bad kids" in certain classes? What about the "dumb" kids? Back in the day that's just the way it was but we've come a very long way since then. At Tuesday night's School Committee meeting there was a great deal of discussion around placing students in the best course level for their unique skills and abilities based on quality criteria, as well as encouraging them to challenge themselves. If a high school student is doing well but not excelling in mathematics, perhaps the most appropriate level is CP. That's where they have the best chance of being successful without drowning. But if that same student is excelling in English, perhaps an AP course is the right fit. Our schools do not (and will not) put students on an academic track - those days are gone. Supt. Taymore talks constantly about upping the rigor for all students, and I like what I'm hearing from middle school and high school administrators about carefully placing each and every student in the right class at the right level. If you have questions about the right placement for your child, please reach out to the school's guidance department or principal and talk with them about it - when parents and schools are on the same page regarding a child's placement, the student gains not only the right skills, but greater confidence and self-esteem - something we all want for our adults-in-training!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
School Committee Meeting of February 4th, 2014
A special School Committee meeting was held last night for administrators to present a recommended 2014-2015 Middle School schedule and 2014-2015 High School Program of Studies (along with a couple other items of note). Please check out the IQM2 portion of the School Committee section on the melroseschools website for full presentations and back-up material but here are some of my take-aways:
* E-Camp: As promised by Supt. Taymore, the elementary schools have a much more consistent and aligned approach to 5th grade environmental camp this year, with all students attending in early April (prior to the Science MCAS), similar curricula, and appropriate opportunities for science immersion in the school if a student chooses not to attend. There are still some kinks to work out, but much progress has been made.
* A Statement of Interest will be submitted to the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) to request approval and 50% funding to replace all windows at the Hoover School (since the windows are original to the 1965 building, are single pane, and are covered with metal cages making egress very difficult in case of emergency). Rough estimates show that the city might incur a $250K expense and the project, if approved, could be complete 18 months after approval.
* The Middle School will be taking on a new schedule that increases time-on-learning, allows alignment to the HS schedule so students who need more challenge could take a course there, adds two minutes to the lunch period, removes school assemblies from core class time, aligns to the School Improvement Plan, allows for more in-depth and rigorous coursework, incurs fewer transitions from class-to-class during the school day, and allows for vertical teaming (i.e. teachers from different grades in the same subject can meet for planning purposes). Latin can now be offered to interested 8th grade students at MHS. Homework might change by having fewer assignments that have greater depth (requiring the same amount of homework time but in a more meaningful way).
* The High School plans to offer a number of new courses, like Intro to Piano and Guitar, Public Speaking, AP Bio and AP European History (both for freshman), Forensics, and a wide variety of others. (As a rule, electives are offered but enrollment determines whether they are implemented.) Several new pathways are offered too, which allow students who have a specific interest to pursue greater depth of study in that topic. Presenters highlighted the fact that we as a school community often need to push students a little past their comfort zone, so when recognizing excellence in a subject area, students should receive encouragement and support to pursue a course with a higher level of challenge. By the same token, we as parents need to be thoughtful about using override authority in courses where our children may truly struggle. The key is finding the best placement for each student in each subject area so that when they graduate, they are college and/or career-ready.
Special thanks to our MHS Student Representatives who provided candid and thoughtful insight about both the Middle School and High School proposals. In addition, warm thanks to the administrators and teachers who spent a great deal of time researching, surveying staff and students, and grappling with the opportunities and challenges of providing high-quality scheduling in the interest of supporting students. Please contact the building principal if you have questions about any of the information presented, and as always, thanks for your commitment to our wonderful school community!
* E-Camp: As promised by Supt. Taymore, the elementary schools have a much more consistent and aligned approach to 5th grade environmental camp this year, with all students attending in early April (prior to the Science MCAS), similar curricula, and appropriate opportunities for science immersion in the school if a student chooses not to attend. There are still some kinks to work out, but much progress has been made.
* A Statement of Interest will be submitted to the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) to request approval and 50% funding to replace all windows at the Hoover School (since the windows are original to the 1965 building, are single pane, and are covered with metal cages making egress very difficult in case of emergency). Rough estimates show that the city might incur a $250K expense and the project, if approved, could be complete 18 months after approval.
* The Middle School will be taking on a new schedule that increases time-on-learning, allows alignment to the HS schedule so students who need more challenge could take a course there, adds two minutes to the lunch period, removes school assemblies from core class time, aligns to the School Improvement Plan, allows for more in-depth and rigorous coursework, incurs fewer transitions from class-to-class during the school day, and allows for vertical teaming (i.e. teachers from different grades in the same subject can meet for planning purposes). Latin can now be offered to interested 8th grade students at MHS. Homework might change by having fewer assignments that have greater depth (requiring the same amount of homework time but in a more meaningful way).
* The High School plans to offer a number of new courses, like Intro to Piano and Guitar, Public Speaking, AP Bio and AP European History (both for freshman), Forensics, and a wide variety of others. (As a rule, electives are offered but enrollment determines whether they are implemented.) Several new pathways are offered too, which allow students who have a specific interest to pursue greater depth of study in that topic. Presenters highlighted the fact that we as a school community often need to push students a little past their comfort zone, so when recognizing excellence in a subject area, students should receive encouragement and support to pursue a course with a higher level of challenge. By the same token, we as parents need to be thoughtful about using override authority in courses where our children may truly struggle. The key is finding the best placement for each student in each subject area so that when they graduate, they are college and/or career-ready.
Special thanks to our MHS Student Representatives who provided candid and thoughtful insight about both the Middle School and High School proposals. In addition, warm thanks to the administrators and teachers who spent a great deal of time researching, surveying staff and students, and grappling with the opportunities and challenges of providing high-quality scheduling in the interest of supporting students. Please contact the building principal if you have questions about any of the information presented, and as always, thanks for your commitment to our wonderful school community!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
PARCC Pushback
One of the major challenges of piloting and potential implementation of PARCC (a computer-based assessment tool that aligns with Common Core standards) is the cost and logistics of implementing the requisite technology. It looks like the PARCC pilots (including those in Melrose) are still on for spring and that the two-year evaluation plan remains as is; but it's clear that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as well as its boss, the Board of Education, is getting significant push-back from not only superintendents, but legislators as well. Masslive.com has reported that State Senator Brewer from Barre has heard from many superintendents who are struggling with this issue, and suggests that funding could be addressed by setting up a bond fund similar to the one used to build new school facilities (the Mass. School Building Authority, aka the MSBA). Check out the article here: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/01/secretary_malone.html.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
School Committee Meeting - January 28th, 2014
The Committee met last night in a brisk Alderman's Chamber, welcoming our newest member Jessica Dugan, and covering a number of diverse topics. (Don't forget - all the documents are on the IQM2 portal on the School Committee section of melroseschools.com.) Here are some highlights:
* A group of about 25 MHS Spanish students will be headed to Valencia, Spain over February vacation for the visit part of their exchange.
* Line-item revenue and grant predictions for next year are out: the bottom line is expected to drop about $87K in FY15 (about 5%) compared with the current year. Supt. Taymore and her staff are following this information closely.
* This fall, about 41% of high school students participated in an MHS sport while about 32% of students participated in a winter sport. Best of all, GPA's for student athletes ranged from 3.01 to 3.69, from which one could infer that engaged and active students make for high-performing academic students. Great job Red Raiders!
* As MVMMS Principal Mr. Brow is planning to retire at the end of this school year, Supt. Taymore is in the process of forming a search committee. Interested in participating? The committee will include two parents (chosen by the Site Council) and one community member chosen by Supt. Taymore.
* The Committee completed its legal duty to assess the Superintendent's mid-year performance and found her to be "On-Target" with respect to her four goals.
* Using samples from other districts, thinking about our December self-assessment, and forming our own ideas based on thoughts around the community, we brainstormed some district goals from which the Superintendent can set goals for herself and staff later this year. Chair Kristin Thorp is compiling our ideas in order for us to have a more focused discussion in the future. (We will invite a representative from the Mass. Assoc. of School Committees in for an hour prior to two upcoming meetings to talk in general terms about framing our work and monitoring its progress. The community is welcomed to attend.)
Most importantly, thank you so much for all you do to help and support Melrose students!
* A group of about 25 MHS Spanish students will be headed to Valencia, Spain over February vacation for the visit part of their exchange.
* Line-item revenue and grant predictions for next year are out: the bottom line is expected to drop about $87K in FY15 (about 5%) compared with the current year. Supt. Taymore and her staff are following this information closely.
* This fall, about 41% of high school students participated in an MHS sport while about 32% of students participated in a winter sport. Best of all, GPA's for student athletes ranged from 3.01 to 3.69, from which one could infer that engaged and active students make for high-performing academic students. Great job Red Raiders!
* As MVMMS Principal Mr. Brow is planning to retire at the end of this school year, Supt. Taymore is in the process of forming a search committee. Interested in participating? The committee will include two parents (chosen by the Site Council) and one community member chosen by Supt. Taymore.
* The Committee completed its legal duty to assess the Superintendent's mid-year performance and found her to be "On-Target" with respect to her four goals.
* Using samples from other districts, thinking about our December self-assessment, and forming our own ideas based on thoughts around the community, we brainstormed some district goals from which the Superintendent can set goals for herself and staff later this year. Chair Kristin Thorp is compiling our ideas in order for us to have a more focused discussion in the future. (We will invite a representative from the Mass. Assoc. of School Committees in for an hour prior to two upcoming meetings to talk in general terms about framing our work and monitoring its progress. The community is welcomed to attend.)
Most importantly, thank you so much for all you do to help and support Melrose students!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Looking at "Condition of Education in the Commonwealth"
The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy is an "independent non-profit organization committed to addressing the critical challenges of reforming education in Massachusetts," and publishes an annual report entitled "Condition of Education in the Commonwealth." This year's report was released very recently and it uses data that it says measures the things that state policy is trying to impact, with the goal of increasing conversation around whether reforms are working (and to what extent) as well as "potential strategies for improving student learning outcomes." (The report is only a few pages, has lots of visuals, and can be found here:
http://www.renniecenter.org/research/COE_2013DataReport.pdf.)
As the state and district become more sophisticated in their collection and use of data, we need to think more about how to better employ data in our policy-making and other School Committee functions in Melrose. First we have to ask the right questions regarding the problems we need to solve, then determine what data is needed and where to get it. Then we can use it more effectively to focus expectations around how and why our administration can improve teaching and learning in both the short and long term. This effort is best done collaboratively with a clear understanding around roles and responsibilities, and within a reasonable timeframe. Reports like those produced by the Rennie Center are helpful benchmarks to expand our own conversations about what how our policies can support high-quality education for our own students.
http://www.renniecenter.org/research/COE_2013DataReport.pdf.)
As the state and district become more sophisticated in their collection and use of data, we need to think more about how to better employ data in our policy-making and other School Committee functions in Melrose. First we have to ask the right questions regarding the problems we need to solve, then determine what data is needed and where to get it. Then we can use it more effectively to focus expectations around how and why our administration can improve teaching and learning in both the short and long term. This effort is best done collaboratively with a clear understanding around roles and responsibilities, and within a reasonable timeframe. Reports like those produced by the Rennie Center are helpful benchmarks to expand our own conversations about what how our policies can support high-quality education for our own students.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
School Budget 101
Last night's School Budget 101 forum, hosted by the Melrose Education Foundation, the Melrose Public Schools, and the City of Melrose was an enlightening look into sources of revenue for the city and schools, along with expenditures for both. Some key financial goals include maintaining a balanced city budget (required by law) and one that is stable (employing the policy that no more than 5% of the city budget is devoted to loan payments on our bonds), while using bonded money to pay for one-time expenditures only (so that we aren't borrowing money to meet day-to-day expenses). Challenges for our city include managing expenditures given limited opportunities to expand revenue, health care costs, moving toward a greener/cleaner energy protocol, maintaining pension system funding, managing our debt/bond rating, regionalizing to maximize efficiencies, being aggressive about state grants, and being innovative (like privatizing trash and having the DPW absorb the schools' custodians).
On the school side, 86% of expenditures are for staff salaries while 10% are for contracted services (like special education tuitions/transportation), 2% is for athletics, 1.5% is for supplies and materials, and the rest is for technology. Managing a tight budget means working to add revenue (like instituting school choice and renting facilities), and creatively addressing costs (like reorganizing some paraprofessional staff and charging fees to pay for part of music and athletics expenses). Challenges include addressing unfunded mandates (like collecting state-required data and aligning our curriculum with the Common Core); using technology in teaching and learning (adding technology for the new PARCC exams, paying for software licenses, etc.); training teachers to do all of the above and more; and the uncertainty around special education budgeting. Additional pressing needs include providing teachers more time to work and learn together (since that is proven to increase student achievement), social/emotional support for students (by way of school adjustment counselors), and infrastructure at Melrose High School.
Learn more! Check out the Powerpoint here: http://mayordolansblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/school-budget-forum-the-presentation/#more-3057 and watch for the replay of the forum on MMTV. Then come to the School Committee meeting on January 14th where you are invited to share where you would like to see district money spent in the FY 15 budget.
On the school side, 86% of expenditures are for staff salaries while 10% are for contracted services (like special education tuitions/transportation), 2% is for athletics, 1.5% is for supplies and materials, and the rest is for technology. Managing a tight budget means working to add revenue (like instituting school choice and renting facilities), and creatively addressing costs (like reorganizing some paraprofessional staff and charging fees to pay for part of music and athletics expenses). Challenges include addressing unfunded mandates (like collecting state-required data and aligning our curriculum with the Common Core); using technology in teaching and learning (adding technology for the new PARCC exams, paying for software licenses, etc.); training teachers to do all of the above and more; and the uncertainty around special education budgeting. Additional pressing needs include providing teachers more time to work and learn together (since that is proven to increase student achievement), social/emotional support for students (by way of school adjustment counselors), and infrastructure at Melrose High School.
Learn more! Check out the Powerpoint here: http://mayordolansblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/school-budget-forum-the-presentation/#more-3057 and watch for the replay of the forum on MMTV. Then come to the School Committee meeting on January 14th where you are invited to share where you would like to see district money spent in the FY 15 budget.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Standardized Tests - Where is MHS in the Mix?
At last week's School Committee meeting we had a spirited discussion around standardized testing at the high school level, most notably the SAT, ACT, and AP exams. Results are in last week's packet: http://melrosecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1245 (under 5.A.1.a.).
It was agreed that SAT scores are not where we want them, and Mayor Dolan pledged to financially support a summer prep class for the SAT through the Rec. Department. In addition, teachers are working SAT questions into their courses so students will have more practice throughout the year in preparation for the test. The ACT's, which differ from SAT's in that the ACT is content-based while the SAT is reasoning-based, are taken less frequently but most schools will accept either and some students naturally perform better on one than the other. The Guidance Dept. recommends that students take both and determine which works best for them, then consider using that score for college applications. Our ACT scores have been relatively static.
MHS offers a variety of AP classes as well as individual Virtual High School opportunities (for students who may uniquely find a topic appealing or useful to their future plans). Our AP exam scores reflect mixed results over time and it was made clear last Tuesday that we all want our students to prepare and perform as well as possible. When compared with other similar communities (ref: the DESE web site) our scores look unimpressive, but the devil is in the details. The AP philosophy at MHS is that every student who seeks the rigor of an AP class and who is willing to do the work has the opportunity to enroll. In addition, by virtue of enrolling, the student also agrees to take the exam in May so we have virtually 100% participation on test day. Test day also includes students who weren't enrolled in the class but choose to self-study and take on the challenge the test brings. Conversely, many similar communities screen students to allow only those who meet selected criteria to enroll in the class, and don't allow opting out of the test or opting in if not enrolled in the class. As such, their aggregate test scores are likely higher. A recent New York Times article speaks to accessing AP courses, specifically by a diverse group of students (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/27/us/pulling-a-more-diverse-group-of-achievers-into-the-advanced-placement-pool.html?_r=1&).
My opinion? Continue to support access for as many students who want to take the AP challenge as possible, and provide AP teachers with the most training and resources that we can afford. Encouraging continued employment of this MHS philosophy not only speaks to national, state, and Melrose emphasis on rigor and accountability to ensure that all students are college and career ready, but it also reinforces important life skills like taking on a new challenge, hard work, and perseverance. (And if they end up with college credits to take with them on their journey, all the better!)
It was agreed that SAT scores are not where we want them, and Mayor Dolan pledged to financially support a summer prep class for the SAT through the Rec. Department. In addition, teachers are working SAT questions into their courses so students will have more practice throughout the year in preparation for the test. The ACT's, which differ from SAT's in that the ACT is content-based while the SAT is reasoning-based, are taken less frequently but most schools will accept either and some students naturally perform better on one than the other. The Guidance Dept. recommends that students take both and determine which works best for them, then consider using that score for college applications. Our ACT scores have been relatively static.
MHS offers a variety of AP classes as well as individual Virtual High School opportunities (for students who may uniquely find a topic appealing or useful to their future plans). Our AP exam scores reflect mixed results over time and it was made clear last Tuesday that we all want our students to prepare and perform as well as possible. When compared with other similar communities (ref: the DESE web site) our scores look unimpressive, but the devil is in the details. The AP philosophy at MHS is that every student who seeks the rigor of an AP class and who is willing to do the work has the opportunity to enroll. In addition, by virtue of enrolling, the student also agrees to take the exam in May so we have virtually 100% participation on test day. Test day also includes students who weren't enrolled in the class but choose to self-study and take on the challenge the test brings. Conversely, many similar communities screen students to allow only those who meet selected criteria to enroll in the class, and don't allow opting out of the test or opting in if not enrolled in the class. As such, their aggregate test scores are likely higher. A recent New York Times article speaks to accessing AP courses, specifically by a diverse group of students (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/27/us/pulling-a-more-diverse-group-of-achievers-into-the-advanced-placement-pool.html?_r=1&).
My opinion? Continue to support access for as many students who want to take the AP challenge as possible, and provide AP teachers with the most training and resources that we can afford. Encouraging continued employment of this MHS philosophy not only speaks to national, state, and Melrose emphasis on rigor and accountability to ensure that all students are college and career ready, but it also reinforces important life skills like taking on a new challenge, hard work, and perseverance. (And if they end up with college credits to take with them on their journey, all the better!)
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