Notes from the low-key ed programs meeting
March 13, 2012, 7:02 pm
42 Cross St
Present: Mark Niedergang, Maureen Bastardi, Christine Rafal, Vince McKay, Tony Pierantozzi
4 audience members
We discussed the three agenda items, these are kind of note-y in format…
- Middle Grades Improvements: What we learned from the update and questions…
In math, the implementation of the Common Core standards is coinciding with the 7th and final year of the current textbook cycle. So a committee of teachers and the administration has conducted an in-depth review of the middle school math program, and have narrowed down from 10 curricula to 3 possibilities. We can expect a recommendation for the new program in a month or so.
There is also a very active study group working to develop literacy maps and units of study for English Language Arts, also to align with the Common Core.
Social studies pacing guides, collaboration between high school and middle grades teacher so all rising 8th graders enter high school with consistent key skills.
Middle grades science partnerships; all 8th graders get to go to Biogen labs.
Aspirations teams, excitement about different kinds of student leadership opportunities. The Superintendent received compliments about our students who attended a regional conference. People from the Middlesex Partnerships for Youth (education/prevention arm of District Attorney’s office) remarked that our students were outstanding, well-behaved, courteous, and remarkable for their leadership, their comments and their participation. These were a very heterogeneous group of students and they are a different group from those who would be in student council.
Middle grades project work is going to go to the next level. This is a multi-media research project that is so important at this development level.
Q: In those schools where there is active student government, what is the relationship with Aspirations teams? How are we looking at student leadership in general?
A: it’s a both/and not an either/or situation. The Aspirations teams are completely focused on culture/climate within the building. Student council may be more involved in outside service or fundraising, etc….
Q: Has there been much emphasis on getting middle grades students out of the building for experiential learning or educational field trips or service learning?
A: We encourage this in many different ways, as with Biogen and the middle grades project at the Healey has been revamped around their service learning goals…I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a middle grades program that did more outside of school experiences.
Q: about extracurricular writing opportunities.
A: There is an active publishing group at the Healey due to the long-term energy of an active volunteer. There has sometimes been a student newspaper at the Winter Hill. There is some student writing in school newsletters, like Next Wave. But there could be more.
Q: about standardizing middle grades experience—on the one hand it’s good to have differences so people can make meaningful choices—like the special music electives at the Argenziano middle grades–but on the other hand, you have to choose.
Q: about peer mediation: some schools have it and it seems like a leadership as well as a service opportunity.
A: We meet the needs for mediation/intervention in a variety of ways at each school. The larger schools have had staff to train students in peer mediation. As for the music electives at the Argenziano, that was just a pilot where students were grouped for all their specialist classes according to their music interests. It has not only allowed the music program to do more, but it hasn’t had a downside at all in the other specialist classes so it will be considered as the new schedule has to be designed to incorporate foreign language and academic intervention classes.
Q: Will the new math program enable 8th graders to take algebra 1?
A: Yes. But also the Common Core standards call for algebra 1 concepts to be infused throughout 6th- 7th- and 8th grade math. Eventually, it is possible that students who do very well in 7th and 8th grade math could go directly to Algebra 2 in high school.
Check for audience questions.
Q: Extent to which e-portfolios are incorporated into the middle grades. Can they bring their middle grades project to put into their eportfolio?
A: E-portfolios begin in 9th grade. Students in the summer transitional program can set their e-portfolios up then. Yes, they can capture their projects and store them on the e-portfolio, that is what it is for. Originally the thinking was that doing a multimedia project in the middle grades would serve as some training for working with the eportfolio.
2. How to support Innovation School Planning
Update about the Winter Hill. Strong partnerships with STA. Pace and process led by the teachers. They’re going first. Being very thoughtful about process. For example how to choose the teachers to be on the planning team.
Q: happy to hear about the other ideas the other schools might be considering and what kind of support the School Committee might be able to give them.
Discussed field trips to model schools.
Q: time line. Can it be designated an Innovation School even as rollout and planning might continue?
A: No a detailed and thoughtful plan needs to be set. The process has to take its own natural progression. No advantage to pressure. Plan has to be submitted to Superintendent and he has to verify that it meets the DESE criteria for an Innovation school. Teachers have to vote to want to do it. The School Committee has to approve it. The DESE has to review and accept the Innovation Plan. Sept 2012 is a reach but who knows it may take off. WHCS are being the pathfinders.
Q: Does the p/g community know?
A: Some communication. A forum is being planned. Difficult decision about when to inform. How early in the process? Because the process may stop. But you also want people to feel involved.
More discussion about letting go and trusting teachers to do the planning. Unless the SC wants to start an Innovation School. Lots of different groups can.
3. Possible models for Innovation Schools. Place-based education and 21st century skills…
Introduced the topic didn’t really get very far. Mr. Harel mentioned before that he had worked with one of the seminal authors on place-based education and he would be happy to talk about it but he couldn’t make the meeting that night. Mention of other models. More interested in results, improved student learning than in actual methods/models. Superintendent wanted to separate skills from frameworks. Skills are delivered regardless of the model.
Idea of expanding tutoring programming or of Extended Learning Time came up. Superintendent could bring the School Committee plan for non-mandated extensions, provided in a variety of ways. Other examples of tutoring/volunteering…like our own Foster Grandparent program. There are significant numbers of parents who don’t want ELT, so it really cannot be mandated. The real place that ELT had an impact across the state was in the middle grades, so maybe that could be an Innovation School. The concept is on the table at WHCS. The concept of flextime might be more beneficial and even more affordable.
We didn’t make any motions.
Adjourned 8:05pm
