School Committee

LOWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA Date: 2013-01-02 Time: 7:00 PM Location: City Council Chamber 375 Merrimack Street, 2nd Floor, Lowell, MA SALUTE TO FLAG: 1. SALUTE TO FLAG: ROLL CALL: 2. ROLL CALL: MINUTES: 3. 2012 / 577 Approval of the Minutes of the Regularly Scheduled School Committee Meeting of Wednesday, December 19, 2012. MEMORIALS: 4. 2012 / 585 John F. Beaton, Lowell High School Cheerleading Coach. MOTIONS: 5. 2012 / 570 [by Kim Scott]: Request the Superintendent provide copies of all social studies, science, and allied arts curriculum being followed by all schools K-8 and provide recommendations for improvement/changes that will ensure consistency between all schools. 6. 2012 / 571 [by Kim Scott]: Request the Superintendent provide a link to the current school committee policy manual and all employment contracts online. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 2 of 4) 7. 2012 / 572 [by Kim Scott]: Request the Superintendent report on the feasibility of setting up a YouTube education account for all of our schools and/or all other options for setting up an easily accessible video library for the district with tutorials and professional development videos that can be shared. 8. 2012 / 573 [by Kim Scott and Kristin Ross-Sitcawich]: Request the Superintendent invite all of the PTO groups in Lowell to a city wide PTO sandbox meeting. The purpose would be to share ideas that work to increase parent involvement and enrichment for children and to come up with ideas to help build PTO involvement in under served and under-represented schools. 9. 2012 / 574 [by Robert Gignac]: To request the Superintendent report to the Committee what impact the state budget cuts will have on our current FY13 Budget. 10. 2012 / 576 [by James Leary]: Request the Superintendent provide a status update on the motion passed by the School Committee regarding reopening the discussion with The Lowell Plan, Friends of Lowell High School, Lowell High School Administrative and Facility staff, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Middlesex Community College, City Administration and other Community parties, as it relates to the future facility and budget needs of Lowell High School. The discussion would include, but not be limited to, updating science laboratories, classroom technology and future student educational facility needs. 11. 2012 / 586 [by James Leary]: Request the Superintendent report on the anticipated health trust fund balance as well as the portion and timing of funds to be directed back to the School Department. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 3 of 4) 12. 2012 / 588 [by Kristin Ross-Sitcawich & Kimberly Scott]: Request the Superintendent provide a report on the age and efficiency of the heating sytems at all schools, current system issues, whether or not there is a way for school staff to override the systems when needed, and the plans and timeline which we will resolve any ongoing issues. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT: 13. 2012 / 578 Annual Report of the David J. McHugh Alternative Middle School Bridge Program 14. 2012 / 587 Superintendent's Parent Advisory Board Update CONVENTION/CONFERENCE REQUESTS: 15. 2012 / 581 Lowell High School teacher Jennifer Bauer to attend the Appalachian Mountain Club's Youth Opportunities Program Winter Exploration Workshop from Friday, February 1 through Sunday, February 3, 2013 in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The only cost will be $100 for a substitute teacher, paid by LHS Individual School funds. 16. 2012 / 582 Lowell High School Ireland February Vacation 2013 Trip which was previously approved at the April 18, 2012 meeting: Updates and Changes are: 15 students will be traveling; Daniel Murphy is no longer attending/chaperoning; the only cost is $100 for one substitute teacher paid by the LHS Individual School Funds. 17. 2012 / 583 Lowell High School teacher Michael Arwe to travel to Italy with a group of LHS students and staff during April 2014 school vacation. Approximately 36 students and six coried chaperones will travel. More details will be presented for approval at a 2014 school committee meeting. There is no cost to the School Department budget. COMMUNICATIONS: 18. 2012 / 584 Thank you note from Bartlett School Principal Grace Wai regarding Councilor John Leahy's generosity in distributing a hard cover book to each second grade student after he read aloud to the class at the school. PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL: Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 4 of 4) 19. 2012 / 580 The Members of the United Teachers of Lowell hereby request to donate four [4] sick leave days to Michael Cappotto, Morey School Custodian. CIVIL SERVICE: 20. 2012 / 579 The members of SEIU Local 888 Lowell School Clerks hereby request to donate ten [10] sick days to Ivette Roque, Family Resource Center clerk. ADJOURNMENT: 21. ADJOURNMENT: Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  LOWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, December 19, 2012 TIME 7:02 PM SALUTE TO FLAG: 1. - SALUTE TO FLAG: ROLL CALL: 2. - ROLL CALL: On a roll calls at 7:02 p.m., members present were, namely: Mr. Conway, Mr. Gignac, Mr. Leary, Ms. Martin, Mayor/Chairman Murphy and Ms. Ross-Sitcawich. Ms. Scott was absent. MINUTES: 3. 2012 / 557 - Approval of the Minutes of the Regularly Scheduled Meeting of Wednesday, December 5, 2012 VOTING Motion by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 2 of 16) MEMORIALS: 4. 2012 / 558 - Dolores L. Lemieux, mother of Lisa McHugh, Lowell High School clerk scheduler. Florence Gleason Charlton, mother of Molly Sheehy, retired Middlesex Community College Dean and grandmother of Anne Sheehy, Moody School teacher. Dr. Patrick J. Mogan, former Superintendent of Schools and Father of the Lowell National Historical Park. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 5. 2012 / 566 - Ratification of M.O.A. with U.T.L. – Murkland Elementary School Level 4 Agreement VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 3 of 16) MOTIONS: 6. 2012 / 559 - [by Kristin Ross-Sitcawich]: Request the Superintendent furnish the School Committee with a sample of the performance based budget format that will be utilized in the FY14 budget. VOTING Motion by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 7. 2012 / 560 - [by Kristin Ross-Sitcawich]: Request the Superintendent work with staff to create video tours of all school buildings in the District, for the purposes of parent outreach, school selection, fund development and marketing. VOTING Motion by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 4 of 16) 8. 2012 / 569 - [by Kristin Ross-Sitcawich]: Request the Superintendent seek proposals from an external professional firm to review and provide minimum as well as recommended industry standards with regard to school safety and security of public school facilities comparable to Lowell High School. Ms. Martin requested that the proposals include the cost of an expanded study to include all Lowell Public Schools. VOTING Motion by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 9. 2012 / 575 - [by Robert Gignac]: To request the Superintendent invite the Lowell Youth Council to appear before the Committee to discuss the results of the survey they conducted at the recent Youth Summit. VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: James Leary Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 5 of 16) Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 10. - A motion was made to request the administration solicit proposals for an electronic access control system to be incorporated at Lowell High School in conjunction with the exterior door replacement project. VOTING Motion by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 6 of 16) SUBCOMMITTEES: 10.1. 2012 / 554 - Student Support Services Subcommittee: Report and Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Tuesday, December 11, 2012 [Kristin Ross- Sitcawich, Chair] Ms. Ross-Sitcawich, Chair of the Student Support Services Subcommittee informed the Committee that the Superintendent was instructed to create a task force, comprised of personnel from within the school system and experts from outside of the school system, to conduct a local review of Lowell High School to identify safety problems. A motion was brought forward to request the administration solicit proposals for an electronic access control system to be incorporated at Lowell High School in conjunction with the exterior door replacement project. The motion passed. The report was accepted as a report of progress. VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 11. - A motion was made to grant permission for a small number of students to participate in the LHS/YouthBuild partnership program beginning next semester on January 23, 2013. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 7 of 16) VOTING Motion by: David Conway Second by: Robert Gignac Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 11.1. - A motion was made to change the schedule for honors and college science courses at Lowell High School to five days a week with labs. VOTING Motion by: David Conway Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 11.1.1 - A motion was made to report back to the LHS Subcommittee in January . with findings after the high school administration and representatives from sports teams have researched the proper red and gray colors of Lowell High School on a color pallet to ensure that these colors are institutionalized and used by all clubs, teams and other school sponsored groups when ordering new uniforms in the future. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 8 of 16) VOTING Motion by: David Conway Second by: Robert Gignac Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 11.1.1 2012 / 555 - Lowell High School Subcommittee: Report and Approval of the Minutes of .1. the Meeting of Thursday, December 13, 2012 [David Conway, Chair] Mr. Conway, Chair of the Lowell High Subcommittee spoke about the continued discussion regarding the LHS Reception Area. He also spoke about Lowell High School/YouthBuild Partnership. A motion was made to grant permission for a small number of students to participate in the LHS/YouthBuild partnership program beginning next semester on January 23, 2013. The motion passed. He then spoke about science classes and labs. A motion was made to change the schedule for honors and college science courses at Lowell High School to five days a week with labs. The motion passed. He also spoke about the school colors. A motion was made to report back to the LHS subcommittee in January with findings after the high school administration and representatives from sports teams have researched the proper red and gray colors of Lowell High School on a color pallet to ensure that these colors are institutionalized and used by all clubs, teams and other school sponsored groups when ordering new uniforms in the future. The motion passed. The final topic discussed was the Lowell High School/National College Application Week. The report was accepted as a report of progress. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 9 of 16) VOTING Motion by: David Conway Second by: Robert Gignac Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 12. 2012 / 556 - Curriculum Subcommittee: Report and Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Thursday, December 13, 2012 [Connie Martin, Chair] Ms. Martin, Chair of the Curriculum & Instruction Subcommittee asked that Mr. Leary report the minutes to the Committee due to her absence from the Curriculum & Instruction Subcommittee. Mr. Leary spoke about the kindergarten assessment and report card protocol. He also spoke about the math middle school tournament as well as vertical team mathematics. The report was accepted as a report of progress. VOTING Motion by: James Leary Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 10 of 16) REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT: 13. 2012 / 553 - District Levels of School Support Superintendent Franco spoke to the Committee about the District Levels of School Support report that she provided to the Committee. She informed the Committee that this school year, the district is expanding the scope of the District Implementation Team. Now called the District Support Team (DST), central office administrators are working to design and implement a team approach to supporting all Lowell Schools. By taking this “Level” approach, the DST seeks to target assistance to schools based on their DESE-designated level. The DST plans to streamline and focus support to schools that have demonstrated records of success over a period of several years. These “Level 1 Schools” will work with the district but will also have autonomy to continuously improve outcomes for student achievement and growth. Schools at Level 2 will also partner with the district in improvement initiatives. However, the district will continue its focused support in the areas of professional development, school structures, and planning. Level 3 schools will work closely with the district in terms of planning and oversight of plan implementation. These schools will have increased access to the time and expertise of district coordinators to support their schools in learning initiatives. The report was accepted as a report of progress. VOTING Motion by: James Leary Second by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 11 of 16) 14. 2012 / 561 - Progress Report to motion of 06/15/11 by David Conway: To ask the Superintendent to explore the feasibility of creating Sports-Themed Schools at our Middle and K-8 citywide Schools. [Vacation Wrestling Camp] Superintendent Franco gave the Committee an update on a motion from 6/15/11 by Mr. Conway regarding Sports-Themed Schools at our Middle and K-8 citywide Schools. She informed them that a Middle School Wrestling Camp and Wrestling Program will be held during the holiday vacation. The camp was arranged by the Lowell Police Department and Athletic Director James DeProfio. The report was accepted as a report of progress. VOTING Motion by: Connie Martin Second by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 15. 2012 / 563 - Personnel Report Superintendent Franco shared the Personnel Report that she received from Michael Cassidy, Director of Human Resources. The report officially informs the Committee of all retirements, resignations, promotions and new hires. The report was accepted as a report of progress. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 12 of 16) VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 16. 2012 / 564 - LHS Athletics – Rule 53 Waiver Request Superintendent Franco spoke about the LHS Athletics – Rule 53 Waiver Request memorandum that she received from Jay Lang, Deputy Superintendent of Finance and Operations. The actual request was from James DeProfio, LHS Athletic Director, seeking the approval of the Lowell School Committee for Lowell High School to seek a waiver with the MIAA to allow 8th grade middle school students to tryout and participate on the Lowell High School hockey team. The request was approved. VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 13 of 16) 17. - A motion was made to request Deputy Superintendent Lang electronically transit a monthly as well as fiscal year-to-date cumulative report detailing all overtime and additional earnings of employees of the Lowell Public Schools to each of the members of the School Committee along with the monthly year-to-date budget report currently transmitted. The monthly as well as fiscal year-to-date cumulative reports should be in Microsoft Excel for each member to sort and analyze as desired. VOTING Motion by: David Conway Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly 17.1. 2012 / 565 - Overtime and Extra Payments – November 2012 Superintendent Franco and Deputy Superintendent Lang spoke about the Overtime and Extra Payments Report that was provided to the Committee. The report detailed overtime and extra payments made to employees during the month of November 2012. A motion was made to request Deputy Superintendent Lang electronically transit a monthly as well as fiscal year-to-date cumulative report detailing all overtime and additional earnings of employees of the Lowell Public Schools to each of the members of the School Committee along with the monthly year-to-date budget report currently transmitted. The monthly as well as fiscal year-to-date cumulative reports should be in Microsoft Excel for each member to sort and analyze as desired. The motion passed. The report was accepted as a report of progress. Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 14 of 16) VOTING Motion by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Second by: Connie Martin Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly NEW BUSINESS: 18. 2012 / 567 - Ratification of M.O.A. with L.S.A.A. – Murkland Elementary School Level 4 Agreement VOTING Motion by: Connie Martin Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 15 of 16) 19. 2012 / 568 - Ratification of M.O.A. with S.E.I.U. – Murkland Elementary School Level 4 Agreement VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: Kristin Ross-Sitcawich Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly CIVIL SERVICE: 20. 2012 / 562 - The SEIU Lowell School clerical union hereby request to donate seventeen [17] sick days to Kim Normandie, Lincoln School clerk. VOTING Motion by: Robert Gignac Second by: James Leary Committee Member YES NO ABSTAIN RECUSE Murphy, Patrick O. x Conway, David x Gignac, Robert x Leary, James x Martin, Connie x Ross-Sitcawich, Kristin x Scott, Kimberly Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 16 of 16) ADJOURNMENT: 21. - ADJOURNMENT: Motion to adjourn at 8:13 p.m. by Ms. Ross-Sitcawich; seconded by Mr. Conway 6 yeas, 1 absent Respectfully submitted, Jean M. Franco, Superintendent and Secretary to the Lowell School Committee JMF/mes Lowell Public Schools • 43 Highland Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us LOWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS Office of Student Support Services Phone: (978) 674-2034 43 Highland Street Fax: (978) 674-2142 Lowell, Massachusetts 01852 E-mail: amurphy@lowell.k12.ma.us David J. McHugh Alternative Middle School Bridge Program To: Jean M. Franco, Superintendent of Schools From: Ann C. Murphy, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services Date: December 26, 2012 Re: Annual Report of the David J. McHugh Alternative Middle School Bridge Program Attached is the Annual Report of the David J. McHugh Alternative Middle School Bridge Program. The report contains an overview of the program, student profile, performance objectives, performance data, and community projects for the 2011-2012 school year.  Superintendent of Schools Phone: (978) 674-4324 LOWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS 43 Highland Street Fax: (978) 937-7609 Lowell, Massachusetts 08152 E-mail: jfranco@lowell.k12.ma.us SUPERINTENDENT’S PARENT ADVISORY BOARD To: Members of the Lowell School Committee From: Jean M. Franco, Superintendent of Schools Date: January 2, 2013 Re: Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board At the November 7, 2012 School Committee meeting, I provided a report on the overview of the formation of the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board. The first Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board meeting was held on November 8, 2012. The purpose of this report serves to inform you of shared information collected regarding the strengths and challenges of the school system as perceived by the parents. I facilitated the meeting with the assistance of Assistant Superintendents Ann Murphy and Claire Abrams. At that meeting I shared the core mission and goals of the district and the purpose of the Advisory Board being a forum that was to assist the Superintendent to determine family needs in future planning. It proved to be an excellent forum to seek parent input and feedback regarding the academic and social development of their children. Although there were 2 parents invited from each PreK-8 school and 18 parents invited from Lowell High School, by the recommendation of Principals, a total of 22 parents attended that represented 16 schools. The parents who attended provided important information about what they thought of the strengths and needs of the school system. The general meeting was very positive as the participants began group work by sharing the strengths of Lowell Public Schools along with their opinions of the challenges that need to be addressed. Overall, there were many positive comments as to the quality of staff, curriculum and programming that was offered to their children. Parents commented about the feeling of community in the majority of the schools as well as confidence in school safety. The largest portion of the meeting was dedicated to groups of parents by school level sharing their concerns and prioritizing those concerns for the future. The common responses of the group are shared in the accompanying PowerPoint presentation. Overall, elementary parents were concerned about class size, helping parents understand the common core standards, consistent sharing of information by teachers and increase in before and after school programming. In middle schools, parents were interested in the expansion of after school Update on Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board – January 2, 2013 Page 1 programs offering more intramural sports, clubs, peer homework tutoring. Additionally they were interested in providing more support to students and parents through seminars and family involvement programming. At Lowell High School, parents shared their concerns about inconsistent communication across all of the houses, the need to motivate reticent students to join an existing activity, sports and clubs, building a more unified school spirit and expanding adult and student mentoring programs. [Actual responses are included in the attached PowerPoint] In response to parent concerns, we have been able to expand after school offerings in some of our schools across the district thanks to Race to the Top funding connected to the goals for the school. Additionally, after school offerings were expanded through the STEM initiatives provided to middle school and high school students. I am working with a group from the City Parks Department to work on the expansion of summer school options for families and combining summer school initiatives with park department programs. The next meeting with the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board will take place in late January or early February where we will continue to work for the best interest of our youth. JMF/jc Update on Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board – January 2, 2013 Page 2 WHY WE NEED EACH OTHER MORE THAN EVER.. The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory [SEDL] report, A New Wave of Evidence, synthesizes research from 51 studies over the preceding decade to reach conclusions about the effect of parent involvement on student learning. The major findings of this extensive study found that students with involved parents, no matter their income or background, are more likely to: • Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs • Be promoted, pass their classes and earn credits • Attend school regularly • Have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school • Graduate and go on to post-secondary education MY RATIONALE FOR FORMING THIS GROUP AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE: • Begin with parents who have been actively involved contributors to their child's education as identified by our school principals • Try to find parents who represent all students within the school system • Begin the conversation by brainstorming both the positive components and the concerns from the perspective of parents in the Lowell Public Schools • What concerns should we address as the community of adults who are raising the next generation of Lowellians? • Our accomplishments are more effective when we work together as a team • We all believe that our children deserve the best education and childhood experiences possible to produce happy, creative children LET’S PRIORITIZE….. Next steps for work groups  ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT RESPONSES… In your opinion what are the strengths In your opinion what are the biggest of the school system/your school challenges of the school system/your school •Caring teachers and staff •Class size – especially in kindergarten and grade 1 •Curriculum •Helping parents to understand the common core •Rewards programs standards and how they need to help children at home •Behavior programs •Identifying and helping at-risk children •Parent involvement •Consistent sharing of information by teachers •Diversity •Information or flyers arriving in an untimely manner •Email from principals •Lunch and recess not long enough •Comon core standards and improvement in curriculum •Before and after school programs – need to increase •Whole school meetings – welcome the school community •Challenging parents to improve attendance  MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT RESPONSES… In your opinion what are the strengths In your opinion what are the biggest of the school system/your school challenges of the school system/your school •Teachers and administrators are positive •Lack of after school programs •Parent liaisons helpful •Formation of more clubs •Band and athletic programs •Promoting more family involvement programs with •Curriculum children •Peer sharing programs in some schools •Better use of resources •Vocational training •Peer homework tutoring centers •Expand intramural sport programs •Parent seminars for current issues •Provide suggestion boxes  HIGH SCHOOL PARENT RESPONSES… In your opinion what are the strengths In your opinion what are the biggest of the school system/your school challenges of the school system/your school •Academic options for young people •Communication is inconsistent depending on the house •Extra curricular options of high quality sports and clubs •Books and materials •Dedicated teachers •Providing resources and strategies to engage more •Diversity and culture reticent joiners in existing activities •Rigorous college preparation courses •More social workers •supportive •Lack of unified school spirit •Training on the parent portal •Promoting adult and student mentoring programs  THANK YOU….WE CANNOT REACH OUR MISSION UNLESS WE WORK TOGETHER Lowell Public Schools MISSION STATEMENT Excellence in teaching and learning is essential to achieving academic results that allow students to: • Attain their future academic goals, • Be prepared for college and beyond, • Compete in the global marketplace, • And ultimately achieve their dreams of a satisfying life.