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Home My WebLink About2015-02-05-SC-PMRS-min ¥ Jessie summarized that we are currently working on sections I, J, K and L. The homework policy that is currently in place in Lexington was addressed at public comments early in the fall with a resident (Gil Benghiat) requesting that the School Committee take a closer look at the requirement that feedback should be given in a ÅtimelyÆ fashion. Mr. Benghiat specifically requested that we consider putting a number of days, like 10 business days, into the policy to provide clarity around the meaning of Åtimely.Æ Jessie distributed copies of the current Lexington Homework policy and shared that she had reviewed policies from other towns, selecting two for further discussion today. MASCÈs guidance for reviewing our homework policy was to explore the homework policies from other systems. Jessiedistributed copies of the homework policy from (1) Brookline and (2) Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School. Judy shared that she had also reviewed other policies and introduced an additional model from Needham and copied that policy to share. We first reviewed our existing policy, taking a close look at each section and agreed to outline the pros and cons of the existing policy. Our current policy includes a general statement of the purpose of homework. Other strengths of the existing policy include: 1. Policy articulates that teachers set educational course, parents/families have a partnership role 2. Captures positive aspects of homework ex: practice skills, promote interest in learning 3. It outlines separate responsibilities and explains the partnership better when each role is outlined 1 9. Bullet (3) Ã This language is not clear ÅEnsure that absence does not interfere with makeupÆ 2 Questions for administration/staff, maybe Carol Pilarski or principals: 1. Are the elementary level homework time expectations accurate today for elementary, middle and high school? 2. At Middle school, is homework only Monday to Thursday? (says generally) This implies homework free weekends. 3 We next discussed the Ashburnham-Westminster policy. Strengths include having a shorter policy that separates the policy from guidelines. This step would be consistent with the direction we have taken in the other policies we have reviewed and brought to School Committee. We agreed to create a draft policy for consideration that would pull from strengths in our existing policy and the models we brought to the meeting. We would then meet again to review the new draft and gather feedback on both. We next discussed the Brookline Policy and then the Needham ÅHomework and Make-Up Opportunities.Æ 3 Draft language was discussed, merging several policies. This will need to be reviewed at the next meeting. Next steps: Jessie type up what we did today. We will meet next Tuesday to confirm our draft with alternate language for key sections. We will give Paul the draft and ask him to receive staff feedback & to solicit CarolÈs feedback. We will give the draft to PTA/SBSC for input. We will present to SC last meeting in March for first reading and post again for mid-April. We will review this at next meeting. Housekeeping item, Jessie raised issue of Mary Ellen DunnÈs request to place more policy material on the web, specifically the full School CommitteeÈs version that has been approved in form. One challenge is that we need to bring any edits made during the meeting back to MASC and that process has taken time. A second challenge is that MASC did not recommend posting the Åapproved in formÆ versions on the internet because they are not officially enacted and it would not be helpful to create confusion between the existing policies and the set of policies that may include new language that contradicts the existing policies. Third, the administration has not had time to post any policy materials since the summer. Minutes also need to be posted and are behind. We discussed possible alternatives that could allow us to move forward with posting policy materials in general: -Ask Paul to identify another staff person who can post materials on the web. -Teach / authorizes us to post Ã we do post our agendas through Town Clerk -Town Clerk Ã ask to post? We then returned to brainstorm other ways to help Mary Ellen Dunn as she prepares to transition her work to the next superintendent and to the next Director of Business and Finance. We agreed to ask Jim Hardy if he can send us back the approved in form versions to keep in a binder that staff can easily access. It will be clearly marked to minimize confusion and could also have a header or footer to indicate the status. We next outlined items that should move to the next agenda, as time had drawn to a close for the meeting. List appears at end of this document. 4 Finally, we agreed that we will make a short list of policies that have not yet been approved in form when they were part of a section that was approved in form. We agreed to compile this list and review it at our next meeting to keep track of each policy and to monitor progress. We discussed possible schedule to complete next four sections: I, J, K, L th March 10 Ã Start section I th March 30 I / Start J th April 7 J thth April 13 & 15 K & L (or add another meeting) Jessie made a motion to adjourn 2:07 p.m. Judy Crocker seconded and the meeting adjourned. Anticipated agenda items for next Tuesday: IKB -- Homework IKAB Ã Student progress reports to parents Security Camera EBB Ã First Aid, Also, Tuberculosis BDFA Ã School Council Policy¼ Anticipated agenda items for next meeting with Jim Hardy: 5