HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-11-29-SC-min
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Lexington High School, Library Media Center
251 Waltham Street
Present: Paul Ash, Helen Cohen, Olga Guttag, Tom Diaz, Tom Griffiths and Scott
Burson
7:35 pm Call to Order and Welcome:
Public Comment: none
Superintendent’s Report: none
Discussion Items:
1. Report on 2005 MCAS Results, Dr. Lynne Sarasin
(power point presentation available for meeting attendees)
We did very well overall. MCAS is only one component of assessment. We
assess using many different methods, including many standardized tests and especially
classroom based performance assessments.
We did much better than the state average in overall performance. The state assesses
performance
using a one hundred point system. We received 95.0 in English Language Arts and 91.7
in math. That is phenomenal.
Focus Areas of Strength
1. Overall very high.
2. District SPED subgroup made a large gain.
3. Significant growth in grade10 mathematics.
Opportunities for Growth
1.Continued monitoring of certain subgroups; certain students need to
be looked at and we need to modify their learning plans. (for example, certain SPED
students and Asian/Pacific Islanders).
2. Elementary number sense: we do very well in mathematics but we have
three schools with four questions below the state average. So we are going back and
looking at the questions and asking why.
3. Continued alignment of science curriculum with state frameworks.
4. Long Composition in ELA: standard English conventions.
Next Steps
1. Short-term goals:
Data analysis by principals, dept. heads, etc…
Item analysis.
Question analysis.
Individual Student success plans: pulling out student data. What can
be implemented to help them be successful?
Supplementing curricula.
2. Long-term goals:
Program evaluation and curriculum review on a cycle.
Data analysis.
Continuing alignment of curricula to frameworks.
Looking at established benchmarks for K-12.
Updates of resources: supplementary curricula.
Targeted professional development: the most critical piece.
Questions and discussion:
(Discussion included concerns about teaching to the test and the
achievement gap regarding children of color. The administration made clear that
Lexington teachers do not teach simply to the test, but teach what they believe students
need to know. Dr. Sarasin said that as
a group, children of color did not do poorly, but there are individual
students that should be looked at).
2. Report on Three- and Ten-Year Enrollment Forecasts, Dr. Paul Ash
By Dr. Paul Ash
(power point presentation was available to meeting attendees)
Dr. Ash gave a brief introduction to the methodology of the enrollment
report and explained the importance of doing such a report. It is important
for hiring and to determine scope of building projects. Dr. Ash explained
that he did the enrollment reports for best-case and worst-case scenarios, as
well as two scenarios in the middle.
Results show that elementary enrollment peaked in 2000; the decline has
begun. The middle school population is peaking now. The high school
population has not yet peaked and that peak will appear beyond the times displayed
within the current projection.
The three-year, elementary school projections showed Bowman with a large increase in
population due to the Avalon Bay project and Fiske with a significant decline in students.
The elementary and middle schools will need to be redistricted. Over the next twelve
months we need a group of citizens and professionals to form a redistricting committee
and do a report. There will clearly be public comment/dialogue and then we need
enough time for internal planning. We also need to plan the next phase of K-5
reconstruction. We should request a sum of money from Town Meeting this April to
work with an architect.
(Discussion regarding redistricting, the structure of our schools and out of district
voluntary redistricting).
(comment from the public)
Dawn McKenna: Last time we did redistricting was when Hastings reopened and we did
geocoding. You might want to look at the 10 year projections they did over the past 20
years, they may be helpful, even if inaccurate.
Action Items: none
(Discussion regarding capital expenditures policy)
Members’ Reports / Members’ Concerns:
Tom Griffiths: Senior Center Siting Committee. One site considered is the old
Harrington, but the problem is it will be swing space for at least ten years! If there was
some way to free up old Harrington faster that could possibly solve the senior center
site problem. Comment (Griffiths and Guttag) on the capital proposal before the
Financial Review Committee, on which Mr. Griffiths serves as a liaison.
Olga Guttag: EDCO Policy committee has arranged a presentation about the upcoming
Science MCAS on Thursday 12/1. Administrators and SC members are invited to attend.
Scott Burson: Policy subcommittee would like to round out its membership.
Tom Diaz:
1). Message to high school students and parents of high schoolers: register to vote.
2). Action item for next meeting should be to ratify minutes for executive sessions.
Helen Cohen: Summit tomorrow at 5:00 pm regarding the budget process.
Division of school/town % for override will be discussed.
(Brief discussion on timeline of policies: first field trip, then fundraising, according to
Scott Burson).
Meeting adjourned 10:10 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Leora Tec