HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-12-18-LHS-min � Q Lexington High School
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251 Waltham Street Lexington Massachusetts 02421
Andrew Stephens 781-861-2320,x69103
Principal astephens@lexingtonma.org
Twitter: @LexingtonHSMa FAX: 781-861-2440
December,2017
To: The Lexington High School Council
From: Andrew Stephens
Re: December Meeting Minutes
LHS School Site Council Meeting met on December 18, 2017 from 6:15-7:51 PM in the Library
Media Center.
Present: Andrew Stephens,Suzanne Lau,Nancy Shepard,Elise Rowley,Kate Vogelzang,Erin
Barrett, Shiv Chandra,Dave Wininger,Sharon Kendall and Sheera Knecht.
Absent: Ed Li,Bryce Spalding,Katie Cutler,Leslie Zales,Liz Curtin and Alex McLaughlin
I. Minutes of the November 18,2017 meeting were approved with changes.
II. School Improvement Plan review/questions: DCAP (District Curriculum Accommodation
Plan)
*What is our understanding of purpose and role of DCAP?
*What is our current process to identify student need, develop a plan using DCAP, disseminate
and review?
*What do we need to do to make this a functioning process?
• The system-wide document for the DCAP plan was written in 2003 and reviewed in
2013. Curriculum Accommodations Plans (CAP) support student needs in the regular
classroom. These are accommodations for students not on IEP or Section 504 plans.
• The information in the plan is not systematically shared and does not outline a clear
process for identifying students and providing accommodations. Typically, teachers,
parents or the counselor recognize that a student needs support and then teachers
provide resources available in the classroom themselves or with help from the
counseling department. The formal referral process is not efficient.
• The process for identifying students, identifying mitigating measures and disseminating
the information to teachers and counselors in a systematic way is not well defined.
• To implement a functioning process recommend
o increasing awareness,
o identifying a functioning process
o and then implementing the process.
• Need to make information about available resources more transparent to students and
parents (e.g. highlight information in the Student-Parent Handbook, availability of
teachers in Z-block etc.).
III. Discussion: Visioning Process—hopes & concerns
*What were some takeaways from the process?
*Next steps
• Feedback from the Visioning with both the staff-only, and the staff and community
sessions was discussed.
• Deliberately provocative ideas on the future direction of education were presented to
encourage thinking beyond our own experience in education in the last 30 years.
• What are the barriers to students achieving success?
• What is the purpose of school if information is readily available on the internet?
• What is the role of project-based learning in Lexington?
• Educational programming is supported by building design and organization.
• Lexington will likely follow a hybrid of traditional educational practice and project-based,
collaborative learning practices.
• Next steps are to examine the final report from the consultant Frank Locker and consider
what elements are important for LHS in building a new high school.
IV. Announcements/updates from Council members
Stephens Announcements/Updates:
• Stacy Glickman (Director of Counseling) will be conducting a survey on the impact of
world events on students and is looking for parent feedback. Email
sglickman@lexingtonma.org to volunteer.
• Scheduling Committee
o Scheduling Committee is continuing to look at other schools and to learn why they
changed their schedule,what has been their experience and why did they change
back?
o Newton North and South will be visiting LHS to discuss their schedules.
o Looking at the research about different schedules and what impact it may have on
success after high school (could be none).
o What measures to use as indicators of success of a schedule that is changed? This
may not necessarily be grades.
o Dr. Murray is running an activity to collect information from various constituencies
(including the LHS Parent Group this month), asking how the current schedule is
meeting or not meeting the needs of students and what new opportunities for
learning could a new schedule bring?
• NEASC Process
o Steering committee has been formed.
o Considering what are the next steps for identifying evidence of the 5 NEASC
standards.
o Student and parent surveys are still open.
• Budget Process
o Operating and Capital budgets are working through the approval process.
o Capital request for Chromebooks for every 9«- and l0t^ grader still included in the
budget.
• Late start
o Do not anticipate that this will be implemented in September 2018.
V. Adjournment 7:51 PM