Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Live reporting - MCAS Q&A

Q - How has the budget cuts affected our results?
A - Loosing the curriculum team hurts. We could react quickly to the test results. We don't have the people to do that now. We can respond as timely to these results now. It is falling upon the administration and the principals to do this amongst their other duties. We can work on special projects but it is the only way to get at this.

Sabolinski - We are seeing our most vulnerable learners across the K12 grades in the subgroups suffer via the results.We lost our data analyst in this cycle. It forces the principals and teachers to look at the data directly.

Kingsland-Smith - Neither the State nor the Federal level are slowing down the AYP goals. We are being pulled in multiple directions.

Q - what is the process for a school that doesn't make the grade?
A - It is a rule of thumb that it takes two years to get into a problem and then at least two years to get out of it. It can be anomaly for one year due to special circumstances.If you are in Year 1 of improvement, the State expects that the district will be doing what it can to make progress. If you are in Year Two and not making sufficient improvement, the State can come in and direct some specific programs for improvement.

Cafasso - I would like to see a priority to address the ELA in the next budget process.

Q - How long do you have to comply with a change in curriculum?
A - The testing cycle is in progress when they make a release so it would usually be looked for in the next cycle. Franklin is fortunate to have stayed ahead of the curve because we have had a standing curriculum team. That team is no longer here. It really about professional development and professional learning communities for the teachers.


Live reporting - MCAS Report 2009

b. MCAS Presentation – Michele Kingsland-Smith; Beth Fitzmaurice

The full district report is shown here:
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io


The presentation will be updated later.

113 Franklin senior class students are Adams Scholarship winners.

State identified 13 schools with high growth and high performance. JF Kennedy School was one of the 13 schools.

Average Yearly Progress (AYP) the district has met the AYP standard in combined scores for all students. The district did not make AYP for ELA and Math subgroups in all cases for the various grade levels.

SPED subgroup doesn't meet AYP. Being looked at for special attention.
Individual student performance
Audit Curriculum alignment and instructional practices

The Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is coming in to visit this week for a Coordinated Program Review

K-12 Response to Intervention (RtI)
District Data Team
Middle school Math Initiative
Middle school CET support
K-12 Literacy initiative


Live reporting - MASS Awards

3. Guests/Presentations

a. MASS Academic Excellence Awards

1. Kimberly Takahata
2. Christopher Anderson

SchCom_MASS_Awards

Left to right: Principal Peter Light, Kimberly Takahata, Christopher Anderson, School Committee Chair Jeff Roy and School Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski

Live reporting - School Committee

Attending: Douglas, Cafasso, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn


Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

2. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments - none
Review of Agenda - no modifications
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the October 27, 2009 and November 4, 2009 School Committee Meetings.  motion to approve each separately - Oct 27, passed 7-0; Nov 4 passed 6-0, 1 abstain (Cafasso)

Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn  motion to approve, passed 7-0
Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives

Correspondence: 1. Budget to Actual



In the News - fund raiser

You have your choice of fund raising activities on Friday night. You can participate in the Franklin Education Foundation Annual Casino night or:

Fundraiser Friday in honor of soldier killed in Iraq

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS





Town Recycle page

If you need to find the Town Recycle page you can locate in two places

1 - Off the DPW page

2 - Off the Town Clerk page

either way you get the Recycle page

Did you know there is a program to recycle crayons?



Monday, November 16, 2009

Gallery 218 - Portraits 2009

FHS student Sarah Libby created a wonderful postcard to advertise the opening of the new show "Portraits 2009". The show will take place at Gallery 218 adjacent to the cafeteria at Franklin High School. The show opens on Nov 16th but the reception will be held Tuesday, Nov 17th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Gallery218_front_91117

Come out and see the art work produced by students within the Franklin schools

Gallery218_back_91117

Having seen art in Gallery 218 previously, you will not be disappointed!

Prior Gallery 218 shows can be found here (alumni art) and here (non-Art teachers).