Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The Worcester School Committee meets Thursday; you can find the agenda here.
The big news will be FY18, of course, but that report isn't yet posted.

However, there is some news for FY17; namely, that the city DID in fact forward $70,000 from free cash when they closed the fiscal year to assist in saving the kindergarten aides! We aren't there yet (if I'm reading this correctly, we're still $300,000 or so short?), but we've made progress.

In the process, some budget related news: FY17's statewide charter reimbursement line (identical to that proposed for FY18) was funded at only 46%, shorting Worcester $714,532 and the whole state by $54.2M.
There are some recognitions, retirements, appointments, and one resignation which is of note: Grace Howard-Donlin, who resigned effective last week, was the appointed director of the international baccalaureate program, and had been charged with planning that. It appears that the last gasps of a hope of any such program in Worcester have (once again) died.

There's a report on the charter school tuition assessment  (which maybe I need to re-read, because I'm not sure why this was being asked...)
There's responses coming back on the Space Monkey Challenge (and dangers thereof) and attempting to expand the AVID program.
There's a request for this year's incidents reports.
There's a request that math activities accompany summer reading lists (as they do already).
There's a request for a report on dual enrollment.
There's a request that Worcester's colleges perhaps kick in for Worcester's students AP exams.
The administration is sending the student handbook to subcommittee, and they are recommending these additional new classes:
High School:  Accounting 1; AP Seminar; Document Processing
Middle School:  Chorus; Dance Ensemble; Dance for Fitness; String Orchestra
Those will go to Teaching, Learning, and Student Support; there is as yet no description of any of them.
There are also requests that the School Committee accept donations of $292.20 and $1,212.49 for Woodland Academy and $400 for Forest Grove.

And the administration is requesting that the following schools and projects be forwarded to the MSBA: 
Burncoat High School: Window Replacements*
Elm Park Community School:  Window Replacements
Lincoln Street School:   Window, Roof and Boiler Replacements
Rice Square School:   Window Replacement
Thorndyke Road School:   Window Replacement

*Yes, this is the ridiculous idea that started circulating at the last school committee meeting that the secondary school that most needs rebuilding should just get windows.

PCBs remain in executive session; there is also collective bargaining with teachers and a grievance from an HVAC worker.

I'm going to try to make the budget report this go-round.

sending lease of space out to bid for IB school

O'Connell: space for program at Doherty
"effort not to spend dollars on buildings and grounds unless there are truly other options"
look at other options: suggests facilties we own
this would take a) more space and b) lab space that doesn't exist
"if we can save money here, let's save money here"
Petty: we had a report several months ago that went through all of this
Boone: came back a year ago in the site survey
in advance of the School Committee taking a vote, that Doherty could not house it and we did not have a facility
"I do believe Mr. O'Connell will remember this"
believe this is another attempt to create the high school academy by raising issues of costs
have recieved the support of the city
St. Spiridon has four classrooms: would not accommodate program
"have truly done our due diligence"
"don't think we should look to derail the high school academy"
O'Connell: real issue is with the program
differences of opinion about models; strong support for a gifted program
if administration has looked at the sites, then we send out the RFP

Petty: once we get the RFP, we'll have that discussion

Biancheria: is there a copy of the RFP
Allen: it is not in the backup; if authority is given to proceed, we can provide it in a Friday letter

RFP motion passes on a roll call unanimously

Ad-Hoc report (on exam & IB)

by request:
If you haven't seen the original exam/IB report from the Ad-Hoc committee I chaired, there's a link that lives over on the right margin--->>>>>>>>
You can also find it here.

Rumor busting: IB school. Round II

And the rumors continue to swirl! Some more rumor busting for you! As always, this is verifiable information, not my opinion. That I'll save for deliberation.

"It's going to cost six million dollars, and..." No. You can find the budget on page eight of the proposal. These numbers--like the numbers that were in the Ad-Hoc committee report--are from the finance office, and they're the actual numbers we're using in our schools right now, projected out. The proposed academy tops out at nearly $2 million a year for operating grades 9-12 of 250 students in a building that we are already running. To give you some idea of the scale, Burncoat Middle (with 500 students) will cost about $5.4 million to run this year. 

"Giving only an exam will give more accurate (or insert adjective here) results." No. First, exam school programs that use only an exam for admission (as is done in New York City) are notorious for not in any way reflecting their full student body (and if you're prepared to argue that academic ability in fact lies along those lines, then you have issues beyond those of school admission); thus the schools do not accurately admit those who are most academically gifted, but those best at taking exams. Further, the school proposed is an International Baccalaureate school. If you aren't familar with the program, please read up on it (or read the Ad-Hoc report starting on page 20; hint to the press: an article on IB would be VERY USEFUL right now!). It is NOT a program in which success aligns closely with test taking ability. In fact, we were warned specifically of this by schools that currently run the program; admitting good test takers poorly serves both the students and the program.

"You could achieve the same thing by simply expanding Goddard Scholars." No. While we can and should have a discussion about Goddard Scholars (and at the risk of repeating myself), this is an International Baccalaureate program. We don't currently offer one. There are only 13 schools offering the Diploma program (the 11th and 12 grade program) in all of Massachusetts; in central Mass, only Abby Kelley Foster Charter School and Quabbin Regional have it. This is not something we, or much of anyone else is doing locally, and in that, we are both nationally and internationally behind. We can decide to do or not do it, but it isn't something we're doing already.

"It will send X school into Level IV status by skimming off the top students." Aha! Anything is possible, and this is among them. I dislike intensely the notion of state test results determining the academic programs we run,  BUT: if we're going to talk about skimming, then we need to be honest with ourselves about it, and talk about every single other limited admission program and school we have in the district. We have more than one school and at least one program that pick their students in one capacity or another. 

And again, if this interests you, please read the recommendation from administration and please also consider reading the original Ad-Hoc report. The Worcester School Committee takes this up at our next meeing on December 18. Public testimony will be welcome, and you can always email all of the School Committee at schoolcommittee (at) worc.k12.ma.us . 

Rumor busting: IB school

No, programs are not slated for elimination. The proposal for a new program says (in bold) the following:

It should be clearly noted and understood that this "Pilot Innovation Academy" is not designed to replace or supplant any of the existing programs serving gifted and high achieving students. Rather, the "Pilot Innovation Academy" will be an additional option within the Worcester Public Schools portfolio of school and program options. The district will continue strong support for and enhancement of those existing programs.

Please pass this along.

Wow. It looks as though THIS is a post that's going to need updating!

School proposal posted!

You can find last night's PowerPoint:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hp2pii30ccb3ae5/WPS%20Powerpoint%20Template.pptx?dl=0

And the written proposal: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5w7h5709l6xn9rn/Proposal%20for%20Pilot%20Innovation%20Academy%20-%20December%204%2C%202014.docx?dl=0
Update: it appears that online version does not include the page 8 budget. I'm asking for it. Meanwhile, if you look at this post, the final photo is the budget. 

Apologies: I can't hyperlink from my phone!

Exam school proposal in photos

We'll have this electronically sometime tomorrow, but I wanted to give everyone a chance to see the EXACT language as soon as possible. Click each to make them bigger; send me a line if you can't read something. I'll link here to the electronic version as soon as I have it.

Report of the Superintendent: Exam School

I have this only in print; I'll post photos of it once I get home; posting as we go
Petty: we will hold the item so people can think about it for the December 18 meeting
"I think this is very important...going to be another offering...committee is very sensitive to how it will affect the other Worcester Public Schools"
Boone: working on this for the past 18 months
"spent a lot of time...doing additional research of what's happening with advanced learners"
important that the School Committee and the public had a chance to see it without the public already vetting it
Ad Hoc committee working from January 2013 to June 2013 for a final report
state of Massachusetts is virtually silent on gifted and advanced learners, but Worcester has such programs:

• Goddard Scholars at Sullivan and South: have been continuously accepted to excellent colleges across the country; innovation academy at Sullivan
• Burncoat quadrant arts magnet program
• 23 AP courses offered across the district 
• dual enrollment through colleges and universities locally

"I want to be clear...This pilot innovation academy is not designed to replace, supplant, or undermine any of our existing options...The district will continue strong support for and enhancement of those existing programs."

"this is in addition to, not instead of"

key recommendations of Ad-Hoc committee that are being included: 

"Students who have demonstrated exceptional interest in and ability to be successful in a rigorous high school program of studies leading to advanced college readiness"

No grade level to exceed 63 students; total student population of 250

beginning with grade 9 (possibly 10) and adding a year

recommendation is to have it be an IB school

ninth and tenth grade prepares student for IB courses in 11 and 12 grades
strong liberal arts component and Theory of Knowledge
students have either a certificate or diploma option

Admission:

• application
• grades from prior and current year
• MCAS or other state assessment scores
• transcripts
• essay
• teacher recommendation
• attendance history
• discipline history

application process coordinated by district BUT reviewed and processed by local higher ed institutions to keep it a blind to politics process

a rubric will be developed

weighed scores for honors classes, pre-algebra, foreign language

"we see this as an opportunity for the readiness aspect of this program"

lottery will be held if there are more students than slots

proposed budget is a planning year then rollling out from ninth grade
planning year: appointment of assistant principal, IB coordinator (which is required by IB) and clerical position
"there is a process for admission to IB...they will vet us"
"this planning year is significant to get that IB piece up and running"
will finalize admission process and criteria
support marketing and recruitment process and materials
budget assumes dedicated teachers for the cohort (which is more or less required as well; teachers have to be IB certified)
first group of students for 2016-17 school year
advisory council to be compromised of community members, higher ed, ex-officio SC member, and parents
to advise district on the start up
program evaluation for the pilot will be designed in partnership with higher education, led by Dave Perda

timeline: on December 18 agenda
at least one public hearing late this year
looking at facilities for site survey and early spring
SC votes in April
included in May 2015 budget proposal
June: assistant principal and IB coordinator appointed
July staff positions
August: Advisory Council appointed

Comments
Monfredo: would you like questions in advance?
Boone: yes, that would be very beneficial
"sounds like a great plan...my concern would be the funding of the mechanism"
O'Connell: asking for the siting of the program specifically at next meeting
"raise concerns as well if the school would have the space to handle that"
Boone: will not have that information available by the 18th; is intent to have that in concert with public hearing
"we are not at a place to have that available in two weeks"
O'Connell: look at criteria for admission
"not an exam school in any respect...I'm just going to point out here that Mr. O'Connell is recapitulating his (minority view) arguments that he made at the Ad-Hoc committee when we were having this conversation. Essentially he's convinced that anything other than an exam as an admission requirement is "less rigorous."
Petty: I disagree with some of that..timeline is very clear, going to have a meeting at Doherty
disagree with you on the IB program..."there is no way that someone could go through this program"
Boone: "passing an exam is not a 100% indicator of future success"
"we can bounce that tennis ball across the court any number of ways"

Sorry, no full notes from me, but two main points: appreciate that this work isn't being put on the shelf and YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED IN THIS CONVERSATION! PLEASE PLAN ON WEIGHING IN!

Biancheria: admission, worked on community piece
student essay: would we determine what the topic would be on, or would it be a choice?
Boone: single essay topic, changing from year to year

HELD

A note on the exam report tonight

A note: we have not yet gotten the report on the exam school proposal (I'm told there have been discussions of details even this week). As it is coming in so close to the meeting, the presentation is tonight; discussion will be held to the next meeting.

You're welcome anytime, but if you want to hear (or participate) in the discussion, that will be on the 18th. And PLEASE WEIGH IN!!