9.8.2025 Special Meeting of the Fall River School Committee

You ready?

Yeah.

I'd like to call to order the September 8th, 2025 special meeting of the for school committee. Uh Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. A here.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das here.

Mr. Corey here.

Miss Laravey here.

Miss Pereira.

Mayor Kugan here.

for the flag.

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Do we have any citizens in?

We do not.

Okay. So this is going to be the superintendent outlining her goals for the 2425 school year.

That's not right. Is it 2526?

Well, now it's first to give an overview of last year's and then um talk about the draft goals for this year. So um I provided the committee with just um an overview of last year's goals which included the goals and the benchmark benchmark evidence. I identified um kind of where things stood in terms of um reaching each of the goals and so the first goal um had benchmarks related to

MCCAST data. So first goal increase access to um and successful engagement in grade level work for all students including students with disabilities and multilingual learners. The measures for um that particular goal are really tied to um our accountability data, the MCCAST data that hasn't been released yet, but as a general um overview, I just said that the accountability data hadn't been released. Performance data

remains embargoed. Um but preliminary data suggests that the goal will be partially met. So, we don't know, you know, if we got three out of four points in ELA or math, you know, or any of those things, but based on preliminary data, um we, you know, we expect that we will meet this in some areas and and not for others.

On the order, Mr. Mayor, open meeting law statement.

Thank you, Mr. Das. Where is it here?

Um, it should be. Don't I don't know it's giving it to Here it is.

Thank you, Mr. Das. Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium, attendees are therefore advised that such recordings of transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

Thanks.

Do I need to repeat any part of that? I don't know how that works.

No, you okay. Um, the second goal was around student attendance and we were looking to increase our daily attendance from 90.8 8 to 92% in school year 25. It based on our local data uh which we believe is very you know we build a formula that's closely aligned as possible to um the the one the department uses. We believe we are around the 91.5% um student attendance rate not the 92.

So we we um we increased but maybe did not meet the goal. Um similarly in terms of decreasing the chronic absenteeism rate from 30.4 to 25% um last year it appears based on our local calculations that we um decreased chronic absenteeism to 25.9% so a reduction of 4.5 points. Um it's certainly meaningful but not quite reaching the 25% goal. Um in terms of goal three, equitable action educational

opportunities for all students and promoting equitable outcomes for students. Um we had benchmarks around reporting findings from data collection.

So not a data point but just um the reporting out. We did um the data was collected and analyzed as part of a root cause analysis in the development of our spend strategies action plan for 20 um 2025 and 2028. Uh we did get that plan approved by DESIE but it has not yet been presented to the committee. And then also we said that we would have an action plan for school year 26 embedded

within the district strategic plan but the strategic plan has not been um shared. So the integrating the sped um strategies action plan didn't happen.

You haven't seen it. Um goal four we were to it has to do with um professional practice development, enhanced skills and strategy development, data analysis and instructional leadership. This was a professional practice goal for me um through the new superintendent induction program and the benchmarks um were around um calendar documents that my calendar would document attendance and contact with the coach. I do have

documentation of nine meetings with the coach July um 24th July of 2024 through June of 2025 and then verification that I attended um and actively engaged in the first year of the program which I did. I participated in nine out of the 10 sessions and we have products from those. In terms of the fifth goal around district improvement um effective entry and direct direction setting the big

benchmarks coming out of this was around um doing presentations regularly um launching a strategy development process and sharing some results. Um I think the committee knows that um I did I shared out information following the district review but we did not deliver I did not deliver um presentations on schedule. We did launch the strategy development process, but it wasn't until the spring

and that's actually something that is being launched through the new superintendent induction program, which they didn't support in the first year um until until the spring. And then that is the plan for um year two of the um of my participation in that program. And then the third piece was related to surveying um key stakeholders around the um strategic plan development um and and

entry report findings but the survey wasn't administered because it um pertains specifically to the entry plan and uh strategy development which didn't take place. So there were some elements that because um the reporting out didn't happen other elements couldn't happen as well. And then the last piece around maintaining momentum during the transition. This was goal number six. Um

benchmarks included completed educator evaluation plans and um demonstration of at least three visits at each school. I put in the notes here that we um educator goals um were connected to school and district priorities.

We did not not every educator in district was evaluated. Um but we've uploaded what information we have to Desi and we'll wait on their um calculations for us and I believe we'll have that back um in times for the self my self-evaluation as we go through the evaluation process. And then finally um three school visits per school. Um I did conduct regular school visits. Some of it was checking in, some of it was

informal walks, observing PLC's um that took place throughout the year and I will produce um all of that evidence as part of the evaluation process.

So given the progress um on those goals, I drafted goals for school year 26. Um questions of the first Mr.

uh Mr. Rais.

Thank you. Um just going to start off with a few. So first with the goal six, the second one, um the three visits for school, like you said, you did like something formal. I mean, so was this I'm just confused. Was this goal met or not?

Oh, I'd say that it was. Yes.

Yep.

Um on the um the educator evaluations, um it's not 100. You noted it was not 100% complete, right? Do you know could you explain maybe why that is?

Sure. Some of it has to do with um kind of late entry or early exit of staff members. Some of it has to do with um it could be administrators that go out on leave and by year's end. Um maybe some of their evaluations haven't been completed. Um, some of this I um I'd have to I mean I'd have to go back and look, but I just know because we did

collect the data at the end of the year for our um you know for the upload to the department of ed and I know that it wasn't 100% complete. And so usually that's if it's an educator usually goes to the principal to do the evaluation. I'm assuming they would send that to you. Is that my am I right?

They would send what to me?

Their evaluation?

No. All of the evaluations are done um in a platform and so things don't get submitted necessarily to me. They get uploaded to the platform into the educator's file.

Okay. Is there like data on like what schools aren't like is there I don't know if there's some schools that are lagging behind others or somewhere we do monitor that throughout the year.

Um and we work with schools to make sure that some of that work is getting done.

Um and it's something clearly we checked in at the end of the year with um schools on as well.

Can that be provided to the committee like the just the date the raw data on what schools are like percentages?

Um I'm not sure to be honest with you and I'll tell you that some of it has to do with the fact that um I I think and you can tell me I'm wrong.

I think that um you and and other members of the committee might look at that in terms of um an evaluation of a principle and I don't think that that's information that can be shared in terms of their own personnel, their practice and judgments thereof outside of evaluations that are done um in district by the administrators there.

I mean, I I guess my opinion would be I don't know if it would be a a review like a review of that specific principle because there could be plenty of reasons as to why that goal isn't met. Um, if it's a district goal, I just don't see the reason of providing raw data.

I didn't say that. I wouldn't and I did say that we would I would share data as part of the self-evaluation process during my own evaluation. I will do that. Um last two questions um on the findings um on the um number one on goal three was um your um strategies action plan. It was um I believe approved by Desi. Were we ever provided like with a preliminary review the um the sped strategies?

Yes.

Action plan. So that um we participated in the bed strategies action planning um as part of our like a district review specific to special education. Sure. And so we were I can't remember the term what was our status we were need intervention determination comes out in the fall and then in starting I think it was like Januaryish we start meeting with who dese paired up with this company called

sped strategies to analyze our data or root cause analysis some of the data I provided the committee throughout last year pulled information from that root cause analysis, the uh the LEA determination. That's why our goal is working on more inclusive opportunities for kids. So, the the plan itself wasn't even um approved by Desi until maybe or June and actually I have a follow-up phone call because I don't even know

what this year brings. Um so, no, I didn't present the whole plan to the committee yet. Um but I did present the data in pieces.

Yep.

Right. And then that that's fine. Thank you, Mr. Overchain. And I guess the last question um was on the um professional practice meetings. Um and like just saying like you went through like the I guess the nine meetings with the coach. Is that like um like some sort of virtual or do they come in?

No, they come in. Some of them are by telephone, some of them are in person.

Um he joined for a couple of school walks that we did um and you know observed and gave feedback on um kind of debriefing with principles and their teams and then also um observed meetings.

Okay. Thank you. I yield just a few followup questions. First one on the evaluations.

So my request and question is very similar to Mr. Das on the evaluations whether they're completed or not. I absolutely think it's within our purview to ask a question of which positions were not evaluated line by line. So I want to personally ask for that for every position that's not evaluated. Um that is something that's in our purview.

I think we have to start getting out of the idea that the school committee does not have any say in any place in looking at oversight of the district. And when when in doubt, we just say, well, I think the lawyers said or you're not you don't have right to that. But this is a school committee superintendent goal.

And in it, it says they're completed.

They'll all be done. They're not done.

They weren't done prior to you with the prior superintendent, which is why we put this in here. So, we should get a list of all the directors, all the principles, and anybody that's not evaluated. That's definitely fair game in my opinion.

Yeah. No, I think the question is, are you looking for people's names?

The position. So, you say the principal of the RPA school, was he evaluated? Yes or no?

I'll throw I'll just throw one out there just randomly.

Go ahead. Yeah.

Are you asking me a question?

Yeah.

I mean, I would say that this is literally the kind of thing that I'm not I honestly do not know and I would defer to somebody else because I don't know what it does to an individual, whether it's the person who was or was not evaluated or their evaluator if I share that kind of information.

So, in the prior emails that I sent to you and your team, Sure. I asked that question and the answer was no, he was not.

So I know that you sent me the email so I would assume that you knew that. All I'm asking for is that same type of information. So if we had um three guidance counselors at Dery, I don't care which three it wasn't. So we would have the positions here. Three guidance counselors were not evaluated by the contract.

Uh x amount of custodians. Two years ago, we were we were told here that we had zero zero maintenance and custodial um evaluations done. Then we were told it was going to be 100%. We still haven't received data on whether it is.

I think it's vastly improved, but I don't have that data. So, okay, how many of those? Uh I think that's definitely within our peer review.

Uh the thing that Miss Obenchain was talking about, I'm a little confused on um I'll say both disappointed and confused.

Goal three uh talks about reported findings and data by July. It is now September. Data was collected and analyzed. Now I'm just hearing from Miss Oenchain that in May there was a plan created or some some sort of plan that exists and we still in September don't have that plan. Um, I just don't see how that wasn't submitted to us as one piece. And then that goes in line with the one about the strategic plan,

whatever number that was, that wasn't followed, which I'm disappointed in.

I've already stated that publicly, but why is it that I just don't understand how we're sitting here today in September with all of these we didn't just didn't do it. I just don't I guess that's a general question, but how do we how are we sitting here with all these we just didn't do them? I guess that's my my Okay. I think the important thing to recognize is that for some of these

things, it's literally that it just wasn't reported out. Not that work wasn't being done, but I don't I I will not make a single excuse. We just didn't report out.

So the on goal number five, number two reads, I feel like we're going to do this again during my evaluation. So I would like to just move on so that we can get some feedback on the next set of goals. I mean because we can be labor the point now and then we can do it again. But I just don't understand why it has it's been done publicly as you said.

So basically I guess the reason why is because it's September and the school year started.

Okay.

Your self-evaluation and your evaluation comes in in November. after the MCAST scores are done, the school year has started. I don't think it's too much to ask that we have plans in place, we have strategic plan in place, all that stuff, because I think we should change the evaluation timeline.

The only time that you get evaluated is not during your self-evaluation process, Mr. Madam Superintendent.

So, this is a piece of that.

This says school committee superintendent goals, but it doesn't say evaluate public evaluation.

I'm not publicly evaluating you at all.

I have no problem evaluating you at the appropriate time.

Okay? Okay.

But at the same time, what we're here for is to look at the goals. When we went back last year, you Well, you can have that discussion.

Okay.

All I'm trying to tell you is that we asked a year ago when we sat downstairs and we went over these goals. What I'm seeing here is that we didn't even do some of them. We didn't even attempt to do some of them. We had no information on them. I don't think it's it's acceptable which is where how do we create new stuff unless we debate where where did we go with the current and I

guess that's the problem I'm having is we're jumping to this but we haven't even address the fact of whether we did or didn't do these and how are we not going to be in the same boat I think I think I'm confused I just went through every single goal in the first goal which I can't share the the data with you I said it looks like the goal is is going to be partially met some of

these benchmarks we won't meet meet others I went through the student attendance, gave an update on whether or not we met the attendance goals. I went to the special ed, gave an update on where we were with that. Said we did not report out. Said um we didn't put it into a strategic plan because we don't have a strategic plan. Got to the professional practice development. Said that yes, I attended the meetings. Yes,

I worked with my coach. Got to goal number five. Said we did not complete presentations on schedule. said that we launched the process but we didn't come up with um a strategic plan. Said that I didn't share survey results because we didn't give a survey on the process because we didn't fully implement the process. Got to goal number six. Talked about the completed educator plans. Said

I didn't meet the goal. They were not 100% complete. Vast majority were supported and that I'll get you the data when we have it. And then logger notes demonstrating at least three visits per school. I didn't know that I needed the evidence. I said yes, I did the regular school visit. So, I feel like I did and all we could do is belabor the point.

You could keep asking the question of why the strategic plan didn't get done.

Um, you can keep saying, um, you have no indication of whether or not. Let's pretend none of this got done. Let's pretend. And then we can say, all right, superintendent, you didn't you didn't deliver on any of these goals. And then we can take a look at school year 26 because I know that you would notice that much of it is kind of a repeat kind of thing. I I I don't know what other

kind of goals there could be. about setting new ones because we didn't meet the goals that I set for 2025.

I would think that we shouldn't when we when we have not been successful with a bunch of goals in the process.

We shouldn't just repeat it. And I think that's part of the problem is we just keep on repeating. Well, we'll get to that. When I look at these goals, I don't want to have comments on how long, you know, this is going to take in order to get something done. But when you if you don't analyze where we've been and whether we did these proper or not, that's the problem. When I look at the

benchmarks and evidence for the first one we're here in September, the only thing we have is the data that just shows for planning purposes, which I asked for. Why can't we get some of the information? We've received zero information from any school in the district related to the MCCAST that we have to use for planning purposes. So, you have a general statement that says all this is not done or I think the

email said something about individualized data. is not aggregate and I understand that process but at the end of the day we have received zero information to back up anything that you said here as far as the data suggests that so maybe moving forward if if you need a report on the goals earlier then maybe we shouldn't use MCCAST data because I know that I gave you a general statement

but the statement from Desi says embargo data should not be shared with the public or school committee members before the official public release in late September until that time results can be shared with school and district staff for educational planning purposes.

Right. So, so then one in my opinion, yep, we shouldn't be sitting here on September 8th having a meeting when if this the biggest most important piece of this uh all of our goals is the MCCAST course. That's why we had it added. So now we're sitting here a month early. We have nothing to go on related to how we're going to make a change on that. So I don't know whether

it is. I know that you know exactly what every every school knows whether they either increase the amount of kids that are in the advanced and proficient or in whatever like there's some some data like global data where we could see okay yeah you know it looks okay in pockets whatever it is I'm not trying to tell you not to go with what the ESC recommends but at the same time we're

approving gold in the blind here because we don't know what was there but I I think the issue is like the goals that are set around student achievement They're not arbitrary. It's not like back in the day where people would sit around and say like, "Let's let's increase the number of students um who are proficient or advanced by 10 points." Oh, could we do 10 points? Oh, not sure. Um maybe that's too lofty.

Maybe it should only be five at this particular grade level. We use the Department of Ed measures to do this.

And so these are like these are researched measures. They make predictions about what is reasonable, a reasonable goal in a year and we adopt those. So it's not arbitrary. So when I look at next year and I think about the work that continues in the district and I say we'll make at least 50% progress toward targets, we're going to meet performance targets for ELA math and science and we're going to meet uh the

target for progress toward English language proficiency. I do feel like we could, you know, you as a committee could say, but maybe those aren't the things we're really f we need to be focused on. Um maybe there's some other measure in that accountability system that that you should focus on. and that would be fine. But that would that's the kind of discussion that I expect to have

because I think that increasing access to grade level work for all students and focus on students with disabilities and our English learners the way we have begun to do much more intensively in the last couple of years. That does seem like the right work. And if we didn't get the results we wanted last year, it doesn't mean we change the goal. It means maybe we change the action plan.

Maybe you look at the key actions here and say I don't think that's the thing that's going to get it done. And I appreciate that kind of feedback, but it doesn't feel like throw the baby out with bathwater because we don't have like the official MCCAST scores to share. And I don't honestly I didn't think I had much of a choice in terms of doing a goal setting meeting this early

in the year. If if there was a choice in the matter, I apologize. I I would have done it later after we did all of the accountability um presentations to So when I look at this uh attaining the 50% progress towards targets and everything, you and your team absolutely have a a feeling based on the preliminary data that's embargoed, which I'm acknowledging that it's embargoed.

You and your team absolutely can know we made progress or we didn't make progress in there, which is then therefore going to lead to we're not making the 50%.

There's there's more information guaranteed that your team has to analyze where what we currently have to see where we're at. Guaranteed. And I feel like that's a planning piece for the goals for everybody's goals to to try to see. So I wouldn't want to change anything in the draft until we see the numbers of whatever we come up.

So I know it's a draft and we're going to get to it, but the end of the day, I think your team knows where where the I think so. But I think when I look at like the data for the last few years and the progress we made um toward targets and where we've landed in that you know percentage um we haven't made it you know and we're definitely not seeing across schools like everybody over 50%.

We're not seeing that and so you know something that could change but I do think that's where we need to be. That's where we need to be working towards. So, if we were to if we were to get something that said this past year, um, we made, you know, we were actually over 50% targets, the adjustment that I'd want to make is like, then we need to keep pushing that. We need to meet more

of our targets moving forward. Um, but right now, this seems like the reasonable a reasonable number.

I understand. My last question is on the professional practice. Go with your coach. And I know this is a I believe this is either a law or regulation from DESI. the superintendents have to participate but and I don't know want to know everything that you're discussing there but the pieces of this like the strategic planning and the goals was that ever part of the to watch you like to

you know what I'm saying to say you know superintendent you you submitted uh the goals for the committee you haven't met this one are you on track for this one like I'm just thinking it was that part of the thing or is it just so not strict so when I presented my goals um originally last year it was after working with my coach I I drafted goals, shared them with him. We had a uh

we did phone meetings, we did in-person meetings. What I brought to the school committee last year for goals, first year superintendent goals. Those were the ones um I was coached up to present.

The committee did not want them, right?

I got it was like, go back to the drawing board. This isn't going to cut it. Um and there was a um you know obviously an appetite for a um a strategic plan. I was told I would not be supported through the new superintendent induction program around this the strategic plan because it wasn't a reasonable goal for the um for a new superintendent. And so that's that's really where that landed. Um they

I did receive support around um kind of entry plan and gathering data and and kind of work that would um fuel the process but not around developing a strategic plan. That's actually the work for this year that started. We had our last meeting back in May and that's the work for this year.

So you're telling me that your coach told you basically don't do a strategic plan year one even though the school committee and you and your goals you indicated that you were going to. Sorry, we're not being facitious.

That's what you said. It was pretty much the the spirit of it. I don't want to put words, but it was a this is too much. Like you got to you got to not you know you got to say you're not going to do this or like and how much do we pay this company?

I actually do not know.

Just get that information.

Sure. at some point just because it's a mandate and if a mandate from a superintendent coach with a first year superintendent that doesn't have a strategic plan in place at all if their uh advice is don't do it because it's not a first year superintendent I just question the ability or the capacity whatever it is because something needed to be done or maybe it was too big an ask right I I mean

but I'm not suggesting it was there going to be a um I I guess more thorough you know, like something the fact that we have nothing in the district for your entire first, you know, 14 months, 16 months of the superintendency and based on this, we're not going to have it for another year. That's two years of superintendency without a strategic plan. I don't think that's okay.

That would be my thing. If you can get that information, Mr. Cy.

So, Madame Superintendent, um I'm sorry, I have to disagree with uh the inference that I I believe my colleagues are looking at. I I I think that uh it's not within our purview to micromanage your goals, but to see your goals and to look at them and and understand that the district has been moving forward. And um if if you could just give me just a one-s sentence or or a two sentence uh

summary on on your feelings on how you did, how did how do you feel your your year went running this district? Did you see growth? Did you see a little bit of progress?

Do you mean um growth in the district or progress?

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think this year has been a year of um putting systems into place and um I think we were I think we were successful at that.

And so when it it is this unfortunate piece and can I put something? Do I have kind of a draft outline of a strategic plan? Yes, I do. Right. I'm waiting on some data.

No one wants to hear this, but we don't have the report yet from the Mcllin Center. There are two very big pieces of that around human resources and um facilities and operations. Um but we do in our other in in other departments um where we were working on a lot of things internally in terms of um student support and special education and um instruction. We do have year-long plans

that will we have year-long plans and we have some that kind of look forward into kind of the next steps and those action plans can be you know will be more thoroughly created as we go. Um but it's been a year of putting systems in place.

With that being said, I know many of the directors in place. I know many of the principles in place and I know that the morale within the district, you know, is it we're never going to be a perfect district. We're always going to have a series of challenges to face. That being said, I know that the morale in the district is is is really solid and solidly behind you. And that's all I

need to know at this. I'll yield.

Mr. Dennis, thank you. Just two last follow-up questions. One, um, just want to push back a little on my colleague's comments. I think it's important that We don't rubber stamp everything that the administration does either. That's not rubber stamping.

If I if I have the form, Mr. Cord, that's okay.

Thank you.

You accuse me, I can answer that.

Thank you, Mr. Tommy. Mr. D, please.

Thank you. On the on the Collins Center, and I know this is something that was discussed, I believe, with the last superintendent. So, this is something that was discussed, I believe, in 2024.

Someone wants to correct me wrong. Um, how did that come about? And I know that like they actually did the actual review over the spring, like late spring, early summer.

Um, was it something on on their on their time or I I guess I'm trying to understand so we could have met that goal of having the Colin Center present the review. Why didn't we do it like maybe fall of 2024, have that review?

So, I I discussed this with committee earlier this year that with the um newness of an HR director and other HR staff. Um when we met with the Collins Center, we made the decision to put it off until we what we thought was going to be I think January. Um just so that we we had you know people in place. A lot of it is you know interview based trying to get to know

the systems, reviewing some systems. The idea was to have someone in place for a few months so we could get um some systems that weren't in place up and running and that they would have a better understanding of kind of how we were currently doing business. It it could not happen in January. They had a scheduling conflict and so it got pushed off.

No, I respect that. Thank you. Um last thing I'm just going to bring up here just on the numbers and I and I asked the question as well. Um, when do we receive like the like I know you said it was individualized data. When when did we receive that?

It starts coming actually um in the spring before school gets out. We start getting um individual student data. Um schools use that over the summer to do some um planning forward for specific students around supports and interventions um the makeup of classes and things like that. It also um informs some professional development and things like that that we do over the summer and

in planning for the new school year. So I guess my question would be um I think to my colleague's point, we couldn't take that data and just like over the summer and then just make some sort of um like like understanding of where we are with the goals that you set out in goal one. Yeah, I I think we can and we did, but we have a directive from the

Department of Ed that says the data is not to be shared with the school committee.

The individual data, but again, I guess my issue is, and you were reading off um a sheet, which I'll assume is from an attorney.

Nope, it's from the Department of Vet.

Yeah, I think that's information that should be shared with the committee in advance because this I'd like to see what the questions were asked and what the answers were. I know you read off a little bit, but we made a phone call and said, "Can we share?

Can we share information? School um super superintendent has a goal setting meeting. The school committee would like to review some of the MCCAST data and this is what was sent to us."

Right. So, I think there's a difference between not and I'm not I'm just gonna not assuming what you said.

It wasn't me who made the phone call or whoever made the phone call. I think there's a difference in questioning between can we share this direct data with the school committee which I don't know if that was asked or can we take bits and pieces out of the data and give numbers to the school committee for a goal setting meeting. I'd love to see if I say something to you that we didn't

meet the data. We some of these goals are going to be met and some aren't.

I don't know.

I I guess I'm asking like what what would have been more meaningful data? I will contact the department of ed myself and ask if I can share it with you.

Right. But I I again I don't need to see the individual data.

I know. But what is it that you want?

Because I will I will contact them.

We got to move on to the 26 goals.

Sure. And I think I made it clear just the overall data of where we're meeting with the with the with the MCAST board.

This is just not productive right now.

Yeah.

I will say this, we wouldn't be able to calculate that.

Okay.

The way it is here in terms of progress and meeting targets, and I want to explain why because our data includes all of the students, right? And and we take the position of we don't care if a student came to us in September of last year or January or or they didn't get here until March. if they take MCCAST with us, those are meaningful scores to us. So that's what our schools use to plan. The Department

of Ed does care when a student arrives.

And so if a student hasn't been with us all year, those students are not going to be included in our calculations. So we wouldn't be able to do these calculations um on our own. We do them, but in a way that's not scientific at all. I I mean it is scientific um but it doesn't follow their formulas because it it accounts for every single student who tested with us and we think it's returning.

And I'm going to end with this. I do agree with you on on one part is um I think this should have been to my colleague's point held later and I think and I know we're having an evaluation committee meeting soon. I think these should be like the way I look at it and someone correct me if I'm wrong. I almost think they're intertwined like the like the goals and your

I agree with you 100%. I agree with you 100%. When we work when we're in schools or anyone in the district, we as part of the goal setting process, people are examining and we're having discussions all around the data, but we don't have that discussion.

My self assessment doesn't come until later for whatever reason. I I'm assuming it's because of this student um the student learning goal, right? in the fact that we use MCCAST data. So that becomes the problematic piece because you want to be able to set goals for the school year. I do have, you know, a good handle on kind of where we need to be and what we need to do, but clearly the

fact that I can't share that data with you is problematic and um I'm not sure what else to do about it.

Okay, just one comment.

Top top line, just one question. Top line says what?

superintendent/school committee goals just for the edification of the public.

That's what it says here. So that means it's both a joint venture between the school committee and the superintendent.

I don't want to have people keep on saying well why do we ask questions and why can't we question this is school committee. No, there is people at this table who have and what I'm saying to you is this is a joint superintendent school committee goals. Thank you.

I'm just saying we got our 26 year goal goal. Go ahead Dr. Curley. Uh so for 2026 um as I said a lot of the um the focus areas are the same. There is a goal around access to grade level work um with similar benchmarks 50% u progress toward targets overall meeting performance targets for ELA math and science and meeting um the progress for the 2026 target for progress toward English language proficiency. a second

I mean, truthfully, it doesn't matter if a target is a scaled score of, you know, 500 or 510 or, you know, whatever it's going to be. We're going to do the same work. Um so in a lot of ways the targets it's almost it it feels okay that we don't know until later in the game.

Question.

Um yes follow. How does that different differ from the attain at least three out of four points in um language?

It really is just different language like because if you meet your target you get a three. If you target you get a four. It actually is the same.

Basically, my own feedback would be to sort of either duplicate that or put parenthesis with the targets because it'll be just be clear to everybody that it's not changing. It's just keeping a somewhat wealthy goal down.

Um the second is around student attendance. Um I actually did put a number in in terms of the daily rate rising to 93% in school year 26. We did see some movement um in school year 25 up to that what we think is going to be around like the 91.5. Um so 93% is a seems like a solid goal. It might be um it might be a bit much but I know that I

know the work that's being done and I feel like um we can get there. Same thing with chronic absenteeism. We were looking to fall to 25% this year. I put in a number here of 23% or below. Um and that's something that we will work toward. question Mr.

on that same one. Um I think it would be beneficial if we had a history of the last three, four, five years like we keep talking pre-COVID.

Yeah. Putting you know like if you put something in here to say like uh are we trying to get back to pre-COVID levels or this less than that? Thank you. Are you the goal three around equitable educational opportunities? um the benchmark and evidence. Um there are some actionoriented and as well as some um data oriented um no less than two updates um one in the fall and one in the spring to apprise the committee and

community of plan progress throughout the year. um a redistricting uh the redistricting and strategic plans um aligning to include elements of the inclusive education action plan um and 70% of teachers participating in the PD um that's reflected in the action plan um are leveraging instructional practices designed for students with disabilities.

question Mr. There you go. Just on the inclusive educational action plan. Is that the equivalent of the uh in the other one the sub special education uh so there's overlap the inclusive education action plan is the one um coming out of the work with um Deb Harris and so we haven't seen the action plan we saw like a a package from them but I don't necessarily see that it's action plan this is this to be determined

this inclusive education action plan to be is it like a document that currently exists already so We haven't finalized that piece. So, we have like the phases in year one. It overlaps with the steed strategies action plan and that's the bigger piece that talks about how we're going to go from where we are now to where we want to be in over the next three years that has one piece of that. Her work for the

year is outlined in that action plan, but it doesn't have measurable steps like you would think an action plan would. It said this.

So, that's just to be determined. We're going to phase one, phase two. So in October when this becomes finalized, we'll have specific inclusive action plan.

And and it might make sense to replace the inclusive education action plan with the STR bed strategies action plan, but we can talk a little bit more about that.

Um the professional practice goal um relates um back to participating um in the new superintendent induction program in year two um in in the benchmarks and evidence thereof. And if it again um some of the feedback I would appreciate is just around um the specifics around the benchmarks and evidence that like you know that the committee would want to see in terms of whether or not goals

were met. Um the next one is the um strategic planning and direction setting. And this is really inclusive of um providing a preliminary framework for the priority areas um for a strategic plan um by December. Um in January having a redistricting plan finalized and adopted by the school committee. In March uh the draft strategic plan presented publicly for review and a final strategic plan adopted in June.

And then um in July, a communication campaign launched um to ensure that all staff and families are aware of the district plan before school year 27 begins.

Mr. We can just go back to five.

The one that you asked for.

Yeah.

Benchmark evidence suggestions.

One would be the written reflections. So when you look at um you must be reflecting on like conversations you had with him whatever analysis we don't see any of those. So that would be one that I would say.

Yeah. So that's what I was Yeah. I that was one of the things I thought it would be a good idea to um submit. So I would just say I'm just not this is not as clear as that you'll submit those to the school committee at whatever period of time. The other one is the participating in the program isn't necessarily one of the to me that's sort of you have to do

by law and it's kind of common I guess that's what you do but um the second piece is at least if we get something on reflections like I asked I wasn't being facitious what does the person say about the um strategic plan I think that's a legitimate concern of whether they if they don't do that as part of their own thing they need to reflect on their own coaching because at some point you they should be

coaching you on in my opinion on hey you're getting yourself into a situation with the school committee you set some goals that you didn't do but like that's things to avoid you know what I'm saying like that's where I guess I'm making a point of whoever that person is without that you actually sorry one more question right I disagree with the strategic plan timeline one member um I think it's way too long

to to look at to say look in the summer then we're going to you know it's basically just going to be done at the end of the school year when a lot of times strategic plans need to be implemented in the during the school year so that you're preparing and I think your intention here is that in July we would launch it and then prepare people for September but I just think

somehow this is way too long for me personally but anything you can do to okay speed up the timeline would be effective for me. Thank you Mr. Das.

Thank you. I I'm just going to really focus my questions on the um strategic plan and um I think it's I agree with my colleague. I think the timeline's too long. I also think it's a little too broad. I think um and I'll explain why.

First, in terms of staff recruitment, obviously we have um issues with recruiting and retaining some positions with vacancies. I think there should be a specific goal in here to um some sort of number that we want to meet. We want to meet maybe in terms of the hard to fill um special education positions or the teacher positions. Um that's one.

Two is um I know we have some um agreements either between um the police department and the city that haven't been touched. I believe the um indirect cost hasn't been touched since 2018 and the um the police department with the SRO's hasn't even been looked at since 2022. I think that's something that should be revisited just to see if there's anything that needs to be updated in terms of language. I don't

know that needs to be specifically in a goal, but if we're setting goals for the year, I think that should be a goal in general. And the last goal I do want to bring up that I personally think should be looked into, at least addressed, is um recruitment in terms of crossing guards. Maybe the district can maybe security can take over the the program.

I think they could run the manage the program a lot better and take some of the stress off of traffic on the city side. So, I think that's something we should look at as a district in terms of goals. I don't know if you have any feedback for that or something.

I don't think that something that specific in terms of crossing guards would find itself in in this particular set of goals. Um I think it's it's something that we can talk about. I I wouldn't see it in the goals. No.

Any further questions?

Okay. Um you get your hands full. Uh I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn.

Motion to adjurnn.

Second.

Motion second. I think they're all Mr. Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory. Yep.

M. Lar.

Yes. M.

Perau. Mayor Kugan.

Yep.