2010-QUASHNET RIVER SCHOOL COUNCIL

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Quashnet School Council (2009-2010) Minutes of Meeting held Thursday, March 11, 2010 (3:15 PM-4:15 PM) Quashnet Conference Room Council Member(3)�resent: Patty DeBoer, Sheila Arnold, Cary Marshall, Kristen Boyd, Jane Dolan, Absent: Calean LaCroix, Jackie Rastallis, and Lisa Hettinger Guest: Ann Bradshaw, Superintendent of Schools Agenda 1. 2010-2011 Budget Update with Superintendent Bradshaw Superintendent Bradshaw shared how proud she is of the Mashpee Public Schools. She highlighted our strengths and accomplishments. At the high school level she spoke to the efforts currently in place to improve SAT scores and to increase student interest in attending top colleges and universities. Mrs. Bradshaw shared that the School Committee voted to participate in school choice for the 2010-2011 school year—accepting a specific number of students in next year's seventh grade and in ninth grade. Mrs. Bradshaw also detailed the current budget planning process for FY'l 1. The current budget gap represents the difference between a school developed maintenance budget for FY'11 and the Town's requested school budget which is 2% below the current FY'10 budget. There are still variables that impact planning (union negotiations and state aid). The School Committee is voting on a bottom-line figure on Monday, March 22, 2010. Mission Statement Update The mission statement shown below was presented to the School Committee on 3/10/10. It has now been posted to our website and is included in our current School Improvement Plan. It will be included in next year's parent/student handbook. We will also create mission statement posters to display throughout the Quashnet School. Our mission at the Quashnet School, in partnership with parents,families, and community, is to empower all children to achieve excellence and to reach their full potential in a respect-filled,safe, and positive learning environment characterized by high expectations, quality instruction, continuous improvement, and civic responsibility. 3. Report Cards We discussed moving to trimester report cards at the Quashnet School for the 2010-2011 school year. The K.C. Coombs School currently follows this schedule. With the increase in expectations that student performance data is collected on a regular basis, teachers are spending more and more time not only collecting data but also in planning instruction and interventions in response thereto. With progress reports going home at the half-way point during each of our current four terms, teachers are formally presenting summative student performance data 8 times a year—every four to five weeks. Members of the Council present at today's meeting supported the idea of shifting to three terms per school year which would mean 3 report cards and three progress reports per year. The progress report format would not include grades or subject averages, but rather would list content-area assessment scores and areas of concern. We will move forward to gather input from staff and parents. If the responses received favor this change, we will then proceed to gain approval from the Superintendent and the School Committee. p0az'l—