So we would implement a feedback cycle in that way. Perfect. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. Oh were you going to say? Go ahead Mr. Glover. Sure. Okay, thanks. Just a couple things I wanted to thank you both and hopefully congratulate you that this will be over. I know what a relief it is to kind of get through these things. It is a it is a very long process. Before I start on any other comments, I just want to uh point out that we're spending $1.3 million because somebody at the state of the state of Arizona decided that the materials we had which we were successful with and our kids were literate and reading decided that that no longer met the needs of the state of Arizona. So this is why we are here doing that. I would prefer not to have spent that money and spent it on some other other areas but um here we are.
I didn't know if everybody knew those dates yet. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Can I ask um the meeting on Monday, when and where is that? >> It's going to be virtual. >> Okay. and it's at 6:30. >> Is that is that an official school committee meeting? Because I don't see it listed in >> it hasn't been it hasn't been posted yet. That's what I'm going to try and do tomorrow. >> Okay. So, it's a virtual meeting at 6:30. Okay. >> And the one on the one on the 12th will be virtual also. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> And at 6:30 because I that works better for people. I know we're going to have a lot of public interest in those meetings, so hopefully that time will work better for families. >> Okay. So, both of them are at 6:30. Okay. Thanks, Rachel.
>> Yes. So every year that the Tahanto split changes very slightly, right? >> Because it's based on student population. >> Because it's based on Yeah. Yeah, between the two towns. So it's negative this year for Boylston. >> So it's not just an arbitrary small change. It's based on the enrollment Yeah. points. Okay. Right. Any other questions? Let me just say 1.1 and then 4.5. Is that 1.1 Is that dividing it? You go I can't remember what So that like do we need to reduce by 500,000 or No, we need to reduce by My takeaway from last night was we need to make between 6 and 700,000 dollars cut on the bottom line for Boylston. That was my my takeaway when [clears throat] I walked out the door. It was quick math in my head. Right. But you had a really good slide on there that showed the assessments the 2020 that you said Karen had asked for.
I haven't read the date of the bills in terms of when they go live. Just something to think about to get to get in front of it in case it does happen because I I don't think that we necessarily want everything to go to zero. That's it. I know I uh proposed this, but if anyone else has a comment before I conclude my comments with manager Kelly, I'm open. >> Well, if it is something that you would like to discuss, I I [snorts] would like, you know, to know that there's broad interest in it. If it's something that you would like to bring up for awareness, I think that that has been satisfied and I'm happy to circulate a more links or resources. I because I'm not sure what the next >> Yeah, I think for for me my my interest level is what you just said based on what I just said.
It really goes to in a lot of new studies, background knowledge about a theme is almost as important as a student's reading ability. So, it's been imperative the teacher build on themes that we've established the previous years, right? All the learning is foundational and that each year builds on each other. It's also allowed us to provide a comprehensive training on the curriculum. Department chairs meet quarterly, right? Quarterly at the secondary level. Uh we also pull before the school year starts for training on the curriculum as well as our lit summit initiative that we did this year. We have to have that common ground of the common curriculum to be able uh to have those conversations. Additionally, our last step was the middle years uh literacy initiative. So, our middle year's literacy had seen a downward trend in previous years. The focus has been on building literacy instruction skills throughout all of our content areas.
I did talk to Mr. Lotzenhiser yesterday and I had a bunch of bunch of questions which he answered for me and I appreciate it. I was interested and wanted to make sure about the training piece getting that done before the start of the school year. So, I'm I'm pleased to hear that. And also, I heard you mention that you're trying to get the materials into the hands of teachers as soon as you can, and I applaud you for that because um the good ones will want that and will want to get ahead and providing them uh the materials to be better at their job the sooner they can be as great. Um I was a little surprised at about the granularity that that we don't know about some of the functions, but I just had one little tip. I think for future adoption, it's not a criticism of this one, but in my conversations with Mr.
>> Yeah, I just copied that from the letter that went out to the community. >> Yeah. Um, and the consent agenda, which is our minutes and our warrant. >> I move to accept the consent agenda. Second. >> All right. Roll call. William, >> yes. >> Rachel, >> yes. >> Jenny, >> yes. >> Sarah Bess, >> yes. >> And Margaret, yes. The consent agenda is approved. Five to nothing. All right. I now will make a motion to adjourn the meeting. Second. >> Thank you. William, >> yes. >> Rachel, >> yes. >> Jenny, >> yes. >> Sarah Bess, >> yes. >> And Margaret, yes. We are adjourned. Thank you all. We'll see you on Monday.
And so you're like, "I did it for you this year." And it was the difference between 2026 and 2027. Yeah, these two. Uh Yeah. So, you're operating up top. Right. Yeah. And they said last night like they were like 400, maybe 480. Top 500. But to ask point then they were like, "How much is the teacher?" And they were like, "280 and 100." So, it's the head right there. Yeah, FTE. >> So, Yeah. but even 500 is the top and that's 600,000. That was my takeaway when I was there. And and March 10th you're voting on this and this becomes the school committee's budget, right? That Aaron and I are then going to be pushing in front of the town. So, we're telling you as a district that this is what we need as long along with, you know, slide 32. Is there a fifth grade teacher already in the budget for the Is what?
So if the minimum setbacks are 15 and five that would have an impact here and so then what is is there a plan is there like a a normal a standard operating procedure for things like this since it's a package of bills that are being proposed. So you wait until they're passed and then you respond to them or if there is a standard operating procedure whereby city staff prepare in the event that it's going to be passed and then respond to it. And if that's the case, I would be interested in this conversation appearing on a work session where we don't already have something planned and it might have been queued up for uh cancellation just so that we understand. and then if we can understand then we can help the public understand uh how these changes might impact uh in their local community. So that's all and I'm I'm happy if at this point um you want to take this offline and we can discuss it.
Social studies and science teachers at the junior high level don't necessarily need to know how to get students to learn how to read, but they need to know how to bring in literacy concepts within reading and writing complex text, right? Is this a a primary source or secondary source where we've taught all of them. We've brought them in for its four trainings, right, at the secondary level of how we can improve literacy instruction and bring that into our social studies and science curriculum. Okay, >> so that wraps up goal two. >> Can I ask a couple questions just on these graphs? >> Yep. >> Um and and sorry if I missed it. >> Can you just tell me again kind of what the cohorts are? So like the fifth grade ELA going from so 57% in 2024. >> Correct. So that's a middle of the year ASA mimic assessment.
Lotzenhiser, um and you know, maybe it's been a while since I've done I did adoptions when I was younger younger in my career. Um what I did in in the area of social studies is I got an entire set of everything and I put one at each school. So, like sixth grade might have been at school A, fifth grade set, and I think that's a handy thing. And I just asked the vendors and they provided them. And uh so, to to to have that for future adoptions so that teachers can be there because it's hard for them to get here during the school day, obviously, and and really look through the materials, but if they're kind of sitting around uh the campus, that would be uh thing uh you know, a good a good idea for future future adoptions. So, I think that was Let me just check my notes.
Are the fifth grade teachers for the ES already in the budget cuz I don't The fifth grade teacher for the ES is in the budget. So, we consider that level service. Um, we we cannot have a fifth grade with 33 students in each classroom. And in order to provide the same level of service to our students, um, we would need to have three fifth grade classrooms. >> But but let's be clear, right? So, Megan's point, what she just said, the difference there, right? We're we're saying, right? That we're going to put that fifth grade teacher in and we're bedding it in the budget. But if we have to make that number work, right? There are districts that have numbers that are looking at Look at the la- that slide where they're saying all these cuts these districts going to happen. Like, where is it coming from?
But I did want to just bring it in the event that you already had something in place cuz you all are capable, competent uh active working uh planners who are nimble and responding to state uh changes. I will take this back and uh see what the best course of action will be with manager Leonard. >> Okay. Thank you, manager Kelly. Any other uh Commissioner proposed business? Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. Moved by Commissioner Lee, seconded by Commissioner Weatherbe. All those in favor say I. I. Any oppose? We are ajourned. And I still got
So we partner with our assessment uh company and what it is is they create a an assessment that looks like ASA. It uses the same blueprint and it's about 85% accurate in predicting what a student's endofear ASA result will be. So what you're comparing here is the middle of the year in 2024 of the fifth grade cohort to the middle of the year 2026 cohort >> of so so different different classes >> different kids. Yes. And do we look at like fifth grade, middle of the year compared to those same students seventh grade, middle of the year? And do you just happen to know offhand are the increases similar or we absolutely track all of that? And a lot of our schools actually make their goals in accordance with cohort of students, right? Is a third grade teacher passes the baton of the cohort off to fourth grade and how far can you get them?
That was everything, but hopefully we'll have a sigh of relief for you guys. First, I wish to uh express my gratitude to all folks who participated in the process cuz as Mr. Glover said, it is a a laborious process. Um and I also to all of our teachers who are impacted by the change in this curriculum as well, I am appreciative of all of the work with which you are going to be doing uh over the course of the coming months because not only do you prep for the coming year, but having to change your curriculum is really hard. Uh and I don't think people are always aware of what that means. Um To Mr. Berkshire's point, the idea of that that slips, part of that happens is because sometimes we don't always really know what the best way to teach these things are until after you look at the data and go, "Oh, that wasn't, you know, the best.
What's that? Yeah. I mean, we're we're embedding that fifth grade in there because we feel like this is what you guys as a school committee would want. But if we I mean, like there's expression we use as a super- everyone wants to drive a Cadillac but not might not be able to afford to drive a Cadillac so might have to drive something different. We want small numbers in all of our classrooms. We absolutely believe high quality teachers, low class sizes are the best things for education. But if we got to reach that number, what what how are we doing it? >> Nothing's is game and like the other takeaway I think it's worth mentioning and I saw somebody had sent an email last day about levy capacity in Berlin and I don't think they're Yeah, that didn't come from the town so let's pull off that I don't I I know that I don't think you have either Is there a lot they're going to put Yeah, I don't know Bolton actually one of the other takeaways from the FinCom meeting you guys Bolton is at the levy capacity so they're saying this is what we can give you and oh by the way if you guys decide it's not enough it will go it will have to go to ballot because it will be probably enough.
Um, I don't have that number off the top of my head, but I can absolutely send it. I am super proud as we're talking about fifth grade. Sixth grade the last two years has had the highest proficiency percentage of our students in ELA of our East Valley cohorts. So sixth grade I kind of assume is like our elementary graduation, right? And so for ELA, we're kind of taking it to some of our surrounding districts. >> Yeah. And this we we talked about this a little last time. I mean this is probably the best way to present it. Um, but it's actually a 23% surge just for the record. Right. >> So, it's so it's 13 percentage points, but it's but it's actually 23% increase. So, I mean, all these numbers are actually >> better. Larger. Yeah. >> And so, which is which is awesome. And then if I can ask real quick, we had talked about during the previous presentation um a couple weeks ago about maybe putting together some things to send out.
How can we do better?" You seem to do better have those things as far as PLC. Um and so really I'm just I'm just informing folks who may not be a part of the education process to recognize that these things are done with intention. They're done uh in a way that kind of leads to where Higley is and why Higley is doing as well as we are is because at the end of the day teachers are doing the best they can with the things that they have and we take the time to look at it. So I'm appreciative of that. Um I think all of the questions that we've had up forward I'm grateful for because I have similar ones in terms of when can we get access to these things and all of that. Um >> [clears throat] >> And so maybe after you have some of these conversations, you can just let us know in a status and all that jazz.
Was that how you understood that or Well, yeah I mean it without I mean with without sounding sort of callous or cynical um you know when we when you put your budget forward and it goes to town meeting what the voters decide is what the voters decide. How the town gets that money is is not necessarily I mean isn't factored into that so it doesn't mean they have to do an override but they have to come up with the money, right? So um you know I I this isn't and this isn't an effort to you know say well that's the way it is but that's the way it kind of works is you know if voters vote for something that the town has to figure out how to make it happen So why do you get that impression? You got the impression if I'm wrong correct me that I I think I heard from Berlin and Bolton they're not interested in overrides Yeah Exactly no I am not interested in overrides Yeah that's what Okay good they're not interested made it clear to me that we're almost at that limit Yep if we decide to say for example no we're going to push for this 1.1 that means my understanding again maybe I'm wrong is it doesn't pass the town meeting then that also has to go to a ballot because it would be approximately 1.5 and that would require a vote on a ballot by the town, which is what happened last year in Bolton with the fire station and senior center.
>> Yes. We can I you um we uh probably that next day uh members from our PR team uh set up meetings with us cuz they watched the board meetings and we're very excited by that suggestion. So we now um are going to be having standing monthly meetings from an academic data standpoint uh to create some uh better visualizations and graphics from the data perspective that tell our academic story. So, our team's done a really nice job in the different newsletters and on social media with telling the story part behind it. Um, and there's sometimes when it's letter grades, maybe AP data where we do include data. Um, but the suggestion was to maybe when we hit the different points, um, to also just be transparent and share where we're at with the data. Then um one of the suggestions that just came out of our meeting this past week um included we have our district improvement plan that we're sharing with you, but we meet three times a year to do a district impact check to hold ourselves accountable.