Could there be something um I don't want to say priority wise, but for like staff. Um some kind of a I don't know what you would call it, like a like BCSC staff would get first. Yeah. For um So like at the daycare? Yeah, there could be. Now, that some schools will put that into the negotiations. And so that would be something that we we could negotiate. Um I know that Tracy made a good suggestion, too. It may be worth Benton Community Schools sending a bus from the daycare out to the preschool out at Benton Community. So there are a lot of things that we can do to help support not only staff, but Yeah, so. Once we kind of get the logistics going. Okay, yeah. But now, it is a daycare, so it is not a preschool. Yes. Yes. So just wanted to kind of keep you aware of that.
>> Okay. Well, why don't we put it on the agenda for next time and we can >> That's all I That's all I really wanted. >> Discuss more >> and also maybe if we have some suggestions for outfits that do this kind of assessment. Um, >> you know, if if we know of anybody that does that. >> Yeah, you're going to have to >> Yeah, NASDAQ is one of them. New England School Development Council. Okay. I know that's one of them. And I know there's another one out there. Okay. Maybe >> higher ed institution maybe. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. I was just I was just looking to get it on the agenda. >> Any other matters? >> Nope. Nope. I'm good. >> Okay. So, our next regular meeting of the school committee is scheduled for Monday, May 18th at 6 PM right here in the Dartmouth High School Library Media Center.
I think part of what happened and I think this is part of our journey is we we were getting a lot of requests for like a deeper dive on components and because you know we really just best way I can describe it we want to take the hood off the car and let everyone see the engine right like there's there's been despite the fact that public education gets accused of no transparency all the time like the transparency particularly in this district has been like off the charts right like we're like hey check this out this one still has a carburetor in Um but but it does I think we drifted too far in that direction and now it's time to recalibrate back to a more you know baseline methodology. Doesn't mean that we don't answer questions, right? It just means that the report itself gets kind of streamlined back down.
I'm trying to get zeros to sixes to sevens and eights, sevens and eights, nines and 10s, nines and 10s. I'm just trying to keep them there. So, with 66 more respondents, it's difficult to say, right? It's an anonymous survey, so I can't track to see if someone moved from a six to a seven. But with only 66 more people taking it, we went up 86 responses in the nines and 10s category. So, the jump from staff being 26% to 45% as recommending it as a place to work is a huge win. I do Um, put a lot of that in the cell phone policy. Anecdotally, uh the staff around October when we waited until they sort of settled into their year and asked, you know, how's it going? What's it like this year in comparison to last year? And a lot of them said it feels like school again.
Now, remember though, once that storage, once we claim that, we'll have this building to look a little different. We have our record boxes and our paper, and we'll we'll handle that. Yeah. So that's all I have for now. That's all I have. Anything else for the work session? I think we're good. No, a lot of good information and sit and wait for the state to figure out what they're going to make us do. I know. I like you for the detailed paperwork. Yeah. Yep, thank you. I will tell you that I appreciate that.
Um, as well as via live stream. Um, so I'm now seeking a motion to adjourn into executive session pursuant to MGL C30A 21A2 to conduct grievance hearings pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement between Dartmouth School Committee and the Dartmouth Educators Association. We also need one pursuant to Mass General law chapter 3A uh section 21A3 to discuss strategies with respect to collective bargaining where an open meeting would have a determinable effect on the school committee bargaining position. That's with halfme. >> All right. >> So I'll make that motion madam chair and not to return to open session. >> Okay. Second. Is that second? Uh motion by Mr. Non, second by Miss Amarall. Uh, roll call, please. Miss Gner. >> Es Coughlin, >> yes. >> Chris Oliver, >> yes. >> Kathleen Emerald, >> yes. >> John Nunes, >> yes. >> Mary Beck, >> yes.
And I think sometimes because we're trying to make sure the board has all the information, we're overproviding information in those reports. And we've had those conversations an executive team like a number of times. >> And keep in mind that is a sliver of all the things that our teams are doing. I mean, it is the tiniest amount. Just even trying to give you that information um is is a tiny part of what everyone is doing in all of our areas and departments. It's a fraction of what we're doing. It's a sliver of what we're doing. Um there's a lot going on and I don't think that there would be um an ability for us to put it all in a PowerPoint. I just think Lorissa's team does such a great job disseminating all of that into the really relevant um portions of information. But as always, you know, we can always improve.
Um, which is great. Um, that, you know, students will respond. They will interact with each other. We put them in groups and they interact. Um, and so that's good. So I think that that feeling of more kids being there and when they're there and not being on their phones did have, I think, a positive impact on these numbers specifically. On the next slide, you'll see the families. Um, last year again on the left Um, and then this year on the right. We did increase by 4% for nines and 10s. Um, and then also we decreased our zeros to sixes by 2%. Um, which is great. But again, [clears throat] um, my sample size is smaller. Good thing is is that the sample size that was more than twice this, the percentages are pretty close. So, um, the feelings of the 321 versus I think it was 689 or maybe 700 last year.
And I think that's part of this is staying on top of it, having the conversations, looking at our minutes. What can we do better? And I and I hope no one is taking it that we're doing anything wrong. I don't think anyone is doing anything. Yeah. And I don't take it that way, Heather, in any way. Um, but you know, we know why that happens and we're very aware of it and always trying to work on that streamline process. >> I'm just wondering, could we put like something out for like the general public that would be like simpler for them? Uh, I just I don't know. Like I just I just think like I'm not sure that we're like conveying the right information for the community to understand what we're doing and the successes or the areas of improvement that we're having >> and maybe like a a summary preview.
Um, that they fall in line with each other. Um, so, it's broken down by board goal. So, first, um, equitable and supportive environment. What our consultant does is takes all of the questions that are related to a topic, adds those things together and so we get to see what the overall staff feels. So that while the data may be higher at one school than the other, I'm showing you what the average is across of those. Um, and specifically, um, under equitable and supportive environment, we do talk about the belonging, cell phones, and behavior expectations. So, for cell phone policy, we asked um staff, do you uh did it have a positive impact on students engaging with each other? And then, um also the collaboration in class. You can see that 86% of the staff reported favorably, which is a four or a five on a five-point scale.
>> Yes. >> Come watch our meeting. Well, so many things are popping up in my head right now, but the first one is that I do think we do need to be better at conveying what we're doing and and translating those reports to our community, but that falls back on us in our two-way communication. And we all have lacked in that aspect. We haven't really been out in community presenting our boards, our our board reports. We haven't committed to actually going out. We were good when we started. I know that Katie and I presented at a couple um schools. Nicole did one and I I think you did one too, Tristan, right? Or not yet. Anyways, um so with that all being said, I think we need to be more intentional in our community outreach two-way communication because that's how we can get people to really start understanding that because at the end of the day, we are a board.
And um the same thing about the academics and collaboration in the classroom. Students did not feel so strongly about having their cell phones taken um from during class. Uh 33 and 34% said it had a positive impact on their learning. Uh for expected behavior, um the staff last year, um I have the tools to support positive behavior, um and I feel like the school sets clear expectations for student behavior. Last year was 47%. Um and that 47% came out of their personal tools being higher than what they felt the school's tools were. So, to go up to 72% that while some staff may feel we still have ways to go on those tools, um both of them um increased quite a bit. Uh so, having a 72% from 47% with the first year of the goal is great. But, it also shows that we have some some still have some work to do, which is why um you'll see at the end that the recommendation is to continue um with that academic and um uh accountability goal.
We are this is our business meeting and we need to understand certain things at our level and then it is our job as the electeds of this community to go back and explain that to our community and if there's still a gap I think that falls on us. Um, so maybe we can create some creative ways on how we can be better at being community. And something that always pops for me is community council is a really good one, right? We can do like a mock board meeting at a community council and go through a pro. I don't know what that looks like, but I think there's spaces where we can try to work that and see what that works, but that disengagement or that misunderstand a misunderstanding I think falls on us. Um, so we can be better at that. Um but yeah, that's what's coming up for me um regarding those and which I think leads us perfectly to our next point, which is our strategic questions.
It holds strong with students and also with families. Most of their data is pretty similar. Um but, again, when you see the school's behavior management strategies are effective with consequences. Last year was 14%, right? And that was the average across both schools. One school was uh significantly lower than that 14%. Um and so to get up to 53% in 1 year, um that's that's a pretty significant change in how we are were approaching things. Um and so hopefully building on that, we'll be able to see an increase next year as well. >> Can you touch upon examples of consequences that the staff is responding so positively to? >> Uh sure. Uh that um for cell phones, it's super clear, right? That uh I've asked you to put it into the case. The minute I see it out, you had your option to put it in the case, but now we're going to consequences.
Because I think the better that we get at actually asking those strategic questions, it will leave the you know the ins and outs of the meticulous stuff that we've been looking at lately and looking at a more out of a on a broader view. So, um, if we can move into our strategic questioning and hopefully that helps us to be a little bit better at asking those questions. >> What what I want to do is I see a clear opportunity of um, Heather, you are right on point on how is the community interpreter. Sophia, you're right on point on it's the board's responsibility to take it to them, but if you as board members aren't clear on what you're seeing, then you might struggle with relaying that information to the community. So, let me see if I can break this down as simple as possible.
Um that because there is far more communication between um about consequences. And um I know that some I believe South was doing a sort of like a a roving, you know, sweep the halls in that first 10%. The staff feeling that presence of getting students to class and making sure that we are holding kids and that we're not letting down our guard on it. I do I mean do we have areas to grow in consequences? Sure. I think there at every school that I've worked at, the the the common thread is how do we increase connection or how do we increase communication between our counselors, C triple S, and the teaching staff. And that's something that while it's improved this year, I think that's something that can continue to improve um based on what the staff um has said of making sure that if a consequence is given, that they know what it is and why it was in a timely fashion.
You've got the effective gold monitoring document in front of you. I'll ask you to look at the beginning of page two, which says effective monitoring reports. Keep that nearby as I walk you through this brief example up on this board here. So my question to you as a board uh if you you remember the analogy of the football game, you remember inputs, outputs, and outcomes. You all as a team use those terms regularly here. Question board members, and you don't have to answer because I don't want you feeling like I'm putting you on the spot. Although you want to get there sooner rather than later if you don't have the answers. from where you started this year to where you're probably projected even if we just say goal number three fresh on your mind from this last board meeting question that if I'm a community member and you're giving me this goal my question to you as a community member would be how are we looking are we on track to meet this year's target and the second part are we on track to meet the overall goal what would you as board members What do you think?
That is something that takes a bit longer to get moving as especially changing systems in an infant campus. So. >> Thank you. >> Can I just ask I I feel like it's interesting that the staff jump is so high with consequences, right? But the feeling among students and families it hasn't changed that much which I think is a good thing, right? So people are like the consequences make sense. We're not over We're not kind of taking too hard of a line. Like do you read that the same way? >> that the students and the students last year into this year said like yes, I understand what the consequences are. And I think the staff last year would have argued maybe that's because there aren't enough. Um and so the jumping of that is that the staff is seeing and feeling those consequences more whereas the students are feeling it the same.
And if you if you want to share, you can. If not, I just want you to think about it. You have goals. You have annual targets. We're right at the we're right at the end of the game. The reason you did the monitoring reports was so that you don't have to wait till the end of the year to figure out are we going to win the game or lose the game. So theoretically, right now, after these reports, you should have an idea. Should is a word that we may need to unpack with goal number three that you just monitored that you spent what 36 minutes on? >> Yes. >> This is what I want you to have in the back of your head when you're doing the next progress monitoring. Do you understand what's being placed in front of you? >> Do you understand how you got there?