001Good. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Hello. Call our meeting to order. This is the um Quinsey School Committee joint equity, diversity, inclusion, special education, teaching and learning subcommittee meeting. I'm Katherine Hubley, the chair of the teaching and learning subcommittee. I am here with Miss Kate Campbell, the chair of the special education subcommittee, and Mr. Tom Bung, who is the chair of the um equity, diversity, and inclusion subcommittee. And we are going to start now with our presentation from Kim Connley, the equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging program board. Floor is yours. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, welcome new school committee uh members Kate Campbell and Tom Leong. Good to have you here. Um, I'd like to thank Mayor Ko, Superintendent Mulvi, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Perkins, members of the school committee, and the senior leadership for your
002support and the opportunity to contribute to building a welcoming and inclusive community for all students and staff. I am deeply honored to serve Quinsey public schools and work alongside such dedicated educators, staff, and students who consistently demonstrate a commitment to excellence. It is a privilege to witness our continued growth each year, and I am grateful to be a part of a district that delivers such meaningful results to all of our students and families. Last year, we identified four DEI goals. Number one, enhancing workforce diversity. Number two, bridging the opportunity gap. Number three, fostering a welcoming culture and climate. And number four, optimizing systems and policies. Before reviewing our progress, I'd like to just briefly revisit the context uh behind these priorities, especially for our newer members. When the DEI director position was established, uh, one
003of the key opportunities identified was cultivating an educator workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our student population. Prior to my arrival, an equity audit was conducted by an outside organization called Visions, Inc. Their findings underscored the importance of intentional strategies to expand staff diversity, an effort that strengthens schools and ensures students see themselves represented, valued, and empowered to succeed. Quinsey has a strong tradition of growing our own educators. And our goal is to build on this foundation so that our increasingly diverse students can envision themselves as future educators in our district. At the state level, we face extremely significant challenges. Teacher preparation programs are experiencing a sharp decline in both enrollment which is at about 34 35% less than the national average and completion of such programs at almost 22% less than the national
004average. This is compounded by the continued under reppresentation of aspiring educators of color who make up only 13 to 14% of participants. These trends reinforce the urgency of clearing of creating clear pathways, partnerships, and supports to cultivate the next generation of diverse educators to enhance workforce diversity. Our long-term strategies focus on high school toteer pathways and college partnerships to broaden the applicant pool. In the short term, we have prioritized sustained communication with education program directors and collaboration on grants to expand access to advanced education for current staff to support retention of staff. Highlights include our partnerships such as with Boston University added this year offering a 33% tuition discount for part-time graduate programs. also our ongoing outreach to prospective educators through monthly communications with over 200 college faculty and our virtual information sessions to support
005continuing education. These sessions have received overwhelmingly positive feedback and one college partner described our program as their most successful virtual recruitment event every year. A full list of our higher education partners providing tuition discounts can be found in appendix B which is on page 24. Our second goal focuses on closing the opportunity gap, ensuring that all students have equitable access to programs and supports that foster belonging, growth, and academic success. Through our new partnership with the organization raising multicultural kids, we were able to implement programming across multiple grade levels in four elementary schools, Snug Harbor, Lincoln Hancock, Mry Mount, and Beachwood Null. We launched the diversity in classroom leadership and literature program. This initiative places highly trained diversity leaders who are often aspiring educators of color into our classrooms to engage students through culturally responsive
006literature that reflects a wide range of identities and experiences including race, culture, ability, and family structure. These sessions are paired with guided discussions and interactive activities designed to deepen students understanding, empathy, and critical thinking. These leaders also model how to engage respectfully with sensitive topics, strengthening the capacity of both our students and staff. Inspired by their impact, we launched the transforming education and creating hope program or teach for 21 high school students. connecting North Quinsey and Quinsey High students weekly with experienced educators to learn about lesson planning, student engagement, and the impact of trauma on learning. Participants reported significant growth in leadership and confidence, and many expressed interest in pursuing teaching careers. Upon completion of the program, several of our participants moved into related roles, including summer paraprofessional positions in QPS, diversity leader roles within
007uh RMK, and afterchool employment with our partner QCARE. In addition, several returning underclassmen will return as team leads in the program this year. At two middle schools, the I LoveMe program helped students develop self-awareness, confidence, and a strong sense of identity. Students later shared their experiences in compelling presentations during uh parent academy session. In addition, the SM'more platform has strengthened communication with staff and families by sharing resources, research, and professional learning opportunities aligned to closing opportunity gaps. Samples of staff newsletters can be found in appendix D on pages 27 to 38 and family newsletters can be found in appendix F, pages 54 to 72. Our third goal was centered on creating a safe and supportive environment. To support diverse staff retention, we established an employee resource group for African-American, Latinx, Asian, and Native American staff
008called Alana. Through newsletters, gatherings, and shared resources, this group fosters connection, mutual support, and professional growth. This year, we also formed a teaching planning team to help guide this work. Their insight, leadership, and enthusiasm have been instrumental. In addition, we met with most schools DEI or culture and climate teams to better understand local needs or and successful practices, which we also highlighted in the district newsletters. Finally, goal number four focuses on optimizing systems and policies. A major milestone was the development of the teach Quinzy website pages on the QPS website. These were designed to attract, hire, and retain diverse candidates. These pages are shown in appendix E, pages 39 to 53, and were informed by best practices from major cities and developed in collaboration with Katie Delaney, our digital communications and web accessibility specialist. in
009Xiao Jing Lee who is our principal clerk. We also established monthly meetings with HR director Dan Cosgrove to align initiatives and refine processes and coordinate upcoming hiring needs. So for this year's DEI goals, they will be ongoing. for workforce diversity. We will deepen college college college partnerships, expand student pathways, and continue to pursue grants. Already this year, we were able to offer a free masters program through LEL and UMass LOL in moderate disabilities and autism studies. We plan to expand tuition partnerships, convene by annual meetings with education preparation programs, develop a QPS educator pathways guide, and offer college information sessions for high school students to learn about the different careers available in the field of education. To reduce the opportunity gap, we will identify programs and funding to expand equitable access, including through the MYAP
010and RMK initiatives. And my cap stands for my career and academic plan. We are working with RMK to apply for funding to sustain or hopefully grow across more schools and classrooms. We have just launched our second session of the teach program through RMK with our high school students and look forward to reporting on the outcomes with you next year. We'll continue to pursue funding opportunities and also reach out to partners to identify summer work opportunities for our students to gain meaningful work experience and hopefully with youth. Through our de our family DEI newsletter, we will share an extensive list of student opportunities including fellowships, scholarships, and programs so that they can support their children in accessing impactful experiences to foster a safe and supportive environment. We'll expand professional development for inclusion and continue to share
011districtwide highlights. We'll work with partners to be included in our all staff PD so that their expertise can be shared beyond the current classrooms and schools they are serving. We will share through our DEI staff newsletters our schools specific approaches to successful events or lessons in their schools. So in in addition to gaining insights from colleagues con educators will then be connected with more concrete strategies and tools to translate ideas into actions in their own schools. Finally, we will increase operational capacity through cross department collaboration grant opportunities and enhanced recruitment and retention strategies. We have already collaborated with Keith Sagala on applying for the MYAP planning grant and we will continue to support the oversight of the planning functions throughout the year. This year we also took over the practicum placement process from director of
012curriculum Michael Morani to be able to have more direct interface with ed prep program directors and candidates in hopes of building deeper relationships for recruitment purposes. In terms of investment, we respectfully uh request continued support for the raising multicultural kids programming um which has demonstrated strong impact across multiple schools. And that is all that concludes my presentation. Thank you again for this opportunity. Um and I welcome any questions, suggestions or feedback. >> Great. Thank you so much for the presentation. I'd like to open it up to questions from the EDI subcommittee first. Mr. Le Young, >> good evening. >> Evening. >> Thank you, Miss Connley, for that. Um, I support this work and I want it to succeed. So, I imagine you and I will be having a lot of conversations in the future. Um,
013regarding uh tonight's presentation, I did have a couple questions. Um, I wanted to know more about the most recent cycle of diverse hiring. Um so according to my reading uh in 2024 um 21% of new hires were diverse. 2025 uh that was down to 12.8% um whereas the total number of hires is about the same. Can you give some insight into that? Yeah, we did um have a steady kind of um incline of diverse hiring and then this year was the first time that we did have a bit of a decline. Um it it tends to happen when we're hiring less um educators. So, I know the first year I got here, we hired a ton of new teachers, about a hundred. And um you know, steadily over the last few years, we've been hiring
014less and less. And um you probably know, but Quinsey is the highest um district in terms of retention in um school districts our size. And so you that means not a lot of um opportunities seem to open up. So um I think that's part of the problem is just that we don't have a lot of people leaving. Um and so the years that we do have a lot of people leaving, you know, we have higher um diversity hires, but when there are not as many, it seems like we don't have as many. So um I am meeting with our director of HR on a monthly basis. This is something we've talked about and um something that we've identified that we'll be able to do is kind of look ahead to see which retirements are coming
015up so that throughout the year I can try to cultivate um candidates to be able to um maybe do informational interviews so that we can um you know get them on our radar. >> Great. Thank you. And then the other question I had um was regarding the um sources of funding and in particular grants, right? So I share your concerns about uh possible loss or reduction um in funds. Um so is it true that grants were lost um for hate crime prevention and teacher diversification? And if so, can you um tell me more about um you know, how we can offset those and if there are other programs that are in danger? >> Yes. Um I would say it's unpredictable yeartoyear what's going to happen with the grants. Um I know that when we first
016applied for the hate grant, it was around 50,000 and then you know it it decreased significantly. Um and then um you know the teacher diversification grant they said it wasn't coming back and then it you know so we don't know year to year especially in this climate unfortunately but um we were very fortunate that um that uh Dr. Perkins um had you know stepped in with some additional funding to cover um the gap that we had um due to you know the decline in grants. So um this year we were able to do as much programming if not just a little bit more um than last year. >> If I could just add to that. So we did when you know when we realized the RMK program people love the staff love the kids love
017um it's really a very beneficial program. We would absolutely love to expand it to other schools. We think it's needed to expand it to other schools. Um but um so when when we knew we were going to have an issue with funding at that time we had a really hard time committing to RMK because I'm sure you all remember at the beginning of the school year there was a lot of up and down about what grants were going to be available or not from the federal government. Um and so fortunately we did receive those funds. Our fingers are crossed that we will continue to receive those funds next year. So there's a grant called the title four grant which allows us to the pretty much the whole grant is professional development. And so you know
018we're Kim is a part of our curriculum and assessment team. We have a a really wonderful team. If you walked upstairs into my conference right now you would see a board covered with uh you know budgets of where these programs are going to come from and what grants and what district lines. You know we do have a professional development line. So, we were able to when we knew um and when we found out we got the Title 4 grant, which basically kind of swooped in and saved us, we were able to then, you know, talked Kim was able to say, "Okay, it would be great if I could have this much." And we were able to write the Title 4 grant for that. Um and so those grants, the title four in particular, you know,
019we have the title one, which is primarily staffing. um the title three which is also staffing a little bit of PD um and um the uh title two but um you know so we were able to use the the title 4 grant to cover the majority of our PD which is typically what we do each year and so if we don't get grants like that in the future which I don't know what that's going to look like because that's a federal grant um I I you know I can't speak to that but if we don't get them We will we will struggle with our professional development. >> Thank you. >> All Mrs. Cahill. >> Okay. Thank you. I know that um you know from being here and and and your presentations that um welcoming culture
020and climate is is huge initiative and we'll find ways to continue to do that you know in our classrooms in our buildings. um in terms of um hiring the a diverse population, that's really hard, right? Because we can put it out there and do all these things, but we need people to take advantage of them and want to come, you know, come and work here. Um so, when we talked about when, you know, if you're dealing with um Mr. Cosgrove on on um projected um retirements and things like that. How how can we communicate with is it appropriate to communicate with um colleges when kids are like on the edge of of graduating in with a degree in teaching and going to them and saying, you know, we're going to have some openings next year
021because they still well now kids do take MTELs in schools sometimes, right? But they might even have to take them after the fact. So there might be some time where you know do we communicate with them when they're on the edge of um graduating to be able to um entice them to come and take a look? >> Um it's mostly through the career affairs. So if a school has a career fair it focused on education then we might meet with them then. >> Yeah. >> Um but so far we haven't. So that was part of the plan this year is really to more um closely work with the ed prep programs. Um in my previous district we had three very close partners and they would basically give us their roster every year so we knew
022everything about them and we would have events throughout the year to you know build that relationship. Um so that's what we're thinking about doing this year is just identifying maybe one or two partners to be able to do the same. So, we just we'd have to come up with like anou and and that kind of thing. >> I kind of look at it as, you know, when my kids were graduated from high school and they were playing sports, we would go to the colleges and see who was going to lose someone in a position that they played the next year and then approach the coaches and say, "Hey, you need a first base, you know, whatever it might be." So, um, you know, that might be a pro another proactive way to look at, you
023know, hey, you're going to graduate. we're looking for um you know diverse um teaching staff to come and join our our team you know would you be interested and come and take a look or something like that. >> Yeah. >> You know more direct you know our teachers are amazing at um taking in practicum students. So that's another kind of pipeline we're looking at um is to just be in closer communication with them. Um I think you know I haven't heard one person say that they had a bad experience. So I think once they, you know, get a sample district. Yeah. You know, >> um Yeah. So that's what I was thinking. more of a direct approach as opposed to just going not just but going to a a job fair where you're going to
024see all kinds of kids whereas a more direct approach to specific >> um students or >> I think part of it is we really have to be offering kind of uh have a value proposition that that's different than other districts and so we are applying for the registered teacher apprenticeshship program um which basically would give you a free masters. So someone would come in as a par profofessional, work during the day and then go to school for free, you know, online. >> Um so they just rolled that out in the state last year and with a small kind of pilot group and um they've said that, you know, over the next couple of years they'll be expanding that offering to more districts. So >> So that but that's for parents >> for par professionals. Yeah.
025And what about like a new student that comes in without you know >> so one of our angles is that we have this accelerated associates program they like that um because we were saying really the hole in the pipeline is between high school and college and so if we can you know offer students a free bachelor's I think more of their families would be more supportive of them pursuing um you know education >> um >> and the grants probably want us to help people get into a career path, right? So, that that would be part of the grant. Okay. Um Okay. Thank you. That's good for me. >> Thank you. Um I just have one question. Um so, do you have I don't know if you have the numbers with you. If you don't have
026the numbers, if you could email them to us of the numbers of for teachers that are taking advantage of the benefits for the tuition reimbursement and other professional opportunities that you have listed in here. >> Sure. That would be great information for us to have. Thank you. And I know Mrs. Partios is next. >> Thank you. Um, thank you for the plan. Thank you for the work that you're doing. Um, I think that we're we we're putting a lot of focus on um, cultural diversity and embracing cultural diversity both for students and for staff. And I think that um, we're doing a really great job with that. I think there's always more work to do. But I think with the S'more newsletter that we're sending out, I think the um the Alana group that I
027was reading about here, the raising multicultural kids that we're expanding that program, I think we're doing um doing pretty well with that, you know, multicultural affairs. And then also um I think the schools are doing a lot more um education about different cultures, religions, I mean um different cultures, holidays. Um so I I think we're making a lot of good progress on that. Um I find though and my first question is sort of gonna get back to that but how are we um so for your smart goal number two um the end of that goal um is basically the needs of the district's most underserved students. How are you defining the district's most underserved students >> um through achievement primarily. So um however they're ranked through Desi um what their test scores were um what
028the low you know percentage of low low yeah lowest performing and also income. >> Okay great so um that was good and then similarly when um on page 19 uh when you say staff of diverse backgrounds hiring it's the chart that you have there what are you what are you um defining as diverse backgrounds? Is it just cultural? Is it um what do you look at when you define diverse for staff? >> Um the only way that I can through Aspen identify people is by race. Um there's not a way to identify by culture. So that is kind of a limitation, but that's not prescribed by us. That's Desessie's kind of, you know, how they um categorize people. So, you know, it's not perfect. Um but that's what primarily we're we're um focused on now.
029>> Gotcha. >> We we can also um track g uh gender identity, but I think do we No, it's not it's it's I think we have like an optional um Okay. Yeah. And I I'm glad you brought that up because I feel like um again, we're doing a lot of uh supports and this this plan is very focused on on cultural diversity and and supporting that, but we also have a lot of other diverse kids in in in school. We have LGBTQ kids and I don't really see anything mentioned in this plan and I think I mentioned this last year with the plan as well. We don't really um kind of articulate ways that we are supportive and um I mean it's the law, right? I mean, there's there's laws that protect kiddos that go
030to school here, and I I wonder if, you know, spelling that out a little bit more would make kids and families feel a little bit more supported, the fact that they know that we have their back. So, um I I would love to see this program. Actually, you I don't have a way to identify, you know, what they are. They have to selfidentify. Um but it just so happened that a large number of um our gay students um were participants in the teach program. So >> in the what program? >> The teach program. >> Oh, the teach program. That's great. >> Yeah. I would just add so RMK it does focus on cultures, but it also focus on on lots of other things. It it does identity, it does family dynamics, it does um disability,
031you know, different ability levels. They actually cover the whole gamut. Um, so it's it's actually not just on race. Okay. >> Yeah, there's many. And we can get you some of the books that they use. They're they're pretty awesome. >> Yeah. And I was just thinking kind of to dovetail into that with the PD offerings that you have. I know the safe schools. Desi has um a really good partnership. Uh the safe schools program for LGBTQ students and safe support safe and supportive schools. There's a whole bunch of trainings there. um guidance on supporting transgender and gender non-conforming students, principles for ensuring safe and supportive learning environments for LGBTQ students. I'd love to see some of those incorporated and they're free. And I know that we've worked with them in the past, but I'd love
032to see like the new newer teachers be able to access some of that PD as well. Um just because it's, you know, just finding more and more ways to to be supportive, I think is is really important. And again, having them reflected in the plan, I think is important. Um so, and you know, there's um Mara was kind of um the lead on that partnership last year and so Jill and I haven't really >> um calibrated on you know who's doing what. So Got >> um we can discuss that for sure. >> Yeah. Just to be sure that we're not forgetting about them. And I mean you know special ed I know we have a special ed plan but you know those kiddos I would I would venture to say should probably be mentioned in
033here somewhere somehow. You know foster kiddos uh you know homeless all that type of stuff. I feel like some of that should be reflected in here as well. So, I'd love to see that next next year's plan sort of incorporated just a little bit more so we're not just focusing on race, but I in culture and I think that we're doing a a great job with that and I think we're doing a great job honestly with all of these subcategories. I just love to see it a little bit more articulated in there. So, but thank you very much for the plan and for all your work that you're doing. >> Appreciate it, >> Miss Campbell. Thank you so much, Kim. I really appreciate this. I was curious if you had any feedback from the elementary
034school teachers on the seal program, the self select. It's, you know, seems like such a strong program and the nuggets seem really um thoughtful and and helpful to parents and I, as a parent, I I love the program and I was curious if you got any feedback from the elementary school teachers about it. >> Yeah. Um I I think the initial contact um with um AIP and um Harvard was made through my connection but then it was kind of handed off to Mara and for the implementation it's really been Jill. But from everything I've heard been excellent. The teachers love it. Absolutely love it. Jill's going to talk a lot about it in her program improvement plan. But I mean kudos to Kim and Jill because it's an excellent program. We are very fortunate to
035have received it and um I think it's it's like really great stuff that's that's happening with our teachers. >> Thanks. >> Thank you so much. Um we need a vote. >> Okay, we vote. >> All in favor from the members of the committee, all in favor of accepting the plan say I. >> I. >> Anyone opposed? >> Okay. Thank you. All set. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Thanks. Supposed to ask. >> Supposed to ask if anybody opposes. >> What am I asking? >> Next on the agenda, we have um Jen Liry and we have the early childhood program plan. Very close. It's my fault. Good evening. Thank you for having us. Um, pleased to present to you the early childhood program improvement plan for the 2025 2026 school year. I will be sharing
036reflections on last year's goals and Kristen Dwire, assistant principal for pre kindergarten at the RDLC, will be sharing goals for the future of our pre kindergarten program. Our district provides an enriching program for children identified with special education needs as well as typically developing peers. Currently, we have two sites that offer pre kindergarten classes for the children of Quinsey, including Snug Harbor and the Dr. Victor Christopharo Learning Center. As of October 2025, there were 323 students enrolled in our program. You can see the enrollment breakdown at each site in appendex A on page 16. The enrollment number will continue to increase throughout the school year as students are referred to us for screenings and evaluations and it is determined that the child is in need of services. You can see in the goal reflection beginning
037on page seven during the 2024 2025 school year, the pre kindergarten team attended additional training on the new IEP format. They attended professional development on improving current data collection practices in order to align better with the new IEP format, including establishing baseline data, developing appropriate benchmarks and/or objectives, and writing progress reports. The team reviewed sample data collection sheets and worked with their colleagues to create meaningful data collection strategies for themselves. Also on page seven, we were excited to begin work on the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership initi initiative or CPPBI grant during the 2024 2025 school year. The priority areas of this grant are to expand access to affordable quality preschool for students who live in Quinsey, build a locally aligned quality between various child care sites, and provide equitable access to special education and inclusion opportunities
038for three and four-year-old students. During the 2024 2025 school year, we established a partnership with four community child care centers. The CPPI grant leadership team worked with consultant Stacy Demino to conduct a needs assessment. The team developed and sent out surveys to a variety of stakeholders. Miss Demino utilized the data to develop a needs assessment report and the team used that report to develop a strategic action plan. The leadership team presented their progress to the consultants from the Department of Early Education and Care or EEC in May 2025. I'm excited to share that the grant was renewed for the 2025 2026 school year, which has allowed us to continue providing site-based speech and language therapy screening, evaluation, and therapy. Based on feedback from the child care centers and the community, we also implemented additional classroom
039management and behavior support. In December 2025, we were granted an additional $250,000 of funding for the remainder of the school year. The leadership team is meeting tomorrow to write a plan to allocate these additional funds. On page eight, the integrated and cares pre kindergarten paraprofessionals attended six professional development sessions on pivotal response training or PRT, motivational strategies throughout the 2024 2025 school year. Each pair professional selected strategies that would be appropriate to implement with students in their class. The classroom teachers who had attended PRT training during the 2023 2024 school year supported the pair of professionals by coaching them and modeling the use of different strategies for various situations and students. The early childhood goals for the 2025 2026 school year begin on page nine. Goal number one is focused on the implementation of the
040new Frog Street preschool and pre kindergarten curriculum that we received in early December last year through the CPPI grant. Volunteer teachers piloted two curriculums and Frog Street was chosen. The pre kindergarten teachers attended a training with the Frog Street representative during the citywide professional development day and will meet throughout the year to collaborate and reflect on implementation. In appendix C on page 18, you will find a sample of a weekly parent newsletter from the Frog Street curriculum. On page 10, goal number two focuses on the alignment with the positive behavior interventions and supports, also known as PBIS, and conscious discipline, the behavior frameworks for the Frog Street curriculum. In order to address behavioral and social emotional needs of students in the preK classrooms, teachers will utilize the PBIS strategies to mo model and acknowledge positive
041behavior in the classroom and build a feeling of community. We are focusing on one of the conscious disciplines a month and the teachers collaborated on v various books, songs, games to play to enrich the lessons. In our prek monthly newsletter, we have incorporated suggestions for parents to utilize conscious discipline at home. On page 11, our third goal relates to the community preschool partnership initiative. The CPPI team has been working closely with three EEC licensed program sites, the YMCA, STARS, Campus Kinder House, and Head Start. And our goal for this year is to increase communication. We have created a direct line of communication utilizing a Google form where the site directors can reach out to QPS to ask for support such as speech and language screening or behavioral assistance. The grant coordinator visits the sites weekly
042to provide general classroom support as well as formal observations. Our CPPI speech and language pathologist visits the EEC sites to screen students based on teacher and parent requests to evaluate if they are eligible for speech and language services. If the child qualifies, they are able to receive services at their prek site. This is not only more convenient for parents who do not have to take their child out of their full day programs for speech services, but also supports our QPS SLPs with case load management and it reduces the amount of transitions for the students that reduces the amount of transitions for the students to make throughout the day. We have met with the EEC transition to kindergarten team in person at a conference and virtually on how to best support our community members on registering
043for Quinsey Public Schools kindergarten. Our hope is to increase the number of Quincy residents who complete the kindergarten pre-registration and attend kindergarten screening. The early childhood education team is proud of the work we have done to support our district's youngest learners. Our goal is to is always to support our youngest students and form connections with their families that will last throughout their QPS experience. We are so thankful to have also formed strong relationships with the EEC sites through the CPPI grant and look forward to all the exciting things to come in expanding access to quality pre kindergarten education. Thank you and we're happy to answer any questions you have at this time. >> Hey, thank you so much for your presentation. I'm going to open it up to um teaching and learning subcommittee members. Mrs.
044Pios, >> thank you. Thank you both for this. Um this was great. I uh I learned a lot. I understood a lot about what the CPPI grant what you're doing with it and how you're implementing it and I think it's great. Um curious I to kind of see how that's developing and how that's going. So um couple questions as I was reading through it. So um and I have a similar question when we get to the RDLC um plan. But for our service providers, I know you um provided the case load numbers there on page 17, which I appreciate, but I know um as we've talked about the challenge with kind of looking at the numbers, you don't really know how challenging those cases are. And sometimes, you know, 20 cases is more challenging than
04550 cases just depending on the service, the needs of the students. So, >> what opportunities, and I I still feel like I'm a little unclear, is what opportunities do service providers have to tell you guys if they're feeling overwhelmed, if it's too much. What ways do they tell you? And is it is it supported? Are are we encouraging that feedback? And how how does that go? >> Sure. Um, often they'll reach out to me directly. Um, and they will email me, call me. Um, and I often will go meet with them and go through case loads and look at like what is challenging and how could we provide some support for you over the past several years in general outside of early childhood just like including the special ed department. Um, we've added I can't
046tell you off the top of my head right now but many additional speech pathologists, a few extra occupational therapists. Um, and we've also really expanded our speech pathology assistants. Um, so they are able to help the the licensed SLPs provide therapy services for the students and free up some time in the SLP schedules to be able to do testing and IEP meetings with parents and um, all of those things that you really need like that top of the clinical license to be able to do. Um, so it's really ongoing conversations. We have regular meetings with the therapy staff throughout the school year. Um, and then individuals often will just reach out to me and say like, "Hey, this is what's going on and it's challenging." Um, and we kind of work together to plan around
047that. >> Okay, that's great. And people are feeling okay, >> I think. So, yeah. Um, I I really haven't gotten a lot of calls this current school year. And specifically related to the early childhood and CPPI grant, um, I've gotten real positive feedback from the speech pathologists in the prek program that they've seen a real impact on their case loads and their ability to do their case load management by having Cleona go out to the um, community childcare sites to provide services there. >> That's great. So, she's not only providing therapy, but also screening and testing kids, um, which which just takes a lot of workload off of the therapists in our building and is much more convenient for families and children. And, um, I know last year when we talked about the grant, it
048was new to us and we did it. We ourselves were still trying to get our feet under us and understand it. But, um, this year, like we've really wrapped our heads around it and seen a really positive, um, impact on our families and on our staff. >> That's great. I think that outreach is important and she was so impressive when she was here. So that's that's fantastic. Um, so I didn't um a couple other questions. Uh, parent groups, are there are there PTOs or is there is there a parent group for prek families? Is that how does that work? How are families like engaged in more of like a a PTO pack kind of advisory council type way? Is there a way for that? >> Yeah, that's a good question. There's certainly um you know
049the a part of the CPAC um for the pre-K students with disabilities which is the the bulk of our students in preK um and I I don't know if you know or maybe Carrie can help with the PTO at RDLC. I know they started one there last year um and have been kind of getting that up and running but off the I am not exactly sure how many parents from the RDLC are involved. Yeah, we don't currently have um a pre-K specific PTO or PTC, but we have really focused on increasing engagement with the parents. So, with the monthly newsletter that we're trying to send via S'more just to inform parents of, you know, this is our new curriculum. These are things that we're working on. These are things that you can do at home.
050Um so, we're working on more engagement and more communication with home because we know that that's how to foster the best relationships with the families and the communities. >> Certainly, I'm sure they're looking for that outreach. So, that's great. I just love that two-way communication where if kind of if they're part of it, they can kind of help, you know, understand what's going on, hear from other families. So, I'd love to see that if that's if there's a way, especially for the um typically developing peers as well to feel like they're, you know, it's not just a program for the other kiddos, it's for their kiddos, too. So, um that would be great if there's a way to foster that. I know it's, you know, it's kind of needs to start organically, but um just,
051you know, some encouragement for that would be fantastic. Sure. Um, >> and also I would love to see um I know when I personally when my kiddos were looking at prek options, private preschool um and versus QPS preK, there's not a lot of information. You know, certainly Campus Kinder House, you know, Cornerstone Campus, they all have websites and they have information about their programs and it's very easy to kind of navigate and see what they offer. I found it very difficult to kind of find out to compare the QPS program to that. So, I just wonder if there's any kind of um like brochure or just something that we can offer families that are sort of trying to compare a private preschool option versus the QPS. I just I think that that would be a
052really important resource when people are sort of navigating if they don't know QPS, they don't know how great it is yet, we want to tell them why they would want to do that over um a private prek, a private preschool. So, um just maybe something to think about if um or if you've thought about it already. >> Yeah. No, I certainly think that we could look at how that information is out there and see if there's a better way to communicate that to families so they can see it. Um there is some information listed on the QPS website. A lot of it is around like going through the pre-K screening process because that needs to happen first. Um and I know we've talked about before the number of spots we have for community peers is
053limited. Um so we often have a pretty lengthy wait list for those um spots and as students either transition to other community child care centers or move or you know we're kind of constantly reaching out to families on that wait list to to fill in those spots but we can certainly look at um how the program we have several different programs based on age and need and it's it's a little confusing a lot of information. That's exactly it. That is hard to kind of navigate that as a parent and when you're comparing. It would just be great to see a little more like kind of simplified for them. >> Um and lastly, I don't see any mention and maybe it's too soon and maybe this is more for next year of the expansion to Dela
054if we're going to have more classrooms there. Um we didn't include that in here because actually when we wrote this um this committee hadn't voted on it yet. Okay. Um, but I think like that will absolutely be a focus for us. Um, you know, I think we're also waiting to see what happens with the CPPI grant. Hopefully we get that funded again. If we do, you know, that would be that's right now. We started the year with 250,000 which has allowed us to do the itinerant team and um those kinds of things. We were we did just get another 250,000 added. I wish we had had that at the beginning of the year because we would have been talking about funding full day prek classes. However, we didn't. And um so now, you know, trying
055to we don't have the space to open up a full day prek program right now. So um you know, we're looking at like other ways like adding some the the um programs. Our outside partners have really said that what they want is more behavioral support. So, we're looking at working with like places like Southshore Autism to see can we contract with um beh like some more behavioral consultants to come in um and do those kinds of things. Talking about potentially funding because that's allowed for us to be fund uh private prek spots um for you know in partnership with us uh curriculum professional development like those are the kinds we're thinking of because it's really hard to to do that in the middle of the year. So, yeah. So we, you know, so I think
056for those reasons, I think a lot depends on funding, you know, what the budget looks like for us, what the budget looks like for the state, um, you know, in terms of what then we're recommending to you all, um, you know, in terms of the classes and, uh, how we're going to how we're going to go about that. Yeah, that's great. Thank you for that. I figured that the plan had probably been been done before that, but I just wanted to know exactly what you did sort of kind of off the cuff how that was going to impact things. Um, and my last comment was on the Frog Street sample. The more words to know, quadrilateral for a, you know, a three and four-year-old to to start to learn the word quadrilateral was um, pretty
057impressive. So, it seems like a pretty challenging uh, and rigorous curriculum, which is good, you know, >> gives some some challenge words for some of those kiddos that might be ready for it. So, >> Sure. And we had um several teachers, QPS, early ed teachers try it as well as a few teachers out in the community child care as well. Um and then we had input from all of them before we decided which curriculum to go with. And this one got really good reviews from the staff. If I could just add to that too that I think one of the other things that our goal was like to align with our um outside prek providers. So, you know, if you're getting Frog Street at like Campus Kinder House, you're getting Frog Street at Quinsey Public
058Schools, which if we have if kids come to us for um transitional purposes, you know, that's an awesome thing to we're all talking the same language. So, that's definitely been a huge focus for us. >> YMCA. The YMCA just requested through the CPPI grant with their money allocated for their site. So, we'll be purchasing four classrooms worth of Frog Street curriculum for the YMCA. So, those students will be aligned directly. And I know that a lot of the YMCA students filter directly into um QPS kindergarten. So, >> and that's that will be with that additional $250,000 that we were just granted last month. That's one of the purchases we're going to make with that money. >> Excellent. Thank you. Thank you very much for all the details. Thanks, >> Mr. Early Young. Go ahead. >>
059Yes. Uh thank you both or thank you all for that presentation. Um, glad to hear that uh the CPPI grant um was renewed. It sounds like it's doing a lot of heavy lifting. Um and I'm sure you'll find uh efficient use for that extra um 250k. Um two areas I was hoping to get um some additional information on. um one is um a more complete picture of the budget um that you're working with and um another um kind of piggybacking off of um my colleague's question about case loads. Um there's some information here, but if you could also provide um some more information about uh the case load management of the professionals um in early childhood development and how it compares um I guess uh to other perhaps districts or um you know uh where
060it falls um along like state guidelines. >> Um sure. So budget question is that budgeting within the CPPI grant or >> uh no more more broadly. >> Yes. >> So the prek program is funded through multiple sources. Um some of it is the district, some of it is the idea grant, some of it is the title one grant and then our itinerant team is um you know through the CPPI grant. But the the majority I would say a lot is funded you know through like our speech and language therapists, our OT's those are funded through primarily the district. We do have some staff that because because the whole the whole reason that you provide uh early childhood or prek in a public school, we're required to provide it for students with disabilities. So that's the
061whole reasoning for our programming um is right now that's what the rags say. And so we have the integrated program that is, you know, um half typically developing peers and half students with disabilities. And so a lot of it is funded, you know, in combination with um the idea grant which funds a lot of our special education services across the district. So and then again like you know the the school committee, the mayor, everyone is always so generous. We we bring I think every single year we're asking for additional special education teachers, additional therapists, you know, things like that. And those those all it all comes out of the district budget. So, um you know, that that those are the main ways that it's funded. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. And I can talk
062some more about case loads and workloads. Um, we've talked a lot about this over the last few years and I did give a presentation and I can't remember it was last year or the year before about very specifically about case load and workload management for speech language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists. Um, so there's a lot that goes into that and every student is not always like a onetoone equal amount of work depending on what their needs are. Um, I use a lot of speech therapy examples because that's what my background is in. Um, but say like a student who's maybe like a fourth grader who is not pronouncing their R correctly yet requires a lot fewer resources than say like a non-verbal autistic student who needs um pretty significant therapy in order to
063learn how to communicate. Um, so one of the things that we look at is not just case load numbers. So we're not just looking at the number of students that each therapist has on their case load, but more of a workload like how much work is required in order to successfully support this student. Um so we do try to keep case load numbers for programs like the early childhood program or say like our cares program that um supports mostly children with autism. Um we try to keep those actual case lo number of students a little lower so that the therapists have more time to dedicate to the increased amount of support that those students need. Whereas um you know some of the students who don't who don't require therapy as many times per week or
064don't need as many intensive supports, those therapists could have like an actual case load number that's a little higher um than some of the other therapists do. So um I am constantly kind of reviewing that, asking the therapist to send me updates. Usually I do September, midyear and June projecting for the following September about what their case loads look like. um and try to make adjustments to which schools they service and how much support we have in each building based on um what the students look like in that building every year. >> Great. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. I had a lot of questions about Frog Street, but they all got answered, so I'm very happy about that. Um I'm just curious, how many kids do we have on the wait list
065now for prek? >> I know Laura just shared it with us, but >> 300. >> Yeah. >> 300. Okay. I kind of figured it was up that high. All right. Thank you very much, Mr. Cahill. >> Um, first off, the CPPI is fantastic. Actually, I was at I was on a panel today with um Josh Cutler, who was labor secretary, and they they um they he was talking about this grant, and one of the things that I mean, it's it's great for so many reasons. The curriculum alignment and all that I think is is great. the um the ability to um provide intervention for students before they come and to your point helps with the case loads, right? So that it's not as intense once they get to you. Um and then the other piece,
066but where I think I asked this um when we were getting the grant and what I what I talked to him today about um a little bit was that um the the the um salary for prek teachers is so low that um there's a lot of turnover. So this is our second year, right? and we did it last year. And I I had said to him what would be really valuable is one all of this but also um having a stipen for um the teachers that are in the program on the on our partners so that they'll stay and they learn and they also are so subsequently as the years go on if they if we retain them then they'll have the knowledge and the experience that we're providing to them. Right. Um so this
067is our second year with the partners. Um have you seen a lot of turnover in the um in the teachers at at our partner schools? >> Yes, the partners are struggling with um turnover and especially when people are absent finding coverage, you know, it's it's tough. Um and we we see the stress on them. Um but with the CPPI grant, part of the extra funding that we received in December has been has been designated to professional development for that those staff members as well. Um and stipens to because you know they are open until 5. So anything that they have to do is usually have to be after hours or on the weekend. So also providing a stipen for them to attend professional development as well. Um, and I know there's been conversations about working
068with social autism and, you know, having behavioralists go in, BCBAS go in, but also have the BCBA's hold training to help support these teachers on things like behavior and then we can try to help support them with, >> you know, suggesting the Frog Street curriculum or anything that I can do when I go in and help with the teachers and give them that support to kind of >> slow the burnout rate because we do know it's really hard working with the little kids every day, all day long and um, you know, we just want to support them the best that we can, but they they are struggling with staffing. It's tough. >> Well, I guess if if you have to evaluate the program at the end with with the state, >> that I think is
069a huge, you know, issue that should be addressed. You know, >> it's something that we've t the planning committee has talked about it a lot. That 250,000 that we got in September went quick, right? like it paid the salary for the speech pathologist, for the grant coordinator, Kristen's stipen that she gets for going in and supporting the classrooms, and um there was another one that like that was essentially it like that. Oh, the um Stacy, the um consultant that we who's been working with us. Yeah. But but 250,000 covers that, right? Um, so this additional 250 that we got now is helpful, but it is like a weird time in the middle of the year, but with larger funding for that grant, that is one of the goals that we have is to potentially, we've
070talked about potentially supporting one of the things you can do is you can offset um it is allowed to offset the private prek teachers to boost the private pre-K teachers salary and we have talked about it. It's just there's not an like how do you decide what teachers get it? Do you know what I mean? And so that is that's like I think that's really challenging. >> So you have to decide that but that should that be a separate when you apply for the grant for the next year you have to reapply every year. Correct. Right. Yep. >> So so I think the main focus right now is you know the curriculum alignment the the intervention all that kind of stuff. That's what the the the piece that was important to us initially right so
071we have that whole piece. It's working really well. We have great success with it outcomes. So going forward, maybe we add another piece to say, look, this is really valuable and and the teachers that'll be working with are are really gaining some great experience and they're, you know, but we want to find a way to keep them so that they're not turning over continuously and because and one of the things we talked about today and what you your to your point when someone's out there will be preks that you can't your kids can't go the whole school shut down because they you know the teachers have COVID and you can't go now it's a trickle effect for the whole workforce you know parents can't go to work and you know whatever the case might be
072but I think it's more we value early childhood so much >> but those teachers >> aren't valued in terms of right >> you know their salaries >> which I think is like when we think about our we like I said we would really love to increase the number of full day classes and that we offer and and And I think you know there are requirements with CPPI funding. It has to be five five days a week, six hours a day. So we have half days in Quinsey which automatically contractually causes a little bit of a conundrum for us. Um, and so one of the ways that we've discussed is partnering with places like Campus Kinder House or the YMCA. So that, you know, some of it is done by a Quinsey public schools teacher, but
073then the some of the time is done by an outside prek provider. And in that way, then we could potentially boost the salary a little bit using CPPI funds um for the outside preK provider. So, we're definitely talking about all of this stuff and um it's it's been really it was I will tell you this grant was a monster when we first applied, but it's actually been it's been a really and and I cannot say how pleased we are with the success of the itinerant team. I mean, that hands down has made a massive difference. Um and just opening the doors because these kids come to us in kindergarten. are kids, right? They they come to us in kindergarten and you know, you we look at the MCCAST scores, you know, every year and we
074look at like the Snug Harbors and the Lincoln Hancocks and the reality is sometimes those kids are coming in significantly um you know, lower academically um in achievement than some of our other uh locations in kindergarten and with limited experiences. >> And so, how do you combat that? You combat that by providing really high quality uh rigorous access to prek that provides awesome early childhood experiences for all of our kids. That that is, you know, that's how we help boost our achievement and make sure everyone's having access to highquality curriculum as they move forward in the schools. >> Good. And um another benefit I've found as well is you know I spent so many years working in prek and we always had a good relationship with our with the community childare is because we get
075referrals from them all the time but the collaboration with them over the past year like having regularly scheduled meetings with them where we all sit down and problem solve together. Um it's got like we've always had a good relationship but it feels so much more collaborative now because we've got these regularly scheduled meetings. Kristen and Mon'nique and Cleona are out in the centers themselves talking to the staff, talking to the directors, working with our families. Um, and so it's always been a good working relationship, but now it feels like we're doing more collaboration. Um, and it's been really nice. >> That's nice. Yeah. >> Well, thank you. I know. I know. I know. Sorry. Um, but thank you for the work because I think it's really important and of course it's going great because you
076guys are great. So, thank you for that. Thank you, >> Miss Kim. >> Okay. Okay, Miss Tios, >> before we I didn't want to cut you off by just before we accepted it. Um, and just for Miss Cahill's question, um, how would we So, just to sort of maybe go down in that weed a little bit more, if we were going to give a stipen to a private prek teacher, would we have to Sorry, I have a cold. Um, would we have to follow the pay structure sort of how we have for our our QPS preK teachers? I mean, would it be in line like so if they're not so would we sort of compare their experience to the the um structure we have for QPS teachers and sort of say well you have this
077much experience so this is how much you would make if you were with QPS but you're making X number less with campus kinder house so we'll provide the difference because I can't it makes me a little uncomfortable to sort of say we're going to pay a private prek teacher more than we would pay a QPS >> no we wouldn't be doing that so so these teachers their salaries we're talking like $20,000 a year. The prek teachers, they're not even in the same ballpark as the um QPS teachers, they're not even close. And honestly, $20,000 I might that might be um given a high estimate. Like I mean these the staff and the private preks, it's it's really a travesty. And you know, this is not necessarily our issue, but it is our issue because it
078impacts our kids, right? And they are significantly underpaid. Um, and they're wonderful people, but they are not paid enough. And um, so what we could do, they have different requirements, too. They don't need the same requirements as our teachers. They're licensed through EEC, which is a whole a different ballgame. Our teachers have to go through and take the teachers test. They have to have uh, bachelor's degree. And there's a whole like it's it there is a being a Quinsey public schools pre-K teacher, the requirements are much more significant than the requirements for um the early childhood uh like a a private preklic licensed program. Um but what we could do is so you know and again we haven't talked extensively about this but that time that's outside of the contractual time uh that you know
079our teachers would work you know in in terms of prek is when we could look at like you know could we and how I I believe how it would work is when we get the grant we're basically like Kristen kind of mentioned it a little bit okay campus kinder house this is your bucket and this is your bucket for um stipens, right? And so then they're going to figure out then how to disperse that money. You know, they have to work with us. have to tell us, you know, because ultimately we're the ones that end up like, you know, giving out that that money to because we're the lead on the grant, but that we we allocate this much money for campus kind house or this much money for the YMCA and and it's in
080the stipen line and so then they have to use it for stipens and then they they you know, we would work with them to decide then how would that be allocated. >> All right, that makes me a little more comfortable. I just want to make sure that we're not crossing any kind of lines or bizarre kind of situations where we don't we haven't done this before. Just working with QA and making sure that we're all on the same page and making sure that makes sense for everyone. >> Yeah. Um >> and we would never we would never take anything away from you know QA or or anything like that. Never. >> Um this is more of like a partnership you know. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Trying to find you on here. They took you
081off. Oh, there you are. >> Covered it already. But it's almost similar to what we do the vendors like an afterchool vendor or something like that. So it would be basically contracting with >> the um these outside city agencies to provide services for us and we would pay them and that would be up to them essentially as to how much they pay their employees. >> Okay. Thank you. Um so with that we have a um motion to approve from the teaching and learning subcommittee. All in favor? Anyone opposed? Okay. Thank you. I >> thank you. >> Okay. So next on our agenda is uh Carrie Connley talking about the Richard D. Christopher Learning Center program. As soon as you're all set, you can take it away. Thank you. >> Good evening. Thank you for the
082opportunity to speak tonight. I am grateful for the continued support of Mayor Ko, Superintendent Mulvy, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Perkins, Julie Grandma, Director of Special Education, and all of our school committee members and leadership team. It's so hard to believe we are already in our second year at the Richtor Christopher Learning Center. I am so honored to serve as principal and to work alongside such dedicated staff, supportive families, and truly remarkable students. I'd like to acknowledge Assistant Principal Simone Buckley for her leadership and thank our entire staff for the dedication that they show our students every day. Their impact is felt their impact is felt in countless ways. We're proud of the progress we've made at RD RDLC and tonight we're excited to share our school improvement plan while reflecting on the accomplishments of the 2024
0832025 school year. Our program serves students with a wide range of learning, communication, behavioral and social emotional needs and our focus remains on individualized instruction, consistent supports, and meaningful family engagement. Looking back, it's amazing to see how far we've come in our first year. Looking ahead, our focus continues to be on helping students become more independent academically, socially, and developmentally. Our team works together using research-based strategies that keep student engagement at the center of everything we do. Our DLC is a safe, supportive place where every student has multiple ways to communicate and participate. We look at growth through a whole child lens, academics, daily living, communication, motor development, and social emotional growth. Our classrooms are designed to support success with flexible seating, interactive monitors, in-class bathrooms, and access to sensory and life skill spaces, therapy
084areas, gym, playground, and common areas. It certainly is a beautiful space. We closely monitor student progress through IEP goals, benchmark assessments, and tools like the unique learning system, ABLES, the VB map, and MCCAST ALS. These tools tools help us track, set meaningful goals, and celebrate each student's achievement. Before we share our new goals, I'd like to take the moment to reflect on last year's goals. I'll begin by highlighting our accomplishments, and then assistant principal Simone Buckley will share our priorities for this upcoming school year. This past year, one area of focus was on strengthening communication and engagement with families. We kicked off the year with an open house so families could meet their child's team and then provided regular updates through daily home notes or weekly emails along with monthly newsletters. Families were invited to
085participate in discussions about the parent advisory council, attend a virtual workshop on supporting communication at home, and to share visual visual visual supports for them to use at home. We also hosted events including a touch truck and the annual art show celebrating student learning. These steps helped build stronger connections between home and school and successfully increase family participation, supporting student success. Our second goal focused on supporting staff and using the unique learning system, our new curriculum effectively and using data to guide instruction. Staff attended initial and follow-up trainings, created student portfolios, student profiles, and conducted benchmark assessments three times throughout the school year. Monthly collaborative meetings allowed staff to review the data, discuss trends, and adjust instruction to meet each student's needs. By the end of the year, our staff are confidently implementing ULS, differentiating
086their lessons, and using data to monitor growth, successfully meeting our goal. The third goal was was focused on implementing our well-based principles to support student behavior and classroom management. Staff re receives training in August and a follow-up support through the year, including creating well-b well-based incident reports and documentation. Meetings with well trainers occurred in September and January and provided guidance on best practices and applying principles in real classroom scenarios. By March, observations and feedback help staff refine strategies and implement well practices consistently. As a result, staff strengthen their ability to manage behaviors proactively and effectively successfully achieving our third goal. Together, these these three goals reflect our commitment to family engagement, individual instruction, and consistent supportive classroom practices. We are proud of the progress we've made and the impact on our students growth and success.
087As we look look ahead to the 2025 2026 school year, the RDL team has set new goals focused on strengthening instruction, improving data practices, and supporting families. I'm excited to turn it over to Simona as she introduces our new goals. Thank you, Felissa. Good evening everyone. I'm excited to report on our goals for the 2025 2026 school year. As a team, we pride ourselves in working collaboratively to create an environment where our students and staff can grow and succeed. I believe the goals we will propose to you today this evening help us in accomplishing just that. Our first goal reflected on page 10 of our school improvement plan is focused on increasing staff proficiency in administering, interpreting, and applying assessment data. Staff will be provided with various trainings on creating MCCAST alternative portfolios which are
088submitted for all of our current students in grades 3 to 8 to the state. Staff will also complete additional trainings on the VB MAP and ABLESS assessments. The VB MAP is the verbal behavior milestones assessment which assesses strengths and weaknesses in a variety of developmental milestones. The ABLESS is the assessment of basic language and learning which focuses on assessing students in the areas of language, academic, self-help, and motor skills. The goal of these trainings is to provide staff with the knowledge of appropriate test administration, explaining report results to families, and using data to develop effective IEP goals. Our second goal, reflected on page 11 of our school improvement plan, focuses on improving academic and behavioral data systems. As a new program, we have been developing appropriate classroom strategies to implement consistent and effective data systems
089in the classroom in order to have accurate data representation of student progress and growth. Staff have been working diligently in creating student IEP binders. These binders are made individually for each student and have every academic goal along with materials, data sheets, and instruction on how to present materials when delivering that instruction. This allows our teams to most effectively work together as a classroom by providing our RBTs and pair professionals with clear guidance on how programs should be implemented. These binders will also be used for data review purposes to ensure we are getting an accurate picture of student progress. The IEP binders have become a large part of our programmatic structure at the RDLC and I am so proud of the educators progress in creating these materials so far and I'm excited to continue to work
090with our educators on making the rest of the binders for the school year. Our third and final goal, reflected on page 12 of our school improvement plan, focuses on developing family workshops and trainings to support our families in the home setting. Our BCBAS have created a behavioral interview form seen in our appendix to share with families in order to get a better picture of students home life and concerns from a parent perspective. In addition to gathering more information from families, we we will be providing a four-part series for families presented from our RDLC speech and language therapists and BCBAs. Topics this year will include alternative augmented communicative strategies, prompt fading, encouraging independence, proactive behavioral strategies, and creating hygiene routines. These training dates and times have all been set and a flyer also seen in our
091appendix is being shared with families this week in order to give them plan to time to plan to attend. We are very excited to get the training series started and to see where this can grow in the future to support our families. Thank you for listening to how we have grown from last year and how we plan to grow the RDLC to support our staff, students, and families during this school year. Thank you so much for your presentation. Um we'll open it up to um questions from committee members. Campbell, >> thank you very much. Um uh when I look at this, one of the things that you recognize is how critical training is for staff. And I'm wondering in the onboarding process before a staff person starts in particular with the welli training is that
092something that they already have undergone before they start or does that happen in process while they're working? It typically happens in process when they're working. We try to get it as quickly as we can. Um we do it in the very beginning of the school year. So any staff that starts with us is trained right when they walk in. It's just when staff start with us mid year or certain times of the year that it might take us like a week to get them trained. >> Okay. Um my other question is with all these supports and looking at this program, um my assumption would be that some of students that were out of district placement before have now returned here. Is that is there is that accurate? We do have a we have a we
093have a student that has returned from out of district to come back to Quinsey which has been really nice. >> I will I will say so um we have worked with multiple families to attend RDLC. You know some were okay with that and some wanted their children to stay but where I think the biggest impact of this is that we have not sent a student with autism out of district since we opened this program. uh you know and the cost of the out of district programs are like just astronomical right now. they've increased unbelievable. Um, but we our numbers are lower. Our out of district numbers are actually lower than they've ever been. And you know, I mean, I think you can see in the enrollment numbers. So, instead of I can't remember how many
094kindergarteners um, you know, you sent on, but and how many you kept, but you know, th those students would have very likely have gone to an out of district program. And then even when we do sometimes try students or they move in and it doesn't work out um in a substantially separate program, it's not enough support, instead of referring them to the social collaborative, we're referring them to ourselves, you know, which obviously awesome for me. Um I love it. But um yeah, so it's it's it's been a huge help. Huge help. >> Great. Thank you, >> Mrs. Parios. >> Thank you. Um to kind of piggyback on Miss Campbell's question, um the well program is it so that was new last year, right? And or this year? >> Last year. Last year. Um is it
095working for deescalating the kiddos and keeping the other kiddos in the class and the teachers safe? Is it is it working? Um is it being effective? Are we seeing a lot of incidents or you know anyone getting hurt additional or what does that look like? >> It's definitely been working and had a positive impact on our school. I think the best part of the approach is every person is trained in our building. Um and because we are still our own little small team, we meet so regularly to talk about student incidents and behaviors. So um our classes tip have developed for all of our students. Um kind of like it's based on well but their level system. So how we respond to each student under each level and then parts that uh things that work
096for the student. how do they communicate? What things do they like? How can we interact with them at this time? Um, so those pieces of toel have been great for our responses. Um, we do work with high need students, so things do happen in our building, but I would say it's definitely been helpful and effective for us to regroup. Um, we also have had really great contact with um, one of the master trainers. She'll come over to us, meet with us, talk to us, brainstorm things when we need to. So, it's been very helpful. >> That's great. Is there any additional things you need to to kind of keep educators and other kiddos in the classroom safe? Is there any do you feel that you need additional support for that or do you feel that
097you're managing with what you have or >> I think currently right now we are managing what we have. We have an amazing team that's been placed within the building. Um we're supporting each other. It's a work in progress, but I think right now as a whole staff we we feel very supported. >> Okay, great. Thank you um for that kind of look into it. Um the BCBA trainings for parents I thought was fantastic. Although when I looked at the um flyer, they're Wednesdays at 10 a.m. which feels like a very difficult time for families to make. Are those going to be recorded so that they could be kind of >> Yes. So we've gone back and forth on how we're going to do that. We haven't settled on it. I think we've talked about recording
098it. It just depends um if parents are joining live. We kind of settled on 10 because we were hoping if parents were able to at least make it to work, maybe they could take some time to to join then. Um, but it could be something that we could adjust. Um, time-wise, um, it's the recording piece is fine. It's more I just don't want anybody to bring up any personal information that's been recorded. Um, so we just have to be careful about that. >> Gotcha. Gotcha. I wasn't sure if it was more like a webinar where it was just sort of like information out or if it was more like a live webinar that's our plan or a live Google meet that we want to have so we could have some parents join us and we
099want parents to ask us questions um so I don't want to hinder parents from asking questions by recording it um but I we'd love to get the information out definitely share powerpoints have follow-ups with parents we're really open to doing a lot of that >> yeah I just I hope I hope parents go and I hope that the time isn't you know going to curb anyone from going because I think that those they sound fantastic and I think that's a great addition Um and lastly the um also brought up before what are we doing to so what are the max number of spots we have at the ODLC and um so maybe let's start there and then what are we doing to outreach to other communities to bring other other kiddos here or what are
100we doing to try to fill that building a little bit? >> So currently right now the makeup of the building we have two additional classrooms that we could open up for additional students. We have received um several referrals from other districts that we look at pretty closely to make sure that they're an adequate fit. We work really closely with Julie Graham to review as a team and that students just we weren't able to meet the needs of the particular referrals, but but we do have um three students from another district that attend our program. >> Okay. Oh, okay. Because I thought this said it was just all Quinsey residents. So, there are three that are >> Yep. So, there are three. They did start as Quinsey residents, moved, but then their district opted to keep
101them here. >> Okay. And are we still kind of trying to expand ways to encourage students to join? >> Yeah. >> Because I know, like you say, it's going to grow as kiddos get older, but just also kind of >> Yeah, we we definitely have kids that we, you know, we're working with families to, you know, try to talk them into coming back. U I think some families just wanted to see how it went, you know, before they made the decision to move. Um but the numbers, I will say I get a little nervous about advertising with other districts only because the numbers are increasing like crazy, you know, and so I think we're going to be talking to you about opening another classroom just with the the the kids that we have. Okay? You
102know, um you know, they're they're they're getting full. they've they've grown quite by quite a few children and we want to make sure that you know whatever we do our kids come first right and that we have the space for our kids because once we accept the student like say from Brainree or something like that we can't say oh I'm sorry we have a Quinsey public school student that moved in and now you got to go back to Brainree you know so so that that's like so just it's just kind of thinking ahead for that like how much room should you reserve serve the the students that we have, the three that we have were easy because they were with us, you know. Um, so that made sense, but so so I do think we're
103going to need that space in very short time. >> Um, so I just would be careful of how much we advertise. >> That's great. No, that's it's good information to have because I know we, you know, built it under the assumption that maybe we would have other communities be paying us to have, you know, their students come here and just to make sure we have like a plan for that. But that sounds great. Thank you. Thanks for the time, >> superintendent. >> Yeah, just on that and it's a great point. So, um Dr. Perkins and I and the team met with the Stoval from Randolph. Um and Randolph is um a fellow board participant at um Southshore Educational Collaborative. Um but I don't necessarily think we need to advertise. I mean, based on Randolph and
104Weimoth and the other board members down at the Southshore Collaborative, they've all expressed interest in potentially sending students to RDLC. So, it's definitely not for lack of interest. We are though definitely concerned about maintaining space and priority for Quinsey students. Um, but we definitely have the clientele if we want to. Um and certainly Randolph and the other uh cities and towns and and the collaborative have expressed interest in sending us their students to Quinsey as well. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Leon. >> Thank you for the presentation and thank you for the care that you provide to some of our most vulnerable students. Um I am interested in budget information um just across the board. Um, so was wondering if you could point me um at that information and uh more specifically um any analysis
105breakdown of the cost savings um from having kids not have to go out of district now that they can receive those services at the RDLC. >> Yeah. So the program is funded through the district. Um you know that's 100% of the funding. uh the cost savings. Mr. Melany has done that. I don't have that off the top of my head, but he could certainly get that for you. We can and we can make sure he gets that for you. >> Okay. >> Um if you know, I can have him send that to you. >> Great. Thank you. And then the other thing I wanted to ask about um like my colleague, I was also um struck by uh the Wednesday morning uh meeting time. And so I just had a a question about accessibility. um
106has that time been challenging and then if there are any other accessibility issues um that you'd care to to bring up perhaps like translation services are those needed are they sufficient >> so we will look at and interview the parents and ask them for their availability and go by what's more of a preference but I think for us for our families it's diff challenging for them to meet at night with the needs of their own children um we also work around the schedule where to school 8:30. So, we want them to be all situated, students in school. Um, but we're definitely more than open to changing the times of the meetings and having a variety so that we can have more ability to reach out to more families. >> And I think that's where when
107we talk about growing it, something that we can work on because what we wanted to do after after we do this series was survey our families and see if they thought it was effective. Are there any other topics they think they need? So, off of that too, we can base it off of the time. Is the time convenient? Is it not? We typically hold IEP meetings between like 9 9 and 11. So like our parents are used to like that time frame of doing something with us. Um but if it doesn't work for them, it's definitely something we can adjust. >> Okay. Thank you. >> M scale. >> To piggyback on that, h how has your attendance been for these 10 o'clock meetings? >> Have Have parents been? >> We haven't had any yet. They
108start in February. >> Okay. I was just curious cuz that would give >> We held one last year. Um we did do a communication training last year. Um we didn't get too much um involvement. Um but it wasn't as early. We're really trying to get it out early to parents so they're prepared. They know when it is. Um if they we're very close with our parents. We have 54 kids. So um if some parent reaches out, if we get contact but like oh this time doesn't work. Are you guys offering anything else? Can we record it? That's definitely something we want to work on so people can attend. >> So, do they know this is happening? >> So, the flyers were being sent home this week. So, teachers just got it on Monday and were
109asked to send it out to their parents. So, they should be getting it this week. >> And to your point, mo most of your meetings with one-on- ones with parents are between like 9 and 11 in the morning. So, they're kind of used to that kind of a schedule in terms of connecting with you guys on on what's happening with your students. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. You're welcome. So, I just wanted to add um I do love your topics. I think they're great. They're not ones that I've seen a lot um out anywhere else. So, I think they're very um they're they're different. I'm sure they're well needed topics, especially the one on hygiene that I can see that being something that parents would really like that information. And I loved seeing that
110you're working um with QARE and doing the piloting. That's something when uh you guys were in the the talking stage of of being the Rick Christopher Learning Center, we were like, "Oh, having that would be great because I know it is hard for special ed parents to come out at night or do anything after and it's great for those kiddos to have something after school and they don't get that." So, that's awesome that you're piloting that and at least there's five kids in there, but I'd love to see that number go up. So, that's great. I know I've had u numerous talks with uh Cassandra Beck about about that and that was something we had talked before about so that was great. Um so thank you for this. Um so we'll have a vote um
111from the subcommittee members. Um all in favor that would be Mrs. Campbell and M. Yes. All in favor? >> Anyone opposed? Thank you. >> Thank you both. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. Okay. And we'll move on to our next program improvement plan which is special education with Julie Graham, director of special education to present and her team. Yep. >> Uh, good evening, Superintendent Malvy, Vice Chair Hubli, and members of the committee. I'm excited to share with you this evening the program improvement plan for special education for school year 2526. The Quinsey Public Schools special education team has the privilege of helping students with unique abilities, struggles, and achievement levels to reach their full academic potential. We are committed to providing all of our students and especially our most vulnerable students with access to highquality educational
112opportunities and high academic expectations to ensure greater equity in educational outcomes. We recognize that each student that we work with has individual academics abilities and achievement levels as well as strengths and needs. In addition to providing highquality opportun educational opportunities, the special education team is also committed to ensuring that all of our students are awarded the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. Students with disabilities participate in afterchool clubs, in sports at their schools. Transportation and extra supports are provided as needed and identified in a student's IEP. Some examples of these are soccer at Snug Harbor School, helping hands at Beachwood N School, Girls on the Run at Squanum, and the Knitting Club at North Quinsey High School. In August of 2025, the Quinsey public schools hosted the I Can Ride Bike program where 40 students
113with disabilities learned how to ride bikes along 100 student volunteers from our high schools. It was such an exciting week for our riders and our volunteers. Through our partnership with Sing, Explore, Create, students with disabilities are offered the opportunity to participate in summer and vacation week creative arts groups. The students in the learning center at North Quincsey High School have just successfully completed their second year of unified basketball and we're excited to say that Southwest Middle School will beginning this will be beginning this program next month. The special education team is supported by special education coordinator Jennifer Liry and team administrators Lisa Chanetta, Katie Kerry, and Karen Matthews who work in our in district schools as well as supporting students at out of district schools. We currently service over 2,000 students within our integrated pre
114kindergarten classrooms, resource rooms, substantially separate classrooms, inclusion settings, alternative programs, and our out ofd district placements. In addition, the special education team recognizes that our students, families, and caregivers are valuable partners and help to create a rich educational experience for our students. Quinsey Public Schools has an active special education parent advisory council, many of whom you'll meet later this evening, whose members meet quarterly with the special education subcommittee, monthly with Miss Liry and myself, and as well as monthly for support and informational workshops. The special education team is proud of the work that we have completed in the 2024 20225 school year and are excited to share with you this evening the special education improvement plan for 2025 2026. We'll begin with a reflection on the goals from last year. As you can see on
115page seven, the goal for the special education teachers was to utilize the new IEP form for 100% of initial review and re-evaluation IEPs. Quinsey Public Schools teachers began using the form in September of 2024, updating as each student had an annual review meeting occur. Aspen was updated as the default new IEP format at the start of the school year, at which point 100% of new IEPs written over the course of the year were in that new format. Excellent. Um, now on page eight, during the 2024 2025 school year, the learning center teams participated in special training. um with the district BCBAS to create data collection tools that would provide the opportunity for special educators to use them in all educational settings. This ongoing collaboration provided the opportunity to further drive the evidence needed for each
116goal and objective identified on a student's IEP. The goal for the post-secondary team Quincy High School LEAP program was to expand their volunteer sites from 7 to 11 by adding an additional four sites for enrolled students and expanding part-time job opportunities sites from 2 to three by adding an additional one site. The post-secondary team Quinsey College leap program exceeded this goal by achieving 12 new volunteer sites and four new part-time sites part-time employment sites. Some new sites included Next Chapter Bookstore, Southshore Country Club and the East American Diner, the Early American Diner, excuse me. Additionally, the team continued its work collaborating with the partners with youth with disabilities in Randolph public schools to complete the application for the Liberty Mutual Foundation impactdriven collaboration grant. PYD was notified in August 2025 that they were chosen to
117move forward into the next stage of the grant, but unfortunately they needed to narrow down the age range to exclude students under age of 22. Quinsey public schools and Randolph public schools will continue to will continue to support PYD but are not able to be active members in this grant. Also on page eight, during the 2425 school year, the language development classes, the LDC program completed core knowledge language arts trainings, CKLA, and collaborated monthly with general education teachers to ensure alignment with the CKLA scope and sequence. Through this work, the team identified effective instructional practices, modified CKLA materials as needed, and differentiated instruction based on student needs. Also on page eight, you can see that during the 2024 2025 school year, the goals program focused on increasing student attendance. The goal was to increase attendance
118from 60% to 70%. The goals team met monthly with students to review their individual attendance goals and to discuss challenges as well as solutions and strategies to attend school consistently. Although the goal of 70% was not reached, the number did rise from 60% to 63% with eight students who were considered chronically absent. Goals will continue to work on increasing attendance across the program as well as to support students in planning to overcome challenges that may be affecting their daily attendance. On page nine, our speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists attended professional development on collaborative goal writing and the new IEP presented by Jan Hollandbeck from the Partnership for Advancement of School Service Providers. During the training, staff members reflected on their current goal writing and completed a rating scale to determine if their
119goals target functional and or academic skills, which are observable and measurable by multiple members of the IEP team. During subsequent staff meetings, the related service providers utilized a measurable goal checklist to support them in writing goals for upcoming IEP meetings. The team will continue to develop their goal writing skills, which will require additional training of other staff members such as special education teachers. Also on page nine, the district BCDBAS developed and provided six professional development sessions for all district parrofessionals on such topics as understanding and supporting students with autism, setting a strong foundation, and data collection tools. The district BCBAS also provided supervision for our 20 current registered behavior technicians and to three additional pair professionals who participated in the RBT course. On page 10, you'll see that in response to the findings of our
120recent DZ tiered focus monitoring review, the special education team developed an action plan with the goal of increasing the full inclusion rate by 5% each school year. The team met quarterly to review student placement data. As you can see by the chart on page 10, we did not achieve that 5% increase, but are making progress towards that goal. It's also important to note that this is lag data and is not fully reflective of the work that was done during the 2425 school year. The special education team continued to work closely with the CPAC to support events such as trunk or treat, gingerbread house night, craft and sensory play, and the end of the year celebration in June. The special education team and the CPAC continued to meet monthly and to work in collaboration to port
121to support our students with disabilities and their families. Starting on page 14, we will now share our goals for the 2025 2026 school year. During the 202526 school year, the special education teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels will participate in systemwide math and/or literacy specific professional development offerings with the goal of ensuring that all students have access to highquality tier one instructions and that their instructional practices align with the highquality instructional materials from the curriculum programs that are used throughout the district. Also on page 15, on most Fridays, students and staff in the Leap Quinsey College program participate in community field trips. Some examples of these field trips are going to local restaurants, traveling by train to various locations in Boston, such as the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Snowport, and meeting up
122with other post-secary programs to go bowling or to see a movie. During the 2025 20226 school year, the post-secary team Quincsey College LEAP program will expand its Friday field trips by adding one additional trip per quarter. On page 16, you will see two goals that have been developed for the language development program. One is for elementary and the other one is for middle school. To ensure consistency across instructional programming and to promote equitable access to high quality math instruction, the LDC program has established the following goals to align with district math priorities and general education instructional expectations. During the 2526 school year, 35% of students in the LDC grades two to five will meet or exceed their individualized projected growth in MAP mathematics as measured by the spring 2026 MAP student growth summary report. During
123the 2526 school year, the middle school LDC team will align current instructional practices with the pacing, differentiation strategies, scope, and sequence of the Amplified Desmos program. During the during the 2025 2026 school year, the CARES and special needs learning center team will use the data collection tools created in the 2024 2025 school year to improve their academic and behavioral data systems by completing targeted training and creating consistent and effective data systems for both academic and behavioral domains for 100% of their students. The data collected will be used to develop classroom data binders for each student gradually throughout the year. These binders will be used to track and report on student progress and make adjustments as needed. This data will be shared with families at uh report card conferences and ESY team members. As a continuation
124of last year's goal on page 18, the goals program will continue to improve their program's daily attendance by increasing student attendance from 63% to 70%. This goal aligns with the district goal of addressing chronic absenteeism. The goals team will meet monthly with each student to review their individual attendance goal and to address barriers to consistent attendance. To date, the goals team has only identified one student who is chronically absent. This is a significant improvement over the eight students in the 2425 school year. On page 20, you will see that the related service providers will build upon the goal writing PD that they attended last year. Part of the collaborative goal writing process includes developing data sheets that can be easily used by any member of the students team. During the 2025 2026 school year, the
125team will review their functional and or academic goals, develop data collection methods that align with their goals, and use the collected data to report on student progress. On page 21, the behavior support team will continue their goal of supporting district paraprofessionals by providing devel professional development sessions. They will develop and provide six sessions on topics such as navigating behavior challenges and the power of pause. The district BCBAS will continue to provide supervision to our current registered behavior technicians as well as any paraprofessionals who are participating in the RBT course. On page 22, you'll see that this is a continuation of last year's goal. In response to the findings of our DD DZ tiered focus monitoring review, the special education team will continue to monitor the overall inclusion rates of students found eligible for special education
126services with the long-term goal of moving closer to the state average range for full inclusion and partial inclusion. Currently, for full inclusion, Quinsey public schools is at 47.4% while the Massachusetts average is 67.8. And for partial inclusion, Quinsey Public Schools is at 20.2% and the Massachusetts average is at 12.6%. Our final goal can be found on page 22. In direct response to the input offered by the CPAC and their families, the special education team will offer two additional parentmies on topics chosen by the CPAC. In February, we will host a parent academy on understanding the new IEP form. In April, we will host a parent academy on resources and materials that families can use in their home. Prior to both parentmies, a survey will be sent out to families of students with disabilities to ensure
127that the content being covered is addressing what families need. The special education team is proud of the work that we have accomplished so far this year and we look forward to implementing this plan for the 2025 2026 school year. At this time, we're happy to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you so much for the presentation and we'll open it up to our special education subcommittee members. Mrs. Campbell. >> Sure. Thank you for that. It was great. I have a couple of questions. One, I'm curious as to what you think drives the gap in the inclusion data. >> Sure. So I think in Quinsey first and foremost we're really proud of the vast array of supports that we offer our students and sometimes we have to I shouldn't say sometimes always we need
128to do what's best for our kids and although the state is asking us to come closer to their average we're still going to do what's best for our kids and we are offering you know multiple tiers of intervention and we are working you know every single day to ensure that our kids are getting what they need. >> Thank you. My other question is about um the distribution of of specialists. I noticed that you have um Orton Gillingham staff at some elementary schools but not others. Sure. >> With similar numbers at each school, and I'm wondering how you make those decisions as to where those specialists are placed. >> Sure. So, the specialists are placed really based on the needs of each individual school. So those do shift a little bit every year. At each of
129our schools, our special education teachers and our literacy specialists are all Orton Gillingham trained. So regardless of them having an Orton Gillingham specialist, they are still having those services in every single one of those buildings. The buildings that do have the OG specialists, most of them house our LDC program and the majority of those students do receive additional OG services. >> Great. Thank you. You're welcome, >> Mr. Julian Young. >> Mr. Graham, thank you to you and your team for the information and for the work that you do. Uh, also thank you for highlighting and leading with um the extracurriculars. Um, in particular, uh, the the bike riding program. Um, so I know, you know, firsthand how, um, just rewarding it can be for a student, a young young person to to learn how to
130ride a bicycle. and also for um the the teacher, right, the the volunteers um that that are teaching that skill. So, um you know, keep up the good work on on all those programs. Um, I did have a question um about something in here that just really jumped out at me and that that is um the the 10th grade MCCAST scores uh 2024 to >> y >> 2025 um >> just compared to >> the other grade levels um it was it was really um eye opening. So shed some >> it was sure. So, as um was shared at at other presentations, um last year was the first year that 10th grade MCCAST was not mandated. And so, those numbers drop significantly based on um student participation is is our belief. >> Okay. Thank you. >>
131You're welcome. >> I'm I shouldn't say student participated. They still participated. It was their active participation. >> Okay. Sperios, >> thank you. Um, thank you all so much for all the work you do for these kids. Uh, it's it's it's so much and it's so important. So, thank you very much for all you do. I know it crosses over into a lot of the other program improvement plans that we've talked about tonight, but um so I noticed um something that jumped out at me on page six. You um you guys had mentioned that students are evaluated every three years. >> Um so, what does that mean to you? Because I know they're evaluated more often than every three years. So what does that line mean in here? >> Sure. So that's a um a regulation
132that needs to be followed. When a student is found eligible for special education services, we are mandated to re-evaluate them every three years to continue that um that process of finding them eligible to receive special education services. they are um assessed you know ongoing like every other student in the district whether it's using formal or informal assessments MCCAST MAP or um you know some of the assessments that um you know Simone mentioned whether it's the VB map or the ABLES but it's every three years that they are mandated to be re-evaluated to continue that eligibility process. Okay. If a family um or a team member requests it sooner, um it can actually it can be done sooner as well, but it's mandated every three years. >> Okay. And you guys are if if a child
133doesn't need the services anymore, you're you're looking at that as you go. You're not just saying, "Well, we have to wait three years before we, you know, look relook at those services." Absolutely. All right. That's kind of what I thought, but I wasn't sure kind of what that meant in there. um the the PYD, the Partners for Youth with Disabilities. Um explain to me I was a little confused as to so I know that the CPAC a big um priority for them has been uh finding opportunities for kiddos after 22 and the reason that you guys didn't qualify for the PYD is because they wanted you to go beyond 22 and we didn't. Is that can you just explain that? >> Sure. Sure. So, we had written the original proposal to include students from age
13416 and over. And when the Liberty Mutual Foundation took a closer look at our proposal, I should say PYD's proposal, um the overall grant process was really looking at that over 22 population. And so they said that um PYD could move forward in the process but that they had to remove the public school piece of that because they were not allowing um students younger than 22 to be involved. >> Okay. Is that something that you guys can still take advantage of knowing that with the CPAC they had wanted to try to work on some kind of expanded opportunities after that? Is that something that you can continue on just not in a >> in a formal capacity? >> Right. Exactly. Is that but it's not something you're just dropping altogether? Absolutely not. Okay. because that
135sounded like a really good thing in my mind. So, that was that was good to read. Um and then the um the the leap field trips I I definitely see value in um kiddos coming, you know, meeting up with kiddos from other programs and doing different things um taking the train, having those opportunities and experiences, but I know that I've heard from parents that they what they're some of the concerns have been they want the experiences that they're getting at LEAP to be valuable. They don't want them to just be, you know, busy work or just, you know, doing a thing for a few hours. They want it to be valuable, something that's building their skills and um th that's incorporated into the field trip opportunities. Correct. Or >> Absolutely. So, when you think first
136and foremost being an active member of a community is has significant value. Being out in the community in which eventually you're going to have a job is an incredible um skill to have. uh travel training. So these students figure out ways to whether it's the MBTBs, MBTA bus, the red line, figuring out Ubers um when they go to places. So say for example they go to a restaurant, it's practicing your social skills, um greeting your server, um sitting down at a table appropriately with your peers, ordering from a menu, um figuring out pricing, if I only have $5, what can I order? Um, and then, you know, just experiencing life is just such a valuable thing to have. Many of our students, um, you know, they they may not have gone into Boston before, so
137taking the red line and going to the Rose Kennedy Greenway, just experiencing Boston. Um, but it's really about building those social skills and those, you know, deep connections to their communities. >> Yeah, I think I think that's great. I just wanted to kind of, you know, out there that we are thinking about that when we're doing different programs as well. Um, great. And then just I had a shared concern about the uh inclusion uh the special ed team goal about inclusion and just you know as much as we want to do what the state is encouraging us to do and we want to hit state things and um you know norms uh we do have to do with what's right and also what's right for the other you know pushing a kiddo into an inclusion
138opportunity that they're not ready for puts the other kids in the classroom and the educators at a risk as well. and you know, everyone's learning goes down, everyone's safety goes down when that happens. So, I'd much prefer to make sure that we're doing the right thing for our kids. And you know, if we don't hit the state on that, we don't hit the state on that. So, I I fully support you guys having the kind of auton autonomy to make those calls >> and really looking at it individual student by individual student, not just as lumping as a number. >> Right. For sure. Thank you very much again for all your work. Thank you. Just have a couple questions. Um for our um kids, our students with hearing loss. Yes. Um are we still partnering
139with um Southshore Hearing and having them come through our schools and look for still works with us? Yes, >> it's still still Jen. Okay. >> Did you notice that we split that out for you on the numbers? >> I I did notice that, but I just wanted to wanted to make sure I elaborated because I know we still don't have a teacher of the deaf with our school system. So, I wanted to make sure they're still coming through the schools and and looking for the dead zones. I know that's very important. So, yeah. Um, so I wanted to make sure >> we still do have a teacher that comes in and services those our students. Um, she is just a partner with us. She's not a full-time Quincsey Public School employee because we don't warrant
140those numbers at this time. Um, but we still have a very active partnership with Jennifer and she services all of our materials and does ongoing consultations. >> Wonderful to hear. Thank you. Um, the I can bike program, you know, I fantastic absolutely love it. It was a great program. Do we have plans for this year for coming back? >> Not yet. although they have reached out and said we're starting to fill up our calendar. What are your thoughts? So that that's on our agenda for next month. >> Okay. I will be waiting to waiting to hear about that. I want to make sure I get my volunteer time in there. Okay. U Mrs. Cahill. >> Um I'm all set. I think my question I did but my colleagues asked the same question. So thank you.
141>> Okay. And with that I will ask for a motion to approve from the um subcommittee from the special education. Motion to approve. Thank you. I'll approved. Thank you. >> Thank you everybody. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Next on the agenda we have our Quinsey CPAC board review of goals. If you you all want to come up to the to the table. Let's see. Make sure you um start by introducing yourselves for our new members who don't know who you are. >> Um hi. Um I'm Sarah Wood. I'm the president of the Quincy CPAC. >> I'm Scarni. I'm the treasure of the CPAC. >> I'm Taran Daly. I'm the vice president of the CPAC. >> I'm Melissa Richie and I am the board member at large. And I believe Taran is gonna start. Yes, absolutely.
142So, uh to dive right into our goals for this year, um first and foremost, our goal is to continue to engage with our families um of students on IEPs and 504 plans and to offer them with educational presentations and caregiver groups and community meetings and family events. So, we had a number of caregiver groups already this year. We had October, November, and one upcoming in January. Um, we've been trying out the hybrid approach. So, holding it at RDLC, and then also having it online for people that can't make it in, although, uh, January will be just virtual because it's too cold to go anywhere. Um we've had um a presentation on sensory processing and we have an upcoming presentation on supporting mental health in children. Um and we also have a uh presentation coming up
143on school discipline and we're collaborating as you heard with um special education leadership on parentmies in February and April of this year. Um, at the beginning of the year, we had a community meeting and a Q&A with uh Julie Graham with the community so they could ask her questions. And our events so far, we've had a trunk or treat, a gingerbread decorating, and we have a preschool Valentine's Day event coming up. And we always have our end of the year event as well, which is really fun. And what we meet monthly with special education leadership as well to talk with them about questions, concerns that our community has uh upcoming events and um that's a great time to collaborate. >> Is it helpful if I move this along the presentation or no? Everybody has a
144copy. >> Um yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. >> For the people at home. Another goal of ours is to support students that are transitioning in and out of uh QPS. So, uh transitioning in early intervention, we'd like to connect with uh with them and to provide them with brochures, introduce ourselves so right when people come in when they're being assessed, when their child is being assessed, they know they can come to us for support and um to come to our events and our caregiver groups. And then um also maybe Sarah you could talk a little bit about how it like >> I don't have a thing so that's why I'm kind of like >> yeah our yeah >> about when I'm sorry when >> about our older >> Oh yes so as you all know I
145focused more on the older students um right now my son is 20 um and we've been really trying to work on ways to incorporate more of the teenage older groups um creating some events for them um and My goal this year is to really try and work especially with the Quinsey Wreck to possibly host some events where parents of adult student they're no longer students but adults who have aged out with teenagers who are still in the program parents and the students to kind of maybe co-mingle and get some information about where they are and where these students are going to be heading and and just kind of open a dialogue to start creating a community. Um there really isn't much of a community in Quinsey once you turn 22. Um, sadly it gets a
146little lonier as your kids get older because everyone kind of goes into their own separate corners and you hope you get what you get and and hope that your kids have a plan. So, um, my goal is to really try and commit can I've said to you guys before my goal in life is to create a program within the city of Quinsey. I would love to have a Kennedy center for people with special needs. I just feel like I looked at their program today and all the things they have offered for the winter. I'm like, this would be such a great asset to Quinzy so that the adult members of the community and the family caregivers who are taking care of these adult members have somewhere to go and get support in any way, whether
147they are people who are going to get a job or people who need some kind of day program, just a way to to really get you some collaboration and get you some support because it gets harder as your kids get older. Um, so my hope is to create a program. I've reached out to the wreck. Um, and I'm really hoping we can get something done. I was kind of trying to get my way into using their skating rink. Um, but that's a no-go. So, we're going to try another situation, but um, I'm really hopeful to have something in the next month or two, an event set up. So, um, I'll let you go back. >> Thank you, Sarah. Um so our next goal was um you know an ongoing goal of supporting expansion of the
148inclusion model in QPS. Um, as you've heard, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported some concerns about the lower proportion of students that are meeting inclusion criteria. And uh, the CPAC has been working closely with families and with special education leadership to support inclusion opportunities, but also maintain necessary support for each student to access the curriculum and progress in their learning. Um, you know, for example, if you're moving a student from a uh more restrictive environment, small group setting with higher teacher to uh student ratio, more individualized learning opportunities and strategies into general ed, that's a huge transition and um a huge difference in support and um you know, ratio. So, it needs to be a decision that's in the students best interest. um and considering what kind of supports they need and what's
149available to them in that new setting and it needs to involve a transition plan um you know including gradual in increase in inclusion time. So we'd like to help support that and we have ongoing conversation about that. Um, so this is related to inclusion, but it's not exactly the um helping to reach the goal that I don't believe it's helping to reach the goal that Desi um wants us to move toward. Um this is more for our moderate disability um population, but as again the CPAC, we're sort of this liazison between caregivers and uh Quinsey leadership. So, we wanted to just mention that as part of this concept of inclusion, um families have talked a lot about um in the moderate disability world, so that means they're mostly in gened, but they get special ed
150support maybe from a special ed teacher for like an ELA goal or a math goal. That at the elementary level, a lot of families um have reported that they would love to see more of a co-eing model, which is more common in the middle schools in Quinsey. Um, and there has been some talk, you know, in Quinsey about this. I don't I don't know what all the challenges would be, but some of the families have have said, um, when kids are pulled out of the gened classroom to get this like goal worked on for ELA, for example, they might miss class time, they might miss some like social time, that's snack. Um, and then sometimes the content they're working on isn't really the same as the content that's in class. So kids will say to
151their families like, "I'm actually behind on my, you know, science or whatever because I had to work on this other thing." So we're just kind of just saying out loud to you and to everybody that that's been reported to us. And that is also an inclusion thing because when there's a co-taught model like in the middle schools, you know, they're not having to get pulled out. So that's something we want to keep, you know, promoting and and sharing. Um I'm just looking to see if there's anything here. Um, yeah, and that's I don't know how wellversed everybody is with Agrid, B-grid, CG grid, but in the service delivery um part of an IEP, A Grid is consult, B-grid is like in the gen GenEd classroom, but you're still getting support. And then CG grid is
152when it's like fully pulled out of the um classroom. So, a lot of parents have talked to us about why aren't there more B-grid options in elementary school? Okay. and Sarah is my turn >> will speak to goal number four. >> Oh, sorry. >> You're okay. >> Um, uh, yes. So, we are really interested in connecting more with the teachers and um, education support. We've been working with Quinsey Education Association to build parent educator relationships that best support our special education students. Um, we really wanted to collaborate and find a way to to build the communication within the system between teachers and parents because a lot of time I mean it it's a tough thing during the day. Teachers are working so hard and they're doing so much and sometimes you don't get get enough
153time to really talk to that special education parent and they don't get as much information from their kids so they don't always know what's going on on a day-to-day basis. So, um, we were looking to, um, see how we can help support the the teachers and support the parents and maybe find a way to get them to collaborate. Um, we went through QEA with the help with their help to send out a little survey to educators and see what they were thinking and how we could help facilitate some support there. Um, so we have a great survey that we got back and um, we are looking at how we can help support that. That's one of our big goals. And so, um, we do have the survey. We didn't bring it tonight, but if anyone
154wants that, >> it's anonymous, though. >> It is anonymous. We did make sure we did not, >> we wanted to give teachers the chance to say what they needed to say or wanted to say and get some real feedback. And we got some great information, so we would love to share that if anybody wants it. Um, it was a really great resource for us. Um, and it helped us too with meeting with the um, administration about issues that have been going on and things that we know parents and teachers are really interested in helping create more communication within their system. Um, so another goal we have is we are looking to build resources for our parents. Um there was a time when the thought was to have a resource room for CPAC and we do
155have one at the RDLC, but the reality is people just don't go out in the community anymore and go into a resource room. So, we're really building our website to get as many resources as we can available on our website and as many options so parents can go on and find what they need, whether it's social activities, extracurricular activities within the school system, um different programs within the school system, uh different programs outside, whether it's occupational therapy, speech therapy, BCBAS, anything that they're looking for, we're trying to build a real system where they can just go on and find what they need through our CPAC page. So, um, that's a real goal for us and we've been working. Taran is amazing. She does amazing work on our on our web page. So, please look out
156for that. And families, it is up. We are constantly rebuilding. We are adding new things. We try and put on any presentation we have. We try to offer that recording. If it's if we're able to, sometimes we aren't able to record because we have parents parents come on and say things that are more personal and we don't want to put that out into the world. But we're really doing trying to get some more information up there. So please look out for that. It's kind it's a work in progress. Um and our sixth goal is to ensure that staff are adequately supported. So one of the things we have been really focused on is paraprofessional training. Um paraprofessionals are really like they are the bones of a a special education classroom. the teachers are doing all
157the work, doing providing all the information, giving them as much as they need and building the classroom curriculum and everything else, but those paras are walking down the halls every day with those kids. They're doing every little thing with them and we just want to make sure that they're receiving as much training as possible. Um, I know that our pair of professionals are wonderful and we're hoping we know that there's a lot of times staffing can go up and down throughout the year. Um, so it's hard to make sure that all training is received for some of these paras, but we really want to make sure, especially in our substantially separate classrooms, that they are receiving the training they need, especially when dealing with behaviors or issues that could become problematic within a classroom. Um,
158we just really want to for their safety and for the child's safety, make sure that everyone has as much training as possible. So, we're constantly trying to support that as much as possible. And lastly, I'm just going to add, this is my own little personal moment here. This is my last year here as the CPAC president. I've been here for a while. Um, my son turns 22 um in May of 2027. So, I will be done with the Quinsey public schools as far as he is concerned. and I'm going to spend that next year really working on where he goes next and how I can support the adult community um and how we can help build up some more programming for that. So, this may be my last presentation. I may be here one more
159time. I'm not sure. But, uh this is a great group and I know we're going to get some more great people coming in, but I have loved doing it and I love all the programs you've created and the support you guys have given us. We really appreciate it. So, I hope it just gets better and better. But that's it. I'm done. We're done. >> Great. Well, thank you so much for the presentation of your goals. This is wonderful. We will miss you, Sarah. >> Mrs. Campbell. >> Yes. Uh we definitely will, Sarah. Your contribution's been so significant with CPAC and and I all of these goals are so thoughtful and I really appreciate this. I think there's a certain level of vulnerability that a parent of a child with special needs feels. And so all
160of these speak to the fact that it's all about the relationship in working with teachers or providers. And so I I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of this. Um I would really like to see the survey. So if you could send that to me, that would be great. >> And I just uh applaud. Nice. Nicely done. >> Thank you. Yeah, I was gonna say send it to everybody. I think we'd all pretty much like to like to take a look at that. That'd be great. Thank you. >> Um Mrs. Partios, >> I just want to take the opportunity to thank you guys as always. It's just, you know, incredible to me that um you know, you're you're you have so much going on. You're so busy taking care of your kiddos and making sure that they
161get what they need. and um just that you're there for the community at large for um other families that are going through the same thing and trying to you know impart that support to them and the resources that you found yourselves to them. It's just it's so impressive. None of you get paid. You're all you know volunteers doing all this work having goals coming here sharing them with us. I you know I just I just can't thank you enough for all you do. Um I think it's one of the best parent QPS relationships we have. Um and it's so much needed for this community. So, I'm I'm really grateful for the the community that you've built um of families and just the relationship that you have with QPS leadership that you're able to kind of
162be honest and bring those issues that you know, sometimes it's transportation. Transportation is good. You know, it seems like that's not an issue this year. We're going to deal with something else. And that's what it should be, right? Um not everything needs to be perfect and just when things come up, that's when you deal with them and you deal with them in an honest, open way. And um and that's what you're doing and I think that that's fantastic. So, thank you for your work. Thank you, Sarah, for all you've done. I'm sure you guys will continue on and get new new great members as well. But thank you, >> Julian. >> Yeah. Um, ditto. I mean, thank you all for for what you do and Miss Wood, best of luck to you and your son.
163Um, I I'm glad you brought up um the uh points about um older um students, right? because I I did have a question about the events and maybe you can help me um just better understand how you think about um how if there's any kind of segmentation by um age groups in in the programming that you do. >> We typically try um I made it a big point because I I it's one of my personal pet peeves. Um, I really like to separate the kids by we we typically do like we're doing a prek event in February and that's only for preschoolers. Um, the gingerbread event is for all students, but in the past we have separated it by age group. So like a preschool and then we would do a K through sixth grade
164and then we would do sixth grade and up and that would include everybody up to age 22. Um, just to kind of give them a little bit of individuality. Um, I feel like when you lump all of these kids into one group, it's such a disservice, especially to the more teenage and adult stu pe individuals because quite honestly, you if you have a teenager, they don't want to be with a four-year-old. They don't want to be with a six-year-old. Why a special needs student would want to who is 16 years old wants to be in the same room with a 5-year-old? It's just not even it's not fair and it's not it's not equitable. it's not showing any kind of respect for them as a teenager. And so I really I really support and I
165think we all try to really make a point of separating those groups. Um and it's it's an ongoing problem. I mean even now anytime you go to sign up for your child to participate in in any community event a lot of times if it's a special education program like there are sports and different programs set up. Even Quinsey Wreck has the um Buddy Ball and different things and they're all great programs, but ultimately what ends up happening is all of them end up on the same court and the same basketball area and it's just not you can't walk in there and think it makes sense for a 17-year-old boy to be in the same room with a six-year-old girl playing basketball. I there's no way that that should make sense to anyone. So, um, it's
166a really important thing and I think we really need to be paying attention to that and really looking at how we can support our older students. >> Okay, great. >> All right. Well, we thank you so much for being here, presenting your goals. This was wonderful. Thanks. Oh, thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Have a great night. Uh, and with that, we will adjourn. >> Thanks, everybody.