School Bd. Adopts New Goals For 2011-12 School Year

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Board of Education approved a set of six goals for the 2011-12 school year during its meeting on Tuesday, November 15.

Board Vice Chair Debbie Leidlein asked whether the school board could hold off a decision on approving this school year’s goals until newly elected board members take their seats on the board. In response, member Lillian Bittman, who had her last meeting as a board member that night along with David Nanavaty and Andrew Buzzi, said the goals were created based on many meetings and strategic planning by current board members.

“[The new members] are going to be the ones that will have to carry these through,” said Ms Leidlein. “So they should have some input on them.”

Mr Nanavaty said he suspected budget season, which he said the three new members will be thrust into after being sworn into their new positions, will hold off discussion of the goals until May.

“It would be my desire, that if the board is in favor of these goals for the year 2011-2012, which we are in the middle of, that rather to wait to act on these goals, because it is a fluid document, that the new board could certainly look at these and act on goals for 2012-2013,” said Mr Nanavaty, adding it would be a shame to put this year’s goals aside until May.

Under the first of the five goals, the board approved pursuing its strategic plan objective, “Within the first five years all students will perform at goal or above goal on all standardized tests, the board will develop programs to strengthen the four core subject areas, reading, mathematics, writing, and science.” The first goal went on to also identify multiple action plans, including developing a plan for improvement of the kindergarten through twelfth grade literacy achievement, continuing the district’s writing initiative, developing a plan to improve science achievement in the district, and, “in recognition of the evidence that professional development is the most cost effective way to improve performance, develop a plan to expand the highest quality professional development.”

Under the second goal the board approved implementing full-day kindergarten, for the third goal the school board approved improving communication between the district and the community, for the fourth goal the board approved developing a plan for preparation for the 2015 New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation visit, and for the fifth goal the board approved developing a plan for coherent kindergarten through twelfth grade expectations and curriculum.

Ms Bittman also made a motion during the meeting to add a goal of developing a plan for continuous and rigorous improvement of the district’s special education program. The amendment passed the board unanimously, adding a sixth goal to the list.

The school board then voted unanimously, with Ms Leidlein commenting that it is her hope the school board will review the goals once the three new members — Democrat John Vouros and Republicans Laura Roche and Cody McCubbin — take their seats on the board.