Quincy Public Schools

Minutes

Quincy School Committee Special Education Subcommittee Meeting

A meeting of the Special Education Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 6:00 pm in the Coddington Building. Present were Subcommittee members Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, and Mrs. Courtney Perdios, Special Education Subcommittee Chair. Also present were School Committee Members Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Tina Cahill, and Mr. Doug Gutro; Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Ms. Simone Buckley, Ms. Kim Connolly, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Ms. Julie Graham, Ms. Andrea Huwar, Ms. Jennifer Leary, Mr. Michael Marani, Ms. Maura Papile, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri; former School Committee member Frank Santoro; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Special Education Director Julie Graham, Coordinator Jennifer Leary, and Team Administrator Simone Buckley presented an overview of the new Massachusetts Individual Educational Program (IEP) format, an update of the format introduced in 2003. The goal of the state’s IEP Improvement Project is to improve outcomes for all students with disabilities by providing guidance, technical assistance, and tools on equitable processes to school and district professionals, families, and students so that all students with disabilities have meaningful access to the curriculum frameworks and life of the school. The new IEP format makes the family and student voice more prominent, terminology more accessible to students and families, and transition planning more integrated.

The IEP begins with Student and Parent Concerns and Student and Team Vision (for students ages 3-13). Input from younger students will be gathered outside the IEP meeting, with assistance from staff customized for the student communication needs. For students ages 14-22, post-graduate goals are included on this first page as well. Disability categories are now listed on the IEP rather than being included in the narrative. A new section was added for information for English Learners and students requiring assistive technology.

There are significant changes to the Present Levels of Educational Performance (PLEP) sections, expanded into four sections for Academics, Behavioral/Social/Emotional, Communication, and Additional Areas (activities of daily living, health, hearing, motor, sensor, and vision). These sections are intended to be collaborative and any member of the team can contribute to these pages.

For Transition Planning documentation, the process has shifted to incorporate the student’s vision as the starting point for the development of the plan. A new section outlines the planned course of study to meet the completion document (diploma or certificate of attainment). Additional information is gathered about community members or agencies working with the student, notification that student rights transfer to them when they turn 18, decision-making options for students, and agency referrals for transition to adult services.

Student accommodations (presentation of instruction, means of response, timing and/or scheduling, setting and/or environment) and modifications (adjustments to content, instruction, student output) are documented in more detail than in the previous IEP format. Student needs for state and/or districtwide assessments, alternative assessments, and any accommodations are also documented. Measurable Annual Goals will be created for each student, with baseline data documented, the criteria and method for determining if the goal has been met, and the schedule for progress monitoring. Participation in the General Education setting, Service Delivery, Transportation services, schedule modification, and extended school year programming and transportation are all documented. The final page documents, acceptance or full/partial rejection, and subsequent meetings to review the IEP.

Ms. Graham said the Special Education staff are working with Dan Pacho from IT to customize the new IEP form for Quincy Public Schools in Aspen. Use of the new form will begin for all staff in September 2024, the first year of full implementation statewide. New Pre-Kindergarten students will begin their QPS educational journey this spring with this new IEP format.

Mrs. Hubley asked for clarification about the student’s voice, Ms. Graham said this will be an opportunity for students to express their goals and feel supported.

Mrs. Lebo asked for clarification, Ms. Graham said the new format will be implemented as students come up for re-evaluation or IEP renewals. Ms. Graham said that IT will pre-populate the new format IEP with data from the existing IEP for each student.

Mr. Bregoli asked how the length of the new document compares to the previous format and is concerned about the amount of time this will take to initiate. Ms. Graham said that there will be a transition to the new format and initially it will be a longer process for staff members as they get used to the level of detail and the re-ordering of information. Most of the information is in the current IEP format, but in different locations.

Mrs. Cahill said the IEP format looks like it makes sense for students and families; Ms. Graham agrees that the emphasis on student and parent voice is an important update. The transition planning should be driving the goal-setting for older students; considerations for students also being English Learners is an important change.

Mr. Gutro asked for clarification, this will impact all students on IEPs (close to 2000 students) over the course of the 2024-25 school year. Ms. Graham said there will be a Parent Academy this spring, the SEPAC is also doing information sessions. There will likely be additional parent outreach in the fall. Ms. Leary has created a roadmap of the new IEP vs the old format, Aspen will have help functions with clickable resources.

Mrs. Lebo asked about psychological evaluations and testing, that data will be included on the PLEP pages.

Mrs. Perdios asked about supporting the transition, will the staff be able to manage the workload. Ms. Graham said the training has been ongoing through the year, the Special Education Department has also applied for a DESE grant for additional training.

Mrs. Perdios suggested recording the Parent Academy, the link could be shared with parents prior to their IEP meeting.

Mrs. Hubley made a motion to adjourn at 6:45 pm, seconded by Mrs. Lebo. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Agenda

Quincy School Committee
Policy Subcommittee

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Coddington Building, School Committee Room

Mr. Doug Gutro, Chair
Mrs. Tina Cahill & Mrs. Emily Lebo, Subcommittee Members

1. School Year Calendar Survey Results - Superintendent Mulvey

2. Draft 2024-2025 School Year Calendar - Superintendent Mulvey

Members of the public can access the meeting in person or live on QATV Channel 22 or at qatv.org. The meeting will also be recorded for rebroadcast and posted on Friday, March 15, 2024 on the QPS YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@QuincyPS.

Minutes

Quincy School Committee Policy Subcommittee Meeting

A meeting of the Policy Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 6:30 pm in the Coddington Building. Present were Subcommittee members Mrs. Tina Cahill, Mrs. Emily Lebo, and Mr. Doug Gutro, Policy Subcommittee Chair. Also present were School Committee Members Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, and Mrs. Courtney Perdios; Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Ms. Kim Connolly, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Ms. Julie Graham, Mr. Michael Marani, Ms. Maura Papile, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Lawrence Taglieri; former School Committee Member Mr. Frank Santoro, and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Superintendent Mulvey shared the results of the QPS School Year Calendar survey, which was shared with staff, parents, and students in Grades 8-12 and LEAP. The parent survey was translated into Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Spanish, as were the emails sent out sharing the survey link. The survey was open from February 14 to March 4, 2024.

1,249 Parents responded, representing 2,017 students currently enrolled in QPS, or just under 20% of the student population. (Parents selected all the grades they have students enrolled in.) The majority of parents disagreed or strongly disagreed with beginning the school year prior to Labor Day (62%) or collapsing the February and April vacation weeks into a single week in March (56%). For the questions on adding observed holidays for Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, Diwali, and Eid Al-Fitr (I’eed Al- Fitter), most respondents were neutral or did not agree with adding the additional days. For Lunar New Year, 43% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, 26% were neutral, and 31% disagreed or strongly disagreed. For removing Good Friday, there was a similar split of 41% agreed or strongly agreed, 21% neutral, and 38% disagreed or strongly disagreed. 42% of parents responding agreed or strongly agreed that there should be no change to the calendar structure; 28% were neutral; and 30% disagreed or strongly disagreed

695 staff members (38.6%) responded to the survey. More than 50% of the staff disagree or strongly disagree with starting the school year before Labor Day and adding observed holidays for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Diwali, and Eid Al-Fitr. 81% disagree or strongly disagree with changing the February & April vacation weeks to a single week in March. For Lunar New Year, the response was similar to parents with 42% agreeing or strongly agreeing, 21% were neutral, and 37% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing. For removing Good Friday, 34% of staff responding agree or strongly agree, 22% neutral, and 44% disagree or strongly disagree. 53% of staff responding agree or strongly agree there should be no change to the calendar structure, 22% are neutral, and 25% disagree or strongly disagree.

For students, 317 of 3836 students in Grades 8-12 and LEAP responded to the survey (less than 10%), which was sent to their QPS email address. The majority of students responded that they agree or strongly agree with adding all of the observed holiday options. The majority also disagree or strongly disagree with starting school before Labor Day, removing Good Friday as an observed holiday, or changing the February and April vacation weeks to one week in March. The students were split over keeping the current calendar structure with 25% agreeing or strongly agreeing; 32% neutral; and 44% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.

Mrs. Cahill asked and received confirmation that both parents in the same family could have completed the survey.

Mrs. Cahill asked about the affect for employee contracts for adding Lunar New Year as a holiday. Superintendent Mulvey said this would likely be requested as a paid holiday for 52-week employees, possibly also school year staff such as paraprofessionals and clerical. Mr. Mullaney will follow up with cost impact of adding the additional holiday.

Mrs. Lebo asked what percentage of students at NQHS identify as Asian, 54.2% which includes students from India, Pakistan, and other countries that do not celebrate Lunar New Year.

Mrs. Hubley asked for a breakdown of elementary and middle school student attendance data for February 9 with information about the number of students who cited Cultural Holiday as the excuse for absence.

Superintendent Mulvey then presented the two options for the 2024-2025 QPS School Year Calendar Option A has no change to school year calendar structure and Option B adds an observation of Lunar New Year on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 as a No School Day, which would move the end of the school year out by one day.

Mrs. Cahill made a motion to accept the Option A 2024-2025 QPS School Year Calendar.

On the motion, Mrs. Cahill noted that the excused absence is available for students who observe the holiday.

Mrs. Lebo agrees, the majority of people answering the survey don’t want to see the calendar format changed.

Mrs. Perdios supports Option B, adding the observation of Lunar New Year is an important issue for families. On the survey, Mrs. Perdios said she heard from parents who selected the neutral option because the specific holiday doesn’t impact them directly, but they may have wanted to be supportive of families who do.

Mrs. Hubley supports the Option A calendar, noting that most staff members do not want the calendar format to be changed.

Mrs. Hubley asked for clarification to be added to the calendar that every weather-related closure must be made up. Mrs. Perdios agreed that there is confusion among parents about this issue.

Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion.

Mr. Gutro asked for clarification on the process for approval process for the calendar. The 2024-2025 QPS School Year Calendar will appear on the March 20 School Committee Meeting agenda under Old Business for discussion and will be eligible for vote at the April 10 School Committee Meeting.

On the motion, Mr. Gutro would like to see the City consider making Lunar New Year an observed holiday so there could be consistency.

Mrs. Perdios asked how the removal of the Good Friday holiday was done on the City side. Mr. Mulvey said City contracted staff received an additional personal day, this was negotiated during contact bargaining. All QPS contracts would need to be similarly impact bargained if that change were to be considered to the school year calendar.

On a roll call vote of the Policy Subcommittee, the ayes have it 3-0.

Mrs. Cahill made a motion to adjourn at 7:15 pm, seconded by Mrs. Lebo. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.