The Marion School Committee learned on September 5 that data collected by surveys submitted by parents and teachers will result in some changes to the new standards-based report cards implemented last year at Sippican School.
Last year, the report card was reformatted, replacing the old “A,B,C,D,F” letter grading with a new system that emphasizes specific skills in each subject at each grade level, presenting them as benchmarks towards success. After it was piloted, parents and teachers of grades 1-6 presented feedback on how the district might enhance or improve the way the report card is designed, said Dr. Elise Frangos, assistant superintendent.
“Anything that’s great always needs to be modified, revised, looked at, examined, to make it better,” said Frangos. With the data that was collected, Frangos said the original team that devised the new report card reconvened in July to review the survey results and consider the roughly 200 suggested modifications.
“The way that it could be better would be to condense the language of some of the standards, sharpen the language, make them more parent-friendly, and also streamline the data entry,” said Frangos.
One resounding response, Frangos said, “We don’t want to go back to the ‘A,B,C,D,F’ because the omnibus grade doesn’t really tell me much about my child.”
As the group works to improve the report card in time for issuance at the end of the first trimester, Frangos said parents should expect the report card to be revised, … “and hopefully very pleasing to those who are the users of it, as well as the parent consumers of it.”
According to Frangos, the junior high has also been studying the benefits of a standards-based report card and is considering adopting a similar report card. Some parents have expressed a concern pertaining to how eliminating letter grades might affect private school applications and whether their child would have optimal admissions results. Having spoken with some headmasters, Frangos stated, “All of them feel that … you actually learn far more about a child’s capacities and strengths through the standards-based report card.”
Frangos said the school administration would soon schedule a parent outreach session in the junior high school auditorium that will be video recorded and televised for parents who cannot attend.
“I really compliment the team,” said School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini, pointing out that the new report card development was a huge project that remains an ongoing effort. “We’re still evolving it and we’re still making it better.”
In other matters, the source of poor air quality in an area of Sippican School was identified after a recent air quality test detected elevated levels of fungi in the air.
Business Administrator Patrick Spencer said every year in all tri-Town schools, the administration conducts these air quality tests before the start of the school year that include visual inspections and samples from the entire building that are sent to an analytical lab for study.
One area, science lab 133, had a “slightly elevated level” in what Spencer said was a “raw fungi count.” According to Spencer, the air outside the school tested at 350, while inside the science lab tested at 630, but the EPA guidelines require mitigation efforts when interior air tests at levels above 100.
“We went into the room, used fungicide, did some cleaning … and under further inspection we discovered some dirt and plant material that was stored there so we collected that, … removed it, and disposed of it,” Spencer said.
A recent test of that room yielded a count of just 80, below the EPA threshold.
Marcolini thanked the administration for the attention given to the air quality at the schools.
“Obviously the air quality and the conditions at Sippican is something that’s important to all of us,” said Marcolini. “Our children are here and we care about the staff, so we appreciate that that’s something that you continue to be on top of and to ensure that anything that does pop up with that particular test is remediated and addressed.
Also during the meeting, the committee approved the 25-cent school lunch price increase that is proposed across all Tri-Town school districts. The Rochester School Committee approved its district’s price increase last week to take effect January 1, 2018, and Marion will follow suit with the same date. This is the first school lunch price increase in four years, and Business Administrator Patrick Spencer does not anticipate another price hike for another four years. The USDA sets a minimum lunch cost for school districts to follow, which is currently $2.82. All elementary school districts are anticipated to adopt the increase, bringing the cost from $2.75 to $3 for elementary schools, and from $3 to $3.50 in the Old Rochester Regional school district.
The next meeting of the Marion School Committee will be October 17 at 6:30 pm at Sippican School.
Marion School Committee
By Jean Perry