[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6288506,"mediaKeyId","2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed","parentId",2538474,"title","Votes at a glance: Subcommittee forwards program of studies, competency determination and policy edits to full committee","audioSeconds",1438,"startMs",3098000,"endMs",4536000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed&start=3098&end=4536","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed/thumbnail_3098000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6288506/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Subcommittee-forwards-program-of-studies-competency-determination-and-policy-edits-to-full-committee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288506-fc41b0b1a13ff05c095206b113759b3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037075&Signature=CarLzAqm6~kYCatxpyJYSJVfc1JOMYC2MRNdIe4kw2-fYFarDY4TIFj~81ej5wo8P68riVzk25dcccbnYh0PUQ4a96Iy~a4q2GlDZHeuUXrd3L7LcU9zlwZRipqtx2q5KUzDKf6h9C6i7bdnkuxYYt3BNnJ5v1GQH81pr-gXEPjQMm~lKgSzZmTBlA9EfnpuE8M1HxltZ5vM5Ea5vy183XnmQP-9fg0WHrZvfJ6P8IqReMIOkzgi-SLNnG~InaSqXg2ILcxyjw2MZACG8QMJq8n96RMCGO-6Gas-wJy56E5GD6o4Dd0DSXNSSAVFxSqYTHokQLXP4Oi7TJgPzI2Kgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Framingham Public Schools, MA","date","2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","article","At its Jan. 14 meeting the Curriculum Subcommittee recorded several formal actions and roll‑call votes: approval to forward the Framingham High program of studies update, approval to forward the district competency determination, and approval to send multiple edited policies (including wellness and student conduct policies) to the full school committee for first reading. The subcommittee also approved minutes from Aug. 27, 2024.

Outcomes and vote details:

- Program of studies update: motion to approve and recommend to full committee — Roll call: District 1 yes; District 3 yes; District 5 yes. Outcome: approved and to be forwarded to full committee.

- Competency determination: motion to approve and recommend to full committee — Roll call: District 1 yes; District 3 yes; District 5 yes. Outcome: approved and to be forwarded to full committee.

- Policy package (selected items forwarded for first read): tobacco and marijuana use on school premises; wellness policy; vandalism; student conduct on school buses; implementation procedures for bus policy; students' rights and responsibilities; prohibition of hazing; co‑curricular and extracurricular activities; inclusive sports participation; student dress code; dangerous weapons in schools; restraints of students. Motion to approve edits and forward for first reading — Roll call: District 1 yes; District 3 yes; District 5 yes. Outcome: forwarded to full committee for first reading.

- Approval of minutes (08/27/2024): Motion passed — Roll call: District 1 yes; District 3 yes; District 5 yes.

Notes: Motions and seconds were made during the meeting but specific mover/second names were not captured in the transcript; roll call voting records were read aloud and recorded as above.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Framingham School Committee Teaching and Learning Subcommittee (January 13th at 4:30 pm)","oneSentenceSummary","The Curriculum Subcommittee approved forwarding the Framingham High program of studies, the district competency determination, and a set of revised policies to the full school committee; roll‑call votes were unanimous among attending district members.","taxTitle","Framingham Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",64399,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6288510,"Framingham reports roughly one in four students chronically absent; district targets kindergarten and early grades",580,3458000,4038000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed&start=3458&end=4038","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed/thumbnail_3458000.jpg","/articles/6288510/Massachusetts/Framingham-reports-roughly-one-in-four-students-chronically-absent-district-targets-kindergarten-and-early-grades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288510-5916be4fd622f21d07909679ef9306da/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037075&Signature=dRZYxgsMJ7IDYBVVQMHUnCow0ewtbZrjYOSqrzrWw1f0rCTQCETnsSR~c2tDzyyW3C-2vKdVIouv4MOHMGfGMPnh5v2~jaE0HuU7A82RMZUF3LpMU-t1ipkbs5EbpvyitAi~wb9Zb6nwNYLjMx5tgBaaL4Wb0cKNJnYWypvLJPE60GGFARyg7jVAd9OqgTiUBOkBrW8srJx4PYUtuChuPSeNLhV4tNOveFdCbv7SqgUzkhgftQPt~1EmgpT57s7IWooP3cidqqT-L5~qyOgBhQ-bfUc7fgj5BSzaXeFRIP9iVDSFSQbBxPSEzXRBgmwE2cAhSS890e728~4HfDWd-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Framingham Public Schools staff told the Curriculum Subcommittee on Jan. 14 that the district’s year‑to‑date chronic absenteeism rate averages about 26 percent and that kindergarten attendance significantly affects elementary calculations.

Ms. Polacco, who presented the data, said the dashboard currently shows an elementary December figure near 34 percent when kindergarten is included but drops to about 27.7 percent when kindergarten is removed. \"Our data for this year to date is about level with where we were last year,\" she said, and added the district’s goal is to improve on that trend.

Polacco and other staff described a mix of contributing factors: transportation problems, illness, household responsibilities, lack of access to clean clothing, students serving as caregivers or contributing to household income, and winter‑season travel patterns. \"Sometimes kids just won't come to school because they don't have clean clothing,\" she said as an example of non‑academic barriers the district tracks.

The district has taken several steps this year: reallocating a position from the social‑emotional mental health team to support school attendance teams; hiring a McKinney‑Vento student engagement specialist funded by Title I to work with students who are homeless or in foster care; and standardizing attendance protocols and an attendance 'menu' of interventions at each school. Polacco said each school runs an attendance team—typically a counselor, nurse, social worker, behavioral coach and an administrator—that meets regularly to review data and design interventions. At the high school those teams are organized by houses.

On transportation, staff said Aspen (the student information system) includes a reason code for transportation issues but that it was insufficiently granular. The district is adding more specific transportation categories and will train school secretaries to code reasons more accurately so the administration can track whether absences relate directly to buses being late, cancelled, or unavailable.

Why it matters: chronic absenteeism is strongly linked to achievement; the district’s reported 1‑in‑4 rate signals a sustained challenge and triggered steps to improve data collection and targeted support.

Ending: staff said they will continue to refine data capture, train school teams, and use newly allocated staff to engage families and reduce barriers to attendance.","District staff said the year‑to‑date chronic absenteeism average is about 26%, with kindergarten inflating elementary rates; staff described targeted teams and new roles to address barriers including transportation, health and household needs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6288515,"District outlines winter assessment windows for I‑Ready, Istation and Elefante programs",92,3344000,3436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed&start=3344&end=3436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed/thumbnail_3344000.jpg","/articles/6288515/Massachusetts/District-outlines-winter-assessment-windows-for-IReady-Istation-and-Elefante-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288515-2aab664ca40331afb8b4c0935dbcf985/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037075&Signature=ZRmjrogRSN2sakpjmi4cCY1jz1QyPEfQqvYh2xyHr28nXiafX5wC2k9j-vGopdAHZew-OEDBMXxLoxe43rU3Xek7DfOUQjRQsx-2kJWv7Aot6PjvUDznrgqHEMeN3IedwoURR5xqqlraZIGYps8n-PV4p24na8sJbHdjVODfG7auwHo-U6S9jW8engdzi4y0HyEfn1p3zf4K1FP7fFqFqh~h8ZHbUB7Ztm99JDbiHtpmC2d-Y1R9qt7-rFUhhNTypgMQRREM~~q9f1Ye5tc0OcxTiE6Lpkdf2YuoJrmxVP7SJ0uyHVNk4u~HrPVy1wivsigOWRVbg9yH5rTqZz8uUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Framingham Public Schools staff updated the subcommittee Jan. 14 on the district’s assessment platforms — I‑Ready, Istation and Elefante — and the timing for the winter assessment window.

Doctor O’Brien said every parent will receive fall assessment results during parent‑teacher conferences for kindergarten through fifth grade, with domain‑level detail for literacy and math. The district’s winter screener window opens Jan. 15 and closes Feb. 14; each school may schedule assessments within that window to avoid overlap with other testing windows, administrators said.

Evangelia, who supports language and literacy programs, said students also complete 20 minutes per week on Elefante and Istation and that combining data from these platforms with I‑Ready gives educators a \"more accurate picture of the student's overall literacy and language development across program languages.\" O’Brien and Evangelia emphasized that schools will balance the testing calendar to avoid conflicts and that teachers will present assessment results to families at conferences.

Why it matters: the timeline sets the district’s winter diagnostic schedule and outlines how classroom assessment data will be shared with families; administrators said they are aligning multiple platforms to produce actionable literacy and math information for teachers and families.

Ending: schools will run their local screeners within the Jan. 15–Feb. 14 window and provide fall results to families during conferences; administrators encouraged questions and coordination at the school level.","Framingham staff told the committee the winter screener window runs Jan. 15–Feb. 14, teachers will share fall performance results at upcoming parent conferences, and students use weekly practice time on the platforms to track literacy and math growth.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6288520,"Framingham reports expansion to pre‑K seats; new classroom opened in January",128,3225000,3353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed&start=3225&end=3353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed/thumbnail_3225000.jpg","/articles/6288520/Massachusetts/Framingham-reports-expansion-to-preK-seats-new-classroom-opened-in-January","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288520-eb0da6f8014bb6c28906a96ceeb61cf0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037075&Signature=M3i1zcdOxJTzrfwQu15R10MEy14Auuh418rm9Fxe4aZCLx0bSwl67qCMh0bR7-Zm4GfjObplC7JxTpX85SiuDRnMj3MZfFGBM0gFXormXvCcgvf66PLDwjwi5AR~gEHwAodaf6V403PwfXTMFKtbmACQNdLkzcJxQcqM8ZAk3aNXThSOs3TAUOhly2w4PcnZrzeFnxPOWGCsMetKeAmfeS6xV9SBewLgOBil7~cehFVXiNKFnkYPBbEWzzj6Q3iZe6YaBTNW1Y~r8nmbzXRaX9KBKWg~r7r5i5~rQ6nwLl-FBJ67Nh9sIFZvf4hxbRsX9pfKAD71tyRH0488Z0fZFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Framingham Public Schools staff reported Jan. 14 that the district now has 216 pre‑K seats, up from 62 seats in the 2021–22 school year, and that an additional classroom opened Jan. 6.

The update, delivered by district staff, noted that the new classroom at Blox Juniper Hill is a special education inclusion classroom that serves eight general early learning (PELL) students and seven students with special education needs. Staff announced that the application window for 2025–26 pre‑K enrollment is open and that the district is implementing consistent alphabet recognition tools across its five pre‑K sites as part of literacy alignment.

Beth McNulty joined the pre‑K expansion team as an English language development coach and will progress‑monitor emergent bilingual students, the presentation said. The district said varied schedules and programming options are available for families seeking pre‑K seats.

Why it matters: the district is steadily increasing early‑education capacity and adding supports for emergent bilingual learners and inclusive settings. Applications for 2025–26 were announced during the meeting.","District officials reported growth in pre‑K seats to 216 and opened a new inclusion classroom Jan. 6; application window for 2025–26 seats is open with varied schedules.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6288524,"Framingham High updates program of studies, adopts local competency determination for diplomas",3166,54000,3220000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed&start=54&end=3220","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2538474-09252959ce651b9f5415e6af1eae34ed/thumbnail_54000.jpg","/articles/6288524/Massachusetts/Framingham-High-updates-program-of-studies-adopts-local-competency-determination-for-diplomas","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288524-8ecaaa1911281c1c8c34c47c1c4afb63/orig.mp4?Expires=1771037075&Signature=flsP6P6t9P-rpqvSmhGNGcdBuhex5YLmQPBwchK04~Mq4OId6jYnNVvcGscuTG1hy9u3cbfIBidPMGVnqwfPJUMLq0Z35KqDhszkhDMsE~orzACNe1Y0ZLWmg-e~jnJkv64KZXCEL9EIfm~iQcAvi47WlTCaIxigK1Cf4HFyUNZ93VerFS4gCt28f4I5NIdagbwMnk9d-QSISId86863sPsXRTiRHIltyU30sbE9Z1XQ3sWVSoW6kmk9iHPlfEg-LQv02-9WQYDm~3oJuV598J7JXJDYzxUw4wWTeiANMgUuMcuHzAoi~Urt1lvRkHOjP~crD~lNXb7aI6wsZJnsLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Framingham Public Schools’ Curriculum Subcommittee voted Jan. 14 to approve updates to Framingham High School’s program of studies and to forward to the full committee a new district competency determination that will allow students to earn a high school diploma by completing specified coursework or by meeting MCAS standards earned through the November retest.

The proposal, presented by Mark Oberg, ties the district’s competency determination to either MCAS passing scores (through the November retest) or successful completion of designated courses: English I and II (or equivalent) for ELA; Algebra I and Geometry (or equivalent) for mathematics; and biology, chemistry, physics (or equivalent) for science. \"In order to graduate and earn a high school diploma from Framingham Public Schools, each student must accumulate a total of 22 credits and receive a competency determination,\" Oberg said.

The nut graf: the change responds to state-level shifts that removed MCAS as an automatic and sole competency determiner for graduation for students after this year’s retest; the district’s policy provides a local, coursework‑based path so students who did not meet MCAS thresholds may demonstrate competency through classroom work that aligns to standards.

Most significant program changes presented include: reverting most senior English semester pilots to full‑year offerings while preserving elective choices; expanding ESL content support by tagging content courses and increasing co‑teaching or ESL‑certified staffing; adding modern and intermediate dance and a digital art elective in fine and performing arts; building business‑related pathways inside the mathematics/computer offerings (introduction to business, marketing principles, introduction to finance), as well as a game design and web design elective; adding Portuguese 1 and heritage Portuguese courses in world languages; a yearlong senior capstone for early childhood education students; and a unified foods class within Family and Consumer Sciences to broaden inclusion. Mark Oberg told the committee some senior courses were semesterized as a pilot and \"most of those senior English courses will return to full year courses, but we will be maintaining the choices that were available.\" He said changes aim to preserve rigor while easing scheduling constraints.

Early college changes were presented by Michelle McGann, vice principal and early college liaison, who said the district will continue core early college offerings (cultural anthropology, introduction to sociology, reading literature) and is adding a first‑year seminar, introduction to health careers and introduction to business. McGann said the district had identified recruitment and publicity gaps and has added a full‑time early college counselor to improve outreach and enrollment. \"We noticed a recruitment and publicized issue, already,\" McGann said. She described monthly coordination with the College Planning Collaborative and plans to systematize recruitment in ninth grade and to include families in information sessions.

The presentation included specific counts about students affected by the MCAS transition. Oberg said the class of 2024 had 68 students who did not receive diplomas based solely on MCAS competency; of those, 21 received diplomas over the summer when June MCAS results arrived, and about 47 remain under review. For the current senior class of 2025, he reported 447 of 558 seniors had already met competency via MCAS prior to the November retest; incorporating the coursework pathway would add 28 more students to competency, and four students who had failed all MCAS exams would meet competency under the proposal. Oberg said roughly 58 seniors remain who had not met competency at the time of the presentation and that counselors and vice principals were reviewing how to provide supports in the spring and possibly during summer to help students meet requirements.

Committee action: a motion to approve the updates and recommend the program of studies to the full committee passed on a roll call (District 1: yes; District 3: yes; District 5: yes). A separate motion to approve the competency determination and recommend it to the full committee likewise passed on roll call (District 1: yes; District 3: yes; District 5: yes).

Why it matters: the change gives the district an alternative pathway to confer diplomas to students affected by recent MCAS rule changes and lays out curriculum adjustments aimed at career pathways, inclusion, and improved supports for English learners and early college students. The full school committee will review both items.

Looking forward: the program of studies, including the competency determination language, appears on page 6 of the program document the committee will consider; administrators said they will follow up once final November retest scores are available to refine lists of students needing supports and to identify specific scheduling or summer‑course options.","Framingham Public Schools’ Curriculum Subcommittee approved revisions to Framingham High School’s program of studies and a district competency determination that will let students meet diploma requirements through specified coursework or existing MCAS scores; committee voted to forward both items to the full school committee.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Subcommittee forwards program of studies, competency determination and policy edits to full committee

Framingham reports roughly one in four students chronically absent; district targets kindergarten and early grades

District outlines winter assessment windows for I‑Ready, Istation and Elefante programs

Framingham reports expansion to pre‑K seats; new classroom opened in January

Framingham High updates program of studies, adopts local competency determination for diplomas