[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6493401,"mediaKeyId","5590348-dc67ca79037acac50243226f299f3cba","parentId",5590348,"title","Principals report MCAS, literacy and social-emotional learning gains; Chromebooks seen as key tool","audioSeconds",1531,"startMs",500000,"endMs",2031000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5590348-dc67ca79037acac50243226f299f3cba&start=500&end=2031","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5590348-dc67ca79037acac50243226f299f3cba/thumbnail_500000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6493401/Massachusetts/Principals-report-MCAS-literacy-and-social-emotional-learning-gains-Chromebooks-seen-as-key-tool","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493401-9d0320de2baea44c288c4c19f8575f87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164100&Signature=Zy37fqp8oUnykejab14rLepN9jcFOz2URjDH42FnL0OCSsehN1RSF11DsKxKpJXSok5uMfuoMqecLKDHyyRZvBBnMttNLhNHlwBQa3n4s~HqdKfg0wPlr4WcfAZ2eYyjmrmUan6DllXsErauaG6JNaWcrxIGpwEM5rr-p1OKRrm-uRW9lgGw2zaet6ToIOSI0mWTjtFfSEgRAgswJ54cxkAnAc8OKgkHCzWEhMFMGtKHgJ7VJFTZxZbwX0HyZMLI6kpb1hHbP9AlZbA7jeK93wAhHPIS-NJHe3j-EaGhDXZQQpZ7CI444PAYSt6QvsMRuB-ucYHkZt7Gt3MhOIDiEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lakeville","date","2025-08-15T15:03:27Z","article","Principals from the district’s five schools told the Lakeville-Freetown Regional School Committee on April 1 that school-improvement steps this year concentrated on social-emotional learning, literacy and MCAS preparation, and that expanded Chromebook access is being used daily to prepare students for computer-based assessments.

Middle School Principal Dave Potoda described a social-emotional learning unit for sixth graders that included an anonymous self-awareness survey and collaborative instruction by teachers, guidance staff and administrators. \"The unit was absolutely awesome,\" Potoda said, adding that staff plan to sustain and deepen social-emotional learning in coming years.

Potoda and other principals said the district has prioritized writing across the curriculum and schoolwide rubrics to create common expectations for student writing. He also praised a teacher professional-development initiative, the Teaching and Learning Alliance, which has provided demonstration lessons and workshops for ELA teachers.

Dr. Elizabeth Sullivan, on behalf of the intermediate school, said reading comprehension emerged as a primary area of concern in MCAS comparisons with state data. Sullivan described intensive work with literacy frameworks, data-team meetings and targeted goals for all students; she reported that 94 percent of students had already met a benchmark growth target in mid-year internal assessments and that staff will refine grade-level assessments to better mirror MCAS rigor.

Elementary principals Mike Ward and Daphne Penolf reported gains on benchmark assessments in grades 1–3. Ward said Freetown Elementary saw a 12-percentage-point gain from fall to winter for grade 1 students on the benchmark assessment, while Assawamset Elementary saw a 14-point gain for its grade 1 cohort. Both principals credited guided-reading professional development and newly purchased leveled reading libraries.

At the high school, assistant principal Caitlin Dessert said the school has adopted schoolwide rubrics aligned to four learning expectations — reading, writing, problem solving and collaboration — and that the district will continue classroom-level observations and targeted tutoring for MCAS subjects. Dessert said the high school operates an after-school testing and tutoring center (\"TNT lab\") staffed by paraprofessionals and peer tutors, and that the high school offers teacher-led after-school MCAS tutoring for targeted students.

Multiple principals and central-office staff praised the Chromebooks and cart deployments, saying they were now integral to classroom practice and MCAS preparation. \"We just can't thank you enough for the additional Chromebook carts we got this year,\" Potoda told the committee, noting teachers were seeking more daily access for students.

Principals also described outreach to families through parent nights that focused on literacy, math and STEM topics. The intermediate school reported a well-attended parent night; principals said they planned a daytime session to reach parents unable to attend evening events.

School leaders answered committee questions about how MCAS tutoring is scheduled (after school, led by content teachers, usually weekly through testing), how long tutoring runs (through the testing window), and how the district identifies students for biology support at the high school.

The committee thanked principals for the reports and asked staff to include these updates in the April 25 packet for further review and public distribution.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Freetown-Lakeville School Committee, 4/4/18 ARCHIVE","oneSentenceSummary","Middle, intermediate, elementary and high school leaders presented school-improvement updates highlighting social-emotional learning units, literacy frameworks, mock MCAS tests, parent engagement nights and increased Chromebook usage to support testing and instruction.","taxTitle","Town of Lakeville, Plymouth County, Massachusetts","taxId",58187,"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},6493406,"Lakeville-Freetown panel adopts $38.4 million FY2019 budget, includes $250,000 special-education stabilization allocation",4321,3689000,8010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5590348-dc67ca79037acac50243226f299f3cba&start=3689&end=8010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5590348-dc67ca79037acac50243226f299f3cba/thumbnail_3689000.jpg","/articles/6493406/Massachusetts/Lakeville-Freetown-panel-adopts-384-million-FY2019-budget-includes-250000-special-education-stabilization-allocation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493406-eb4555d4a2b8cc943c018f02b83d588e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164100&Signature=MONpJSJ3ev4f8-KOofIteGm4SCsiIscZHyU3JahVhzBgDz1PWwrTMGltU2uGa4uGDb6NqcYx0UgOe8gHzzO03xe9VSb-CWj7qJI5Fxu9kUpAOhzgxhHa7Ypz25igI~ef9WdxBYSQQXPQGbKb~h9SXzKTTidD9tn3m4qp37QL40j50ePav8D1-9SQ-3F4hkBqyGgkIop86Y2mcFbW2EjJxU8wSeNvF2WoNag~z9wncaoaacuGWFJNQrL3iR~Am2padGFlOZN8g4R60FQsfmlgdm-wBar1OmGlrRY4p83LoAqdzMNveZAzW6wM40dNUIjS~c5iVbT1XSFaWOtmLXRwfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lakeville-Freetown Regional School Committee voted to adopt a $38,398,474 fiscal 2019 operating budget on April 1, approving a plan that includes a $250,000 allocation for a special-education stabilization fund and the committee-led proposal to add $375,000 in school-choice revenue to the operating budget to help rebuild year-end reserves.

Superintendent Rick Medeiros presented the budget and framed it as a reflection of the district's priorities. \"A budget's a reflection of our priorities,\" Medeiros said during the district's public hearing, noting the presentation responded to previously raised concerns while adding a stabilization measure aimed at the district's volatile special-education costs.

The budget as approved represents a 2.61 percent increase in total spending over FY2018; committee members noted that, if the committee's motion to shift school-choice revenue into the operating budget is included, the effective spending increase rises to about 3.55 percent. The package approved by the committee explicitly earmarks $250,000 as a special-education stabilization appropriation, included in the assessment figures provided to the two member towns.

Board member Derek Rasha proposed the committee use school-choice revenue to help rebuild the district's excess and deficiency balance (E&D) and to fund the budget's additional needs. \"My proposal is that we reduce school choice funding that is being used as an offset to the towns,\" Rasha said, arguing the move would return the district toward longer-term fiscal stability after several years of drawing heavily on E&D for unanticipated special-education costs.

Other board members pressed for a clear plan to take the proposal to the two towns and make the case to taxpayers. Several members said they would support the move if the committee committed to an outreach and education effort before the towns’ warrants are finalized. \"If we're going to do this, we need to get out there and educate people,\" one member said during debate, noting the June town meetings for both Lakeville and Freetown fall on the same date and will determine final town support.

The committee also built modest revenue projections into the budget — including a projected $375,000 from increased school-choice participation — and kept most staffing levels flat. Medeiros told the committee that special-education tuitions remain the most volatile line item and that the stabilization fund is intended to blunt that volatility.

After extended discussion, the committee took two votes on the budget: an initial procedural vote on the non-salary portion proposed by Rasha (motion passed), followed by a full vote on the complete FY2019 operating budget. The full budget motion passed; the committee clerk confirmed the measure met the applicable supermajority threshold during the voice vote and the chair declared the budget approved. The approved total spending figure remains $38,398,474 and is presented to the towns as the committee-approved FY2019 operating request.

Superintendent Medeiros said he will revise the public presentation slides and distribute the updated figures to the public and to town officials so officials and residents can review the exact assessment numbers ahead of town meetings.

The committee did not finalize the mechanics of how towns would fund the $250,000 stabilization allocation; members noted that towns may choose among standard local finance tools (free cash, stabilization or raising and appropriating funds) to provide the appropriation if they approve the committee's proposed articles. Medeiros and the finance director said they will meet with the boards of selectmen and finance committees in both towns to explain the budget and the stabilization proposal before the June votes.

The committee directed staff to provide more detailed breakdowns on special-education enrollments and cost drivers at the next meeting so the public and board members can better evaluate the stabilization proposal and the long-range plan for rebuilding E&D.","After a two-hour public hearing and debate over use of school-choice revenue, the Lakeville-Freetown Regional School Committee approved a $38,398,474 FY2019 budget that includes a $250,000 special-education stabilization allocation and a proposal to reallocate $375,000 in school-choice revenue to operational spending to rebuild reserves.","actionData","errors"]

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Principals report MCAS, literacy and social-emotional learning gains; Chromebooks seen as key tool

Lakeville-Freetown panel adopts $38.4 million FY2019 budget, includes $250,000 special-education stabilization allocation