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District outlines professional development, math rollout; committee presses for benchmarks and supports
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Lynch and math leaders described the district’s professional development plans, new math curriculum (Envision for grades 6–12), and benchmark data; committee members pressed for clearer midyear checks, evaluation of benchmarking tools and supports for students during curriculum change.
District leaders used the Jan. 13 meeting to present the annual professional development update and a K–12 math status report, describing current programs, benchmark data and next steps for coaching and curriculum implementation.
Assistant Superintendent Lynch reviewed the district’s professional development approach and calendar, including recent PD days (Nov. 5) and upcoming sessions. Lynch said the district is assembling a "multi‑year professional development plan" tied to strategic goals and noted the district’s "blue book" budget narrative and other outreach intended to keep the public informed during budget season.
Math department leaders presented data and described the district’s curricular choices: Eureka Math and ST Math at the elementary level and Envision (publisher Sabas) for grades 6–12. "Eureka is our core program and ST Math is our supplemental program," Heather Allen, elementary curriculum coordinator, said. Newer 6–12 work uses IXL for benchmarking and Envision for year‑one implementation.
Speakers cited early benchmark findings. Allen said, based on beginning‑of‑year screens, that about 85% of students in kindergarten and grade 1 "met or exceeded" the universal screener for number sense. For grades 3–5, the STAR predictive data showed "29% of students in grades 3 to 5 are predicted to exceed expectations on MCAS," while "34 students are predicted to not meet expectations on the state benchmark as predicted by STAR," Allen said. Leaders emphasized that STAR predictions are used to identify students for tiered interventions and that progress‑monitoring cycles (six‑week cycles in elementary) guide adjustments.
Tara Sarbanak, the new 6–12 math department chair, and district math specialists described implementation steps for Envision, including a phased rollout, teacher training on Nov. 5, ongoing supports, and an upcoming vendor PD session. Staff said one semester within the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) principles course will be robotics‑heavy, preserving robotics content within a new PLTW framework.
Committee members pushed for clearer benchmarking and progress reporting at the secondary level and more visible connections between curriculum purchases and in‑district PD. One member noted parents' concerns that students can be affected while a district implements new curriculum and asked what immediate supports are available for students in progress. District leaders said they will continue to refine benchmark schedules, expand mentoring and coaching, and work on communication with families. Assistant Superintendent Lynch said the PD committee will review the draft school calendar and budget items related to professional development and report back to the committee.
The presentation concluded without a committee vote; staff described next steps including drafting a multi‑year PD plan, clarifying benchmark timelines and publishing family reports after midyear screens.
