A district administrator presented a midyear update on Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School’s strategic plan and SMARTIE goals at the Jan. 8 school committee meeting, reporting progress on professional development, student supports, and career-technical partnerships.

The presenter said none of the initiatives are marked complete yet but that work is underway. “You won't see any green tonight because none of the objectives and or initiatives that are currently underway are completed,” the district administrator said, explaining color codes used in the update.

Key progress items and timelines included:

- Professional development and accommodation matrices: An accommodation-matrix training launched Nov. 5 and has been rolled out to departments; the presenter marked this initiative blue (in progress) and said district staff expect full implementation by June 2025 or by early professional-development days in August for late hires.

- Inclusive instruction and DEI-aligned professional development: Sessions on culturally responsive teaching and simulated experiences for teachers launched Nov. 5 and remain on track for completion by June 2025, supported by SMEC and the Equitable Access Grant.

- MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports): A 12-member team has been formed to develop MTSS principles; rollout to full staff is planned for April or May with completion by June 2025.

- "Bare block" (30-minute in-school support block): The district is piloting a plan to move targeted student support from after school (2:30–3 p.m.) into a 30-minute block during the school day to accommodate students with athletics, transportation or family obligations. The presenter said full schedule changes are not planned for next school year; the earliest district-level schedule implementation would be Sept. 2026.

- Data systems and absenteeism: The district has implemented an advanced data-analytics system to monitor student progress and chronic absenteeism. The presenter reported chronic absenteeism at 7.7% at the time of the update (7.7% vs. 8.1% previously referenced) and said the district’s goal is a 5% reduction.

- CTE cooperative education growth: Cooperative education placements are up about 7% year-over-year; the presenter said the district had more than 330 students in cooperative placements last year and added roughly 60 new employer partners since 2022 (about 20 this year).

Other items included launch of Trello for district project-management, ThoughtExchange surveys to expand stakeholder feedback, and plans to expand industry-recognized credential mastery by program (target: 10% increase for specified credential strands by June 2025).

Committee members asked about Title I/ESSA funding for parent engagement, schedule impacts for students with athletics or bus obligations, and state guidance on MCAS-related scheduling changes; the presenter said the department of education guidance is pending and the district will remain methodical about schedule changes.

Provenance: Strategic plan update appears in the meeting transcript from the district presentation beginning at the midyear-update slide and continues through committee Q&A about schedule, Title I/ESSA and MCAS implications.