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Revere High outlines career concentrations, year‑long capstone and standards‑based gradebook
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Summary
Revere High presented plans for elective career concentrations (start in grade 10), a senior capstone experience, internship components and rollout of a standards‑based gradebook in PowerSchool; administrators also proposed a lead‑teacher structure while flagging budget pressure and coach positions under review.
Revere High School leaders told the Revere School Committee on March 17 that next school year the high school will expand career concentrations, introduce a senior capstone experience and implement a standards‑based gradebook designed to make learning targets transparent for students and families.
Principal Bowen (introduced by Superintendent Dr. Kelly) and Deputy Principal Shay St. Laurent described a model in which students opt into a four‑course concentration and conclude with a senior capstone, an internship or work‑study and a showcase. "We're capping those four courses off with a senior capstone experience," St. Laurent said, describing a year‑long, interdisciplinary project that ends with a TED‑talk style presentation and community poster session.
St. Laurent said the district launched a robotics and engineering concentration this year with about 30 students, will add hospitality, business and entrepreneurship next year and plans marine science, biomedical and other concentrations in 2028–29. The school has applied to start an RHS DECA chapter and will introduce an AP Business course, she said.
Administrators also outlined a standards‑based gradebook being built in PowerSchool that will keep conventional transcript letter grades while providing a standards‑aligned view for teachers, students and families. "You can toggle to the side that says, okay, but what are they actually learning?" a presenter said, adding that the system will show which learning outcomes are contributing to a student's grade and where to focus interventions. Faculty and family training are planned this spring and summer.
As part of implementation planning administrators proposed a teacher lead model to provide departmental leadership; Superintendent Dr. Kelly and school leaders said the proposal is still in design, will require negotiation with the teachers' union, and is intended to be cost‑neutral or cost‑sensitive. Dr. Kelly warned of a significant district budget gap and said the district is considering options, including reconfiguring some coaching positions. "We started by looking at, due to our decreased enrollment, where are there some places that we can capture certain teaching positions without really harming other kids," she said.
Committee members asked about entry points, selectivity, teacher buy‑in and how coaching and lead‑teacher duties would be balanced. Administrators said students may start concentrations in grade 10, there is no cap or selective criteria planned at this preliminary stage, and the district hopes to keep both coaching and lead‑teacher supports where possible.
Next steps include faculty design work for the capstone, community presentations next year, and continued planning around the lead‑teacher model and budget assumptions.
