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School committee hears Year 2 of strategic plan, emphasizing UDL, student voice and family engagement
Summary
Superintendent Amy McKinstry presented Year 2 of the district strategic plan, focusing on Universal Design for Learning training, student advisory councils to advance 'voice and choice,' and expanded family engagement with EL representation; committee members asked how students and teachers will provide feedback during implementation.
The Northbridge School Committee on Tuesday heard Year 2 of the district's strategic plan, which Superintendent Amy McKinstry said centers on intentional leadership, student voice and family engagement.
McKinstry told the committee that leadership training and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) will be a priority for building leaders and teacher teams. "We did training with the building leaders over the summer in UDL," she said, and the district will continue professional learning and create classroom-visit tools aligned to UDL practices and high-quality instructional materials.
The presentation named three strategic objectives: intentional leadership with UDL-driven practices; voice and choice, including curriculum review teams at each school to ensure materials are accessible; and belonging and connections, with a family advisory council that will include English learner (EL) representation. McKinstry said the district plans more family engagement nights and resource guides in multiple languages to increase participation.
Committee members pressed for clarity on how student perspectives will be tracked. McKinstry said student advisory councils at the middle and high school levels will focus on the district's "portrait of a graduate" and provide regular feedback on whether the district is meeting the qualities students identified. She also told the committee the DESE "Better Together" modules on family engagement will be used by leadership teams.
Student representative Caleb, who spoke earlier in the meeting, welcomed the emphasis on voice and choice and suggested expanding open forums where students and families can raise issues. Committee members asked for access to the UDL modules and regular updates on teacher implementation and student feedback.
The presentation closed with McKinstry saying the aim is a more inclusive, student-centered district and that measurable updates — including a district MCAS performance presentation in October — will follow in subsequent meetings.
