Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education School Handbooks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bartlett High adopts updated student handbook and improvement plan; attendance and grading changes approved
Summary
Bartlett High’s updated student handbook and program changes were approved June 22 by the Webster School Committee, including a revised tardy/attendance progression that adds social probation, Saturday-school credit recovery (up to 75% credit), a 60/40 summative/formative grading split, and a school improvement plan targeting attendance, graduation and school climate improvements.
Bartlett High School’s updated student handbook, program of studies and one‑year improvement plan were approved by the Webster School Committee on June 22.
Presenter Miss Davis walked the committee through the handbook updates, which include housekeeping edits, addition of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council, and a change in how make‑up work is handled: "if the student's truant and they attend the next Saturday school, they can make up that work for up to 75% credit back on the assignments that they had missed," she said. The handbook also replaces detailed daily schedules with links on the school website.
The committee approved a new approach for tardies and truancies that emphasizes progressive interventions. Miss Davis described the approach that had been piloted this year: the district will continue Saturday school for credit recovery but add a social‑probation progression for repeated tardies (measured in calendar days). She said the goal is to reduce misuse of Saturday schools as punitive sessions while preserving them as credit recovery opportunities.
On grading and assessment, Bartlett shifts the weighting to 60% summatives and 40% formatives, with homework contributing 10% of the formative portion. Miss Davis said the changes are intended to make grading fairer and to create in‑house protocols so teachers grade and record work consistently.
The committee also approved two other school items Miss Davis presented: an updated program of studies (adding weekly advisory and two state‑designated early‑college classes) and Bartlett’s school improvement plan. The improvement plan sets measurable targets aligned to district priorities, including increasing regular attendance (from 89% toward 93%), reducing chronic absenteeism (from 37% toward 34%), raising graduation rates (targeting 84% or higher), and cutting behavioral incidents and suspensions by 10% through reinforced reintegration processes and monthly data audits.
Committee members praised the collaborative drafting and asked for clear timelines and monitoring protocols; Miss Davis said detailed protocols and monitoring will be developed over the summer to support implementation.
Votes: the motions to approve the Bartlett handbook, program of studies and the improvement plan all passed by roll call (members voting Yes as recorded). The superintendent and school leader will follow up with implementation timelines and the committee asked to see progress measures in future reports.
