School Committee Meeting Agenda: March 2, 2018

From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee

School Committee - Regular Meeting Date, March 6, 2018

A G E N D A

1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• Regular Meeting, December 19, 2017
• Organization Meeting, January 1, 2018
• Regular Meeting, January 2, 2018
• Roundtable Meeting, District Plan Update, January 23, 2018
• Roundtable Meeting, Level Up Initiative, January 30, 2018
• Special Meeting, Budget Retreat, January 30, 2018
• Regular Meeting, February 6, 2018

4. Reconsiderations: None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:

#18-35, Motion by the Governance Sub-Committee, WHEREAS, the School Committee is interested in continuing to foster a good working relationship with the Cambridge Education Association;
WHEREAS, the School Committee is interested in providing opportunities for the voice of educators through input from the Cambridge Education Association:
NOW THEREFORE, the School Committee amends the Rules of the School Committee as follows:
Section 4.2 of Chapter II of the Rules of the School Committee shall be amended by adding the following sentence to the end of the first paragraph of this section:
In an effort to encourage input from the Cambridge Education Association regarding items on the School Committee agenda, the Cambridge Education Association President may, at the discretion of the Chair of the School Committee, be allowed up to six (6) minutes during the public comment period to address items on the School Committee agenda. and
Section 7 of Chapter I of the Rules of the School Committee shall be amended by adding the following sentence at the end of this section:
The Cambridge Education Association President will be invited by the Governance Subcommittee, on a periodic basis, to provide an update on the work of the Cambridge Education Association at a scheduled Governance Subcommittee meeting.
Further, that the School Committee will review these additions to the Rules of the School Committee after one year of implementation in order to determine whether these amendments should continue in place or be otherwise modified or deleted (first reading).
(Bowman 2-6-18)

6. Awaiting Reports: None

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Presentations: None

7b. Innovation Agenda:

7c. Consent Agenda:

#18-40 Approval of Cambridge Public Schools
SY2018-2019 Academic & School Committee Meeting Calendars

#18-41 Day & Residential Services not Available from the Cambridge School Department

#18-42 Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts

#18-43 Grant Award: Lesley University-Child Homelessness
Initiative (SC18145)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):

#18-44, Joint Motion by Mr. Fantini, Vice-Chair Kelly and Ms. Dexter, that given that one of our goals is to strengthen family partnerships,
AND given the proven effectiveness of “school applications” to communicate with parents, students, and teachers,
THAT the Superintendent, in conjunction with our technology department and legal counsel, provide a review of school communication applications that are being used in some of our schools and others that are being considered that would be made available to our schools and under what circumstances. Attention should be paid to applications that have been used in other districts to increase student attendance.

#18-45, Joint Motion by Vice-Chair Kelly and Mr. Fantini, That the Cambridge Public School District assess the school climate of the four Upper Schools and the Amigos School grades 6 – 8, through the use of an assessment that has validity and reliability. The strategy would be to survey all parents/caregivers about their experience of their child(ren)’s upper school and Amigos grades 6 – 8. Although various teacher and student surveys have been used since the Upper Schools were created in 2011, parents/caregivers have not been surveyed.

“School Climate is a quality and character of school life (that) involves social, emotional, and academic experiences of students, family members/caregivers, and school personnel, which can be summarized as the collective beliefs, values, and attitudes that prevail at School”. (Wang et al. 2014, p. 361) as quoted from National Institute of Justice Creating and Sustaining a Positive and Communal School Climate 2018 p. 8.

#18-46, Joint Motion by Mayor McGovern and Vice-Chair Kelly, that the language “Innovation Agenda” be removed from 7b on the Superintendent’s Agenda and replace the previous language in 7b with “CPS Strategic District Plan”.

#18-47, Motion by Ms. Dexter, that whereas CPS values parent, student, and community engagement and input into its most important resource and policy decisions;

And whereas decisions about the CPS budget are some of the most important and consequential decisions made by the School Committee, affecting every student, family, staff member, and member of the community;

The School Committee requests that the administration publicize widely the upcoming budget presentation, public budget hearing, budget workshops, roundtable, and School Committee vote;

The Committee further requests that publicity materials, in addition to dates, times, and location, include information about: 1) how to access the meetings via cable tv, live-stream, or video-archive; 2) how to access the Proposed Budget document online or in print; 3) childcare at the budget hearing; and 4) how to arrange for a signed or spoken language interpreter;

The Committee also requests that public venues and communication methods will include:
• backpack notices for grades preK-8
• an announcement in CRLS's "Did You Know" newsletter for students
• flyers sent to community centers, houses of worship, and other community organizations
• flyers on school bulletin boards, particularly those in school entry areas
• announcements on CPS's social media platforms
• notices in local newspapers
• robocalls to CPS households (for the Superintendent's presentation and the public hearing)
• emails to all CPS educators, staff, and administrators
• emails to all CPS families
• notification to the City Council
• other publicity and communication methods designed to reach parents, students, community members, and CPS employees

#18-48, Joint Motion by Mr. Kimbrough and Ms. Dexter, whereas CPS has a strategic outcome of creating trusting relationships between students and adults in our schools, which athletic coaches are able to create; and
Whereas CRLS
established, in 2005, a required GPA for athletic eligibility than is higher than the GPA required by MIAA (70 GPA for CRLS vs. 60 for MIAA), and which is the highest required
GPA in the state; and
Whereas at the time the higher threshold for athletic eligibility was created, the coaches of our most academically vulnerable male athletes were also educators at the high school and could closely monitor their students' academic progress, which is no longer the case; and
Whereas the growth in the student population at CRLS and in the number of athletes since 2005 has made it difficult for all coaches to monitor and support the academic performance of student athletes; and
Whereas CRLS does not have GPA requirements for participation in non-athletic extracurricular activities;
Be it resolved that CPS will suspend the current athletic requirements of a 70 GPA and use the MIAA eligibility requirements of a 60 GPA for the remainder of the 2017-2018 academic year; and
Be it further resolved that the CRLS administration and athletic director will present, at the upcoming Roundtable Meeting on Athletics:
1) a new proposal for academic eligibility for student athletes, and 2) recommended changes to the process of monitoring and supporting the academic progress of student-athletes.
(http://www.miaa.net/gen/miaa_generated_bin/documents/basic_module/MIAAHandbook1113.pdf)

#18-49, Joint Motion by Mayor McGovern, Vice-Chair Kelly and Ms. Bowman, WHEREAS: It has been shared recently at School Committee meetings that micro- aggressions exist within our school and community; and
WHEREAS: Micro-aggressions may be the result of individual, unconscious (implicit) biases that perpetuate inequities and disparate educational outcomes as they relate to gender, race, and socioeconomic status; and
WHEREAS: The CPSD district framework cites Equity and Access as a Strategic Objective for its Vision, with a supporting initiative that further provides all CPS educators with cultural proficiency training and implements ongoing professional learning in all schools; and
WHEREAS: The School Committee and CPSD Central Administration are charged with voting on, creating, and leading implementation of the policies and programs aimed at reaching the CPSD Vision; and
WHEREAS: Education on the topics of micro-aggression and implicit bias will promote the ability to understand, recognize, and address these occurrences and their impact; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the School Committee recommends to the Superintendent that the ongoing cultural proficiency and professional development provided for teachers and staff explicitly include training on micro-aggressions and implicit bias; and be it further
ORDERED: That the Mayor and Superintendent will jointly arrange training on micro-aggressions and implicit bias for School Committee Members and CPSD central administration.

#18-50, Joint Motion by Mayor McGovern, Mr. Fantini and Ms. Nolan, Whereas: Cambridge Rindge
and Latin School has an academic eligibility policy for participation in Athletics that states, in part: “If a
student falls below a 70 GPA, (67.5-69.49), he/she will be on Academic Probation, and it is mandatory for
them to attend homework center 3 times a week for 2 weeks. At the end of the two weeks, the Athletic
Director and Principal will review the progress reports to determine if the student-athlete can participate in
interscholastic contests;” and
Whereas: The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School athletic eligibility policy further states: “If a student
has less than a 73 GPA, he/she will be required to attend homework center once a week before going to
practice. The student-athlete will bring a note to their coach from the homework center or teacher;” and
Whereas: CRLS policy guidelines hold students to a tight and greater academic standard than
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) which loosely states: “When utilizing a 4 x 4
block schedule, a student must pass at least two of the four required ‘major’ courses (or equivalent) in
each academic marking period;” and
Whereas: Both CRLS and MIAA standards and guidelines are “designed to ensure that a student is
fully enrolled in school and actively engaged in his/her academic life on a consistent basis throughout the
school year;” and
Whereas: Cambridge is a district that prides itself on understanding students’ individual learning
needs and includes in its CPS Vision a goal of providing “personalized support;” and
Whereas: A student athlete with a GPA that falls below the 73 GPA threshold, is demonstrating a
clear need for academic and/or other supports; and
Whereas: As the current policy stands the grade drop may occur without triggering probationary
period and/or without the chance of remediation, resulting in an absolute loss of opportunity to provide
sorely needed student support; now therefore be it
Ordered: That the Superintendent amend the academic eligibility policy to indicate that while CRLS
will uphold higher than MIAA GPA guidelines, the implementation of an academic probation period (a two
weeks athletic suspension to begin when grades are known to both student and parents/guardians) will
begin when GPA falls below 65.49; and further be it
Ordered: That the Superintendent work with the CRLS administration to implement a process that
calls for any student who falls within danger of being placed on athletic-academic probation have a
meeting that includes the student and his/her parent/guardian, guidance counselor, coach, Dean of
Students, and teacher(s) of the class(es) where the student is struggling, to collaboratively develop a plan
to promote student support and achievement.

#18-51, Motion by Ms. Bowman, Whereas the Cambridge School Committee is a governing body that seeks to create an inclusive, efficient, and effective work environment;

And whereas the members of the committee are committed to maintaining a spirit of decorum that reflects the operations of a governing body;

Therefore be it resolved that the governance committee will provide a set of recommendations on hearing room protocols that address and improve operational procedures for the committee of the whole.

#18-52, Report of the January 31, 2018 Governance Sub-Committee

#18-53, Report of the February 1, 2018 Community Relations Sub-Committee

#18-54, Report of the February 8, 2018 Attendance Violation Policy Ad-Hoc Sub-Committee

#18-55, Report of the February 15, 2018 Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee

10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):

#18-56, Motion by Mayor McGovern, WHEREAS: The Department of Visual and Performing Arts has
proudly shared that 46 CRLS students have received 86 different art and writing awards in the 2018
Scholastic Art Awards; and
WHEREAS: The Scholastic Art Awards is the nation’s longest, and most prestigious recognition
program for creative teens; and
WHEREAS: These awards are a significant and meaningful accomplishment to our teachers and
students who worked hard to create, prepare, arrange and submit art work, now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the School Committee send a letter to the Department of Visual and Performing
Arts congratulating the teachers and students for their continued dedication and excellence in the Arts.

11. Announcements:

12. Late Orders:

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers: