Words from Grace
As I said during Thursday's School Leader Call, I thank you for your flexibility and grace these past few weeks. Although I have postponed classroom observation visits with many of you, the highlights of my time has been observing and analyzing instruction with you. We have visited classrooms three different remote ways:
- Observers go right into the classroom with their cameras off, each observer has the classroom link and Zoom in from remote locations, the team gathers at another link to discuss the visits
- Observers schedule a Google Meet, leader zooms into the classroom and shares the screen, only the leader is in the classroom. The observers can talk during (as long as the leader is muted) and between observations in the same Google Meet
- Observers gather in-person (in a space where social distancing is possible - observe using a large screen such as a Bolling conference room); observers can talk, and only one person needs to enter the Zoom classroom.
- Leaders have included member(s) from their team to conduct visits
- We have used the CRIOP (more below) to focus observations
- We use the school's Standard of Excellence, focus observation areas as indicated in School Improvement Plans
Important Dates
November 11 – Veterans Day – no school
November 18 - Boston School Committee Meeting
November 25 - half-day of school
November 26-27 - Thanksgiving - no school
December 24 - January 4 - Winter Recess
Division of Academics
School Leader Guidance on Assessment - Special Education
With the shift back to remote learning there have been many questions around assessments and how to move forward. The guidance from the Office of Special Education and Behavioral Health for assessments during intermittent remote learning can be found here.
Remote Learning Hubs
Under the citywide initiative, Using the City as a Classroom, Boston Public Schools with Boston After School and Beyond (BASB) is building remote learning hubs with a network of 120 after-school and summer programs to provide safe, supervised settings during the school day, in which children who are enrolled in school can attend remote learning instruction and receive enrichment services. You can find more information here. -Karen Silver
Science Office Hours
The Science team is pleased to announce the following office hours for content support and informal check-ins:
Grades K-8 with Marianne Dunne - Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00.
Please sign up with this Calendly link.
Grades K-8 with Nicole Guttenberg - Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00.
Please sign up with this Calendly link.
Grades 9-12 with Joyce Bowen - Thursdays from 3:00-4:00.
Please sign-up with this Calendly link.
High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
The Office of Health and Wellness is excited to share results from the most recent High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). For 27 years, the YRBS has allowed BPS to gather information on priority issues impacting student health. The results are used to assess changes in youth health behaviors over time; inform our programs, policies, and practices; and to measure our progress towards eliminating health disparities that impact learning and individual and community health.
The 2019 HS YRBS report is a compilation of fact sheets that highlight significant results in key health behavior areas. Each section begins with an overall snapshot of key findings, followed by trend data, and closer looks at significant differences by demographic student groups and ends with key intervention strategies.
Additional results tables disaggregated by key student demographic subgroups including sex, race/ethnicity, sexual identity, grade level, and academic achievement as well as links to additional CDC YRBS resources are also available on the Health & Wellness website.
Visit the 2019 Boston HS YRBS Webpage: https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/Page/7329
Division of Accountability
Deadlines for Submitting MCAS Performance Appeals and External MCAS Score Requests
MCAS Performance Appeals
Students who have been unable to meet the state’s CD requirements by passing the high school MCAS tests may be eligible for an MCAS Performance Appeal, an alternative pathway to meet the CD requirements. Please find additional information and submission deadlines here. Please contact Karyn Hall Redcross at klhall@bostonpublicschools.org with any questions.
Requests for External High School MCAS Scores
Please complete this form to request MCAS high school scores for students who transferred into your school from another Massachusetts public high school. External MCAS score requests are reviewed monthly and should be submitted by the second week of the month for the scores to be entered into Aspen by the end of that same month. Please contact Karyn Hall Redcross at klhall@bostonpublicschools.org with any questions.
MAP Data in Illuminate and Panorama
Did you know you can view MAP Growth data in Illuminate and Panorama?
Illuminate: Fall 2020 MAP Growth data is now in Illuminate along with some pre-built reports. To find these reports in Illuminate, go to 'View Reports' and search for NWEA. Report details below:
NWEA Assessment Summary: This report shows performance summary for the students selected. Performance is reported by percentile and includes average RIT scores, lexile score distribution, and average RIT for goals, and the percent of students in each performance band.
NWEA Student Report: This is a student-level report that provides a summary of the student's MAP performance and allows for analysis of growth between two test events.
NWEA MAP Student Longitudinal Report: This is a student-level report that shows growth between ALL completed MAP tests for a student.
Panorama: Fall 2020 MAP Growth data is now in Panorama. MAP Fluency data will be added soon. See the Panorama Student Success Guide for more information.
MAP Growth Summary Reports Now Available!
Two (2) summary reports are now available for leaders to view MAP Growth summary data for Fall 2020. Both reports are available for Principals and School Leaders and can be pulled directly in the NWEA platform.
Student Growth Summary Report. This report summarizes growth at the school level by subject and grade. It compares school and student performance to national growth norms for schools with similar student demographics.
Projected Proficient Summary Report. This report summarizes the projected performance on state exams for your school by subject and grade. This report can be used to identify trends and make adjustments to instruction to address areas of need at the school and/or grade level.
If you have questions or cannot access MAP reports, email formatives@bostonpublicschools.org for assistance.
BPS Interims: Assessment Blueprints and Access Codes are Ready!
All BPS Interims are now published in Illuminate and ready to be administered. See the Assessment Blueprints for assessment details, administration information, and the district published Access Codes for online testing. Remote testing resources and recorded webinars are in development and will be ready soon. Please reach out to formatives@bostonpublicschools.org with any questions.
Panorama Weekly Update:
Thank you to the school teams who are diving into Panorama Student Success, and learning how the platform can support our work with students.
Over 3,000 BPS staff members used the platform in October, with a total of over 25,000 log-ins. As you continue to familiarize yourself with the platform, please take advantage of the resources below.
Lynch Leadership Academy Fellowship
The Lynch Leadership Academy Fellowship is an opportunity to be part of a cohort of motivated, mission driven peers. The program consists of a 14-month Fellowship and seeks candidates with a strong instructional foundation, an unwavering commitment to equity, and an openness to learning and growing within a collaborative community of leaders. This program provides coursework, individual coaching, and for aspiring leaders, on the ground experience leading in a school alongside an effective and impactful school leader.
Candidates are:
Sitting principals who are already leading, but eager to further develop and improve.
Aspiring principals who are assistant principals, directors of instruction, teacher leaders or central office staff members, who will be ready to lead a school 2021-22.
There is no tuition cost for individual Fellows; instead, partner districts and schools are responsible for Fellowship fees. Applications are now open. Click here to start your application. Please email the Lynch team lynchacademy@bc.edu or contact Megan Reed mreed@bostonpublicschools with any questions.
Foundations of Breakthrough Leadership “Bridge Program” Joint New Leaders/BPS
Applications are open for our Breakthrough Leadership program. Please review this flyer.
The program is intended to act as a “bridge” between individuals in teacher leadership and building level leadership with the “next level” of leadership, either as a principal/head of school or as an AP that is taking on more responsibility.
Boston Public Schools has partnered with New Leaders to provide a bridge program for aspiring school leaders (principals and heads of school). This bridge program, Foundations of Breakthrough Leadership, is designed to enhance participants’ leadership knowledge and skills through content aligned to our 5 Leadership Competencies and one-on-one leadership coaching. Since 2001, New Leaders has supported school districts by strengthening the skills and capacity of aspiring school leaders to advance student achievement. We are committed to ensuring every school has visionary leadership that is culturally, instructionally, and operationally competent and reflects the diversity of our students in Boston Public School.
Lead in BPS Website
Please take an opportunity to check out the Lead in BPS website. Our website provides information about recruitment, cultivation, pipelines, and induction programming. It highlights some of the great work of incredible leaders in the district as well!
Leadership Recruitment Sessions
Do you or someone you know want to learn more about leading in our schools as a principal or assistant principal? Now is the time to register for one of the upcoming School Leadership Recruitment Information Sessions to hear about the hiring process, have questions answered, and speak with current school leaders about their leadership path. These Zoom sessions are scheduled for 11/18/20, 12/9/20, 1/13/21, and 2/24/21 from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Register for an upcoming session here. Please spread the word!
New Leader Induction
First year leaders actively participated in a New Leader Development session in October on Access and Equity in Mathematics and will have a session that deepens our work in coaching for Equity in Mathematics on November 10th.
Second Year leaders actively participated in Problem of Practice groups and resource exploration sessions in October and November and have another upcoming session on December 5th.
Support calls continue every other week and will be focused on engaging content instruction in remote settings.
All Leader Professional Development
All Leader PD 10/29/20 focused on school leaders and district office staff understanding the arc of learning for year long leader PD and feel a renewed charge to continue to build anti-racist leadership grounded in CLSP. We also worked to:
Reground in our understanding of CLSP and assess the current state of CLSP and anti-racist leadership practices.
Gain tools and practice in cultivating CLSP and confronting practices that counter CLSP in our schools.
See the video recording here: All SL PD 10.29.2020 Video.mp4
ATM Professional Development
ATM PD 11/3/20 explored ways to develop a plan that works for leaders to better manage the work and get it all done. In addition, leaders developed a plan for observing a non-teaching staff member in the remote setting.Division of Finance
School Budgets
The special projects team within Finance is continuing to develop a proposal to support more inclusive classrooms across the district. If you couldn’t attend our previous focus groups, we are holding additional focus groups next week. We are excited to share our thinking and seek input from school leaders.
We will be hosting two more focus groups with school leaders next week:
Monday 11/9 at 4pm
Tuesday, 11/10 at Noon
We would love for you to join us to share your thoughts/ideas and challenges around building more inclusive classrooms.
Use this link for both meetings:
https://zoom.us/j/7650573420?pwd=N2xDdUdVOGhVby91S3V2c2JwZVBPQT09
Meeting ID: 765 057 3420
Passcode: 7gLSSk
If you cannot attend one of these sessions and would like to share your ideas over email or set up another time to talk please contact:
Jerleen John - jjohn@bostonpublicschools.org
Katie Kline - kkline@bostonpublicschools.org
Patti Tao - ptao@bostonpublicschools.org
Division of Human Capital
Contracts for Long Term Sub to Provisional Teacher
Please review any subs in your building who are filling long term vacancies. On December 1st, OHC will conduct a review of these positions and Long Terms Subs will be moved into a Provisional Contract for the remainder of the year.
If you need to make a change (i.e. you have a substitute covering for a leave that will go through the end of the year, but you do not want this employee to continue working in your school), please do so prior to 12/1.
First-Year Provisional Teacher and Newly Hired Paraprofessional Probationary Period Terminations
The Office of Labor Relations is requesting that concerns regarding the performance of provisional teachers in their first year and newly hired paraprofessionals in BPS be received by December 4th.
In order to seek the dismissal of a first-year provisional teacher (within 90 day workday period - December 19) or newly hired paraprofessional (within the 60 day school day period - December 17), the Office of Labor Relations (OLR) requires that the principal or headmaster provide an OLR attorney with a memorandum outlining the reasons for seeking dismissal. This memorandum should be sent to OLR@bostonpublicschools.org.
Upon review, if appropriate, OLR will forward a recommendation for dismissal to the Superintendent. If the Superintendent approves the dismissal, the principal or headmaster will be provided with a dismissal letter to be given to the teacher or paraprofessional.
All memos should be received by Office of Labor Relations no later than December 4th for review. Please be advised that the Superintendent must approve the dismissal of any teacher. Unless you are directed otherwise by the Assistant Superintendent for Human Capital, teachers are not to be dismissed or told to leave their assignment prior to your receipt of a dismissal letter from our Office.
Principals and headmasters can contact OLR for guidance on this process or to discuss teachers who began later in the school year. You can reach OLR at 617-635-8293 or OLR@bostonpublicschools.org.
BPS Teacher Cadet Program Student Nominations Open!
Do you know a BPS high school student with a passion for education, community service, STEM, or computer science?
Help us recruit racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse BPS students in grades 9 to 12, and help them to explore careers in the field of education by nominating them for the BPS Teacher Cadet Program. Nominate and share our Teacher Cadet Student Nomination Form. Nominations are due by November 20, 2020.
Contact for additional information:
Wensess Raphael, Program Coordinator
Pipeline Programs
Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Office, BPS
Wraphael@bostonpublicschools.org
Division of Operations
Leasing/Licensing Monitoring & Procurement Roles and Procedures for BPS
Please review this memo so you are aware of the new Leasing/Licensing Monitoring & Procurement Roles and Procedures for Boston Public Schools. The memo outlines the key activities related to leases or licences by month as well as the roles of various departments involved.
Reminder: The Operations Links for School Leaders lives on the communications hub and contain links to items in the COVID materials folder.
Athletics
BPS Speaker Series
Sunday, Nov 9 @ 7pm
College Night (College Athletics, Recruiting and NCAA Eligibility)
https://bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/92656619494
Recording from Sunday, Nov 1
Athletics and Social Justice
BPS Athletics Speaker Series featuring Kellan Grady and College Athletes for Respect and Equality (https://youtu.be/0fdzfNec3BY)
Facilities
Window repairs and small projects will be taking place in buildings, please continue to update the building occupancy tracker to ensure it reflects what rooms are being used.Division of Student, Family, & Community Engagement
Please encourage families to join BPS Parent University Virtual Fall Conference. Participants will learn what parents and school staff are experiencing and explore strategies to help children learn at home. We will have two sessions; November 14th (Elementary) from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm & November 21st from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm(Middle/High).
You can find flyers in different languages here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o8XiwjB9wOWkd9Dkj-qu6eLYVjWHU5FA
This is the registration link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/supporting-families-during-remote-learning-virtual-fall-conference-2020-tickets-125343956147?aff=affiliate1
Questions?: Please contact Cyntoria Grant at parentuniversity@bostonpublicschools.org