The School Committee on Thursday, May 11, heard how the schools are progressing in preparing students for the different demands of the 21st century. The computer science, art and nursing programs have developed curricula to encourage students to engage in what the superintendent later referred to as “personalized learning.”
‘Personalized learning includes ‘habits of the mind.’
The new computer science and art curricula strive to teach “habits of the mind.” In computer science, they eschew rote memorization and encourage students to develop their own ways to solve problems. In art, the program now sets aside the older descriptive and representational approach and instead encourages students to be innovative, using their own emotional responses and perceptions. The nursing program instituted mindfulness programs that encouraged students to understand their own emotions.
Bodie advocates this deeper, personalized learning as a goal to inform curricula changes for next year to better prepare students for a different world. From the presentations, one learns that computer science program, art and nursing program have already started redesigning courses and health initiatives to prepare students to be what Bodie describes as “learners who will always be learners.”
New developments in computer science, art
The head teachers in the mathematics and visual arts departments gave slide presentations of the recent developments. Matt Coleman, head of math, which includes computer science, stressed the dramatic growth in the program and hence also of the curriculum over the last four years. See his slides here >>
4 high school computer classes, 2 of them AP, serve more than 100.
The high school now offers four computers science courses, including two advanced-placement courses, and serves more than 100 students. Next year, it plans to add robotics and game theory courses. None of the computer science courses yet count toward the math or science requirements.
Unfortunately, Coleman added, the number of girls in the program stands at only 23 percent, following the national trend. In the discussion, School Committee member Cindy Starks informed the committee that she volunteers for a group called Girls Who Code, which meets regularly at the Robbins Library.
The middle school offers a compulsory computer course in the sixth grade, with the goal of exciting students about computing and developing “habits of mind,” which teach students how to approach problems systematically. By the eighth grade, students meet every other day to learn about websites, workings of the internet and more advanced programming.
Visual arts, described by department head David Ardito, has progressed from having a primarily recreational and superficial approach to becoming “a core discipline.” It now teaches its own set of habits of mind.
Arts aims to become a core discipline.
Ardito elaborated about three: engage and persist, stretch and explore, and innovation. All of them can be found here >>
School Committee member Paul Schlichtman asked how the changes in scheduling positively affect the art classes. Ardito replied even the five additional minutes allowed more time for assessment and instruction while reducing teacher stress. In terms of the future, Ardito plans to “reinvigorate” the Friends of Art, a parent group that supports art programs in the schools.
Health, nursing: Fabulous year, upcoming concerns
Field trips now demand extra nurses.
Sue Franchi, head of health and nursing, reported that they had had a “fabulous year,” despite the large number of student medical encounters. See her slide show/report >>
A number of grants helped cover costs of nurses, EpiPens and health surveys. Of some concern, she noted, was the future cost of EpiPens. The latter is an injection containing epinephrine, a chemical that narrows blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs. These effects can reverse severe low blood pressure, wheezing, severe skin itching, hives and other symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Currently, the state Legislature is considering a bill to require school departments to buy EpiPens to cover all students even if parents furnish them. Franchi estimates that the department would have to minimally purchase four EpiPens at each strength for every school. Even if not used, these EpiPens expire in approximately a year so will need to be replaced annually.
Nursing coverage has also increasingly become a problem. Field trips now demand extra nurses if students on the trip have medical issues such as diabetes. If the field trip is out-of-state — for example, the science camp in Rhode Island — the school district has to hire additional nurses who licensed in that state from an agency.
The need for nurses to visit the Millbrook facility on Academy Street have also drawn nurses away from their schools, sometimes leaving only one nurse for the entire high school. Millbrook is a program for students who are transitioning back to school after an extended illness.
The Innovative Critical Coordinator Grant switched its focus this year from mental health to diabetes. The number of students with Type I diabetes rose this year from one to 16. The grant paid for Diabetes IPads to check on blood sugar of all students in the school with Diabetes monitors.
Health and nursing has also conducted a screening survey referred to as SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment) that had been required by the state. Franchi reported that it has been very costly in terms of staff time. Schlichtman recommended gathering information on this unfunded mandate with the goal of seeking state funding to cover the costs.
District goals: Preparation for a different future, cultural proficiency
In a wide-ranging discussion the school committee tackled the four overarching district goals in order to reorganize them to form a more specific set of plans for the next year. Superintendent Kathy Bodie began by providing a broad framework to inform the scope of the work next year.
Friedman column cited for readying lifelong learners.
Citing a column by Thomas Friedman about the changing nature of jobs, titled “Owning Your Own Future,” she argued that we must prepare students with the skills, dispositions and content necessary for them to succeed in the 21st century. Central to this preparation should be personalized learning and agency; these skills will make students lifelong learners.
School Committee members asked for more specific items under Goal One. Chairman Jeff Thielman summarized them as 1.) vision 2.) the feasibility study for the high school and 3.) the academic and social learning plan for the Gibbs.
For Goal Two, “Staff Excellence and Professional Development,” Bodie introduced this goal by offering the Safe and Supportive Schools Grant “as the context.”
Earlier in the meeting, during public participation, four members of the Superintendent’s Diversity Advisory Committee said “the district goal for cultural competency for teachers has not been addressed.”
Bodie explained that now that the Arlington Education Foundation is funding its implementation, it will shape future professional training as it takes up implementation next year. She assured the committee that there will be cultural proficiency in every school. That drew disagreement. For more details about this discussion, read the related summary about cultural competence >>
Goals Three, “Resources, Infrastructure and Educational Environment,” and Goal Four, “Operations, Communications and Stakeholder,” were hurriedly discussed together with several suggestions for reorganization. Thielman then recommended that Bodie edit the draft, taking into consideration the suggestions made, organize a meeting with principals and plan for the new draft to be taken up later.
Foundation budget resolution
In other business, the committee heard an update from the Arlington Education Foundation and a first reading of the school calendar, as well as passed unanimously the consent Items and the implementation of the Foundation Budget Review Commission’ Resolution.
After a brief executive session, the committee approved unanimously the traffic supervisors’ contract.
The meeting concluded at 10:20 p.m.
This news summary by YourArlington freelancer Jo Anne Preston was published Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
