DESE Board Meets On Tuesday: Southbridge Schools On Agenda

Ken O'Brien

The Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15.

The agenda contains an item specifically related to the just issued District Review Report on the Southbridge schools.

According to the meeting agenda:

Southbridge Public Schools: District Review Report and Possible Next Steps - Discussion

The Board declared Southbridge Public Schools to be a Level 4 (underperforming) district in September 2004. Since 2012, the district has been operating under an Accelerated Improvement Plan. Southbridge has made limited progress and my level of concern is substantial. The areas of district performance that are concerning include low student achievement, high suspension rates, instability in key leadership positions, and overall governance of the district. On December 15, we will discuss the report from the district review that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education conducted recently. (I will send you the report during the week of December 7, as soon as it is completed.) Under Tab 2 are two documents that outline the Department's history of programmatic and financial assistance to the Southbridge Public Schools. Senior Associate Commissioner Russell Johnston and Rob Curtin will join us at the December 15 meeting for this discussion. No action will be taken at the December Board meeting.

Backup documentation for the agenda goes on to state:

At the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on December 15, we will be discussing the district review report for the Southbridge Public Schools. The district review team was onsite in Southbridge in October and is completing the report, which I will send to you under separate cover during the week of December 7. As background for our discussion, I have attached two additional documents to provide you with an overview of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (ESE) history of programmatic and financial assistance to the Southbridge Public Schools.

The Board declared Southbridge to be a Level 4 (underperforming) district in September 2004. The first document, Southbridge Public Schools History as an Underperforming/Level 4 District, highlights major reviews conducted in the district and the associated ESE efforts, in partnership with the district, to address challenges and improve student performance. The attached timeline is broken down into key time periods throughout the past twelve years reflecting important events or actions related to the district's turnaround effort. The timeline also describes the numerous evaluations completed by ESE and the associated assistance that was provided to address identified needs.

The second document, Southbridge Finance and Activity Summary FY2004-FY2015, lists in broad terms the state and federal resources - above and beyond state and federal entitlement grants - totaling more than $1.8 million invested in the Southbridge Public Schools during this period. Some of the major investments include the following: ESE planning support, additional Title I funds for programs related to at-risk students, and supplementary District and School Assistance Center (DSAC) grants.

Later that evening Rob Curtin will appear before the Southbridge School Committee to give a presentation on the District Review Report.

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* The Board welcomes public comment on matters within its purview. Accordingly, the Board makes available a maximum 30-minute period at its regular meetings for persons in the audience to address the Board for no longer than 3 minutes. Written material of any length may be submitted. Preference will be given to persons who seek to address the Board on specific agenda items for the upcoming Board meeting. Agendas for upcoming Board meetings are generally posted 5 days prior to the meeting on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's website. Persons wishing to speak are strongly encouraged to submit their request before the day of the meeting; contact information is provided below. Preference will be given to those who submit requests by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the regular Tuesday meeting. If time permits, the chairman will allow members of the public who have not contacted the Department in advance to speak in the public comment period; those individuals must sign in prior to the start of the meeting. The chairman may limit the number of speakers due to time constraints and may increase or reduce the time allocated per speaker. While there is no requirement to submit written testimony, a speaker who elects to do so should submit 15 copies of the testimony prior to or at the meeting for distribution to Board members. Requests to address the Board, written testimony, and other inquiries may be transmitted by mail, e-mail, fax, or telephone to: Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148, Phone: 781-338-3107, Fax: 781-338-3770, E-mail: boe@doe.mass.edu.