Rediker, our PlusPortal host, has mobile apps available for Android and iOS devices for parents and students. Both apps, ParentPlus and StudentPlus provide access to school announcements, alerts and the combined calendar. Most importantly, the apps enable quick and secure access to all the information on your portal pages. Parents and students have reported that this is very useful for keeping up with information.

The free apps are available from the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Once downloaded, the app will prompt you to register by entering your School Name. Our district school names are listed below. For example, if you use www.plusportals.com/ReadingHS just enter ReadingHS to register. Parents will need to register each school for which they have PlusPortal access.

Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School – CoolidgeMS

Birch Meadow School – BirchMeadowES

J. Warren Killam School – KillamES

Joshua Eaton School – JoshuaEatonES

Reading Memorial High School – ReadingHS

Walter S. Parker Middle School – WSParkerMS

Wood End School – WoodEndES

RISE Preschool – RISEPreschool

Alice M. Barrows School – BarrowsES

If you have any questions, please contact the Instructional Technology Specialist for your child’s school.

Elementary:  Kathy Santilli (Kathleen.Santilli@reading.k12.ma.us)

Parker:          Meg Powers (Meg.Powers@reading.k12.ma.us)

Coolidge:     Marcia Grant (Marcia.Grant@reading.k12.ma.us)

RMHS:  Janet Dee (Janet.Dee@reading.k12.ma.us)

Good Morning,

We hope that you are having a great weekend, in spite of the soggy weather.  Below is a link to this week’s Pathways Newsletter.  There are several school related articles this week that focus on accommodations for students who are celebrating religious holidays, the state release of student assessment data, a special education update, and an update from the Safety and Traffic Control Officer.  There is also an article on Harnessing Adolescent Rebelliousness.  There are also photos from some of our staff professional development activities this past week and the RCASA Annual Meeting.

Have a great rest of the weekend and week ahead!

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Saturday, October 15, will be the second annual Sally J. Mucica 5k walk to benefit the Sally J. Mucica Reading Scholarship Fund. Please visit www.Smiles-for-Sally.org  for registration forms and a donation link to the scholarship fund. On-line registrations are being accepted and registrations will be accepted the day of the walk. Everyone that registers either on-line or on the day of the walk will receive a “Smiles for Sally” water bottle. Single registration is $10.00 and $30.00 per family. Registration begins at 8:30 am and the walk will begin at 9:30. Limited sizes of t-shirts will be on sale the day of the walk. Please come join us for music and lots of Smiles for Sally. Hope to see you October 15, 2016 at Wood End😊

There will be 2 Bruins Tickets raffled off on the day of the walk. Raffle tickets will be $10 each or 3 for $20.

If you cannot make it to the walk, donations can be made directly to the Sally J. Mucica Scholarship Fund through the Reading Scholarship Fund. Please specify your donation is for Sally J. Mucica.

The following is a message from David Savio, the Traffic and Safety Officer for the Reading Police Department.

In an effort to maximize traffic safety town wide I wanted to keep everyone abreast of the aforementioned traffic safety advisory listed above. First, with the start of the school year, I have yielded many traffic complaints. This is particularly related to school traffic at the onset and outset of each school day. The list has been compiled for the shift officers, however since it is so extensive, some areas may not receive the requested coverage expeditiously. I am hoping that passing the information to the school community will be a positive measure to help drivers modify their own driving behaviors. The list of traffic concerns is pasted below:

1) Sunset Rock – Speed

2) Sunset Rock – Blocking driveways and blocking traffic circle

3) Parker – Parents not paying attention to do not enter signs at head of driveway from Temple Street

4) Speed – Birch Meadow Drive coming from Oakland Road

5) Haverhill Street – Speed in school zone

6) Haverhill Street at Symonds Way – Red light violations

7) Fox Run Lane – Improper parking at cul-de-sac

8) Shelby and Stuart – Time restricted do not enters

9) West, Willow, and Summer – Fail to yield to pedestrians

10) Auburn at Beacon – outset of school – Speed and failure to slow for intersection

Additionally, providing coverage for each and every school crossing post has been challenging. This is mostly due to illness and retirements. Currently, the Reading Crossing Guard unit has 19 posts. Most posts are two (1) hour assignments per day and other posts are three (1) hour assignments per day. This results in almost 8000 (1) hour posts per year.  Moreover, when additional posts become open, the shift officers are assigned to cover the open posts.  On any given day, staffing is appropriate and reasonable, but emergency calls take precedence over all other assignments and sometimes leaving school crossing posts unattended does occur.

The Reading Community has received a Gold Traffic Safety Award from AAA several years in a row, and it is communication and collaborations like these that help us maintain the highest level of safety.

Respectfully,

Traffic and Safety Officer

David V. Savio

State Release of Student Assessment Data

An Update from the Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Teaching                     September, 2016

MCAS and PARCC results released

As you may know, the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) released results today for last spring’s state assessments.  This includes Grades 3-8 PARCC results for both English Language Arts and Mathematics, the Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS results for Grades 5/8/10, as well as the high school MCAS results for English Language Arts and Mathematics.  District and school accountability data were also released.

The PARCC and MCAS assessment data are assembled in several different tables below (see attachment). In addition to the achievement levels in each content area, we have also created tables to examine the median Student Growth Percentile and the Composite Performance Index in all applicable areas, as that data also provide us important information.  The Student Growth Percentile (SGP) measures how much a student’s performance has improved from one year to the next relative to his or her academic peers (other students statewide with similar scores in prior years).  The Composite Performance Index (CPI) measures the extent to which groups (districts, schools, and subgroups) are progressing toward full proficiency. When examining the data for student groups, the transitional CPI can be used for comparing results across years, and the median SGP can be used for measuring growth from one year to the next. (See the attached tables for further explanation of both SGP and CPI.)

Some initial findings

• In Mathematics, 93% of Reading high school students scored Proficient or higher, which includes 70% who scored at the Advanced This year’s 2016 median SGP (at 55) also represents the highest median SGP for RMHS math since the state began reporting Student Growth Percentiles.
• In English Language Arts, 99% of our high school students scored in the Proficient/Advanced range—which includes 64% scoring at the Advanced
• In Science, 92% of high school students scored in the Proficient/Advanced The data for the elementary and middle level, however, continue to indicate the need to update our curriculum and instruction at these levels.  This work began last year of course, and it continues to be a priority for the district in order to align with the state’s new curriculum framework and revised assessment due in 2018.
• Thirty-two (32) of the 36 median Student Growth Percentiles (SGP) in ELA and Mathematics (across all three levels) are in the moderate or high growth range (with 13 of those in the high growth range).
• Reading students showed an overall improvement in twenty-nine (29) of the forty-four (44) PARCC assessments and five (5) out of ten (10) MCAS assessments.
• Fifteen (15) of the 30 Composite Performance Indexes (CPI) in ELA and Math for the elementary schools represent an improvement over last year.
• The CPI for the 8^th grade Algebra I test is 100 again this year, meaning that all students in 8^th grade Algebra I either met or exceeded expectations.
• According to DESE accountability ratings, RMHS moved from Level 2 to Level 1 this year. Joshua Eaton Elementary remains classified as Level 3, and all other schools are classified as Level 2. (See the Accountability Data table below for more information.)
• As the DESE Level 3 classification indicates a “focus” on the high needs subgroup, we are especially examining the data for this group of students. The “high needs” Cumulative Progress and Performance Index (PPI) ratings for Eaton indicate an increase from a 36 PPI in 2014, to a 56 PPI in 2015, and a 61 PPI in 2016.  The district PPI index has also increased from 44 in 2014 to 57 in 2016.  There is still progress to be made, however, in this area.

We are continuing to review all the information that has been released; and we also, of course, continue to improve the curriculum, instruction, and assessment in all content areas and grade levels.  In upcoming weeks, the district, school, and student results will be used to identify our current strengths and weaknesses, review curriculum and instructional alignment, and identify appropriate interventions for students where applicable. We will also utilize released assessment items—including test questions, scoring rubrics, and examples of scored student responses—to inform our practice. The DESE has announced that individual student reports will be shipped to the districts this week, and so parents/guardians can expect to receive those reports in the beginning of October.  An overview presentation of the district assessment data will be given for the School Committee later this fall, and each school will also be doing its own school-level presentation in order to more fully discuss and identify each school’s individual progress.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact your school Principal or the district administration offices.

For more detail and information regarding each school’s accountability classification and data, see the DESE website at:

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/accountability/report/district.aspx?linkid=30&orgcode=02460000&orgtypecode=5& 

United States Secretary of Education John King Giving Remarks at Conference

On Monday, September 19^th, the Reading Public Schools was invited to attend a Conference on Trauma-Informed Approaches in School:  Supporting Girls of Color and Rethinking Discipline at the White House in Washington, D.C.  The Conference was sponsored by The White House Council on Women and Girls (CWG), the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality (Center on Poverty), and The National Crittenton Foundation (TNCF).  Our district was invited to attend because of the work that we have been doing with trauma-sensitive schools, school discipline, and health supports (including mental health supports).  This convening brought together 14 states, the District of Columbia, school districts within those states, key researchers and experts in this topic, and nonprofit partners who have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving supports and outcomes for this vulnerable population. Reading was the only Massachusetts school district that attended and was represented by Superintendent of Schools John Doherty, Director of Student Services Carolyn Wilson, and Director of Social and Emotional Learning Sara Burd.  The trip was funded through the five year Federal School Transformation Grant which the district received two years ago.

Although the title of the Conference focused on supporting girls of color, each of the practices discussed are easily transferable to any classroom and any student who has experienced trauma in their lives.  There are children in every school district that experience trauma and Reading is no exception.  In a study that was conducted by the Center for Disease Control, there is a very strong association between adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and other health conditions.  If a child has four or more ACES in their life, they have a much greater chance of dying from one of the seven leading causes of death than children that have less than four ACES because of the biological and chemical changes that occur in their brain due to the stress early in their lives.

The Conference focused on how to reduce the stress associated with ACES and to create school cultures that support trauma informed approaches.  Several leaders in trauma sensitive approaches as well as, several Senior White House Officials presented, including John King, Secretary of Education, Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Civil Rights, Dr. Angela Diaz, Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, Dr. Roy Wade, Jr., Instructor of Pediatrics for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Roberto Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President for Education.  There were also a panel discussion with students who have experienced trauma in their lives and how their schools addressed their situations.  As part of the Conference, districts and states convened by region to share and discuss best practices related to discipline, trauma sensitive approaches in school settings, and how to eliminate barriers for successful implementation. Districts then had the opportunity to report back out to the larger group for feedback.

Director of Social and Emotional Learning Sara Burd Reporting Out On Reading’s Best Practices At The Conference

The Reading Public Schools is honored and proud to be representing the state of Massachusetts in these national discussions on how to create safe and supportive learning environments for all of our students.  The Conference gave our district an opportunity to learn new ideas, as well as share our own best practices in this critical area.  Superintendent Doherty will be giving a brief overview of the Conference at an upcoming School Committee meeting.

Good Afternoon,

We hope that you are having a great weekend.  Below is a copy of this week’s Reading Public Schools Pathways Newsletter.  In this week’s edition, there is a story about Reading’s participation at the White House Conference on Trauma and School Discipline, the RCASA film screening on student stress, and photos from Coolidge and Birch Meadow.

Have a great rest of the weekend and week ahead!

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The Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary with a film screen of Breaking Points, September 29, 2016, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the William Endslow Performing Arts Center at Reading Memorial High School.

BREAKING POINTS, is a short documentary film that raises awareness about the level of stress that high school and college students experience and the unhealthy ways that many of them cope. The film explores behavior that is becoming normalized among students – abusing prescription (Rx) medicines not prescribed to them, including Rx stimulants for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The film was directed by Tucker Capps, known for his work on A&E’s “Intervention,” and is a part of the Partnership for Drug Free Youth Medicine Abuse Project , a national action campaign with the goal of preventing and addressing prescription medicine abuse among teens.
The film includes candid perspectives from high school and college students and nationally recognized experts, challenging the misperceived “safety” and effectiveness of abusing prescription stimulants without a doctor’s prescription.

The film serves as a catalyst to inform discussions about what parents and communities can do to support teens who are struggling to manage stress and anxiety. Along with interviews with high school and college students, the film also features interviews from researchers and field experts.
“Traveling the country to make this film, I’ve been struck by how the competition to get into college has become so intense, and so insular, that some students really start to lose perspective,” said Tucker Capps. “Too many high schoolers and college kids believe that they’d be at a disadvantage if they don’t use their friends’ prescription stimulants to focus on papers and exams. My hope is that we can point out this trend to parents and educators before it becomes the new norm.”

Along with the film screening, the Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse will feature highlights from their coalition projects and Senator Jason Lewis will discuss a state committee study on marijuana issues.
Learn more via the RCASA website.

The document below, October 18 Override Ballot Question Information Sheet, outlines the impact of an approved or a defeated override ballot question on the FY18 School Department Budget.  There is further information on the Override and the FY18 Budget in the Budget section of the Reading Public Schools Website.

If you have any questions, please contact the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices at 781-944-5800.

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Good Morning,

We hope all is well and you are enjoying your weekend.  We inadvertently did not post last weeks Pathways Newsletter.  This post contains both the Pathways Newsletter for the week of 9/11/2016 and this week, 9/18/2016.  Both newsletters are below.

The September 18, 2016 Newsletter contains important information regarding the override and the impact that the override will have if it is approved and if it is not approved.  You can also access this information on the FY18 Budget Information section of the Reading Public School website.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and the week ahead.

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