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Northampton Public School District

Superintendents Entry Findings

Artwork- Grade 5 Students

Jackson Street School

John A. Provost, Ed.D Superintendent of Schools

Presented to the Northampton School Committee February 12, 2015

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Table of Contents Executive Summary...3 Community Support for Learning.........5 Students.......6 Public and Private Competition..13 Teachers and Teacher Evaluation........14 Curriculum..17 Instruction......20 Student Achievement..............30 Special Education........42 School Finance.....45 English Language Learners and Students Whose First Language is not English............47 Title I...47 Technology48 World Languages....48 Leadership49 Communication50 Co Curricular Subjects50 Athletics and Activities........51 Concluding Remarks....51 Works Cited...52 Appendix....54

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Executive Summary Making sense of the work already underway in our district is a critical first step to developing a coherent vision to guide the work that lies ahead. This initial assessment of current systemic conditions, though just a snapshot of a dynamically evolving system, provides a realistic assessment of the challenges that lie ahead and the strengths that the system brings to bear on them. By identifying drivers of success and barriers to success in the district, it provides a context for the next steps in the strategic planning process which are identifying the root-causes of the observed conditions, prioritizing improvement objectives, and implementing the next iteration of the District Improvement Plan. It is hoped that the reader will perceive the findings contained herein as neither excessively critical nor congratulatory, but objectively defensible based upon the evidence presented. Drivers of Success There is strong support in the community for the Northampton Public Schools. This assistance includes substantial financial aid from the Northampton Education Foundation, active school PTOs, and other community organizations. Smith College is also an important collaborator and co-producer of educational benefits for our students who may take up to six Smith classes during their Junior and Senior years at no cost to themselves or the district. The teachers of the Northampton Public Schools are one of its greatest assets. Many are considered leaders in their fields and have been recognized for excellence in teaching. Northampton has maintained a Middle and High School language program that affords students the opportunity for seven years of uninterrupted study of Spanish or French or six years of uninterrupted study of Latin. The diversity of co-curricular programs offered by the Northampton Public Schools is a source of pride for students, staff and the wider community. Observational data gathered across classroom and school settings shows that teachers are using a variety of teaching strategies to provide students with different ways to access content. Northampton offers student-athletes a wide array of opportunities for interscholastic competition including many Division 1 teams. Athletic facilities include a lighted multipurpose natural turf field, rubberized synthetic track, swimming pool, and gymnasium. These facilities are augmented by the fields and indoor track at Smith College. Northampton has a diverse AP program with a very high student participation rate in AP testing. About 75% of Northampton test-takers obtain qualifying scores of 3 or better, indicating that they are ready for college-level work.

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Barriers to Success The absence of an explicit written curriculum in all subjects and grade levels has inhibited the districts ability to educate all students according to a common set of learning expectations. However, it is important to note that the district has made significant progress on this problem through its current curriculum initiative. Northampton has experienced higher than average turnover rates among teachers and administrators in recent years. Based upon the age-distribution of the current teaching staff, Northampton is likely to experience higher than average teacher turnover rates for the next decade. Many experienced teachers will be replaced by novice teachers who are particularly vulnerable to stresses that may cause them to leave the profession and who are still in the rapid competency building stage of their career. Over the past several years, the number and percentage of low income students, students with disabilities, and English language learners (known collectively as high needs students) enrolled in the Northampton Public Schools has increased. Competition from other schools is likely to have contributed to this trend. Based upon the grade-level distribution of high needs students, it seems likely that the overall percentage of high-needs students in the district will continue to increase for at least the next four years, with much of the increase occurring at Northampton High School. The overall achievement gap between high-needs students and their non-high needs peers has remained constant or increased. Northampton identifies a higher than expected proportion of its students as students with disabilities and implements a less inclusive service delivery model, including higher than average placement of students in private special education programs. Relatively high spending on special education in an era of flat budgets has constrained the districts ability to fund other needed educational priorities, notably educational technology. District budgets have sequestered large portions of the appropriated funds in district-wide cost centers thereby constraining the principals ability to exercise significant budgetary discretion within their own cost-centers.

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Community Support for Learning Theres a lot of optimism and support, frankly, for the schools in the community.

-School Committee Member

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (2014), Northampton was one of only 28 Massachusetts municipalities to attempt a Proposition 2 override vote for the 2014 fiscal year, one of only 11 municipalities to obtain an override, and one of only six municipalities to obtain an override that included funding for public schools. This speaks profoundly to the value the voters place on public education and to the trust they place in their officials to exercise stewardship of public funds. U.S. Census Statistics (2014) show that 55% of Northampton residents aged 25 or older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Whether compared to the statewide rate of 39% or the national average which is closer to 33%, it is clear that Northamptons college completion rate is a distinguishing characteristic of the community. A particularly strong link in the high school to college connection in Northampton is the districts partnership with Smith College. Through this partnership, Northampton High School students are able to take up to two Smith College classes during their junior year of high school and four Smith College classes during their senior year of high school. Northampton High School students pay nothing for these classes and earn credit that may be used to satisfy the graduation requirements to earn their high school diploma. Last year, 80 students from Northampton High enrolled in 91 Smith College classes. The Northampton Public Schools are also the beneficiaries of ongoing support from the Northampton Education Foundation, a non-profit organization created to fund projects and programs that expand educational opportunities, foster creativity, and enhance academic experiences in Northampton's public schools (NEF Website). Through a variety of small grants, special grants, book funds and the Daniel Stephen Goldstein Fund for Arts in Northampton High School, NEF has invested more than $1.1 million in the Northampton Public Schools over the past quarter of a century. Our schools are also supported by a core of more than 100 volunteers who are recruited, trained, and placed by Volunteers in the Northampton Schools (VINS), a private, non-profit organization, with a mission of providing volunteers in all of Northampton's public schools. Each of our schools is also supported by an active and vibrant PTO. A partial listing of resources for learning provided by the PTOs includes:

The Northampton High School PTO raised approximately $20,000 for classroom technology.

The Ryan Road PTO has provided ELMOs, musical instruments, and playground equipment.

The Bridge Street PTO supported the construction of a new playground and school gardens.

The JFK PTO provided over $10,000 in grants to teachers last year to support field trips and special programs such as the science fair.

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Students There are more kids who are really struggling.

-NPS Administrator

Any analysis of the functioning of a school or district must begin with and proceed from an understanding of the students it serves. In Northampton, district-level descriptions of the student population are misleading, because they obscure differences in the types of students enrolled in the different schools and at various levels. From the perspective of a hypothetical student, these differences must be quite pronounced. The class of 2014 graduated from a school with much less ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity than the state or district as a whole. Nevertheless, many of these students began their academic careers in Northampton elementary schools where the enrollments for students from ethnic or linguistic minorities, low-income students, or students with disabilities exceeded the statewide averages. Each of the schools serves a unique population of students and will be treated individually in the paragraphs that follow: Bridge Street School

Figure 1 Selected Populations Enrolled at Bridge Street School Bridge Street School houses the districts integrated preschool program. Students in this program account for nearly a quarter of the schools enrollment. Because preschool education is an entitlement for some students with disabilities and the regulations for preschool allow

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students with disabilities to compose up to 50% of an instructional group (i.e. class), the presence of the preschool program could be expected to increase the proportion of students with disabilities enrolled at the school. Not surprisingly, Bridge Street has the highest ratio of students with disabilities to non-disabled peers in the district, and it serves more students with disabilities than any of the other elementary schools.

In 2013, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education created high needs as a new student demographic reporting category. The high needs demographic is defined as an unduplicated count of students belonging to at least one of the following individual subgroups: students with disabilities, English language learners (ELL) and Former ELL students, or low income students (students eligible for free/reduced price school lunch). Because Bridge Street serves high numbers of low-income students in addition to its high population of students with disabilities, 51% of the students in the school are considered high needs.

Jackson Street School

Figure 2 Selected Populations Enrolled at Jackson Street School

Until 2013 all elementary students requiring ELL (English Language Learner) services were taught at Jackson Street School. For September of 2013, additional ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers were hired for the integrated preschool, Bridge Street, and Ryan Road.

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Once ESL supports were added at Bridge Street and Ryan Road, students from those attendance zones, including those already enrolled at Jackson Street School were given the option to be educated in their neighborhood schools. Because of this history, Jackson Street School serves much larger populations of English Language Learners and students whose first language is not English as compared to the other district schools. Fifty-two percent (52%) of Jackson Street students are classified as high needs.

Leeds School

Figure 3 Selected Populations Enrolled at Leeds School

As compared to the other elementary schools, Leeds serves proportionally fewer English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students. Its population of low-income students has been trending upward since 2008, but is still lower than the rates at other schools. Enrollment trends for other selected populations have remained stable or declined over the same time frame. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Leeds students are classified as high needs.

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Ryan Road School

Figure 4 Selected Populations Enrolled at Ryan Road School

Ryan Road School has experienced dramatic changes in its enrollment since 2012. Over the past two years, the population of low-income students has increased by slightly more than 10% and the population of students with disabilities has increased by nearly 10%. In 2014, it surpassed Jackson Street as the school with the highest proportion of low-income students. Last year, fifty percent (50%) of Ryan Road students were high-needs, but over 60% of the incoming kindergarteners were high needs students.

JFK Middle School

Of all of the schools in the district, JFK most closely reflects the overall demographics of the PK-12 student population. Each of its selected populations is within one or two percent of the district-wide rates. The percentage of low -income students and students whose native language is not English has remained fairly constant over the past six years. At the same time, the percentage of students with disabilities has declined, and the percentage of English Language Learners has increased. Forty-Four percent (44%) of students at JFK are high needs students.

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Figure 5 Selected Populations Enrolled at JFK Middle School Northampton High School With the notable exception of students whose first language is not English, the selected populations we have been examining represent a much smaller proportion of the total enrollment of Northampton High School as compared to the other schools in the district. Two dynamics seem to be driving the change of student demography at the 9th grade level. The first of these is the profile of students entering the system at grade 9. In 2014, about 21% of incoming freshmen were students not enrolled in the Northampton Public Schools in grade 81. Only 4% of these new students were students whose first language is not English and none were ELLs. Twenty-two percent (22%) were low-income students as compared to the district-wide average of 30.4%, and 14% were students with disabilities as compared to the district-wide average of 21.9%. 1About 8% of students enrolled in Northampton schools reside in other communities and attend Northampton schools through the School Choice program. About 9% of school-age children residing in Northampton attend charter schools or other public schools through the School Choice program, and about another 16% attend private or parochial schools. Many of these students enter the Northampton schools at grade 9.

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The second driver of demographic change at grade 9 is the exiting of students from the system. In 2014, about 8% of the prior-years 8th graders did not enroll at Northampton High School. Eighty-three percent (83%) of the students exiting the system between grades 8 and 9 were low-income students. Thirty-three percent (33%) were students with disabilities and 22% were students whose first language is not English.

Figure 6 Selected Populations Enrolled at Northampton High School Northampton Early Childhood Center As a public preschool, the Northampton Early Childhood Center is designed to provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences for students three and four years old and to serve the special needs of students with disabilities in this same age group. Because of its special mission, the Early Childhood Center serves a student population with very high levels of need. Student need at the preschool level is tracked using some indicators that are the same as those used in grades K-12, but also using some measures that are unique to the preschool level. In all, there are seven risk factors monitored for preschoolers. Figure 7 shows the September 2014 preschool enrollment by risk factor. In this figure, students are counted in every category of risk factor that they carry. More than half of the students enrolled in preschool have two or more risk factors. Fewer than a third of the students have no risk factors. Despite the high level of need presented by the students in the preschool, it provides a very inclusive

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service delivery model and has a full inclusion placement rating that is nearly double the state target rate for preschools. With 84 students currently enrolled in preschool, and 14 more referrals pending, Northampton preschool enrollment is at an all-time high. The increasing numbers of very young children qualifying for special education have included students with significant disabilities requiring specialized transportation. In the current year, the district has had to plan to increase the number of vehicles for preschool transportation. For the past two years, the district has had to request a waiver from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education due to an imbalance between students with disabilities and non-disabled peers in the preschool program.

Figure 7 Northampton Preschool Enrollment by Risk Factor Student attendance is another important indicator of student risk for learning problems. In the early grades, chronic absenteeism, defined as missing more than ten percent (10%) of the school year, has been shown to reduce student reading mastery at the third grade level. At the high school level, chronic absenteeism is associated with poor post-secondary outcomes, including dramatically reduced college completion rates. (Ginsberg, Jordan, & Chang, 2014) Overall, ten percent (10%) of Northampton students were chronically absent during the 2013-2014 school year. Absenteeism varied significantly among schools, with Leeds having the lowest rate of chronic absenteeism (4%) and Bridge Street having the highest rate (14%). Absenteeism also varied by race and ethnicity. The student subgroup with the lowest incidence of absenteeism was the white student subgroup, in which eight percent (8%) of students were

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chronically absent. The student subgroup with the highest incidence of absenteeism was the Hispanic/Latino student subgroup, in which nineteen percent (19%) of students were chronically absent. The Northampton Public Schools systematically collects information related to student risk and protective factors by administering the Prevention Needs Assessment Survey to students in grades eight, ten, and twelve. Within the school domain scale of this instrument, students at Northampton High School reported greater than average opportunity for prosocial involvement. Students at JFK reported below average opportunity for prosocial involvement, but have been trending in a positive direction over the last three administrations of the survey. On the most recent administration of the survey, eighty percent (80%) of 8th graders and ninety-three percent (93%) of 10th graders reported feeling safe at school. Eighty-two percent (82%) of 8th graders and eighty-five percent of 10th graders report having at least one adult in their school who really cares for them.

Public and Private Competition Our weakness is the way that people perceive us from inside.

-School Committee Member

The city of Northampton is home to three private, non-public schools, three private special education schools, and two public school districts. Public charter schools are located in three of Northampton's neighboring communities. As shown in Figure 8, the most common alternative to the Northampton Public Schools in grades K-8 is private and parochial schools, which collectively enroll nearly 400 students in those nine grades. By comparison, public charter schools and other public school districts enroll just under 200 students in the same nine grades. In the high school grades, the most common alternative to the Northampton Public Schools is other public schools, mainly Smith Vocational, which is projected to enroll 94 Northampton students in the current school year. All of the charter schools chosen by Northampton residents are significantly less diverse than the local public schools in terms of low-income enrollment, enrollment of students with disabilities, and enrollment of high needs students. Many of the individuals who were interviewed as part of the entry process expressed concern about the decision made by many residents to have their children educated in settings other than the Northampton Public Schools. One School Committee member spoke of a level of frustration with the number of people in Northampton who dont send their children to elementary school but then send their children to the high school. Another Committee member described the effect of the parental choices to enroll students in other districts or in charter schools as losing important people that could add to the life of our school communities and students. As demonstrated in the analysis of student demographics at the individual schools, the current patterns of parental school selection have the effect of creating higher concentrations of low-income students and students with disabilities in the elementary schools. These patterns also impact city finances. For FY 15 Northampton will receive just over $2 million in school choice payments and charter school reimbursement, but it will be charged $2.9 million in school choice and charter school tuition.

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A parent who attended one of the forums conducted as part of the entry process shed some light on the perceptions of the schools that help to explain how Northampton serves as a district of choice for so many while simultaneously losing so many students to other schools. He explained that his family decided to move to Northampton specifically because it has a reputation of providing the kind of strong school system that he and his wife wanted for their children. He said that among parents of school-age children in his prior community, the Northampton Schools were held in high esteem. But once he moved to town and started to connect with other Northampton parents, he began to experience a social expectation of exploring options other than the local public schools for his children.

Figure 8 Northampton Resident Enrollment by School Type It is important to note that Figure 8 represents the enrollment patterns of Northampton residents only. The Northampton Public Schools also enroll just over 200 students who are residents of other communities and who are not represented in this figure.

Teachers and Teacher Evaluation We have a lot of good teachers.

-NPS Administrator

Nearly every administrator, parent, or other community member identified the NPS faculty as a key strength of the district. Many of our teachers have distinguished themselves through the

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pursuit of advanced degrees, national board certification, or through professional service. Many of the parents who offered information during the entry process also expressed the sense that their childrens teachers were personally invested in the success of their children. Over the course of the past two years, the district has adopted and implemented the first component of the Massachusetts Framework for Educator Evaluation. The evaluation cycle is based upon four performance standards: Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment; Teaching All Students; Family and Community Engagement; and Professional Culture. Each of the standards is composed of several indicators that, in turn, are made up of more specific elements. There are thirty-three (33) elements in all. Northampton has identified the following seven (7) elements and indicators as priority areas for teachers to demonstrate through the collection of evidence: Rigorous, Standards-Based Unit Design; Variety of Assessments; Analysis and Conclusions; Meeting Diverse Needs; Safe Learning Environment; Engagement; and Professional Learning and Growth. Judgments about staff performance are based upon frequent classroom observations and other evidence of learning. Last year, the district prepared to implement the second component of the Massachusetts Framework by identifying one hundred and sixty-five (165) District Determined Measures that will be used to estimate student academic growth in each teachers class. This information will be used to inform the evaluation cycle. Work has begun on the final component of the Massachusetts Framework which will involve using student and staff feedback in the evaluation process. The implementation of the Massachusetts Framework for Educator Evaluation represents a huge and potentially transformative achievement for the district, which only two years ago was found to have no supervision model or uniform process for teacher evaluation (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2012, p. 31). As a part of the data collection process for this report, 45 teacher personnel files were randomly selected for review. About three-quarters of the files had evaluations conforming to the new Framework for Educator Evaluation. The sample included teachers from all schools and disciplines and at all stages of the evaluation process. All of the teachers were rated proficient or better on each of the four performance standards. One of the teachers obtained an overall performance rating of Exemplary. All of the remaining teachers obtained an overall performance rating of Proficient. Student learning goals concerning writing and general literacy skills and professional practice goals concerning parent engagement appeared most frequently in the evaluation documents. Overall professional staff attendance for the 2013-2014 school year was ninety-five percent (95%). Seventy-five percent (75%) of teachers were absent for fewer than ten days in the year. Forty-three percent (43%) were absent for fewer than five days. Eight percent (8%) of teachers were absent for 18 or more days. The Northampton teacher attendance rate is lower than the national teacher attendance rate, which the U.S. Department of Education (2007) estimates to be 96%. According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education FY 13 Per Pupil Expenditure Report Northampton spent $159.82 per pupil on substitute teachers, a rate 29% higher than the statewide average of $123.67 per pupil.

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Overall non-professional staff attendance for the 2013-2014 school year was ninety-four percent (94%). Sixty-one percent (61%) of non-professional staff were absent for fewer than ten days in the year. Thirty-two percent (32%) were absent for fewer than five days. As opposed to the student demographics, which vary considerably from school to school, staff demographics show less variance by site. Overall, the staffing patterns within the district reflect statewide demographics for educators. While the 49 to 56 year-old age range is the modal interval for staffing at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, educators younger than 49 are present in greater quantities in the middle and high schools whereas educators older than 49 are more common in the elementary schools. Over 99% of teachers in the district hold the appropriate licensure for all courses they teach.

Figure 9 Staffing Age by Full-Time Equivalents At 15%, the 2014 teacher turnover rate in Northampton is slightly higher than the statewide average; however the turnover rates vary significantly by school, ranging from a low of seven percent (7%) at Jackson Street School to a high of twenty-four percent 24% at Leeds. The teacher turnover rates at JFK, Ryan Road, Northampton High and Bridge Street were 13%, 15%, 18%, and 20%, respectively. Based upon the age-distribution of the current teaching staff, Northampton is likely to experience higher than average teacher turnover rates for the next decade. Many experienced

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teachers will be replaced by novice teachers. Educational research has consistently shown novice teachers to be particularly vulnerable to stresses that cause up to half to leave the profession within the first five years (Barnes, Crowe, & Schaefer 2007). It is reasonable to assume that many of the new teachers hired will themselves have to be replaced, creating a secondary wave of vacancies. Additionally, the correlation between teacher experience and efficacy is particularly strong during the first five years of teaching. During this competency building phase of their careers, teachers tend to be less effective than more experienced teachers (Rice, 2010). Participants in one of the parent forums (Summaries of the written comments generated at the parent forums may be found in the Appendix.) expressed a desire for a more racially and ethnically diverse teaching staff, and it is true that the Northampton faculty is slightly less diverse than the overall Massachusetts teacher workforce. Seven percent (7%) of Northampton teachers identify as members of a racial or ethnic minority group, as compared to the statewide average of 8%. Hispanic teachers make up 5% of the Northampton faculty, as compared to 3% of teachers statewide. African American teachers make up 1% of the Northampton faculty, as compared to 3% of teachers statewide. For all other racial and ethnic groups, Northampton mirrors the statewide average. Twenty percent (20%) of Northampton teachers are male. This is exactly the same as the overall proportion of male teachers in the state.

Curriculum

We have not done a lot of organized curriculum writing in a very long time. -NPS Administrator

In its 2012 review of the Northampton Public Schools, the Center for District and School Accountability (CDSA) in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) concluded that the district had not provided sufficient curriculum leadership to ensure that curricula are updated, constantly used, aligned and effectively delivered, particularly at the elementary level (p. 16). This finding was based upon a review of existing curriculum documents and discussions with district personnel. At that time, the high school was preparing for accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The NEASC process seems to have been a stimulus for curriculum development at the high school level. Curriculum for some courses was found to be very thoroughly specified. For other courses, the curriculum documents were much more basic. At the middle school level, the teaming model provided teachers with regularly scheduled opportunities to collaborate on curriculum. The CDSA found that this resulted in strong vertical and horizontal alignment of the taught curriculum at the middle school. In the absence of strong district curriculum leadership, the impetus of an external quality control mechanism such as accreditation, and structural supports for curriculum work, such as a team model, curriculum at the elementary level was found to be especially weak. There is much evidence to suggest that the status of the curriculum today is much the same as it was at the time of the CDSA review. When asked what we still need to work on as a district,

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one principal said, Curriculum alignment, curriculum alignment, curriculum alignment. This same principal provided copies of the districts curriculum documents showing that the current version of the math curriculum was developed in 2007. Since the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics underwent substantive revision in 2011, the lack of an updated curriculum creates obvious barriers to standards-based lesson and unit planning. The curriculum packet also included an undated copy of a document entitled K-5 Language Arts Scope and Sequence. Some of the learning objectives in this document are aligned with the current Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy, but others are not. Evidence of the lack of alignment with the frameworks is apparent in the organization of the document which is arranged by 9 ELA standards which recur at each grade level instead of the 4 strands and 32 standards that are found in the Frameworks. Curriculum issues were also noted by parents. One parent, who described herself as a long-term, 9-year family of one the elementary schools said she had observed inconsistencies among the teaching staff in terms of what they cover. The CDSA analysis of central office capacity was particularly pointed. Budget cuts resulted in the elimination of the position of Director of Teaching and Learning in 2008. The position remained vacant for two years. Then, in 2010 a new central office position was created for a Director of Academic Effectiveness. This position included some of the responsibilities of the Director of Teaching and Learning and many other administrative functions, creating a span of control that was too broad for effective leadership. The CDSA (2012) found that the elimination of the Director of Teaching and Learning created a perceived void and that There does not seem to be any recognition in the district that the creation of the director of academic effectiveness has filled this perceived void --even partially. (p. 15). When Interim Superintendent Regina Nash was appointed, the director of academic effectiveness was vacant. Dr. Nash revised the job description to more clearly focus the role on core curriculum and instruction. Other functions were informally reassigned to other administrators. The result was the position of Director of Curriculum and Assessment, a revised position, more focused on core curriculum and instructional issues. The new Director of Curriculum and Assessment has developed a detailed implementation plan to create an integrated and cohesive Pre-K-12 district curriculum. Beginning in July of 2014, the Director of Curriculum and Assessment initiated a series of professional development experiences to train teachers in the Understanding by Design (UBD) Framework for curriculum development and and the Atlas Rubicon curriculum mapping system. Using the UBD framework, teachers have begun to develop high-quality, standards-based units of study and assessments. The Atlas Rubicon system allows teachers to curate and share these units. As teachers continue to develop and upload new units to the Atlas Rubicon system, the district curriculum will be aligned to the current state standards and unified through a shared electronic database of units developed using common design principles and including specific strategies for differentiating instruction for all learners. Since embarking on this initiative, Northampton teachers have entered information for more than 400 units of study into the Atlas Rubicon, and the district has appointed 19 Curriculum Leaders to sustain the work of curriculum development and refinement.

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Through individual interviews and parent forums, many parents expressed concern for the level of rigor at various grade levels and subjects. The topic was frequently connected to the practice of de-leveling at the secondary level, particularly in the area of mathematics. Given the current status of the curriculum in Northampton, it would not be surprising to find classrooms where content, learning processes, and/or the variety of assessment options were not sufficiently differentiated to meet the needs of students who are ready to access the curriculum at a high level. One way to examine whether students are being challenged to go beyond the minimum expectations for their grade level is to look at the performance trends for students scoring in the advanced range on MCAS. This analysis reveals variation by school and subject. Overall, the percentage of students achieving at the advanced level is increasing in both science and math, the subject for which concerns with rigor were most frequently raised. On the other hand, the percentage of students achieving at the advanced level in English Language Arts is declining in most schools. At every school, a gap exists between the number of low income students and students with disabilities achieving at the advanced level. In the elementary and middle school grades, these gaps are generally equal to or lower than the gaps found at the statewide level. At grade 10, the gaps are much larger than the statewide averages.

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Instruction I feel like we have been doing so many things that havent been focused on what weve been doing in the classroom, and its time to go back to that.

-NPS Administrator

In order to gather data concerning instructional practices in Northampton, three Learning Walkthroughs were conducted at Northampton High School, JFK Middle School and Bridge Street School. Seventeen classes were observed by twenty-four teachers and administrators who had been oriented to the processes described in the Learning Walkthrough Implementation Guide (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2010). The Learning Walkthrough process provides a systematic methodology for monitoring progress on district initiatives based upon a focus of inquiry. Given the current district emphasis on Differentiated Instruction, the range of teaching techniques was selected as the focus of inquiry for these Learning Walkthroughs. Teams of educators gathered specific and objective observational data and used an analytic rubric (see Table 7) to guide their discussion of instructional practice and to reach consensus about the patterns of practice evident in the schools. Most members of the Walkthrough teams came from the schools data teams. The creation, training, and ongoing work of building-based data teams is a high-leverage innovation in distributed leadership within the district. While the

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data teams are still in the process of developing the technical skills and establishing their roles within their respective school cultures, they have great potential for helping school leaders make data-informed decisions. Summary reports identifying the most prominent features of the observed instructional practices and quick wins, or immediately actionable adjustments to practice that could help strengthen instruction in the school, were distributed to all of the teachers at each of the schools. The three summary reports written by the Learning Walkthrough teams are included in this section. Overall, evidence collected during the Learning Walkthroughs showed that teachers were utilizing a range of instructional strategies including explicit instruction of content vocabulary, alternating whole-group and small-group activities, and using manipulatives, technology, or differentiated materials to make content accessible to more learners. These techniques were consistent with professional development teachers had received in Differentiated Instruction and are representative of very sound instructional practice. Notwithstanding the strong teaching practices that were observed, developing a repertoire of instructional strategies expansive enough to meet the needs of diverse learners is a developmental process and the Walkthrough teams made several specific recommendations to help teachers improve their practice. These recommendations included reducing the reliance upon commercially-produced worksheets, using student assessment data to adjust the level of challenge for students, and increasing opportunities for cooperative learning.

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Table 7 Learning Walkthrough Rubric

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Scott J. Andrew Lesley D. Wilson Matthew J.Collins Associate Principal Principal Associate Principal

John F. Kennedy Middle School 100 Bridge Road Florence, MA 01062

Telephone 413 587 1489 Fax 413 587 1495 www.northampton-k12.us

To: Everyone Cc: John Provost, Nancy Cheevers From: Lesley Date: December 15, 2014 As you know, on December 15th our Data Team and two central office administrators divided into two teams and conducted a Learning Walkthrough. Together we visited 8 classrooms from 8:45 11:15, collecting evidence related to our Focus of Inquiry (below). At the culmination of the Learning Walkthrough, the team met to discuss the patterns observed across the classrooms. The following information conveys the major themes that emerged. Our schools Instructional Leadership Team and Data Team will consider this information in relation to the priorities outlined in our School Improvement Plan and our district and site-based professional development, noting where we are doing well and where additional effort and resources might be needed to improve student learning school-wide. Quick wins that we believe all of us can easily put into motion are highlighted at the end of this memo. We hope you will also find this information useful for your own individual practice or for discussion during your Team Time and Department Meetings. Please feel free to come to me with any questions or concerns. Focus of Inquiry: Instruction includes a range of techniques such as direct instruction, facilitation, and modeling. Summary Statements: During the final debrief, the visiting team came to consensus on the following themes that emerged from the evidence from across the set of classroom observations:

Summary Statement #1 In all classrooms there was evidence of content-specific vocabulary to support instruction in standards-based lessons. Evidence to Support the Statement In 8 of 8 classrooms, standards-based objectives (KUDs) were posted or made clear. In 8 of 8 classrooms, a variety of vocabulary teaching techniques were observed (i.e. word walls, vocabulary blocks, recitation, songs, etc.)

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Summary Statement #2 Teachers provided a variety of instructional strategies to target learning objectives and provide access to content.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 7 of 8 classes, technology was used to support student understanding. In 7 of 8 classes, prior knowledge was activated to support new concepts. In 6 of 8 classes, students worked in small groups or pairs.

Summary Statement #3 The learning environment supported student engagement and participation.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 8 out of 8 classes, students were engaged in the learning activity. In 6 out of 8 classes, students were willing to take risks.

Quick Wins: To address some of the challenges that emerged, we ask that all school faculty:

Provide assignments requiring differentiated products that will challenge all learners based upon assessment (pre-assessment and formative assessment).

Provide opportunities for purposeful and varied student collaboration. Learning Walkthrough Team Participants: Nancy Adamoyurka Mary Lyons-Sosa Kristen Amos John Provost Nancy Cheevers Diana Smith Becky Dimino Lesley Wilson Terry Habel

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Bridge Street School Beth Choquette, Principal 2 Parsons Street Northampton, MA 01060 Phone: 413-587-1460 Fax: 413-587-1474 Cross the Bridge to Learning To: Staff and Faculty of Bridge Street School Cc: Superintendent, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Key Central Office Staff From: Beth N. Choquette, Principal Bridge Street School Date: 12/17/14 On December 17th, seven colleagues divided into two teams conducted a Learning Walkthrough from 9:40-11:45 a.m. Together we visited eight classrooms, collecting evidence related to our Focus of Inquiry (below). At the culmination of the Learning Walkthrough, the team met to discuss the patterns observed across the classrooms. The following information conveys the major themes that emerged. The schools Instructional Leadership Team will consider this information in relation to the priorities outlined in our School Improvement Plan, noting where we are doing well and where additional effort and resources might be needed to improve student learning school-wide. Quick wins that we believe all of us can easily put into motion are highlighted at the end of this memo. We hope you will also find this information useful for your own individual practice or for discussion during your Common Planning Time. Please feel free to come to me with any questions or concerns. Focus of Inquiry: Instruction includes a range of techniques such as direct instruction, facilitation, and modeling. Summary Statements: During the final debrief, the visiting team came to consensus on the following themes that emerged from the evidence from across the set of classroom observations:

Summary Statement #1

Appropriately scaffolded instruction and differentiated materials, manipulatives, and technology were used to support student understanding.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 7 of 8 classrooms technology was used to support differentiated instruction. In 7 of 8 classrooms differentiated materials or resources were used to support all learners. In 5 of 8 classrooms manipulatives were used to enable students to explore concepts.

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Summary Statement #2

Purposeful delegation of staff roles and intentional student grouping fostered student independence.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 7 of 8 classrooms, students engaged in student-centered learning. In 6 of 8 classrooms, the classroom teacher, special educators, and/or ESPs shared responsibility for teaching all students. In 5 of 8 classrooms, students collaborated in small groups or pairs to achieve the lesson objectives.

Quick Wins: To address some of the challenges that emerged, we ask that all school faculty:

Use strategies like think-pair-share or turn and talk to increase student engagement in content discussions.

Reduce reliance on commercially-produced worksheets to target student interests and learning objectives. Learning Walkthrough Team Participants: Dr. John Provost, Superintendent; Dr. Nancy Cheevers, Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Beth Choquette, Principal; Carol Ruyffelaert, 4th Grade Teacher; Jed Dion, 5th Grade Teacher; Janet Korzenowski, Kindergarten Teacher; Casey Matthias, Preschool Teacher.

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January 13, 2014 To: Staff and Faculty of Northampton High School Cc: Superintendent, Learning Walk Through Team From: Bryan Lombardi, Northampton High School Date: January 13, 2015 On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 9 colleagues divided into 3 teams and conducted a Learning Walkthrough from 8:30 - 10:15. Together we visited 9 classrooms, collecting evidence related to our Focus of Inquiry (below). At the culmination of the Learning Walkthrough, the team met to discuss the patterns observed across the classrooms. The following information conveys the major themes that emerged. The schools Instructional Leadership Team will consider this information in relation to the priorities outlined in our School Improvement Plan, noting where we are doing well and where additional effort and resources might be needed to improve student learning school-wide. Quick wins that we believe all of us can easily put into motion are highlighted at the end of this memo. We hope you will also find this information useful for your own individual practice or for discussion during your Common Planning Time. Please feel free to come to Chris Brennan or me with any questions or concerns. Focus of Inquiry: Instruction includes a range of techniques such as direct instruction, facilitation, and modeling. Summary Statements: During the final debrief, the visiting team came to consensus on the following themes that emerged from the evidence from across the set of classroom observations:

Summary Statement #1 In all classrooms, learning activities were structured to activate prior knowledge.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 8 of 9 classrooms teachers used questioning techniques to refresh student recall of concepts that had been taught in the previous units within the year. In 8 of 9 classrooms learning activities required students to use skills and knowledge that had been taught previously.

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Summary Statement #2 In 9 of 9 classrooms lessons were scaffolded to support all students understanding.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 7 of 9 classrooms, teachers provided written or oral questions to help students identify key skills and concepts. In 6 of 9 classrooms teachers used technology to scaffold instruction.

Summary Statement #3 In 8 of 9 classrooms the teacher varied the learning activity during the 20-minute observation period.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 7 of 9 classrooms a combination of small group work and teacher-led discussion was observed. In 2 of 9 classrooms a combination of student presentations and teacher-led discussion was observed.

Summary Statement #4 In 6 of 9 classrooms, students learned and applied thinking and reasoning strategies through think alouds modeled by the teacher and/or supported by peers.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 5 of 9 classrooms, teachers modeled thinking and reasoning strategies. In 3 of 9 classrooms, students worked in pairs to challenge each others thinking.

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Summary Statement #5 In 5 of 9 classrooms, students collaborated in small groups.

Evidence to Support the Statement In 6 of 9 classrooms, students were seated in groups of 2 to 5. In 5 of 9 classrooms students worked together on problems or practical activities to apply content knowledge.

Quick Wins: To address some of the challenges that emerged, we ask that all school faculty:

Pre-assess students using methods such as: lists, brainstorms, single-problem check-ins, bell-ringers, do nows, formal tests and quizzes, and use the information to adjust practice.

Use strategies such as calling on students who are not volunteering or assigning exit tickets to gauge all students learning and adjust instruction.

Learning Walkthrough Team Participants: John Provost, Superintendent Nancy Cheevers, Director of Curriculum and Assessment Bryan Lombardi, Principal Chris Brennan, Associate Principal of Academics and Curriculum Barbara Bitgood, World Language Teacher Sue Crago, English Teacher Mark Hanson, Math Teacher Kathy Keough, Math Teacher Melanie Samolewicz, Special Education Teacher Bryan Lombardi Principal Northampton High School

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Student Achievement In certain classes there was sort of a lack of challenge.

-Student

Overall, Northampton student achievement showed a slight increase in English Language Arts and a slight decrease in mathematics in 2014. Student performance varied considerably by subject, school, and student subgroup. The charts that follow show student performance trends of various student subgroups by attending school. Student performance is reported in terms of the Composite Proficiency Index (CPI). Massachusetts uses the 100-point Composite Performance Index (CPI) to measure progress towards the goal of narrowing proficiency gaps. The CPI assigns 100, 75, 50, 25, or 0 points to each student participating in MCAS and MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) tests based on how close they came to scoring Proficient or Advanced (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2014). Accountability Report-About the Data). Retrieved from: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/accountability/report/aboutdata.aspx#Achievement)

Figure 10 ELA Achievement Trends, All Students

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Figure 11 ELA Achievement Trends, HIgh Needs Students

Figure 12 ELA Achievement Trends, Low Income Students

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Figure 13 ELA Achievement Trends, Students with Disabilities

Figure 14 Math Achievement Trends, High Needs Students

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Figure 15 Math Achievement Trends, Low Income Students

Figure 16 Math Achievement Trends, Students with Disabilities

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As part of its No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver request, Massachusetts replaced the single Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target for students in the aggregate with customized performance targets for each student subgroup. Based upon the baseline student performance scores obtained in 2011, targets were set that would require all students to continue to demonstrate annual progress and would require accelerated performance improvements from lower-performing subgroups so that the size of the performance gaps between subgroups would be reduced. The waiver also created a five-level Framework for Accountability and Assistance in which each school would be assigned to one of the levels based upon their success at meeting the student performance targets for two student subgroups: All Students and High Needs Students. The High Needs Subgroup is an unduplicated count of all students in a school or district belonging to at least one of the following individual subgroups: students with disabilities, English language learners (ELL) and former ELL students, or low income students. The determination of an Accountability and Assistance Level is based not only upon the most recent year of student performance, but upon a weighted average of performance over the past 4 years. The charts that follow show performance trends and targets for the two student subgroups used to obtain school Accountability Levels. The district also receives an Accountability and Assistance Level equal to the level of the lowest school in the district. Currently, Bridge Street and Leeds are classified as Level 3. Therefore, the entire district is classified as Level 3.

Figure 17 ELA Target Gap Bridge Street

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Figure 18 ELA Target Gap Jackson Street

Figure 19 ELA Target Gap Leeds

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Figure 20 ELA Target Gap Ryan Road

Figure 21 ELA Target Gap JFK

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Figure 22 ELA Target Gap Northampton High School

Figure 23 Math Target Gap Bridge Street

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Figure 24 Math Target Gap Jackson Street

Figure 25 Math Target Gap Leeds

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Figure 26 Math Target Gap Ryan Road

Figure 27 Math Target Gap JFK

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Figure 28 Math Target Gap High School Northampton High School students also have the opportunity to participate in assessment through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). With more than 600 tests administered annually, Northampton has a very high participation rate in AP testing. About 75% of Northampton test-takers obtain qualifying scores of 3 or better, indicating that they are ready for college-level work. SAT participation rates and scores are also very high at Northampton High. On the three SAT subtests, Northampton students exceed the statewide average by 43 to 61 points. Other important measures of student achievement at the high school level include post-graduation outcomes such as college enrollment, students requiring remedial coursework in their freshman year of college, credits earned in freshman year, first-to-second year college persistence, and college degree completion. Northampton students exceed the statewide average post-secondary enrollment rates in the aggregate and in every single subgroup. The student subgroup that exceeds its cohort by the greatest margin in postsecondary enrollment is male students. The student subgroup that exceeds its cohort by the slimmest margin in postsecondary enrollment is female students. Although Northampton High graduates enroll in postsecondary education at higher rates than their peers across the state, they have a lower first-to-second year college persistence rate. The lower persistence rate has the effect of bringing the second-year postsecondary enrollment rate of Northampton students in line with statewide averages.

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Table 8 shows postsecondary enrollment trends for all NHS student subgroups with 20 or more students in each of the last three graduating classes for which data is available. (Post secondary enrollment data for the class of 2014 is not yet available.)

Table 9 shows first-to-second year postsecondary persistence rates for all NHS student subgroups with 20 or more students in each of the last three graduating classes for which data is available. Persistence data for the class of 2013 is not yet available.

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Special Education We need to look at where we are not including kids and why we are not including them.

-Parent

Nearly twenty-two percent (22%) of Northampton Public School students are identified as students with disabilities. This exceeds the statewide identification rate of 17.1%. Of the seven DESE selected populations (i.e. First Language not English, English Language Learner, Low-Income, Students with Disabilities, Free Lunch, Reduced Lunch, and High Needs), the students with disabilities population is the only group for which the incidence in Northampton is higher than the statewide average. Because other variables, especially income and English language proficiency, have been found to be relevant in predicting disability rates, a comparison of districts with similar populations of low income and LEP students might provide a more reasonable basis for comparison than the statewide average. Table 10 shows the incidence of selected populations in districts with similar rates of low-income students, English language

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learners, and students whose native language is not English. Surprisingly, the average rate of disability identification for this subgroup is slightly lower than the statewide average of 17.1%.

Students with disabilities at Northampton High School outperform the statewide averages for their subgroup on MCAS, but at most elementary and middle school grade levels and subjects, they underperform the state mean for their subgroup. At 70.2%, the graduation rate for Northampton students with disabilities exceeds the statewide average. Among Northampton students with disabilities aged 6-21, 50.4% are educated in fully inclusive settings (defined as being within the general education classroom for 80% or more of the day). This makes the Northampton special education program significantly less inclusive than the typical Massachusetts special education program, in which nearly 60% of students with disabilities are fully included. The four-period block schedule is a major driver of the low inclusion rate at Northampton High because each period accounts for 25% of the students academic day, so even one special education class per semester results in significant student removal from the general education setting. Northampton also educates a larger than average proportion of its students with disabilities in separate settings. The Special Education Parent Advisory Council (PAC) highlighted this issue during their Entry Plan interview. One of the PAC members said, We need to look at where we are not including kids and why we are not including them. A review of current high school course selections by students with disabilities revealed that honors and AP classes accounted for less than 3% of the total course load for students with disabilities in all grade levels and that fully a third of all the courses they will take will be taught by just 10 teachers. Prior audits, such as the CSDA report (2012) have noted that Northampton spends a larger than average portion of its budget on special education (p.44). In fiscal year 2013, Northamptons special education spending amounted to 24.7% of the budget as compared to the statewide average of 20.9% (Massachusetts Department of Education, Special Education District Expenditure Trends). In the same fiscal year, 32% of the special education budget was spent to educate students in private special education schools, as compared to the statewide average of

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about 29%. About one third of the remaining 68% of the Northampton special education budget goes to ESP salaries. Most of the rest is used for salaries for various types of special educators. The high rate of special education spending is surely linked to the high rate of identification and to the restrictive service delivery model. Both the Student Services Director and PAC president spoke of the need to develop a special education service delivery model that directs more resources toward special education teachers as opposed to ESPs or out-of-district placements. The district was cited for failing to fully implement 19 different requirements for special education programs at the time of its last Coordinated Program Review (2009). Among its findings DESE listed the following conclusions: A review of student records, interviews, and parent surveys indicate that the program selected is not the least restrictive environment for students (p.13); Interviews and surveys indicate that when related services are interrupted for extended periods of time, the school district does not inform parents in writing(p.14); ...there are several gaps in the continuum that prevent the district from providing supports and services to special needs students.(p.20); ...assessments are not tailored to assess specific areas of educational or related developmental need for limited English proficient students.(p. 27); ...particularly at the elementary and high school levels, students are not assessed in all areas of suspected disability.(p. 28); In addition, staff and parent interviews indicate that students are identified as eligible for special education services due to a lack of instruction in reading or mathematics.(p. 34) Special education programming was a topic of concern at both of the parent forums. Participants in these forums expressed particular concerns about the districts special education interventions for students with reading deficits. The Student Services Director explained that the high student identification rate, combined with the over-reliance on ESPs results in caseloads that are too high for teachers to manage effectively at the high school level. She described the special education program at the elementary level as a patchwork of interventions. PAC members, participants in the parent forums, and the Student Services Director all spoke of the history of special education in Northampton as being rife with conflict but as becoming markedly more collaborative under the leadership of the current Student Services Director. The PAC leadership and current director agree that many of the districts past practices in special education have been corrected, and that the Coordinated Program Review scheduled for the spring of 2015 will result in far fewer findings of non-compliance. Financial records show a sharp decline in the incidence of litigation resulting from special education disagreements in recent years. The high degree of alignment between the perspectives of the PAC and the Student Services Director bodes well for future efforts to improve special education programming. There seems to be broad agreement that program descriptions and intervention models need clarification, programming needs to become more inclusive, and that within the special education program funding needs to be shifted from ESPs and out-of-district tuitions to professional special education staff.

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School Finance We moved here in 2005 and every year we watched the budget shrink.

-Parent

All Massachusetts districts must report their educational spending according to a uniform procedure in what is known as the End of Year Report. The information in this section is derived from the end of year reports. Prior to the 2013 Proposition 2 override, the Northampton Public Schools experienced a series of several consecutive difficult budget cycles. From fiscal years 2011 through 2013, educational spending in Northampton remained unchanged in terms of total spending and on a per-pupil basis. During this same period, average per-pupil education spending in Massachusetts increased 7%. Within the district, changes in funding varied considerably over the same period of time. Education funding at Bridge Street School and Ryan Road fell both in terms of the total budget and on a per-pupil basis. During this three-year period per-pupil spending at Bridge Street and Ryan Road declined by 9% and 1%, respectively. The other four schools saw funding increases both in terms of total spending and on a per-pupil basis. Funding for JFK increased the most over this period. Figure 29 displays building-based instructional funding trends over this three-year time period. Financial information for all schools and districts for fiscal year 2014 is not yet available.

Figure 29 School Instructional Resources

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Adding in the other district finance functional spending areas (i.e. administration, operations and maintenance, insurance and retirement programs, etc.) yields a similar result. At the beginning of the three-year period beginning in 2011, per-pupil expenditures for all school functions in Northampton were $1,286 less than the statewide average. By 2013, the spending gap had grown to $1,495. Much of this gap is due to regional differences in staff salaries, so local comparisons are helpful in interpreting the school spending trends. Ludlow is a nearby, similarly sized municipal school district. In 2011, Northampton spent $483 more per-pupil than Ludlow. By 2013, Northampton was spending $57 less per student than Ludlow. Figure 30 shows total district spending per-pupil for Northampton and Ludlow as compared to the statewide average during this three-year period.

Figure 30 Total Per Pupil Expenditures The result of this period of level funded budgets has been the loss of resources for learning, such as an elementary librarian, that could have a positive impact on student learning, the shifting of costs to families, and increasing difficulty maintaining modern instructional materials and technologies needed to provide a 21st century learning experience for our students.

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English Language Learners and Students Whose First Language is not English More POC (People of Color)/staff diversity

-Identified at Parent Forum as a focus area for district improvement

Twelve percent (12%) of Northampton students are English Language Learners (ELLs) or Students Whose First Language is not English. Among those whose first language is not English, 77% have Spanish as their native language. As a group, this population of students demonstrates the largest achievement gaps with their peers and with the statewide averages for students within their subgroup. This subgroup also lacks visibility within the outcome data because there are many schools and grade levels at which the number of ELLs fails to reach the 10-student minimum needed to calculate an achievement level percentage or the 20-student minimum needed to calculate a median student growth percentile. However, these students are a very important and growing demographic group within the Northampton Public Schools. With Northampton ELL proficiency rates of less than 10 percent for both mathematics and English Language Arts, the achievement gaps experienced by ELLs in Northampton have been especially pronounced and persistent. Thirty-five percent (35%) of students whose primary language is Spanish are also identified as students with disabilities, and more than seventy-five percent are identified as low-income. The confluence of multiple risk factors within this population has been noted to lead to confusion about which student support programs are most appropriate for individual students who are ELLs. Staffing levels to support ELLs vary greatly at the elementary level, and this leads to questions of equity and access for ELLs. There is a perception that some students who are ELLs are inappropriately identified as students with disabilities.

Title I More support for low income families (outreach/programs), long term commitment to low income communities

-Identified at Parent Forum as a focus area for district improvement Title I is a federal program that provides support to schools and districts with high numbers or high percentages of students from low-income families. Schools in which less than forty percent (40%) of the enrolled students are low-income are designated as targeted-assistance programs and may only use the teachers and supplies funded through Title I for low-income students. Schools in which more than forty percent (40%) of the enrolled students are low-income are designated as school-wide programs and may use Title I funds to support any students. Based upon the demographic characteristics of the students, Bridge Street and JFK are currently targeted-assistance programs. Ryan Road and Jackson Street are currently school-wide Title I programs. Since 2012, the Title I grant allocation for Northampton has increased about 10% from $338,851 to $372,616. By comparison, the overall Title I allocation for all Massachusetts districts has seen little change during the same time frame. The allocation is based upon census data from the period two-years prior, so the increase in Title I funding for Northampton reflects the trend of the increasing number of low-income residents discussed in other sections of this report.

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Title I services can be used to provide supplemental services but not to implement the core educational program. Northampton has been using its Title I services to provide interventions in reading and mathematics for qualifying students at the elementary schools and at JFK. Overall, the performance of students eligible for Title I services has shown improvement at Jackson Street School over the past four years. Similar performance improvements have not been experienced by Title I students in the other schools receiving funds.

Technology

We are going to go from maybe 10 to 20 percent of people using the system all the time to 80 and 90 percent, including kids.

-NPS Administrator

Instructional technology in the districts elementary schools is not on a par with that at the middle or the high schools. The 2012 District Review found three deficits in the districts use of technology: 1) lack of up-to-date software and hardware, 2) lack of expertise in using technology to analyze data, and 3) lack of time for data-rich discussions of teaching and learning. The second two of these problems have been corrected, mainly through training and ongoing support from the District and School Assistance Center (DSAC). Since the time of the District Review, the district has trained school-based data teams, implemented new information systems to manage student information, curriculum development, and educator evaluation, and opened data portals to parents at the middle and high school levels. It has taken longer to gain traction on the first of the three identified problems (i.e. providing sufficient quantities of up-to-date hardware). According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education FY 13 Per Pupil Expenditure Report, in the year following the release of the District Review, Northampton spent $20.42 per student on classroom instructional technology, instructional hardware, and instructional technology. This compares to a state-wide average of $75.24 in per-pupil expenditure for these three budget functions. The district is currently implementing an initiative to provide reliable WiFi coverage at each of the schools, but at the time of this writing, only the high school has a functioning school-wide WiFi system. Once the wireless infrastructure is in place, an immediate need will be providing a sufficient number of devices in each school.

World Languages Were blessed here in Northampton to have World Language in the Middle School.

-School Committee Member In grades 6 through 12, the Northampton Public School District provides students with the opportunity for seven years of uninterrupted study of Spanish or French. In grades 7 through 12, students have the opportunity for seven years of uninterrupted study of Latin. Although the Massachusetts Foreign Languages Curriculum Framework (1999) suggests that an uninterrupted sequence of foreign language study beginning in elementary school is necessary for students to attain the highest level of proficiency in a second language, maintaining foreign language programs below the high school level in a time of extreme fiscal constraints has been a challenge for many districts. Even before the era of wholescale program cuts stimulated by the Great Recession, a study of foreign language teaching found only 60 Massachusetts

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districts reporting foreign language course offerings below the 7th grade (Massachusetts Department of Education, 2002). Given this context, Northamptons sustained commitment to world language education is all the more impressive.

Leadership You are my eighth superintendent, so you know, what I think everybody needs is just stability.

-NPS Administrator

In the past four years, Northampton has experienced three transitions of leadership at the superintendent level, five transitions at the principal level, and four transitions of key central office positions. Although there is a paucity of empirical evidence concerning the optimum length of tenure for school leaders, both stage theory and change theory suggest that a leader needs to be in place for at least five to seven years to have a significant positive effect on organizational performance (Louis, et al. 2010). Currently only three school or district leaders have at least five years of service in their current position. On the one hand, the implications are daunting, on the other hand the potential for school improvement is high if the rate of leadership transition can be slowed. Northampton experienced these transitions of leadership during the Massachusetts implementation of Race to the Top (RTTT), a period of urgent change in state and federal education policy. Instability of leadership during this period of an accelerated education reform agenda led to some confusion and varying levels of compliance with the different RTTT mandates. With respect to the implementation of District-Determined Measures (DDMs) and Standards-Based Curriculum, many within the district have expressed confusion as to why these have been designated as priorities and how their implementation is to proceed. In some ways, the Race to the Top agenda seems to have supplanted the District Improvement Plan (DIP) in terms of a program of actionable strategic initiatives. Although many of the current DIP objectives will be achieved prior to its expiration date, it seems that much leadership activity in recent years has been focused on meeting the Race to the Top mandates. The principals authority to make staffing decisions is clearly established, but district budgets have sequestered large portions of the appropriated funds in district-wide cost centers, thereby constraining the principals ability to exercise significant budgetary discretion within their own cost centers. At the elementary level, the presence of district-wide programs within each of the individual schools creates a matrix structure that at times can lead to confusion over roles and responsibilities. It seems that the professional development of school and district leaders has been a very low priority. None of the currently serving administrators has participated in an induction program for administrators as is required by state law. The lack of a formal district professional development program for administrators has not prevented them from working together as a high-functioning team. Known collectively as the ALT team, this group has a clear sense of purpose, effective structures to organize its work, and the capacity to enter into creative tension without compromising trust. At this summers administrative retreat the ALT team identified the

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following five core values which provide a framework of accountability for each individual leaders behavior:

Bravely advocate for children Give the team your best (attention, ideals, etc.) Encourage questions; encourage each other Present a unified perspective Support the work of teachers

Communication

If the students education is to be properly done, the parents have to be involved. -School Committee Member

A very strong theme emerging from multiple sources consulted during this phase of the entry plan is that the communication around some district initiatives, especially the changes to middle and high school math program, was insufficient for some stakeholders. With respect to this topic in particular, the sense that one gets is that many of the communication attempts have been only partially successful because the discussions were more characteristic of efforts at mutual persuasion than a genuine search for common understandings.

Co-Curricular Subjects The arts brings with it a certain passion.

-Teacher

The diversity of co-curricular programs offered by the Northampton Public Schools are a source of pride for students, staff and the wider community. With nearly all students taking visual and performing arts classes at JFK Middle School and Northampton High School, these classes provide truly inclusive learning environments that are reflective of the entire student body. Students and Northamptons co-curricular programs have distinguished themselves by obtaining many honors including the following:

Gold and Silver medals in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Contest Gold medal in the National New Media Contest Winning the Massachusetts Congressional Art Contest Gold medals and Platinum medals at the Great East Music Festival Gold medals and 2 Silver medals at the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators

Jazz Festival The one exception to the richness of the co-curricular offerings within the district is the paucity of physical education (PE) programming at the high school level. An ad-hoc subcommittee has begun working to develop recommendations for an expanded high school PE program.

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Athletics and Activities Learning to be healthy is very important and needs to be a focus of comprehensive education.

-School Committee Member

About half of Northampton High School students participate in some form of athletics. In most sports, Northampton competes at the Division 1 level. The home of the Blue Devils is the Frank E. Tudryn Athletic Complex, a modern sports facility with a lighted, multipurpose natural turf field and a rubberized synthetic track. Most home events are held at the Tudryn Athletic Complex, the Northampton Aquatic Center at JFK Middle School, or in the high school gymnasium. These facilities are augmented by the fields and indoor track at Smith College. In many sports, both the boys and girls teams enjoy a successful and storied history. Northampton also fields several teams in the non-MIAA sanctioned sport of Ultimate Frisbee. To participate in athletics, students pay a fee. The fees are waived or reduced for students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Based upon this years participation, about 16% of student athletes are eligible for free or reduced lunch. This suggests that low-income students are under-represented in the athletic program despite the fee waiver. Students at Northampton High School and JFK Middle School can participate in a number of clubs and activities in addition to interscholastic athletics. At JFK, these opportunities include Student Council, theater, science, outing, newspaper, yearbook, GSA, student of color alliance, student civil rights team, jazz band, and J.F.Keys acapella. At the high school the list of clubs and activities includes: arts and crafts, Best Buddies, Caught off Guard, ceramics, debate team, Devils Advocate, environmental club, gamers club, GSA, homework club, Improv Troupe, Interact Club, International Womens Rights, InvenTeam, Key Club, Speak of the Devil, Model UN, mountain bike club, photography, ping pong club, Quiz Bowl, Red Cross, robotics, ski club, Student Senate, Teen Advocacy Group, theatre club, theater tech, ukulele club, vegan club, ski club, woodworking and the Young Republican Club. Data collected on student activity participation shows that about sixty-three percent (63%) of 8th graders and eighty-nine percent (89%) of 10th graders participate in at least one school club or activity.

Concluding Remarks Many conditions for school effectiveness are present to a marked degree within the Northampton Public Schools, and many students are flourishing. However, as these findings have shown, not all students, schools, and programs are doing as well as they could. In the months ahead our task as a learning community will be to prioritize the district performance issues identified in these findings, seek the root-causes for areas of underperformance, and develop a strategic plan to address our most pressing systemic issues. Building on the abundant strengths of the district, there is every reason to believe we shall be equal to the challenges that lie ahead.

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Works Cited

Barnes, G., Crowe, E., & Schaefer, B. (2007). The impact of teacher experience: Examining the evidence and policy implications. Washington, D.C. National Commission on Teaching and Americas Future.

Louis, K., Leithwook, K., Whalstrom, K. and Anderson, S. (2010). Investigating the links to

improved student learning: Final report of research findings. Learning from Leadership. University of Minnesota.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2014). Accountability

Report-About the Data. Retrieved from: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/accountability/report/aboutdata.aspx#Achievement)

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 2014. FY 13 Per Pupil Expenditure Report. Retrieved from:

http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/statistics/ppx13.html Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2010). Learning

walkthrough implementation guide. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (1999). Massachusetts

foreign languages curriculum framework.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2009). Northampton Public Schools coordinated program review report of findings.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2012). Northampton Public Schools district review.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (20022). What we know

about foreign language teaching and learning in Massachusetts PreK-12: Teacher supply, teacher quality, student coursework and student achievement. https://dlsgateway.dor.state.ma.us/DLSReports/DLSReportViewer.aspx?ReportName=OverrideUnderrideCapStab&ReportTitle=Override,%20Underride,%20Stabilization%20Override%20and%20Capital%20Exclusion%20Votes

Massachusetts Department of Revenue. (2014). Override, Underride, Capital Exclusion and

Special Purpose Stabilization Override Fund Votes, FY83 through Present. Retrieved from: https://dlsgateway.dor.state.ma.us/DLSReports/DLSReportViewer.aspx?ReportName=OverrideUnderrideCapStab&ReportTitle=Override,%20Underride,%20Stabilization%20Override%20and%20Capital%20Exclusion%20Votes

Rice, J. (2010). The impact of teacher experience: Examining the evidence and policy

implications. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research.

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United States Census Bureau. (2014). State and County Quick Facts. Retrieved from:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25/2546330.html

U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Schools and staffing survey (2003-04) [Data file]. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

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Appendix

Notes from the Parent Forum with Superintendent John Provost, Ed.D. Monday September 15, 2014

Jackson Street Elementary School Library, 6:00-8:00 pm Childcare provided by 5 NHS National Honor Society Students

Spanish Interpreter Services provided by Carmen Montes

In Attendance: Damon Douglas, Carmen Montes, Sarah Madden, Bue DuVal, Kathie Bredin, Mary Cowhey, Tammy Maginnis, Paula Baretsky, Jara Malikin-Sirois, Luz Garcia, Lee Feldscher, Tom Baird and Mariah Leavitt. Topics Discussed: What is going well in the school system? Relationship with YMCA, AP Classes, Prop. 2 1/2 passed, Families of color are active in Families with Power, Bridge St. Principal good at communication, good principal collaboration, school gardens, efforts to involve parents, Natures Classroom, PTO's, School Culture, good English dept., overall kids are happy, Advisory groups, PE Program - JFK, Twitter (builds positive connections), swimming pool, Jackson St. sensitive to student needs, respect for diversity, Bridge St. diversity committee, new playground at Bridge St., quality teachers, good reputation, Wright Flight, strong core values, lots of involved parents, community involvement, nice families, nice facilities-swimming pool, spelling bee. What does the school system need to work on? Technology, better tech. support, professional development, parent education, Wifi in all schools and access, arts throughout schools, art, instrumental instruction at elementary, orchestra at JFK, lots of losses of years, tapping into community resources, following lead of exemplary teachers, extra curriculum, science curriculum - especially in the elementary schools, Math, PD around meeting the needs of all students-high and low end, clear articulated curriculum available to parents, later high school start time, more emphasis on writing in middle and high school, food service-health and quality, sports at middle school, access to sports for low income students, easier access to special education/earlier identification/intervention, resistance by school to offer special education, more support for transition of special education students to careers, broader educational opportunities, losing many kids to charter school, address perception of district, more support for low income families (outreach/programs), long term commitment to low income communities, family engagement, refer to Ryan Road's previous program with Margie Riddle, more money for sports, more flexibility for classes for gifted students, JFK had reputation as strong team/weak team, more strong teachers, more communication (school to parents, two households, adding email), help for students transitioning from JFK to High School. What is the overall quality of the various programs being provided by the school system? Nature's Classroom, science fair at JFK, AP offerings at high school, high school art teachers are strong, JFK chorus and band, strong school culture