It was a long meeting and it attracted a large audience. Two related agenda items were the reason: a presentation by Dr. Laura O’Dwyer on MCAS results that compared and contrasted students based on their program enrollment (i.e. French Immersion or ELA) which was nested within a review of program enrollment trends and a recommendation for managing enrollment for the 2013/2014 school year.
The session began with Citizen Speak. More citizens signed up than the policy could accommodate. Chairman Pavlicek noted that the policy permits citizens to speak for 3 mins and caps the overall length of that portion of agenda to 30 minutes. When polled a number of citizens deferred to speak later in the session. There was a second citizen speak opportunity that would occur after the presentation.
The comments made by citizens most of whom were parents were wide-ranging. Some questioned why the enrollment process was being revisited given the World Language Committee had determined enrollment policy in 2010 (James Fundling). Another believed that the recommendations of the WLC had not been heeded and that the schools were now at a “crisis point.” (WLC report) The speaker (Jennifer Renz) cited the proposal to combine a Cunningham and Collicot English class as an example. Such a move would ripple as the students moved through the grades and cause stress and anxiety in teacher ranks with teachers wondering about job security. She also noted the lack of girls enrolled in the English program at Glover (5). Issues of gender balance would come up several times during the course of the discussion. More than one speaker recommended that the administration look for ways to enhance the English program. One example was to explore option of the International Baccalaureate program (Beverly Ross). An agenda item to discuss introducing a STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) at the 1st grade was deferred until the next session when the necessary school personnel such as Ms. Decker, could be present.
Dr. Laura O’Dwyer, a Milton parent who volunteered her time, gave a thorough analysis of 5th Grade MCAS scores from 2005/2006 to 2010/2011. Dr. O’Dwyer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Research, and Evaluation at Boston College.
She performed a regression analysis and employed other statistical tools to analyze the performance of French Immersion students and ELA students MCAS test score results. The results showed that the French Immersion students performed slightly better in both English and Math. However, when she accounted for demographic characteristics (e.g. gender, minority, low-income students and those on Individual Education Plans) the difference became statistically insignificant. Dr. O’Dwyer stated that “We cannot conclude that one program is more or less effective than another.”
O’Dwyer also noted during a Q&A with the committee members that data can obfuscate and statistics can lie. She couched her results carefully, presented them clearly, and received applause from both the committee and the audience for her presentation which many acknowledged as informative and illuminating.
Superintendent Gormley and Assistant Superintendent Phelan also presented a history of the enrollment policy. The coming school year has presented challenges in that 66% of students entering 1st grade have opted for French. This presents a myriad range of logistical problems. Among those are the ability to meet the needs of special needs students. A key component of the school’s strategy in meeting the needs of students on IEPs is the co-taught model which combines students on IEPs in a regular class. The class has two teachers, one a special education teacher, and uses the notion of student models. The issue is with diminished English enrollment there are not sufficient students to have this work optimally in the view of PAC, the parent organization that advocates for students with special needs. Carol Seidman, a member of PAC, said the group did not believe that the current process adheres to the policy previously agreed to. Given time constraints Ms. Seidman did not have time to fully read the letter prepared by the group. It will be emailed to the committee members.
One suggestion was to abolish the English only program. This from Peter Culhane who argued that the students in the French program performed better and that all students would be better served by making it a requirenent to learn how to read and write in French.
Noting that the district is responsible for providing two quality programs and that “the change in enrollment trends has produced an imbalance that limits the district’s ability to creat optimal learning” and that “student data over time indicates an achievement gap between French and English that can be associated with the imbalance of demographics between the programs., the Superintendent recommends:
In order to continue to offer two robust programs for Milton Public School students the district should adapt the current Lottery system and implement a “Lottery/ Capping” model as developed by the 2010 World Language Committee to ensure a quality educational environment for all children through balanced program enrollment.
You can find the complete presentation here.
A couple of parents questioned the need to make the decision now. When asked for a timeline by Member Walker, Phelan said he expected a decision in September. Phelan noted that he could not predict when the committee would take a vote. It was also noted that if adopted a process / procedure for capping would need to be designed and approved.