Walking Through the PARCC

Earlier this month I gave a presentation to the Regional School Committee on the proposed field test this spring of a new state assessment known as the PARCC (Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers).  This new assessment, which will be administered in 18 states plus the District of Columbia, will be taking the place of the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests in English language arts and mathematics.  The reason for this change is the conversion to the Common Core State Standards, a new, national set of standards that is replacing our state's existing curriculum frameworks in ELA and math.  The PARCC Assessment is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Below are the slides that were presented.  The presentation really focused on the latest timelines and details that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is establishing for the transition to the PARCC.  Keep in mind, the majority of the slides were produced by DESE, not me:

MCAS/Accountability Results for 2013

Last Monday night our new Director of Curriculum Maureen Cohen and I delivered the annual presentation on the latest round of MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests and each school's accountability rating to the Regional School Committee.  Here is the "10,000 foot view" in a screencast below:


Not to digress, but I hope you like the format of the "screencast," which was created completely on an iPad using the app Explain Everything.  It really is a nice way to add video, audio, and even animation to something like a PowerPoint presentation.

I would characterize this year's MCAS results as positive, but also mixed.  I am pleased that our overall proficiency levels in English language arts and mathematics continue to rise, as there was a 3% and 5% increase, respectively, in those tests across all grade levels within the district.  While our aggregate scores are showing incremental progress, we must do more to address the learning of our students with the greatest needs.

Under the state's accountability system, schools and districts must not only increase the scores (and meet established performance targets) of all students, but also those of significant "subgroups," e.g., various racial groups, students with disabilities, students from poverty, English language learners (ELLs), etc.   As the MURSD has a relatively small amount of students in these subgroups, the State Department of Education mixes the special education, high poverty, and ELL students into a larger subgroup known as "high needs."  It is in this subgroup where our district must focus greater attention, as across the various grade levels, we are not meeting the targets.

Below in this post you can access the PowerPoint that was delivered to the Regional School Committee on Monday.  It contains the district data for every grade level and every MCAS test.  Or if you would like to see the data broken down by each school, please visit our District Dashboard, which has been updated to reflect the 2013 State Assessments.

Welcome to Harvest for Students Week!

Fall is definitely in the air... and there isn't a better time of the year for the harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Hence, the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, which the MURSD just joined, is sponsoring its 7th annual Harvest for Students Week 2013.  The week kicks off the larger National Farm to School month (October).  Both the national and state projects have the same mission:  to encourage healthy food choices by increasing students' exposure to seasonal fruits and vegetables while also supporting local farmers and heightening interest in school meals.

I am excited that the district has joined the Farm to School Project.  Actually, I feel as if it is a no-brainer, given what we want to accomplish in teaching kids life-long healthy eating habits and the proud farming tradition of our two communities.  Our entree into the program will start with the project's Harvest of the Month campaign, where a new, locally grown fruit or vegetable will be introduced in our four schools' cafeterias each month.  With this campaign a different Massachusetts-grown crop will be featured in a meal at least twice per month.  The featured crops for the next few months are:

The Farm to School Project will provide us with plenty of promotional material, recipes, etc. to publicize the crops.  They also have created partnerships with large local growers who provide participating districts with the produce at cut rates, ones that are typically better than the state's technical bids for food service programs.  For example, the pears and apples we will be serving are fresh from Lanni Orchards in Lunenberg.  Hence, it's a win-win situation.

Changing habits is never easy, and this is definitely true when introducing new foods to kids.  Apples? Probably no problem.... but kale???  This is where our Food Service Director Dianne Braga and her talented managers must meet the challenge.  Dianne tells me that they will be coming up with creative, kid-friendly choices that they will sample throughout the months.  (She shared with me the recipe for baked kale chips:  think of a healthier potato chip that is baked with a touch of olive oil and sea salt!) Whatever the recipe, the staff will first sample it to students before scaling to a full side for a lunch.

Kudos to Dianne and the cafeteria staff for bringing this worthwhile program to the MURSD!

State Senator Richard Moore, MURSD Food Service Director Dianne Braga and I gave fresh apples, pears, and apple cider to Miscoe 6th graders today.

Devin McCourty & Clough Fuel Up to Play 60!

Patriots All-Pro Safety Devin McCourty high fives all 464 Clough students!

We learn some of our habits at a very early age.  That simple fact is the premise of a 6-year old joint venture from the National Dairy Council and the NFL, Fuel Up to Play 60.  The program aims to promote students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at both home and school.  The changes are in the areas of healthy food choices and getting exercise, specifically committing to being physically active for at least 60 minutes everyday.

The longitudinal research throughout many years has been very clear:  poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are not only root causes of overweight and obesity, they are also factors associated with lower academic achievement.  Thus, it is paramount that we find new, tangible ways to instill healthy eating and exercise habits not only into our wellness curriculum but also our everyday operations.

With this program in mind, the wellness team at Clough- school nurse Tara Bellefontaine, PE teacher Dan Hayes, and cafeteria manager Mary Lee Siple, last year decided to enroll Clough in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.  It started with a modest 90 students taking the FUP60 Pledge and based upon that success, they decided to pursue grant funding from the program, seeking the maximum amount, $4000 from their "Playbook" program, where schools must commit to one new nutrition initiative and one new physical activity.  In late summer, they got word that not only was their grant application fully funded, but a New England Patriot would be at the school in September for a kick-off event! Clough was 1 of 5 schools in the nation to win this wonderful prize thanks to our students' hard work in submitting their pictures for a the Scavenger Hunt challenge (part of the grant application). Significantly, the $4000 grant will be used for a new salad bar, new, innovative gym equipment, and kick off material to support the program.

The Patriot that visited Clough today was Patriots all-pro safety Devin McCourty.  He was an absolute delight, as he shared some fun and inspirational thoughts about his life as a Patriot, his workouts, and nutrition.  He took all types of questions, from ,"What do you eat on game days?" (A really big breakfast of eggs, bacon, and French toast.) to, "What was your favorite game as a Patriot?" (It's a tie:  when we beat the Lions on Thanksgiving and everyone was watching us as they ate their turkey and the AFC Championship game a couple of years ago... and when we beat the Ravens to get to Super Bowl XLVI...now we just got to win the next one!) to even, "Do you do ballet?"(I'd like to say that I have.... but, umm... no.)

A couple of final thoughts.  First, many thanks to Dan, Tara, and Mary Lee for securing the grant and putting all of this together.  You did an OUTSTANDING job and I am very proud of your efforts.  It was a terrific day for our children at Clough.

Second, it certainly was apropos when Dan introduced Devin and he told the students about his versatility and flexibility, citing how in the past, Devin's role on the Patriots was changed (from his natural position, a safety, to cornerback) for the good of the team.  Dan stated that Devin understands how important teamwork truly is, much like the "1 Team, 1 Goal, No Limits" core value at Clough.  Devin's comments played off of Dan's fine introduction and it was very apparent that he is a warm, genuine man.  It was also evident in the sincere way that he connected with our kids.

Thus... I know that many of you, like me, are die-hard Patriots fans.  Based upon my experience today, I would urge you to root even harder for Devin McCourty.  In my opinion, this fine young man is the real deal... as he is not only athletically gifted but he is also rich in character.  He deserves all the success he will no doubt earn in his promising career.

PE Teacher Dan Hayes introduces Devin McCourty during today's assembly.  Also on stage is Clough nurse Tara Bellefontaine

A hallmark of the National Dairy Council, Devin proudly wears his milk mustache in front of Clough!

A Través de los Grados (Across the Grades)

This afternoon marked an event that is rapidly becoming a tradition in our district's Spanish Immersion program.  Nipmuc students in Nick Pezzotte's Hispanic Civilization, Culture & Literature Honors class traveled to Clough to read to students in Thais Lopez's kindergarten Spanish Immersion class.  The high school students, most of whom are sophomores, are veterans of the SI Program and were SI kindergarteners themselves a mere decade ago.

The storybooks the high school students read the kindergarteners were written and illustrated by the students in Spanish (por supuesto).  Each book had a fairy tale theme with a distinct moral lesson for the young readers.  In either small groups or one on one the high school students proudly read their work in perfectly fluent Spanish.  It was truly inspirational to see our students across a wide grade level connecting around learning.


Throughout the years there has been considerable research showing the benefits of pairing older students with younger ones to build skills such reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary.  The same studies also show that the confidence and self-esteem of both the younger and older learners is also often improved.  To be sure, this was a nice event for those reasons; however it was also a celebration of a fine program, one that is true innovation in our district.

We need to do this more in our district:  namely creating opportunities where meaningful learning connections can occur among our students across different ages all four schools.  So many of our students at the high school and middle school have so much to offer as models for their younger counterparts. This event is a great starting point and can serve as a model.

¡Felicidades y gracias, Sr. Pezzotte y Srta.Lopez!

Meaningful Math

Last Thursday I was doing some classroom visits with Nipmuc Principal John Clements and we couldn't help but notice a true conversation piece that was erected in the library media center.  It looked like this:


Standing 8 feet tall, it certainly was an impressive sight.  Math teacher Rob Messick and his two classes of sophomores in Fundamentals of Geometry constructed this 3-D figure, known as Sierpinski's pyramid, over the past week and a half.  They carefully cut thousands of equilateral triangles and used plenty of scotch tape to construct the repeating geometric pattern of a tetrahedral (4-sided) pyramid.

When Mr. Clements and I went into the library the students were admiring the fruition of their efforts.  They enthusiastically answered questions about the pyramid, sharing with us the fact that the figure was perfectly symmetrical and that the base pattern kept repeating in an exponential fashion (each unit referred to as a "stage").  The students were able to tell that this figure had five stages and if they were to construct a sixth stage, it would be 32 feet in height.  They shared that if this pyramid was 100 stages, it would be thousands of light years tall. They were also able to cite the volume of open versus closed spaces in the figure based open the volumes of each successive stage they created.

It turns out that Sierpinski's pyramid contains plenty of higher level mathematical concepts, including tessellations, fractals, exponential magnitude, and symmetry to name just a few.  These concepts clearly speak to higher order thinking, i.e., where students must analyze, predict, integrate, and synthesize difficult content so it makes sense.  Here is a animated visual showing the repeating various stages Sierpinski's triangle:


To put it in perspective, here is the mathematical algorithm that goes with this repeating pattern:


The area of the Sierpinski Triangle approaches 0. This is because with every iteration 1/4 of the area is taken away. After an infinit number of iterations the remaining area is 0.

The number of triangles in the Sierpinski triangle can be calculated with the formula:

Where n is the number of triangles and k is the number of iterations.

Okay, not the absolute most difficult math here... but without a visual cue, probably not the most fascinating either.  What Mr. Messick was successfully able to facilitate was true project-based learning for his students.  He gave them a challenge (they had no idea what the final outcome of their construction would be) and allowed them to discover the mathematical concepts as they constructed the figure, guiding their hypotheses as they progressed.  This type of learning is the most impactful for students because they will truly understand because they are engaged in hands-on learning.  As the Chinese proverb states:

A Fitting Tribute

Last Friday there were many heavy hearts at Nipmuc as a group of well over 150 teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and members of the Class of 2012 gathered in the school's courtyard to commemorate the life of Jack Street on the one year anniversary of his tragic death.  The program featured opening comments by Principal John Clements and an outstanding reflective prayer from classmate Matt D'Innocenzo where they recalled Jack's gentle nature, great sense of humor, and his great passion for life.  A highlight of the program was when Class of 2012 President Dan Consigli unveiled the class gift to Nipmuc, a beautiful bench (pictured above) made from Jack's skis and dedicated in his honor.  The bench will be permanently installed in the Nipmuc courtyard in the spring.

Another highlight was the performance of the original song, "Memories and Milestones" by Jack's classmate David Byer.  The lyrics are the following:


Even though I couldn’t find it, I was told to cherish the small
And now that it’s gone I can see it all

I’ll shed a tear and I’ll say a prayer
In hopes that you find all you dreamed of up there
Cause even though we’d never know, it’s the little things that mean the most
You were always so happy, just being you
There’s not a thing we could do, to ever change you
So please rest easy while back home you are not lost
In our prayers, and in our thoughts

Even though I couldn’t find it, I was told to cherish the small
And now that it’s gone I can see it all

Memories and milestones are going to trickle down my cheek
When there’s only silence is when you’ll hear us weep
But these won’t be tears of sorrow, just tears that show you
How grateful we all are that we were blessed just to know you

Even though I couldn’t find it, I was told to cherish the small
And now that it’s gone I can see it all

Yeah I can see it all, yeah I can see it all
Yeah I can see you here, with that smile
The one we all know and love, the smile that’s now above
But know your smiling at better days, and you’re smiling in a better place

This touching song may be heard here:



A common theme that was touched upon Friday afternoon was the strength of community, and how the unspeakable pain of the past year was eased a bit by students and community members being there for Street and Murphy families... and one another.  May that comfort and sense of community continue for the Jack's family.  Most of all, may Jack's memory continue to be alive and be a sense of joy to all in our community.