One of a notable topics addressed was the Parker Middle School building project. An internal visioning session was recently held, drawing participation from around 45 district staff members. The session aimed to explore the potential reconfiguration of the school to include grades 4-6. Led by design firm AI3 and educational consultant Mike Perillo, the discussion served as a precursor to three upcoming public sessions. The first public meeting is scheduled for October 22 at 7 PM at the Chelmsford Elks, where community members can provide input. The goal is to summarize progress made over the last five years and outline necessary decisions regarding the project.

The meeting also focused on student performance, particularly the results from the MCCAST testing and the challenges impacting student achievement. A presentation detailed the district’s performance, including comparisons at the district and school levels, with a special focus on student subgroups. The presentation revealed that Chelmsford High School achieved an 80 percentile, outperforming 80% of comparable schools. However, the district’s progress towards state targets was categorized at 46%, a figure that reflects advancement towards specific goals rather than an overall performance score.

There was concern about declining proficiency levels among English Language Learners (ELL) and chronic absenteeism at the high school level. The administration expressed confidence in addressing absenteeism through revised attendance policies and proactive family engagement. In English Language Arts, there was a slight improvement since 2021, but the data remained mostly flat. Mathematics showed a noticeable decline, with a widening achievement gap, particularly for students with disabilities. While science results stayed flat, students still performed above state averages.

Additionally, there was a debate on math placement, with concerns that some students might be placed in grade-level math classes when they could succeed in accelerated courses. The committee discussed developing strategies to assist students in transitioning to higher performance brackets and questioned the criteria for student placement. There was also a focus on potential changes to criteria for math placement in seventh and eighth grades, as the new head of math reevaluates the requirements.

The committee also explored several resolutions from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). Among these was a resolution to remove Body Mass Index (BMI) testing from schools, reflecting concerns about its outdated nature and potential discriminatory implications. Another resolution called for legislative support for sanctuary laws for transgender students, emphasizing safe and equitable treatment. There was broad support for increasing the special education reserve fund limit and for allowing practicing educators to serve on the board of education. The committee also discussed preserving local governance of Massachusetts schools, though this resolution received mixed reactions.

Further discussions included the implementation of a new initiative involving paraeducator onboarding and mentoring, aligned with the district’s equity efforts. The committee reviewed strategic plans, noting the continuation of previous initiatives and the launch of new ones, such as the My Path program, which aims to enhance student proficiency through targeted diagnostics and lessons.

The meeting concluded with discussions on field trips, extracurricular activities, and upcoming public forums. Two field trips were approved: one for McCarthy Middle School students to a leadership conference and another for Chelmsford High School seniors’ prom. The need for ongoing updates to school infrastructure, such as the McCarthy roof project and switch gear replacements, was also noted.