Coraggio Consulting
Manassas City School Board Meeting - December 9, 2025

Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Place: Manassas City Public Schools / School Board meeting, Virginia
Length: 2h 2m (video)
Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjAYdvbR91g

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-17. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:04] school board meeting is called to order would you please stand for a moment of

[00:00:08] silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance thank you mrs. Garza would

[00:00:52] you please call the roll yes ma'am chair Siebert here vice-chair Spock mrs. Stevens mrs. Brescia present ms. Miles here ms. Brown dr. Jones ms.

[00:01:09] Breeden mr. Moon thank you madam chair we have a quorum thank you mrs. Garza dr. Newman do we have any additions or deletions to the agenda of the evening yes ma'am we need to add under discussion accountability Bility 25 26 video e accreditation and accountability ratings thank you can I get approval of the public meeting agenda as modified I have a motion by mrs. Stevens second by vice-chair Spall that the school board the city of Manassas approved the public

[00:01:49] meeting agenda as modified is there any discussion all in favor aye any opposed the motion carries 7-0 all right next up on our agenda tonight this is superintendent's announcements and spotlights and I'll go to mrs. Radford for that thank you very much Chair Seberg good evening to other members of the board and to everyone that has joined us on tonight we have several spotlights that we would like to showcase on this evening and as you all yes come down to

[00:02:26] join me. We will begin with our if I were mayor essay contest winners. Each year Mayor Michelle Davis Younger who is here with us tonight invites Manassas City fifth graders to put themselves in her shoes and share what they would do if they were mayor of our great city. Three outstanding students were recently surprised at school by Mayor Davis Younger and Dr. Kevin Newman our superintendent. They were recognized for being selected as winners from more than 100 entries submitted by fifth graders from our intermediate schools. Tonight I'd like to present those three

[00:03:06] winners to you. The third place winner was Andrea Corvera Rivera. Was she here? Oh okay. Okay she received a $50 prize for her essay. In second place the winner was Lucas Gomez Minivar. Yes

[00:03:35] minivar i'm sorry minivar eli he received 75 for his essay and the first place winner was evelyn young well for her inspiring essay she outlined ways she would serve the community and connect

[00:04:14] with students including assembling care packages for the homeless oh good she made it yes she outlined ways she would serve the community and connect with students including assembling care packages for the homeless, lowering costs, visiting schools and inviting students to join her for fun activities. Mayor Davis Younger shared that she looks forward to bringing some of Evelyn's ideas to life. Evelyn received

[00:04:48] $100. She also received an invitation to accompany the mayor at the Christmas tree lighting over the weekend and recognition at the City Council and school board meetings so congratulations to all of our winners and while we'd like to thank mayor davis younger for generously funding these prizes each year to encourage and celebrate the voices of our young leaders i'm going to ask the mayor to come before we take our photo in case

[00:05:21] she wants to share something about the program we had a long meeting last night that ended at 10 o'clock so i think y'all heard from me enough but i cannot this was the fifth year and i want to thank Ms. Neal back in the back who makes this happen with me every year and it was amazing that Dakota that they were all from Baldwin which was wonderful but I encourage every student every fifth grader every year to participate the gifts are wonderful but the presence in the city that you get to do with Santa and the light in the tree it's it just makes it community so thank

[00:05:57] you so much for encouraging it and making it such a wonderful event. Thank you so much.

[00:06:45] Congratulations to our students and thank you Mayor Davis Younger. Okay now you are in for

[00:07:24] a wonderful treat. We are going to be entertained by the Baldwin Elementary School fourth grade

[00:07:30] chorus under the direction of Kelly Kingett. I just need to tell the students that Dr. Newman

[00:19:45] didn't want y'all to be that enthusiastic about the snow day okay that's the song right there

[00:19:53] wasn't that wonderful now we're gonna be spoiled that was awesome talk about a way to bring in

[00:21:12] the holidays thank you students thank you parents for coming moment too okay our next spotlight

[00:22:27] is the vfw teacher of the year recognition manassas city public schools is proud to announce that Osborne High School teacher Rebecca Karofelis has been selected as the Local Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW High School Teacher of the Year by VFW Manassas Post 7589. Yes, the honor recognizes her

[00:23:00] outstanding dedication to teaching citizenship, patriotism, American history, and civic engagement. Currently, she teaches U.S. Virginia government to ninth grade students who have recently arrived in the U.S. She also co-teaches English 11 Honors at Osborne and teaches English to adults at a night school program at Mets.

[00:23:23] She is in her second year with Manassas City. Kurt Immel serves as Director of Federal Programs and Family Engagement for Manassas City Public Schools and oversees the ESOL program. program, he praises Ms. Karofelis for being engaging, passionate, and a dedicated teacher.

[00:23:41] She was nominated for this award by Adriana Cernukin, an ESOL specialist for MCPS, who commends her for her exceptional commitment to promoting civic responsibility, democratic values, and inclusive learning for multilingual learners.

[00:23:58] Motivated by her own journey from Ecuador, Karofelis is determined to help her students understand American democracy while finding pride and value in their own cultural identities. Their courage, resilience, and dreams drive her to bring her best every day.

[00:24:14] She serves as an International Participate Learning Ambassador Teacher, a program that enables MCPS to welcome highly skilled international educators who enrich classrooms with global perspectives and cross-cultural experiences.

[00:24:30] This year, MCPS has nearly 40 participate learning teachers from countries as far as Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Jamaica, and Costa Rica teaching in seven different schools. Ms. Karafelis said her teaching philosophy is grounded in project-based and experiential learning where students can connect lessons to real life, building confidence and taking ownership over their education.

[00:24:56] Each year, the Smart Mayor VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award Program recognizes K-12 educators and awards winners in the elementary, middle, and high schools levels.

[00:25:11] Teachers are evaluated on four criteria: Citizenship, Innovation, Resourcefulness, and Passion. Ms. Karofelis' nomination now moves forward in the statewide competition with state winners advancing for national consideration. Congratulations to Ms. Carol Felis on this amazing recognition.

[00:25:52] Okay, our final spotlight for tonight, VSBA Delegate Assembly Delegate Certificate.

[00:26:16] The school board of the city of Manassas recently attended the Virginia School Boards Association's annual conference in Williamsburg. School board member Diana Brown participated in the 2025 VSB Delegate Assembly as a delegate member to show appreciation for their commitment to their school divisions and the betterment of education vsba presented delegates with a certificate and we'd like to present this one to miss brown tonight thank you for representing us

[00:26:46] jared this concludes our spotlights for tonight okay uh up next is our board committee reports

[00:27:36] and i'll go to dr zella jones who chairs our academics committee good evening um the academic committee met on december 4 for 2025. the first item discussed on the agenda was the new course proposals for the 26-27 school year. Betty Jo Windham presented proposed new courses for Osmond High School and Metz Middle School. Proposed new courses for Osmond High School include World Religions, Hospitality and Tourism, Child Development and Parenting, Medical Terminology, Advanced Entrepreneurship, AP Spanish Literature and Culture. Proposed new courses for Metz Middle

[00:28:15] school include introduction to technical theater and introduction to sculpture the second item on the agenda was adding christmas to the school calendar a concerned citizen requested that the school board add christmas to the calendar for 25 2025 2026 the committee recommends adding hanukkah christmas and kwanzaa to the 2025 2026 calendar the committee also recommends additional additions to be discussed in an upcoming work session for the support discussion in 2026 the final item

[00:28:49] added to the agenda was the placement of spring break on the 2026 2027 calendar the mea reported that staff noted spring break is scheduled for the the week after easter although it has traditionally occurred the week before there is concern that several neighboring divisions plan to be off the week before Easter, which may create significant childcare challenges for staff whose children do not attend Manasseh City Public Schools.

[00:29:19] The MEA asked whether spring break could be adjusted to align with surrounding divisions. The committee held an extensive discussion covering how the calendar is developed, the fact that the 26-27 calendar was selected through a survey sent to parents and students, And that some staff live in divisions that also have scheduled spring break after Easter.

[00:29:43] And that staff may have already made plans on the approved dates. The committee ultimately decided that all school board members should be weighing in on whether to change the 26-27 calendar. After surveying all members, a majority expressed that the current calendar should remain in place.

[00:30:01] The approved 26-27 calendar was one of the options recommended by the committee. both staff and parents were given the opportunity to vote the adopted calendar received the most votes and the established process was followed committee members felt it would be unfair to those who participated in the process and to those who voted for the school board to amend the calendar at this stage instead the committee recommends that any proposed changes be brought forward during the next calendar development cycle this ends the report for the academic committee thank you dr. Jones are there any other committee

[00:30:39] reports all right we'll move on to public comments if anybody would like to address the board please come down and sign in at this time we welcome members of the public who wish to speak about services policies and affairs of the city of Manassas public schools because we have an agenda to complete we ask that comments be limited to three minutes we appreciate the time you have taken to be here we treat public comments as a public hearing and do not engage in conversation with speakers the lack of an immediate response to your comments should not be taken as a lack of interest or concern please be

[00:31:14] respectful when presenting your comments and signed up I have Anna DeMaria good evening I know normally I'm speaking as the MEA president but I am not tonight I'm speaking as Anna DeMaria citizen of Manassas City I just wanted to take a moment to thank chair Seberg Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Brescia for voting to postponed the increase for the school board stipends times are really uncertain right now we're not sure what funding they were going to have so choosing to reserve those funds for other needs in the division I thought it really showed

[00:31:54] some clear foresight and some responsible stewardship now as you know I do personally know just how much time and energy being on the school board takes so I personally think that you didn't deserve a stipend increase and I just wanted to specifically say that I thought that mrs. miles comments during the work session were very valuable I thought that her comparison to a potential stipend adjustment to a cost of living provided a thoughtful reasonable framework for understanding how board compensation aligns with the

[00:32:31] staff raises so I just want to say thank you for that conversation I watched the video thank you for now putting work sessions recording online because I was able to go back and watch that and it was a very interesting conversation and thank you for choosing to go the way you did and mrs. Stevens I thought your comments were especially aligned with how in an ideal world I feel however it's a lot of work and you guys do deserve to be compensated so thank you thank you

[00:32:59] mr. Marion moving on to consent agenda I have a motion by mrs. Stevens second by dr. Jones at the school board of the city of Manassas approved the consent agenda as presented is there any discussion all in favor any opposed motion carries seven zero up tonight on our discussion agenda first up we have facilities and maintenance Jenny Dean elementary construction mr. Craig

[00:33:36] Gefeller deputy superintendent will provide us with an update good evening chair Seberg vice chair Spall members of the board and dr. Newman tonight I get to share progress on anything elementary school for October and November so two months worth of progress so I will start off by saying the construction of the new Jenny Dean elementary school continues to be on schedule on time and on budget a major milestone that was achieved in the month of October was the completion of the underground retention stormwater system

[00:34:11] that was a major milestone for the project structurally the campus has transformed over the past two months. The steel framing, roof joists, and masoning work are well advanced across the classroom wings, the gym areas, and stair towers. This creates a clear visual representation of what the school will look like in its final design. Our efforts are now heavily focused on enclosing the building as we move into the winter season. The roofing and exterior wall systems are progressing very quickly over at the job site. In

[00:34:47] and both the administrative wing and the kindergarten wing are nearing full dry-in this will allow the interior work to accelerate while also remaining protected from the weather conditions inside the building mechanical electrical and plumbing rough-ins are expanding across multiple zones temporary heat is being activated to ensure interior conditions remain stable throughout the winter months to support this next phase of work daily staffing has increased from between 100 to 120 workers that are on site each day and we anticipate continued growth as

[00:35:24] the interior finishes ramp up continue to coordinate closely with the leadership the school leadership and our city partners to ensure that the ongoing construction activities do not interrupt the school operations this includes careful scheduling of the utility connections deliveries and access routes and most importantly all design decisions remain aligned with the the instructional mission and vision established at the start of the project, which is to support student learning, enhance the outdoor educational experiences, and honoring the legacy of Jenny

[00:35:57] Dean. As we transition into the winter construction period, our priorities remain achieving full enclosure, accelerating the interior finishes, and maintaining the established schedule. And we were actually over there last week, and there actually started drywall in some parts of the building. So I have some pictures. They were really good pictures.

[00:36:25] So you can see this right here is a picture of the cafeteria slash auditorium slash kind of multi-use room with the roof going on there. There's a stage where if you look in, if I was standing here looking out, I'd be standing on the stage of the new Jenny Dean Elementary School.

[00:36:48] Just some of the roof construction that's happening, some of the steel that's on site currently that's being installed now. This is from November looking inside. You can see this is the administrative, which we saw when we were in there. These are being drywalled now, and so it's being enclosed, which is exciting.

[00:37:10] It gives you an idea. You're starting to see the office spaces in the administrative wing that are happening over there in November. A lot of work on the roofs. If you go over there, you'll see the two wings with the roofs going up that now actually has steel on them.

[00:37:25] A lot has progressed very quickly since these pictures were taken. That's the end of my report. thank you are there any questions or comments from the board seeing and hearing none we thank you for your presentation always great to get this update and for tonight's meeting that was the second best thing after the course thank you okay on item b on our discussion agenda will be for policies and policies or policy is one of the most important things we do as a school board and i'd like to thank um chair of the policy committee lisa stevens for that and for bringing this

[00:38:03] forward thank you we did have a policy meeting recently it was a very short meeting because we were only looking at three policies as you can see the table of what was discussed was up the first policy is DJ F - M purchasing procedures there was some clarity the VSBA needed to clarify some pieces of the policy as it related to crimes of moral turpitude and circumstances under which the division can or cannot award contracts for provision of services the second policy is JFC what was added to JFC were amendments to the Virginia code or

[00:38:41] Virginia law the third policy KBA copy of request for school records the policy was updated to reflect a missing paragraph that the VSBA had missed all the way back in 2022 that paragraph was added back in and that was what we discussed it was a short meeting clarification on a policy update to Virginia code and then reattachment or putting back in a missing paragraph from the prior version and will this come before us at the next school board this will come before us at the next school board meeting to vote on thank you

[00:39:20] any questions or comments for now all right moving on to accountability dr. Cassata will provide a presentation on the newly released 25 26 accreditation and accountability ratings from the Virginia Department of Education okay good evening chair Seberg vice chair Spall school board members and dr. Newman this afternoon the Virginia Department of Education released the accreditation and accountability ratings for schools across the Commonwealth tonight I will be walking you through these ratings for Manassas City Public Schools recall

[00:40:00] that back in August I presented the changes to the accreditation and accountability systems that were made for these 2025 to 26 ratings which are based on the 2024 25 data it gets confusing sometimes what year but we'll be talking about 2025 26 ratings which are based on the data from 24 25 now accreditation is focused on compliance with the components of the standards of accreditation which seems pretty straightforward and accountability ratings are based on the school performance and support framework which video we has designed to align with federal requirements and identify schools for support.

[00:40:34] The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of these ratings. The links that show on this slide are resources that VDOE provides for the public. These links can be accessed through this presentation that is included in Board Docs. On September 9th, I presented SOL performance data for 24/25 for the division and individual schools.

[00:40:55] And at the same time, Mr. Gefeller talked about what schools are doing in response to those data. It's important to note that the mastery and growth components of the accountability ratings I share tonight are based on these very same data. All that is new is the performance category labels. By way of reminder, when V2E released the SOL results, they focused on the fact that the new standards assessed in 2024-25 were more rigorous than in the past.

[00:41:18] They said, and I quote, "Students must show that they know 30 to 40 percent more content than last year to pass a new reading and mathematics SOLs. Even with increased rigor, MCPS performance in reading was relatively level at most grade level," ugh, "relatively level at most grade levels, and mathematics scores increased, in some cases significantly.

[00:41:37] And as we stated, MCPS continues to focus on mastery in all areas and growth, English learner progress, the performance of students with disabilities and combating absenteeism. Okay, first I'm gonna discuss the accreditation ratings for 25-26. Focus on accreditation now is in compliance with statutory requirements as laid out in the standards of accreditation.

[00:41:58] Why is this important? These are important things because they required schools to do all of these things in order to serve our students. you see SOL-based curriculum and instruction. This means we teach the standards of learning. Instructional programming. This means we offer a full range of courses to our students at all levels.

[00:42:17] History and writing content, that these content areas are included even though you may not see history scores or writing scores in the accountability ratings. Course offerings for graduation, that we offer the full complement, including CTE pathways. Promotion and retention policies, that our policies that you adopt are in alignment with state expectations and followed, that our facilities meet safety and security requirements, that our staffing, we staff appropriately in alignment with the standards of accreditation for leadership and teaching positions, and that we meet parental notification requirements.

[00:42:53] So, without further ado, I'm excited to report that all schools in Monasta City Public Schools are fully accredited for 2526. The chart on this slide includes the accreditation for schools in 24-25 and 25-26.

[00:43:11] With all schools fully accredited, MCPS is meeting one of the aspirational targets that was set in the strategic plan. The last time all schools and MCPS were accredited without any conditions was in 2019-20, which was based on data from 2018-2019.

[00:43:28] I'm now gonna transition to the accountability ratings that are now based on the Virginia School Performance and Support Framework, which you may hear me refer to at some points as SPSF, not SPF like sunscreen, but if I shorten it, that's what I mean. This slide includes the graphics from VDOE that have a side-by-side comparison of the new framework on the left and the accreditation system on the right.

[00:43:50] The SPSF is a weighted index made up of multiple components. Scores on this index are used to generate performance category labels for schools. In addition, schools go through a federal identification that impacts the performance levels. The category levels and cut points were arbitrarily set before performance data were ever received.

[00:44:10] The support in any requirements from the BDOE Office of School Quality and federal dollars made available to schools are based on assigned performance category labels and any applicable federal identification status. As a reminder, the SPSF has some significant changes from the previous accountability system.

[00:44:30] First, as I mentioned earlier, it utilizes a weighted index score rather than separate individual indicators. As with the previous system, some adjustments to scores occur in which failing scores are removed. However, these adjustments have been changed from the previous system. First, recently arrived English learners who take assessments have their failing scores removed for only their first three semesters rather than 11 semesters as was the case in the previous model.

[00:44:55] In addition, students in a given school for less than 50% of the school year have any failing scores removed. This is a change from students moving in after the 20th day of instruction K-8 or the 20th hour of instruction in a given course in high school. Growth calculations in the 25-26 ratings are based on whether an individual student made expected growth is determined using the Virginia visualization and analytics solution.

[00:45:20] That's a mouthful, but don't worry, it's going away. This method for calculating growth is only in place for this very first set of ratings, and VDOE will be modifying how growth is measured beginning with next year's rating. This slide shows us the relative rating of the components within the framework at the different school levels.

[00:45:38] As a reminder, all K-6 schools in Manassas City Public Schools use the elementary framework rating. Mastery, growth, and readiness are the components for all schools K-8. At high school, graduation replaces growth. In the next group of slides, I'm going to walk through the calculations for the various components.

[00:45:54] I'm going to talk first about the elementary and intermediate schools together since they follow the same or close to the same model, then middle, then high. Ooh, that fits right up there. First, we're going to walk through the mastery calculations for elementary and intermediate schools.

[00:46:10] At the top of the table, you see the various components of mastery. So you see reading, math, science, and English learner progress. Our intermediate schools are actually the ones that follow the prescribed model from BDOE in terms of weighting, since they include science. Since our elementary schools are K-4 and are the only K-4 schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia, they do not have science, so reading and mathematics mastery is more heavily weighted.

[00:46:35] The table also shows the percent of possible points earned by each school for each component, as well as how that translates to the indicator score and the mastery indicator score, which is at the far right column. The percent of possible points is the best way to compare schools across components or levels, because sometimes schools have different weightings.

[00:46:53] So the percent of possible points is some way to look equitably across. Throughout the presentation, you're gonna see some areas highlighted in green. Those are the areas in which schools earn more than 80% of the possible points in a given area. For our visual learners, this slide provides a visual representation of the data from the previous slide for our five elementary schools.

[00:47:14] The percent of possible mastery points in reading, math, and L progress. As I mentioned before, MCPS elementary schools are the only ones in Virginia with the K-4 configuration. This impacts them in a few areas of the framework. First, it means that the relative weighting of reading and math performance is higher than for any other elementary school since they don't have science.

[00:47:34] Second, growth calculations, which are gonna be discussed on upcoming slides, are based solely on the fourth grade group of students. In addition to reading and mathematics performance, L progress is included in the mastery component. You can see that schools are earning between 50 and 56% of the possible points.

[00:47:50] This is because the L progress indicator is based solely on the percent of English learners making progress in English proficiency. In an upcoming slide, I'm gonna discuss the impact of how that indicator is calculated in comparison to most of the others. Wait for one second, there's a lot of slides.

[00:48:11] As I mentioned at the beginning of the presentation, the framework is based on the same SOL data that we shared back in December. This slide provides an example of how SOL pass rates have improved over the past several years at two of our elementary schools. Baldwin Elementary School and Hayden Elementary School both have made improvements in the four years after returning to regular in-person instruction after COVID.

[00:48:32] Since 21-22, Baldwin Elementary School has improved their SOL pass rates in reading by five points and math by 21 points. During the same time frame, Hayden has improved their SOL pass rates in reading by 14 points and math by 31 points. The gains showed in 24-25 compared to previous year to occur again with those more challenging standards and assessments.

[00:48:52] These SOL results suggest that these two schools are moving in the right direction. Before moving on to mastery at the intermediate level, I wanted to expand on the discussion of the ELL progress indicator. English learners are assessed annually, K-12, on their English proficiency level using the Access for ELLs test.

[00:49:11] Sometimes you'll hear people call it the WIDA test. ELL progress is included in the framework for students who have two consecutive years of access for ELLs data. The amount of growth necessary for a student to be deemed as having made progress varies both on the grade level of the student and their proficiency level in the first year.

[00:49:29] So level one students in K2 have to grow a certain amount that's different than in three to five, six to eight, et cetera. In 2025-26, the federal target for L-Progress was for schools to have 56% of their English learners meet these criteria and demonstrate progress.

[00:49:46] However, a school meeting that target would still only earn 5.6 out of a possible 10 points in the School Performance and Support Framework Index for the L-Progress indicator due to how it is calculated. The only way for a school to earn the full 10 points would be for 100% of the English learners to make the designated progress.

[00:50:04] The progress of L learners does remain a key focus area for NCPS. All right, now we're gonna look at mastery, the visual representation of the mastery data from the earlier slide for our intermediate schools. It's separated from the elementary schools because again, this time they have science.

[00:50:22] So this shows you the percent of possible points in reading, math, science, and L progress. Again, our intermediate schools follow the state's elementary school model. you can see that in reading, math, and science, both intermediate schools earned over 80% of the possible mastery points.

[00:50:39] The next two slides focus on the growth and readiness components for our elementary and intermediate schools. As with the mastery tables shown earlier, this table includes the percent of possible points earned for reading, growth, math growth, and chronic absenteeism, along with the respective indicator scores.

[00:50:54] Again, any area in which a school earned 80% or more of the possible points is highlighted in green. It is important to note, as I mentioned earlier, that for elementary schools growth is only calculated for our fourth grade students since two years of SOL tests are required. Also for chronic absenteeism, the only way a school could get the full 10% in readiness would be to have 0% of the students be chronically absent.

[00:51:18] The absenteeism data shared in this table are the same as those presented back in September. This chart just shows the same information just for reading and math growth from the previous slide in a visual way.

[00:51:36] All right, now we're gonna transition to middle school. We're now moving to the middle school model. The first table provides the mastery component data. Again, the table includes the percent of possible points earned as well as the indicator score for each component. And anything where MET's earned above 80% of the possible points is highlighted in green.

[00:51:52] At middle school, it's important to note that mastery is weighted at 60 points compared to 65 for elementary school, and growth is weighted at 20 points compared to 25 at the elementary schools. This slide shows you the visual representation of mastery.

[00:52:08] it's the set of four bars on the left, and growth on the right for METS Middle School. The notes on the slide are included for context. Mastery does include all tests taken at the middle school, including any high school mathematics tests taken by the students.

[00:52:27] This slide shows us the readiness calculation for middle school. At the middle school level, readiness is weighted 20 points, split evenly between chronic absenteeism and advanced coursework mastery, which means the percent of students who are deemed ready to be, who complete successfully a high school mathematics level course, including passing the SOL.

[00:52:49] Again, the table shows the percent of possible points earned in the respective indicator score. You can see that METS earned 80% or more of the possible points in both pieces of the readiness indicator. As we move to the high school level, it's important to discuss how the high school model differs from the elementary and middle school models.

[00:53:07] Most notably, the high school uses a cohort model for most of the components. Students are placed, students in Virginia are placed in a graduation cohort the first time they enter a Virginia public high school. For most students, this is at the beginning of their ninth grade year. Enrollment data collected during the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades as well as assessment data from middle and high school are used to determine if each student took an approved test while in high school.

[00:53:31] The middle school data are included to determine whether a student took one of the high school mathematics tests while they were still in middle school to satisfy federal participation requirements. So for these calculations, It would be the 12th grade class of 2024-25 who started high school in 21-22.

[00:53:48] Now the cohort gets adjusted. You can see here if students move out, transfer to other schools, they come out of our cohort. So at the end of four years, the cohort group is used to determine whether the students participated in all the assessments they were supposed to, how they performed, as well as what their graduation status was.

[00:54:04] In a few instances in the index, the current year data are used instead of the cohort. I will highlight those when they occur on the following slides. Okay, now we're gonna look at the calculations high school model this slide includes the mastery and graduation component data for each indicator it shows where the cohort whether the cohort or current year data are used again it shows us the percent of possible points earned as well as the indicator score for each component at the high school level mastery is weighted at 50 points compared to 65 at elementary and 50 i'm sorry

[00:54:41] in 60 at middle school and graduated graduation is weighted at 15. in this framework graduation is is measured using the four-year Federal Graduation Indicator, or FGI. What is this? It's an indicator that looks at the percent of students who graduate with either an Advanced Studies or Standard Diploma within four years of starting ninth grade. It does not account for students who are allowed more time to graduate by federal law, including our English learners and students with disabilities, nor does it include students who earn Applied Studies diplomas. This slide shows us that visual

[00:55:17] representation of the mastery data for Osborne High School, and the notes are included for context. Now mastery, as we said, is based on a cohort model and is primarily focused on end-of-course reading tests, the biology test, and algebra one as the metrics. And as I want to mention, L progress is one of those indicators that is based on current year data, not a cohort approach.

[00:55:40] Finally, at the high school level, readiness makes up 35 points in the INDEX. READINESS INCLUDES THE 3E FRAMEWORK, THE 3 E'S ARE ENROLLMENT, SO THAT'S ENROLLMENT AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT OR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES AND SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF THOSE COURSES AND THE ASSOCIATED EXAMS IF YOU ARE IN AN AP CLASS, EMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS CTE RELATED, AND ENLISTMENT AT 25 POINTS, SO THAT'S THE BULK OF THE READINESS INDICATOR, THE 6-YEAR FEDERAL GRADUATION INDICATOR PLUS APPLIED STUDIES AT 5 POINTS, I'LL EXPLAIN that in a minute, and chronic absenteeism at five points. Chronic absenteeism, like L-Progress,

[00:56:19] is based on current year data. The six-year federal indicator plus applied studies looks at cohort of students after six years as in an attempt, the state says, to account for those students who need more time to graduate. And again, the percent of possible points in the respective indicator scores are included, and the area in which Osborne earned 80% or more of possible points that six year FGI with applied studies is highlighted in green.

[00:56:47] Showing that when our students have that extra, that time required and allowed for by law, they're being successful. Okay, the school performance and support framework includes performance category labels that are based on two factors.

[00:57:02] First, it is based on the total index score for all students in a given school. Second, it is influenced by the federal identification process. Schools that are identified as needing targeted support based on the performance of one or more student groups had their performance category lowered by one level.

[00:57:19] In some cases, this decision is made based on the performance of one student group with as few as 15 students. Performance category labels you see are distinguished that are 90 points and above, on track 80 to 89 points, off track 65 to 79 points, and needs intensive support below 65 points.

[00:57:38] As I mentioned at the beginning, these labels and thresholds were set before performance data were known. The category labels set arbitrary distinctions between schools. And students, so you'll see the other piece that's at the bottom is schools that are identified as needing targeted or additional targeted support and improvement have their category level lowered by one.

[00:57:58] Any school can become a targeted support school based on the performance of one or more student groups. This slide shows the SPSF framework score and performance categories for all of the schools in Monassah City Public Schools.

[00:58:17] The table includes the index score, the federal designation if applicable, the VDOE performance category label, and relevant notes. First, you can see that Weems and Osborne are labeled as on-track. Weems earned over 90% of possible growth points in both reading and mathematics.

[00:58:33] And Osborne earned over 90% of possible SOL mastery points. These are just some of the highlights. Next, you see that Mayfield met the on-track threshold. Their score was over 80. However, they were identified for targeted support and improvement based on the performance of their students with disabilities.

[00:58:50] So their performance category is labeled off-track. One note, they did earn more than 85% of possible math mastery and growth points. Next, we see Baldwin Elementary School and Hayden Elementary School, both very close to the on-track threshold, remember this slide I showed you before with their performance data over time, 2.4 and 3.4 points away respectively.

[00:59:13] Neither had federal designations. Baldwin earned over 80% of reading and math mastery points and Hayden earned over 80% of possible math mastery and growth points. Baldwin Intermediate and Dean Elementary School, Both had scores in the off-track range, but both were identified for targeted support and improvement, so their performance category is lowered to needs-intensive support.

[00:59:35] Baldwin Intermediate was identified due to the performance of students with disabilities, a group of 20 students, and Dean was identified based on the performance of students with disabilities and English learners. METS had a score in the off-track range and no federal designation. METS earned over 95% of possible advanced coursework points in the readiness component.

[00:59:54] And finally, Round had a score in the off-track range and a federal designation of Comprehensive Support and Improvement. The Comprehensive Support and Improvement, or CSI status, does not change their performance category. That's a decision rule from the state.

[01:00:10] The decision to lower category labels based on TSI for one student group only, again, appears arbitrary. The remainder of the slides present school-level data. Each school has a scorecard with accreditation and performance framework status, as well as some highlights and areas of focus.

[01:00:26] Schools are presented in order by level. First, we have Baldwin Elementary School. They're fully accredited and have a performance category label of off-track with no federal designation. Highlights for Baldwin include some of the things I've said, but they bear repeating. They earn more than 80% of possible reading and math mastery points and are within 2.4 points of on-track status.

[01:00:47] Remember what we talked about with the English learner progress and how that's calculated, just keep that in mind. As we shared in September, math SOL scores at Baldwin have increased by 21 points in the past four years, including with the more rigorous standards and their reading SOL scores over the same time period increased by five points.

[01:01:04] Areas of focus for Baldwin Elementary School based on this index include growth in reading and math, English learner progress, and addressing absenteeism. Next, we have Dean Elementary School. They are fully accredited. They scored in the off-track range and have a federal designation of targeted support and improvement due to the performance of students with disabilities and English learners, which again lowers their performance category level to needs and intensive support.

[01:01:31] Highlights for Dean include that their grade three SOL scores in reading increased by 10 points from 23-24 to 24-25 and in math by 32 points in the same time period. However, there's no growth in third grade that is part of the calculation. Their chronic absenteeism rate is also better than the state average.

[01:01:48] Areas of focus for Dean include mastery and growth in reading and math, English learner progress, and the performance of students with disabilities. Next, we have Hayden Elementary School. They are fully accredited and have a performance category label of off-track with no federal designation.

[01:02:07] Highlights for Hayden include that they earned more than 80% of possible math mastery and growth points and are within 3.4 points of on-track status and their chronic absenteeism rate is better than the state average. As we shared earlier tonight and bears repeating, math scores have increased by 31 points in the past four years, even with those more rigorous standards and the reading scores over the same time period increased by 16.

[01:02:31] Areas of focus for Hayden include mastering growth in reading and English learner progress. Next, we have Round Elementary School. They are fully accredited and have a performance category label of off-track and a federal designation of comprehensive support and improvement, which is based on the performance of all students at the school.

[01:02:52] This does not, however, lower their performance category label. Highlights for Round include that they earn More than 75% of possible reading and math mastery points and their chronic absenteeism rate is better than the state average. Areas of focus for round elementary school include mastery and growth for all students in reading and mathematics and English learner progress.

[01:03:12] Finally, for elementary schools, we have WEMS. They are fully accredited and have a performance category label of OnTrack with no federal designation. Highlights for WEMS include that they earn more than 20, I'm sorry, 90% of possible reading and math growth points and their chronic absenteeism rate is better than the state average.

[01:03:29] As we shared in September, and I have not yet said tonight, math, SOL scores at Weems have increased by 24 points in the past four years, and their reading scores over the same time period increased by six. Areas of focus for Weems include mastery in both reading and mathematics and English learner progress.

[01:03:48] Now we move on to our intermediate schools, which I will again state follow the elementary model for the performance framework. First, we have Baldwin Intermediate School. They are fully accredited. They scored in the off-track range and have a federal designation of targeted support and improvement due to the performance of students with disabilities, which then lowers their performance category label to needs intensive support.

[01:04:08] Highlights for Baldwin Intermediate include that they earned over 80% of possible reading, math, and science mastery points. In addition, math SOL scores at Baldwin increased by 12 points over the past four years, and science SOL scores in the same time period increased by 21 points.

[01:04:23] School board members, please note that this slide was updated from the version you have printed because one of the highlights was missing. Areas of focus for Baldwin Intermediate include growth in reading and math, English learner progress, and the performance of students with disabilities and addressing absenteeism.

[01:04:39] Next, we have Mayfield Intermediate. They are fully accredited. They scored in the on-track range, and they have a federal designation of targeted support and improvement due to the performance of students with disabilities, which lowers their performance category label to off-track. Highlights for Mayfield include that they earned 85% or more of possible math mastery and growth points and over 90% of science mastery points.

[01:05:01] In addition, math SOL scores at Mayfield increased by 21 points over the past four years including with those more rigorous standards and science SOL scores over the same time period increased by 19 their chronic absenteeism rate is also better than the state average areas of focus for Mayfield include growth in reading English learner progress and the performance of students with disabilities now we move to METS middle school they are federally fully I fully accredited and have a performance category label of off-track with no federal designation highlights from METS include that they are in more than 95% of the advanced coursework readiness

[01:05:35] points and more than 85% of possible science mastery points. Also, METS was conditionally accredited with a federal designation of targeted support and improvement for 24/25. It is fully accredited with no federal designation for 2025/26. Areas of focus for METS include mastering growth in both reading and mathematics, English learner progress, and addressing absenteeism. Finally, we conclude with Osborne High School. They are fully accredited and have a performance category label of OnTrack with no federal designation. Highlights for Osborne include that they earned more than 90 percent of possible reading and math mastery points and over

[01:06:10] 85 percent of science mastery points. Math SOL scores at Osborne increased by 11 points from in the past four years with those more rigorous standards. They also earned over 90 percent of those readiness points for the six-year FGI plus applied studies. Also, Osborne was conditionally accredited in 24-25 and is fully accredited this year and they again have no federal designation.

[01:06:31] Areas of focus for Osborne include graduation, 3E readiness, that enrollment, employment and enlistment, English learner progress and addressing absenteeism. As I said at the outset, this information was just released by Video E, so it is literally hot off the presses.

[01:06:47] All of our schools are continuing the work that they've been doing this year in support of their continuous improvement plans developed after analyzing the performance data presented to you in September and that are the very same data used in these calculations. these aren't new this is not new data this is not new information all that is new is the labels common areas of focus across schools you've heard this as i went through the last several slides improving mastery and growth and reading and mathematics we know there's room to improve english learner progress the performance of students with disabilities and continuing to combat absenteeism thank you for the opportunity to present all of this to you tonight thank you

[01:07:23] dr cassada and i'll ask for any questions or comments from the board at this time again this this is the first time we've seen this so yeah I have a question sure and I hope I word this right but for schools that have the federal designation of targeted support and improvement and this performance category that needs intensive support do extra federal dollars or state dollars come with that to have you know acquire the resources that are needed yes so what exactly that

[01:08:02] looks like and how exactly that works are yet to be received by us so every year in the past there are there's additional support provided by the state now I say support there also are additional requirements that come with that but those labels do unlock the potential for additional funding opportunities that come with a lot of strings attached but additional funding opportunities that would go through the state but it's a federal dollars that flow through the state to us how that's gonna work and what it would mean for these schools this year with this framework they have not announced yet

[01:08:33] okay any other questions it was a lot I think we're all gonna process it for a while because this is something very very new to us I mean although we've been talking about it to see it actually in mm-hmm yes the SPSS okay um where to

[01:09:10] begin. Okay. On slide six, you were talking about the VDOE. So the VDOE currently uses the Virginia's visualization and analytics solution for 2025-2026. But the VDOE is going to be using a different way or different ways to measure growth moving forward. Do we know anything?

[01:09:34] We know some. We know it's getting finalized. And I actually have to say, I think I like approach that they're using. They're using something that's called progress tables which they used before but before progress tables only came into place for students who had not passed the SOL. So a student who did not pass but moved from like the below basic level to the basic level was shown as making making growth right making progress. That's a little bit of an oversimplification. In their new model they'll be able to look at students at the individual level who make growth even those students who passed right. So a student who moved up

[01:10:10] from lower proficiency up to pass advance and things like that so it goes along the entire continuum and it would assign points if you recall from way back in August when we talked about this for mastery and growth students are assigned a point value in the index based on their level of proficiency so a student who scores pass advance gets 1.25 points proficient one point and so on and so forth these new progress tables would have that delineation so the more growth you show the more points you get and it's not an all or nothing nothing, one or zero, like it is for English learners and absenteeism where it's only a percentage.

[01:10:43] So there's a weighted index. So I like the approach that they're taking. There was a weighted index with Vivos this year, but no one can understand and explain how it works. And that contract has now ended. And so this is a way that we'll be able to have things be more meaningful and more accessible for our teachers so that, and our leaders, so there'd be instructional understanding and responses that could be done and said, oh, okay, look where our students are in terms of making growth, provided the information are released to us in a much more timely fashion than they were this year.

[01:11:19] There's just so much. I'm just trying to decide which questions to ask right now because there really are so many things. I guess one of my big questions is, BDOA says they're changing cut scores, not for this year, but moving forward next year.

[01:11:43] How, and we probably don't know how, will that impact all of this so the short answer is the fact that the state is not changing the cut scores this year is a win and it actually shows that the state has in one case listened to feedback so the state will be rolling out the cut scores over four years starting next year in the meantime before they get to those final as it stands right now right let's just say as it stands right now everything could be subject to change but as it stands right now there's a four-year rollout

[01:12:20] And there would be a category label of a proficiency level of approaching proficiency included. For the purposes of these calculations, as long as there is an approaching, that counts the same as proficient. So there is that consideration. At least that's what they're saying right now, that that's how you would mitigate the change, the stair-step change.

[01:12:41] And so there will absolutely be an impact on this. It remains to be seen exactly how, but at least that approaching would be counting as proficient in those next few years. That's the short answer. Okay. When we look at the federal designation and we talk about targeted support and improvement and then comprehensive support and improvement and how it drops the school down one level, how is that determined that because you've got Mayfield, targeted support and improvement, but it didn't drop down with TSI designation.

[01:13:19] However, the other schools did. Why didn't it drop down at Mayfield? Oh, Mayfield dropped? Mayfield dropped from on-track to off-track. So Mayfield, Baldwin Intermediate, and Dean, who are targeted support, dropped down a level.

[01:13:36] What doesn't drop down a level is the comprehensive support and improvement. And that gets back to the question about the federal dollars. The federal dollars already flow to comprehensive support and improvement. The targeted support and improvement is based on subgroups. I cannot beyond that explain the rationale for it.

[01:13:53] And I'm going to try to ask this question in a way that makes sense. But if we go back to No Child Left Behind and schools that were not performing adequately, there was a lot of concern amongst educators that when the federal government would come in to provide support and targeted improvement and whatnot and what have you, it was more of a punishment than anything else.

[01:14:22] And I don't know if you remember back when it was a very, very negative thing. And it tended to be very scary for educators because they were treated as though they had failed.

[01:14:37] How does, what support or what encouragement can we offer to our instructors, our teachers, our employees at the schools that are targeted support and improvement or comprehensive support and improvement, that this won't be a rehash of the concerns that came up with No Child Left Behind.

[01:14:58] - Okay, what I can share with you is what the state has shared with us over the last few years, and I will say the approach, when they move to this kind of concept, even before they put this model in place, when they started talking about school support, there's less the state coming in with a whole team of people to different schools.

[01:15:18] Now, what happens with a comprehensive support and improvement school over time increases, like, you know, exponentially in terms of support if a school fails to get out of that designation. Targeted support, I'm gonna tell you, I'm imagining, and again, these data came out this afternoon, there are going to be, there are many, many, many, many, many schools for targeted support improvement across the state, as there have been in the past few years.

[01:15:43] And so the supports are offering up the possibility of dollars for schools to have more resources, evidence-based interventions, guess what? It's all things that we already have in place in our schools.

[01:16:00] So those are the supports that they provide. You have indications and connections with VDOE, but it flows through, at least for targeted support, it flows through the division where we're the liaisons and we're the ones working with schools, So they don't have a team of people coming in with the thou shalt or you have done all of them.

[01:16:20] So comprehensive support and improvement is newer to me. So that may look different, but I can't speak to the specifics of that yet. So probably can't answer this question, but I just have to put it out there. So with all the unknowns going on to the Department of Education at the federal level, my concern is that these funds that we're being told by the state we could be receiving to support our schools that are off track could be in flux because there's so much going on at the federal level

[01:16:59] and i guess that's a rhetorical question real realistically um and that's one of my concerns is that there are expectations that are going to be placed on our schools but the funds are being held up and i know you can't answer that question because that's not yeah i just really needed to put it out there um and then our schools baldwin elementary and hayden elementary Baldwin is 2.4, 2.4 points below on track, and Hayden is 3.4 points, 3.4 points off track.

[01:17:36] They, those two schools cannot move up to on track until the next reporting period, when we have the 25, 26 SOL scores and all of that data. Correct. Each year, again, each year, as long as this model is in place, as in the other models, your status is determined based on the prior year's data.

[01:17:53] So the next time any of the schools would be assigned a performance category label would be based on the data from this next spring, 25-26. So in the summer or fall or winter when they announce the ratings. And last but not least, I'm really happy to see that Osborne is on track.

[01:18:15] We have always heard so many negative things about Osborne, yet they're one of our two schools that's on track. So I think that is a positive takeaway in my mind that we're doing things right. And I'm happy to see that part about Osborne. So thank you. Ms. Miles, are you ready with your question?

[01:18:34] As I was listening, I'm really not an oral listener, so it's really hard, or learner. So it was hard to hear all the things you were saying. I just, like, ah, so much. But I appreciate you guys giving us this so that I could read it as you were talking.

[01:18:53] And I try to jot down, like, questions. So the first question I have, and I'm just going to, so bear with me. so I noticed like the readiness I want to understand this the readiness at METS the indicators are based on whether or not they attend school consistently and if the students are mastering the advanced coursework correct correct okay okay so that actually I mean just

[01:19:27] looking at METS we I mean was only three points shy so that's really good and I also I like to i mean i think it's really good that so i have comments and questions kind of mixed in um that we're not only looking at mastery because we do have students who struggle with taking tests um but that we're also looking at the growth um and so i look i'm looking at met's growth compared to their mastery and even though you know there's room for improvement it was good

[01:20:05] to see that there was some mastery there um even though we may not have seen the growth that we were looking for because there were four points and in reading behind and then math and of course you know it is concerning to see um certain schools that didn't only half of their school is you know presenting the points that they were supposed to present um i wonder though you know with this point system and the fact that we do have a k4 school will they require us to do um

[01:20:44] you know change our grading because they're doing it this way since it's not going to be the same as the rest of the state is that something that that we've the state is not so there are different grading can grade level configurations across the state we are the ones with k4 there are some other odd configurations that don't meet the traditional k5 or k6 for elementary school they made adjustments to the models for each of those configurations I was pointing out the impacts of those adjustments and the impacts of our structure but the state does not dictate how our school level configurations are

[01:21:20] structured okay and they the other thing about L progress I know when we look at the progress in the intermediate schools it's a lot lower and just to keep in mind with WIDA when our students are taking that test when they're younger they do make significant progress where when they get older it's not as much progress so is there any talks about perhaps having a different accountability based on grade level, or are they going to keep it K-12 like that?

[01:21:50] I have provided feedback on multiple occasions, and I know I have colleagues across this, at least the Northern Virginia region, have provided some feedback around how the L-Progress indicator is calculated. I don't have a response as to any changes that they might be making.

[01:22:08] So those decisions are made by the state for how they include it, and right now there is no differentiation for level. They will tell you other than what is required for making progress does differ at the elementary level versus the middle grades versus the high school and the starting level of the student.

[01:22:25] But those decisions were in place way before this index was determined. - Ms. Miles, do you have any other questions about the ratings? - Yes, yes. I'm still asking, sorry. The one thing I wanted to actually focus on, it's not a question, but it's just a wondering.

[01:22:50] even though we do have two that are on track, if we look at all of our schools, something that stands out is that our students are not mastering the content. And that's really concerning because yeah, we have a lot of things that go into the points, but most of the reasons why we didn't make certain things was because of mastering growth.

[01:23:16] So are we looking into what our next steps are? And is the state requiring us to kind of have a mid-year point before we get, you know, the scores at the end. You know, like, it takes a whole year for them to give us our next scores, but do they give us a midpoint where they have to kind of check in to see how we're doing?

[01:23:35] - So, as I mentioned, so when the data that are used to make these ratings are the same data that schools were dissecting and analyzing all summer and early fall to determine their continuous improvement plans. So the schools are responding to the SOL pass rates, which is what make up the mastery and what make up the growth in determining their improvement plan.

[01:23:55] Schools that are identified for targeted supportive improvement, for example, or in the past, schools that weren't fully accredited. The state has requirements in terms of submitting those plans and we would have a meeting, again, at the division level with them to answer questions about what's going on in terms of any interventions there.

[01:24:15] But there aren't data points in the middle because it's based on the spring SOLs and so that's how it's worked in the past. They have not reached out with any schedule or requirements this year because literally they just released this information this afternoon and we're tweaking their reports until as late as yesterday.

[01:24:35] Okay. And the other question I had, I noticed that I didn't know if there was any correlation, but we saw where does Dean like feed into? Does it feed into Baldwin? I guess which intermediate school does it feed into?

[01:24:56] Dean's Mayfield. Okay. Predominantly. predominantly okay okay sorry that's a logistic question yeah thank you um and I think I asked that question though how long do we get to fix these performance categories on you and you mentioned that you just kind of have to wait okay thank you that's all I have thank you Miss Miles Miss Brescia hi hi usually I try to ask my questions in like an organized format but I can't guarantee that's going to happen uh with the quick timeline that we've all had to adjust

[01:25:30] but I do have a few so I'll start with kind of where Ms. Miles left off about the grade level configuration I think would be interesting if we go to slide if we look at slide 9 first sorry there are a lot of slides no it's okay this one yes okay and this is our mastery calculation for elementary and intermediate and there's quite a bit of green I'd love to see more green always always more green but quite a bit of green and then you go to slide 14 and you

[01:26:06] see over in that growth category if this is the growth chart for reading and math and there's less green because there's less opportunity to grow having only one year of growth in our elementary schools and then so I think that and even going back sorry to slide nine again you know right now we have our fifth graders concentrated in two schools, Baldwin-Intermediate, Mayfield-Intermediate, but presumably the 86.88, the 91.45, if they were spread out with, you know, if we had a traditional leveling system,

[01:26:44] we would see more green spread out throughout the system, right? So because it's concentrated in two schools. So it's, from a visualization point of view, it was just interesting for me to note how it is that our unusual grade structure is impacting how we are evaluated and is will impact and is going to impact how families and you know other in the and the city and everybody around us is going to imp as going to judge how our schools are doing because we are not being it's an apples to oranges kind of situation I've spoken before and I don't think it's a secret at

[01:27:23] at this point in time, but I do think this is something we need to look at, not only just comprehensively, we have a new school opening up. It's a good and natural time about how we are leveling those schools, because we are not being fairly reflected in only having one year of growth and not having a science test and all that other kind of stuff, and we are, you know, we're the only K-4 schools in Virginia, so it's very hard to compare us across jurisdictional lines with this so I'm looking forward to looking more into

[01:28:00] that there are also studies that show that more transit the more schools more transitions you make kids go through the worse their academic performance and behaviors are so I just wanted to hit that point I also under that point wanted to go to slide like this one MCPS growth yes and you go 15 yeah 15 oh Oh, there's the number, I wrote over the number, sorry.

[01:28:33] So the weighting formula is different in elementary and middle. And yes, like the-- - So this slide would be the same 'cause this is the percent of the possible points earned, right?

[01:28:49] So here at elementary and intermediate, our elementary and intermediate's growth is 25 points out of the model. At the middle school level, growth is 20. So it is weighted differently from this group compared to how METS was weighted, yeah. - Right, so when I was looking at the data and this, just this afternoon, so maybe I'm in left field and you can bring me home if I'm totally wrong.

[01:29:12] But if we had sixth graders who were in middle school, that would be a more favorable weighting to how our sixth graders perform. - The weighting, I'm gonna go back to show you this slide actually, this actually. So here shows you the relative weighting for elementary, middle, and high school.

[01:29:30] So at middle school, and a middle school is defined for the state purpose that have to have eighth grade because of that advanced coursework component, right? So the mastery is 65% of the score compared to 60, 25 for growth compared to 20, and the readiness has that extra piece.

[01:29:46] So that's where the weighting differs. So does that answer your question? - I think so, but I might need to think about it a little bit more. - Okay. - This is all very off the cuff, so I do apologize. I usually, like I said, try to be, I usually try to be more polished.

[01:30:01] So I wanted to talk about our grade configuration. I wanted to talk a little bit about the WIDA Access test. The WIDA Access test is not traditionally thought of or has not been traditionally thought of as a mastery type of test. Traditionally, WIDA Access is thought about assessing the level of service that you need.

[01:30:21] - It's assessing the level of English proficiency, which determines the level of service you need. Yes. It is now included in this, in a mastery way that it wasn't before. - Which was, and we did not, the support framework details that told us that WIDA access was going to now be counted in this new way, we didn't find that out until spring sometime, when the school year was most of the way over.

[01:30:47] So I just wanna make that point that I hope that, now that we know how the state is thinking about this test different, I think that there will be some improvement there just because now we are understanding how the WIDA access test is changing and our students are understanding how the WIDA access test is changing.

[01:31:06] Well, the test itself isn't changing. Well, the test isn't changing. What's testing is how it's being used. Yes, how the test is being used. It might change people's approach to it, is all I'm saying, or the intensity that people bring to it. So I think that we'll have some natural growth there. I'm optimistic. I'm trying to express some optimism, which is a good segue into, let's talk a little bit.

[01:31:28] I want to talk, actually, just kind of generally about assuming good intentions. That's one of my favorite things to talk about. I did, actually, I heard Amy Guedera talk recently about the why targeted schools and additional targeted support schools get a bump down and comprehensive support schools do not.

[01:31:48] It is because comprehensive support schools is a more severe category rating, and so it was an idea. The idea was, well, if you are designated CSI, that's basically the worst federal designation you could hope to get.

[01:32:04] And it doesn't, so making you, but so it's not fair to the TSA, ATSI, that they're not getting the same resources as the CSI. So we're gonna move you down to needs intensive support so that the schools that are struggling get the most amount of resource, most, you know, the most possible amount of resources, which is TBD, apparently, what those resources are gonna look like.

[01:32:28] But that was what I had heard about why that decision was made. I didn't hear in the presentation, and maybe I missed it 'cause I'm trying to scribble and stuff like that. Can you clarify what schools get classified as CSI?

[01:32:44] - Sure, so CSI schools can be identified two different ways, really. One is Title I schools, and they're compared to other Title I schools across the state. So it's the lowest performing group of the Title I schools by level, so elementary, middle, and high school, and then there's another way to be a comprehensive support and improvement school at the high school level if you have a graduation rate that's severely low.

[01:33:07] So those are the ways those schools are identified. - So CSI is a relative rating, how are you doing compared to the other Title I? In Round Elementary's case, how are you doing compared to the other Title I elementary schools? - In the state of Virginia, yes. - And it is in the 5% worst performing Title I elementary schools in the state of Virginia?

[01:33:24] - Yes. - Is what that CSI designation is? So that's a big deal. That's not good news. No, no, no, it's not. And it is, and I am looking at, it is kind of an interesting way how this all shakes out because Round is labeled off track and so is Baldwin and so is Hayden. I'm trying to think, I think very metaphorically. I'm trying to think the kind of the best thing, best metaphor that I've come up with, I talked with you about

[01:33:59] this earlier is if you go to the doctor you've got some bad blood work and you're obese and the doctor says you've got to lose 20 pounds. Once you're 20 pounds your BMI is going to be which if you lose 20 pounds your BMI is going to be 29 you're going to be out of that category so come back in a few months and we'll see how you're doing and I think actually most of our schools have done the metaphorical equivalent of losing 15 pounds. You're going to come to the doctor and the doctor is going to say if you're a good doctor keep it up you know this is positive momentum and I'm glad that you reminded us about the SOL performance at Baldwin and Hayden in particular.

[01:34:38] So in those cases, I don't want to get, you know, the off track is a signal, but also just because you're not out of the category yet doesn't mean that you're not making progress. So I don't want this to be interpreted in the public, especially for our schools, and you have to go back now three months to see that SOL data, but there was positive momentum in our SOL data for a good number of our schools that were labeled off-track.

[01:35:06] So there is some nuance here. I don't want the takeaway to be disaster, disaster, everything on fire, so many off-track distinctions. We have a lot of schools that came very, very close, and just because your BMI is still 31, if it used to be 36, that's still good news, right?

[01:35:25] So I am excited to see that good news. With Round, it's like you're coming into the doctor and now you've gained 20 pounds instead of lost it. And that is really discouraging. And I am going to reflect back on what we heard in September about the strategic response.

[01:35:45] Not just there, but everywhere. Leaning into a cycle it works. And the curriculum that works. And the other things that are schools who are improving what they have in common. I'm trying to learn those lessons and bring that into that building.

[01:36:01] because Round Elementary is a school that just a few years ago had scores in the 70s and 80s. So I know they've done it before and I know they can do it again. It is a, I don't wanna shy away from that. It is, I hope that in the spirit of good intentions, this is received in the tough love, with the tough love intent that I'm hoping, that I hope people receive it with that.

[01:36:31] That is my intention, it's not to beat anybody up, but it is, we cannot shy away from how very, very serious that CSI designation is. Thank you for doing that. - Ms. Brown?

[01:36:47] - Thank you, Chair. If we can go back to slide six. So the governor or VDOE, the order was to change the recently arrived English language learners mastery from 11 semesters to three semesters.

[01:37:13] - So when I think of three semesters, nine weeks, 18 weeks per semester, correct? - So recently arrived distinction is, according to the federal government, they say less than 12 months. The state refers to it as three semesters, including like summer, fall, spring, right?

[01:37:31] So yes, it's a short amount of time. And that decision, the state will tell you that decision was made in order to meet the federal, for their accountability system to align with and be accepted by the federal government, whereas it was in accreditation, we had a separate system, that's where the 11th semester, that was a Virginia decision was the 11 semesters before Virginia made the decision to align the system with the federal requirements and hence the change.

[01:38:00] - I can only think and my head is spinning about the inequities that this has resulted in. On the one hand, you do have that school of thought that no is not supposed to mean that students supposed to become or reach mastery in less than a year around a year because it's about if we turn that into days is about 370 odd days so and any student

[01:38:35] that is considered recently arrived after three semesters of being with us is expected to show mastery and take the SOLs? - So, yes, as it's been, students, they have not had to take a reading test in grades three through eight in the first year.

[01:38:56] They were expected to take math or science, but if they failed the math or science, those scores would be excluded. I will tell you that the state is considering options for moving forward that would expand that and draw the timeline out a little bit to two to three years. They have another thing they're proposing, so the work that I support that would expand that and increase that timeline.

[01:39:17] So hopefully that will be approved. - And I think this would be an action item for our constituents and also for our parents to advocate for their children at the state level because this is just inequitable. And I can see how it's weaved through all the schools when I looked at the performance categories, every single school has English language learning performance as an indicator of an area of focus.

[01:39:43] So this is one tangible thing that we can all do together and advocate better for our kids. But this is a lot to process, and I hope that we're thinking of a simple way to explain it to our families, because if it's difficult for us, I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for our parents to understand.

[01:40:07] And at the end of the day, they just want it simplified, like what do I have to do with my student? And the same thing goes for our teachers and our staff. I think I'm gonna echo the comment from board member Miles that we all need to focus on mastery of content, reading and math.

[01:40:26] We really need to pay close attention of that. And I'm gonna repeat it again that the best way to do that is to build a leaders to capacity and instructional leadership. And I know that we're making great gains this year in particular in regards to that.

[01:40:41] so I'm very hopeful that our focus will yield some gains. But for our parents, as maybe perhaps this is a story that we need to reiterate, that attendance matters because now it's being weaved through this process even more so than before.

[01:40:59] And I also wanna highlight it to our parents that the focus on our students with disabilities is nothing but a great thing because all students means all students. So I'm very elated to see that we are going to have an intentional focus and ensuring that we're not leaving the students behind.

[01:41:20] But thank you so much to everybody. I do wanna thank the teachers also because I know, as Board Member Stevens mentioned, that sometimes it's disheartening for teachers to see the scores and to see that their schools are under support and targeted support or improvement plans, but they have done a really good job.

[01:41:42] And right now with all of the variables, it's very difficult to settle into this, but keeping it simple, make sure that you are asking for help. If you need help as to how to deliver your instruction or if you need to build your craft as a teacher, and then as parents, make sure that your students are in schools and let's keep the focus on all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities.

[01:42:15] But thank you, everyone, for your hard work. - Thank you, Ms. Brown. - Vice Chair Spall. - Yes, I just wanna make sure that the message is clear to the folks at home. I just attended with the chair and the superintendent this morning, the counseling forum.

[01:42:32] It was really, really good. And it focused on ELL almost exclusively, but I don't wanna say that we didn't talk about math and reading as well. But at every level, at every school, you know, this is what we're talking about. This is what we're working on.

[01:42:49] You know, a reminder, it's not an excuse. There was no crosswalk here. There was no, there is increased rigor. You know, our kids are learning. Our kids are learning. They may not be at the perfect BMI, but they're getting there.

[01:43:05] You know, and there is a lot to celebrate in how hard our staff and our kids are really working. So I just want to make sure. - Thank you, Vice Chair. Dr. Jones. - I just wanted to say thank you for the data and I just want to encourage our teachers to continue what you're doing to further give our students what they need to learn and also parents, please work with your children at home and on weekends and always provide learning opportunities and we will finish the race in a good way.

[01:43:36] Thank you. - Thank you, Dr. Jones and thank you, Dr. Casada for bringing this to us so quickly. You know, it used to be that all that people cared about was accreditation. And now we're being measured in different ways.

[01:43:52] So we'll rise to the challenge and we'll move forward. Thank you very much. - Next is board member comments. And I'll go first to our student representatives to the school board, Ms. Breeden.

[01:44:15] - Good evening. First off, I would like to express my interest on behalf of my peers.

[01:44:30] That I've heard that students at Osborne are already looking forward to the early childhood development class that you guys approved and so that was presented by Dr. Jones so I would heavily encourage the committee and the rest of the school board as a whole to continue to diversify the opportunities available to students as I've seen firsthand that many opportunities like these have increased student excitement to show up to class and obviously show up to school and learn even if that is just the nursing students excited to show up in their scrubs each day it just really matters and it can help our absenteeism which is a big problem and these courses they just make a difference in students

[01:45:10] lives since they're learning what they're passionate about and then additionally i would like to highlight that this thursday at 10 a.m in the osborne gym there will be a national unified banner ceremony and i urge you to go and celebrate because this honor is only given to about 200 schools in the nation and you are required to meet high standards of inclusion and sportsmanship so this is an incredible just opportunity for osborne that they were able to achieve this honor and I think it deserves all the recognition so please show up if you're able to and lastly I would like to say with the holiday season right around the corner I want to encourage all to

[01:45:46] spread the holiday cheer through giving this year throughout OHS all the middle schools and elementary schools and even restaurants and I saw a box in the city hall coming in tonight there's various donation boxes and it doesn't have to be anything special even a quick trip to the Dollar Tree can help because anything helps. So spread cheer and give back this holiday season. Thank you.

[01:46:08] Thank you, Ms. Braden. Thank you for highlighting those matters. Mr. Imun. Hello, everyone. I hope everyone's having a good start to your week. First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Goodfeller and Dr. Cassano for the very thorough presentations. I could tell you guys worked really hard on them. As well as this, I'd like to thank Mrs. Brescia and Dr. Newman for the time they spent with our leadership class uh in our rsvp program and i would love to see uh you know any other school more school board members if you guys want to come show out it's really nice

[01:46:43] uh to see you guys interact with more of the student body uh and only i only have one thing this saturday at battlefield high school come around 9 30 if you guys want to support the track team there's a you know a little meet uh bring a warm jacket and some gloves because it's going be really cold uh i know all of you know our athletes appreciate seeing anybody cheering for them so any anyone coming is greatly appreciated uh thank you mr emoon is that uh indoor track at

[01:47:15] the outside yeah yeah okay but it's outside yeah thank you dr jones uh congratulations to all those who are recognized tonight to include if i were mayor essay contest winner and participants the VFW Teacher of the Year, and Mrs. Brown for the VESBA Delicate Assembly Certificate.

[01:47:37] And, of course, the Baldwin Elementary School Choir whose songs were very festive. I had the opportunity to attend the school board convention in Williamsburg, the entire board attended, and we all participated in the learning environment with the general and small group sessions.

[01:47:53] All the keynote speakers gave us food for thought, so take a look at the work of Michael Mickey Thomas, Smith, I'm sorry, Jean Becker, and Dr. Jim Johnson. Topics in small sessions included mental health, absenteeism, AI, budget development, school law, and so much more.

[01:48:09] It was great seeing the choir band and cheerleaders from Osborne High School at the Tree Lighting and Manassas Parade. Congratulations to Mayfield Intermediate School for being named the non-profit float winner and Gracie Metz cheerleading for their first place ranking.

[01:48:25] Our students are truly talented. There are still plenty of holiday events at our schools, so please be sure to check the calendar. Winter break is approaching fast, and many of you will be celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Day. Following Christmas, my family and I celebrate Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African American culture.

[01:48:47] Kwanzaa is observed for seven days, and there are different values for each day. Rumoja means unity, Kukishakalia, self-determination, Ujima, collective work and responsibility, Ujama, collective economics, Nia, purpose, Kulumbu, creativity, and Imani, faith.

[01:49:06] I look forward to seeing everyone back in school in January ready to continue learning for personal success. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Jones. Ms. Brown. All right, I'll be fast. Les deseo unas felices fiestas.

[01:49:23] Mantenganse abrigados y disfruten de esta temporada tan especial. Aunque las escuelas están cerradas durante las vacaciones de invierno, recuerden que solo estamos una llamada telefónica, un correo electrónico de distancia si necesitan algo.

[01:49:40] Wishing you the happiest of holidays. Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy the special season. Even though schools will be closed for winter break, We want you to remember that we're only a phone call or an email away should you need anything during that time.

[01:49:58] Happy holidays. Thank you, Ms. Brown. Mrs. Stevens. Thank you, Chair. I do talk about it a lot, mental health during times like these. It's a joyous time of year. We have family and friends coming to celebrate, but the first person you need to take care of is yourself.

[01:50:17] Taking care of your mental health during the holidays. The holiday season can be joyful, but it can also bring stress, loneliness, and pressure. A few different tips to help you prioritize your mental health well-being. Set realistic expectations. The holidays don't have to be perfect.

[01:50:34] Focus on what matters most to you and let go of everything that is unnecessary. Maintain healthy boundaries. It's okay to say no to events and commitments that feel overwhelming. Stay connected. Reach out to friends, family, or support groups.

[01:50:50] Even a simple message can make a big difference. Practice self-care. Take time for activities that relax and recharge you, like reading, walking, or listening to music. Manage your finances wisely. Avoid overspending. Thoughtful gestures often mean more than expensive gifts.

[01:51:09] And, as I believe it was Ms. Brown who said, seek help if you need it. We are a phone call away. We are an email away. although the doors are closed there's always someone who can help you if you're feeling persistently sad anxious or overwhelmed during this time of year because remember your mental health matters just as much as your physical health taking small set steps can help you enjoy the season in a way that feels right for you thank you thank you mrs stevens so very important miss miles yes my comments are a little long because i have two updates from two committees that I'm on I have an update on the culturally responsive and equitable

[01:51:47] practices subcommittee we want to thank you so much for participating in our first annual shoe drive it was very successful all donations are housed at Osborne High School with a goal of distributing them to as many schools as needed and they're actually working on counting them so that was great in our next subcommittee meeting will take place after winter break I also have an ELPAC committee update. On November 20th, ELPAC was held at METS Middle School and there were 25 participants. The ESOL team introduced our families to the division's efforts to strengthening family and school partnerships and highlighting the role of the ESOL program in supporting our multi-language

[01:52:26] learners. Families also were able to create short poems related to their lived experiences in Spanish and English and they got the opportunity to rotate around the room to respond to prompts related to educational hopes for their children schooling climate on building competence language use it was so encouraging to see so many families participate in the survey and just to read their results they were able to share their dreams for their students what makes their students feel most confident in school what they wish their students understand about their child and one thing schools should explain more clearly which I think was

[01:53:04] really interesting and what helps their child learn English so I will share that with the board and send the email so you can read the comments that were very good and I want to remind everyone to bring their donations to support our 18 participant teachers from Jamaica who were affected by Hurricane Melissa they're collecting donations at any of our schools until December 19th and before I go I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year enjoy your winter break and I'll see you in January thank you thank you Miss Miles

[01:53:40] mrs. Brescia thank you very much it's been a while since we've been in the big room here so there's a lot to catch up on I did have the honor of participating in the RSVP program with the leadership class and it is during the school day so if you're wondering why you see some board members and not others it is because there are some people who have traditional jobs during the school day so don't hold that against anybody but I was glad I was able to make the time to do it and I just wanted to report out to the board some of the topics that the students had on their mind they had a lot of questions most crashed questions actually for dr. Chapman about some of the bathroom protocols the tardy

[01:54:17] protocols your parking enforcement the use of AI things like that there was a question whether open lunch can come back quote unquote and that was a simple answer because we've never actually had open lunch. It was never actually allowed. But I, you know, I admire, I admire the, you know, I admire the courage to ask. So it is a great event. It's extremely valuable to get that chance to hear from you guys. And I'm glad that I'm able to, you know, that I was able to do it in that instance. Of course, it's the Christmas season.

[01:54:53] So we had Santa lights and the Christmas parade. I had a great time at both events. If anybody who watched the Christmas parade or was there at the Christmas parade, could attest to, I love that parade. There was a Gov School, there is a Gov School board meeting tomorrow, but there was one since the last time we met that I'd like to report out on. They covered the five-year plan, presented the first budget proposal, and we heard a little bit about student recruiting, so that was good. I am the SEAC, the Special Education Advisory Committee liaison, but that meeting was unfortunately canceled because that was in the cyber attack.

[01:55:29] window, so stay tuned for a new date for that. I want to encourage everybody to sign up for Schoology. Speaking of cyber attack, transitioning into that, with PowerSchool not yet being online and with the end of the quarter, end of the semester approaching, you might be wondering what your grades are and all that kind of stuff, so information should have gone home if you don't already have a Schoology account, so go ahead and set that up. Reminder that it's an early release day tomorrow. I don't think anybody has said that yet, so make sure that you've got a plan for your

[01:56:02] kids when they show up halfway through the day. And there is a Breakfast with Santa event happening at Baldwin Elementary School. This is the very first time that they're doing it, so I'm excited to see what that looks like. It is double booked with the Volunteer Firefighters Breakfast with Santa, so you could do both. I mean, both of them are from like 8 to 12, so why not do breakfast?

[01:56:23] let's do it. I wanted to talk a little bit about, you know, when I finished my questions to you, Dr. Quesada, I realized I didn't actually spend enough time congratulating Osborne and Weems for performing so well, for being on track school. Stay seated. Definitely don't get them. Definitely don't get them. Because this is the first time we're using this framework. It was an accelerated timeline. There's a lot of things about it that I know, you know, is important for us to understand the nuance of it but I don't want any of those concerns to diminish the

[01:57:02] achievement of Osborne and Weems who did it who are on track and it is so it's people that you know nuance is hard and two things can be true that we have a framework that in a lot of ways is not what we'd wish it to be but there's never any frame there's no such thing as a perfect framework but also Weems and Osborne did it and if Weems and Osborne can do it Osborne at this point in time is now fully accredited and on track it is both of those things for a long time not being those things and that is exciting and excellent news so I want us

[01:57:40] all to be very careful as we talk about this framework not to you know not to diminish the accomplishments of those two schools and also in the case of METS I mean you did mention it in your presentation but this time last year METS was identified for Targeted Support and Improvement, and it was a long list of subgroups that were being impacted at METS.

[01:58:05] And now it is no longer a TSI school. And not only that, but any of those students matriculated onto Osborne. Osborne's not identified as a TSI school. So there's something to be said about that as well. So I didn't want to not mention the good news.

[01:58:24] I want to make sure to be there, it's all for me. - Thank you, Mrs. Brescia. - Vice Chair Spall. - Hi, I just wanted to kind of orient us here. I wanted to end the year by saying that this year we faced safety concerns head-on with the enclosing of the Johnson Learning Center connector, sorry, making the well-being of our students and staff our highest priority.

[01:58:48] We stepped up for our alternative learners with the launch of our Alternative Education Pathways Program set to open its doors on January 26th, an investment in every student's right to earn, right to a future that fits them and we kept the promise to our community where dean elementary is on time and on budget ready to open in summer 2026 as a amazing friend and unwitting mentor loves to say winning only looks easy to the people watching from the sidelines and they are right the real story this year is the relentless work the grit the professionalism and the heart shown

[01:59:22] by staff at every level of this division as we close the book on 2025 i'm beyond proud of our fortitude our resilience and our shared commitment to keeping every child by name and by need our focus and our purpose happy holidays mcps students and staff at every fork in the road you earned this winter break my gratitude for each and every one of you is sincere and heartfelt and there are too many to mention sporting events games academic events performances reflections as an

[01:59:57] origins thing happening at METS just look at your schedules there are so many things you can do with your families there are so many things you can do with your young ones to get them excited about what their future looks like at the higher grades or the other schools we offer a lot and if people just look on our website and pick something that they want to do there are so many things so many things it's just ridiculous so just if you if there's a will there's a way and I think that we can get there and we're showing that every day thank you guys thank you vice chair I also wanted to thank miss Brescia for covering the

[02:00:34] VSP RSVP meeting at Osborne yesterday and I wanted to take the time to say a little bit more about what this group is because a lot of people don't even know RSVP is dr. Chapman student group focused on raising student voice and participation I wanted to thank its staff leadership Emily Nelson and poetly because student voice is very important to this board as it informs us in our decisions.

[02:01:03] It also gives students valuable experience in using their voices and gathering information to form thoughtful opinions and make their own informed decisions. I also want to thank all my fellow members for participating at the VSBA annual conference. This is like professional development for school board members where over 800 school board members, clerks, and superintendents from all over Virginia convene and go into different workshops for lots of different topics.

[02:01:35] Some of the sessions that I attended were advancing board effectiveness, building our future, getting the money for your school division, and transforming challenges into opportunities. At the Northeast region meeting, which is part of the VSBA conference, our own Vice Chair Spall was elected as the Northeast region vice chair.

[02:01:57] So she'll be working with the region chair facilitate communication among school boards and in our region and organize an informative region network forum in the spring so congratulations and happy holidays to all celebrating during the season and throughout winter break I look forward to what we're gonna do in 2026 and that only leaves one thing chair somebody I move the school board meeting adjourned I have a motion from mrs.

[02:02:33] Stevens seconded by miss vice chair Spall that the school board meeting adjourn is there any discussion all in favor any opposed the motion carries 7 0 we are adjourned thank you everyone

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