Superintendent’s Report
May 30, 2024
As we approach June and look forward to graduation ceremonies, we remember that these mark a significant milestone in our students' lives, symbolizing the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and dedication.
As our graduates prepare to walk across the stage next week, receive their diplomas, and step into the next chapter of their lives we want to congratulate them in advance for a job well done. Yesterday, I had the privilege of celebrating with the Promise Year students and issuing their diplomas. These ceremonies are steeped in tradition, English and Classical comraderies, LVTI, and Fecteau Leary graduates all have one thing in common. Our students are gritty, resilient, and full of hope for their futures. As we think about them, we must re-examine The Portrait of a Lynn Public School Graduate. As educators, it is an awesome responsibility to be entrusted with shaping the K-12 student experience. Therefore, graduation time brings with it much reflection on the challenges overcome and the knowledge gained, as well as a celebration of achievements and potential for the future.
As the district teams reflected on the Portrait of a LPS (Lynn Public Schools) Graduate, it was essential to review and evaluate this school year’s accomplishments. We started with the needs of students and have also embedded this goal in our incoming District Strategic Plan 2024- 2029 which will be completed this summer and in effect for the fall. We have referenced Coherence (Fullan, M., Quinn, J., 2016) and what that means concretely for each of our departments. In theory, Coherence achieves educational improvement and organizational coherence. There is a need for coherent and aligned strategies for achieving systemic change in our field. This is the framework consisting of four components shared in the Superintendent’s Entry Plan, October 2023:
- Focusing Direction: Establishing a clear purpose and direction to ensure everyone in the organization understands and commits to shared goals.
- Cultivating Collaborative Cultures: Encouraging collaborative and inclusive cultures where teachers, leaders, and other stakeholders work together to achieve common objectives.
- Deepening Learning: Emphasizing the importance of capacity building and continuous learning to enhance the skills and competencies required for achieving desired outcomes.
- Securing Accountability: Ensuring that there are systems in place to monitor progress, provide feedback, and hold individuals accountable for their contributions towards achieving the set goals.
In the adaptive daily work process, we understand that this is truly ‘Equity in Action.’ We have many assignments ahead of us, but we will continue to diligently address each process and challenge until all our systems are aligned and working well. This will allow each student in Lynn to reach their fullest potential and leave LPS with the skills and academic knowledge they need to navigate their next journey.
Therefore, I would like to share the many structures and processes that have been addressed to improve the student, parent, teacher, and staff experience in preparation for a year (SY25) with new strategic goals and measurable objectives: Click here to view full report.
Respectfully,
Evonne S. Alvarez, Ed.D.
She/Her/Ella
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Data, Assessment & Accountability
MCAS Civics Field Test
During the 2023-24 school year, all schools serving grade 8 are required by DESE to administer the MCAS Civis field test. The test consists of 36-38 questions and is estimated to take 50-60 minutes for completion. The administration of the test will be April 29-June 2024.
Understanding the Student Experience
A top priority in our district is supporting safe and supportive school environments. Presently, we use the DESE Vocal Survey where we only capture the voices of approximately 23% of our English-speaking student population in grades 5, 8, and 10. With this in mind, we have identified the need to create and implement a comprehensive school culture and climate survey in multiple languages for our students in grades 3-12. This inclusive approach is driven by our commitment to fostering a school culture that values every student's voice. By making the survey accessible to more grades and languages, we aim to gain insights into the unique challenges and strengths of each school community. Additionally, this district-wide survey will provide information to help shape our strategies, including restorative practices and staff training.
Early next Spring 2024 we will pilot the Panorama Student Survey with a select set of schools to understand. Panorama is available in 10+ languages and has an elementary and secondary school version. The information from the pilot will help us identify technical issues, test survey procedures, and gather feedback from schools that participate. LPS will use the information from the pilot to implement a district-wide survey with all schools late spring 2024.
Contact: Jennifer Shorter, [email protected]
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Student DEI Consultancy Team is a small group of students who conceptualized and proposed this initiative. This group met on 11/15/23 to discuss the importance of their lens regarding the development of the DEI department, and their input was invaluable. This pilot group will undoubtedly expand, as they’ve already exhibited the importance of student thought-partners regarding belonginess and inclusion efforts in our schools.
Centering Youth Voices, the LPS student superintendent advisory group, is ready for a December launch. Applications have been submitted and we have just completed our selections. This team of students will be an invaluable resource as they “share the table” regarding student experience and perspective. The LPS Staff of Color Affinity Group has partnered with the DEI department in forming the selection committee for Centering Youth Voices and proposed a year-long partnership centered around the future of education and the student-to-teacher pipeline.
The LPS Inclusivity Teams held their district gathering on 11/16/23 with a fantastic slide presentation. Each team gave a brief review of their research project, students gave shout-outs of appreciation, and each mentor shared pictures and stories of their youth. This was a tremendous opportunity for the teams to learn about one another and celebrate each other's progress as they enter the next phases of their research and project development.
Contact: Robert Bishop, [email protected]
Social Emotional Learning
Planning has begun with the Alliance for Inclusion and Prevention-Center for Trauma Care to bring high quality, evidence-based clinical training to our approximately 100 clinicians via the SAMHSA Trauma grant. Plans are being framed to have two spring trainings as well as to offer a menu of trainings via a Summer Institute.
Our partnership with the BRYT (Bridge for Resilient Youth) program is expanding to create a BRYT center at the Lynn Vocational Technical High School. Our work at Classical has been successful and via a DPH grant, an additional program in Lynn is moving forward. we hope to be open in January of 2024.
Contact: Tina Hoofnagle, [email protected]
Special Education
LPS held its first Transition Fair at LEHS on November 15th from 5-7 PM. Organized by LPS Transition Specialist Dr. James McDonald, caregivers and students met with DDS, Bridgewell, Work Opportunities, North Shore Community College, Adult Day Programs to become familiar with supports and services available as students with disabilities transition to adulthood. There was a great turnout.
The Special Education Parent Advisory Council met on November 6th. With over 100 parents joining the meeting, participants were introduced to Interim Administrator Christina Colella and the Special Education Administrative team, made plans for upcoming meetings, and had an opportunity to ask questions. The topic of the next SEPAC meeting is: Understanding and Treating Anxiety, Dec 4, 6:00pm via Zoom or in person.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) has recently implemented significant updates to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) form. These modifications will enhance the IEP process, leading to improved educational outcomes and experiences for students with disabilities across the Commonwealth. The initiative, known as the IEP Improvement Project, goes beyond introducing newly designed and updated forms with a broader objective of facilitating collaborative efforts among schools, districts, and families, to foster the development of more robust systems that effectively support students with disabilities. Through this initiative, the Department seeks to promote meaningful partnerships and innovations that will positively impact the overall educational journey of students with diverse learning needs. The Special Education Department is in the process of applying for a grant that will support the rollout of the new IEP process and forms for all stakeholders. More information will be coming for all stakeholders in the coming months.
Contact: Christina Colella, [email protected]