Thank you to all the families who responded to the Family Engagement Survey. The responses indicate that we needed to focus in the area of supporting Chinese learning at home. We have also decided to focus on supporting math learning both at home and at school. This decision came from the analysis of MCAS results, anecdotal evidence, and lots of talk in the district and in the communities about the disproportionate number of Caucasian students in Honor and AP classes at the high school.
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A large number of parents responded that they do not understand “How testing informs their child's education” and this is something to follow up on next year. As a result of the survey the following is in progress:
Gerald and the Chinese teachers are taking a look at the amount of homework that is currently going home. We are working in conjunction with Community Schools to provide more opportunities for Chinese language practice that is fun and exposes students to Chinese culture for example, a Chinese game group.
In the area of supporting math, a new math interventionist has been hired and we are focusing on giving students even more classroom supports. We will also supply more math resources that parents can access at home. This is a work in progress and part of a district wide push to look at how we engage families, acknowledging what we do well and where we need to improve .