1. To approve the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan and the HOS Evaluation

2. To review the academic performance of Parker students

3. To prepare SOA and 5-Year Renewal report for approval in July

1. RVSP through Board on Track

2. Read the agenda, Head of School Report, HOS Evaluation, Strategic Plan, NEASC Report

3. Complete Board Assessment

Brian Harrigan said this is a busy time of year for schools.  He said Graduation was a good evening centered on students. He said the juniors are on the Junior Retreat starting today and the Div 1 and 2 trips are tomorrow.   Brian said the faculty is tired but doing well - morale is high

Brian shared  current enrollment is 370 - the school is chartered at 400 and budgeted for 390. Brian said he went over the list of potential withdrawals. with Carter Cox and they will be calling families to help support decisions to stay. The 9th grade waitlist is the largest for next year.

Deb Merriam presented NEASC Priority Areas.  The process is a year-long, internally-focused, reflective process. Priorities are selected internally and the NEASC committee has approved the priorities.  Details are in the meeting packet.  Deb summarized the goals:

1.  Meeting the needs of struggling students through codifying the good work already being done.

2.  Expand the range of practices, resources, and capacity to meet needs of struggling students.

3. As a community, take more pride, responsibility, and better care of facilities.

4. Develop and implement a strategic plan.

Deb distributed and presented 2023 MCAS data - this data is made publicly available by the State.  Deb focused on the overall pattern of the graphs.  Deb said Parker is clearing the bar and exceeding State averages.  

Deb presented disaggregated data for subgroups.

• students with disabilities (and students without)
• high needs (student with disabilities , low income, and ELL)

Deb said race subgroups are below the threshold to gather statistically significant data.

Deb said Parker students with disabilities and high needs do better than the State average for students with disabilities and high needs. Every strategy recommended by the State to improve outcomes for low income kids is done at Parker and there is still a performance gap when compared with other Parker students. She said that by 10th grade the gaps close significantly.

Deb said that Parker radically does not teach to the test and students still do well.  She said MCAS takes a lot of time away from learning.  Brian said that Parker piloted a civics test in preparation for its eventual addition to MCAS.

Tiff Testa said the data is a testament to the Parker approach - Parker's depth over breadth works.  

Brian said Parker is in the process of authoring the 3-year renewal report for the Student Opportunities Act.  He said the school is asked to identify a group/groups to focus attention on and will focus on struggling students.   Brian said the stated work is not about creating anything new, it is about how Parker will invest additional resources.  Brian said resources will go to:

•  Expand academic support and interventions that provide all students particularly students with disabilities, equitable access to deeper learning
•  Reexamine the high school experience so all students are engaged and prepared for post secondary success (Jinee Struss is making sure all student complete the FAFSA)
• Develop an increased and robust pipeline of diverse and well-prepared educators and leaders
• Implement opportunities for all staff to engage in a cycle of continuous improvement, utilizing effective teaming structure.

Deb spoke about the 5-Year Charter Renewal process.  Deb said the renewal is fundamentally a compilation and distillation of 5 years of required annual report data and measures.

Brian said the renewal inspection will take place during a one-day visit in September 2024 and he will invite Members to participate.

Brian and Deb gave an overview of the scope of the inspection and what to expect.  

Stef Reinhorn said the Head of School evaluation process is complete.  She said there is support across all stakeholder groups in all areas.  The participation rate was 82% with 100% participation by Board members.

Stef presented Brian's goals for 2023-2024.  Goals and related data are included in the meeting packet.

Stef pointed out that in most categories Board and Staff are aligned in their evaluation.

Glenn Penna and Pam Gordon said that there the Board on Track evaluation includes questions that are not relevant to Brian's work.

Stef said comments were overwhelmingly positive.  Stef and Pam highlighted some of the feedback received and Brian's accomplishments. Stef said Brian's leadership, transparency, and follow-through were common themes. Stef said the sense of loss and concern around the loss of NTC was mentioned by some.

Stef said Brian has very successfully met the goals set last year.  She said that reorganizing and prioritizing goals will be important to allow Brian the capacity to be more externally focused and begin working on the goals set out in the Strategic Plan.

Brian thanked the Committee and staff for all their work on the evaluation and support in attaining the goals.  Brian said it is as much an institutional evaluation as an individual evaluation.  Brian said he is proud of "us" in all the work.

Glenn said that Brian is also successfully doing work that wasn't articulated in the search process.

Matt Lindsey presented the Board Assessment.  Matt said overall the aggregate score is excellent. Matt shared...

Areas of strength- 

• Board meetings and structure, 
• Head of School evaluation and support, 
• Board recruitment
• Finance
• Academic oversight

Areas of growth - Strategic Plan will help in all of these areas

• Board composition (do Board members have skills needed to move Parker forward?)
• Board goals and accountability
• Development

Matt said this evaluation will help set the Board up for even better performance next year.

Brian presented a Strategic Plan Update.  He said changes, updates, and edits are included in the meeting packet.  Brian invited questions and comments on the document and plan itself.

Brian asked the group to break into three groups to discuss:

• As we begin the hard work of implementing the Strategic Plan, where do you think we should begin?
• What do you think is the work of Year 1?

One person from each group was asked to take notes.  After time for small group discussions, the Board reconvened and Brian asked groups to share what came up in their conversations.  

Ellen Sturgis thanked the Board for their hard work.

Stef Reinhorn presented a Development Update.  She said the Annual Fund has surpassed its goal and a community event planned for Friday, June 14th is expected to bring in more contributions.

Brian expressed appreciation and presented gifts to Members Amy Jolly and Glenn Penna who are leaving the Board.

Nicole Hatlevig and Board Members presented the slate of new prospective Trustees.  

Mara presented information about prospective Member, Marie Beam.

Tiff presented information about prospective Member, Caroline Beasley.

Matt presented information about prospective Member, Fletcher Fernau.

Sonia presented information about prospective Member, Emilly Moura.

Brian presented information about prospective Member, Ellen Sturgis.

Details about prospective Members are in the meeting packet.

Nicole invited questions about prospective Members.  There were no questions.

Matt Lindsey asked renewing Members to leave the room to allow for discussion on their renewal.   There were no concerns about renewing members.

Matt invited renewing members back to vote on the slate.  

Nicole presented the Officer nominations

Pam Gordon - Board Chair

Sonia Razzetti- Vice Chair

Christina Soderman - Treasurer

Matt Lindsey - Secretary

Prospective officers were asked to leave the room to allow for discussion and raising of concerns.  There were no concerns.  The Board discussed how officers are selected and mentoring of future officers.