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Hill View Montessori

Minutes

Accountability Committee Meeting

Date and Time

Monday September 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM

Welcome to the September Accountability Meeting!!

Committee Members Present

H. Herklotz (remote), J. Gibbons (remote), K. Bridges (remote), N. Williamson (remote)

Committee Members Absent

J. Landry, K. Laureano, N. Dolan

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

H. Herklotz called a meeting of the Accountability Committee of Hill View Montessori to order on Monday Sep 14, 2026 at 6:04 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes - July

H. Herklotz made a motion to approve the minutes from Accountability Committee Meeting on 07-13-26.
K. Bridges seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED to approve the motion.

II. Accountability

A.

Meeting Calendar

  • Hannah reviewed the Accountability Committee calendar and explained that the main focus of the meeting was reviewing the annual timeline for accountability and student performance data.
  • The current schedule includes:
    • September: Establish/review the accountability calendar.
    • October: Review current and previous MCAS data.
    • November: Review STAR Math and DIBELS reading data.
    • December: No meeting.
    • January: Discuss upcoming surveys.
    • February: Review disaggregated STAR and DIBELS data.
    • Spring: Review staff survey and additional data.
    • June: Add another year-end disaggregated data review.
  • Hannah recommended also disaggregating MCAS data and comparing HVM results with Haverhill and the state. Kevin agreed this made sense. 
  • Hannah asked whether the committee wanted any other changes to the calendar. Nick indicated that the committee appeared to be set with the proposed agenda.
  • Hannah suggested adding a regular review of the Accountability Plan to the committee calendar. Kevin agreed this would be helpful, particularly for newer committee members.

B.

Review Timeline of Data

  • Nick asked Hannah to clarify why disaggregating the data is important.
  • Hannah explained that because HVM has a relatively small student population, individual students or individual classes can significantly affect schoolwide averages. Breaking the data down by grade and student groups provides more useful information and can help identify specific areas for improvement. 
  • The committee discussed reviewing data throughout the year rather than relying solely on overall schoolwide averages.
  • Once MCAS data is no longer embargoed, Hannah plans to provide committee members access to Open Architects so they can review and analyze the data themselves.

C.

Accountability Plan

  • Hannah shared her screen and reviewed the Accountability Plan and the dashboard she created to track progress throughout the year.
  • Hannah explained that the plan is connected to HVM's charter and its key design elements. The dashboard will allow the committee to monitor whether each requirement has been completed. 
  • The committee discussed several accountability measures, including Montessori fidelity assessments, STAR Math, DIBELS, coaching cycles, staff surveys, professional development, and dissemination requirements.
  • Kevin noted the amount of variability within STAR Math and asked how the data could be normalized to make it more meaningful. Hannah explained that she has been working to better understand how STAR data is being reported through Open Architects. 
  • Hannah explained that the STAR Math goal of an average 60 SGP is considered difficult to achieve and cannot currently be changed because STAR is specifically named in the Accountability Plan. The committee discussed revisiting this measure when a new Accountability Plan is developed. 
  • Kevin asked how the school has historically addressed goals that may not be achievable. Hannah explained that the current approach is to continue tracking and reporting the required measures while working to better understand and use the data. 
  • Nick asked what a more reasonable annual improvement goal might look like. Hannah shared that DESE generally looks for approximately 1–3% annual growth and discussed the importance of setting goals that are challenging but achievable. 
  • Hannah reviewed the staff survey requirement and discussed the need to improve participation. The most recent survey had a response rate of approximately 34 out of 60 staff members. The committee discussed potentially providing dedicated time during a staff meeting for completion. 
  • Hannah noted that two Montessori-based professional development trainings are already planned. Current grant funding will run out this year, and she intends to reapply for funding.
  • For the dissemination requirement, HVM must invite members of Haverhill Public Schools to participate. Hannah shared that previous outreach has received limited response and plans to contact the Superintendent's Office directly to determine how the schools can better connect. 
  • Hannah asked whether the dashboard should be submitted to Jeff for formal review at the next meeting. The committee agreed this would be helpful.
  • Hannah confirmed that HVM is currently in the third year of its charter term. 
  • The committee discussed taking a more collaborative approach to the next MCAS presentation, with Hannah, Kevin, and Nick reviewing the data together and developing the presentation as a team.

D.

Faculty Liaison

  • The Faculty Liaison item was tabled because Kristin was not present and the committee needed clarification regarding the intended discussion.
  • The committee will follow up with Kristin and revisit the item at the October meeting

III. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:54 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
J. Gibbons