State Department of Education Report Praises Stoughton Schools

More strengths than challenges was the evaluation of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education about the Stoughton school system. 

The School Committee heard the report at their meeting Tuesday night. The state compiled its report after a three-day district review in January, conducting 69 interviews with school committee members, district administrators, school staff and teachers' association representatives. There were also classroom observations, 24 at the high school, 19 at the middle school and 35 at elementary schools.  

In their review, the state found Stoughton to be at the top of the list for strengths out of the districts they reviewed, according to Dr. Eva Mitchell, the associate commissioner for District and School Accountability, who presented the report to the committee. 

"There's nothing in the assessment that came as a surprise to any one of us," said School Committee member Deborah Sovinee. 

Dr. Marguerite Rizzi, the superintendent of schools, said her staff was already working on the challenges outlined in the report.

"It's an ongoing thing." she said. "It's like they came in the middle of the movie and left before it was over."

Rizzi described it as a "snapshot" of the system.

"I didn't think they were any surprises," Rizzi said. "We have been working on these things for years."

After weighing the evaluation, the reports says the school system can implement the suggestions made by the state.

"The reviewers are confident, given Stoughton's strengths, that the district can address the issues," said Mitchell. 

Strengths outlined in the report are:
-Leadership and governance
-Curriculum and development
-Assessment (a number of the components of a strong assestment system.)
-Human resources and professional development
-Finance and asset management

Challenges signaled out were:

-Leadership and governance
-Curriculum and instruction
-Assessment (limited effective use of the data because of access to data, support for teachers, and time for collaboration.)
-Human resources and professional development
-Student support
-Finance and asset management

What the state recommended be done:
-A third party be used to help School Committee and central office administration work together with the Stoughton Teachers' Association.
-Complete and align the goals of plans and include a mechanism to ensure accountability for follow-through.
-Developed a common understanding of effective instructional practices, strengthen instructional leadership at all levels, increase high-quality supervision and feedback at all levels, provide more structured opportunities for teachers to work on strengthening instruction.
-Remove barriers for teachers' effective instructional use of data.
-Ensure high school teachers have sufficient, timely access to data and regular opportunities to discuss it.
-Consider enacting and monitoring a recruitment policy that results in a pool of candidates that reflect the student body.
-So that the high-needs students and other students have the opportunity to achieve at high levels, consider making changes in staffing, training and supervision.
-The district should identify programs, procedures, and practices that need data-based evaluations for non-decision-making purposes.
-Consider eliminating Pathway courses at the high school, or ensure that they are used effectively only a supplemental courses to college preparatory classes.
-Closely consider whether current resource allocation directly supports strategic, improvement, and what reallocations may be needed to fully implement the strategic plan.

(What do you think are the strengths of the Stoughton school system, and where do you think improvements need to be made? Tell us in the comment section.)